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A crop of a map shows municipalities in southeastern Wisconsin color-coded to reflect their inclusion or exclusion from the 5th Congressional District following the 2022 redistricting.

The Fitzgerald brothers once again both reside in the 5th Congressional District after a decade apart

Jeff Fitzgerald, a Republican lawmaker who held office in the Wisconsin Assembly from 2001 to 2013 and served as Speaker for one session, lives in Horicon — following court battles, the municipality was redistricted into the 5th Congressional District, represented by his brother Scott Fitzgerald, also a Republican.

May 24, 2022

Frederica Freyberg and LaTonya Johnson sit in chairs in a room with Wisconsin Blue Books, a lamp and windows in the background.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: LaTonya Johnson, Jasmine Zapata, Laura Sauve, Jenny Higgins

Here's what guests on the May 20, 2022 episode had to say about Milwaukee gun violence, baby formula shortages, rising COVID-19 numbers and a survey of physicians about abortion.

May 23, 2022

A pack of Paxlovid sits on a table with the evening doses opened to show the pills.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Antiviral use low as another Omicron wave builds

Health officials urge more people to seek out therapeutics after COVID-19 infection, particularly as multiple subvariants lead to the highest reports of new cases and hospitalizations in several months.

May 19, 2022

Hedaiatullah Azim and Mohammad Ali Afshar sit at a table and, while smiling, point at a book they're studying.

Economy

‘They can bring so much’: Despite barriers, Afghan evacuees enrich Wisconsin’s workforce

Wisconsin is in a labor crunch, but evacuees and other immigrants can help — if they can navigate transportation and other obstacles.

May 18, 2022 • Northeast Region

A trio of banners depicting Bucky Badger are placed between pillars on the facade of Bascom Hall on the UW-Madison campus, with a blue sky with a few clouds in the background.

Education

New UW-Madison chancellor Mnookin talks diplomacy, diversity and academic freedom

Jennifer L. Mnookin responded to criticisms from multiple Republican lawmakers following her appointment as chancellor of the state's flagship university, emphasizing her work as a "connector" who builds bridges.

May 17, 2022 • South Central Region

Two adjacent screenshots show Barbara Dittrich and Kelda Roys seated in different locations.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: State Rep. Barbara Dittrich, State Sen. Kelda Roys, Anne Hlavacka, Tracy Jensen

Here's what guests on the May 13, 2022 episode had to say about possible changes to abortion law in Wisconsin, the growth in new businesses in the western part of the state, and what "A Day Without Child Care" means to parents and providers.

May 16, 2022

Cavalier Johnson stands behind a podium mounted with multiple news microphones, with police officers and other individuals standing on each side, with an intersection and buildings in the background.

Social Issues

Three shootings, one mass shooting in Milwaukee following Bucks game

Twenty-one people were injured in a series of shootings around the Deer District following a Milwaukee Bucks playoff game on May 13 — the city subsequently set a curfew for people under the age of 21 for the rest of the weekend, and police announced they had taken at least 10 people into custody.

May 14, 2022 • Southeast Region

Protestors stand in a crowd with one holding a sign that reads You Can't Ban Abortion, You Can Only Ban Safe Abortion.

Politics

Abortion takes center stage in Wisconsin after U.S. Supreme Court revelation

Public uproar swiftly followed the leak of a draft opinion from the nation's high court that would overturn Roe v. Wade, one of the most controversial personal and political issues of the past half-century.

May 12, 2022

A crop of a map shows municipalities in Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin and adjacent counties color-coded to reflect their inclusion or exclusion from the 3rd Congressional District following the 2022 redistricting.

Elections

Little change to 3rd Congressional District that includes La Crosse, Eau Claire

A western Wisconsin district is still trending red as Republicans look to flip it after the retirement of Democrat Ron Kind, who held the seat for 25 years.

May 11, 2022

A contractor wearing a safety helmet carries plywood in the hallway of a house while approaching a drop-down ladder extending from an attic entrance.

Economy

Home retrofits are a burgeoning business in the campaign against climate change

Entrepreneurs and government programs in Wisconsin are connecting with homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and reduce carbon emissions – in Milwaukee, this work connects with efforts to improve community equity.

May 10, 2022 • Southeast Region

A split screen shows Frederica Freyberg and Janine Geske in different locations.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Janine Geske, Zac Schultz, Victor Forberger, Israel Del Toro

Here's what guests on the May 6, 2022 episode had to say about leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion and the implications – both legal and political – for Wisconsin should Roe v. Wade be overturned, the difficulty of filling out unemployment insurance applications and the buzz over "No Mow May."

