Natalie Yahr

Overcrowding strains staff and inmates, increases danger, forces cuts in programs. Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee

Some states, including those led by Democrats and Republicans, have had success reducing their prison populations.

Natalie Yahr rejoined Wisconsin Watch in March 2025 as a statewide pathways to success reporter, working in partnership with Open Campus. Her coverage explores the skills residents need to build thriving careers and how leaders can forge pathways to family-supporting work. Natalie first joined Wisconsin Watch in 2018 as an intern. She returned after spending more than five years at the Cap Times, where she covered Madison’s local economy, focusing on challenges and opportunities for workers, entrepreneurs and job seekers. Her work has also been published by WWNO-FM, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Journalism Ethics, Scalawag, Columbia Journalism Review and the New York Times. Before becoming a full-time journalist, she trained as a Spanish-English interpreter and coached adult students working to earn their high school equivalency diplomas. Natalie majored in ethics and economics at University of California-Davis and holds a master’s degree in journalism from UW-Madison.

A federal judge has thrown out a controversial rule that would have required states to check the immigration status of anyone seeking to use federally

A federal judge last week rejected a controversial rule that would have required states to check the immigration status of anyone seeking to use federally funded adult education, Head Start, community health clinics and more.

A federal judge has thrown out a controversial rule that would have required states to check the immigration status of anyone seeking to use federally funded adult education, Head Start,

This story was produced and originally published by Wisconsin Watch, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. A federal judge has thrown out a controversial rule that would have required states to check ...

This story was produced and originally published by Wisconsin Watch, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. It was made possible by donors like you.

Wisconsin needs more workers to install and repair power lines. With median earnings of more than $95,000 a year, the job of a line worker is tough, risky and lucrative.

Wisconsin needs more workers to install and repair power lines. With median earnings of more than $95,000 a year, the job of a line worker is tough, risky and lucrative.