Nathan Denzin

email | @nathandenzin

Nathan Denzin is a reporter for PBS Wisconsin's "Here & Now" with an interest in stories about the climate, environment and natural resources of Wisconsin. He's reported on nitrate pollution ...

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Nathan's Recent Stories

Davorin Odrcic on the length of delays in immigration courts

Courts

Davorin Odrcic on the length of delays in immigration courts

Immigration lawyer Davorin Odrcic discusses how long it takes for clients in the affirmative asylum process to be interviewed and subsequently receive hearings in the U.S. immigration court system.

Tuesday October 8, 2024


Benjamin Marquez on partisan politics of immigration in 2024

Elections

Benjamin Marquez on partisan politics of immigration in 2024

UW-Madison political science professor Benjamin Marquez considers the significance of immigration, borders and deportation as political issues in 2024 for Democratic and Republican candidates.

Monday October 7, 2024


Why immigration is central to the 2024 presidential election

Elections

Why immigration is central to the 2024 presidential election

Immigration is a hot button issue in 2024, as former President Donald Trump pushes for mass deportations, while Vice President Kamala Harris would revive a failed bill to address the southern border.

Thursday October 3, 2024


Anthony Chergosky on political ‘outsider’ candidates in 2024

Elections

Anthony Chergosky on political ‘outsider’ candidates in 2024

UW-La Crosse political science professor Anthony Chergosky considers the Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District campaigns of incumbent U.S. Rep Derrick Van Orden and challenger Rebecca Cooke.

Tuesday September 10, 2024


Cooke, Van Orden and Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional in 2024

Elections

Cooke, Van Orden and Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional in 2024

Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden is being challenged by Democratic candidate Rebecca Cooke in the 2024 election for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District in another high-profile race.

Thursday September 5, 2024


Kent Miller on the economy and federal infrastructure funds

Economy

Kent Miller on the economy and federal infrastructure funds

Wisconsin Laborers' District Council President Kent Miller discusses the union's perspective on inflation, corporate profits and impacts of federal funding for infrastructure on jobs for its members.

Thursday September 5, 2024


Mike Semmann on supply chain costs and grocery store prices

Economy

Mike Semmann on supply chain costs and grocery store prices

Wisconsin Grocers Association President and CEO Mike Semmann discusses long-term pandemic effects on the supply chain for products sold at grocery stores and the potential for prices to stabilize.

Wednesday September 4, 2024


J. Michael Collins on the US economy and low wage workers

Economy

J. Michael Collins on the US economy and low wage workers

UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs professor J. Michael Collins discusses low unemployment, higher pay and stock market growth as economic indicators amid experiences of low wage workers.

Tuesday September 3, 2024


Economic indicators, vibes and the 2024 vote in Wisconsin

Economy

Economic indicators, vibes and the 2024 vote in Wisconsin

Jobs and wages are up, but a bout of high inflation raised energy and grocery prices, provoking negative views of the economy among many Wisconsinites that may prove politically pivotal in 2024.

Friday August 30, 2024


Anthony Chergosky sits indoors with a table and chairs in the background.

Elections

Anthony Chergosky on Wisconsin’s 2024 partisan primary vote

UW-La Crosse political science professor Anthony Chergosky considers the rejection of two proposed state constitutional amendments and outcomes of two congressional races in the 2024 partisan primary.

Friday August 16, 2024


Julia Azari on Trumpism and shifts in the Republican Party

Elections

Julia Azari on Trumpism and shifts in the Republican Party

Marquette University political science professor Julia Azari considers how former President Donald Trump has had a role in broad changes to how the Republican Party approaches politics and elections.

Thursday August 8, 2024


Terrence Wall on Democrats, Trump and the democratic process

Elections

Terrence Wall on Democrats, Trump and the democratic process

Real estate developer Terrence Wall, attending the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, discusses his criticisms of Democrats and former President Donald Trump's comments on dictatorship.

Wednesday August 7, 2024


Charlie Sykes on Trump and the American political system

Elections

Charlie Sykes on Trump and the American political system

Author and former Milwaukee conservative talk radio host Charlie Sykes discusses how former President Donald Trump reacted to the 2020 election and fears about the Republican Party's 2024 campaign.

