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
How does Wisconsin keep track of teachers accused of misconduct?
How does Wisconsin keep track of teachers accused of misconduct? That’s the subject of a recent yearlong investigation by Cap Times reporter Danielle DuClos…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Meet Milwaukee Art Museum's 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
An overview of Milwaukee County's proposed budget
It’s local budget season again, and Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee are finalizing budgets. While the Mayor’s proposed budget for the city escapes…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Herbie Hancock on jazz, radio voices, and improvising through life
Jazz legend Herbie Hancock plays in Milwaukee tonight. He’s produced dozens of albums, spanning jazz, jazz-rock fusion, funk, and electronic music. He’s also…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
MPL Halloween event highlights Milwaukee's paranormal & true crime history
The library is more than just books, and our series with the Milwaukee Public Library called Books and Beyond showcases just that. This month we are exploring…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Yemeni coffee in Brew City: A visit to Al Wadi Coffee House
Today, we’re continuing our tour of some of Milwaukee’s Yemeni coffee shops. Over the past year, five of them have opened in the area. The shops offer drinks…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Exploring UWM's role in the discovery of gravitational waves 10 years ago
It’s been just over a decade since the game-changing discovery of gravitational waves in the distant universe. Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A home for Milwaukee's underrepresented artists is seeking funds
A Black-owned art gallery in Milwaukee is at risk of closing. Fatima Laster purchased the building in 2018 seeking to make a communal space for…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
It's flu and COVID season. Here's what you need to know
October marks the start of the respiratory viral vaccine season in earnest. Illnesses like the flu, covid, and RSV are making the rounds. Fortunately, there…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
'Kill the Indian, save the man': a Wisconsin survivor's story
In the 19th and 20th centuries, thousands of Native American children were sent to schools run by the federal government and churches. Many suffered abuse at…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee’s Fat Body Hotties celebrates fat joy and liberation through clothing swaps
Fat Body Hotties is here to celebrate fat joy in Milwaukee and they’re proud about it. Sarah Chojnacki started the group after seeing a need for affordable and…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A mass exodus from Wisconsin's organ donor registry
For many people facing end-stage organ failure, a donated organ is their only life-saving option. But the waiting list is long, and finding the right organ…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The growing crisis of nitrate contamination in water
Wisconsin’s drinking water is facing a growing crisis of nitrate contamination. That’s according to a new report by the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Nitrates…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee Comedy Festival kicks off its 20th year today
Aspiring actor Matt Kemple first came to Milwaukee in 2005 – he’d only intended to stay for a year, but 20 years later, he’s still here. During that time, he…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
MPS pauses hiring new international teachers after Trump admin hikes H-1B fees to $100K
Milwaukee Public Schools hired more than 200 teachers from other countries to help fill open jobs this year. The school district uses the temporary H-1B visa…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee Latine community members are building enclaves of hope in difficult times
With two weeks left of Latine Heritage Month, WUWM’s Jimmy Gutierrez speaks to three leaders who are building up Latine community and culture in Milwaukee.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee street artists creates rainbow crosswalk in Walker's Point Neighborhood
Jeremy Novy's signature koi fish stencils have decorated Milwaukee's streets since 2006. His latest piece of street art will be unveiled on October 6th. The…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The link between being 'terminally online' and extremism
Engravings on bullet casings. Manifestos. Online profiles filled with hate. How deep does the rabbit hole go for mass shooters? Extremism experts warn that…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee Public Library's Educational Outreach Service Brings Books to the Community
For this edition of Books and Beyond, we’re leaving the library and going out into the community with Milwaukee Public Library’s Educational Outreach Services…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee-natives share experiences from Gaza
Three Milwaukee residents have made the trip to the Palestinian territories to offer help where they could and check in on loved ones. WUWM’s Jimmy Gutierrez…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Doors Open Milwaukee celebrates 15 years of revealing hidden beauty
Doors Open Milwaukee celebrates 15 years since its first event in 2011. Learn how the event got started, and what keeps people coming back.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
'New Wave' tells the story Vietnamese immigrants & '80s counterculture
