Issues and Ale

Listen to audio from this event below. Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her second “State of the State” address on Wednesday, January 29 th . She called for $3.5 billion in new bonds to fix Michigan's crumbling roads, and new initiatives in health care, early childhood education and more.

Issues & Ale traveled to the west side of the state on Monday, July 23 for an informative discussion covering the concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that many communities there share. On a beautiful summer day on the patio at Perrin Brewing Company, host Lester Graham and a panel of experts shared the science and history behind PFAS contamination in Michigan, as well as some advice for nervous residents. The panel for the evening included: Garret Ellison - Ellison is an environmental reporter for MLive Media Group. He has specialized in reporting on PFAS and their impact on Michigan residents. He teaches journalism classes at Grand Valley State University and holds his bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University. Rick Rediske - Environmental toxicology and chemistry professor at Grand Valley State University and environmental chemistry senior program manager at the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute. His areas of expertise include the fate and

Michigan’s wavering spring weather was in our favor this week as Issues & Ale took the discussion outside for the first time this year. Our panelists and listeners joined us on the patio of J.B.’s Smokehouse in Canton for a discussion on the state of child care in Michigan. Michigan Radio’s Doug Tribou hosted the discussion, bringing his own experience as a father of two young girls who has encountered these issues firsthand. Doug was joined by fellow parents and experts in children’s education and care in Michigan: Annette Sobocinski - Executive Director at Child Care Network – a non-profit organization that supports children, families, and child care providers in Southeast Michigan. Jennifer Crutchfield - Associate teacher at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Children’s Center or NCCC. Ron French - Senior Writer for Bridge Magazine, frequently covering education, politics and public policy issues, including issues related to child care in the state. The audience that

Hosts of Michigan Radio’s That’s What They Say , Rebecca Kruth and Anne Curzan, took over the latest Issues and Ale event in Grand Rapids to discuss an ever important issue to many public radio listeners: language and grammar! The pair led our audience in an educational, enlightening, and often hilarious conversation about everything from the newest slang, to the impact of texting on language, to the ever-controversial, Oxford comma. Quite a few current and former English teachers, folks who learned English as a second language, and language enthusiasts in general (yes, we do exist) came out to join in our ‘Grammar Night” fun over pints. Grand Rapid’s City Built Brewery opened their doors on the Monday night especially for the Michigan Radio event. Our pair of hosts offered up some interesting factoids about their English language credentials: Rebecca shared that she too was one of the teachers in the room, having spent some time as a high school English teacher long before following

The Issues & Ale series was glad to provide a special presentation on March 7 th featuring a visit from our colleagues from the BBC Newhour staff from London. Michigan Radio and BBC fans flocked to The Rust Belt Market in Ferndale to join in a thought-provoking conversation about international and U.S. politics with our panel. Our own Lester Graham hosted the discussion while our visiting guest speakers included... Tim Franks - BBC Newshour host/presenter Jo Floto - BBC Newshour, editor The BBC Newshour is a leading international current affairs program, its staff have been all over the world learning and reporting. On this night, our Michigan Radio audience was able to dig into the wealth of knowledge and international experience that they could offer, giving us some perspective on how the rest of the world sees the U.S. in this moment. Our host Lester jumped right in, asking the key question of the night: “How does the world see American politics today?” Panelist Tim Franks

Gearing up for the State of the State Address on Feb. 12, our Issues & Ale crew gathered Monday, Feb. 4, at Brewery Becker in Brighton to talk about the new administration in Lansing. Over 100 politically engaged listeners packed into the venue for the entertaining night of local and national politics.

Michigan Radio’s Issues & Ale discussion series traveled to Toledo Monday night for the station’s first event of this kind in Ohio. The event took place at Black Cloister Brewing Company and focused on Lake Erie’s toxic cyanobacteria blooms and the safety of Toledo’s water.

Issues & Ale: Seeing Green in Lake Erie Mon, August 20, 6:30-8:00 PM Black Cloister Brewing Company 619 Monroe St, Toledo, OH 43604 In the summer of 2014, toxic bacteria in Lake Erie forced some 400,000 people in the Toledo area (including several communities in southeast Michigan) to stop bathing in or drinking their tap water. Although the past few years have not been as bad, farm runoff and other factors have led to toxic cyanobacteria blooms in western Lake Erie every summer since then. Will voluntary farm restrictions be enough to solve this problem and if not, what else needs to be done?

Michigan Radio’s Issues & Ale team hit the road again Wednesday night. This time, they stopped at Fillmore 13 Brewery in Pontiac to talk about the future of regional mass transit.

