Wisconsin Watch

Wildfire smoke has created some of the worst air quality Wisconsin has ever recorded.

Swipe through for practical tips on how to protect yourself, what the Air Quality Index means and what forecasters expect over the next couple of days.

Reporting by Astrid Code. Photos by Jonathan Aguilar and Natalie Yahr.

Read more at the link in the comments.

Curious whether a claim you've heard is actually true?

Wisconsin Watch's 150-word Fact Briefs provide quick, sourced answers to questions making headlines.

Recent Fact Briefs explain:
• Whether you can legally record a conversation without another person's consent in Wisconsin.
• Why about one-fourth of Wisconsin state employees work for the Department of Corrections.

Read them all here:

Fact Briefs - Wisconsin Watch Wisconsin Watch is partnering with Gigafact to produce Fact Briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims.

Oracle's credit rating just dropped — at the same time the tech giant is fighting Wisconsin regulators over new rules tied to its planned Port Washington data center.

S&P Global Ratings downgraded Oracle to BBB-, the lowest rung of investment-grade credit, citing uncertainty around the company's massive AI investments.

The timing is notable: Oracle recently sued Wisconsin's Public Service Commission over new financial requirements for large data center operators seeking electric service from We Energies. Under the rules, companies with lower credit ratings must post substantial collateral — such as cash or letters of credit — to protect ratepayers if they can't cover the cost of new power infrastructure.

Read more from Paul Kiefer: https://wisconsinwatch.org/2026/07/wisconsin-oracle-data-center-credit-rating-drop-rules-fight-tech-energy-ai-utility/

Who gets to build Wisconsin's power grid — and profit from it? ⚡

A fight over a major transmission project has moved to Washington, where federal regulators will decide whether Wisconsin's largest transmission utility deserves another shot at the work.

The case could help determine how billions of dollars in future grid projects are awarded as data centers drive demand for more electricity.

📖 Swipe through for the key takeaways, then read reporter Paul Kiefer's full story at the link in the comments