Jimmy Gutierrez interviews Elizabeth Ai on her new documentary, New Wave, which explores how Vietnamese immigrants influenced new wave music. See it at the…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
State of Working Wisconsin report finds federal policies are impacting jobs in the state
We’ll explore the State of Working Wisconsin report and learn how federal policies are impacting workers.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee Music Roundup: new releases from local artists
The weather is getting a bit cooler, and summer is slowly coming to an end - but Milwaukee musicians are continuing to put out new music. As always, Matt Wild…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How to apply for FEMA flood damage assistance
A 1000-year flood devastated the Milwaukee area in August. The flooding left at least two people dead and caused over 52-million-dollars in damages. Last week…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How the zoo keeps animals safe during severe weather
As the weather becomes more unpredictable in Milwaukee — the Milwaukee County Zoo is adapting. Tracey Dolphin is the zoo’s Director of Animal Management and…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
A touring Black farmer documentary comes to Milwaukee
Last week, a national tour came to Milwaukee. Bay Area artist James Shields is on his third nationwide tour to interview Black farmers about Black agriculture…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
The renegotiation of what counts as American history
Last year, Lake Effect reported on MKE Roots - a program from Marquette University that helps Milwaukee-area teachers incorporate local history into their…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
What a flood brings: checking in with a Wauwatosa family one month after historic flooding
Last week, President Trump approved 30 million dollars in federal assistance for people impacted by devastating floods in August. That means residents in…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Hillary Reynolds authors her own story on 'Changing Seasons,' after years writing songs for others
Songwriter Hillary Reynolds splits her time between her hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin and Los Angeles. Her songs have been recorded by Little Big Town and…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Chirp Chat: birds, coming to a chimney near you
Chimney Swifts are back in town and you could catch their spectacular show at a chimney near you! The small, fast-flying birds are known for the tornado-like…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee Magazine highlights readers’ and editors’ picks for ‘Best of Milwaukee’
Every year, Milwaukee Magazine comes out with a feature highlighting the city’s most beloved people and places. The Best of Milwaukee issue features dozens of…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Wisconsin is great for biking (and we've got proof)
Turns out, Wisconsin is a great state for biking! With an average City Ratings score of 48, we’re behind only New York and Alaska as the best statewide scores…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Capitol Notes: FEMA and the waiting game for flood disaster declaration
In a new Capitol Notes, we’ll examine the waiting game around the presidential disaster declaration after flooding in Milwaukee.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
An artist's love letter to Milwaukee paleteros
There may be no more iconic sound on the south side of Milwaukee than the bells from a paletero’s cart. Those are the street vendors who sell paletas, or…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
'What a gem we have here': New Circus World director talks future of historic Baraboo site
Baraboo, Wisconsin has claimed the title of Circus Capital of the World for over 60 years. Today at Circus World, national historic landmarks, museums and…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Japanese Stiltgrass: Wisconsin's newest invasive species
Earlier this summer, an invasive species called Japanese Stiltgrass was spotted in Rock County. Scientists are now asking the public to help prevent the…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
MPS superintendent speaks on new school year, flood cleanup, lead paint
It’s the first day of school for many Milwaukee-area students, and it was a long road to get here. Fifty elementary schools in the Milwaukee public school…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Wandering Wisconsin: fly fishing in Driftless beauty
There are countless reasons to visit Wisconsin’s Driftless Region. The landscape of steep river valleys, exposed rock formations and forested ridges are ideal…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Chirp Chat: Milwaukee is a city for the birds
Did you know Milwaukee is a city for the birds? It's actually one of 82 official Bird Cities in Wisconsin. Bird City is a conservation program that brings…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
American Science and Surplus is down, but not out
The local DIY and school project supply hub American Science and Surplus has started a GoFundMe for financial support. Owner Pat Meyer says the business, which…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Wisconsin DNR wants you to be a community scientist
The Wisconsin DNR is looking for Wisconsinites to become community scientists by reporting any sightings of deer and game birds to track reproductive…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Should schools ban cell phones?
