Lake Effect Spotlight

In this special episode of Lake Effect Spotlight, we bring you a recent episode of Uniquely Milwaukee from our public radio friends at Radio Milwaukee.

In this week's Bubbler Talk, we investigate how the oldest building in the western hemisphere journeyed from medieval France to modern Milwaukee.

Wisconsin’s population grew by 3.6% in the last census - but that data also shed light on another reality: the state’s youth population is continuing to decline. It’s been a trend that’s played out slowly over the last two decades, but now that trend is accelerating - especially here in Milwaukee.   John Johnson is a research fellow at the Marquette Law School Lubar Center and he recently publishe...

Companies around the nation are waiting on the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the legality of President Donald Trump’s tariff war. The president has been using tariffs as both a threat and punishment against nations that he believes have slighted him and the U.S.    The implementation of these tariffs has been haphazard, leaving many businesses unsure about how to handle them. That’s been especiall...

According to Point-in-Time data, Milwaukee has been uniquely successful in preventing homelessness. Whereas rates of homelessness have increased nationwide over the last decade, they’ve declined in Milwaukee.  Krystina Kohler is the impact manager for the Safe and Stable Homes Initiative at United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County. United Way is the lead agency applying for federal fund...

Shorewood resident Paul Florsheim was ticketed for trespassing for walking along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Florsheim was walking north of the public Atwater Beach where residential homes meet the shore.  Florsheim took the case to court, arguing it’s everyone’s right under Wisconsin’s public trust doctrine to walk along the lakeshore. But last week a municipal judge found Florsheim guilty. He p...

When it comes to the housing challenges in Milwaukee, a lot of it comes down to cost. People may want to buy but can’t afford to. WUWM is examining systemic housing problems – and solutions – for more affordable housing.  Today, we’re looking into community organizations that are creating their own paths to homeownership. And hearing from people who’ve been waiting their whole lives for a home to...

Dee Anderson was a pastor at West Granville Presbyterian Church for forty years. He retired in 2025, but for years he helped oversee the resettlement of international teachers coming to teach in Milwaukee Public Schools.    You heard from two of those teachers in a previous Status Pending episode - Chigozie Okonkwo and Chioma Mba, from Nigeria. They’re part of Dee’s congregation, and that’s how WU...

Milwaukee Public Schools recently approved Annie Kubes as the new senior director of Milwaukee Recreation.  Milwaukee Rec runs hundreds of programs in the city – from afterschool care to youth sports and cooking classes.    Kubes has worked for the department since she was sixteen years old. Throughout her career, she’s overseen various Milwaukee Rec programs — from Special Olympics to driver educ...

One of the country’s most fundamental environmental laws is under threat. President Trump is rolling back the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. NEPA requires federal agencies to consider a project’s potential environmental impacts before deciding whether to approve it. The Trump administration says scaling back NEPA would bring infrastructure and energy projects to life without unnecessa...

For weeks, Minnesota has been targeted by an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign. Federal immigration agents have surged through the Twin Cities, going door-to-door, arresting immigrants, and U.S. citizens alike. One woman, Renee Nicole Good, was killed by an ICE agent. So, how do you report on something like this?  Katelyn Vue is an immigration reporter at the Sahan Journal, an outlet in...

A bitter cold snap is gripping southeast Wisconsin. Many of us are under an extreme cold warning or watch with temperatures creeping into the negative teens. Weather-related emergencies can happen at any time. That’s why it’s especially important to be prepared.  Katie Rousonelos is the public information officer with Wisconsin Emergency Management. She joins Lake Effect ’s Sam Woods to share how...

We now have a snapshot of the health and well-being of Milwaukee residents.  The Milwaukee Health Department has released its 2025 Community Health Assessment, the first since 2022 when the pandemic was still looming large as a public health concern. This new report finds that violence, drug abuse and housing all play a role in whether we can live healthy lives.   Ali Tahler-Reed and Dominique Hya...

Milwaukee Public School leaders learned last week that the state was releasing the final portion of money it withheld in 2024. The money has been held up after the district missed financial reporting deadlines. The financial woes led to the resignation of former Superintendent Keith Posely.  Now, Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction has released eight million dollars to the district after...

This month, WUWM has been looking at ways that schools are addressing low literacy rates among Milwaukee children. But what about our city’s adults?  One in four adults in Milwaukee reads at or below a third grade level. Thousands of adults have sought help through free programs offered by Literacy Services of Wisconsin. WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal met with Literacy Services executive...

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games are coming up in February. Athletes from across the globe will be performing together on the highest platform their sport can reach. It’s an exciting time not just for the athletes who have trained incredibly hard to qualify, but for all of us watching from home.  In this Winter Olympic Games we have a fellow Wisconsinite to cheer on – Staff Sargent Dee...

Every year, Woodland Pattern selects a Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate through a competition. Last summer, the local non-profit crowned Angela Wang with the literary honor. She's a senior at the University School of Milwaukee and wraps up her service this upcoming May.   As Youth Poet Laureate, Wang shares her poetry across the city and helps guide other young poets through writing workshops. Lake E...

Starting this week, some bus riders across Milwaukee County will need to wait longer for their rides. Especially on the weekends. That’s because the Milwaukee County Transit System reduced service to some routes to help deal with a multimillion dollar budget deficit.     Regular fares also went up by 75 cents at the beginning of this year. To learn more about the changes, WUWM education reporter K...

Massive data centers are coming to Wisconsin to help power the global boom in artificial intelligence. The data centers will add demand for electricity and water. And this comes after years of declining usage of both in Wisconsin.  So how might that impact Wisconsin’s electricity and water infrastructure? To find out, WUWM’s Maayan Silver is joined by Tyler Byrnes. He’s senior research associate f...

Lance Armstrong. Elizabeth Holmes. Jay Gatsby. Typically, we shun liars in all forms whether they are politicians, financiers or fictional characters. We tell our kids to never lie, and expect our friends to be truthful, even when it hurts.  But the Burlington Liars Club is different. Here, lies are celebrated and platformed in an annual contest for who can tell the best lie.  Truthfully, Tea Krul...

Data centers are the factories that run the internet. We rely on them every day, for things like sending emails, watching videos and uploading photos. Now, even larger data centers, to help power artificial intelligence, are being proposed and built in Wisconsin. Data centers require millions of gallons of water to operate. Some can consume as much energy as a town.  Port Washington residents want...

91% of students in Milwaukee Public Schools cannot read at grade level. But a new literacy plan by the school district promises to change how students learn to read. The plan comes in response to new state legislation, called Act 20, that requires districts to use science-based reading instruction.   WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is looking into literacy in her series called Turning the...

WUWM has committed to covering issues our listeners say are top priorities, including the economy. As part of that coverage, we’re exploring how the economy is impacting Wisconsinites with different financial needs and concerns.  Tom Oberhaus is the co-operator of Cozy Nook Farm in Waukesha County. Cozy Nook is primarily a dairy farm, supplying milk to Prairie Farms mainly for their cheese product...

2025 was a whirlwind for Milwaukee Public Schools. It hired a new superintendent and dealt with flooding right before the start of the school year. But the biggest story was the school district’s multimillion dollar cleanup of toxic lead paint in its classrooms and common spaces.   The project began after a student tested positive for elevated lead levels and the contamination was traced back to t...

2025 was a big year in politics. For many Wisconsinites the year brought uncertainty and cuts in services, despite paying more for most necessities. That includes major increases in property taxes and bus fares, alongside cuts to bus services.   Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to talk about what the past year has been like for the county, and his hopes for t...