Nursing home closures largely stem from a shortage of workers. The problem could deepen as pandemic-era government assistance dries up and care facilities struggle to compete with rising wages offered by other employers.
Category: Economy
Posted inEconomy
In rural Wisconsin, former employees lift curtain on troubled crypto mine
An energy intensive Bitcoin mining operation in Park Falls can’t replace a once vibrant paper mill, but it has created new conflicts and a cautionary tale.
Posted inEconomy, Environment
Farmers endured a rough year, but fertilizer companies cashed in
Even though some farmers could not afford the rising costs of fertilizer, the commodity’s prices have massively boosted company profits in 2022. One major player saw net earnings over the first nine months of 2022 jump more than 1,000% over the same time period in 2021
Posted inEconomy, Environment
Federal climate law changes the stakes in Wisconsin third-party solar fight
The Inflation Reduction Act opens up new opportunities for nonprofits to take advantage of tax credits, but Wisconsin regulators are still vague on what types of projects will be allowed.
Posted inEconomy, Government
Wisconsin Republican leaders unified in opposition to train
The Republican leader of the Wisconsin Senate said Thursday that he opposes spending any state money to help Madison bring a passenger rail line that would connect the capital city to Milwaukee, joining the state’s other top GOP legislative leader in opposition to the project.
Posted inEconomy, Government
Audit calls for transparency on Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ COVID relief spending
A nonpartisan audit released Wednesday called on Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to be more transparent about how he distributes billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds.
Posted inEconomy, Government
Foxconn qualifies for Wisconsin state tax breaks again
Foxconn Technology Group qualified for tax breaks from the state of Wisconsin for a second year in a row in 2022 under revised contract terms that lowered benchmarks the technology company needed to meet.
Posted inEconomy, Health & Welfare
Judge orders Wisconsin-based slaughterhouse cleaning company not to hire minors
A federal judge ordered a Wisconsin company that cleans hundreds of slaughterhouses nationwide to ensure it is complying with child labor laws after investigators identified at least 50 minors scrubbing and sanitizing dangerous equipment on overnight shifts at five different meatpacking plants in three states.
Posted inEconomy, Health & Welfare
Spray-painted house in Janesville, Wisconsin highlights affordable housing crisis
A message spray-painted on a two-story Janesville rental home accuses a tenant of not paying her rent. The vandalism not only makes a public spectacle of a landlord’s ongoing dispute with a renter he’s trying to evict, it also shines a light on the need for affordable housing in the city.
Posted inEconomy, Environment
Mayors call for federal assistance as Mississippi River reaches record lows
Impacts of dry conditions range from barge slowdowns to water main breaks caused by shifting dry ground.
Posted inEconomy, Environment
Wisconsin regulators should look to Iowa for third-party solar model, advocates say
A pair of cases before regulators seek to clarify Wisconsin’s position on third-party-owned solar installations, in which the entity that owns the array is different from the property owner that will use the electricity.
Posted inEconomy, Health & Welfare
‘How do I ever get caught up, if I’m always catching up?’ Poverty’s unrelenting grip on Milwaukee
Milwaukee holds the second-highest poverty rate among large U.S. cities, leaving many residents with impossible choices.