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Paper or plastic? We’ve all answered that question in the checkout line at the grocery store or supermarket. While reusable bags are growing in popularity, plastic bags remain ubiquitous in retail shopping. A movement to start banning plastic bags, or at least charge money for choosing them at the store, was thwarted in 2016 when the state Legislature banned local governments from passing such environmental measures. Now, Democratic State Representative Morgan Foreman of Ann Arbor is working to lift that ban. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the legislation and what it aims to accomplish.

It's here! The 2025 Cinetopia Film Festival starts tonight, and we've got you covered! WEMU's David Fair previews the festival with Marquee Arts cinema programming director Nick Alderink.

The mission of the Ypsilanti-based nonprofit A Brighter Way is to provide mentorship to formerly incarcerated individuals as they return to society. Now, the organization is creating a new housing program for its mentees. A Brighter Way's executive director, Adam Grant, talks all about it with Rylee Barnsdale.

Crisis intervention is a particularly difficult part of law enforcement. It requires a high degree of patience and empathy. Eastern Michigan University's Applied Drama and Theatre for the Young is now collaborating with the Ann Arbor Police Department to develop a new crisis intervention training program for its officers. EMU drama and theatre professor Decky Alexander discusses it in detail with Rylee Barnsdale.

The four-day Cinetopia Film Festival has come to a close and has been declared a success! WEMU's David Fair met up with Marquee Arts cinema programming director, Nick Alderink, to recap the festival and talk about the new films and special screenings coming your way for Memorial Day weekend!

There are a good number of private septic systems in Washtenaw County. Assessments show that nearly half of those systems have exceeded their expected lifespans and could fail in the near future. That would not only threaten the ecosystems of local waterways but also put public health in jeopardy. The Huron River Watershed Council is advocating that the private septic systems be replaced with centralized water treatment systems. WEMU's David Fair talked with the council’s Ric Lawson about what it would take to make that change.

The Ypsilanti Community School District has clarified that school staff will not ask families about their immigration status or voluntarily coordinate with immigration control and enforcement officers. Immigrant students are anxious that, when they get home from school, their parents may not be there. Rebecca Olszewski is the managing attorney at the Ypsilanti office of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. She joined Rylee Barnsdale to discuss how to keep up with the needs of Ypsilanti's immigrant community.

The Trump administration is cancelling or defunding a number of initiatives that have been investing in environmental and energy justice. These are programs that, in some cases, have a direct impact on Washtenaw County. The Biden-era Justice40 program has been cancelled. WEMU's David Fair spoke with one of the architects of that program, Dr. Jalonne White-Newsome, who is the former White House Federal Chief Environmental Justice Officer and is founder and CEO of Empowering a Green Environment and Economy, LLC.

We're halfway through March, and the movies have been springing up like flowers! WEMU's David Fair meets up again with Marquee Arts cinema programming manager Nick Alderink to discuss the latest special screenings and the next round of films landing on the big screen!

As they say, April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring a lot of movie news! WEMU's David Fair got together with Marquee Arts cinema programming director, Nick Alderink, to discuss this week's upcoming films and special screenings.