The Great Lakes hold one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water, but they're facing growing pressures from invasive species, pollution, aging infrastructure and new demands for water. Rebekah Warren and Lisa Wozniak took a closer look at the challenges facing our Great Lakes with Joel Brammeier, President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, on a fundraising edition of "1st Friday Focus on the Environment."

A University of Michigan alum has been named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

A new state initiative is committing nearly $90 million to waterway cleanup. Colin Jackson has more on an announcement Thursday in Detroit.

Toyota has opened its new battery research center near Saline. As Russ McNamara reports, state officials are optimistic it will keep homegrown engineering talent in the state.

The University of Michigan held another town hall meeting on Thursday regarding its proposed high-speed computing center with Los Alamos National Laboratory. And once again, the people of Ypsilanti Township told them they don’t want it built near them. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is continuing to call for a federal gas tax holiday. That’s as Michigan’s average gas price for a gallon of unleaded remains around $4.50. Colin Jackson reports.

The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office responded to a series of 911 calls Wednesday morning in Ypsilanti Township to keep the peace between ICE agents and local observers. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

The University of Michigan has opened a new center focused on improving interpersonal connection. WEMU’s Joshua Nieman reports.

Eastern Michigan University is hosting a two-day conference on the history of Black student activism on campus. The conference is also commemorating the 10th anniversary of 2016 student protests following the murder of George Floyd. WEMU’s Ana Longoria sits down with Dr. Peter Blackmer, associate professor with EMU’s Department of Africology and African-American Studies, to discuss the past, present, and future of Black organizations.

Ypsilanti City Council member Patrick McLean is asking his colleagues to officially come out against city ballot Proposal B, which would require a vote of the public to increase the police budget. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Advocates are pressing Michigan lawmakers to get rid of fees for serving restraining orders. Colin Jackson reports bills to do so are nearing the finish line.

A U.S. Senator from Michigan says Democrats need to have a plan if they retake Congress in November. As Russ McNamara reports, Elissa Slotkin says it’s the only way to move on from the Trump era.