News

Ann Arbor's city council will meet tonight, and there's one subject that was not originally on the agenda that is expected to be discussed.

Every Monday morning, the executive director of the CivCity Initiative joins WEMU's David Fair  for a conversation on topics pertinent to Washtenaw County and the city of Ann Arbor. Mary Morgan will provide news, analysis, commentary and explain the various ways residents can become more engaged. 

Civil rights groups in Michigan are calling on Governor Rick Snyder to issue a stronger denunciation of comments by a local elected official calling for death to Muslims.

About fifteen swastikas and racial slurs were spray painted at the Veterans Memorial Skate Park in Ann Arbor. 

Several ballot proposals for Michigan’s 2018 election crossed a hurdle Thursday.

Nearly 70 community leaders, many of them Washtenaw County elected officials, gathered today for a policy forum to address the growing need for affordable housing for senior citizens. 

This week's Art and Soul is the Art of Well Being.  89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry is joined by two University of Michigan researchers who wrote the book Awakening Compassion At Work.

Monica Worline and Jane E. Dutton talk about their research into the many benefits of compassion on the job and how that translates into higher employee engagement and productivity.

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair talks to Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about all of the news out of Hollywood and all of the new and returning flicks hitting the big screen this weekend.

Hearings to compensate people who were wrongfully convicted in Michigan are underway.  Only half of the people on Wednesday left with any money.

The solar eclipse, which will be up to 90 percent visible in our area, is quickly approaching.  It's happening early in the afternoon on August 21st, and even though it will begin to look like nighttime in the middle of the day, there have been repeated warnings not to look at the sun during this process!

89.1 WEMU’s Lisa Barry spoke to Michigan Medicine ophthalmologist Dr. Rajesh Rao, who shared safety tips about viewing the eclipse.

89.1 WEMU has forged a new partnership with Concentrate Ann Arbor to highlight some of the positive things taking place in Ypsilanti. The sponsored-project from SecondWave Media is called, "On the Ground Ypsi." WEMU Program Director Patrick Campion will visit with project reporter Brianna Kelly to discuss her observations and interactions while, "On the Ground" in Ypsilanti. 

After decades of foul-smelling and toxin-producing algae blooms, Ford Lake has enjoyed several bloom-less years.  In this week’s “Issues of the Environment” David Fair talks to the man who figured out how to prevent the blooms.  Listen to the conversation with Dr. John Lehman, professor in the University of Michigan’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, about his work to improve water quality on the 975-acre, man-made lake. 

Civil-rights attorney Dana Nessel will run for state Attorney General. 

A Women’s Issues Town Hall is taking place in Scio Township Wednesday to help address the many needs of women and families.  It’s part of an ongoing listening tour gathering feedback from area residents by several elected officials.

State Senator Rebekah Warren, State Representative Donna Lasinski, and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell will be among those participating in the “listening tour town hall.”

89-1 WEMU’S Lisa Barry spoke with Senator Warren about the many challenges facing women today…

Creative industries in Washtenaw County add hundreds of millions of dollars to the local economy.  In the weeks and months to come, 89.1. WEMU's David Fair explores how funding works to support the arts and humanities with the President and CEO of The Arts Alliance, Deb Polich. 

A grassroots group that wants to get an anti-gerrymandering proposal on the 2018 ballot is looking to make progress this week. 

Hundreds of people gathered in Ann Arbor Sunday to show solidarity with the victims and counterprotesters of Saturday's white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor was among those in attendance and spoke about it to 89.1 WEMU's Lisa Barry.

The August primaries are over and the focus shifts to November. That is only a part of the conversation between David Fair and Mary Morgan of the CivCity Initiative in the weekly WEMU feature, "Civic Matters." 

This week, we launch what will be an occasional series that will introduce you to some of the people, places, and things that help comprise who we are as a community.  These are parts of our community that, in some way, are making a difference, and yet, you may not be at all familiar with them.  That’s why this feature series is called “Hidden in Plain Sight.”

Today, we take you to Michigan Ladder Company.  89.1 WEMU's Jorge Avellan spent time with the folks at the Ypsilanti factory that makes products found everywhere from Washtenaw County, to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, to the White House. 

Marijuana legalization could be on the 2018 ballot.  But people in law enforcement have concerns about potential consequences.

A report says troubles at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans are largely resolved.

This week, Art and Soul is about the visual arts in our community.  89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry is joined by Omari Rush, vice president of strategic initiatives for the Ann Arbor Art Center and Olivia Guterson. Guterson is a recruiting coordinator for Duo Security in Ann Arbor and also an artist painting a mural in the company's newest location the historic Allmendinger Building on First Street in Ann Arbor.