The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction on Monday released 87 pages of guidance intended to aid districts in resuming some in-person instruction in the coming school year — as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
Posted inWisconsin Weekly
Wisconsin Weekly: Unemployed with disabilities may get pandemic benefits
Help for jobless; back to work amid pandemic; MKE overdoses spike; no statewide covid spikes due to elections, protests; scrutinizing use of force
Posted inGovernment, Narrow Margin
Wisconsin erected barriers to college voters. The pandemic added more.
For college students living away from home, Wisconsin is one of the hardest places to cast a ballot; pending lawsuits seek to make it easier.
Posted inJustice & Safety
‘Juneteenth Day, it’ll never die’: Wisconsin celebrates Black freedom, resilience during nationwide push for justice
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, resilience and Black ancestry. It is also a time to reflect on how to push against ongoing injustice. Wisconsin Watch photographer Will Cioci spent the day in Milwaukee to capture images and voices of people participating in the holiday.
Posted inCoronavirus Coverage, Justice & Safety
Photos: Fury and resolve as Wisconsinites rally for Black lives
Over the past few weeks as furor over the killing of George Floyd spread around the country, rallies and protests took place in Wisconsin communities both large and small. Here are scenes from some of the peaceful protests that our photographers have captured.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Sweeping disparities in how COVID-19 affects Black and Latino Wisconsinites — 6/19/20
Today we highlight a story by the Wisconsin State Journal that examines the sweeping disparities in how COVID-19 affects Wisconsin’s Black and Latino residents.Black Wisconsinites make up less than 7% of Wisconsin’s population but 18% of its COVID-19 cases and 24% of state deaths from the virus, David Wahlberg reports. Latinos also make up less than 7% of the population, and they account for 33% of Wisconsin’s COVID-19 cases and 11% of its deaths.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Overdose deaths spike in Wisconsin communities as pandemic collides with addiction crisis — 6/18/20
The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating another public health crisis: addiction to drugs, particularly opioids. Drug overdose deaths in Milwaukee County are on pace to shatter last year’s record high as the COVID-19 pandemic leaves many people out of work and creates roadblocks for recovery.
Posted inCoronavirus Coverage
Milwaukee County on pace to top overdose record again in 2020
The pandemic has left many who struggle with substance abuse out of work, creating roadblocks to recovery.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Wisconsinites with disabilities see hope as state eyes reversal on unemployment claim denials— 6/17/20
Wisconsin has denied federal pandemic aid to workers on federal disability who lost their jobs. But Caleb Frostman, Wisconsin’s secretary of Workforce Development, is now asking the federal government to allow the state to reverse that practice — potentially affecting thousands of workers with disabilities as the economy struggles to rebound during the pandemic — reports Bram Sable-Smith, a WPR fellow embedded in the Wisconsin Watch newsroom.
Posted inCoronavirus Coverage, Government, Lives on Hold, Outbreak Wisconsin
Reversing course: Wisconsin seeks federal OK to aid the unemployed with disabilities
Wisconsin has denied federal pandemic aid to workers on federal disability who lost their jobs. The state’s top employment official now seeks a reversal.
Posted inWisconsin COVID-19 Update
Outbreak Wisconsin: Returning to work as COVID-19 continues — 6/16/20
Single mom Jessica Barrera lost her job providing airport shuttle service in Eau Claire during the pandemic. Now she has a new job — but is still uncertain about the future for herself and her son. Listen to Barrera’s story here on the latest installment of WPR/Wisconsin Watch’s series, Outbreak Wisconsin.
Posted inNews about Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch is now capitalizing the ‘B’ in Black. Here’s why.
As of June 16, 2020, Wisconsin Watch will capitalize the B when referring to Black people, communities, culture and history.