Yes. Since the expansion of a federal immigration “parole” program, illegal immigration from the four countries covered by the program has decreased by more than 90%.
Author Archives: Erin Gretzinger / Wisconsin Watch
Erin Gretzinger joined Wisconsin Watch as a reporting intern in May 2022. She is a journalism and French major at UW-Madison and will graduate in spring 2023. Erin previously worked for the Wisconsin State Journal as a reporting intern and served as the 2021-22 editor-in-chief at The Badger Herald. She is a recipient of the Jon Wolman Scholarship, the Sigrid Schultz Scholarship and the Joseph Sicherman Award Fund for her academic and reporting work.
Posted inFact briefs
Does Medicaid cover nearly half of all births in the US?
Yes. About 41% of all births in the U.S. are financed by Medicaid, according to a 2022 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Posted inFact briefs
Are nearly half of all Americans worried about having their money in banks?
Yes. ccording to an April Gallup poll, 48% of U.S. adults are concerned about having their money in banks or other U.S. financial institutions, including 19% who are “very” worried and 29% who are “moderately” worried.
Posted inFact briefs
Does the Republican-authored shared revenue bill propose banning advisory referendums at the local level in Wisconsin?
Yes. The shared revenue bill proposed by Wisconsin Republicans would prohibit a county or municipality from holding an advisory referendum, according to a draft of bill released May 2.
Posted inFact briefs
Will taxes ‘automatically’ go up for 95% of business owners after the Trump tax cuts expire?
No. While individual tax cuts from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire after 2025, 95% of business owners will not “automatically” experience a tax hike, because many businesses have no taxable income.
Posted inFact briefs
Is mifepristone used for other reasons besides medically induced abortions?
Yes. While mifepristone’s most common use is medically induced abortions, it can also be used as a treatment for Cushing syndrome.
Posted inEconomy, Fact briefs
Has US inflation been at or above 5% for the last two years?
Yes. The last time the 12 month–average inflation rate was below 5% was in April 2021, when it was 4.2%, according to U.S. Labor Department data.
Posted inFact briefs
Did nearly 70% of Wisconsin students fail to test ‘proficient’ in reading in recent assessments?
Yes. According to the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress report card, 67.4% of fourth grade students in Wisconsin failed to test at proficient or above in reading.
Posted inFact briefs
Did President Joe Biden meet with House Republicans about the debt ceiling?
Yes. In February, Democratic President Joe Biden met with Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy to discuss the U.S. debt ceiling. McCarthy called it a “first good meeting,” while the White House said it was a “frank and straightforward dialogue,” according to Politico.
Posted inFact briefs
Is the Wisconsin State Capitol building open 24/7?
No. The Wisconsin State Capitol building is not open all day and night, seven days a week.
Posted inEnvironment
Bill could help ‘innocent purchasers’ clean up contaminated Wisconsin land
While previous bills have failed, backers offer new funding options that could pave the path forward.
Posted inFact briefs
Has Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Dan Kelly campaigned with a Jan. 6 participant?
Yes. Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Dan Kelly has been campaigning with Scott Presler, who was at the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.