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The state of Wisconsin is famous for a number of things — beer, cheese, the Green Bay Packers and, if you're into this sort of thing, mail order catalogs.

From the Vietnam War to the battle for civil rights, things were changing in the United States in the 1960s. In the spirit of integration and inclusion, a Kaukauna high school social studies teacher wanted to put on the play In White America — it depicts the history of African-Americans from slavery to civil rights — to broaden his students' view. However, Kaukauna high school was 100 percent white, so an exchange between students from Rufus King High School in Milwaukee and Kaukauna High School in Kaukauna, Wis., took place in 1966.

It’s official. Earlier this week, the Democratic National Committee chose Milwaukee as the site of its 2020 convention. According to DNC Chair Tom Perez, this is the first time the Democratic Party has held a national convention in the Midwest, outside of Chicago, since 1916.

Technological advances have made some aspects of policing easier. For example, surveillance cameras can help police monitor crime remotely and allow police departments to capture images of criminals and in some cases track them.

But what happens with that data? How else is it used, who has access, and are people in minority communities unfairly targeted?

Gov. Tony Evers' nominee as chair of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, Rebecca Valcq, faced several questions about carbon-free utilities Tuesday during a confirmation hearing.

Drowning continues to be the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 19 — claiming the lives of roughly 1,100 children in 2006 — according the American Association for Pediatrics. Toddlers and teenage boys are at the greatest risk for drowning. In Wisconsin, a swim class focusing on survival hopes to help with water safety.

When Alex Kotlowitz’s book There Are No Children Here first came out in 1992, the United States was facing unprecedented violence. Homicides in the nation’s largest cities were at an all-time high — triggered by gangs and a drug trade that dominated many of the country’s poorest neighborhoods. His book was set in the Henry Horner Homes, a public housing project on the west side of Chicago.

It was high spirits at the Fiserv Forum Monday as Wisconsin politicians and Democratic Party officials announced that Milwaukee was chosen to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC). And the history of this decision was not lost on Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

"This city was founded in 1846. The state in 1848," he says. "And for the first time in the history of the city and the state, Milwaukee and Wisconsin will be hosting a major political national convention."

In an era where innovation and entrepreneurship are prized concepts, the term “inventor” might — at first blush — seem a bit quaint. But invention is still very much a viable skill. In fact, it’s seen by many as the cornerstone of innovation. And it’s something that’s especially valued in academic research settings.

As freeway routes were constructed in the 1960s, lots of Milwaukeeans were impacted — houses were demolished, businesses had to relocate. In part due to the upheaval, some communities still haven’t recovered decades later.

One of our community members heard stories about a freeway spur running through Milwaukee’s central city in the 1960s and wanted to know more. So, she submitted the question to Beats Me — our series that allows you to ask questions about race, education, innovation and the environment. 

Updated 4:05 p.m.

Democrats chose Milwaukee to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC). It was announced Monday that the Cream City beat out Houston and Miami to host the convention.

We've been talking about Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' proposed biennial state budget for months. Then last week, he released his capital budget — a separate plan that includes the amount of money he's proposing for construction and building projects across the state. Evers wants to borrow an additional $2 billion to renovate UW System buildings, and to build a new adult prison near the troubled Lincoln Hills juvenile facility in northern Wisconsin.  

Photography has always been a combination of art and science, even as the techniques of making a photograph have evolved. An exhibition in Madison called "Un/Seen" wants viewers to think about the history of photography as not only about art and image making, but also how it’s connected to the histories of science, alchemy, and magic.