Downtown Milwaukee janitors secured a new union contract that guarantees a $15 minimum wage and lets any janitor in the greater Milwaukee area union-eligible. (Photo courtesy of MASH)
Economy Wisconsin’s Labor Movement is Having a Big Moment
Jeff Lamont grew up in the Town of Peshtigo and returned to enjoy his retirement after 30 years as a hydrologist working on remediation sites across the country, including one on the Menominee River, which Tyco had contaminated with arsenic. Now he's involved with the citizen group monitoring the PFAS cleanup in his hometown. “It'll be decades before this has been cleaned up,” he said. (Photo by Christina Lieffring)
Environment The Problem of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Marinette, and the Solutions That Could Take as Long
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, center in white shirt, says that while communities like Milwaukee are national leaders in fighting healthcare disparities, they need help from federal elected officials to fully achieve their goals. (Photo courtesy of Protect Our Care)
Healthcare David Crowley: Communities Need Help to Achieve Healthcare Goals
Coronavirus ‘It’s Scary’: Health Departments Can’t Keep Up With COVID Contact Tracing Anymore
September 16, 2021 4:26 pm CDT
The pandemic is quickly becoming out of control again as the reality of too many new cases meets the reality of too few health workers.
contact tracing wisconsin

continuing coverage

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in election night event at the Chase Center in the early morning hours of November 04, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Politics New Poll Finds Biden Agenda Has Strong Bipartisan Support in Wisconsin
(Photo via School District of the Menomonie Area) Education Menomonie School Board Ends Mandatory COVID Contact Quarantines, Leaves Decision With Parents
UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson, right, and UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt pose after using a hammer to ring the bell on a “Smash COVID” carnival game during an event at the university Monday to promote students being vaccinated against the virus. (Photo by Julian Emerson) Coronavirus ‘C’mon, Guys, You Can Do This!’ Former Gov. Thompson Rallies UWEC Students to Smash COVID
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Gableman, pictured here in 2011, has been hired by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) to investigate baseless concerns over the 2020 election. The investigation is one of many nationwide as Republicans follow the lead of former President Donald Trump and work to undermine faith in the electoral process. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal, Pool Photo via AP File) Elections ‘This Isn’t a Real Investigation’: Email Sent by Gableman to Election Clerks Raises Alarm
Economy The children of Emily Shields, Eau Claire, are among tens of millions who benefit from a federal child tax credit that has been expanded and converted into monthly payments through the American Rescue Plan proposed by President Joe Biden and passed with only Democratic votes in Congress. (Photo by Julian Emerson)
Economy GOP States Are Getting a Big Chunk of Biden’s Popular Child Tax Credit—Wisconsin Also Above Average

The highest monthly benefits are going to nearly a dozen states that voted for Trump. Wisconsin ranks 14th.

Pat Kreitlow Pat Kreitlow September 17, 2021 4:25 pm CDT
Politics Firefighting foam is a common source of PFAS pollution. (Shutterstock)
Politics Lawsuit Could Send Wisconsin’s PFAS Protections ‘Back Into the Dark Ages’

Environmental advocates warn of health hazards that could result from a business lobby’s bid to hamstring the DNR.

Julian Emerson Julian Emerson September 17, 2021 4:05 pm CDT
Healthcare Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, center in white shirt, says that while communities like Milwaukee are national leaders in fighting healthcare disparities, they need help from federal elected officials to fully achieve their goals. (Photo courtesy of Protect Our Care)
Healthcare David Crowley: Communities Need Help to Achieve Healthcare Goals

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley writes that President Biden's Build Back Better agenda is critical to helping communities like Milwaukee expand health care to the most needy.

David Crowley David Crowley September 13, 2021 11:53 am CDT
Healthcare Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) speaks during a June 22, 2021, Assembly floor session. (Photo by Christina Lieffring)
Healthcare Fight to End Wisconsin’s Abortion Ban Intensifies After Restrictive Texas Law Goes Into Effect

State law still has a 1849 abortion ban on the books. The only thing holding it back is Roe v. Wade.

Christina Lieffring Christina Lieffring September 10, 2021 5:08 pm CDT
Environment Wisconsin's Wolf River (Image via Shutterstock)
Environment Trump Rolled Back Clean Water Regulations. Two Wisconsin Tribes Just Won Against His Rule in Court.

Two Wisconsin tribes were among five who sued to block the rule enacted in 2020.

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski September 10, 2021 4:39 pm CDT
Education A COVID-19 outbreak forced Mondovi Middle & High School to close just four days into the new school year. With school having just started, hundreds of students and staff across Wisconsin have been forced to quarantine due to contracting or being exposed to COVID-19. (Photo via Mondovi School District)
Education Most Wisconsin School Districts Aren’t Requiring Masks. There Are Already Outbreaks.

With school barely back in session, hundreds of kids and staff are already COVID-positive or quarantined across Wisconsin.

Julian Emerson Julian Emerson September 10, 2021 2:51 pm CDT
Environment Jeff Lamont grew up in the Town of Peshtigo and returned to enjoy his retirement after 30 years as a hydrologist working on remediation sites across the country, including one on the Menominee River, which Tyco had contaminated with arsenic. Now he's involved with the citizen group monitoring the PFAS cleanup in his hometown. “It'll be decades before this has been cleaned up,” he said. (Photo by Christina Lieffring)
Environment The Problem of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Marinette, and the Solutions That Could Take as Long

A corporation impedes progress on tracing and fixing PFAS contamination in the local water supply—pollution that it caused.

Christina Lieffring Christina Lieffring September 9, 2021 4:43 pm CDT
National From left: Sue Hoefs, Elie Gendloff, and Tom Mall were among more than a dozen UpNorthNews readers who reflected on 9/11 ahead of the 20th anniversary. (Graphic by Morgaine Ford-Workman)
National ‘Like Watching a Horror Movie’: Reflecting On 9/11, 20 Years Later

More than a dozen UpNorthNews readers shared their memories of the terrorist attacks that killed almost 3,000 Americans 20 years ago.

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski September 9, 2021 11:50 am CDT