May 9, 2022

A plastic tray containing COVID-19 testing materials sits next to an instruction manual on top of a wood table.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Hospitalizations creep up, interrupting a pandemic lull

Multiple Omicron subvariants are fueling a new rise in transmission around the state, ending a multi-month downswing – at the same time, health officials are promoting the growing availability of antiviral medications that reduce the risk of serious disease.

May 5, 2022

A crop of a map shows municipalities in Walworth County and adjacent counties color-coded to reflect their inclusion or exclusion from the 1st Congressional District following the 2022 redistricting.

Elections

Democrats’ sole redistricting victory: Paul Ryan’s old congressional district in southeastern Wisconsin

The state Supreme Court chose the governor's congressional maps, which might make the 1st District competitive.

May 4, 2022 • Southeast Region

An aerial photo of a brick building with multiple levels and sections shows rows of solar panels on top of its roof, which is white.

Environment

La Crosse finds solar path despite ownership hurdle

The city of La Crosse used an energy savings performance contract with Johnson Controls to work around Wisconsin's legal uncertainty over solar installations owned by third parties.

May 3, 2022 • West Central Region

Frederica Freyberg and Charles Franklin sit facing each other on the Here & Now set.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Charles Franklin, Kirsten Johnson, Mary Triggiano, Melody Harvey

Here's what guests on the April 29, 2022 episode had to say about voters' inclinations four months out from Wisconsin's partisan primary, how COVID-19 cases are rising again in Milwaukee, what millions of dollars of pandemic relief funds will mean for criminal courts and what happens when people borrow money from payday loan operations.

May 2, 2022

Tourists go down waterslides and float on tubes in a lazy river in an outdoor waterpark, with multistory hotel buildings in the background.

Economy

Wisconsin’s tourism jobs see rebounding interest by international workers in 2022

Hospitality businesses around the state struggled through the pandemic, first with a drop in demand and subsequently with filling open positions, but hopes are high in the Wisconsin Dells area that the number of students getting J-1 work visas will address seasonal labor needs.

April 28, 2022 • South Central Region

Erick Kaardal holds his hands up while speaking in front of a podium in a legislative hearing room.

Politics

‘Blurring of lines’: Private lawyer plays starring role in taxpayer-funded Wisconsin election probe

With no contract and no official role, the work of attorney Erick Kaardal of the Thomas More Society dominates the 2020 investigation headed by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman.

April 27, 2022

Two children stand in front of a table stacked with food boxes set up next to a large van parked on the side of a road.

Economy

Inflation hits Wisconsin food pantries and the families they support

Even as economic indicators improve two years after the pandemic started, many lower income households continue to struggle with food insecurity as consumer prices rise.

April 26, 2022 • South Central Region

Two adjacent screenshots show Tom Tiffany and Mark Pocan seated in different locations.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: US Rep. Tom Tiffany, US Rep. Mark Pocan, Ginny Dankmeyer

Here's what guests on the April 22, 2022 episode had to say about a Trump administration immigration policy closing the U.S. border with Mexico to asylum seekers that's set to expire and how local election clerks are scrambling after the redistricting ruling.

April 25, 2022

A masked passenger disembarks from a bus while another passenger wearing a mask sits at a bus stop

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Most public transportation goes mask-optional amid rising case counts

Local officials in the state’s largest metro areas have responded differently to the abrupt end of a federal pandemic rule requiring masks on buses, commercial flights, and other public transportation.

April 22, 2022

Jennifer Gonzalez and Mario Gonzalez stand and crouch, respectively, on either side of their daughter, who is seated on playground equipment with snow on the ground.

Social Issues

The census pushed people into strict racial categories for 200 years — its 2020 format reveals Wisconsin’s racial complexities

The number of northeast Wisconsin residents who identify as multiracial in the 2020 census nearly tripled from a decade earlier, reflecting a change in how the count was conducted but also the breadth of racial diversity that's blossoming in the region.

April 20, 2022 • Northeast Region

A large exterior sign for Ho-Chunk Gaming Black River Falls is situated above an electronic screen with an illustration of a face covered with a mask and the words Mask Required.

Economy

‘We’ve got to get gaming out of our blood’: Pandemic shock pushes Wisconsin tribes to diversify economy

Wisconsin's tribal nations contemplate future economic development approaches beyond gaming after the COVID-19 pandemic shows the risk of overreliance on casinos.

April 19, 2022

A crop of a map shows numbered Assembly and state Senate district lines in and around the Milwaukee area.

Elections

Hagedorn says time ran out for Wisconsin’s redistricting process

After the U.S. Supreme Court sent the matter back to the state level, the Wisconsin Supreme Court's conservative majority approved in a 4-3 decision legislative redistricting maps it had previously rejected in another 4-3 decision – the swing vote was Justice Brian Hagedorn, who opined the window to consider Voting Rights Act claims had closed.

