Open Record

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...

Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales recently sat down with FOX6 to talk exclusively about recent issues: Accountability within the department, defunding the police, and policy changes. In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire invite FOX6 reporter Aaron Maybin on the episode to talk about his candid conversation with the chief. Aaron shares t...

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...

Over the last few weeks, there's been a shift in news coverage from COVID-19 to nationwide protests about police brutality and racial inequality. But that doesn't mean the coronavirus has gone away. In this special edition of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire get you up-to-date on the latest COVID-19 news. Where does Wisconsin stand in the Badger Bounce Back P...

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...

The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov. Evers' COVID-19 stay-at-home order. It ruled his administration overstepped its authority when it extended it for another month without consulting legislators. Wednesday's ruling essentially reopens the state and is met with both concern and praise. Now both sides are finding themselves asking, 'what's next?' In this special edition of Open Record, the...

Last month, COVID-19 forced officials to delay the start of the Democratic National Convention from July to August. Now, one of the largest events in Wisconsin history could look a lot different. The DNC's rules and bylaws committee has taken steps that could allow delegates to vote without ever stepping foot in Milwaukee. In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and...

From a thermometer shortage to stimulus checks made out to people who are dead -- consumer issues like these continue to flood our FOX6 newsroom on a daily basis. These things affect your wallet and the economy. In this special edition of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators invite Contact 6's Jenna Sachs on to talk about these COVID-19 consumer issues. Hear why some people in our area are getting...

Doctor's appointments via video are the new norm as we navigate safe health care amid a pandemic. But what happens when those video calls aren't enough? After being shut down for weeks, Wisconsin health systems are rolling out plans to slowly ramp up services. In this special edition of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire dig into a problem happening across the coun...

It was a tough job before a pandemic, and now, the moms in your life are taking on new challenges. With Mother's Day this weekend, the moms on the FOX6 Investigative team talk about the lessons they've learned over the last two months. In this special edition of Open Record, hear from our Mom Panel as they recognize the challenges of working from home, homeschooling, and balancing family life whil...

Bad blood boils over in one city as an alderman confronts the mayor and it gets physical. The alderman says he was defending the city's health officer after an outbreak of COVID-19 at a meat processing plant. In this special episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigators Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire talk about the real drama going on behind the scenes at Cudahy City Hall over FOX6 requests for...