WUWM

People who have endured childhood abuse or battlefield conditions often suffer from PTSD. And they often find it difficult to set the trauma aside — even long after the traumatic event(s) end. "Trauma-informed care" is a newer treatment protocol that takes a patient's past trauma into account to help them feel more comfortable and in control.

Trucks, SUVs and crossovers — oh my. What's a poor sedan to do?

There was a time when sedans were king of the roads. If you needed more cargo room, you bought a station wagon. But those days are long gone. Trucks, SUVs, and crossovers have reigned supreme, basically, since the gas shortages of the 1970s.

But sedans have been quietly doing their thing this whole time, getting us from point A to B without any fanfare besides the occasional headline. And while there are fewer choices these days, the remaining ones have upped their game to stay competitive.

Driving the wrong way on the highway can be devastating. Crashes involving wrong-way drivers on the freeway are some of the most catastrophic due to their head-on nature and high speeds.

At a press conference Tuesday, Wisconsin State Patrol Lt. Nathan Clarke called wrong-way driving on the highway an “epidemic” throughout the state of Wisconsin.

"Wrong-way drivers typically when they crash cause horrific vehicle crashes out there resulting in fatalities, serious property damage, or personal injury events," says Clarke.

Some cities are embracing the idea of edible urban forests. Food Forests have taken root in places like La Crosse, Wis., and Seattle, Wash.

Now, a Milwaukee advocate is trying to create a 2.2-acre version. Barbara Richards hasn't chosen one of the city's many empty lots, but one of its most popular areas – the Park East Corridor, just north of downtown.

Wisconsin is again leading the nation in farm bankruptcies, as it has several times in recent years. But some of those people still farming say they’re determined to succeed.

The American Farm Bureau Federation has announced that 45 farm bankruptcies were filed in Wisconsin between July 2018 and June 2019. The Federation largely blames low milk prices.

After years of working day and night in his family’s businesses, Craig Culver decided he wanted to get out of the restaurant industry. But a four-year stint at McDonald’s corporate headquarters — first as a management trainee, then store manager — got him interested again.

Imagine MKE’s enthusiasm for its mission can be summed up by the opening sentence on its website: “Let’s Imagine Milwaukee as the world-class arts and culture city that it is.”

For the last year, The 730 Project has shown photographs taken in the two blocks surrounding 730 North Plankinton Avenue in downtown Milwaukee. It is no coincidence that, that happens to be the address of photographer Dick Blau, the creator of the project.

Since 2009, Blau has taken hundreds of photos of the area, revisiting this familiar subject in many different ways.

Shopping malls in the U.S. are facing an uphill battle. As online sales have boomed over the past decade, traditional, brick and mortar stores have seen declining profits while rents have risen.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers doubled down on talk of gun control last week. He called Republican concerns over bills that he is pushing "BS," and said he may call the Legislature into special session to take up the measures.

One measure Evers is thinking about proposing would require universal background checks on gun purchases in Wisconsin, and the other would establish a so-called red flag law.  

The news has been full of stories on tariffs and immigration, and how both are affecting the economy. These aren’t topics our wine contributor, Ray Fister, typically talks to Lake Effect about. But he says these national and international policies will show up as higher per bottle prices for the consumer.

One of the biggest changes coming down the pike are with California labor laws that take effect next year.

The wealth gap in the U.S. is large and it's only getting larger. In May, Forbes reported that in 2018, the richest 10% held 70% of total household wealth, up from 60% in 1989. And in June, the Brookings Institute reported that the top 1% alone holds more wealth than the entire middle class. 

Lake Effect essayist Tom Matthews thinks that needs to change.  

Nearly 4,000 people die from drownings every year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That’s about 10 people a day. But the racial and ethnic disparities within those drownings are equally alarming.

The CDC has found that swimming pool drowning rates for black youth ages five to 19 are 5.5 times higher than whites in the same age group.