I am looking forward to moderating the "Spin, Lies and Disappearing Data" panel at tomorrow's @uwethics.bsky.social conference. @phoebepetrovic.bsky.social, @fahrenthold.bsky.social, and I will discuss DOGE efforts to remove public data and how journalists can combat the spread of misinformation.

In my latest for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the City of Milwaukee spent $300K making accessible homes. Most went to buyers without disabilities. Advocates say it's a frustrating outcome given the national shortage of affordable housing for people with disabilities. bit.ly/4gu34jS

A group of troubled Milwaukee-area nursing homes will soon have new operators after financial strains and hundreds of resident complaints sent the facilities into receivership. Read the latest from my colleague @natalieeilbert.bsky.social and I with the link below. www.jsonline.com/story/news/h...

Four Wisconsin nursing homes with a litany of health care quality concerns have been put in court-ordered receivership as of July 31, the result of dire financial strains. Here's what me and @tamiafowlkes.bsky.social learned in our investigation.

Come hear @fahrenthold.bsky.social and @phoebepetrovic.bsky.social discuss reporting in an era of spin, lies and disappearing data (w/ moderator @tamiafowlkes.bsky.social) at our 9/26 conference. Registration: ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/2025-journal...

Join us 9/26 for our conference "Journalism Ethics in a Fracturing Word." Expert panelists, such as @sewell.bsky.social, @timkarr.bsky.social and @tamiafowlkes.bsky.social, taking on topics like "The New Age of Censorship." In person and online. More info: ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/2025-journal...

Full conference program and registration: ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/2025-journal...

Looking forward to moderating the "Spin, Lies and Disappearing Data" panel at this year's @uwethics.bsky.social conference. I will be speaking with @phoebepetrovic.bsky.social and David Farenthold about DOGE efforts to remove public data and how journalists can combat the spread of misinformation.

In my latest for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a family's pleas for assistance go unanswered by a caregiver they accuse of misusing social security funds. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Important information about avoiding #Medicare and #Medicaid scams from @nationalpress.bsky.social 2025 Widening the Pipeline fellowship @tamiafowlkes.bsky.social of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. www.linkedin.com/posts/tamiaf...

In my latest for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a Wisconsin kidney donor wins paid leave benefits from the U.S. Postal Service after Public Investigator wrote about her challenges. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Latest for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel with @maryspicuzza.bsky.social and Madeline Heim, Wisconsin counts on help from AmeriCorps. With new DOGE cuts, volunteers are no longer coming. www.jsonline.com/story/news/p...

After paying $7,500 to reserve burial space at Graceland Cemetery, Jazmin Waters's family found out about thousands of dollars in extra fees that they say weren't disclosed. Read my latest for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel with the link below. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

In March, I wrote about a Wisconsin man in a battle with the Social Security Administration to access his disability benefits before he died. His family said calls to senators and congressmen were unsuccessful. But, on Monday, April 7, he won his appeal. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Our Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Public Investigator team is working hard to address your questions about problems occurring in Milwaukee and across the state of Wisconsin. Here’s some of our latest reporting that you should check out. www.jsonline.com/watchdog/pub... #localnews #journalism

Wisconsin voters head to the polls Tuesday in an election that will determine the state Supreme Court's partisan control, who'll lead the state's K-12 public schools and whether the voter ID law will become part of the state constitution. www.jsonline.com/live-story/n...

In March 2025, Public Investigator reported on a Wisconsin man who paid into Social Security for years but after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis was unable to get disability benefits. Here's what you should know about the SSA Compassionate Allowances program. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

For months, Carole Kane has tried to find a way to expedite her son's social security payment before he dies of cancer. A complex rule got in the way. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Have you ever wondered what to expect when you're interviewed by a journalist? We want to demystify the reporting process for our readers. If you are contacted or questioned by a reporter for a story, here are some things you can anticipate. bit.ly/4hpqkOH

In my latest for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a reader asked if Menards in West Milwaukee overcharging on sales tax. The new City of Milwaukee sales tax has left residents of nearby suburban cities with growing concerns about misapplied taxes. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Last month alone, more than 400 lawsuits were filed against businesses across the country alleging that their websites are not accessible to people with visual impairments and other disabilities. Critics say it's a money grab. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Latest for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A financial administrator recently hired by Milwaukee Public Schools has ties to a charter school network that has come under scrutiny for its financial dealings and was raided by the FBI in 2014, records show. www.jsonline.com/story/news/e...

Public Investigator reporter Gina Castro chases readers' tips, wherever they lead www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Milwaukee paid millions to clean up PCBs. Now, the city is suing the company that manufactured the chemicals. www.jsonline.com/story/news/l...