Tuesday August 6, 2024


Trump and alarm over the future of democracy in America

Elections

Trump and alarm over the future of democracy in America

Warnings that democracy is on the ballot in the 2024 election by critics of Donald Trump point to the January 6th insurrection, campaign statements by the former president and the Project 2025 agenda.

Thursday August 1, 2024


An aerial photo shows a grid of streets, buildings, parking lots and trees extending toward a series of bluffs on the horizon, under a cloudy sky.

Elections

The race for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District again attracts national attention

Rebecca Cooke, Katrina Shankland and Eric Wilson are running in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the 2024 fall general election.

Tuesday June 25, 2024


Ellen Voss on protecting mussels in rivers during a drought

Environment

Ellen Voss on protecting mussels in rivers during a drought

River Alliance of Wisconsin climate resilience director Ellen Voss describes efforts to move freshwater mussels in the Wisconsin River to deeper water as drought imperiled multiple endangered species.

Wednesday June 5, 2024


Lisie Kitchel on sensitivity of mussels in rivers to drought

Science

Lisie Kitchel on sensitivity of mussels in rivers to drought

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conservation biologist Lisie Kitchel explains how freshwater mussels are able to respond to changing river levels and can be stranded outside deeper waters.

Tuesday June 4, 2024


A mussel shell in two halves lying on a beach

Environment

How drought and dams strand mussels on the Wisconsin River

Severe drought and a series of dams on the Wisconsin River caused thousands of mussels to die in 2023, but a wide-ranging group of people are trying to find solutions so it doesn't happen again.

Thursday May 30, 2024


Books with library labels and binding fill tall wood bookcases that line one side of a room with painted concrete-block wall and overhead fluorescent lighting, with signs mounted on ceiling panels that read Action, Relationships and Classics, with a shorter wood and metal book case in the foreground.

Education

A surge in book challenges has Wisconsin school districts scrambling to keep pace

An attempt to ban over 400 books in Elkhorn schools left administrators pondering different approaches to assessing titles listed in challenges, while school librarians point to current book review and recommendation systems as effective.

Wednesday May 15, 2024


Rebecca Blom on school library book selection and challenges

Education

Rebecca Blom on school library book selection and challenges

Elkhorn Area High School library media specialist Rebecca Blom describes how K-12 librarians seek to assemble a broad selection of books for students as the district changes standards for challenges.

Tuesday April 23, 2024


Jason Tadlock on reviewing school library book challenges

Education

Jason Tadlock on reviewing school library book challenges

Elkhorn Area School District Superintendent Jason Tadlock considers the scale of handling hundreds of book challenges for K-12 libraries with no publishing rating system comparable to movies or TV.

Wednesday April 17, 2024


Monica Treptow on literacy and resources in school libraries

Education

Monica Treptow on literacy and resources in school libraries

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction school library media consultant Monica Treptow describes how educators serve multiple needs of K-12 students through collections of books and other media.

Tuesday April 16, 2024


Wisconsin school libraries navigate rise in book challenges

Education

Wisconsin school libraries navigate rise in book challenges

Organized campaigns to ban large numbers of books in Wisconsin's school libraries have grown considerably, and the actions of the Elkhorn district reflect how educators are responding to challenges.

Thursday April 11, 2024


Superintendent Jill Underly on book challenges in Wisconsin

Education

Superintendent Jill Underly on book challenges in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly discusses a growing number of campaigns to ban or limit access to books and other media in school libraries around the state.

Wednesday April 10, 2024


A wolf stands in a snow-covered clearing with leafless birch and other trees in the background.

Environment

What deer and wolf numbers in Bayfield County reveal about Wisconsin wildlife policy debates

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has released its 2023 figures for that season's deer hunt harvest, the state's estimated wolf population and depredation payments, illustrating the complex trends central to the politics of regulating a controversial and charismatic animal.

Wednesday March 27, 2024


Keith Mark on hunting and the funding of game management

Environment

Keith Mark on hunting and the funding of game management

Hunter Nation President Keith Mark discusses the conservative hunting advocacy group's perspective on how the economics of game management plays a role in wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation.

Wednesday March 13, 2024


Genevieve Adamski on behaviors of wolf packs and livestock

Agriculture

Genevieve Adamski on behaviors of wolf packs and livestock

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa wildlife specialist Genevieve Adamski describes the territorial behavior of wolves and how livestock can be observed to react when these predators are present.

