WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

06/12/2026

Wisconsin sailor and Midwest Women’s Sailing Conference instructor Tyann Zehms ( is preparing for the journey of a lifetime — a 750-mile boat race from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska.

To qualify for the race, Zehms must first complete a 40-mile challenge in 36 hours — without calling for a rescue. If she completes that challenge, she’ll make it to the main event, starting June 17. She says the journey should take her just under three weeks.

“I'm not going to sail at night,” she says. “I'm not going to try to charge crazy weather. I'm just going to keep it easy, keep it simple, keep it safe. So if that all goes to plan, it'll probably be about 18, 20 days.”

If Zehms gets first place, she stands to win $10,000. If she gets second place, she'll receive a set of steak knives. The race has just a few rules: 1) She can’t be followed by a support boat, and 2) her vessel can’t have a motor on board.

Read or listen to the full story at WUWM.com

06/12/2026

Midwest Women's Sailing Conference instructor Tyann Zehms is preparing for a 750-mile boat race from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska, starting June 17.

Midwest Women's Sailing Conference instructor Tyann Zehms is preparing for a 750-mile boat race from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska, starting June 17.

06/12/2026

Some Bubbler Talk questions lead to history. Some lead to mystery.

One listener wanted to know whether the Pfister Hotel is really haunted.

The answer takes us through a legend that the hotel is built on land that had once been graves, a long list of baseball players who've described strange occurrences at the hotel and stories from celebrities who say they've had ghostly encounters there.

Ghost or no ghost, listen to the full story at WUWM.com/BubblerTalk. 👻🏨

06/11/2026

As Esmir Bajraktarević represents Bosnia in the World Cup, his Wisconsin roots are shining. This is how the Appleton-native became "Milwaukee Messi."

06/11/2026

The commission that oversees the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District has authorized an audit of Veolia, the company that runs the MMSD's two wastewater treatment plants. MMSD and its operations will also be investigated.

Whistleblowers – two who went public – and over a dozen more – are accusing Veolia of treating employees and equipment poorly; impairing plants ability to properly treat wastewater.

On Monday, the commission voted unanimously for a third-party audit in response to issues raised by whistleblowers.

The MMSD and Veolia have been mired in controversy since April 30. That’s when the first whistleblower, Steve Jacquardt spoke out, alleging Veolia is mismanaging the MMSD’s wastewater treatment plants.

Jacquardt held a high position at MMSD for nearly 20 years, as intergovernmental coordinator.

For weeks, he and members of the advocacy group Common Ground have been calling for an audit of Veolia.

Their wish came true when commission chair Corey Zetts signaled a special MMSD commission meeting.

Read or listen to the full story at WUWM.com

06/11/2026

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.

06/11/2026

David Tomblin, the founder of Highgrove Holdings and subject of our series "How to Evict Your Landlord," stands to lose over 80 of his properties.

David Tomblin, the founder of Highgrove Holdings and subject of our series "How to Evict Your Landlord," stands to lose over 80 of his properties.

06/10/2026

Milwaukee residents and officials want to see changes to wastewater management and flood response efforts before another historic storm hits.

Milwaukee residents and officials want to see changes to wastewater management and flood response efforts before another historic storm hits.

06/10/2026

David Tomblin, founder of Highgrove Holdings and the landlord at the center of our "How to Evict Your Landlord" series, just lost control of about one-third of his properties. In a lawsuit brought by U.S. Bank more than a year ago concerning nonpayment toward a $6.8 million loan, 86 of Tomblin's properties will be put into receivership.

This is a different receiver and a different case from the City of Milwaukee's receivership lawsuit. In that lawsuit, the city is asking the court to put an additional 138 properties into receivership, as the city attorney alleges Tomblin's business model is a public nuisance.

This decision does not directly affect the city's case, and the city attorney had no immediate comment. Common Ground and former Highgrove tenant Deshawn Harris noted that today's decision shows Tomblin's promises of future funding are unlikely to materialize and that he is unable to abate the nuisance alleged in the city's lawsuit.

06/10/2026

Soccer is "the world’s game," but there are reasons why it’s been slow to pick up in the U.S., including in places like Milwaukee. Brillantes soccer on Milwaukee’s south side works exclusively with girls, for little or no cost.