Lake Effect Spotlight

This month’s Group Chat hears from young, local organizers who are pushing for immigrant rights and protections. They share how safety is only found together.

Joining a local birding club or meeting other people at birding events can bring you a sense of belonging and teach you things you didn’t know. No matter how experienced you are.

Black and brown moms, and birthing people in Milwaukee, have some of the worst birthing outcomes in the nation. Even being pregnant can come with danger. But there are an abundance of birth workers that cater their services directly to these demographics.

A jazz-trained cantor at a local synagogue likes to go up on the building's roof and think. One day, it occurred to him to reimagine and perform Fiddler on the Roof up there.

The executive director of RENEW Wisconsin offers predictions for 2025.

Milwaukee Public Schools recently approved Brian Litzsey as the new senior director of Milwaukee Recreation. He is the 11th director in the department’s 114-year history.

Milwaukee’s Housing Authority is facing financial woes after illegally using millions of dollars in federal funds to pay staff. The agency also is faced with thousands of complaints about living conditions.

A mixtape of love songs curated by WUWM Staff for Valentine's Day 2025.

Bad Bunny wanted to share the history of Puerto Rico on his latest album. So his team made a call to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That’s where a professor was ready to share the island’s history of colonization and radical politics.

Librarians clipped recipes from the "Milwaukee Journal" over the course of 20 years. Today, it’s a digitized collection called the "Historic Recipe File."

The Bronzeville event "Cheers to Pearls Who Cook" brought together teen girls and local chefs for more than appetizers. It was a master class in mentorship.

Every year, Milwaukee welcomes refugees from across the globe, including two brothers who made a harrowing journey from Afghanistan during the Taliban takeover in 2021. Now, funding for resettling refugees in the United States is in limbo.

A lecture series highlighting Black stories missing from American history books returns to Marquette University in honor of Black History Month.

Milwaukee native Ira Madison III is a cultural critic, TV writer and host of the podcast “Keep It.” His book “Pure Innocent Fun" explores media that inspired his career and impacted his life growing up as a Black gay man in Milwaukee.

In part two of our interview with Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, we compare his approach to housing, budgets, public works, and crime in 2025 with that of Mayor John Norquist in 1999.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson outlines how the city welcomes immigrants, but stops short of calling Milwaukee a sanctuary city fearing repercussions from the Trump administration.

January is the month where most of our New Year's resolutions start, and end. That includes money goals. Author, financial educator, and self-proclaimed 'rich auntie in training,' Berna Anat shares tips to help get you started on your road to financial success in 2025.

Dr. Ben Weston, chief health policy advisor for Milwaukee County, joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to talk about how you can stay safe from flu, COVID-19, RSV and norovirus this winter.

After years of wondering what will happen to the deteriorating Mitchell Park Domes, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors has committed $30 million to "The Domes: Reimagined" project. The plan includes expanded classroom space, a café and a nature learning center. The effort is being spearheaded by the Friends of the Domes group.

Local surfer and Greenhouse Surfboards founder Ken Cole created the world’s first leaf-based surfboard to encompass what he believes is the art, soul and sustainable future of surfing.

A silent book club gives readers a chance to be social, but it unfolds a bit differently than in a traditional book club. The first hour usually involves solo reading of a book of your choosing. The second part of the night is when you vibe with other readers.

From house prices outpacing incomes in Wisconsin to a significant decrease in the number of arrests by the Milwaukee Police Department, here are some of Wisconsin Policy Forum's findings from the last year.

Snowmobiling World Championship Derby Complex CEO Tom Anderson shares about the upcoming snowmobile derby and why Eagle River is a great place for snowmobile enthusiasts to visit this January.

Aleena Ahmed, a Bengali American poet and a junior at Nicolet High School, was selected as the youth poet laureate last summer by Woodland Pattern, a nonprofit book center and performance space. During her time as youth poet laureate, Ahmed says she’s helped guide other young people in poetry camps and writing workshops.

Matt Wild from "Milwaukee Record" recaps his favorite songs from local musicians for this month.