We look at the tenure of Milwaukee’s last Socialist mayor, Frank Zeidler, and his aggressive campaign to expand the size of the city. We also explore what socialism looks like in Milwaukee today.

Milwaukee Mayor Daniel Hoan became the longest-serving socialist mayor in U.S. history, and redefined life in the city by creating parks, publicly-funded housing and the first modern sewage treatment facility. But it was a tumultuous time for the socialists, who faced local and global pressure over their ideology.

Milwaukee is known for its deep ties to Socialism. It was the first city to elect a Socialist mayor and was the first place to elect a Socialist to Congress. But their rise to power was rocky and their status as a third party often made progress an uphill battle.

We’re exploring the accomplishments of the Milwaukee's three Socialist mayors, where we see their legacy today, and how the party has evolved.

In this episode, we look into what happened after the monumental election of 1910, which propelled the city’s first Socialist mayor into office — Emil Seidel.

The legacy of the Milwaukee Socialists looms large in the city. But the rise of the Social Democratic Party was anything but inevitable. It was a struggle against monied interests, powerful political parties, and a fight for the rights of those whose labor had made others rich.

Milwaukee is known for its summer festivals but none is as anticipated as the Big Gig. Crowds will flock to the lakefront as Summerfest gets underway tomorrow.

To help you plan your first weekend of Summerfest, our friends at Radio Milwaukee are here to share their recommendations. They’ll be joining us throughout the run of the festival to talk about the music and what sets Summerfest apart from other music festivals. Carolann Grzybowski and Anthony Foster join Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski in studio.

June 19th, or Juneteenth, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas learned they had been freed from bondage. It was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, and a city of Milwaukee holiday one year later.

But Milwaukee has been celebrating Juneteenth for much longer -- 55 years. It’s thanks, in large part, to community leader Margaret Henningson and Northcott Neighborhood House, which put on the first Juneteenth celebration in 1971. Henningson says she learned about Juneteenth in a conversation with her grandmother, during a family trip to Georgia when she was a teenager.

Henningson tells WUWM Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell that message came full circle for her when she began working for Northcott in the 1970s.

American Science & Surplus is a Milwaukee staple for many science enthusiasts and DIYers. While its online store has closed, its brick-and-mortar locations in Milwaukee and Illinois, remain open under new employee ownership.

The previous owner, Pat Meyer, started a GoFundMe last year to try and keep the stores open. But when efforts failed to reduce inventory and relocate its warehouse, Meyer stepped down as owner. Now, former store manager Kim Stenglein owns the Milwaukee location. Stenglein spoke with WUWM’s Eddie Morales last December about how a challenging economy is shaping the store’s inventory and future.

As part of WUWM’s Economic Check-in series, Stenglein shares some of the ongoing and new economic challenges the store is facing.

Recent reporting from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looked into Walgreens leases throughout the city.

The reporting found that leases contain terms that restrict pharmacies and other businesses from moving into the stores – even if it has closed. And those leases can last for decades – so long as the company continues to pay rent.

One of the closed down Walgreens locations on North King Drive and West Hadley Street has a lease that was signed in 2009 that lasts until 2084 – preventing new business from moving in. WUWM’s Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell is joined by Chad Venne, a real estate expert, to learn more about these types of leases and their provisions.