Lake Effect Spotlight

Milwaukee hosted the Republican National Convention last year. City officials touted a potential economic windfall. Visit Milwaukee released a report claiming the event carried a 321-million-dollar economic impact. But this number doesn't include normal business that was crowded out by the RNC. Instead, it's a tally of what was spent by visitors and the cost of putting on the event. Lake Effect's Sam Woods looks at what's in the report. 

The Milwaukee Art Museum has a new leader at the helm. Kim Sajet was previously the director of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, where she worked to increase the representation of women and people of color in the collection. In May, President Trump claimed to have fired Sajet from the Smithsonian in part because of her work to diversify the collection.  Although the Smithsonian made it clear the president has no authority to fire employees of the institution, Sajet decided to resign from her position a couple weeks after the incident. But DC's loss is Milwaukee's gain. Sajet brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience, and a desire to invigorate the Milwaukee Art Museum's space with new community engagement efforts. 

WUWM is examining systemic housing problems – and solutions – for more affordable housing. Milwaukee is trying to change its zoning code to encourage more affordable housing in the city. A piece of the plan to allow more new duplexes across the city has been stripped out. But a new change will allow for accessory dwelling units, or extra units above a garage or on the back half of a lot. So, will it bring housing costs down? To find out, WUWM's Katherine Kokal is joined by Meg McMahan, the director of city planning for the city of Minneapolis, which made similar changes in 2018. 

Wisconsin has about 400 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. But a dispute in Shorewood has ignited a debate about who has access to that shoreline. The public can get to the water at Atwater Beach in Shorewood. But residents with homes to the north and south of that beach own everything down to the water's edge. A Shorewood resident challenged that policy in municipal court earlier this month, and a judge will announce a ruling early next year. This debate has been going on for decades and has been settled in other states, according to David Strifling. He's an associate professor at Marquette University's Law School. He joins WUWM environmental reporter Susan Bence to explain the Public Trust Doctrine. 

This holiday season, you might be looking for an idea of what to give the readers in your life. Well, here at Lake Effect we have our own annual “books to gift” conversation to help you answer that.  We have two of Boswell Book Company's book buyers in studio: Jason Kennedy who has book recommendations for adults, and Jen Steele who specializes in children's books – to share some of the titles that stood out to them this past year.  

Wisconsin's school safety tip line received nearly seven-thousand tips last school year – mostly from students. Bullying was the most commonly reported issue to the Speak Up, Speak Out tip line, also referred to by its acronym SUSO. But threats of school violence or concerns about self harm are also reported to this line, such as the deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison one year ago. To learn about how this works and when schools or parents become involved, WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is joined by the state's head of the office of school safety, Trish Kilpin. A note to our listeners this conversation touches on school violence and mentions suicide. 

Playing games is a year-round hobby for some, but buying and exploring new games is also a great holiday tradition. And games are an everyday endeavor for freelance game designer and editor James Lowder. Every year he joins us to share his Games to Gift list - which includes everything from two-player games, RPGs, and tabletop games. So whether you're just curious about getting into gaming or looking for a gift for the serious gamer in your life, chances are Lowder has a suggestion for you.  He joins Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski to share more.

Today, the federal criminal trial starts for Judge Hannah Dugan. Dugan is a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge who's accused of helping an undocumented immigrant slip out of her courtroom to try and evade ICE agents. To find out more about Dugan's jury trial – and what it says about politics today - WUWM reporter Maayan Silver joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers in studio.

During the holiday season, picking out a live Christmas tree is a tradition for many families. But according to a survey from the American Christmas Tree Association, more than 80% of households will opt for a fake tree. So, which is better for the environment – cutting a new tree every year or reusing a fake one? Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski is joined by Stefan Schnitzer, a professor of ecology at Marquette University to find out. 