“Climate change is upending the basic assumption that Americans can continue to build wealth and financial security by owning their own home. In a sense, it is upending the American dream.” @abrahm.bsky.social

In my latest for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, I speak with Ira Madison III about his debut novel "Pure Innocent Fun" — a memoir melding his coming-of-age as a young Black gay man in Milwaukee with iconic ’90s and 2000s cultural analysis. bit.ly/3En9nXn

Last month, Kristin Greenwood of Milwaukee called Public Investigator with an issue. She believed her doctor's office gave her incorrect information about how much her insurance would be charged for an MRI. Read on to learn more: www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Milwaukee officials, advocates working to verify viral report of Puerto Rican family detained by ICE www.jsonline.com/story/news/l...

President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship faced a flurry of legal challenges from a bevy of states and civil rights groups, signaling that the effort could be tied up in court and unlikely to take effect next month as planned.

For four years, Sherréa Jones struggled to get speech therapy for her son at Mequon-Thiensville School District but said her pleas were ignored. According to an expert who reviewed his evaluation, if his speech impediment was left unaddressed, it could cause increased challenges. bit.ly/40osZSq

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. petitioned the FDA to revoke authorization of Covid vaccines in 2021, when estimates had begun to show that the rollout of the shots had already saved about 140,000 lives. nyti.ms/4hkaSnl

"It's not just that you're perpetrating a fraud" by spreading bogus images, expert Hany Farid says. The fakes also sow confusion about an ongoing catastrophe.

The Israeli government will not vote on the cease-fire deal with Hamas until at least Friday, Israeli officials said, after last-minute disputes with Hamas and rifts within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. Follow live updates.

MATC has faced a wave of complaints from employees of color. Here's what to know. The allegations include a federal lawsuit filed earlier this month by the school’s former chief DEI officer and public statements made by staff at recent board meetings. www.jsonline.com/story/news/l...

NEW: I've obtained internal Meta docs revealing an array of sample posts that are now allowed under new hate speech rules. Examples include calling children "trannies," “Jews are flat out greedier than Christians," and “immigrants are grubby, filthy pieces of shit” theintercept.com/2025/01/09/f...

Meta said it would end its fact-checking program and rely instead on Facebook and Instagram users to add notes or corrections to posts. The new protocol, which will begin in the U.S., is similar to the one used by X, called Community Notes, Mark Zuckerberg said. nyti.ms/40nRNLu

Milwaukee Area Technical College's former chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer filed a federal lawsuit against the college alleging that top university officials retaliated against her for speaking out about discrimination in the workplace. bit.ly/4g2BuZj

So thrilled to be a part of this talented fellowship class! Looking forward to a great year ahead! 🎉📰

Are you getting calls labeled 'spam risk'? Here's what that means and some tips to stop them. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Milwaukee police are asking for help in their search for a critically missing man. www.jsonline.com/story/news/l...

After a car crashed into the building of Milwaukee nonprofit Welfare Warriors on Friday, the organization launched a fundraiser to rebuild and replace lost resources at the building on West Michigan Street. www.jsonline.com/story/news/l...

Biden appoints 40 Black women as federal judges, breaking record capitalbnews.org/biden-black-...

Breaking News: Nikki Giovanni, the poet who wrote, irresistibly and sensuously, about race, politics, gender, sex and love, has died at 81.

Nikki Giovanni, the renowned poet, civil rights leader, and academic, has died. She was 81.

Breaking News: Daniel Penny, the former Marine who choked Jordan Neely, a homeless man, on a New York City subway train last year was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide. nyti.ms/3ZJiHwU

In my latest for USA TODAY, I spoke with “Wicked” fans and Saycon Sengbloh, the first Black woman to play Elphaba on Broadway about how and why the 2024 film adaptation is connecting with Black audiences. www.usatoday.com/story/life/h...

An assisted living facility in Milwaukee that served adults with developmental disabilities is accused of housing a convicted sex offender who then attempted to sexually assault another resident, according to a federal lawsuit. www.jsonline.com/story/news/l...

Public health advocates worry that President-elect Trump could unravel federal clean water efforts when he takes office, including restrictions on lead pipes and harmful “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.

An emerald ash borer infestation killed her neighbor's ash trees. Now they're falling onto her home. Can the City of Oak Creek help? 🔎 Read my latest Public Investigator story for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel with the link below. www.jsonline.com/story/news/i...

Hi BlueSky! I'm Tamia Fowlkes, a Public Investigator for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In my role, I field tips and chase leads from community members with the goal of writing stories focused on addressing wrongdoing and seeking accountability. Read my work 📰⬇️🌟 www.jsonline.com/staff/768148...