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
Tips for staying safe in frigid temperatures
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A snapshot of Milwaukeeans' health
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
MPS completes financial audit and receives state funding. Now what?
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Teaching Milwaukee adults to read: How free programs can get parents back on track
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A Wisconsinite's journey to the Winter Olympics
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
‘Poetry is powerful’: Meet Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate Angela Wang
Every year, Woodland Pattern selects a Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate through a competition. Last summer, the local non-profit crowned Angela Wang with the…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
After 75-cent fare hike, more changes coming to Milwaukee County bus routes. What to know
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
After years of declining energy use, how will Wisconsin power data centers?
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The Burlington Liars Club (and game show)
Lance Armstrong. Elizabeth Holmes. Jay Gatsby. Typically, we shun liars in all forms whether they are politicians, financiers or fictional characters. We tell…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The environmental impact of data centers
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
91% of MPS students can't read at grade level. What will it take to fix that?
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Economic Check-In: Cozy Nook Farm remains optimistic after a slow Christmas tree season
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
One year and $43M later, Milwaukee Public Schools completes its lead paint cleanup
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A conversation with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Best of 2025: UWM's Atmospheric Sciences program comes to an end
UW-Milwaukee’s Atmospheric Science degree program has come to an end. That program prepared students for careers in weather and climate forecasting and…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Best of 2025: Milwaukee Community Land Trust
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Best of 2025: A long history of sanctuary movements
This year, WUWM explored Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s immigration history through a series called Making Wisconsin. The idea was to help better understand who our…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Best of 2025: Visit Milwaukee reported RNC gains of over $300 million. This number does not consider lost business
Milwaukee hosted the Republican National Convention last year. City officials touted a potential economic windfall. Visit Milwaukee released a report claiming…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Best of 2025: Milwaukee Art Museum welcomes new director
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How changing zoning laws affected housing affordability in Minneapolis
WUWM is examining systemic housing problems – and solutions – for more affordable housing. Milwaukee is trying to change its zoning code to encourage more…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A dispute over beach access in Shorewood, and the what the 'Public Access Doctrine' tells us
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Books to Gift in 2025
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Tips to WI school safety hotline increased by 30%. Why experts say that's a good thing
Wisconsin’s school safety tip line received nearly seven-thousand tips last school year – mostly from students. Bullying was the most commonly reported issue…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Top games to gift in 2025
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The many dimensions of Judge Hannah Dugan's trial
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Real vs. artificial Christmas trees: Which is better for the environment?
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
What call data can tell us about Milwaukee's social safety net
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Packers and Bears fans keep century-old rivalry alive
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
MKE Grocery Buddy: a grassroots response to food insecurity in Milwaukee
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A Milwaukee mother was forced to self-deport. A reporter followed to share her story
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
After years of drinking bottled water, small Wisconsin town creates its own PFAS solution
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee Diaper Mission celebrates 5 years of supporting the community
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Why these Catholic sisters transferred land to Indigenous Wisconsinites
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The role of the federal capital gains tax in housing affordability
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
'Status Pending' episode three: how the refugee resettlement program works
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Agri-entertainment or bare essentials? Wisconsin's Christmas tree market adjusts in two directions
With the holidays around the corner, many Wisconsinites are purchasing a Christmas tree. But fewer trees are being grown. Statewide, Christmas tree harvests…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A roundup of new Milwaukee restaurants, and goodbyes to those that closed
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How redlining created segregation, barriers to homeownership
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Will Judge Dugan take a plea deal?
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Facial recognition technology, Milwaukee police, and ICE
Despite community pushback, the Milwaukee Police Department has been considering expanding its use of facial recognition technology. Milwaukee’s Equal Rights…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Where are all of Milwaukee's street signs?
Where are all of the city's street signs? WUWM's Jimmy Gutierrez finds out for Bubbler Talk.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Don't just see The Nutcracker, live it
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
When a data center comes to town, this man saves your building
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Why physicians tend to struggle with mental health, and what to do about it
The rates of depression, anxiety and PTSD are higher among physicians compared to the general population. Unfortunately, this problem is not improving, as at…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Racially restrictive covenants are illegal, but remain in some property deeds
For decades, racially restrictive covenants were a common part of deeds for Milwaukee-area homes. These were clauses that typically restricted properties from…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Students shy away from disagreement in class. One Marquette program is changing that
College instructors are facing quieter classrooms: few questions, little debate between students, not much feedback. Educators place some blame on the pandemic…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Sea lampreys: the Great Lakes' most unwanted guest
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How is The Hop funded?
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
'Go ahead and ask for it': The federal shutdown comes to UWM's food pantry
Wisconsin’s FoodShare is funded by SNAP, which was frozen November 1st, because of the longest federal government shutdown in history. Three federal judges…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Half SNAP and the House of Peace
Millions of Americans and thousands of people in Wisconsin are struggling to get food. Because of the federal government shutdown, funding for Supplemental…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
What music education does for a community
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
MKE Roots gets federal funding after previous grant cancelled, curriculum must now "commemorate" 1776
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee remembers its Chinese Laundry Era
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Government shutdown, Head Start, and child care in Wisconsin
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Stability or Speculation: What community land trusts teach us about affordable housing
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Alice's Garden: connect with others, connect with yourself
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How Wisconsin feels about climate change
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Why the nuclear family is not a panacea for racial justice
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…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Feeding the City: from basketball to the farm
Will Allen is a former professional basketball player, but he decided to trade the court for crops. Allen is credited as a pioneer in urban agriculture in…