The Wisconsin Idea
The Wisconsin Idea is an independent reporting project of People’s Action Institute, Citizen Action of Wisconsin and In These Times. The Wisconsin Idea takes a closer look at the state of Wisconsin, featuring in-depth reporting on the issues facing the state’s rural communities.
Latest Stories
Wisconsin Lawmakers Propose $25 Million Package to Help Farmers
The proposed bills would create stronger connections between farmers and local institutions such as schools, hospitals and food banks; increase access to mental health services.
Henry Redman
A Quarter of Rural Wisconsinites Lack Adequate Internet Access
How communities are closing the digital divide.
Anya van Wagtendonk
Communities Near Fort McCoy Work to Welcome Afghan refugees
Residents of the communities surrounding Fort McCoy have been working to welcome the thousands of Afghan refugees who just moved next door.
Henry Redman
A Lead Problem Worse Than Flint's
Hundreds of thousands of lead service lines in Wisconsin are a threat to public health, and communities of color are particularly vulnerable.
Susan Shain
The Problem of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Marinette, and the Solutions That Could Take as Long
A corporation impedes progress on tracing and removing PFAS contaminants from area water— chemical pollution it caused.
Christina Lieffring
Growing food sovereignty on the shores of Lake Superior
On a small Wisconsin island, members of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and volunteers provide fresh food and restore ancestral connection through gardening.
Kip Dooley
Black Teachers Defend Their Curriculum From Attacks on Critical Race Theory
With school boards becoming a battleground in the right-wing war on critical race theory, Milwaukee educators are standing up against racist censorship of American history.
Alice Herman
VIDEO: Big Agriculture Has a Bleak Future in Store for All of Us
Factory farming operations have swallowed up much of the U.S. farming economy, and independent farmers warn that we’re not prepared for the future they have in store for us.
Maximillian Alvarez, Cameron Granadino and Hannah Faris
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