April 18, 2022

A split screen shows Frederica Freyberg and Robert Yablon in different locations.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Robert Yablon, Kurt Paulsen, Lisa Johnson

Here's what guests on the April 15, 2022 episode had to say about the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling on legislative redistricting, the difficulties faced by homebuyers and a model for K-12 summer school programming in Green Bay.

April 18, 2022

A close-up image shows several turkeys huddled together in a flock.

Agriculture

What the 2022 bird flu outbreak means for Wisconsin poultry

Poultry producers and government regulators in Wisconsin are closely monitoring the spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus among chickens, turkeys and wild birds around the state, putting biosecurity measures in place and depopulating infected flocks.

April 14, 2022

Sheng Lee Riechers stands inside a door to an apartment, facing Karl Riechers, who is holding their daughter.

Social Issues

Living in Wisconsin: ‘Hmong people are truly American, if not more American than most Americans’

The Hmong population in northeast Wisconsin continues to grow, and as members of the community increasingly contribute to the region's economy, politics and culture, hopes are growing that future generations can transcend ongoing struggles with understanding and acceptance.

April 13, 2022 • Northeast Region

Chai Yee Cha and Teng Cha stand at a table, surrounded by other people, with a wall covered with framed photos in the background.

Social Issues

How did Hmong people find their way to Wisconsin? The answer has roots in America’s Secret War

Hmong soldiers served as allies of the U.S. during the Vietnam War, and after facing persecution, many fled as refugees and resettled elsewhere around the world, with the first wave of immigrants to Wisconsin arriving in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

April 13, 2022

An SUV is parked in front of a three-story building with a stone foundation and wood siding, with snow on the ground and surrounding fog.

Social Issues

For Lac du Flambeau, healing is remembering their boarding school experience

Like the other government boarding schools, the Lac du Flambeau school left unhealed wounds in those who attended, as well as in the community at large.

April 12, 2022 • Northern Region

Two signs stating Vote Today and Vote with arrows stand amid leafless trees and a bench in front of a brick building.

Elections

Billionaire-backed group enlists Trump-supporting citizens to hunt for voter fraud using discredited techniques

The Voter Reference Foundation is putting the nation's voter rolls online while making unsupported claims suggesting election fraud. The group's funding can be traced to a Super PAC funded by the CEO of Uline.

April 11, 2022

Here and Now still of Frederica Freyberg and Cavalier Johnson

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Cavalier Johnson, Angela Lang, Mordecai Lee, Michael Ford

Here's what guests on the April 8, 2022 episode had to say about the spring vote in Wisconsin, including a landslide victory for the first elected Black mayor in Milwaukee, why an influential community group did not endorse in the race, what culture wars bleeding into local races means, and implications for the fall election.

April 11, 2022

A hospital bed surrounded by medical equipment sits empty as seen through a door.

Coronavirus

What more at-home COVID-19 tests mean for Wisconsin’s pandemic surveillance

A new coronavirus subvariant is spreading, a combination of vaccination and past infections have provided some level of broad immunity, and public health officials are keeping tabs on multiple data sources — case counts, hospitalizations and wastewater — to gauge the threat of emerging outbreaks.

April 7, 2022

Ernesto Gonzalez Jr. stands outside with an American flag in the background.

Social Issues

Members of northeast Wisconsin’s Hispanic community look forward following a century of struggle and advocacy

Spanish speakers came to Wisconsin before it was a state — here's how they've shaped the economy, labor laws and found the American dream.

April 6, 2022 • Northeast Region

Cavalier Johnson grasps the hand of one supporter and smiles at another while standing in a crowd in front of the flags of Wisconsin and Milwaukee.

Elections

Milwaukee elects first Black mayor, as Cavalier Johnson sails to landslide victory

The city's Acting Mayor won nearly three-quarters of the votes cast in the first race since 2004 without an elected incumbent, following a campaign that focused on rising violent crime, addressing employment disparities and other issues.

April 6, 2022

Voters stand in lines behind tables inside a large room.

Elections

Beset by the pandemic, personal threats and politics, local clerks focus on elections

Here & Now extra: As political furor over the 2020 vote continues, elections officials around Wisconsin are experiencing burnout, prompting an ad campaign to promote their service to their communities – the clerks for Rock County and the city of Janesville share their experiences amid these stresses.

April 5, 2022

A meeting room with an arc of wood desks is backed by empty chairs and a sign on the wall reading Eau Claire Area School District along with a mission statement and a vision statement.

Elections

What increasingly partisan and venomous Wisconsin school board races reveal about American elections

As traditionally nonpartisan school board campaigns become polarized battlegrounds, voters in Wisconsin elections on April 5 may set the tone for how contentious races across the country will become in 2022.

