Shows / Lake Effect Spotlight
Lake Effect Spotlight
The Lake Effect Spotlight podcast features some of our favorite conversations about the people, places and organizations that shape Milwaukee.
Episodes
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Did you know dioramas were born in Milwaukee?
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee Film Fest spotlight: All of the Above
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Torchy Timberloss: Wisconsin's version of Smokey Bear
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
It's 414 Day and we've got the history to prove it
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Series preview: How to Evict Your Landlord
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Lake sturgeon spotted in Milwaukee River for first time in 100 years
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Keys to Homeownership: housing for early childhood educators
WUWM has been addressing barriers to homeownership in Milwaukee and the possible solutions in our series, Keys to Homeownership. One local program is working…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Last night's election results: supreme court, school referenda, county board
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The Women's Well-Being Index in Wisconsin
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
What's at stake in tomorrow's State Supreme Court election
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The Wisconsin whey: how the dairy state is becoming the protein state
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
UW researchers want to help you understand what AI can and cannot do
Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming embedded in our society – at work, school and in much of our online activity. Researchers across the Universities…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The battle over police use of facial recognition technology
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Keys to Homeownership: how we turn investor-owned rentals into owner-occupied homes
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Cesar Chavez and the reevaluation of how we honor historical figures
A New York Times investigation has uncovered sexual abuse allegations against Latino civil rights leader, Cesar Chavez. Since then, cities throughout the…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Marquette students are criticizing its choice for graduation speaker over AI connections
Commencement is just around the corner for thousands of college students in Milwaukee. At Marquette, some students are pushing back after the university…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A stage for women, by women
In 1993, five women decided to start and run Renaissance Theaterworks after recognizing the clear inequities professionals like them faced on stage and off…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The rise and fall of movie palaces
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Memories of a Street Cat
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Economic Check-In: Living without housing in Milwaukee
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A sustainable and affordable approach to homebuilding
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Where is the nearest African language college programs?
College students in many degree programs are required to take foreign languages. But one listener asked WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal whether…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee 'Survivor' fans meet contestants, celebrate 50th season at watch party
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
From Radio Milwaukee: Black Caucus at the state Capitol
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
What to know about ICE operations in western Wisconsin
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The past and present of Wisconsin sauna culture
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee immigrant stories: family, legal hoops, and building a home
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Wisconsin Supreme Court: what's on the ballot and what's at stake
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee's Iranian students speak on current war
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A world of Peeps comes to Racine
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
TEMPO and women in workplace leadership
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Group Chat: what womanhood and reproductive justice mean
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
WUWM voter roundtable: a would-be Trump voter has second thoughts
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Reduced MCTS service on select routes begins this weekend
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Wisconsin businesses sue over tariff losses
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Why Lake Michigan never completely freezes over
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Chirp Chat: Who cooks for youuuu?
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Are there downsides to AI chatbot regulation?
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How Midwest cocktails measure up against the East Coast
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Thin Ice: new data on shortening winters
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Wisconsin's first skating ribbon draws thousands to Boulder Junction Winter Park
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The origins of Black History Month
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How a baby prince created the largest ski marathon in North America
You don’t have to fly to Italy to see Olympic-level skiers. They’re coming to Wisconsin this weekend. As the largest ski marathon in North America, the…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Books and Beyond: ABC Academy and kindergarten readiness
The library is more than just books, and our Books and Beyond series with Milwaukee Public Library showcases just that. We share resources, book…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Meet Betty Brinn's artist-in-residence, and your new favorite cellist
Milwaukee native Malik Johnson is a grammy-nominated cellist, composer and music producer. He recently added the title of Artist in Residence at Milwaukee’s…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Group Chat: finding love in your golden years
'Group Chat' is when we hand over the mic to community members and let them share their stories and experiences. This Group Chat is all about falling in love…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A hub for WUWM's ongoing coverage of data centers
Data centers serve as the foundation of the internet. With tech companies like Microsoft investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence, even larger…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A month of Afrofuturism at Milwaukee Film
There are many ways to observe and celebrate Black History Month, including a trip to the movie theater. Milwaukee Film curated a month-long lineup to…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How Milwaukee's Puerto Rican businesses celebrated the 'Benito Bowl'
In case you missed it, Bad Bunny put on a halftime show that doubled as a love letter to Puerto Rico during last weekend’s Super Bowl. Here in Milwaukee…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Radio Milwaukee: pretty girl left, pretty girl right
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.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Bubbler Talk: How a medieval French chapel made its way to Milwaukee
In this week's Bubbler Talk, we investigate how the oldest building in the western hemisphere journeyed from medieval France to modern Milwaukee.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
'Baby Bust': Wisconsin's declining youth population
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How tariffs are affecting Milwaukee's small businesses
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee's success with homeless outreach, and an uncertain future
According to Point-in-Time data, Milwaukee has been uniquely successful in preventing homelessness. Whereas rates of homelessness have increased nationwide…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Shorewood beach walker loses trespassing case; plans to fight decision
Shorewood resident Paul Florsheim was ticketed for trespassing for walking along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Florsheim was walking north of the public Atwater…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Seeking Solutions: a home to call your own
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Status Pending bonus episode: Pastor Dee and teacher resettlement
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Meet Milwaukee Recreation's new director
Milwaukee Public Schools recently approved Annie Kubes as the new senior director of Milwaukee Recreation. Milwaukee Rec runs hundreds of programs in the city…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The National Environmental Policy Act, and the future of environmentalism in federal policy
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
'What this moment means for us': a Twin Cities journalist shares on-the-ground reporting
For weeks, Minnesota has been targeted by an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign. Federal immigration agents have surged through the Twin Cities, going…