With the holidays around the corner, many Wisconsinites are purchasing a Christmas tree. But fewer trees are being grown. Statewide, Christmas tree harvests have dipped 60% in the last 20 years. This rate of decline in Wisconsin is about double the national average.

Possible reasons include the popularity of artificial trees, a dip in production after the Great Recession, and weather-related setbacks. Steven Potter is a freelance reporter for Milwaukee Magazine. In this month’s issue, he wrote about how Wisconsin’s Christmas tree suppliers are adjusting. He spoke with Lake Effect’s Sam Woods.

This holiday season, many of us are looking for things to do with the family -- including trying out new restaurants. And if you’re looking for a great new place to try, Lori Fredrich has you covered.

Fredrich is the dining editor for On Milwaukee, and she regularly joins us to talk about new Milwaukee-area restaurants and reminisce about old favorites that have recently closed. She joins Lake Effect’s Joy Powers to share more.

It’s difficult for many people to buy a home in Milwaukee, even if they have a stable job. WUWM is examining the systemic problems that contribute to this challenge – and some potential solutions – in our series called “Seeking Solutions: Keys to Homeownership.”

Today, we look at how redlining has created barriers to homeownership for people of color. Redlining was a discriminatory practice that labeled homes in Black and brown communities as too risky for loans. WUWM’s Eddie Morales spoke with Dr. Kirk Harris. Harris is a UW-Milwaukee professor and director of the Center for Equity Practice and Planning Justice.