Lake Effect Spotlight

Whether it's the anxiety of bases loaded and two outs or the euphoria of seeing a grand slam — it turns out rooting for the Brewers… or any sports team… can be good for your mental health.   Shilagh Mirgain is a health and sports psychologist at UW Health. She joins me to talk about the psychology of being a sports fan. 

We interview Democratic candidate for governor David Crowley. Republican candidate Tom Tiffany did not agree to a recorded interview. We detail his positions and list the questions we would've asked him.

For a special drop this Friday, enjoy one of the episodes from season three of Swing State of the Union, WUWM's election podcast. This episode covers immigration, and who on your ballot has power over this issue.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison has 16 acres of gardens to explore as well as a domed conservatory full of tropical and exotic plants.   By day, it’s a lovely place to stroll and enjoy the many plant varieties. But by night, it’s transformed into an art exhibit and light show called GLEAM. It's a unique opportunity to see the gardens illuminated by vibrant colors at night and enjoy several in...

There’s a network of players involved in delivering food to communities in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic a federally funded program called the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program strengthened this network. The program enabled states and tribes to purchase locally produced food, improving regional food systems. It supported farmers and brought fresh food to underserved communities. But the...

2 Chainz is a grammy-winning Hip-Hop artist, known for hits such as I’m Different , Feds Watching , and It’s A Vibe. He’s a businessman, a family man, and most recently, he added author to his list of accomplishments.  2 Chainz’ autobiography, “The Voice in My Head is God,” was released earlier this year. It details the spiritual journey behind his success. The rapper had some help with the book f...

It’s the start of the spookiest month of the year, and that’s especially true for educator and content creator Geo Rutherford. The UWM grad and Sauk City based artist celebrates every October with her TikTok series “Spooky Lake Month.” In it, she explores the world’s most eerie and unusual bodies of water - including some right here in Wisconsin.   Rutherford’s work was featured in this month’s Mi...

Up to one billion birds die from building collisions every year in the U.S. In downtown Milwaukee alone — hundreds of birds die from flying into glass buildings each year.  But one local program is working to change that.   Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds, also known as WINGS, has volunteers document bird collisions downtown during spring and fall migration. They bring injured birds they f...

America’s Black Holocaust Museum & the Wisconsin Black Historical Society have partnered on a new exhibit that opens tomorrow. It’s called: An American Inheritance: The Story of Racist Memorabilia in Wisconsin and the U.S.   The exhibit highlights some difficult images and artifacts in the hopes that people of all backgrounds gain a better understanding of the legacy of racist imagery.  Jamila...

Milwaukee Film’s 3rd Annual Dialogues Documentary Festival opens today. Now through Sunday, September 27, more than 30 documentaries are showing at the Downer Theatre and Oriental Theatre.  The festival seeks to open conversations among the community. One of the films showing at the festival is called Heavy Is The Crown . It follows Milwaukee activist, Vaun Mayes, and his work spreading positivity...

Whether spoken or written, we've been drawn to poetry and its power to connect us, inspire, and reflect on the human condition. As Bob Reitman’s album "12th House" showcases his spoken word poetry, we wanted to connect three different generations of poets to learn more about what the practice means to them – and to share their work. This poets roundtable is led by lifelong Millwaukeean, musician a...

Have you been chased by a wasp lately? Or maybe you decided to eat indoors in case wasps, bees and yellow jackets want you to share that picnic you’re trying to enjoy? Perhaps you’ve had to deal with a nest near or even in your home.  These insects seem to be everywhere lately – and they’re often stinging those of us who encounter them. So, what’s behind all that activity and when might it come to...

More than a million people visit Stonehenge in England each year. It’s a popular tourist destination, but what if I told you there’s something similar right here in Wisconsin?  While it’s not prehistoric like Stonehenge, Kinstone is a sculpture park that also features massive stones arranged in different circles and patterns.  Kinstone is in the far western part of the state. To help you plan a tr...

Invasive carp has been found near Lake Michigan. It’s been 24 years since Asian Carp were found in the upper Illinois River. Ever since, scientists and environmental groups have been pushing for a way to stop the invasive fish from reaching Lake Michigan.  A year ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started construction on a project called Brandon Road Interbasin Project that would put barriers i...

With the measles outbreak in Wisconsin now surpassing one hundred cases, state public health officials are urging people to get vaccinated.   Dr. Freddy Caldera is a gastroenterologist and a professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. He’s written about the importance of community immunity and how immunocompromised people with inflammatory bowel disease, organ transplants...

“Eat your vegetables,” remains some of the best health advice out there. But it can be especially tough for vulnerable populations or those in food deserts.    A program in Milwaukee is helping people get more veggies by gathering up extra produce from farmers markets so it doesn’t go to waste. Volunteers are then invited to chop it up, cook it and deliver it to those in need of a nutritious meal....

Milwaukee Film currently has a 70-millimeter series, featuring five films on actual film . While there are many ways to see movies nowadays, it is a unique experience to go to a theater to see both current and archival movies in this format.   To share more, here's Lake Effect 's Audrey Nowakowski

The ARTservancy is a year-long artist residency that promotes the visionary work of both artists and conservationists.  The program is a partnership between Gallery 224 in Port Washington and nature preserves throughout Southeast Wisconsin. The way it works is twelve artists choose a preserve to spend time in throughout the year and create artwork that represents what they discover. Each residency...

10 years ago this month, a Milwaukee police officer shot and killed Sylville Smith in the Sherman Park neighborhood. Protestors filled the nearby streets for days after the shooting. The officer was later acquitted on murder charges. The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service's " The uprising in Sherman Park: 10 years later " project examines how Sherman Park has changed in the decade since. In a ser...

Head Start provides free and low-cost early childcare for more than 12,000 kids across Wisconsin. That includes many immigrant families and families dealing with the impacts of poverty.   But new changes to the program proposed by the Trump administration may remove class size limits and require all instruction to be in English.   To learn more about the proposals, WUWM education reporter Katherin...

In Milwaukee, there’s a program that blends federal money, city agencies, and private donors to provide free meals for kids during the summer. Across the country, feeding kids during the summer often falls to nonprofits or school districts when school lunches aren’t an option.  WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal speaks with Brandis Stockman and Justin Chu of the National League of Cities. The...

When you think about archaeology, your mind probably went to a scene of an excavation site. Probably in a dry landscape, with hammers and dust and someone looking like Sam Neil in Jurassic Park.   While archeologists do uncover the ways people lived in the past below the surface through the places and artifacts they left behind — this is also done way below the surface, underwater .    Underwater...

There was a big upset in the Democratic gubernatorial primary when Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley defeated State Representative Francesca Hong. Hong, a democratic socialist, went into election day with a big lead in the polls. But Crowley ended up taking the race by about three-thousand votes. Crowley will face Republican nominee Tom Tiffany in the general election in November. Crowley h...

Last month, the seventh circuit court of appeals issued a decision on the ongoing battle over the Line 5 pipeline in northern Wisconsin.  The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has been fighting to get a portion of the pipeline off tribal lands for over a decade. The court confirmed that Enbridge, which operates the pipeline, has been trespassing on those lands. Enbridge is in the process of...

Homer Blow has held many titles throughout his 35-year career in Milwaukee radio. On-air personality, talk show host, program director & music director. He even has his own online radio station. His career and his work in the community recently garnered him recognition by the Common Council.  Blow spoke with WUWM’s Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell about what the recognition means to...