News

Wisconsin's population is aging and the demands on the area's senior centers are increasing, as well. That is presenting a challenge for many areas of the state, particularly Milwaukee County, because just as the population is aging, so are the senior center facilities. 

Native American tribes have been living in Wisconsin for tens of thousands of years, but much has changed since they first settled in this area. Through decades of forced assimiliation into white-American culture, Native American cultures were suppressed.

Sex trafficking has been reported in all 72 counties across Wisconsin — earning the state a reputation as a hub for the crime. Some elected officials are working to end the problem.

State lawmakers have considered a number of bills in recent years in an effort to toughen laws pertaining to sex trafficking. Federal and state law defines the crime as the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel someone to have sex for money.

The recent Democratic National Convention’s decision to come to Milwaukee in 2020 set off a lot of stories that begged the question: Who are Milwaukeeans? While there are many “view from the middle” narratives by national media organizations, the voices from actual Milwaukeeans have been frequently compressed to soundbites.

Dyslexia is a common learning disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to connect written text to spoken language. It’s likely one major reason why 65 percent of Wisconsin fourth graders don’t meet proficiency standards on national reading assessments.

Near Washington Park on Milwaukee’s west side, Nancy Yarbrough runs the Humble Beginnings organization for women facing domestic violence, drug addiction or sex trafficking.

In homage to Jeffrey, a 17-year-old boy who lost his life to human trafficking, the organization gives away fleece blankets to victims and others who need help. Yarbrough says the blankets were hand-sewn and donated by a 15-year-old girl from Tomah.

Updated Thursday at 4:25 p.m. CT

Thursday, Foxconn said it remains committed to "long term" job creation in Wisconsin. This comes after Gov. Tony Evers said that it’s "unrealistic" to think that Foxconn will employ 13,000 people at the manufacturing plant it’s building in Racine County.

Evers said Wednesday that the state is working with the Taiwanese electronics giant on possibly revising the original contract, given the changes to the project.

As NPR's first national security correspondent, and now as co-host of All Things Considered, Mary Louise Kelly has traveled to the far corners of the globe — from the Khyber Pass in Iraq to North Korea. However, until this month there was one exotic place the journalist had never been — Wisconsin.

Kelly was the featured guest at WUWM's Murrow Society event recently.  In conversation with Lake Effect's Mitch Teich, Kelly touched on a host of issues that have been part of her life:

Editor's note: This piece was originally published on October 7, 2017.

In the late 1970s and early '80s, Steve Martin was the most famous stand-up comedian in America.  Martin's albums, such as "Comedy Is Not Pretty" and "Wild and Crazy Guy" sold millions of copies and helped launch a career that went on to movies, novels, and stage plays.  But along the way, Martin lost his love for performing on stage in front of an audience.

Wisconsin’s gerrymandering case is back in the public eye. It’s scheduled for trial before a federal court in Madison in July. A panel of three judges will decide whether Republicans, who control the Legislature, illegally drew the state’s political boundaries in 2011 to benefit their party.

Every 10 years, the party in control gets to redraw the state’s political boundaries to reflect the latest U.S. Census figures. In 2011, it was newly re-elected Republican Gov. Scott Walker and a GOP majority in the legislature.

Michelle is a sex trafficking survivor. She says it was a milestone when she started sharing her experiences. “For a long time, due to the fear of being discriminated against and preconceived notions of what it is to be trafficked, I was really too afraid to step out and tell people,” says Michelle, who’s originally from Milwaukee.

It’s important to note that Michelle isn’t the woman’s real name, but we’re using it to protect her identity. Also, Lotus Legal Clinic connected us with her and vouches for her story. 

Robert Wilkie was appointed as the Secretary of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs last July. Wilkie grew up at Fort Bragg in a military family and still serves as an officer in the Air Force Reserve. As secretary of the cabinet level department, he’s responsible for ensuring the VA serves veterans’ physical, mental, and emotional needs to the best of its ability.

Parts of the Midwest are still reeling from spring flooding caused by a winter's-worth of snow melting in a very short period of time. The floods have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage, even in places with plans for such occurrences. 

While we can't say it with certainty, the likelihood of another snowstorm diminishes with each passing day, as we transition into the warmer months. With the temperature transition also comes a transition for our palates.

This time of year, we move away from heavier soups and stews to lighter fare. It’s also the perfect time to talk about spring wines with our wine contributor, Ray Fister. He says the kinds of wines we drink reflect on the trends we see in food:

People who live near the Foxconn project in Racine County peppered local officials with questions at a meeting Monday night in Mount Pleasant. Part of the focus was Monday's announcement that Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou will reduce his role at the company.

Another topic was a proposed road widening to serve Foxconn.