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WORT Local News

WORT Local News presents alternative viewpoints in its news – both in the sources it uses and the stories it covers. Newscasts include local and state news, weather, and regular features. It aims to give underrepresented people a voice.

New Domains: Amazon’s Twitter War Against Rep. Pocan and Unions

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Last Friday, an Amazon warehouse in Alabama held a historic vote on whether to unionize. The vote drew national attention, as it would be the first worker’s union for the online retail giant. But in advance of the vote, Amazon’s various Twitter accounts targeted high-profile politicians who were pushing for the union vote and speaking […]

Wisconsin Senate passes election legislation

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Yesterday, the Republican-controlled state senate passed seven bills aimed at overhauling Wisconsin’s elections. All of the bills still need approval from the Republican-held state assembly before heading to Governor Tony Evers, who is likely to issue a swift veto to most of the proposals. Yesterday’s bills are just part of a massive push state Republicans […]

Transparency Talk: Can you records request a records request?

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Every other Thursday, our producer Jonah Chester sits down with Tom Kamenick, President of the Wisconsin Transparency Project, to discuss open records and open government. A quick note, as always, before we begin — this conversation is not intended to be specific legal advice. If you have difficulty with open records or open government, seek […]

Wisconsin DOJ announces sexual assault kit tracking initiative

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In 2014, the Wisconsin Department of Justice uncovered a massive backlog of some 6,000 unprocessed sexual assault kits. The state spent the next four years clearing through that backlog. The incident unveiled serious flaws in the state’s sexual assault kit processing procedures — flaws the DOJ and state lawmakers are still working to address. In […]

Newly Proposed Plan Aims to Address Madison’s Housing Crisis

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Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway calls the plan “Housing Forward.” It is a sweeping framework that aims to address the short-term goal of housing insecurity and the lingering issue of housing shortages across the city.  Matthew Wachter, Madison’s Director of Planning, Community and Economic Development, said the plan builds on extensive research on the city’s housing […]

Madison, 1962 – The UW Suppresses a Film

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Madison in the Sixties – the film the UW suppressed. In the summer of 1960, local NAACP president Lloyd Barbee wanted to expose housing discrimination in the Madison rental market. So he proposed to the University of Wisconsin-Extension Bureau of Audio- Visual Instruction that instructor Stuart Hanisch produce a film to be called “To Find […]

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