Tuesday March 12, 2024


Brad Olson on wolves preying on livestock, deer in Wisconsin

Agriculture

Brad Olson on wolves preying on livestock, deer in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Brad Olson describes concerns about the state's 2023 wolf management plan related to how a growing population of the predator impacts ranching and hunting.

Wednesday March 6, 2024


Sam Jonas on broad goals of Wisconsin’s wolf management plan

Science

Sam Jonas on broad goals of Wisconsin’s wolf management plan

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife species section supervisor Sam Jonas describes the legal requirements and population objectives shaping the state's 2023 plan to manage wolves.

Tuesday March 5, 2024


Divisions over wolves shape Wisconsin’s new management plan

Environment

Divisions over wolves shape Wisconsin’s new management plan

Indigenous communities, farmers, hunters and Wisconsinites of all stripes express strong feelings about wolves as their numbers grow in the state and a new management plan for the species is unveiled.

Friday March 1, 2024


Marvin DeFoe on Anishinaabe culture and stories of ma’iingan

Social Issues

Marvin DeFoe on Anishinaabe culture and stories of ma’iingan

Marvin DeFoe, or Shingbinase, a tribal elder with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, describes the significance of and relationship with wolves, or ma'iingan, in Anishinaabe culture.

Wednesday February 21, 2024


Alder Brienne Brown on impacts of immigration on Whitewater

Social Issues

Alder Brienne Brown on impacts of immigration on Whitewater

Whitewater Common Council Alder Brienne Brown discusses communicating with state and federal lawmakers about migrants moving to the community and how immigration has played a role in its history.

Wednesday February 14, 2024


Kay Robers and Kristine Zaballos on offering aid to migrants

Social Issues

Kay Robers and Kristine Zaballos on offering aid to migrants

The Community Space free store co-founders Kristine Zaballos and Kay Robers describe their efforts to provide food and household goods to migrants arriving in Whitewater from Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Tuesday February 13, 2024


Local officials, advocates seek help for Whitewater migrants

Social Issues

Local officials, advocates seek help for Whitewater migrants

An influx of immigrants to a small southern Wisconsin city over the past two years is straining resources, motivating community members to pursue more public funding and provide direct assistance.

Thursday February 8, 2024


Jorge Islas-Martinez on delays, difficulties migrants face

Social Issues

Jorge Islas-Martinez on delays, difficulties migrants face

Whitewater resident and immigrant advocate Jorge Islas-Martinez describes long waits that migrants experience in the immigration system and challenges they encounter when they do not speak English.

Wednesday February 7, 2024


Chief Dan Meyer on growing numbers of migrants in Whitewater

Social Issues

Chief Dan Meyer on growing numbers of migrants in Whitewater

Whitewater Police Chief Dan Meyer describes how a series of law enforcement contacts in early 2022 revealed an increase in migrant families from Nicaragua and Venezuela moving to the college town.

Tuesday February 6, 2024


A still image shows a group of people wearing winter jackets and standing in front of yellow 'caution' tape.

Social Issues

Migrants from Nicaragua, Venezuela make a home in Whitewater

Upwards of a thousand migrants from two countries in Latin America have made their way to a southern Wisconsin college town, drawn by hopes of safety and facing legal limbo in their search for work.

Friday February 2, 2024


An overhead image shows a group of people, some of whom are carrying or wearing various flags, entering through a doorway and standing in a room with a tile floor and illuminated chandelier, with windows with no glass in the frames on one side of the entry — an added illustration of a box centers on a person identified as Paul Kovacik.

Courts

Who are the Wisconsin residents charged with crimes in the Jan. 6 insurrection?

Three years after supporters for former President Donald Trump stormed into the U.S. Capitol as Congress was conducting the Electoral College vote count, there have been 11 Wisconsinites charged with crimes related to their actions on Jan. 6, 2021.

Monday January 8, 2024


Mayor Katie Rosenberg on removing lead pipes in Wausau

Policy

Mayor Katie Rosenberg on removing lead pipes in Wausau

Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg describes how the city is prioritizing resources and implementing its campaign to replace lead service lines connecting water mains to buildings over a five-year period.

