Data centers serve as the foundation of the internet. With tech companies like Microsoft investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence, even larger data centers are being built and proposed around world. 

In Wisconsin, projects like the Vantage data center in Port Washington have stirred controversy. In Mount Pleasant, Microsoft is building what it calls “the most advanced data center in the world. With these large-scale, billion-dollar projects comes questions about what how it will impact Wisconsin communities. 

To help answer these questions, WUWM has a new resource on our website for you to better understand what’s happening with data centers. WUWM reporter Eddie Morales is here in studio to talk about it. Eddie, thank you for being here. 

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 recognize Black History Month. 

Ty Williams is the Black Lens Programmer for Milwaukee Film, and he handpicked a variety of films you can see on the big screen that reflect Black icons in fiction. They’re all a part of the series “Afrofuturism: Fates Beyond Fiction.” Williams joins Lake Effect’s Audrey Nowakowski to share more.  

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, Puerto Rican businesses have been taking inspiration from the artist’s ascent to the big stage.  

Last month, West Allis coffee shop Aroma Cafe began serving Bad Bunny lattes. The drink is inspired by coquito, the coconut cocktail usually made with rum. WUWM reporter Katherine Kokal stopped by the shop a few days before the game to try the zero-proof coffee drink.  

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.

In this week's Bubbler Talk, we investigate how the oldest building in the western hemisphere journeyed from medieval France to modern Milwaukee.

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 decline. It’s been a trend that’s played out slowly over the last two decades, but now that trend is accelerating - especially here in Milwaukee.  

John Johnson is a research fellow at the Marquette Law School Lubar Center and he recently published data on Milwaukee’s so-called “Baby Bust.” He joins Lake Effect’s Joy Powers to talk about it and what the baby bust could mean for the city’s future.   

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 tariffs as both a threat and punishment against nations that he believes have slighted him and the U.S.   

The implementation of these tariffs has been haphazard, leaving many businesses unsure about how to handle them. That’s been especially true for small businesses importing foods - like coffee, chocolate, or wine - many of which can’t be made in the U.S.  

Journalist Drew Dawson chatted with some local businesses for this month’s Milwaukee Magazine to see how these tariffs are impacting them. 

According to Point-in-Time data, Milwaukee has been uniquely successful in preventing homelessness. Whereas rates of homelessness have increased nationwide over the last decade, they’ve declined in Milwaukee. 

Krystina Kohler is the impact manager for the Safe and Stable Homes Initiative at United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County. United Way is the lead agency applying for federal funding for homeless services. Kohler joins Lake Effect’s Sam Woods to discuss Milwaukee’s approach to homeless services, success in getting people housed, and how new priorities in federal funding threaten to undermine that success.  

Shorewood resident Paul Florsheim was ticketed for trespassing for walking along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Florsheim was walking north of the public Atwater Beach where residential homes meet the shore. 

Florsheim took the case to court, arguing it’s everyone’s right under Wisconsin’s public trust doctrine to walk along the lakeshore. But last week a municipal judge found Florsheim guilty. He plans to appeal.  

Rob Lee is a staff attorney at Midwest Environmental Advocates. He says his team is following the case because it could go to the court of appeals or the state supreme court. Lee joins WUWM’s environmental reporter Susan Bence to talk about the ruling and the implications.

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 housing problems – and solutions – for more affordable housing. 

Today, we’re looking into community organizations that are creating their own paths to homeownership. And hearing from people who’ve been waiting their whole lives for a home to call their own. WUWM’s Jimmy Gutierrez brings us the story.