April 4, 2022

Here and Now still of Frederica Freyberg and Robert Yablon

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Cavalier Johnson, Robert Donovan, Robert Yablon, Jerry Deschane, Jonathan Pylypiv

Here's what guests on the April 1, 2022 episode had to say about running for mayor of Milwaukee, how the Wisconsin Supreme Court may rule on redistricting, why election clerks are seeking community support and organizing to raise donations for Ukraine.

April 4, 2022

A child inside a train looks out a window and makes a heard symbol with their hands.

Social Issues

How many Ukrainian refugees have resettled in Wisconsin over the past decade?

As the U.S. commits to accepting 100,000 people from Ukraine who are fleeing invasion by Russia, local resettlement agencies don't expect to see many make their way to the state given policies that favor reuniting families and familiar communities.

March 31, 2022

A brown cow with ear tags standing in a grass field with other cows in the background looks into the camera.

Agriculture

Wisconsin loses more dairy farms in 2021, with the total down by a third since 2014

Global economic instability fueled first by the pandemic and then by war in Ukraine are the latest shocks to the state's dairy industry, which has seen an ongoing decline in the number of operations even as milk production hits new highs.

March 29, 2022

Two adjacent screenshots show Mike Gallagher and Ron Kind seated in different locations.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: US Rep. Mike Gallagher, US Rep. Ron Kind, Zac Schultz

Here's what guests on the March 25, 2022 episode had to say about the war in Ukraine and the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions on Wisconsin's redistricting maps.

March 28, 2022

Maria Alice Lima Freitas and John Oppenheimer stand in front of a kitchen.

Health

Doctors debate, patients suffer: The fight over chronic Lyme disease in Wisconsin

Mainstream medicine says the tick-borne infection is a short-term ailment, but some patients insist they have Lyme-caused symptoms that last for years.

March 24, 2022

A hand holds a vial displaying a preserved adult black-legged tick.

Science

The history of Lyme disease has a Wisconsin chapter, and it’s still being written

From the first case documented by a Milwaukee dermatologist to ongoing research at the University of Wisconsin, the state has played a big role in the story of Lyme disease.

March 24, 2022

A crop of a map shows color-coded Assembly district lines in and around the Milwaukee area.

Elections

US Supreme Court upholds Wisconsin’s congressional redistricting, rejects legislative maps

Less than three weeks after the Wisconsin Supreme Court narrowly approved redistricting plans for the state's congressional and legislative districts under a "least change" requirement, the nation's top court ordered the state-level maps be redrawn to align with federal Voting Rights Act requirements.

March 23, 2022

Paul Knapp, wearing a field uniform and a face mask, speaks with other individuals in field uniforms and medical scrubs in a hospital hallway.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Omicron subvariant could test ‘return to normal’

While hospitalizations around the state have fallen to their lowest levels in eight months, wastewater samples suggest transmission of COVID-19 is picking up steam again as full responsibility for mitigation measures is at the individual level.

March 22, 2022

Frederica Freyberg and Tommy Thompson sit in chairs in a room with a bookshelf in the background.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Tommy Thompson, Jeff Lamont

Here's what guests on the March 18, 2022 episode had to say about serving as president of the UW System during the pandemic and accomplishments leading its universities, and the ongoing struggle living with "forever chemicals" contaminating water around Peshtigo.

March 21, 2022

Nate Ness stands next to a police SUV with its side doors featuring a badge graphic and the words Oneida Police.

Social Issues

‘They got closer’: Census changes help correct historic undercount of Wisconsin’s Indigenous population

While undercounts of different racial demographics have been a continuing issue with the U.S. Census, tribal officials with the Oneida Nation in northeast Wisconsin are hopeful that changes made for 2020 have made for a more accurate count of Wisconsinites with Indigenous ancestry.

March 16, 2022 • Northeast Region

A yacht in calm waters is docked next to a modernist building with a city skyline in the background.

Economy

From Sturgeon Bay to sanctioned: The shipbuilding story of the ‘Lady M’ superyacht

A 213-foot luxury vessel constructed by Palmer Johnson Yachts and completed at shipyards in Door County in 2013 was seized by the Italian government in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine — its industrial legacy can still summon strong feelings in Wisconsin.

March 15, 2022 • Northeast Region

A phone is mounted on a cinder-block wall inside a room in a jail.

Policy

Free calls plan for people incarcerated in Milwaukee County jails hits a snag

'It has been set back years now': The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors has been considering a proposal that would cover a certain level of phone costs for jail inmates, but a delay intended to examine budget impacts is frustrating advocates who object that per-minute fees hurt families.

March 14, 2022 • Southeast Region

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Ruslana Westerlund in different locations

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Ruslana Westerlund, Mark Copelovitch, Shawn Johnson, Ed Fallone

Here's what guests on the March 11, 2022 episode had to say about what it's like to have family in Ukraine amid war, what U.S. sanctions on Russia mean to the global economy, the status of any U.S. Supreme Court action on Wisconsin's redistricting and why Milwaukee banned no-knock search warrants.

