Policy

What To Know About The 2020 Census In Wisconsin

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

While the census is still weeks away, here's what you need to know about it — and what it means for Wisconsin and the nation.

Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: February 2020

The Novel Coronavirus And How Isolation And Quarantine Authority Works In Wisconsin

Will Cushman

WisContext

In the arsenal of weapons available to public health officials for combating outbreaks of infectious disease, quarantines are among their most serious options.

Series: The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 And Wisconsin: February 2020

Wisconsin Public Health Officials Mobilize For The Novel Coronavirus Outbreak

Will Cushman

WisContext

Public health authorities and medical professionals in Wisconsin are preparing for potential cases of a respiratory virus that's new to humans, having emerged in China and subsequently spreading around the world.

Series: Known Unknowns

The Hidden Costs And Value Of Wisconsin's Search And Rescue Apparatus

Will Cushman

WisContext

Search and rescue volunteers tend to be dedicated to their craft. Some spend thousands of dollars and countless hours training for and carrying out searches.

Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

Wisconsin's Aging Dams And The Toll Of Extreme Rainstorms

Jana Rose Schleis

Wisconsin Public Radio

As climate change increases the likelihood of more extreme storms and subsequent floods in coming years, what is the state doing about the potential risks to dams? What does the situation look like at a more local level?

Why Volunteers Are Central To Search And Rescue Efforts In Wisconsin

Will Cushman

WisContext

When a hiker goes missing in a forest or a senior with dementia wanders away from a nursing home, who searches for them and under what authority? Or when authorities suspect that a person may have drowned in a lake, how do they go about recovering any remains?

Series: Drinking Water Quality

What Are PFAS And Why Are They A Problem?

Christy Remucal

UW-Madison

A group of chemicals known as PFAS are prompting increasing attention and concern across Wisconsin. What are these chemicals and why are they such a big deal?

Series: Refugee Resettlement In Wisconsin

Refugee Resettlement In Wisconsin Leveled Off In 2019

Will Cushman

WisContext

Following two years of steep drops, the number of international refugees who resettled in Wisconsin leveled off in 2019.

12 Top WisContext Stories Of 2019

Kristian Knutsen

WisContext

WisContext is focused on the long haul. Examining how Wisconsin's history shapes its contemporary issues and looking forward at how these trends may develop was a consistent element of our coverage in 2019.

Series: Special Elections And Legislative Vacancies

Another Special Elections Fracas And The Question Of Representation

Hayley Sperling

WisContext

Kristian Knutsen

WisContext

For the second time in as many years, Wisconsin's gears of democracy have slipped and slowed on the questions of how and when a special election would be set by the governor's office.