Jack Hurbanis

Updated June 8 at 1:02 p.m. CT

Milwaukee County Zoo will reopen on June 18 after being closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus. But it's not all back to normal, as phase one will require people to purchase tickets online and have other restrictions in place.

Working from home has been met with mixed reviews from people who’ve had to do it during the COVID-19 pandemic. But for most pets, this time has been a bonanza of extra petting, treats, and time with the people they love.

But now that businesses are opening up and people are returning to their places of work, how will these pets respond?

Five years ago this week, Pope Francis released his first major encyclical called Laudato Si' (a letter a bishop writes instructing his followers on how to approach major issues). Instead of taking on an abstract theological issue, he addressed “the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest [people]."

As many Wisconsinites continue to work from home, the future of office buildings could be very different from how we left them.

Like many of you, the Lake Effect team has been working from home the past few months. And while we sit at our kitchen tables, couches or closets, our office building is relatively dormant, leaving our cubicles and offices empty. While the transition has been difficult for some employees, some people and companies hope to make working from home a permanent solution.

Earlier this month, Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre was connected to an embezzlement scheme in his home state of Mississippi. The state auditor found that Favre had been paid $1.1 million for appearances that were never made by a nonprofit called Mississippi Community Education Center, which was funded with federal welfare grants. 

When the Democratic National Convention (DNC) first announced it would be coming to Milwaukee, there was a lot of hope for what it would bring to the city. Now, the future of the convention is unclear.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made large gatherings risky. And while the Democratic National Committee has pushed the date of the convention to August, it seems almost certain that we’ll still be dealing with this pandemic in some form.

We recently covered how the Oneida Nation Wisconsin is turning to indigenous agricultural practices to put food on the table during the coronavirus pandemic.

Restaurants put $225 billion into the economy every year. While some are still in business, almost 450,000 independent restaurants must change operations to meet new safety measures or face the risk of closing completely due to the coronavirus pandemic. This will also impact the 11 million food service jobs — most of which were part of the initial flood of unemployment applications. 

>>Latest WUWM & NPR Coronavirus Coverage

When vape pens first came out they were marketed as a healthier alternative to smoking. But as more research has been released about the longterm affects of vaping, it’s complicated that narrative. 

If you've driven through the intersection of First Street and Pittsburgh Avenue in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood during the last few weeks, you might have seen a bold statement painted on the windows of BlackPaint Studios: Wisconsin's Pandemic Primary = Crime Against Humanity. 

Many health care workers risk their physical and mental health to do their jobs. The coronavirus pandemic has intensified these challenges.

Just last month, emergency department medical director Dr. Lorna M. Breen committed suicide. Her family cites her work helping COVID-19 patients as the reason.

In April, a TV news station in Bakersfield, Calif., interviewed two immediate care doctors about their views on the coronavirus outbreak. Within days, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine condemned the interview as “reckless” and their opinions “untested.”

There's been a lot of news recently about President Trump limiting immigration. On April 22, he signed an executive order suspending new green cards from being issued for immigrants looking to become permanent U.S. residents. There are some exceptions, like for children of U.S. citizens or for health care professionals coming to help fight the spread of COVID-19. 

As nonessential businesses keep their doors closed around the country, small business owners are losing capital needed to make payroll, pay bills, and try to reopen when it’s allowed.

Many of us have been cooped up in our homes as we collectively ride out the coronavirus pandemic. But the stay-at-home order doesn’t mean you need to stay inside. And for those of us living with kids, getting out in the garden can be a great way to get rid of some energy and exercise their creativity. 

Gardening expert Melinda Myers shares some gardening projects for kids of all ages:

Although conversations about the coronavirus are really inescapable, there are still a lot of misperceptions and questions about the disease. For Bubbler Talk, we've been asking listeners what they want to know about the disease and how it's spread.

