Lake Effect Spotlight

If you go to a natural history museum almost anywhere in the world, you can expect to see dioramas displaying how animals live in the wild. Dioramas have become integral to museums, transporting visitors to unfamiliar landscapes through art and science. But did you know that it started right here in Milwaukee?  The Milwaukee-style diorama revolutionized how museums curated their exhibits, and the original diorama lives on at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Dr. Ellen Censky is the president and CEO of the museum, and she joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to talk about the museum's long history with dioramas. 

A new documentary looks at what students with different faith backgrounds can learn from each other. The film focuses on an ambitious teacher and his students in a World Religions class at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, Illinois.  It's showing at the Milwaukee Film Fest and ahead of that WUWM's Maayan Silver speaks with filmmaker Allison Walsh and producer Lily Qi about the project, and what it's all about. 

We all know about Smokey Bear — the iconic mascot for wildfire prevention. But do you know about Torchy Timberloss? He's Wisconsin's very own fire mascot who recently came out of retirement. Torchy is a devilish looking flame that dates back to the 1950s.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says Torchy's image has evolved over the years. Nowadays, he's focused on spreading the message that not all fires are bad. Catherine Koele is a wildfire prevention specialist, and Michele Witecha is a prescribed fire specialist, with the Wisconsin DNR.  They join Lake Effect's Xcaret Nuñez to share Torchy's story and the benefits of prescribed fires. 

John Gurda is perhaps best known as the chief historian of the City of Milwaukee. His documentary series and book The Making of Milwaukee have become vital resources in understanding the city's history.  But Gurda's impact on Milwaukee has been broad and varied. In fact, his work can be seen in neighborhoods throughout the city, on lampposts and in homes. John Gurda joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to talk the City of Neighborhoods and the posters that represent them. 

Later this week WUWM will begin a series about an out of state landlord that's being sued by the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office.  Lake Effect's Sam Woods and Jimmy Gutierrez will explore how some of David Tomblin's tenants have joined together to fight for their housing rights, and how the city is backing those residents trying to loosen Tomblin's grip on the 260 properties he owns. Here's Sam and Jimmy with what you can expect. 

Conservationists are celebrating the return of sturgeon to the Milwaukee River – 20 miles upstream from Lake Michigan. It's the first time one of the giant fish was documented in Ozaukee County in more than a century. Sturgeon disappeared from the river because of things like overfishing and degraded habitat. The discovery of the sturgeon so far from Lake Michigan signals a milestone in a sturgeon restoration project that's been underway for 20 years. WUWM environmental reporter Susan Bence is joined by Andrew Struck, the director of planning and parks in Ozaukee County to explain how this happened.

WUWM has been addressing barriers to homeownership in Milwaukee and the possible solutions in our series, Keys to Homeownership. One local program is working to make housing more attainable – and affordable - for early educators. For teachers or childcare providers, the salary can range from thirty-five thousand dollars a year up to about 70 thousand.  Now, I don't have to go into statistics for anyone to recognize that the current inflated housing market makes owning a home extremely difficult for early educators.  That's why the Community Development Alliance created the Early Childhood Education Homes program. They build homes on vacant city lots that cost about $105,000. The goal is to not only improve housing security - but also improve retention and recruitment of Milwaukee teachers and early educators.  

Wisconsin's spring election was yesterday. Voters elected liberal-backed candidate Chris Taylor to the state supreme court. She won by a wide margin over conservative-backed Maria Lazar. And there were local races in many parts of the state. To give us a rundown on some of the results, Lake Effect's Joy Powers chats with WUWM editor Emily Files, who leads our voter guide project.

The Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee recently released the Women's Well-Being Index. This data-driven report provides both a state-wide outlook and one of Greater Milwaukee on how women are faring across areas such as safety, health, economic security, education and more. The study was made in collaboration with the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison using publicly available statewide data. To help break down the data and share how it could be used to build more equity, Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski is joined by Mary Beth Collins, the Executive Director of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies. 

Tomorrow's election comes after the elections in 2023 and 2025 altered the ideological makeup of the State Supreme Court. Liberal-leaning justices now hold the majority. The ideological makeup will not be influenced by this election, but that doesn't mean the race won't have a long-term impact. WUWM's Maayan Silver is joined by Barry Burden, politics professor at UW-Madison, to find out what's at stake in this election. 

If you're buying protein-rich foods or supplements, there's a good chance that protein came from a Wisconsin cheesemaker.  Whey is a liquid byproduct of the cheesemaking process and is rich in protein. It is usually processed into the form of powder to be added to smoothies, bars, or other food advertising high protein content. Wisconsin farmers produce about one-third of the nation's whey, and demand has skyrocketed in recent years as people seek more protein in their diet. Drew Dawson is a freelance writer for Milwaukee Magazine who wrote about Wisconsin's whey economy for this month's issue. He joins Lake Effect's Sam Woods to discuss why whey is in demand and why some farmers benefit more than others. 

Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming embedded in our society – at work, school and in much of our online activity. Researchers across the Universities of Wisconsin wanted to create a safe place to learn about AI. So they created a seven-part video series about the technology, how to use it and what kind of mistakes it can make. WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is joined by Emily Laird, one of the developers of the free classes. 

Over the past year, the city of Milwaukee has been wrestling with the use of facial recognition technology. This is tech that some law enforcement agencies use to assist in investigations using surveillance footage.  The Milwaukee Police Department has used the technology without clear guidelines in place and community members have pushed back. This debate has played out online, in the streets, and in board meetings inside city hall. WUWM reporters Eddie Morales and Jimmy Gutierrez trace the recent battle over facial recognition technology and examine how the community has responded. 

It's no secret that in Milwaukee, out-of-state investors have been buying up housing inventory to turn into rentals. That means less housing stock for people who want to become homeowners. One non-profit is trying to counter that trend and get more Milwaukeeans owning their own homes in the city.  WUWM has been examining systemic housing problems – and solutions – for more affordable housing in our series, Seeking Solutions: Keys to Homeownership. A s part of the series WUWM's Maayan Silver has this report on ACTS Housing. 

A New York Times investigation has uncovered sexual abuse allegations against Latino civil rights leader, Cesar Chavez. Since then, cities throughout the country have removed or are considering removing Chavez's name from buildings, street signs, plaques and more. In Milwaukee, a statue of Chavez at El Rey Family Market on Chavez Drive was removed. City leaders say there will be a conversation about renaming the street and Milwaukee's celebration of Cesar Chavez Day has been cancelled. WUWM's Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell is joined by Marquette professor Sergio Gonzalez. He shares his perspective on reevaluating how we honor historical figures. 

Commencement is just around the corner for thousands of college students in Milwaukee. At Marquette, some students are pushing back after the university announced that its graduation speaker this May will be Chris Duffey. He's the head of AI products and platforms at Adobe.  To understand student reaction, WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal spoke with Elena Metinidis, a reporter at Marquette's student newspaper, who gathered reactions from students. 

In 1993, five women decided to start and run Renaissance Theaterworks after recognizing the clear inequities professionals like them faced on stage and off. One of those women was Suzan Fete.  For more than three decades, Renaissance has championed women's stories and careers and worked towards gender parity. Co-founder Suzan Fete has led the company as artistic director through over 200 productions and readings while fostering opportunities for women theater professionals. She'll be retiring this spring after directing one last show - “Barefoot in the Park.”  

Milwaukee is fortunate to have some historic movie theaters still in operation - from the Oriental and Downer on the city's east side, to the Avalon in Bay View. But the city was once home to many lavish movie palaces – with seats for thousands of movie goers.  For decades, these theaters lined the streets of downtown Milwaukee - but now, only a few remain. To learn more about the rise and fall of Milwaukee's movie palaces, Lake Effect's Joy Powers is joined by historian Matthew Prigge, who wrote about it for this month's Milwaukee Magazine. 

Samer Ghani first started photographing Milwaukee musicians and concerts in 2016. By 2019, he was a full-time photographer and had become as much of a fixture in the local music scene as the artists he was capturing.  From Brandi Carlile to Buffalo Nichols – Ghani has thousands of images that capture the magic of live music in venues of all sizes. His new photobook, “Memories of a Street Cat,” is dedicated to this formative chapter of his life. The photobook published by Daybreak Magazine features almost 400 photos of concert pictures and artist portraits, along with commentary from artists. Ghani joins Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski to share more about how his first photobook came together:  

WUWM is committed to covering issues our listeners say are top priorities. That includes the economy. As part of that coverage, we're exploring how the changing economy is impacting Wisconsinites with different financial needs. We've heard from a small business owner, a farmer, and someone looking for work. Now we'll hear from someone looking for housing. Sharol Britton is 57 years old. In November, she told WUWM's Maayan Silver that she was living out of her car and hoping to change that. Maayan spoke with Britton in late February at a local Dennys to get an update. 

Homeownership is an important part of economic stability for people, neighborhoods and cities. But for many in Milwaukee – owning a home feels out of reach. WUWM has been exploring solutions in our series, Seeking Solutions: Keys to Homeownership. Today, we'll tell you about a family business on the city's northeast side. They've created a model for building more affordable and sustainable homes. WUWM's environmental reporter Susan Bence has the story. 