Wednesday December 20, 2023


Anne Hirekatur on two stages of removing lead pipes to homes

Policy

Anne Hirekatur on two stages of removing lead pipes to homes

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources section manager Anne Hirekatur describes how utilities and property owners incur separate costs to replace lead service lines from water mains to buildings.

Tuesday December 19, 2023


The race to replace lead pipes across Wisconsin gets a boost

Policy

The race to replace lead pipes across Wisconsin gets a boost

Lead pipes that deliver drinking water to homes remain commonplace in many communities around the state — in Wausau, the city is gearing up efforts to replace all of these lines within five years.

Thursday December 14, 2023


Lilada Gee on generational trauma and the Black experience

Wisconsin in Black & White

Lilada Gee on generational trauma and the Black experience

Defending Black Girlhood President Lilada Gee considers the long history of racism and injustice visited upon Black people in the United States and the struggle to pursue healing for these traumas.

Thursday November 16, 2023


Hon. Rev. Everett Mitchell on Black communities and church

Wisconsin in Black & White

Hon. Rev. Everett Mitchell on Black communities and church

Christ The Solid Rock Baptist Church pastor Hon. Rev. Everett Mitchell considers the significance and impacts of Black churches and faith to the spiritual lives as people face racism and hatred.

Wednesday November 15, 2023


Racism, cycles of trauma and the importance of mental health

Wisconsin in Black & White

Racism, cycles of trauma and the importance of mental health

Generational trauma continues to harm the mental health of Black children and adults in Wisconsin, but advocates and religious leaders seek to help communities with empowerment and expressions of joy.

Tuesday November 14, 2023


Reggie Jackson on life expectancy among Black Wisconsinites

Wisconsin in Black & White

Reggie Jackson on life expectancy among Black Wisconsinites

Nurturing Diversity Partners lead trainer Reggie Jackson considers levels of health care experiences among Wisconsin's Black residents and the state's persistent racial disparities in life expectancy.

Thursday November 9, 2023


Aaron Perry on obstacles to Black men’s health in Wisconsin

Wisconsin in Black & White

Aaron Perry on obstacles to Black men’s health in Wisconsin

Rebalanced-Life Wellness Association CEO Aaron Perry describes an array of chronic health problems among Black men around Wisconsin and the importance of trust in efforts to help address these issues.

Wednesday November 8, 2023


A mission to expand health access for Black men in Wisconsin

Wisconsin in Black & White

A mission to expand health access for Black men in Wisconsin

Black men face high levels of chronic disease and may be reluctant to seek treatment, leading one athlete to develop a health care model that expands access via barber shops, clinics and church.

Tuesday November 7, 2023


Dr. Jasmine Zapata on the impacts of having a preterm birth

Wisconsin in Black & White

Dr. Jasmine Zapata on the impacts of having a preterm birth

Wisconsin Department of Health Services state epidemiologist Dr. Jasmine Zapata considers the state's high Black infant and maternal mortality rates given her personal experience with preterm birth.

Thursday November 2, 2023


Tiffany Green on racial inequities in delivering health care

Wisconsin in Black & White

Tiffany Green on racial inequities in delivering health care

UW-Madison Department of Population Health Sciences professor Tiffany Green describes seeking to recognize how issues of trust and racial biases among medical providers impact pregnant patients.

Wednesday November 1, 2023


Wisconsin’s racial disparities in maternal, infant mortality

Wisconsin in Black & White

Wisconsin’s racial disparities in maternal, infant mortality

Higher levels of deaths among Black infants and their mothers in Wisconsin are shaped by access to and implicit biases in the health care system, but medical providers are working to improve outcomes.

Tuesday October 31, 2023


Kim Neuschel on safety and outcomes for children in school

Wisconsin in Black & White

Kim Neuschel on safety and outcomes for children in school

Former public health nurse Kim Neuschel describes an effort to help elementary students in Madison feel safer by improving lighting and painting a mural in a tunnel on a walking route to a school.

Thursday October 26, 2023


Dr. Tito Izard on tracing racist roots of health disparities

Wisconsin in Black & White

Dr. Tito Izard on tracing racist roots of health disparities

Milwaukee Health Services President and CEO Dr. Tito Izard considers how continuing health disparities and barriers to care in Black communities are an outcome of slavery and racial discrimination.