Dr. Joyce Sanchez is an assistant professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin who specializes in infectious diseases. She is here to help answer some of your coronavirus questions: 

Pandemics and recessions are trying times, not only for people but for businesses. Some businesses rise to the challenge and serve customers in their time of need, while others see it as an opportunity for fraud and profit over people.

Consumers may need help to spot the difference and protect their wallets while protecting their health as well.

Every month, Adam Carr from the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service talks about some of the community events happening in Milwaukee. But of course, this month is a little different.

With the coronavirus pandemic and Gov. Tony Evers' safer-at-home order, it’s a little difficult to go and explore things happening in our community. But Carr has you covered — highlighting things you can experience from the comfort and safety of your own home.

Many of us have probably never lived through something like a viral pandemic.

But your grandparents might have.

Before the coronavirus outbreak, the last time America faced something like what we’re living through now was in 1918 during the Spanish flu. As many as one-third of the world contracted the virus — 50 million people died.

Milwaukeeans will soon decide who will represent the city for the next four years. Incumbent Mayor Tom Barrett is being challenged by state Sen. Lena Taylor. 

Wisconsin’s presidential primary and spring elections will be held next Tuesday, April 7. Two hopefuls are vying for a 10-year term on the state Supreme Court. Conservative incumbent Daniel Kelly faces a challenge from Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky, who is supported by Democrats. Although the position is officially non-partisan, the court currently has a 5-2 conservative majority. Democrats are hoping to narrow that lead to 4-3 if Karofsky wins.

We've interviewed both candidates.

Wisconsin’s presidential primary and spring elections will be held next Tuesday, April 7. Two hopefuls are vying for a 10-year term on the state Supreme Court. Conservative incumbent Daniel Kelly faces a challenge from Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky, who is supported by Democrats. Although the position is officially non-partisan, the court currently has a 5-2 conservative majority. Democrats are hoping that with a Karofsky victory, the lead would be narrowed to 4-3. 

We've interviewed both candidates.

Elena Bisabarros grew up in the Northern part of Spain in Basque Country. The region is home to a distinct people, culture and language that struggled for years to be recognized in its own right.

“Basque is one of the oldest languages in the world … the culture, the music, the philosophy … is totally different than Spanish,” she explains.

Olive oil is an essential ingredient in Basque cooking. It’s the magic elixir that transforms the potatoes and onions in Bisabarros’s family recipe — tortilla de patatas.

St. Patrick’s Day is typically celebrated through parades and pubs packed with people from the early morning late into the evening — but celebrations will be very different this year.

Ireland has cancelled all St. Patrick’s Day parades and closed the bars through the end of the month to curb the spread of coronavirus. Similar measures have also been taken around the world, including here in Milwaukee.

Lake Effect recently traveled to the Cabot Theatre, a stage in the Broadway Theatre Center that's in the heart and soul of Milwaukee's Third Ward, for its latest Lake Effect On-Site. In this performing arts themed show, we learn how the Third Ward transformed from vegetable warehouses to an artistic hub. It was also Bonnie North's farewell show, marking the end of her 14-year career at WUWM.

Not long ago, black Wisconsinites were less likely than their white and Latino counterparts to die in a car crash.

But a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum titled, "Wrong Way: Black Auto Deaths Up In Wisconsin", found that over the last decade, the number of black people dying from car accidents in Wisconsin each year has doubled. At the same time, the number of white Wisconsinites dying in accidents has substantially decreased.

World War II is the deadliest war in human history with more than 85 million casualties. By 1945, the world was in ruins from London to Hiroshima.

While we hear of battles and heroics by combatant soldiers, there’s another group of servicemen that don’t get as much attention: the people photographing what happened. 

Advertisements are part of our everyday lives – from billboards, to pop up ads and other commercials. But when was the last time you noticed one of Milwaukee’s fading ads on its buildings?

Vintage signs that are hand-painted, manufactured, or done in neon lights can be found all over Milwaukee neighborhoods.