March 14, 2022

Julie Valadez stands in front of a building with the sign Waukesha County Courthouse.

Social Issues

She said her husband was abusive. A judge took away her kids and ordered her arrest.

The judge in Julie Valadez's custody case found her disruptive, questioned her credibility and put out a warrant for her arrest. A rare appellate victory is now giving her case a fresh look, but Valadez still is fighting for her four children.

March 10, 2022 • Southeast Region

Sidewalk signs that read Now Leasing stand in front of the door to a newly constructed, four-story apartment building.

Economy

Wisconsin groups offer new ‘cookbook’ to spur affordable housing development

A report issued with the support of real estate, construction, municipal and other groups in Wisconsin promotes policies intended to increase housing density and lower costs for property owners and renters.

March 9, 2022 • Northeast Region

A island with a dirt surface is surrounded by calm waters, with a bridge, cityscape and more water in the background.

Policy

Speeding cleanup of pollution at ‘Areas of Concern’ on Wisconsin’s waterways

One target of the 2021 federal infrastructure package is a decades-long effort to remediate industrial contamination in five locations in the state where rivers and estuaries flow into the Great Lakes — conservationists are hopeful the funding will accelerate this restoration process.

March 8, 2022 • Northern Region

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Meagan Wolfe in different locations

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Barry Burden, Meagan Wolfe, Charles Franklin

Here's what guests on the March 4, 2022 episode had to say about the split decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopting maps submitted by Gov. Evers, Gableman's 2020 election report and February 2022 statewide polling on elections and issues.

March 7, 2022

Dina Martinez uses tongs to place a donut on a small plate while another restaurant worker prepares a coffee drink.

Economy

Despite staffing and supply woes, Madison restaurants find hope as covid recedes

After two years of weathering reduced demand and public health rules during a pandemic, restaurant owners and workers in a city that prides itself on its dining scene are optimistic about their prospects as another spring begins.

March 3, 2022 • South Central Region

A sign in a parking lot reads Road Test Parking Only.

Social Issues

Milwaukee eyes driver education to combat reckless driving crisis

Thousands of Milwaukee Public Schools students get low-cost instruction: "Our goal is to reach as many students as we can to give them the tools to be a safe driver."

March 2, 2022 • Southeast Region

An SUV drives on an ice road on a lake with trees and buildings on the shore in the background.

Science

Wisconsin climate change research confirms impacts of warming winter nights

The UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Department of Natural Resources have issued a scientific report examining how global warming has affected the state over the past decade, with measurable effects differing by season and time of day.

March 1, 2022

A crowd gathers below a statue holding Ukrainian and American flags and signs with messages supporting Ukrainians.

Politics

Wisconsin demonstrators express solidarity with Ukrainians, outrage at Russian invasion

Led by members of the Ukrainian diaspora, a rally at the Capitol in Madison was among several held across the state denouncing Russia's military aggression against the independent nation and showing support for those threatened by violence.

February 28, 2022 • South Central Region

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Ajay Sethi in different locations

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Ajay Sethi, Van Wanggaard, Kelli Thompson, LaTonya Johnson

Here's what guests on the Feb. 25, 2022 episode said about moving into a new and it's hoped safer pandemic phase, the debate over changing Wisconsin's cash bail standards and a plan by Democratic lawmakers to attract and retain teachers.

February 28, 2022

A colorized electron micrograph image shows a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: The response to the pandemic enters a new phase

Disease metrics are falling to their lowest levels since the end of summer 2021, and as the final mask mandates in the state come to an end, public health officials are preparing to rely on recommendations and surveillance to keep infections to a minimum.

February 25, 2022

Ron Kind stands on a street with demonstrators holding signs and the flags of Ukraine and the United Kingdom on the sidewalk in the background.

Politics

As Russia attacks Ukraine, Wisconsin lawmakers share their responses

Both U.S. senators for the state and several members of its congressional delegation have issued statements about the series of attacks by the Russian military in places across its neighboring nation of Ukraine.

February 24, 2022

An illustration of cash shows a crawling baby as the portrait in the center and rocking horses on either side.

Policy

What the expanded Child Tax Credit meant for one Madison family

After receiving monthly payments over the latter half of 2021, a mother of two reflects on what additional federal aid meant for her family's bottom line as political debate continues over its future.

February 23, 2022

People wearing winter clothes and backpacks stand in line in the snow outside a brick building.

Social Issues

Pandemic spotlights homelessness in Brown County, fueling push for solutions

Public officials and community service providers in the Green Bay area are seeking sustainable solutions to what is often seen as a temporary problem, with a focus on helping people with mental health disorders and providing opportunities for detoxification and sobriety.

