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Lake Effect is your connection to the community. We bring you conversations about the people, places and organizations that shape Milwaukee.

PublishesDailyEpisodes405Founded16 years ago
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Society & Culture

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Artwork for Lake Effect

Latest Episodes

Making Milwaukee more resilient after devastating floods last August. How trust in other people might differ by generation. How a historic venue is being transformed into a creative space for young people.

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How trust in other people differs by generation. What longtime Milwaukee radio host Homer Blow has learned in his 35-years-and-counting behind the mic. How Milwaukee’s Third Ward went from nearly a red-light district into a arts and culinary hub.

A new public art installation taking over Milwaukee beaches. Our latest Bar Talk shares some summer drink recommendations. A UW-Milwaukee professor shares her experience researching ocean volcanoes.

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We check in on efforts to make Milwaukee more resilient after devastating floods last August. We visit a music festival that highlights the talent of the Chippewa Valley. We explore a new exhibit of artist Jan Serr’s work.

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Recent Guests

Julie Bowles
UWM Associate Professor, volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Episode: Wednesday 8/5/26: ArtBlaze on the beach, Bar Talk, ocean volcanoes
Adam Boyd
Former Bon Iver manager
Music/Entertainment
Episode: Tuesday 8/4/26: MMSD and the 2025 floods, Eaux Claires Festival, Jan Serr
Joe Kapler
Lead curator
Wisconsin Historical Society
Episode: Tuesday 8/4/26: MMSD and the 2025 floods, Eaux Claires Festival, Jan Serr
Jan Serr
Milwaukee-based artist
Villa Terrace Exhibition
Episode: Tuesday 8/4/26: MMSD and the 2025 floods, Eaux Claires Festival, Jan Serr
Dima Pochdorov
Executive Director of The New State
The New State
Episode: Monday 8/3/26: What Michelin means for Milwaukee's restaurants, The New State, Rhinelander Hodag
Tom Oberhaus
Co-operator of Cozy Nook Farm (Waukesha County)
Cozy Nook Farm
Episode: Friday 7/31/26: Wisconsin's election security, Madison's Independent Police Monitor, Economy Check-In
Edgar Lin
State-level election protection leader, Protect Democracy
Protect Democracy
Episode: Friday 7/31/26: Wisconsin's election security, Madison's Independent Police Monitor, Economy Check-In
Arameek Glass
Independent Police Monitor for the City of Madison
Office of the Independent Police Monitor, Madison
Episode: Friday 7/31/26: Wisconsin's election security, Madison's Independent Police Monitor, Economy Check-In
Teague Whaley-Smith
Chief Alliance Executive of the Community Development Alliance
Community Development Alliance
Episode: Thursday 7/30/26: Madison's Independent Police Monitor, early educator housing, Milwaukee Music Roundup

Hosts

Audrey Nowakowski
Host of Lake Effect
Joy Powers
Host of Lake Effect
Sam Woods
Lake Effect Reporter/Host for Economic Check-In
Jimmy Gutierrez
Co-host/Producer

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 22 ratings
  • Cool

    Podcast Addict
    5
    chrisabraham
    5 years ago

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Tuesday 8/4/26: MMSD and the 2025 floods, Eaux Claires Festival, Jan Serr
Q: Can you recap just how overwhelming that storm was on the whole system?
The MMSD system experienced an extreme rainfall event with multiple peaks; the deep tunnel helped store water, though there was significant overflow, underscoring the scale of the storm and the need for continued resilience measures.
Thursday 7/23/26: Quality of civic life in Wisconsin, Veterans Park lagoon, House of Headlocks
Q: How does Wisconsin rank in this new ranking report?
Wisconsin sits at eighth overall, with strong showings in labor force participation and political participation, though some measures show a downward trend that could affect future rankings.
Wednesday 7/29/26: Wisconsin's election security, Lake Michigan Coast Guard, FBI headquarters
Q: What are the main strategies used to spread misinformation about elections, and how do they affect Wisconsin specifically?
The deception, disruption, and denial framework describes creating a fraud narrative, using legal and administrative pressure to weaken trust, and then exploiting data systems to purge or misclassify voters, with the federal government supporting the push through data sharing and policy moves.
Thursday 7/9/26: 'Keys to Homeownership' and housing affordability
Q: So we're talking about the homes and the need that they're filling. But for someone who's a teacher or early educator out there, how do they qualify?
Educators can apply at housingplan.org/ece, must go through homebuyer counseling and obtain a pre-approval letter around $95k-$100k; most receive down payment assistance and then work with an Axe coach to navigate loan terms and the purchase.
Wednesday 7/1/26: Overstaffing in Wisconsin schools, Immigration and America 250, Midtown Center development
Q: What does your research suggest about how enrollment declines are impacting our workforce shortage and the quality of our schools going forward?
Enrollment declines reduce per-pupil revenue, pressuring district budgets, while staffing grows in essential support areas; the long-term effect may require creative solutions beyond simply hiring more staff, including efficiency, consolidation, and alternative approaches to meeting student needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Lake Effect

What is Lake Effect about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program stitches together local governance, community stories, and regional culture through a Milwaukee lens. Episodes commonly weave investigative reporting with service-area expertise—covering housing policy and tenant rights, public safety and privacy, education funding, environmental concerns, and regional history. A hallmark is translating complex local issues into accessible, human-centered conversations, often pairing policy dialogue with on-the-ground perspectives from residents, organizers, and subject-matter experts. Noteworthy is its recurring emphasis on civic process, public media's role in watchdog reporting, and a strong commitment to community memory—sometimes anchored by archival segments or feature profiles that conne... more

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How many subscribers and views does Lake Effect have?

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Which podcasts are similar to Lake Effect?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Lake Effect:

1. Science Friday
2. The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
3. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
4. Pod Save America
5. On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

How many episodes of Lake Effect are there?

Lake Effect launched 16 years ago and published 405 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Lake Effect?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Lake Effect?

Recent guests on Lake Effect include:

1. Julie Bowles
2. Adam Boyd
3. Joe Kapler
4. Jan Serr
5. Dima Pochdorov
6. Tom Oberhaus
7. Edgar Lin
8. Arameek Glass

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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