IMPACT 211 is a free, confidential hotline that people can call for help with basic needs in southeastern Wisconsin. In addition to helping with food and housing support, the calls to 211 provide a snapshot of the region's social safety net. John Hyatt leads the organization, and Bob Waite handles data collection. The two say that the word of the year for 2025 is “uncertainty” - as calls for basic needs have jumped over 100-percent in some areas, and organizations that provide resources for these needs face uncertain financial futures. Lake Effect's Sam Woods is joined by Hyatt and Waite to discuss what they've seen in 2025, and what they expect in 2026. 

The Packers took first place in the NFC North this past weekend with a game-ending interception that shut out the Chicago Bears.  The two teams will face off again on December 20th. The Bears – Packers rivalry has been going on for more than 100 years. And it's a strong presence here in southeast Wisconsin where it's not uncommon to see a Bears jersey in the sea of green at the local bar on Sunday. WUWM's Jimmy Gutierrez has more on the rivalry. 

Over the last month, local food pantries say they've seen an increase in need not seen since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. One group of women have stepped in to try to meet the needs of the community. They created a mutual aid organization, MKE Grocery Buddy, to connect people experiencing food insecurity with people who can help. WUWM's Jimmy Gutierrez brings us the story and the current food needs around Milwaukee. 

Last summer, a woman working as a teacher's aide at a public school in Milwaukee was forced to self deport to her native country of El Salvador. Yessenia Ruano and her husband Miguel Guerra chose uncertain safety over the constant fear of detainment, after a decade-old deportation order for Yessenia rose to the surface. Immigration officials did not honor her pending application for a visa reserved for trafficking victims.  Now, the couple and their young twin daughters are trying to create a new life in a country that feels foreign to all four of them. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Sophie Carson visited the family in their new home in San Alfonso, El Salvador. Carson joins WUWM Education Reporter Katherine Kokal to share her  reporting. 

One Wisconsin community has found a solution to the presence of PFAS in their drinking water. The Town of Campbell near La Crosse is building its own water system. In 2020, DNR testing found the presence of PFAS in the wells of Campbell residents. Since then, around 16-hundred households have been drinking bottled water provided by the DNR. Now, the town is tapping into a new, clean source of water and creating its own municipal water system – which is no small task. WUWM's Susan Bence met Lee Donahue from the Campbell town board to learn how they reached this solution. 

Back in 2020 Meagan Johnson learned about the pressing need that many families have for diapers. In Milwaukee – and nationwide - one in two families face diaper needs due to cost and systemic barriers.  Johnson wanted to help make cloth and disposable diapers more accessible in Milwaukee, and she discovered that there was no local diaper bank. So, she started the Milwaukee Diaper Mission along with Jessica Syburg – collecting diapers, wipes, and period products to distribute out of her own garage. Today, the Milwaukee Diaper Mission has grown to become a reliable source for families in need. To date, they've distributed 3-point-6 million diapers and 1-point-5 million period products. Meagan Johnson joins Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski to share more about their growth these last five years – and how they want to continue to expand.

The first land transfer between a Catholic organization and a Native American tribe took place in Wisconsin in October. The La Crosse-based Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration transferred land that housed their Marywood Spirituality Center to the Lac du Flambeau Tribe.  The transfer grew from conversations about the sisters' role in Native American boarding schools. Those schools were used to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children in the 19th and 20th centuries.  A group called Land Justice Futures helped facilitate the transfer of the property from the sisters to the tribe. Brittany Koteles, is the co-founder and director of Land Justice Futures. She joins WUWM's Maria Peralta-Arellano to learn about what led to the transfer. 

When you sell a home, the profit you make is taxed. It's called the capital gains tax. You can exclude a portion of that profit from taxes – up to $250,000 for a single person or $500,000 for a married couple. Some housing experts and politicians think changing the capital gains tax on home sales could motivate more homeowners to sell, and open up homes amid a national housing shortage. WUWM's series, Seeking Solutions: Keys to Homeownership, examines barriers to home buying and possible solutions. WUWM's Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell speaks with UW-Madison professor of Urban Planning, Kurt Paulsen, to learn more about the capital gains tax and how reforming it could affect housing in Wisconsin. 