This year’s class of high school seniors was born in or around 2008. That’s one year after the release of the first iPhone and four years after the launch of…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How Wisconsin cooperates with ICE, and gets paid for it
The ACLU of Wisconsin recently released a report detailing how local law enforcement cooperates with federal immigration authorities and is paid for that…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Group Chat: getting a Green Card in 2025
This month’s Group Chat features two sisters born in Mexico who grew up in Milwaukee and were DACA recipients. They applied for Green Cards after marrying U-S…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Heat as a workplace issue
It's been hot in Wisconsin this summer with nearly forty days of above average heat. That can be a serious health concern for people who work outdoors, but…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
There’s treasure hiding in plain sight at Milwaukee’s beaches
Did you know there’s treasure hiding in plain sight at Milwaukee’s beaches? Blythe Haney (p. HAY-knee) hunts for beach glass along the freshwater shorelines of…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Tips for filing flood insurance claims
Flood damage estimate exceeds $23M, officials hope for FEMA funding. Here's what types of personal insurance do, and do not, cover floods.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Rainn Wilson on Dwight Schrute, his Bahá’í faith and Dungeons & Dragons
Rainn Wilson is coming to the Riverside Theatre this week for a celebration of Dwight Schrute, along with a screening of an "Office" episode.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
What a flood brings: Wauwatosa family among many with flooded homes after southeast Wisconsin storms
Jessica Young and her family are one of hundreds of families still facing challenges after an unprecedented storm hit southeastern Wisconsin.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
National Hip Hop Day: Milwaukee producer breaks down the art of sampling
"Have I heard this before?" is a question hip-hop aficionados are constantly asking themselves. Milwaukee musician Kiran Vedula explains why.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Why are Milwaukee craft breweries closing?
Wisconsin State Journal's "Beer Baron" columnist Chris Drosner joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to discuss recent brewery closures and what they could mean for…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Economic check-in: Local business owner shares her concerns for the future
Ryan Faurie is a business owner and mother living in Greendale, Wisconsin. Along with her husband Will, she’s raising a 12-year-old daughter and looking toward…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
‘Spread the good news of poetry’: Wisconsin’s poet laureate on what the role means to her
Brenda Cárdenas is Wisconsin’s newest poet laureate. As the state’s ambassador for poetry, the Milwaukee native hopes to inspire creativity through workshops…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Milwaukee Public Library’s Wisconsin Concert Poster Collection is pretty punk
Milwaukee Public Library's Timothy Rush talks about the Rare Books Room's collection of almost 200 gig posters.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Exploring Fondy Farmers Market, the oldest farmers market in Milwaukee
The Fondy Farmers Market is the oldest farmers market in the city of Milwaukee. For more than a century, it’s brought produce and other goods fresh from the…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
How did the Lumberjack World Championships end up in northern Wisconsin?
Athletes came to Hayward, Wisconsin this July from 16 states and seven countries, to chop, saw, throw axes, log roll, sprint across floating logs and speed…
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Vacant lots are a blank canvas: Finding opportunity in Milwaukee
Antoine Carter speaks about gardening, public art, philanthropy and his plan to build apartment buildings on vacant lots near Milwaukee’s Moody Park.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
Willow Newell is the first Black Miss Wisconsin. Up next: Miss America
Twenty-two-year-old Racine native, Willow Newell, is the first Black woman to be named Miss Wisconsin. In September, she'll compete for Miss America in Florida.
- Lake Effect Spotlight
$11M deficit, authorized worker strike and leadership vacuum: What’s going on at MCTS?
Milwaukee’s County Transit System recently announced a surprise $11 million budget deficit projected for the year. Last week, the drivers union authorized a…