David Fair

If you couple community building with the power of storytelling, perhaps we can build a better world. That’s a big part of the philosophy of the 826michigan organization. It serves the creative young minds in Ann Arbor, Detroit and Ypsilanti and has now moved operations to the campus of Eastern Michigan University. WEMU's David Fair caught up with 826michigan's Washtenaw County Program Manager, Megan Gilson, about the process of engaging the right brain and putting it to work for personal and societal growth.

From classic films to animated treasures, there is a long list of films to take in over the extended Labor Day weekend, and some of them are free! WEMU's David Fair discusses all of your options with Marquee Arts cinema programming director, Nick Alderink.

We’ve had plenty of hot days this summer, but what happens to the environment when concrete and asphalt surface temperatures heat well into the 100’s? Keenan Gibbons and his team at SmithGroup wanted to find out and used drones to study heat patterns along Huron Street in Ann Arbor. The research on heat islands has led to some determinations about how to mitigate impact and help move the city towards its carbon neutrality goals. Gibbons joined WEMU's David Fair to explain the research and its findings.

There is a silver wave underway. The percentage of older adults in Washtenaw County is growing, and forecasts expect that will continue. A good number of our elderly are on fixed incomes or on the low end of the earning spectrum. The costs of goods and services, particularly housing, is going up. How are we going to bridge the gap? That’s a question the Washtenaw Housing Alliance works to answer on a daily basis, including its new Shared Housing program. WEMU's David Fair talked with executive director, Amanda Carlisle about helping our seniors to peacefully age in place.

Are you new to Ann Arbor or starting a new academic journey at the University of Michigan? Well, the Michigan Theater has a special event planned for you! WEMU's David Fair talks all about it with Marquee Arts cinema programming director, Nick Alderink. And they discuss the newest films and special screenings coming to downtown Ann Arbor!

The federal administration has laid off hundreds of staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the impact is already being felt locally and in region. Moving forward, there is the potential NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor could be shut down. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Nicole Rice about where it stands now and where it may be headed. Rice is among those already fired from the lab in Ann Arbor.

2025 marks WEMU’s 60th year as a broadcast radio station. We are celebrating throughout the year with a series of conversations with those who have been instrumental in building the foundation and creating public identity for WEMU. Russ Collins was the longtime executive director of the Michigan Theater Foundation, which is now known as Marquee Arts. And for more than 30 years, he served as co-host of "Cinema Chat" on WEMU. Deb Polich led Artrain and Creative Washtenaw and for years served as host of "creative:impact" on WEMU. Both have retired from all of their positions, but stopped by for a 60th Anniversary conversation with "Morning Edition" host David Fair.

There's still time to catch a good summer flick downtown! WEMU's David Fair chats with Marquee Arts cinema programming director Nick Alderink about the newest films and the latest batch of special screenings coming to Ann Arbor! Plus, the Michigan Theater has something special for any "Deadheads" out there this weekend!

Between 1995 and 2023, the City of Ann Arbor’s Natural Area Preservation (NAP) division coordinated a continuous butterfly monitoring program using trained community science volunteers. Ludovico Behrendt is an environmental data specialist with NAP and conducted a retrospective analysis of this nearly 30-year dataset. He joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the findings on the health of butterflies in the area and what it says about the health of the local environment.

We all need a hand-up sometimes. Some of us need a little more. Since 1949, the Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy has offered that support to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). A court decision in 2024 offered a boost in those services and changed the way the state approaches IDD. But the new federal administration’s policy changes and budget cuts put that progress at risk. WEMU's David Fair talked with the association’s President and CEO, Kristen Columbus, about all of it on this week’s "Washtenaw United".