Wednesday October 25, 2023


The public health crisis faced by Black Wisconsinites

Wisconsin in Black & White

The public health crisis faced by Black Wisconsinites

Impacts of racism have left Wisconsin's Black residents suffering disproportionate levels of disease and death shaped by social determinants of health, from income to food access to sense of safety.

Tuesday October 24, 2023


Sabrina Madison on cultivating wealth in Black communities

Wisconsin in Black & White

Sabrina Madison on cultivating wealth in Black communities

Progress Center for Black Women CEO Sabrina Madison considers how generating wealth and ownership among Wisconsin's Black residents can expand leadership opportunities and respect for their potential.

Thursday October 19, 2023


Elmer Moore, Jr. on stress, safety and generational outcomes

Wisconsin in Black & White

Elmer Moore, Jr. on stress, safety and generational outcomes

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority CEO and Executive Director Elmer Moore, Jr. describes investing in more secure home environments to change trajectories of lives and communities.

Wednesday October 18, 2023


Impacts of housing discrimination on economic opportunity

Wisconsin in Black & White

Impacts of housing discrimination on economic opportunity

Historical and current housing discrimination by race in rental and real estate markets have diminished opportunities for Black Wisconsinites to build generational wealth and create new businesses.

Tuesday October 17, 2023


Kurt Paulsen on long-term impacts of racist housing policies

Wisconsin in Black & White

Kurt Paulsen on long-term impacts of racist housing policies

UW-Madison urban planning professor Kurt Paulsen explains how government policy and business practices that discriminated by race continue to affect homeownership rates of Black families in Wisconsin.

Thursday October 12, 2023


Theresa Garrison on witnessing ‘urban renewal’ in Milwaukee

Wisconsin in Black & White

Theresa Garrison on witnessing ‘urban renewal’ in Milwaukee

City of Milwaukee Bronzeville Advisory Committee member Theresa Garrison shares memories of growing up in a Black neighborhood that was razed in the 1960s in the course of "urban renewal" projects.

Wednesday October 11, 2023


What ‘urban renewal’ meant for Milwaukee’s Black residents

Wisconsin in Black & White

What ‘urban renewal’ meant for Milwaukee’s Black residents

A series of demolition and construction projects labeled "urban renewal" destroyed Black neighborhoods in Milwaukee, sparking the open housing movement in the 1960s to end housing discrimination.

Tuesday October 10, 2023


Derek Handley on identifying housing discrimination

Wisconsin in Black & White

Derek Handley on identifying housing discrimination

UW-Milwaukee English professor Derek Handley explains how understanding historical patterns of racist housing discrimination can help spotlight contemporary practices that have similar impacts.

Thursday October 5, 2023


Alexandria Sulainis on manoomin and Native communities

Agriculture

Alexandria Sulainis on manoomin and Native communities

Adaawe Design Collective owner Alexandria Sulainis describes the importance of cultivating manoomin — wild rice — by Native communities in Wisconsin and its role as an essential source of sustenance.

Thursday October 5, 2023


Anne Bonds on how racially restrictive covenants emerged

Wisconsin in Black & White

Anne Bonds on how racially restrictive covenants emerged

UW-Milwaukee geography professor Anne Bonds explains how racially restrictive covenants shaped housing segregation by blocking African Americans and other groups from purchasing and renting homes.

Wednesday October 4, 2023


Covenants, redlining and Black homeownership in Wisconsin

Wisconsin in Black & White

Covenants, redlining and Black homeownership in Wisconsin

Opportunity for Black residents of Wisconsin to purchase a home and build wealth has been limited by racially restrictive covenants and redlining discrimination, creating a segregated housing market.

Tuesday October 3, 2023


Wisconsin’s wild rice harvest and threats of climate change

Agriculture

Wisconsin’s wild rice harvest and threats of climate change

The cultivation of wild rice — manoomin in Ojibwe — has diminished in scale over centuries across northern Wisconsin, and faces further decline from warmer winters, extreme weather and other threats.

Friday September 29, 2023


Six voters stand and face the interior of temporary voting privacy booths with plastic frames and metal legs, in a government meeting room with a row of desks, projector screen and U.S. flag in the background.

Elections

Wisconsin’s recent blue-red voting trends solidify in spring 2023 election

A powerhouse turnout by Democratic voters in Dane County and shifting support from Republican voters in Milwaukee's suburbs – both building steam over the past decade — were consequential in the elections for state Supreme Court and Senate District 8.

