Open Record

It appears as though COVID-19 has claimed another victim: Bucky Badger and the rest of the Big Ten Conference. Even as fall training camps get started, they may be practicing for a football season that isn't going to happen. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn invites FOX6 Sports Director Tim Van Vooren on to talk about what we know right now about the news that's litera...

The last hope for the 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee is dashed as presidential candidate Joe Biden announces he will not come to Wisconsin to accept the party's nomination. This, as the pandemic continues to affect people and events across the country. In this episode of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators invite FOX6 political reporter Jason Calvi on the episode. Jason had a bus...

Back in May, a Governor Evers' staffer secretly recorded a conversation with legislative leaders. The governor called it a 'discipline issue,' but was there actually any discipline? Government leaders and employees work for you and when they behave poorly, you're supposed to know about those details. In this episode of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators dig into why getting those answers isn't al...

The future for Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales remains uncertain and he isn't shy to say that in his own words. This, as deadlines loom surrounding directives handed down by the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. In this edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigator Amanda St. Hilaire invites FOX6 reporter Suzanne Spencer on the episode. Spencer talked candidly with the chief during a recent...

From baseball to football and racing to golf, COVID-19 brought the world of sports to a halt. Now, both professional leagues and little leagues are trying to navigate the process of bringing back sports. While most of it is being done in a limited fashion, the risk of spreading the coronavirus remains elevated. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire...

From COVID-19 testing delays to a looming surge in evictions to skyrocketing alcohol sales, the consumer unit at FOX6 has been busy. Contact 6 tackles dozens of consumer issues weekly that come into our newsroom. In this episode of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators cover three big issues Contact 6 is helping sort out: COVID-19 test results delays, evictions, and alcohol sales. Contact 6's Jenna...

Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales is fighting to keep his job. This as the FPC delivers a list of directives to Morales. If he does not comply, it could mean discipline including the potential for firing. What's on the list of 11 directives? The FPC is calling for better communication, more oversight over a number of things including investigations, policies, promotions and overtime. In this...

COVID-19 may be killing more than just those who are sick. In Milwaukee, some say the fallout from the pandemic is helping to drive a spike in homicides. It's been an especially violent year so far in the city of Milwaukee and of the dozens of homicides, there's a common thread among many. In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire explain where...

Did you know nearly every day Wisconsin judges are deleting public records that show you what they're doing? So what happens when you're blocked from seeing how your government operates? In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire dig into a first-hand experience. The team talks about the decision to deliberately destroy those public records -- a...

Controversies flaring back up across Wisconsin as the number of COVID-19 cases increase. Should bars be allowed to stay open? Should wearing masks in Milwaukee be mandatory? In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire invite FOX6 reporter Jason Calvi on the episode to talk about what's going on in Milwaukee in regards to the coronavirus. The team...

A day of protesting takes a destructive and violent turn in Madison. Crowds outside the Wisconsin State Capitol tore down two statues and attacked a state senator amid protests following the arrest of a Black man who was at a restaurant with a megaphone and baseball bat. In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire talk about the tensions that boil...

Democrat Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers' staff secretly records a conversation with Republican legislative leaders. Now, there's backlash from both sides of the aisle. The May 14 conversation between Governor Evers, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos lasted an hour. The governor says a member of his staff recorded the conversation for note taking, but once that...

Following the death of George Floyd, 'I can't breathe' has become a mantra for Black Lives Matter protesters across the country including here in Milwaukee. But the Minnesota man who suffocated under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer isn't the first to say those three words before dying in police custody. In this edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire...

An issue unique to Wisconsin is blocking one specific group of people from getting federal unemployment assistance. The state blames federal rules, so why does Wisconsin stand alone? In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire dig into Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI. The federal program pays benefits to you and certain members of yo...

Driving drunk in Wisconsin is not a crime... until you get caught twice. It's not a felony until the fourth offense. But the seventh? For that, you're supposed to serve some serious hard time. State lawmakers have *twice* passed legislation to mandate a 3-year minimum sentence for a 7th OWI or more. So why are dozens of chronic drunk drivers still getting out of prison early? Some in as little as...

It's been six days and six nights of protests in Milwaukee. The civil unrest follows the death of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis, calling for racial equality and justice. In this special edition of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators invite two FOX6 colleagues on the episode: Reporter Sam Kraemer and Photojournalist Vanshay Murdock. The pair have been on the front lines, covering recent p...

Civil unrest continues following the death of 46-year-old George Floyd. Floyd's death sparked protests across the country, including here in Wisconsin. In this special edition of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators invite two guests on the episode: FOX6 reporter Amy DuPont, who has been covering these southeast Wisconsin protests the last few days and FOX6 Investigative Producer Pete. Amy talks ab...

He hopes Milwaukee doesn't need a rain check for the 2024 DNC. Would he have handled the COVID-19 pandemic differently than President Trump? In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators invite FOX6 political reporter Jason Calvi on the episode to talk about his one-on-one with former Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. You'll hear some of Biden's...

It's not often facilities are built with the hope no one will use them. However, that's exactly what's happening across the country and right here in Wisconsin. States and counties are teaming up with the federal government to set up COVID-19 overflow field hospitals known as alternate care facilities. In this special edition of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators look into this issue that affects...

Millions of people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Many health experts say the true numbers are likely higher than that because of a shortage of testing, especially in the early stages of the pandemic. However, a woman from Markesan, Wisconsin says she thinks the number could be artificially inflated because she tested negative for the coronavirus multiple times, but still left...

When the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the state's 'Safer at Home' order, the state was left with a variety of rules for how businesses should operate. Now, local businesses are trying to figure out how and when they should open, and what their operations will look like in the new normal. In this special edition of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators invite FOX6 reporter Angelica Sanchez on...

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all in one way or another. A lot of FOX6 viewers have emailed or called our newsroom, looking for answers from top Wisconsin lawmakers on a variety of issues. Today, Open Record is bringing you those answers. In this special edition of the podcast, FOX6 reporter Jason Calvi sits down, via teleconference, with Governor Tony Evers. You'll hear that interview cov...

In the middle of this pandemic, many have lost their jobs. Those folks shouldn't be worried about losing their home, too. That's the idea behind Gov. Evers' 60-day ban on evictions and termination notices for non-payment of rent. In this special edition of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators invite Contact 6's Jenna Sachs on to talk about how what's on paper and what's playing out in real life, ar...

Across the state, most of Wisconsin's 72 counties are allowing bars, restaurants, and other businesses to reopen. This follows last week's monumental Wisconsin Supreme Court decision striking down 'Safer at Home.' In Milwaukee, however, many spots are still closed under the city's version of a 'Safer at Home' plan called 'Moving Milwaukee Forward.' In this special edition of Open Record, the FOX6...

Like states across the country, Wisconsin is dealing with an unprecedented spike in unemployment claims due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But it's a system that was hurting long before anyone had ever heard of the coronavirus. In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire dig into an issue that bring the most phone calls and emails into the FOX6 newsroo...