Status Pending is a new podcast from WUWM about the pathways that immigrants take to live and work in the U.S.  In this week's episode, WUWM's Jimmy Gutierrez explores the refugee resettlement program – which has changed dramatically this year under President Trump. 

With the holidays around the corner, many Wisconsinites are purchasing a Christmas tree. But fewer trees are being grown. Statewide, Christmas tree harvests have dipped 60% in the last 20 years. This rate of decline in Wisconsin is about double the national average. Possible reasons include the popularity of artificial trees, a dip in production after the Great Recession, and weather-related setbacks. Steven Potter is a freelance reporter for Milwaukee Magazine. In this month's issue, he wrote about how Wisconsin's Christmas tree suppliers are adjusting. He spoke with Lake Effect's Sam Woods. 

This holiday season, many of us are looking for things to do with the family -- including trying out new restaurants. And if you're looking for a great new place to try, Lori Fredrich has you covered.  Fredrich is the dining editor for On Milwaukee, and she regularly joins us to talk about new Milwaukee-area restaurants and reminisce about old favorites that have recently closed. She joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to share more. 

It's difficult for many people to buy a home in Milwaukee, even if they have a stable job. WUWM is examining the systemic problems that contribute to this challenge – and some potential solutions – in our series called “Seeking Solutions: Keys to Homeownership.” Today, we look at how redlining has created barriers to homeownership for people of color. Redlining was a discriminatory practice that labeled homes in Black and brown communities as too risky for loans. WUWM's Eddie Morales spoke with Dr. Kirk Harris. Harris is a UW-Milwaukee professor and director of the Center for Equity Practice and Planning Justice.

On Wednesday morning, Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge Hannah Dugan will have her last hearing before her case potentially goes to trial. Dugan is accused of helping a defendant in her courtroom to evade immigration enforcement officers. The case against Dugan has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown. Federal prosecutors have said they're offering Dugan plea deals. Lawyers for Dugan say their client is innocent and will be going to trial next month. To find out more about what could happen next, WUWM's Maayan Silver spoke with Wisconsin criminal defense attorney Tony Cotton – who is not involved in the case. 

Despite community pushback, the Milwaukee Police Department has been considering expanding its use of facial recognition technology. Milwaukee's Equal Rights Commission and the majority of the Milwaukee Common Council have come out in opposition to the use of facial recognition - citing concerns over misidentification, particularly of people of color.  Others, like Emilio De Torre from the Milwaukee Turners, have voiced concerns over how data collected from facial recognition technology could we weaponized against the community - especially as the Trump Administration continues its crusade against undocumented people.  De Torre is also a member of WUWM's Advisory Board. He recently wrote an Op-Ed for the Shepherd Express, arguing that facial recognition data is bound to end up in the hands of federal authorities and he joins me now to talk about this issue. Emilio, thanks so much for being here. 

Where are all of the city's street signs? WUWM's Jimmy Gutierrez finds out for Bubbler Talk.

Seeing a production of the Nutcracker is a holiday tradition for many Wisconsinites. For fans of the classical ballet – there's an opportunity to not just watch a performance of the Nutcracker but actually immerse yourself in the story. You can do it on a visit to the Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh. That's where we're headed for this month's Wandering Wisconsin. Lake Effect's Becky Mortensen is joined by Aaron Sherer from the Paine Art Center and Amanda Weibel with Travel Wisconsin. 

A massive data center campus is being constructed in Port Washington. Elected officials there say the project will be a boon for the community, but not all residents are on board. Some are concerned about the environmental impact, their bills and quality of life. WUWM has been exploring this data center debate, and today we look at buildings. Vantage Data Centers is the company building this campus. It has purchased more than 100 properties in Port Washington – which means some buildings need to go. That's where David DeVooght (duh-VOHT) comes in. He moves buildings for a living. He sees this land purchase as an opportunity to reuse existing structures rather than have them end up in a landfill. WUWM's environmental reporter Susan Bence met with DeVooght to learn about his work. 

