WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Lake Effect

Society EN ↓ 390 episodes

Lake Effect is your connection to the community. We bring you conversations about the people, places and organizations that shape Milwaukee.

Author

WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

Category

Society

Podcast website

www.wuwm.com

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

Tuesday 3/4/25: Brady lists, deportation in schools, tracking overdoses 04.03.2025

Investigating Brady lists, which track police officers accused of misconduct. An MPS teacher on helping families and comforting children afraid of deportations. A new tool that’s tracking overdoses.

Monday 3/3/25: Urban renewal, cosmic neighbors, history of a tile factory 03.03.2025

How urban renewal projects impacted cities like Milwaukee. Our cosmic neighborhood. A book that uncovers the history of a little-known tile factory in South Milwaukee.

Thursday 2/27/25: Comité Sin Fronteras, how we judge judges, Wisconsin Dells 27.02.2025

A conversation with young Latina women fighting for the rights of undocumented people. How we judge judges and our expectations of judicial candidates. We help you plan a trip to the Wisconsin Dells.

Wednesday 2/26/25: Black literature and culinary history in Milwaukee, Chirp Chat 26.02.2025

How Black literature is gaining notoriety in Milwaukee. African-American culinary history. A new episode of Chirp Chat about how to find community with other birders.

Tuesday 2/25/25: Black Birth Collection, Unity Awards, Live at Lake Effect 25.02.2025

We hear from people who support pregnant people of color and learn why support is necessary. Milwaukeeans honored with Unity Awards. What sitting all day does to our bodies. Live at Lake Effect features Milwaukee’s own Buffalo Nichols.

Monday 2/24/25: What the state superintendent does, stormwater capture, American Reckoning 24.02.2025

What Wisconsin’s state superintendent does and why it matters. A strategy Milwaukee is using to capture stormwater and prevent flooding. The documentary "American Reckoning" investigates the unsolved murder of a civil rights activist in Mississippi.

Thursday 2/20/25: Black homeownership, changing economy in a changing winter, construction 20.02.2025

The historical and modern policies undermining Black homeownership. How the economy in Wisconsin’s Northwoods is being impacted by changing winters. Training marginalized Milwaukeeans in the construction trades.

Wednesday 2/19/25: Future of renewables, whitefish and warming winters, free throws 19.02.2025

The future of renewable energy growth in Wisconsin. Our Thin Ice series explores how whitefish have been affected by Wisconsin’s warming winters. What contributes to a successful free throw.

Tuesday 2/18/25: Gender-affirming care in Wisconsin, Thin Ice, MKE Rec's new director 18.02.2025

How gender-affirming care faces an uncertain future under Trump administration. Our Thin Ice series explores how snowshoe hares are affected by warming winters. We meet Milwaukee Recreation’s new director.

Monday 2/17/25: White House history, Thin Ice, forks in roads 17.02.2025

Preserving White House history. How this winter compares to last year's record warmth. An essay from a Veterans Affairs employee sharing the ‘Fork in the Road’ email's impact.

Thursday 2/13/25: Housing Authority financial woes, Thin Ice, love songs 13.02.2025

Financial issues the Housing Authority and what’s being done to address them. A preview of the upcoming series, “Thin Ice 2025 – Our Warming Winters.” A new executive director of Milwaukee Film. A mixtape of love songs picked by WUWM staff.

Wednesday 2/12/25: USAID freeze in Wisconsin part two, youth homelessness, bugs 12.02.2025

A Wisconsinite impacted by the Trump Administration’s USAID freeze. New efforts to support young people experiencing homelessness. An entomologist changes hearts and minds on insect importance.

Tuesday 2/11/25: USAID freeze in Wisconsin, Black History Month movies, a local Bad Bunny collab 11.02.2025

The Wisconsin impact of the Trump Administration’s USAID freeze. Historical to horror: movies to watch in honor of Black History Month. A UW professor teams up with rapper Bad Bunny.

Monday 2/10/25: Capitol Notes, library kitchens, historic recipes 10.02.2025

How Wisconsin politicians are reacting to the Trump administration’s actions. Books and Beyond goes from the stacks to the stove at the Cargill Community Kitchen. Milwaukee Public Library’s Historic Recipe Files.

Thursday 2/6/25: Survive and thrive this winter 06.02.2025

Today's show is all about winter: how to stay safe outdoors and be prepared for emergencies; how to keep your pets healthy; help avoid putting extra stress on your car in the cold; a free winter festival.

Wednesday 2/5/25: News literacy, refugees in Milwaukee, Latinos in Wisconsin 05.02.2025

News literacy: what it means, and how it helps understand a rapidly changing news environment. The story of two brothers from Afghanistan now living in Milwaukee, and a federal funding pause that hurts refugee resettlement. Latinos in Wisconsin, and the intersection of faith and belonging.

Tuesday 2/4/25: Correcting corrections, Pearls Who Cook, dive bars 04.02.2025

Superintendent of Milwaukee County's correctional facility speaks about her approach to rehabilitation. A local man incarcerated as a teenager on post-release challenges. What makes dive bars a staple in Wisconsin culture.

Monday 2/3/25: MPD pursuit policy, oft-forgotten Black history, Jones Island 03.02.2025

MPD's pursuit policy and how it’s being enforced and monitored. An upcoming lecture about Black history that is often never taught. A documentary that explores the history of Jones Island.

Thursday 1/30/25: Executive orders and the environment, prison calls, millennial nostalgia 30.01.2025

How executive orders on the environment could impact projects and efforts in Wisconsin. An effort to make calls to state jails and prison free. Some millennial nostalgia with author Ira Madison III.

Wednesday 1/29/25: Milwaukee mayor 1999 retrospective, desegregation, Lady Like 29.01.2025

Milwaukee's mayor gives a retrospective on issues facing the city in 1999 and today. A Wisconsin judge discusses attending schools during desegregation in the south. A RuPaul’s Drag Race queen and feature of “Lady Like.”

Tuesday 1/28/25: Statewide ballot petitioning, Willem Dafoe, Live at Lake Effect 28.01.2025

Why citizens can't petition for statewide ballot initiatives and referendums in Wisconsin. Actor Willem Dafoe remembers his time as a student at UWM. Live at Lake Effect features The Wild Feathers.

Monday 1/27/25: Milwaukee Mayor speaks on immigration enforcement 27.01.2025

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson on immigration enforcement in the city. The Milwaukee Badgers: one of the Green Bay Packers biggest, former rivals. How Milwaukee became known as the Cream City.

Thursday 1/23/25: Wisconsin Republican hopes for 2025, disposing Christmas trees, caring for birds 23.01.2025

A Republican state rep shares her hopes for a new session. How to properly dispose of your Christmas tree. How to care for birds this winter.

Wednesday 1/22/25: Illness update, civic education, staying social this winter 22.01.2025

What illnesses are in the air in Milwaukee County, and how to stay safe. How museums can increase civic education. Staying active and social during the cold winter months.

Tuesday 1/21/25: Remembering Bob Uecker, NIL and college sports, Midwest climate change 21.01.2025

Remembering Bob Uecker. How changes to rules on paying college athletes have impacted college sports for players and spectators. A Wisconsin author discusses his novel about climate change in the Midwest.

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