iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Tom Kertscher

Wisconsin Watch @wisconsinwatch.org · 02/10/2026

Wisconsin Rapids residents voiced familiar concerns about proposed data centers, including energy costs and water use. They also raised a less familiar one: the potential influence of Russians. @tomkertschernews.bsky.social explains. www.youtube.com/shorts/nZICE...

youtube.com

Russian ties raise questions about this Wisconsin data center

YouTube video by Wisconsin Watch

0710

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

@wisconsinwatch.org Fact Brief in the Wisconsin governor's race on Tom Tiffany's claim about David Crowley releasing prison inmates.

115

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

@wisconsinwatch.org asked Democrat David Crowley and Republican Tom Tiffany, the candidates for Wisconsin governor, about local control on data center proposals. Neither articulated what they would do differently.

132

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Fact-checking the Wisconsin governor's race: No, Republican Tom Tiffany did not vote to give data centers a $68 billion tax break; and No, juvenile homicides in Milwaukee did not rise 57% since Democrat David Crowley has been Milwaukee County executive; . wisconsinwatch.org/series/fact-...

wisconsinwatch.org

Wisconsin Watch Fact Briefs

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

001

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Fact-checking the Wisconsin governor's race: Juvenile homicides in Milwaukee did not increase 57% while David Crowley has been Milwaukee County executive. A claim referred to a 1-year increase in juvenile homicide suspects. The county executive does not have authority over city police departments.

113

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

In the Wisconsin governor's race, fact-checking whether Republican Tom Tiffany voted for a tax break for data centers. The vote was on the massive Big Beautiful Bill, not a bill for tailored to data centers.

101

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

In a Q&A format, with annotations for context and fact-checking, here is what the candidates for the State of Wisconsin's top attorney say about abortion access, crime lab problems, elections protection, officer-involved shootings and legal actions against the Trump administration.

wisconsinwatch.org

Key questions with Wisconsin attorney general candidates highlight their stark differences

Incumbent Democrat Josh Kaul repeatedly sues Trump administration; Republican Eric Toney faults Kaul’s crime lab testing.

100

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Abortion, crime lab problems, election security and the Trump administration are among issues that separate Josh Kaul and Eric Toney, the candidates running for Wisconsin attorney general. @wisconsinwatch.org sat down with both candidates. Here is the Q&A, along with annotations that add context.

100

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Fact-checking claims about the record of Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor.

132

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Fact-checking claims about the record of David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin governor.

102

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Fact-checking the Wisconsin governor's race: Have Milwaukee County taxes increased under David Crowley? Has Tom Tiffany supported Donald Trump’s positions the vast majority of the time? wisconsinwatch.org/series/fact-...

wisconsinwatch.org

Wisconsin Watch Fact Briefs

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

000

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I joined @thejoypowers.bsky.social and @wamsoods.bsky.social to talk nondisclosure agreements, community benefit agreements and other Wisconsin data center issues. It's the first episode of the new season of Swing State of the Union, a @wuwmradio.bsky.social podcast. www.wuwm.com/swing-state/...

wuwm.com

Episode 1: Data Center Debate

Opposition to data centers cuts across party lines, a rarity in Wisconsin politics. But who has the power to say whether a project is approved, or under what conditions?

000

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Fact-checking the Wisconsin governor's race: Did the Democratic candidate, David Crowley, approve providing communication tablets to Milwaukee County inmates? wisconsinwatch.org/2026/09/wisc...

wisconsinwatch.org

Did David Crowley approve providing tablets to jail inmates?

Yes. Crowley’s office said the tablets were provided to help inmates stay connected to family.

020

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Fact-checking the Wisconsin governor's race: Did the Republican candidate, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, try to overturn the 2020 presidential election? wisconsinwatch.org/2026/09/wisc...

wisconsinwatch.org

Did Tom Tiffany try to overturn the 2020 presidential election result?

Yes. He voted against certifying the results and signed on to a legal brief that supported overturning the results.

120

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Fact-checking the Wisconsin governor's race: Yes, David Crowley approved tablets for jail inmates; and Yes, Tom Tiffany tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election. wisconsinwatch.org/series/fact-...

wisconsinwatch.org

Wisconsin Watch Fact Briefs

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

033

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

"It’s almost like someone plugs us into the wall. I feel alive." -- Tank, of the New Orleans band Tank and the Bangas, on performing live, at Radio Milwaukee, 8/22/26. A joyful presence. Great scatting.

100

Reposted by Tom Kertscher

Wisconsin Watch @wisconsinwatch.org · 12/08/2026

Fact brief alert. 🚨 In this case, the claim is true. ✅️ wisconsinwatch.org/2026/08/wisc... #Wisconsin #taxes #Wispol

Wisconsin Watch graphic answering "Yes" that Wisconsin’s top income tax rate is 7.65%, applying to individual taxable income over $323,290 and to married couples filing jointly over $431,060, with lower rates for income below those thresholds.

022

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

After accepting the Democratic nomination for governor of Wisconsin, David Crowley answered a question from Wisconsin Watch about how he will try to attract progressive voters without losing modern ones. www.facebook.com/share/v/1Wmf...

facebook.com

Facebook

121

Reposted by Tom Kertscher

Great Lakes Now @greatlakesnow.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

In Wisconsin, @tomkertschernews.bsky.social of @wisconsinwatch.org has been reporting on how developers have been using non-disclosure agreements to keep information about proposed data centers under wraps. Check out our conversation: youtu.be/xgmXCmOdYuM

youtu.be

What Data Center Developers Don't Want Wisconsin To Know | Freshwater People

YouTube video by Great Lakes Now

054

Reposted by Tom Kertscher

The Badger Project @thebadgerproject.org · 02/08/2026

Set up a recurring donation to help us do this important work! As little as $5/month. donate.thebadgerproject.org

002

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Even though it rejected an artificial intelligence data center, one Wisconsin village showed that communities have leverage when a data center is proposed. The negotiated benefits can range far beyond tax revenue and be worth tens of millions of dollars. wisconsinwatch.org/2026/08/wisc...

wisconsinwatch.org

Guaranteed tax revenue, river funding, affordable housing: What DeForest negotiated before a data center deal collapsed

DeForest shot down a $12 billion data center, but created a model for what other communities could demand.