February 22, 2022 • Northeast Region

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Zac Schultz in different locations

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Zac Schultz, Paul Nollette, Menzie Chinn

Here's what guests on the Feb. 18, 2022 episode had to say about an election-year State of the State address, the battle between establishment and far-right Republicans in Wisconsin and why workers make the choice to stay out of the job market.

February 21, 2022

A paper sign attached to a glass door with the UW-Madison seal reads ENTRY with specific precautions of Stay 6 feet apart, Wear a face covering, Wash frequently, and Stay home if you have symptoms with accompanying graphics.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Omicron plunge persists, local mask rules expiring

New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations around the state continue to plummet barely a month after hitting pandemic peaks, spurring officials to proceed with ending most remaining public health restrictions.

February 18, 2022

A wolf stands near logs piled in a leaf-covered forest clearing.

Policy

The future of Wisconsin’s wolf management is unclear following federal ruling

With a court decision placing the gray wolf under Endangered Species Act protection once again, more uncertainty has been added to the state's path forward for managing the animal as a new report reflects deep divisions in a DNR advisory committee.

February 17, 2022 • Northern Region

Two side-by-side portraits of Cavalier Johnson and Bob Donovan

Elections

Milwaukee mayoral primary voters select Johnson, Donovan to face off

A field of seven candidates of Wisconsin's largest city was narrowed to two in a low-turnout vote, with the acting mayor and a former alder moving on to the spring election on April 5.

February 16, 2022 • Southeast Region

An electric car charging station with connection cords stands in front of a road, sidewalk and field with some snow on the ground.

Policy

Electric vehicle charging bill reveals fight over control, profit

Amendments to the legislation would bar municipal governments in Wisconsin from accepting payment at charging stations or selling electricity not purchased from the local utility.

February 15, 2022

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Reid Ribble seated in different locations

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Reid Ribble, Dr. Jasmine Zapata, Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Bria Grant

Here's what guests on the Feb. 11, 2022 episode had to say about Republican party leaders describing the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack as "legitimate political discourse," why an immigrant rights group is targeted in the Gableman election probe, whether falling COVID-19 rates means safety measures should be loosened and what led a community health advocate to sound the alarm on potential fraud by prenatal care companies.

February 14, 2022

Multiple PAPR hoods hang on medical IV poles in a hospital hallway.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Disease metrics drop, long-term impacts loom

The number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths caused by COVID-19 around the state continues to plummet from their omicron wave peaks, while researchers are learning more about how infection can heighten health risks related to heart conditions and pregnancy.

February 11, 2022

Terrion Gonzalez stands with outstretched arms inside a classroom, wearing a mask and with other people seated nearby.

Social Issues

Five ways the demographics of northeast Wisconsin changed in the 2010s

Over the course of the decade spanning 2010 and 2020, demographic shifts in the Green Bay and Fox Valley regions saw cities become more diverse, suburbs shift whiter and family farms shut down faster.

February 10, 2022 • Northeast Region

A white-tailed deer doe standing in lightly wooded area, looking at the camera.

Science

How widespread is the coronavirus among Wisconsin’s deer?

Scientists are finding that white-tailed deer around the nation are carriers of SARS-CoV-2, and are seeking to learn whether the species could serve as a wildlife reservoir for the virus.

February 8, 2022

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Jamaal Smith seated in different locations

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Kelsey Florek, Jamaal Smith, Tamarine Cornelius

Here's what guests on the Feb. 4, 2022 episode had to say about sequencing variants of COVID-19, a record rise in violent crime in Milwaukee and the stalled extension of the enhanced Child Tax Credit.

February 7, 2022

An instructor teaches Wisconsin National Guard troops wearing medical scrubs how to care for patients in a simulated hospital setting with beds and other medical equipment.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Welcome to year three of the pandemic

Two years after the first COVID-19 infection in the state was confirmed, the number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths are dropping from peaks caused by the omicron variant of the coronavirus, even as public health officials remain wary about the potential for more variants.

February 4, 2022

Claire Holzschuh, Long Vue and Susana Guerra sit and stand on one side of a table topped with pens and papers, helping another person fill out a form.

Social Issues

‘Home is here’: Northeast Wisconsin’s diversity surge is forged by opportunity, grit and inclusion

Hispanic, Black, Asian and Indigenous communities boomed in Green Bay and Fox Valley regions in 2010s.

February 3, 2022 • Northeast Region

Matiullah Matie sits in a room with two beds.

WisContext

Afghan families face culture shock, uncertainty about immigration status as they resettle in Wisconsin

Afghan refugees in Wisconsin reflect on what they have left behind, challenges ahead as they start new life in the US

January 31, 2022 • West Central Region

Multiple adults and children walk toward an exit door while inside a steel building with a concrete floor.