Thursday April 6, 2023


A sandwich board sign with the logo of the city of Mequon and the words Vote Here Tuesday stands on a sidewalk, with a street, trees and buildings in the background.

Elections

How a shifting electorate is shaping the 2023 race for Wisconsin’s 8th Senate District

Changing partisan preferences among suburban voters is playing a role in the prominence of a special election between Republican candidate Daniel Knodl and Democratic candidate Jodi Habush Sinykin for an open state Senate seat north of Milwaukee.

Tuesday March 14, 2023


Four side-by-side images show portraits of Daniel Howell Jr., Scott Kerr, Gloria Reyes and Satya Rhodes-Conway.

Elections

Meet the candidates running in Madison’s 2023 mayoral primary

Challengers Daniel Howell Jr., Scott Kerr, Gloria Reyes and incumbent Satya Rhodes-Conway are running in the Feb. 21 primary, with the top two vote-getters moving on to the 2023 spring election for Madison mayor.

Tuesday February 14, 2023


A still image from a video conference meeting shows Dave Miess siting in a room in front of a wall and next to a window with half-open curtains, with a graphic at bottom reading 'Dave Miess' and 'Lac du Flambeau Area Homeowner.'

Social Issues

Dave Miess on living amid Lac du Flambeau’s road closures

Town of Lac du Flambeau resident Dave Miess considers how road closures by the tribal government over lapsed easements affect homeowners who have access blocked and shares hopes for a swift solution.

Tuesday February 14, 2023


Lac du Flambeau tribe blocks roads over lapsed contracts

Politics

Lac du Flambeau tribe blocks roads over lapsed contracts

The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa closed four tribal roads after contracts to drive over their land lapsed in 2013, blocking over 50 households from access to their properties.

Friday February 10, 2023


Four side-by-side images show portraits of Janel Brandtjen, Dan Knodl, Van Mobley and Jodi Habush Sinykin.

Elections

Meet the candidates running in the 2023 Wisconsin Senate District 8 special election

Republican candidates Janel Brandtjen, Dan Knodl and Van Mobley are running in the primary to face Democratic candidate Jodi Habush Sinykin for a state Senate seat in the northern suburbs of Milwaukee.

Tuesday February 7, 2023


Fast Facts: Milwaukee and Green Bay’s declining winter ice

Environment

Fast Facts: Milwaukee and Green Bay’s declining winter ice

Climate scientists are observing winter temperatures rise faster in two Wisconsin cities, as Lake Michigan's waters freeze later and less reliably, raising risks to costs of lakeside infrastructure.

Tuesday January 31, 2023


Waushara County Judge Guy Dutcher on speedy justice

Social Issues

Waushara County Judge Guy Dutcher on speedy justice

Waushara County Judge Guy Dutcher discusses how shortages of prosecutors and public defenders in Wisconsin delays the application of the justice system to people facing charges and victims of crime.

Tuesday January 24, 2023


State Public Defender Kelli Thompson on incarceration cycles

Budgets

State Public Defender Kelli Thompson on incarceration cycles

Wisconsin State Public Defender Kelli Thompson discusses staffing for attorneys representing clients charged with crimes and the justice system impacting local communities when people are imprisoned.

Wednesday January 18, 2023


Former Dodge County DA Kurt Klomberg on prosecutor stresses

Budgets

Former Dodge County DA Kurt Klomberg on prosecutor stresses

Former Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg discusses job strains and workload demands for prosecutors that contribute to staffing shortages in an interview prior to resigning Jan. 12, 2023.

Wednesday January 18, 2023


Former Dodge County DA Kurt Klomberg on why he resigned

Politics

Former Dodge County DA Kurt Klomberg on why he resigned

Former Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg shares his concerns about understaffing of prosecuting attorneys in the office and why that led him to resign his position.

Friday January 13, 2023


Why Wisconsin courts need more prosecutors, public defenders

Budgets

Why Wisconsin courts need more prosecutors, public defenders

Due to the low pay and high stress of these positions, counties around the state do not have enough attorneys to keep the criminal justice system running at a speedy pace, particularly in rural areas.

Thursday January 12, 2023


An aerial photo shows two breakwaters extending from a shoreline into a frozen body of water, with sunlight reflecting off the surface of the ice and snow covering the ground on the land.

