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Russ Collins is still living it up at the Cannes Film Festival, but there are still has some cinematic surprises for you! Marquee Arts cinema program director, Nick Alderink, fills in and chats with WEMU's David Fair about the world of cinema, including a big red carpet event at the Michigan Theater tonight!

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.

Patrick Dunn has served as managing editor for Concentrate Media. Now, he has new responsibilities as the digital news magazine’s publisher as well. Patrick joined Lee Van Roth to discuss his new role and what that could mean for the future of “On the Ground Ypsi.”

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.

Right now, the waiting list for a space at the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County’s women’s shelter goes about 50-deep. The wait time for those women averages about seven months. That’s why the Shelter Association is undertaking a women’s shelter expansion initiative. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the association’s development director, Sarah Paspal-Jasinski, about the effort to expand capacity by 50%.

Stamina is a required trait in the world of theater! Rachel continues to face and meet the challenge of getting her plays produced. She has also distinguished herself by breaking — wait for it — a Bonneville Salt Flat speed record! Meet Rachel and hear her story when she joins Deb Polich on this edition of WEMU’s "creative:impact."

Ann Arbor will serve as host to the National PFAS conference, which runs June 10th-12th at the Michigan League. Scientists, political leaders and environmental advocates will gather to discuss the best ways forward in dealing with toxic forever chemicals. Among them will be Robert Kerr, who is co-chair of the 2024 National PFAS Conference and Community Leader with the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. He, along with WEMU's David Fair, previews the conference and why it's so important to Washtenaw County and the state of Michigan.

Affordable housing continues to be an issue in Washtenaw County. In Ypsilanti Township, Habitat for Humanity has built 275 new, affordable homes over the past 30 years. After a period in which it focused on renovating existing homes, it is returning to new construction with two new projects in the township. Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley CEO Sarah Stanton checks in with Rylee Barnsdale to give an update on current and future plans to create more affordable housing.

There are underserved portions of our community, and among them are newcomers to Washtenaw County. Immigrants make up an important part of the area's workforce but often struggle to gain a stable foundation on which to build a new life in our country and in our county. WEMU's David Fair talked about the efforts to welcome and support immigrants with Shrina Eadeh of Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer wants to provide big tax incentives to lure new data centers to the state. These centers can be the size of several football fields and are a huge drain on electricity and water supplies. While it may create some new jobs, many say it won't create enough and will negatively impact the state's climate goals. WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, talked it over with Michigan Climate Action Network executive director, Dr. Denise Keele.