HIPAA remains a “prickly” obstacle for journalists. As one health reporter puts it, “Often times, people are unsure about the law and can’t be bothered to check so it’s easier to say ‘no’ and refer to HIPAA.”
Author Archives: Nick Penzenstadler
Posted inWisWatch Blog
Toolshed journalism: How we help newsrooms to help themselves
We love it when newsrooms steal our stuff and make it better. That’s what we’re here for.
Posted inEducation, Government
Amid slow economy, more Wisconsin students heed the calls of military recruiters
Fred Machado, a wiry 18-year-old, walked across the Oregon High School stage at his graduation ceremony in June. Now he’s at a military facility 2,000 miles away, training to become a Marine.
Posted inWisWatch Blog
Buyer beware: Father’s Day shopping tips
If you’re like me, you’ve probably got a dad with more tools and yard equipment than he could use in a lifetime. That always makes shopping for your Father’s Day gift a little tricky. Also like me, you’ll probably wimp out and charge up a Gander Mountain or Fleet Farm gift card and let the old man choose this year. Before taking the low road on a gift card, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has some tips for the Dad’s Day weekend when consumers are expected to drop nearly $10 billion nationally.
Posted inWisWatch Blog
Inmates scam tax credit system
Hiding more than 700 “roommates” from the state may seem like a tall order, but a small group in a Wisconsin women’s prison tried to pull it off to get unearned housing tax refunds. Some got away with it too, for a while.
Posted inWisWatch Blog
Backlog keeps Wisconsin immigrants waiting
New data released last week from a research center at Syracuse University says immigrants facing deportation or seeking asylum, including individuals detained in Wisconsin, are waiting more than a year to have their day in court.
Posted inEducation, Health & Welfare, Justice & Safety
Investigators head off threats from 125 troubled people at UW-Madison
Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison say they defused threats from 125 troubled students, employees and area residents under a little-known program launched two years ago in response to deadly tragedies on college campuses in Virginia and Illinois.
But the program didn’t identify at least three individuals before they caused problems at Wisconsin’s flagship campus, including threats against a campus leader, a bomb threat and a murder near campus.