Open Record

Throughout September, we are revisiting some of our favorite podcast episodes from the past three years. This week: government secrecy and closed door conversations. You'll hear why the people you elected to represent you may be having secret conversations you can't hear and cutting deals you can't see. A recent FOX6 investigation uncovered the Wauwatosa School Board discussed public records in private. Why is that a big deal? In today's episode of Open Record, the FOX6 Investigators explain what you should expect from your government's public meetings. Bryan Polcyn and Amanda St. Hilaire walk listeners through a crash course in Open Meetings 101. Amanda breaks down a recent investigation involving the Wauwatosa School Board. Attorney Tom Kamenick, founder of Wisconsin Transparency Project, joins the episode. He's with a law firm dedicated to enforcing the state's open records and open meetings laws and explains how public meetings should go and what you should expect from your government.

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Throughout September, we are revisiting some of our favorite podcast episodes from the past three years. This week, we take you inside the surveillance van with Producer Pete. As we continue to work on new material for the future, please enjoy this encore presentation The Art of Surveillance. In this episode of Open Record, Jenna Sachs and Bryan Polcyn are joined by guest host Producer Pete. Pete gives the team an inside perspective of what his job as an investigative producer entails. Plus, Bryan pulls a recorded call out of the vault that's been a secret -- until now.

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Since March 2019, the Open Record team has produced more than 230 new episodes. As we work to produce all new material starting in October, we’re spending the month of September revisiting some of our favorites. This week, an encore presentation of an episode we recorded in a classroom at MSOE in 2019. It’s a tough, but important topic – Death and Dying. We're doing something different for this episode of "Open Record." A few weeks ago, we got an email asking if we would speak to a group of students at The Milwaukee School of Engineering. That part's not unusual, we get those all the time. But this was for a class called, "Death and Dying." It's an issue we encounter repeatedly as journalists. We asked MSOE if we could record the conversation and turn it into a podcast episode. They said yes.

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Since March 2019, the Open Record team has produced more than 230 new episodes. As we work to produce all new material starting in October, we’re going to spend the next few weeks revisiting some of our favorites. This week, an encore presentation of the episode that literally lives up to our name. It’s a crash course in the importance of public records – Open Records 101.

How much do you know about open records? What can records show us and how do you file an open records request? In this episode of Open Record, our FOX6 investigators invite open records attorney Tom Kamenick on the podcast to give listeners a crash course about open records. Kamenick, founder of the law firm 'The Wisconsin Transparency Project,' helps explain the process of filing a request and some of the most misunderstood aspects of the law. In today's 'Off the Record' segment, the team tackles a spooky topic: Halloween candy. Do your favorite (and least favorite) sweets fall in line with the I-Team.

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For decades, he's covered Wisconsin sports for FOX6. Through the highs and lows, Sports Director Tim Van Vooren has been there, and as the Packers season gets underway, Van Vooren's at it again. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigator invites Van Vooren on the podcast to talk all things involved with covering the Green Bay Packers. We catch up with Van Vooren in Kansas City getting ready for the Packers final preseason game. Van Vooren walks us through what it means to cover the team after all these years. We talk about building relationships with players, how technology has changed the way he reports, and what happens when it's time to grab some food.

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It's a shopping mall that's been vacant for years, and now Milwaukee leaders say it's a threat to public safety. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn invites FOX6 reporter Bret Lemoine on to talk about what's next for Northridge Mall on the city's northwest side. Bret walks listeners through the history of the mall and why it's become such a nuisance for city leaders. The team also talks about the fires happening there and the strong reaction Milwaukee's fire chief had following the incidents. Bret explains what could happen in the coming days if the building's owner doesn't comply with a recent court order.

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More than one million voters turned out in Wisconsin for Tuesday's primary election. The results from August 9 set the stage for November. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn invites FOX6 political reporter Jason Calvi on to break down the big races from this week. Jason will talk about the biggest takeaways, surprise results, and what political spending could look like for the next few months.

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Violent crime in Milwaukee is hitting home - literally. Domestic violence homicides continue to surge, with 30 so far in 2022 (compared to 40 in all of 2021). On this episode of Open Record, the Executive Director of Sojourner Family Peace Center talks about a promising new model for preventing intimate partner violence from turning deadly and the barriers to its success that remain.

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Milwaukee is seeing more homicides and more shootings, and fewer police to respond to them. It's a recipe for slower police response in the city. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn walks listeners through his latest investigation. He explains how long it's taking for police to respond to the most common 911 calls and why an increase in funding may not be enough to fix the problem.

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We're still a few weeks away from the Republican National Committee making an official decision on where to hold its 2024 party convention. But just days ago, the site selection committee officially recommended Milwaukee. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn invites FOX6 political reporter Jason Calvi on to talk about what this decision could mean for the city. Jason explains how Milwaukee became a finalist in the first place. He also breaks down what city leaders are saying about the potential for the 2024 RNC to be held in Milwaukee and the impact on hotels, convention centers, and the suburbs.

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