A coalition of Mississippi River mayors is celebrating the Senate approval of a lower river basin plan. At their annual meeting in St. Louis, members of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) discussed policy priorities and strategized ways to benefit the region.
Category: Economy
Oshkosh Defense sent a big contract to the non-union South. Will it keep future jobs in Wisconsin?
Despite tens of millions in state and local government incentives, the Wisconsin company is steering billions of dollars of work away from its namesake city.
Among Wisconsin’s jobless, Black applicants half as likely as whites to receive pandemic aid
Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance system buckled for many during the pandemic, with people of color less likely than whites to receive federal help, an audit found.
A legacy of past choices: Milwaukee’s housing crisis explained
Rising rent, stagnant wages and a lack of available units have left Milwaukeeans navigating an affordable housing crisis. This crisis, say local housing experts, is a legacy of the city’s past policy choices.
Calls for more transparency, entrepreneurship as Ho-Chunk Nation envisions an economy beyond gaming
The Ho-Chunk Nation has a bright economic future, ripe with prospects to diversify its economy beyond gaming. That’s if the tribal government more clearly communicates with citizens and opens space for entrepreneurs and private companies to invest in tribal communities, Ho-Chunk officials and citizens said during a Wisconsin Watch event held on May 12.
‘They can bring so much’: Despite barriers, Afghan evacuees enrich Wisconsin’s workforce
Wisconsin is in a labor crunch. Evacuees and other immigrants can help — if they can navigate transportation and other obstacles.
‘We’ve got to get gaming out of our blood’: Pandemic shock pushes Wisconsin tribes to diversify economy
Wisconsin tribes contemplate future beyond gaming after pandemic shows risk of overreliance on casinos.
Behind the story: How we reported on challenges and opportunities for Wisconsin’s tribal economies
Partnerships and deep listening were key in attempt to build trust among Ho-Chunk Nation citizens.
‘Stealth’ economy for tribes hides billions of dollars in jobs, growth and revenue for rural communities
Study after study reaches the same conclusion: Tribes are often the largest drivers of regional and rural economies.
‘You cannot ignore it anymore.’ Pandemic spotlights homelessness in Brown County, fueling push for solutions
In 2020, mostly due to the pandemic, Green Bay saw more people who lack housing gathering in St. John’s Park in the heart of downtown, generating more than 100 police calls from April to October, including disturbances, public drug use and sexual assaults.
Wisconsin bill reveals fight over control, profit over electric vehicles
Amendments to the bill would bar governments from accepting payment at charging stations or selling electricity not purchased from the local utility.
Diverse cities, whiter suburbs, dying farms: 5 ways northeast Wisconsin has changed
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin spoke to urban sociologists, housing experts, lifelong dairy producers, community organizers, teachers and others to learn more about the reasons behind northeast Wisconsin’s diversity boom.