Approximately 1.8 million airplane passengers check their luggage, remove their shoes and walk through metal detectors every day in airports across the country. The checkpoints that must be passed in order for each of these passengers to board the steel aircraft are federally mandated—but not for airport employees.

It was a Milwaukee institution for nearly a quarter century and in February of this year, Atomic Records closed its doors for the last time.

After years of declining sales in the music industry and a free falling economy to seal the deal, Atomic Records owner Rich Menning was forced to put his 1913 E. Locust St. storefront to rest and live with its legacy, or so he thought.

This June, just a few months after the well attended “Atomic Valentine” farewell show, held at the Miramar Theatre, a new tenant moved into Menning’s former digs - a head shop with a similar name: Atomic Glass.

As winter approaches in Milwaukee you have likely already turned your heat on, switched out your fall coat for it’s warmer winter alternative, and maybe heated up some soup. However, have you considered a new pair of gloves, a hat, or a scarf? Perhaps you have, but you likely may not have considered making those items yourself…and that is where the ladies of “Loop” come in.

On a warm November night, a group of young men waited outside a video game store on Capitol Drive in Milwaukee.    The entire strip mall was dark.  Every store was closed.  They were lined up to buy a hot new product at the instant it was available the next day.

The video game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” launched nation-wide at midnight on Tuesday, November 10 to long lines across the country, becoming the largest media event in history along the way.

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While many would consider video games mindless fun at best and a negative influence at worst, organizations such as Games, Learning, and Society (GLS), at UW-Madison are working to break that stereotype and explore the educational value of interactive media.

Since the dawn of the Napster era there has been widespread fear amongst music industry insiders that the record store as we know it today is on the path to becoming extinct. Similar to the way that journalists are forced to watch the newspaper industry fall into decline, record store owners have seen a rapid change in the way technology is being used to deliver music to the consumer in recent years.

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Some UW-Milwaukee students brave the cold this fall as long as they can to avoid heating bills during a time of recession. With low temperatures outside already hitting Milwaukee this fall, UWM students are ready to turn on their heaters to be more comfortable at home – but they aren’t all doing it. That’s because some students are not ready to pay the heating bill.

Read the full story by Jessica Gaskey by clicking on "more."

Andy Warhol: The Last Decade His is a name almost synonymous with Pop Art, Warhol. During his last decade of his life, he produced more work than he ever completed during his previous 30 years as an artist. Now, that last decade of work has arrived in Milwaukee. The exhibit, Andy Warhol: The Last Decade, is making its premiere in Milwaukee. The exhibit runs from Sept. 26 through Jan. 3. Following its premiere at the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) the exhibit will head on a national tour.

Self-branding via social media was the main point stressed in the “New Age Networking” presentation hosted by Spreenkler, a social media and design agency, at UWM.

Administrators preparing for a $20 million budget cut at UW-Milwaukee are considering expanding the number of courses offered online to reduce costs and generate new revenues.   This could mean students may pay more of the extra online fees to attend classes from their home. However, university officials say they have also launched a new campaign to bring more returning adult students to UWM by enticing them with the flexibility offered by additional online courses.

Click "more" to read the story by Carl Engelking, FPM staff reporter. Weigh in by taking the poll at right.