WisContext

Warm welcomes, legal hurdles for Wisconsin’s new Afghan refugees

The experiences of every person who has fled from Afghanistan to the United States is different, but all must acclimate to new surroundings while navigating a complicated immigration system.

January 31, 2022 • West Central Region

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Mordecai Lee seated in different locations

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Erin Barbato, Mordecai Lee

Here's what guests on the Jan. 28, 2022 episode had to say about Kevin Nicholson entering the Republican race for governor of Wisconsin and the resettlement of Afghan refugees around the state.

January 31, 2022

A line of vehicles waits at a COVID-19 testing location next to low office buildings, with signs on a snow-covered lawn providing instructions to drivers.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Omicron starts retreating, leaving rising deaths in its wake

New pushes for COVID-19 testing and treatment continue to roll out as the rapid and intense omicron surge declines from peak levels in many parts of the state, though fatalities caused by the disease continue at the highest rate in more than a year.

January 28, 2022

The top floors and spires of Milwaukee City Hall contrast with a cloudless, blue sky.

Elections

Meet the 7 candidates running in Milwaukee’s 2022 mayoral primary

Marina Dimitrijevic, Bob Donovan, Ieshuh Griffin, Cavalier Johnson, Earnell Lucas, Michael Sampson and Lena Taylor are squaring off in the Feb. 15 primary to run in the spring 2022 election for mayor of Milwaukee.

January 27, 2022 • Southeast Region

An electron micrograph highlights COVID-19 viroids on a cellular surface.

Coronavirus

Wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 virus poised to detect future Wisconsin outbreaks

A statewide network that tracks coronavirus in sewage has served as a "leading indicator" of infections during the omicron wave of the pandemic, and while testing remains the primary method of surveillance, health agencies are working to continue refining this population-level tool.

January 25, 2022

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Barry Burden seated in different locations

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Jake Baggott, Will Cushman, Karola Kreitmair, Barry Burden

Here's what guests on the Jan. 21, 2022 episode had to say about returning UW-Madison students in the midst of the Omicron surge, whether it has yet to peak in Wisconsin, medical ethics involved in treating COVID-19 patients and why the state figures so prominently in the national politics of election practices.

January 24, 2022

A vaccinator gives a COVID-19 booster shot to a teenager in a medical exam room.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Omicron ascent persists as health efforts turn to kids

The number of new COVID-19 cases is hitting record levels while deaths are at their highest in over a year as the variant surge continues building, with state officials focusing on promoting vaccinations, tests and masks among children to curb transmission and keep schools open.

January 21, 2022

A teachers sits in an officer chair facing a screen for a virtual classroom in a gym filled with stacked chairs and other items.

Education

Wisconsin schools struggle with finding substitute teachers for a third year

District administrators in Green Bay, La Crosse and elsewhere around the state are digging deep to find temporary staff to cover for employees who are out sick as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 rages.

January 20, 2022 • Northeast Region

Darrell E. Brooks, seen through as glass window pane, sits in a courtroom while wearing a medical mask.

Policy

Wisconsin debates cash bail changes in wake of Waukesha parade tragedy — as some states ditch system entirely

Somewhat lost in a revived debate involving the rights of the accused and protecting the public: Wisconsin's cash bail system wasn't created to protect public safety.

January 18, 2022 • Southeast Region

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Karen Timberlake seated in different locations

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Karen Timberlake, Charles Franklin, Deb McGrath

Here's what guests on the Jan. 14, 2022 episode had to say about how hospitals are dealing with the Omicron wave of COVID-19, what polls are finding on the reelection bid by U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and the race for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District seat.

January 18, 2022

A woman passes a bag through the open window of a stopped car on a road, with snow covered vehicles and lawns in the background.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Omicron eruption pushes hospitals to their limits

Local groups and the state are mobilizing to provide emergency relief to struggling care facilities and individuals as the latest variant spreads like wildfire, pushing the 7-day average above the ten-thousand mark for the first time.

January 14, 2022

An airplane ascends over a chain-linked fence topped with barbed wire that faces a wetland area with rusty culvert mouths.

Environment

Major promise, big questions flow from a PFAS cleanup study in Madison

A Canadian company has launched a bioremediation effort around the Dane County airport and National Guard air base that deploys soil microbes to consume the vexing chemicals — within weeks, early results showed positive outcomes, but the science behind this work remains unclear.

January 13, 2022 • South Central Region

An adult and child walk on an icy sidewalk toward doors covered by an entrance tent, with a sign at right noting the location of COVID-19 testing.

Coronavirus

Milwaukee, Madison health officials roll out response to omicron wave

In a pair of news conferences, the health departments for Wisconsin's two largest counties by population shared how they're deploying increased testing availability, higher-quality masks and vaccination clinics to fight the surging omicron variant of COVID-19.