College students in many degree programs are required to take foreign languages. But one listener asked WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal whether colleges in Milwaukee offer African languages to fulfill that requirement.  In her reporting, she found that the nearest African language programs are at UW-Madison. Even though Madison offers several African languages, federal cuts are putting pressure on what they can do.  Katherine is joined by Adeola Agoke, director of Madison's African Languages Program, and Luis Madureira, chair of the university's African Cultural Studies department.  

The CBS reality show “Survivor” is now in its 50th season. The show has changed since it first aired in 2000, but the basic premise is the same. A group of people live together on an island. They have to survive with very little food, living outdoors in shelters they make themselves.  Each week, the tribe votes out another person. People lie and manipulate, trying to make it to the end for the chance to win a million dollars. Its host, Jeff Probst, has also been with the show since the beginning. Last Wednesday, Milwaukee Survivor fans got together for a watch party at the Falcon Bowl, where they had the chance to meet some of the show's contestants, including one who returned for Season 50. His name is Benjamin Wade, but he goes by the nickname “Coach.”  WUWM's Emily Files stopped by to hear from fans and Coach himself about why they think Survivor is still going strong after 25 years. 

In this special edition of Lake Effect Spotlight, we bring you a story from Radio Milwaukee about the Black Caucus at the state Capitol. There are 11 Black members of the state legislature, and 10 are members of the Caucus. 

While news about ICE's actions in the twin cities has slowed recently, operations continue. Those operations have also spilled over the state's border into western Wisconsin. Over the past few months – agents have been detaining people and in some cases, children. To date, this is the most widespread ICE operation in Wisconsin. Last month, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Sophie Carson spent time around the area talking with community members about ICE's presence and how the community is responding. She joins WUWM's Jimmy Gutierrez to share what she found along the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. 

Wisconsin is experiencing a surge in sauna culture — new businesses are popping up in parks, on shorelines and in backyards. But heat bathing has been a part of the Upper Midwest culture for over a century — and it's largely thanks to the Finnish immigrants who settled along Lake Superior.  Bridget Fogarty is a reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and she recently visited a few saunas to learn more about this tradition. She joins Lake Effect's Xcaret Nuñez to share why more people are sweating through Wisconsin winters together.

Life as an immigrant is commonly clouded by fear and uncertainty. The federal crackdown on immigration this past year has only increased those feelings for immigrants living in our area. Freelance writer Barbara Miner wanted to share the lived experiences of some Milwaukee immigrants, who make up about twelve percent of the city's population. Her article in this month's Milwaukee Magazine shares the stories of DACA recipients, to undocumented parents, asylum seekers and more. Miner joins Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski to talk about the piece, and begins by explaining some of the challenges she encountered covering the topic. 

Wisconsin voters will be choosing a new justice for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court this year. The April 7th election comes after elections in 2023 and 2025 altered the ideological makeup of the court, giving liberal-leaning justices the majority.  The ideological makeup will not be influenced by this election, but that doesn't mean the race won't have a long-term impact on how big cases are decided in Wisconsin. WUWM's Maayan Silver is joined by Barry Burden, politics professor and director of the Elections Research Center at UW-Madison, to find out what's at stake in this election. 

The United States is at war with Iran. Oil prices have surged as the war enters its second week. Iran has named the hard-line Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as supreme leader. It signals defiance from Iran's leadership amid heavy US and Israeli bombardment. WUWM's Maayan Silver talked with Iranian students at UW-Milwaukee about how their families are affected and why they support international intervention. 

The country's largest collection of contemporary craft art can be found right here in Wisconsin – at the Racine Art Museum. The museum has thousands of pieces from ceramics and fibers to metals and jewelry. And every spring the RAM hosts a Peeps exhibition. Yes – Peeps – the brightly colored bird and bunny marshmallow treats you see in stores in the spring. The museum's Peeps exhibition opens next month. For this month's Wandering Wisconsin we'll learn all about what you can see there. Lake Effect's Becky Mortensen is joined by Tyler Potter from RAM and Amanda Weibel from Travel Wisconsin. 

In February of 1975, four women in Milwaukee found themselves at the height of their careers as business executives. However, they were just a handful of leaders and there was a glaring need for more women to be elevated and advocated for in the workplace. To help change the narrative and landscape for women, they formed the group known today as TEMPO. The founding members' hope was to create a society where women hold an equal place in leadership, policy, and decision making. TEMPO has grown over the past 50 years to provide programming, professional development opportunities and mentorship for over 800 members.  To learn more about the organization and the work they're continuing to do, Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski is joined by TEMPO president and CEO Jen Dirks. She begins by explaining that while the landscape for women leaders has changed since the 70s, TEMPO's key goals have not.  

