Lake Effect Spotlight

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.