Alex Milan Tracy for Underscore
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The dozens of independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news organizations that make up the Rural News Network are developing the broadest news alliance reporting on rural America. These newsrooms are pursuing coverage that provides a more complete picture of what it means to live and work in these communities.
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Wisconsin pig farmer holds on at Wonderfarm as Washington breaks a promise
July 02, 2025
Jess D’Souza had hoped to finally turn a profit this year, aided by a federal program to bolster local food systems. The Trump administration canceled the program, upending her plans.
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Do half the residents in one rural Wisconsin county receive food stamps?
June 18, 2025
Yes. In April, 2,004 residents of Menominee County in northeast Wisconsin received benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
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Republican bill seeks more local control over wind, solar farms
January 27, 2025
The legislation would empower Wisconsin municipalities to block the construction of solar and wind farms in their backyards.
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In Wisconsin, do you need more proof of ID to vote than to buy a gun?
January 16, 2025
Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
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Two changes that could speed up Wisconsin election results — and stave off conspiracy theories
January 10, 2025
One would give election officials more time to process absentee ballots. The other would streamline early voting.
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Wisconsin’s rural homelessness crisis and the fight to do ‘more with less’
December 23, 2024
Homelessness in rural Wisconsin, while often unseen, is increasing. Yet a grueling funding landscape, among other challenges, poses obstacles for local shelters and rural providers.
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‘Nowhere else I’d rather be’: An ordinary Election Day follows town’s extraordinary turmoil
November 06, 2024
As anxious Americans awaited news of the country’s fate, Westfield, Wisconsin, moved on from local political fights.
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It’s Election Day! Follow our live coverage of what’s happening around Wisconsin
November 05, 2024
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Results, especially in the presidential election, may not be known tonight.
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College students could determine who wins Wisconsin — and the White House
October 28, 2024
Hundreds of thousands of college students make up a critical voting bloc in battleground Wisconsin. Democrats and Republicans are both pressing to win their votes.
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Medicaid covers 1.2 million in Wisconsin. The election will determine its future
October 25, 2024
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris rarely mention Medicaid on the presidential campaign trail, but their records paint dramatically different possibilities for the program after November.
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How many manure spills is too many? St. Croix County residents scrutinize big farm’s new owner
August 02, 2024
Breeze Dairy CEO says company has nothing to hide and aims to earn a skeptical community’s trust.
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Wisconsin’s new rules on ballot drop boxes create opportunity for election challenges, ‘vigilantes’
July 19, 2024
The state says voters are allowed to return only their own ballots, but there are nuances that observers could seize on to raise suspicion.
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Wisconsin cities want presidential candidates to pay for pricey campaign stops
July 15, 2024
President Joe Biden’s campaign reimbursed Green Bay for costs related to the first lady’s visit. Donald Trump’s campaign has not paid invoices for Wisconsin visits dating to 2016.
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Over 100 Wisconsin school districts fielded inquiries, challenges to books
July 03, 2024
‘Gender Queer’ by Maia Kobabe was most challenged book since 2020. Restricted books included ‘The Bluest Eye,’ ‘The Kite Runner’ and ‘Slaughterhouse-Five.’
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In Democratic primary, candidates emphasize broadband, education
June 24, 2024
Joe Maldonado and Randy Udell, who have both served on the Fitchburg City Council, pitch different Democratic priorities.
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