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Many believe the childcare system is broken in Michigan. Inadequate quality and affordable childcare are adversely impacting kids and families and is estimated to cost the state of Michigan nearly $3 billion in economic activity. Etta King Heisler believes childcare is a key driver in community equity. Etta is executive director of Apple Playschools in Ann Arbor and joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the childcare crisis and what needs to be done.

Merrill Guerra is a serial entrepreneur. With a background in music, an MBA and real estate broker’s license, she has led and launched a number of ventures. Her latest, Dragonfly and Birch, features Michigan artists & craftspeople in Manchester’s historic Black Sheep Tavern. Meet Merrill and find out what she’s up to when she joins Deb Polich on this edition of WEMU’s "creative:impact."

Michigan primary elections are just about a month away. This will be the earliest the state has held its primary and marks the first time early in-person voting will be allowed. There is an educational process that needs to take place for everyone, but there is a concentrated effort on getting the student vote out on college campuses around the state. Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale talks with EMU student Naomi Barbour about her work to help the campus community overcome challenges and barriers to voting.

Scientists are both astounded and alarmed. 2023 was the warmest year ever recorded, and it’s not even close. Human-spawned greenhouse gas emissions coupled with a strong El Nino spiked global temperatures. What are the implications and repercussions? And what will 2024 bring? WEMU's David Fair talked it over with the dean of the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan, Dr. Jonathan Overpeck.

We're officially into February, and plenty of movies should keep you warm! WEMU's David Fair chats with Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about the latest flicks and some upcoming special screenings coming to downtown Ann Arbor.

More great films are on the way in downtown Ann Arbor, along with a few musical events, too! WEMU's David Fair talks about what's coming your way with the Michigan Theater's Russ Collins.

Further investing in environmental sustainability will be a part of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s budget for the 2025 fiscal year. The governor is to formally introduce her budget proposal today at 11 AM. WEMU's David Fair invited State Senator Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) to discuss some of what lay ahead in 2024 when it comes to environmental legislation and policy.

Though the residents of the West Willow neighborhood in Ypsilanti Township are predominantly people of color, a document affecting about 196 homes on a parcel in the neighborhood is still on the books that bans anyone who isn't white from living there. In an effort to change that, the New West Willow Neighborhood Association (NWWNA) has partnered with the Justice InDeed project at the University of Michigan Law School's Civil Rights Litigation Initiative to repeal the race-restrictive covenant covering that plat of land. Concentrate Media’s Rylee Barnsdale discusses the work being done to repeal this document with NWWNA president JoAnn McCollum.

The 2nd annual Black History Month art exhibition is on display at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti. This year’s theme is taken from the title of a book written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or community?" The exhibition is sponsored by former State Representative Ronnie Peterson and his wife, Ypsilanti Township trustee Gloria Peterson, and is put forth by the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County. AACHM board chair, Dr. Debby Covington, and Mr. Peterson joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the exhibit and its impacts.

Awards season is reaching its peak, and there's still time to catch the award-worthy films on the big screen! WEMU's Mat Hopson talks about the new flicks and special screenings coming your favorite theaters with Michigan Theater Foundation executive director Russ Collins.