WUWM is committed to covering issues our listeners say are top priorities. That includes the economy. As part of that coverage, we’re exploring how the changing economy is impacting Wisconsinites with different financial needs.

We’ve heard from a small business owner, a farmer, and someone looking for work. Now we’ll hear from someone looking for housing. Sharol Britton is 57 years old. In November, she told WUWM’s Maayan Silver that she was living out of her car and hoping to change that. Maayan spoke with Britton in late February at a local Dennys to get an update.

Homeownership is an important part of economic stability for people, neighborhoods and cities. But for many in Milwaukee – owning a home feels out of reach. WUWM has been exploring solutions in our series, Seeking Solutions: Keys to Homeownership.

Today, we’ll tell you about a family business on the city’s northeast side. They’ve created a model for building more affordable and sustainable homes. WUWM’s environmental reporter Susan Bence has the story.

College students in many degree programs are required to take foreign languages. But one listener asked WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal whether colleges in Milwaukee offer African languages to fulfill that requirement.

In her reporting, she found that the nearest African language programs are at UW-Madison. Even though Madison offers several African languages, federal cuts are putting pressure on what they can do.

Katherine is joined by Adeola Agoke, director of Madison’s African Languages Program, and Luis Madureira, chair of the university’s African Cultural Studies department.

The CBS reality show “Survivor” is now in its 50th season. The show has changed since it first aired in 2000, but the basic premise is the same. A group of people live together on an island. They have to survive with very little food, living outdoors in shelters they make themselves.

Each week, the tribe votes out another person. People lie and manipulate, trying to make it to the end for the chance to win a million dollars. Its host, Jeff Probst, has also been with the show since the beginning.

Last Wednesday, Milwaukee Survivor fans got together for a watch party at the Falcon Bowl, where they had the chance to meet some of the show’s contestants, including one who returned for Season 50. His name is Benjamin Wade, but he goes by the nickname “Coach.” WUWM’s Emily Files stopped by to hear from fans and Coach himself about why they think Survivor is still going strong after 25 years.

In this special edition of Lake Effect Spotlight, we bring you a story from Radio Milwaukee about the Black Caucus at the state Capitol. There are 11 Black members of the state legislature, and 10 are members of the Caucus.

While news about ICE’s actions in the twin cities has slowed recently, operations continue. Those operations have also spilled over the state’s border into western Wisconsin. Over the past few months – agents have been detaining people and in some cases, children. To date, this is the most widespread ICE operation in Wisconsin.

Last month, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Sophie Carson spent time around the area talking with community members about ICE’s presence and how the community is responding. She joins WUWM’s Jimmy Gutierrez to share what she found along the Wisconsin-Minnesota border.

Wisconsin is experiencing a surge in sauna culture — new businesses are popping up in parks, on shorelines and in backyards. But heat bathing has been a part of the Upper Midwest culture for over a century — and it’s largely thanks to the Finnish immigrants who settled along Lake Superior.

Bridget Fogarty is a reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and she recently visited a few saunas to learn more about this tradition. She joins Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez to share why more people are sweating through Wisconsin winters together.

Life as an immigrant is commonly clouded by fear and uncertainty. The federal crackdown on immigration this past year has only increased those feelings for immigrants living in our area.

Freelance writer Barbara Miner wanted to share the lived experiences of some Milwaukee immigrants, who make up about twelve percent of the city’s population. Her article in this month’s Milwaukee Magazine shares the stories of DACA recipients, to undocumented parents, asylum seekers and more. Miner joins Lake Effect's Audrey Nowakowski to talk about the piece, and begins by explaining some of the challenges she encountered covering the topic.