100

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

The latest @wisconsinwatch.org Fact Briefs are on data centers: No, the state isn't spending $2 billion on them this year; and No, a data centers tax break didn't come from Gov. Tony Evers alone. wisconsinwatch.org/series/fact-...

wisconsinwatch.org

Wisconsin Watch Fact Briefs

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

001

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Here's the video version of our @wisconsinwatch.org story on how a data center made millionaires in Port Washington, but left some property sellers unsatisfied. youtube.com/shorts/VMK1w...

youtube.com

Port Washington resident speaks out after selling home to data center project

YouTube video by Wisconsin Watch

021

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Our latest Fact Briefs: In Wisconsin, Yes you can record a conversation you have with another person without that person's consent; and Yes, about one-fourth of state employees work in the Corrections Department. wisconsinwatch.org/series/fact-...

wisconsinwatch.org

Fact Briefs - Wisconsin Watch

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

000

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

A statement made by Joel Brennan, one of the Democratic candidates for governor, led us to look at how large the Department of Corrections is in terms of state employees. wisconsinwatch.org/2026/07/wisc...

wisconsinwatch.org

Do more than a quarter of Wisconsin state employees work for the Corrections Department?

Yes. About 28.5% of state employees, excluding the UW System, work in the state prison system.

012

Reposted by Tom Kertscher

Wisconsin Watch @wisconsinwatch.org · 12/07/2026

Do more than a quarter of Wisconsin state employees work for the Corrections Department? Yes. By a traditional count, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections accounts for about 28.5% of state employees. Read more from @tomkertschernews.bsky.social here: wisconsinwatch.org/2026/07/wisc...

wisconsinwatch.org

Do more than a quarter of Wisconsin state employees work for the Corrections Department?

Yes. About 28.5% of state employees, excluding the UW System, work in the state prison system.

198

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Here's the video version of our @wisconsinwatch.org story on how a billion-dollar data center proposal in Wisconsin burst on the scene, gained momentum and then just faded away. www.youtube.com/shorts/xl6O3...

youtube.com

A behind-the-scenes look at a Wisconsin data center proposal

YouTube video by Wisconsin Watch

055

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Going back several years, an article I did examined a claim about how many men depicted in the painting "Declaration of Independence" were slaveholders. www.politifact.com/factchecks/2...

politifact.com

Yes, most men in Declaration painting owned slaves

As the nation observes the 400th anniversary of slavery, a Chicago documentary filmmaker tweeted about the painting Decl

000

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Just how much ultraprocessed foods do Americans eat? A Fact Brief from @wisconsinwatch.org and @gigafactproject.bsky.social based on comments by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wisconsin radio.

112

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Fact-checking a social media claim on the size of the Ku Klux Klan was in Wisconsin in the 1920s.

122

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

We're preparing to publish another in-depth article about data centers. In the meantime, keep up with data center developments, and other news around the state, by subscribing to Forward, the every-Monday newsletter from @wisconsinwatch.org. wisconsinwatch.org/subscribe/

wisconsinwatch.org

Our free weekly newsletters

Newsletters are a great way to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. Ours go out on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Find out more and sign up below. Want to understand the levers o…

000

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

New(ish) to me: Sounds and words to consider from Widowspeak, Death Cab for Cutie, Beck and Caroline Rose. substack.com/@tomkertsche...

substack.com

Tom Kertscher | Substack

Milwaukee journalist. Writing about new and new-to-me songs and performances that get my attention.

010

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

The impact of data centers on Wisconsin businesses (billions of dollars) was the subject of a conversation that I and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor Dijo Alexander had June 11 with Kate Archer Kent of Wisconsin Public Radio (17:30 of the recording). www.wpr.org/shows/wiscon...

wpr.org

Wisconsin Today

“Wisconsin Today” explores the people, places and ideas shaping life in Wisconsin. Join hosts Rob Ferrett and Kate Archer Kent for news and in-depth conversations that you can’t find anywhere else. Do...

010

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Data center moratoriums in Wisconsin: They're being considered in at least 6 counties and at least 5 cities, towns and villages. They've been adopted in at least 3 counties and 1 city. More details in today's @wisconsinwatch.org Forward newsletter. Subscribe to get data center news each Monday.

111

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

The anniversary of Liberace's birth is this week. I was never a Liberace fan, but the level of fame he reached as a performer is undeniable. Yet you'd pretty much have no idea of that in his suburban Milwaukee hometown. So, I tried to find out why. www.milwaukeemag.com/does-west-al...

milwaukeemag.com

Does West Allis Have Any Love for Liberace?

Despite being its most famous son (by a rhinestone-paved mile), West Allis has no tribute to the flamboyant showman. What gives?

153

Tom Kertscher @tomkertschernews.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

A dozen awards for staffers of @wisconsinwatch.org and @milwaukeenns.org in the Wisconsin journalism contest sponsored by the Milwaukee Press Club. milwaukeepressclub.org/contest-winn...

milwaukeepressclub.org

Contest Winners - Milwaukee Press Club

011