The rates of depression, anxiety and PTSD are higher among physicians compared to the general population. Unfortunately, this problem is not improving, as at least one physician in the U.S. dies by suicide every day. Despite the proven effectiveness of treating mental health conditions, most physicians don't seek help. So why does this treatment gap exist - and what barriers are preventing it from closing? Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld looked into this issue firsthand and co-authored a study that shares a few solutions to reduce barriers to mental health care for physicians. Dr. Ehrenfeld joins me now to share more, and starts by explaining why mental health challenges are prevalent among physicians and others in the medical field. A note to our listeners - this conversation has mentions of suicide. 

For decades, racially restrictive covenants were a common part of deeds for Milwaukee-area homes. These were clauses that typically restricted properties from being sold to non-white people. Although these covenants have been illegal since the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 - their legacy remains in the high segregation we see throughout the Milwaukee-area.  An ongoing project headed by UW-Milwaukee professors Derek Handley and Anne Bonds, is mapping out where these racially restrictive covenants were, and where they remain in some property deeds. They join me now to talk about their work - Derek, Anne, thank you both so much for joining us on Lake Effect. 

College instructors are facing quieter classrooms: few questions, little debate between students, not much feedback. Educators place some blame on the pandemic and virtual learning. Others point to social media. This class of college freshmen were born around 2006. So it's safe to say they've seen their fair share of people fighting online. Dr. Amelia Zurcher is trying to correct that. She launched a civic discourse curriculum three years ago to help teach students how to disagree with one another. WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal spoke with her about the program and how disagreements about campus speech are taking shape. 

For more than a century, an invasive species has been literally sucking the life out of the Great Lakes. They're known as sea lampreys. After nearly decimating commercial fishing operations in the early 20th Century, a management program was created to keep the lampreys at bay.  It's been successful: the number of sea lampreys has been reduced by 90% since the program first began. But the work has been on-going and now cuts to the federal program are threatening that progress. Journalist Katie Thornton tagged along with some of the people doing this work, and wrote about it for The New Yorker. She joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers, along with Mark Gaden, the executive secretary of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, whose work was featured in the piece. 

Some local officials are calling to defund it. Others want to expand it. But they're running into trouble doing that because of a 2023 state legislative package. WUWM's Maayan Silver jumped on the Hop with Jeremy Jannene, president of Urban Milwaukee, to learn how the Hop is funded and what's on the table for the future. 

Wisconsin's FoodShare is funded by SNAP, which was frozen November 1st, because of the longest federal government shutdown in history. Three federal judges have ordered funding to be restored, at least in part.  That led to Wisconsin and some other states issuing November FoodShare benefits. But the Trump administration says states shouldn't have done that. College students are among FoodShare users who've been caught in the middle. UW-Milwaukee says the FoodShare freeze came on top of October cuts to paychecks and other benefits, caused by the government shutdown. That means a growing number of UWM students are using the campus Food Center & Pantry.  

The gales of November are upon us. On this day fifty years ago, the cargo vessel SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior amidst an intense storm. All 29 crew members on board were lost. The sinking of the Fitzgerald remains one of the most mysterious and controversial shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. Decades later, the Gordon Lightfoot ballad continues to garner public interest in the shipwreck not just in the Midwest, but worldwide.  To learn some theories of why the Fitzgerald sank and how some of the crew members are being remembered today, Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski is joined by Kay Dragan - curator and exhibits manager at the Door County Maritime Museum.  

Millions of Americans and thousands of people in Wisconsin are struggling to get food. Because of the federal government shutdown, funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP has run out. Two federal judges ordered the Trump Administration to use emergency funds to pay for the program. But SNAP beneficiaries will get half of the usual benefits and its unclear how long those funds will take to arrive. In Milwaukee, food pantries have been trying to keep up with increased demand. The House of Peace on West Walnut Street is the largest food pantry in the city. It serves more than 18-thousand people a year. WUWM's Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell is joined by Armondo Diaz, the pantry's coordinator to learn how the House of Peace is managing the uptick in people they're serving.  

