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Food, housing, transportation, health care, education—the price of everything is going up and putting a strain on greater numbers of people. The hardship is worse for those who are already living at or under the poverty line. Combating poverty and the challenges that perpetuate poverty through generations is at the heart of the work performed by the Ypsilanti-based non-profit, Friends In Deed. While the need for assistance is growing, so is the resolve to address poverty and related issues. For Friends In Deed Executive Director R. Tyrone Kelsey, the mission is personal. He explains why in a conversation with WEMU's David Fair.

Cinetopia is less than a week away now! WEMU's David Fair gets together with Marquee Arts' own Nick Alderink to chat about the final preparations for this year's festival. Plus, they give a rundown of the newest films and special screenings arriving on the big screen in the coming days!

Starting a new business—even a small business—takes a lot of work and resources. Fortunately, Ann Arbor SPARK East in Ypsilanti is there to provide such resources with its Small Business Support Hub. Lee Van Roth talked all about what the program does for budding entrepreneurs with Ann Arbor SPARK's director of entrepreneurial services, Kristine Nash-Wong.

Are you familiar with pocket forests? These are dense plantings of native trees and shrubs that can influence water movement and soil conditions and improve the environment and ecosystem in a targeted area. There are already some in Washtenaw County, and more are coming. WEMU's David Fair talked about the growing number of small-scale ecological projects with Dr. Heather Chen-Yost, who is a volunteer with the Tree Town Urban Forest Team.

Each month, we partner with the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber to look at how the news of the day impacts the local business community. For this month's "Washtenaw Business Lens," WEMU's Caroline MacGregor was joined by Andy LaBarre, Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations for the Chamber, and Destination Ann Arbor Director of Community Engagement Jennifer Chizek to talk about the upcoming tourism season and what Destination Ann Arbor predicts for this summer and fall.

There's an old saying: "It takes a village to raise a child." Through Ypsilanti Community Schools, an after-school program called "Ypsilanti Community — The Village" builds up the well-being of kids with athletics. Lee Van Roth discussed the program with its director, YCS football coach Mitch Long.

Climate change has brought more unpredictable weather, and that has resulted in more severe storms and more flooding, more dams at risk and that, of course, puts property and lives in danger. Around here, we depend on the Huron River. The Digital Water Lab at the University of Michigan has set a network of real-time sensors to improve water monitoring, flood response and coordination among dam operators. WEMU's David Fair got a lesson in how that works in a conversation with U-M Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Branko Kerkez.

An Ypsilanti nonprofit is directing its efforts to provide programming for youngsters in Ypsilanti that promote positive outcomes in all aspects of life. It’s called Educate Youth and says it's committed to increasing high school graduation rates and working one-on-one to develop a clear post-high school plan. WEMU's David Fair talked with founder and executive director Gail Wolkoff about the successes to date and the challenges ahead.

Cinetopia 2026 is now officially underway! Opening the festival is the documentary "Sons of Detroit," directed by Jeremy Xido. In this special edition of "Cinema Chat," Xido talks about his film with WEMU's David Fair and Marquee Arts' Nick Alderink. Plus, David and Nick will chat about all of the special screenings coming to Ann Arbor!

Eastern Michigan University students spearheaded a recent effort to transform the annual Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition (SEMIS) Community Forum into a zero-waste event for the first time. Thanks to their efforts, 250 pounds of food and other materials were composted, and 165 pounds of unused food were recovered and donated to Ypsilanti-based Hope Clinic, resulting in less than a third of a bag of waste from the event going to a landfill. Lee Van Roth talked about the event and what it may lead to with SEMIS Coalition Director Anna Balzer.