Lake Effect

The Legend of Georgia McBride opens Friday night at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. It's the story of an Elvis impersonator who has to change his act when his club hires drag performers to bring in more customers. The show is funny, heartfelt, and full of feathers and sequins.

Lori Hoch graduated first in her class from University of Southern California law school, worked at two of Milwaukee’s biggest law firms, then became in-house counsel for the trust department of Wisconsin’s largest bank. She was on track for a comfortable corporate legal career.

Then four money managers who were starting their own firm asked if she'd be willing to give them some advice. At the first meeting they asked a whole lot of questions about setting up the new company. At the second meeting they had a few more. Then came the big one: Would she run the firm?

A group of manmade chemicals called PFAS, which are found in countless products from food packaging to firefighting foam, is in the news as cases of contamination multiply around the country.

The U.S. House passed a bill this week that would take preliminary steps to regulate the chemicals

In Madison this week, the Wisconsin PFAS Action Council, created to come up with PFAS-coping strategies, held its second meeting.

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side," according to the Star Wars character Han Solo. But philosophy and the need to understand our personal journeys in the world has been a human need for centuries — from the Odyssey to Beowulf.

Losing a pet is always difficult for the people who love them. But it can be even more difficult for the pets who are left behind, as writer J.F. Riordan learned when her dog Reggie passed away. She tells us about it in her essay, “Pete Loses His Wingman:”

This July, the Democratic National Convention is expected to bring tens of thousands of people to the city of Milwaukee — and many Milwaukeeans aren’t sure what to expect.

As part of our Wisconsin 2020 series, we've been asking you tell us what you want to know about the DNC. Now, it's time to answer them. 

President Trump recently came to Milwaukee for yet another rally — to the delight and dread of people in the area. There were protests, as has become the custom. And there were the familiar faces of the “Front Row Joes,” the group of mostly retirees who go from one Trump rally to the next, like Deadheads with a political bent.

So much has changed in Milwaukee over the last decade. Over just the past few years, the Hop streetcar has connected downtown neighborhoods, the Northwestern Mutual Tower has transformed the city's skyline, and the Fiserv Forum has redefined the neighborhood now known as "The Deer District." 

The link between Wisconsin and Luxembourg goes back to the mid-19th century. Belgium, Wis., is home to the International Luxembourg American Cultural Center and has one of the largest populations of people of Luxembourg heritage in the United States. For context, the entire population of Luxembourg itself is less than that of metro Milwaukee. 

Of the many climate crises we face, soil erosion isn’t usually on the top of people’s lists. But it should be. Without topsoil, we can’t grow food. Without food, civilizations collapse.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that our agricultural soil erodes at an average rate of almost 5 tons of topsoil per acre, per year. In contrast, soil regenerates at less than one-tenth of that rate. Farming practices contribute to the loss, as does global warming. But Dr. Jo Handelsman says we can fix it.

Whether you’re participating in dry January or still drinking alcohol, tonics and mixers can be enjoyed regardless. And while Milwaukee is best known as a beer brewing city, more spirit distilleries have made the city home. Top Note Tonic has been here since 2014, adding its artisanal mixers to the growing field.

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month — an effort by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which hopes to shed light on the issue of fetal health. While there are many birth defects which can’t be prevented, with the right care there are steps that mothers can take to make certain birth defects less likely. 

Birth defects include a wide array of issues, including both mild problems and life-threating conditions. 

The first thing you notice about Door County singer-songwriter Katie Dahl is she’s pretty low key. She doesn’t call a lot of attention to herself before she opens her mouth to sing. But once she does sing, you can’t help but be mesmerized. Her voice is rich and clear, and her songs evoke such a sense of people and place.

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? If you’re like many people, your determination to exercise more, eat healthier, lose weight, or get better rest isn’t as strong as it was on Jan. 1. By the second week of February, about 80% of people who made resolutions have failed.

Wisconsin’s fight over a potential purge of voter registrations has garnered national attention. The issue began with a lawsuit brought by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative law firm based in Milwaukee. The group, also known as WILL, sued Wisconsin’s Elections Commission after it recommended waiting until 2021 to deactivate the registration of voters who may have moved.