This Sunday is International Women's Day. And to celebrate, we passed the mic to two organizers from Milwaukee's International Women's Day Coalition.  For this month's group chat, Kayla Patterson and KJ Johnson talk about what womanhood means to them and why the fight for reproductive justice continues. They also highlight the events the coalition has planned for this International Women's Day weekend. 

2024 was a big year in politics in Wisconsin and across the country. Donald Trump was running for a second term against former President Joe Biden...who ended up dropping out of the race.  In the summer of 2024 the Republican National Convention was held in Milwaukee, which brought Trump and other Republican leaders to the state. Just ahead of that, we got a group of conservative-leaning voters together. At the time, all of voter roundtable participants planned to vote for Donald Trump.  Now that Trump has been in office for a little over a year, we're checking back in with some of them to see how they ended up voting, and what they think of Trump's second term so far. We'll start with Gissell Vera, an education advocate in Milwaukee. Here she is catching up with WUWM's Maayan Silver. 

Starting this weekend the Milwaukee County Transit System will shorten some routes at the edges of its ridership area. Riders will also need to wait longer for their buses at some stops. That's because the Milwaukee County Transit System reduced service to some routes to help deal with a 14 million dollar budget deficit. You may remember that bus fares went up by 75 cents at the beginning of this year. To learn more about these most recent changes, WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is joined by Jesus Ochoa, the system's Director of Service Development.  

Several Wisconsin companies are suing the Trump administration to get back some of the money they lost due to tariffs. Companies began filing lawsuits back in December in the U.S Court of International Trade.  That was before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned many of Trump's tariffs last month. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Ricardo Torres has been following this story. He spoke with WUWM's Eric Von Fellow Maria Peralta-Arellano.   

The cold has returned to Milwaukee and the water is slowly icing over once again. But if you stare out at Lake Michigan, you'll see flowing water in the not-so-distant horizon. And there's a good reason for that, as artist and educator Geo Rutherford can tell you.  Rutherford is an educator and content creator based here in Wisconsin, whose work focuses on bodies of water. Her TikTok, geodesaurus, shares videos filled with facts about our waterways, including Lake Michigan. She joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to explain what makes Lake Michigan so unique. 

March is around the corner — which means it's almost nesting season for Barred Owls! For the second year, the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center will give people a look into the lives of Barred Owls with a nest box camera. Lindsay Focht is the raptor program director at Schlitz Audubon. She says the live stream is part of the nature center's Barred Owl Monitoring Project.  Focht joins Lake Effect's Xcaret Nuñez to share how people can watch online as owlets hatch this spring. 

More and more people of all ages are using AI for companionship.  Some states are trying to require periodic reminders to users that the chatbots are not real people. In New York, those reminders would appear in the conversation every three hours. But some researchers say those reminders could harm users' mental health. UW-Milwaukee associate professor Linnea Laestadius took that position in a recent piece she coauthored. Laestadius joins WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal to talk about why her research backs up that concern.  A warning to our listeners that this conversation includes mention of suicide.  

What's your go-to cocktail order? Well, if you're in Milwaukee or somewhere in Wisconsin, there's a good chance it's a brandy old-fashioned. But even where the old fashioned reigns, Milwaukee has a strong cocktail bar scene where you can get endless combinations of cocktails.  For cocktail writer and author Robert Simonson, Wisconsin has always held its own in the cocktail world – even when he moved away from home to be a writer in New York City for decades to cover cocktails.  Simonson recently returned home to Milwaukee where he will continue to write about food, drink, history and regional culture. To share more about his experience and how the Midwest compares to the East Coast in its cocktail culture, Simonson joins Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski.

During February we've been exploring how winters are changing in Wisconsin in our Thin Ice series. We've looked at the impact on ice fishing and storm water management. Today, WUWM environmental reporter Susan Bence looks at new data from Climate Central on just how much winter temperatures and even the length of the winter season is changing. 

Many Midwesterners have worn a pair of ice skates to hit the rink or a frozen pond in the winter. But have you ever tried a skating ribbon? It's essentially an ice skating trail in the woods and the first one opened up in Wisconsin last winter. It's called “The Glide” and it's at Boulder Junction Winter Park — an outdoor winter recreation area. And for this month's Wandering Wisconsin, we'll help you plan a trip there. Lake Effect's Becky Mortensen is joined by Mary Jones, the executive director of the Boulder Junction Chamber of Commerce and Amanda Weibel with Travel Wisconsin. 

This year marks 100 years of recognizing Black people's contributions to the United States with Black History Month. It began as Negro History week in 1926.The Association for the Study of African American Life & History was established in 1915 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who is often referenced as the Father of Black History. In honor of the milestone year, WUWM's Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell is joined by the national president of the Association, Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead to learn about the origin of Black History Month.