Science

Climate change is warming Wisconsin winters faster than other seasons

A wetter atmosphere and slower freezing of the Great Lakes has made wintertime temperature increases in Milwaukee and Green Bay among the highest in the nation as research projects that rises will continue.

Wednesday January 11, 2023


A close-up photos shows the face of Brett Favre with a logo backdrop in the background.

Politics

What’s the deal with Brett Favre and the Mississippi welfare scandal?

The Pro Football Hall of Fame member and former Green Bay Packers superstar is at the center of a scandal in his home state in which public funds intended to support social service programs were used for the construction of a volleyball arena at his alma mater.

Thursday December 22, 2022


Students at UW-Platteville Richland navigate its closure

Education

Students at UW-Platteville Richland navigate its closure

Members of the UW-Platteville Richland student body share their concerns about their future educational opportunities after the UW System announced an end to in-person classes on the campus.

Friday December 16, 2022


A roadside sign reading Nelsonville Population 191 stands alongside a road next to another sign addressing ATV/UTV traffic, with multiple vehicles, trees and powerlines in the background.

Environment

Nelsonville’s water woes: How nitrate contamination has consumed the community

Here & Now extra: Residents of a rural village in central Wisconsin are trying to ensure access to clean drinking water sources as they clamor for support from the state to address and mitigate the sources of nutrient pollution.

Thursday December 15, 2022


Jennifer McNelly on nitrate pollution sources in groundwater

Environment

Jennifer McNelly on nitrate pollution sources in groundwater

Portage County water resource specialist Jennifer McNelly discusses testing well water in Nelsonville to assess how much agricultural and septic system waste contribute to contamination by nitrates.

Tuesday December 13, 2022


Nelsonville’s water woes: A fight over sources of nitrate

Environment

Nelsonville’s water woes: A fight over sources of nitrate

Contamination of well waters by a chemical common in manure and septic systems has residents of a rural community in central Wisconsin arguing about its causes and finding appropriate solutions.

Thursday December 8, 2022


Tarion O’Carroll on working to obtain clean drinking water

Health

Tarion O’Carroll on working to obtain clean drinking water

Nelsonville resident Tarion O'Carroll describes how nitrate contamination in the area compels him to regularly visit an artesian well in another community in order to supply household water needs.

Tuesday December 6, 2022


Nelsonville’s water woes: Finding nitrate pollution in wells

Health

Nelsonville’s water woes: Finding nitrate pollution in wells

Residents of a central Wisconsin village are finding dangerous levels of a common agricultural pollutant in their drinking water and are left trying to filter their supplies or find new sources.

Thursday December 1, 2022


Multiple posters and graphics attached to a white wall in a classroom.

Education

Disparities persist in Wisconsin special education practices as budget battles loom

Children of color are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with behavioral disabilities in Wisconsin schools than white children, as teachers navigate a complex system and seek more support from the state.

Wednesday November 30, 2022


Three side-by-side images show Derrick Van Orden speaking into a microphone with seated audience members in the background.

Politics

What’s next for Derrick Van Orden in Congress after winning Wisconsin’s 3rd

Here & Now extra: The winning Republican candidate for a U.S. House seat in western and central swaths of the state is getting ready to serve in the majority while Democratic candidate Brad Pfaff thinks his party can learn from the close margin in this 2022 race.

Thursday November 17, 2022


Voters stand and fill in ballots in a line of privacy booths next to a concrete wall in a gymnasium.

Elections

Wisconsin’s voter turnout in 2022 hasn’t surpassed 2018, with status quo reigning

Unofficial counts show the state's turnout in 2022 was slightly lower compared to 2018, with Dane and Waukesha counties seeing modest increases and Milwaukee County seeing the largest drop at local levels.

Thursday November 10, 2022


Two ballot printing machines are placed next to each other in a room, with people seated and standing in the background.

Elections

Wisconsin’s 2022 voter registrations up from 2018, absentee ballots down from 2020

Compared to the previous midterm election, the number of people registered to vote has grown considerably, but those casting their ballots absentee or early have likewise dropped since the previous presidential election.

Thursday November 3, 2022


A split-screen image shows Brad Pfaff (at left) and Derrick Van Orden (at right) posing for portraits.

