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We interview Democratic candidate for governor David Crowley. Republican candidate Tom Tiffany did not agree to a recorded interview. We detail his positions and list the questions we would've asked him.

For a special drop this Friday, enjoy one of the episodes from season three of Swing State of the Union, WUWM's election podcast. This episode covers immigration, and who on your ballot has power over this issue.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison has 16 acres of gardens to explore as well as a domed conservatory full of tropical and exotic plants.   By day, it’s a lovely place to stroll and enjoy the many plant varieties. But by night, it’s transformed into an art exhibit and light show called GLEAM. It's a unique opportunity to see the gardens illuminated by vibrant colors at night and enjoy several interactive displays that play with the natural beauty of the gardens.  To learn more and help you plan a trip to see GLEAM, Lake Effect’s Becky Mortensen is joined by Missy Jeanne, the Public Programs Manager for Olbrich Botanical Gardens and Amanda Weibel with Travel Wisconsin.

There’s a network of players involved in delivering food to communities in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic a federally funded program called the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program strengthened this network.The program enabled states and tribes to purchase locally produced food, improving regional food systems. It supported farmers and brought fresh food to underserved communities. But the program ended in 2025.   Now, the Wisconsin Food Hub is collaborating throughout the region in its place. Their goal is to create a reliable model to safeguard against funding cuts. WUWM’s Eddie Morales has the story as part of our series “Seeking Solutions: Food Access in Milwaukee.”

2 Chainz is a grammy-winning Hip-Hop artist, known for hits such as I’m Different, Feds Watching, and It’s A Vibe. He’s a businessman, a family man, and most recently, he added author to his list of accomplishments.  2 Chainz’ autobiography, “The Voice in My Head is God,” was released earlier this year. It details the spiritual journey behind his success. The rapper had some help with the book from UWM English professor Derrick Harriell, who co-authored it. Harriell joins WUWM’s Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell to share what it was like working on the book with 2 Chainz.

It’s the start of the spookiest month of the year, and that’s especially true for educator and content creator Geo Rutherford. The UWM grad and Sauk City based artist celebrates every October with her TikTok series “Spooky Lake Month.” In it, she explores the world’s most eerie and unusual bodies of water - including some right here in Wisconsin.   Rutherford’s work was featured in this month’s Milwaukee Magazine. She joins Lake Effect’s Joy Powers to talk about the series and what makes water so spooky.

Up to one billion birds die from building collisions every year in the U.S. In downtown Milwaukee alone — hundreds of birds die from flying into glass buildings each year.  But one local program is working to change that.   Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds, also known as WINGS, has volunteers document bird collisions downtown during spring and fall migration. They bring injured birds they find to the Wisconsin Humane Society’s Wildlife Rehab Center. All of the data WINGS volunteers gather is used to better understand the scale of collisions and help building managers reduce them.   Amanda Tokuyama is the GIS and field data manager at the Urban Ecology Center, and Maggie Steinhauer is the research manager at the Urban Ecology Center. They speak with Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez for this month’s Chirp Chat about the WINGS program.

America’s Black Holocaust Museum & the Wisconsin Black Historical Society have partnered on a new exhibit that opens tomorrow. It’s called: An American Inheritance: The Story of Racist Memorabilia in Wisconsin and the U.S.  The exhibit highlights some difficult images and artifacts in the hopes that people of all backgrounds gain a better understanding of the legacy of racist imagery.  Jamila Benson is the program director at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Brad Pruitt is the executive director of America’s Black Holocaust Museum. They join WUWM’s Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell to talk about some of the things in the exhibit.

Milwaukee Film’s 3rd Annual Dialogues Documentary Festival opens today. Now through Sunday, September 27, more than 30 documentaries are showing at the Downer Theatre and Oriental Theatre.  The festival seeks to open conversations among the community. One of the films showing at the festival is called Heavy Is The Crown. It follows Milwaukee activist, Vaun Mayes, and his work spreading positivity and bringing resources to the community. All while addressing inequities, violence, and strained police-community relations. Mayes joins WUWM Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell to talk about the film.

Whether spoken or written, we've been drawn to poetry and its power to connect us, inspire, and reflect on the human condition.As Bob Reitman’s album "12th House" showcases his spoken word poetry, we wanted to connect three different generations of poets to learn more about what the practice means to them – and to share their work.This poets roundtable is led by lifelong Millwaukeean, musician and poet Bryon Cherry. He's the author of three chapbooks, including ‘death moan.’ Joining Cherry is Jodie Jasim, an Iraqi-American poet, visual artist, advocate and the current Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate. Lastly, there’s Bob Reitman. While he’s best known for his long career in radio, Reitman has been practicing poetry for most of his life.

Have you been chased by a wasp lately? Or maybe you decided to eat indoors in case wasps, bees and yellow jackets want you to share that picnic you’re trying to enjoy? Perhaps you’ve had to deal with a nest near or even in your home.  These insects seem to be everywhere lately – and they’re often stinging those of us who encounter them. So, what’s behind all that activity and when might it come to an end? To find out, Lake Effect’s Audrey Nowakowski speaks with P.J. Leish from UW-Madison's Department of Entomology.

More than a million people visit Stonehenge in England each year. It’s a popular tourist destination, but what if I told you there’s something similar right here in Wisconsin?  While it’s not prehistoric like Stonehenge, Kinstone is a sculpture park that also features massive stones arranged in different circles and patterns.  Kinstone is in the far western part of the state. To help you plan a trip there to see it, Lake Effect’s Becky Mortensen is joined by its founder Kristine Beck and Amanda Weibel from Travel Wisconsin.

Invasive carp has been found near Lake Michigan. It’s been 24 years since Asian Carp were found in the upper Illinois River. Ever since, scientists and environmental groups have been pushing for a way to stop the invasive fish from reaching Lake Michigan.  A year ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started construction on a project called Brandon Road Interbasin Project that would put barriers in place to protect the lake. But the Trump administration abruptly stopped that project in July without explanation. Then the juvenile carp were found in the Illinois River – 80 miles from Lake Michigan – the closest they’ve ever been detected. But just last week, the Army Corps of Engineers announced that work on the barriers would resume.  Joel Brammeier heads the Alliance for the Great Lakes. He joins WUWM Environmental Reporter Susan Bence for an update.

With the measles outbreak in Wisconsin now surpassing one hundred cases, state public health officials are urging people to get vaccinated.   Dr. Freddy Caldera is a gastroenterologist and a professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. He’s written about the importance of community immunity and how immunocompromised people with inflammatory bowel disease, organ transplants and other conditions navigate concerns about their risk during outbreaks.    Caldera joins me now to talk about the measles outbreak and what his research has found when it comes to immunocompromised people. Dr. Caldera, welcome to Lake Effect, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.

“Eat your vegetables,” remains some of the best health advice out there. But it can be especially tough for vulnerable populations or those in food deserts.    A program in Milwaukee is helping people get more veggies by gathering up extra produce from farmers markets so it doesn’t go to waste. Volunteers are then invited to chop it up, cook it and deliver it to those in need of a nutritious meal. As part of our series Seeking Solutions: Food Access in Milwaukee, WUWM’s Maayan Silver brings us the story.