Wed, May 9, 6:30 - 8 p.m. Fillmore 13 Brewery 7 N. Saginaw St Pontiac, MI 48342 Transit in Southeast Michigan has again surfaced as a major issue as area leaders have been unable to agree on a regional transit plan. Should Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties all work together to develop rapid bus transit lines and commuter rail, or should car dependent areas focus on maintaining or expanding their network of roads? Join Jack Lessenberry us as he talks with local experts about the future of regional transit. Expected panelists: Chastity Pratt Dawsey - Bridge Magazine Reporter; Leon Drolet - Macomb County Commissioner; Paul Hillegonds - Regional Transit Authority Chair; Megan Owens - Transportation Riders United Executive Director Issues and Ale is an event series from Michigan Radio designed to engage people in conversations about important issues facing Michigan...in an informal atmosphere. Stop by, have a drink, and join in the conversation. Free Admission, but please

Mental illness is an issue that “knows no class, no gender, no race, no geography,” said Joe Linstroth , executive director of Stateside and host of Wednesday night’s Issues & Ale event . He asked the audience – a full house at Jolly Pumpkin Dexter ’s brewery – to raise their hands if they have a personal connection to mental health or mental illness. Most every hand went up.

The many elections of 2018 could stir up a big political year in Michigan. Issues & Ale , an event series from Michigan Radio, hit HopCat in Royal Oak Monday night to discuss the political balls up in the air this year – and why they could spell excitement to come.

Monday, Jan 22, 2018 6:30 - 8:00 pm HopCat 208 5th Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067 2017 was certainly an eventful year in politics, and 2018 promises to be more of the same. We have a race for governor and every statewide office in Michigan up for grabs, open Congressional seats across metro Detroit, key ballot issues, and national mid-term elections to look forward to. Join Michigan Radio Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry, our “It’s Just Politics” team of Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta, and other political experts for our next Issues & Ale event as we re-cap 2017 and look to the year ahead. This promises to be a fun and fast-paced look at Michigan politics and the changes we may see. Stop by, have a drink, and join in the discussion. Free admission, but advance registration is needed. Register here

Monday night’s Issues & Ale event dove into the complicated world of sports – where players kneel during the national anthem, college students get payoffs, and misinformation swells around concussions and other injuries.

Monday, November 20, 2017, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM Zingerman's Greyline 100 N. Ashley St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 What happens when the controversies of politics and the realities of life intersect with the sports we love to watch? Issues like domestic violence, players kneeling for the national anthem, and payoffs to college players have all helped to move stories about our favorite players from the sports page…to the front page. Join Michigan Radio’s Morning Edition host Doug Tribou as he talks with sports experts about some of the controversies facing the world of sports. Joining Doug will be author and Michigan Radio sports commentator John U. Bacon, former NBA player and UM 'Fab Five' member Jimmy King and sports journalist Joanne Gerstner .

https://youtu.be/iHlv0fMwGMs As the sun began to set at Kalamazoo’s Arcadia Brewing on Wednesday night, Michigan Radio’s Doug Tribou started a conversation with pub-goers about the future of public education in our state.

Issues & Ale: The Future of Public Education Wed, Sept. 27, 6:30-8:00 PM Arcadia Brewing Co. 701 E. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Host: Doug Tribou Most people would agree that public K-12 education in Michigan is facing challenges – issues like teacher turnover, budget cuts, and reduced enrollment due to the growth of charter schools. And the most recent Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Report ranks Michigan 41st in the country for education outcomes. Join Michigan Radio’s Morning Edition host Doug Tribou as he talks with education experts about the major challenges facing public schools in Michigan, and potential solutions.

President Donald Trump has announced the United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. If Trump follows through on those plans, the country would pull out of the international agreement in November 2020. So what does that mean for Michigan, both now and in the future? As part of Michigan Radio’s Issues & Ale event series, climate experts gathered on Tuesday night at Bill’s Beer Garden in Ann Arbor to discuss just that.

https://youtu.be/zR_ltOHKWI4 Monday night’s Issues & Ale event plunged back in time to the days surrounding the 1967 rebellion – the historic conflict between citizens and police that led to 43 deaths and thousands of buildings destroyed during five summer days in Detroit.

Tues, Aug. 15, 6:00-7:30 PM Bill’s Beer Garden 218 S Ashley St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 - Free Admission – Host: Rebecca Williams : Reporter/Host – The Environment Report This past June, President Trump fulfilled a campaign promise when he announced that the United States would withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate accord, and end the implementation of carbon reduction targets set under the Obama administration. What are the implications of this decision on climate policy in the United States? And can local governments and the private sector fill in the void left by the federal government?