From a contentious election to the unrest in Sherman Park, 2016 was a defining year for many. Of course it wasn't all bad, with more breweries opening and expanding in Milwaukee as well. 


During today's Behind the Headlines, our reporters and editors look back at the biggest headlines from a provocative and unusual year.

Looking back at the biggest stories of 2016

Behind the Headlines gives you insider access to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Find out more about the week's biggest headlines and how we told those stories in this weekly podcast.

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In March, Republican Governor Scott Walker said Wisconsin’s economy is in the best shape it’s been since 2000. That got us wondering: is this true? We’re focusing today’s Behind the Headlines on the economy. We’ll have three segments, each tackling questions about the economy from a different perspective.

Is Wisconsin’s economy as good as Scott Walker says?

Between the sixty degree weather, baseball and the state budget, spring is finally here. In today's Behind the Headlines from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, we'll find out about a brand new Brewers podcast from our sports team. Our political team will break down the latest developments with the state budget. And if you haven't heard about the latest newsletter we've developed, you'll know about it as soon as we're done. 

It's beginning to look a lot like baseball

But never fear, we'll be back next week. Behind the Headlines host Katie O'Connell has some tips about a new Journal Sentinel podcast you can listen to in the meantime.

We're taking a week off

The challenge facing Milwaukee and similar high-poverty cities goes beyond education, crime and jobs. An emerging network of public health and neuroscience researchers, community-minded foundations and law enforcement officials now believe the primary challenge facing our city is an epidemic of childhood trauma passed from one generation to another, one neighborhood to the next. 


Reporter John Schmid has a five part series coming out about the role trauma plays in shaping Milwaukee. He talks to editor Tom Koetting about his findings. 


We’ll also hear from business intern Rebecca Carballo on the ways women are attempting to shatter the glass ceiling in engineering. And beer reporter Kathy Flanigan breaks down the beer forecast for spring and summer.

Epidemic of childhood trauma haunts Milwaukee

More than 1 million reports of drug side effects were filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2015, a fivefold increase since 2004, according to an analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and MedPage Today.


Reporter John Fauber has been working on that story with MedPage Today. He joins Behind the Headlines to discuss the findings and what they mean for consumers. 


Also in today’s show, opinion editor Dave Haynes addresses some of the changes to his section and why those changes were made.

Looking back at the biggest stories of 2016

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