Elections

Van Orden holds polling, fundraising advantage over Pfaff in Wisconsin’s 3rd District

In a campaign with no debates, the Republican candidate is raising more money and running ahead in the few polls that have been conducted, while the Democratic candidate continues to emphasize the issues of the Jan. 6 insurrection and abortion.

Thursday October 20, 2022


Tim Michels and Tony Evers stand behind wooden podiums on a stage set.

Elections

Tony Evers, Tim Michels tout their platforms in one-off 2022 gubernatorial debate

In a rapid-fire exchange of responses, the Democratic incumbent and Republican challenger in the race for Wisconsin's top office made their cases on high-profile and more under-the-radar issues.

Saturday October 15, 2022


A sign stating Register to Vote Here stands in a large room with people standing and seated at tables in the background.

Elections

How Wisconsin’s voter registrations stood five weeks out from the 2022 election

The number of Wisconsinites registered to vote just over a month out from the midterms is approaching their peak levels, and geographic comparisons to 2018 and 2020 show mixed patterns.

Thursday October 6, 2022


A setting sun in a partly cloudy sky shines over the Daniel Hoan Bridge, with a riverside safety railing, sidewalk and lawn in the foreground and buildings in the background.

Elections

Milwaukee socialists mark a return to prominence in Wisconsin politics

More than a century after socialists first won elections in the state and several decades since any held office in the state Legislature, unopposed 2022 candidates Ryan Clancy and Darrin Madison Jr. are poised to take seats in the Assembly.

Tuesday September 27, 2022


Pfaff, Van Orden and Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District

Elections

Pfaff, Van Orden and Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District

A Republican promoting national political issues and a Democrat focusing on local economic desires are vying in a high-profile 2022 contest for a U.S. House seat in rural, western swaths of the state.

Friday September 9, 2022


A sign reading Register to Vote Here stands in front of a folding table and chairs, with people standing in the background.

Elections

What Wisconsin’s voter registration numbers say about 2022 election turnout

The number of Wisconsinites registered to vote as of Aug. 1 is approaching the state's highest total for this figure as turnout is expected to increase for high-profile, closely contested midterms.

Thursday August 25, 2022


A farmhouse, barns and other outbuildings stand amid trees and fields in a valley, with low, wooded hills in the background.

Elections

How nationalized politics shape the vote in Wisconisn’s 3rd Congressional District

With the retirement of U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, the race between Democrat Brad Pfaff and Republican Derrick Van Orden is among the most competitive in 2022 as voters in rural, western parts of the state have shifted from blue to red.

Thursday August 11, 2022


Two touchscreen printed ballot voting machines, one with its screen covered, stand in a room with wood-paneled walls and plaques listing the names of donors, with a U.S. flag on a poll on the floor and a stack of signs reading Vote Here leaning against a concrete wall under a plate glass window.

Elections

How to change your vote if you’ve already voted for a candidate who has dropped out

Wisconsin law allows absentee voters to 'spoil' their ballots twice if the candidate they voted for bows out of the race prior to the election.

Friday July 29, 2022


Fast Facts: Wisconsin employers want more workers

Economy

Fast Facts: Wisconsin employers want more workers

A labor shortage in the state is expected to last for years as thousands of jobs in trucking, maintenance and nursing are not being filled, even as the unemployment rate has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Wednesday July 27, 2022


Kathann Jackson sits at a table with a small vase of flowers and a window with open blinds behind her.

Economy

What happens when state government wants pandemic unemployment aid back?

Here & Now extra: A "complicated, procedural mess" awaited anyone applying for pandemic unemployment insurance in Wisconsin, and one mistake in filing paperwork could mean the government demanded this money be paid back.

Tuesday July 26, 2022


The pain of inflation for people trying to make ends meet

Economy

The pain of inflation for people trying to make ends meet

Consumer prices have jumped considerably over the past year, with the inflation rate hitting a 40-year high in the U.S. – these higher costs are particularly hitting lower-income people around Wisconsin.

Friday July 22, 2022


A history of Wisconsin’s abortion laws

Politics

A history of Wisconsin’s abortion laws

"Here & Now" reporter Nathan Denzin explains how Wisconsin's abortion laws have changed from the 1849 statute prohibiting most abortions up to the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision to end constitutional protections.

Friday July 1, 2022


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