This month's issue of Milwaukee Magazine features the five winners of its 2025 Betty Awards. The awards honor extraordinary women doing remarkable work in Milwaukee. One of the recipients is Linda Edelstein, the CEO of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra – or MYSO. She's played instruments since her childhood and had an extensive career in music education and performance.  Edelstein has led MYSO since 2012, and every year up to a thousand students across the region participate in their wide range of programs. To share more about the impact of MYSO and the benefits of music education outside of performance, Edelstein joins Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski.

Back in September, Lake Effect reported on the sudden cancellation of federal funding for MKE Roots. The program trains Milwaukee-area teachers on how to make social studies relevant to students by connecting them to local history.  Last month, MKE Roots was notified that it would again receive federal funding. But the money came with the stipulation that the program focus on commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Melissa Gibson is an associate professor at Marquette University and the faculty director of MKE Roots. She speaks with Lake Effect's Sam Woods about the changes to its federal grant funding, and how it will – and won't - change what the program does. 

A new state historical marker in Milwaukee honors the city's Chinese Laundry Era. Beginning in the late 1800s, for over a century, Chinese immigrants owned dozens of laundries to provide for their families. The historical marker sits outside the YWCA on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. That's where one of the last businesses, Fred Moy Laundry, operated from 1940 to 1976. A short film, by Beijing native and UW-Milwaukee lecturer, Yinan Wang (pronouncer: e-non wong) covers the marker's unveiling and previews a new one expected to be installed at Forest Home Cemetery next spring. WUWM's Eddie Morales asked Wang about the film and his experiences living in Milwaukee for the past decade. 

The federal government shutdown has now stretched on for more than a month and money for some vital services is not being distributed. In Milwaukee County, 125-thousand children benefitted from food assistance at some point last year.  Two Head Start childcare programs in our state are now poised to close their doors this month due to the shutdown. Jennie Mauer is the executive director of Wisconsin's Head Start Association. She joins WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal to talk about the challenges facing Wisconsin's most vulnerable families.  

The average price of a home in Milwaukee County rose about 8-percent since last year. Even with a stable job, buying a home feels out of reach for many. But why is housing so expensive and what can be done about it? WUWM's series Seeking Solutions: Keys to Homeownership digs into systemic housing problems in Milwaukee and sheds light on solutions. One emerging solution is the Milwaukee Community Land Trust, which offers homes under 100 thousand dollars and a fixed appreciation rate to keep that home affordable long term. The organization is new, and has just nine homes in its portfolio as of this summer. As Lake Effect's Sam Woods explains, the model isn't a perfect solution to solve housing affordability. But it is built on decades of nationwide experience, proven to keep individual homes affordable forever, and reveals truths about why homes are so expensive in the first place.  

Alice's Garden Urban Farm has been growing on Milwaukee's northside for over 50 years. It's built on land that marks the beginning of Wisconsin's underground railroad and named after Milwaukee's first Black executive director of Milwaukee county extension. The farm is rooted in local Black culture and history.  WUWM's Eric Von Fellow Maria Peralta-Arellano visited Alice's Garden to speak with its executive director, Venice Williams for our series on urban agriculture. 

The scientific journal, Nature Climate Change found 89 percent of the world's population wants to see their government act on climate change. As the annual global climate change conference is about to kick off in Brazil, we're looking at attitudes on climate change here in Wisconsin WUWM Environmental Reporter Susan Bence checked in with Cody Kamrowski, the executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.  

The nuclear family is often thought of as a pillar of American achievement. Two-parent families have been championed in both rhetoric - and policy - as having a key role in climbing the social ladder in the U.S. But a new book by Milwaukee-native Christina Cross is challenging this idea. Cross is a sociologist and the author of Inherited Inequality: Why Opportunity Gaps Persist between Black and White Youth Raised in Two-Parent Families.  In her book, Cross breaks down the data along racial lines - finding that the nuclear family isn't nearly as beneficial to Black Americans as it has been for white Americans. Cross joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to talk about her findings - and how prioritizing two-parent families has shaped U.S. policy for decades.