January 11, 2022 • Southeast Region

Michael Gableman stands up from a table with two men standing on either side of him.

Politics

Judge denies request to toss Gableman’s subpoena of elections administrator

A request by the Wisconsin Elections Commission sought to throw out Michael Gableman's demand for an in-person interview with the administrator, but a Dane County judge denied the request, adding she could consider it again.

January 10, 2022

From left to right, a split screen with Frederica Freyberg and Dr. Jeffrey Pothof seated in different locations

Coronavirus

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Dr. Jeffrey Pothof, Robin Vos

Here's what guests on the Jan. 7, 2022 episode had to say about the exploding COVID-19 numbers in Wisconsin and the fast-moving investigation into the 2020 election in the state.

January 10, 2022

Ron Johnson speaks in a room with flags in the background.

Elections

Ron Johnson announces reelection bid

Wisconsin's Republican U.S. senator will run for a third term, saying "it's clear the fight is far from over."

January 9, 2022

A photo collage features the U.S. Capitol building and dome and 2022 in blue numerals in the background.

Elections

A Wisconsin 2022 election preview: US Senate, 3rd Congressional District

Who is running for the state's most competitive federal seats? Meet the Republican and Democratic candidates vying to capture their party's nomination and win the support of voters in the Nov. 8 election.

January 6, 2022

A photo collage features the Wisconsin building and dome and 2022 in blue numerals in the background.

Elections

A Wisconsin 2022 election preview: Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General

Who is running for the state's three leading executive seats? Meet the Republican and Democratic candidates vying to capture their party's nomination and win the support of voters in the Nov. 8 election.

January 4, 2022

Signs on a business's doorway instruct patrons that face coverings are required and to maintain social distance of 6 feet (or one cow length) apart.

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: Omicron drives explosive case growth as hospitalizations, deaths remain high

While most fully vaccinated and boosted people infected with the new variant have mild infections, Omicron’s extreme transmissibility and the continued impact of Delta are further straining hospital staff as the number of ICU patients reaches a pandemic high.

January 3, 2022

An illustration shows letters spelling Here and Now with a background shaded from burgundy to yellow and with 2021 highlights in white type.

Politics

PBS Wisconsin reporters share their 2021 highlights

Looking back at their work over the course of the year, reporters point to their coverage of the wolf hunt, rural broadband expansion efforts, covid vaccination patterns, baseball history, the community climate in Kenosha, strained hospital capacity, the pardon process and special education funding as memorable.

December 30, 2021

An illustration shows blue and cream letters spelling Here and Now with 2021 stories in white type.

Politics

The most-read PBS Wisconsin news stories of 2021

During a busy and challenging year, online audiences gravitated toward stories covering the consequences of varying COVID-19 vaccination rates, government responses to the pandemic, a high-priced home building boom, the state's political geography, Afghan refugees and a worrisome worm.

December 29, 2021

An illustration shows blue and red letters spelling Here and Now with 2021 interviews in white type.

Politics

The most-watched ‘Here & Now’ interviews of 2021

Discussions about COVID-19 variants and vaccines, education policy across Wisconsin and the Rittenhouse trial in Kenosha captured the attention of viewers over the course of another tumultuous year.

December 28, 2021

From left to right, still images of Ben Wikler and Paul Farrow seated in different locations

Elections

Wisconsin Democratic, Republican party chairs look ahead to 2022 campaigns

In anticipation of a busy election year, Paul Farrow and Ben Wikler share their thoughts on the races for the governor's office, a U.S. Senate seat and an open 3rd Congressional District seat.

December 23, 2021

An illustration in which a transmission electron micrograph of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle takes the place of 0 in 2021

Coronavirus

Wisconsin’s Covid Condition: A pandemic roller coaster in 2021

The severity of COVID-19's impacts around the state ebbed and flowed over the course of the year as the task of vaccinating as many people as possible converged with the threat of emerging variants that have fueled new waves of disease.

December 22, 2021

Boxes of food sit stacked in the middle of an aisle in a warehouse with tall shelves filled with boxes on both sides.

Social Issues

Wisconsin’s food pantries adjust as the pandemic stretches on

The arrival of COVID-19 kick-started a spike in food insecurity around the state that has persisted for nearly two years, and relief organizations are using state and federal aid to boost their infrastructure to continue feeding hungry people.

December 21, 2021

Four students wearing masks sit at a table and look at textbooks and write in notebooks.

Education

MATC broadens access for students amid Milwaukee’s inequities, dropping enrollment

Milwaukee Area Technical College offers free tuition, debt forgiveness, early credit to make college cheaper and more available to a diverse student population.

December 20, 2021 • Southeast Region