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Part I: Ithaca's city owned dams are in poor shape and there may not be enough money in the bank to fix them. There's been little discussion of the matter among Common Councilmembers so far. What does that mean for Ithaca's water supply ... and everyone living downstream?

Part II: Cornell University took the rare move of withholding six weeks worth of union dues after a contract dispute with the union that represents its graduate student workers. The university — and some graduate students — are not happy with the way that the union handled religious exemptions, particularly for some Jewish students.

Editor’s note: transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors. Access it by clicking the transcript button on the embedded player.

Original air date: July 25, 2025

Produced by Megan Zerez.

Reporting by Fernando Figueroa, Jimmy Jordan and Megan Zerez.

Cover photo by Casey Martin.

Part I: An ambitious project to provide permanent supportive housing for some of Ithaca's most vulnerable has garnered renewed scrutiny after an alleged arson attempt last month. The downtown building, Asteri, has also become the subject of a disproportionate number of calls to law enforcement since it opened last year. Now, local officials are seeking accountability. So what's next for the building and its residents?

Part II: Trumansburg's longstanding Grassroots Festival kicked off Thursday. We go back to the roots of the beloved local event with local musician and Grassroots co-founder Jeb Puryear.

Editor’s note: transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors. Access it by clicking the transcript button on the embedded player.

Original air date: July 18, 2025

Produced by Megan Zerez.

Reporting by Megan Zerez and Matt Butler.

Additional episode music: Heaven and The Earth by Donna the Buffalo.

Cover photo by Matt Butler.

Part I: President Donald Trump signed the "Big Beautiful Bill" into law July 4 — and with it, some of the largest ever cuts to federal Medicaid spending. The program provides health insurance for about 15% of Tompkins County residents. Megan Zerez and Ithaca Voice Editor-in-Chief Matt Butler go over the cuts and what they might mean for us locally.

Part II: Potential harms to rural and small city hospitals have been a topic of debate nationally. Matt Butler speaks with Kevin Kerwin, the president of a trade group representing dozens of small hospitals in our region and elsewhere upstate.

Part III: The first harmful algal blooms of the summer have arrived in Cayuga Lake with a bang. Megan Zerez and Ithaca Voice environment reporter Fernando Figueroa talk about what these increasingly common phenomena mean for our watershed.

Editor’s note: transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors. Access it by clicking the transcript button on the embedded player.

Original air date: July 11, 2025

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reporting by Megan Zerez, Matt Butler and Fernando Figueroa.

Cover photo by Casey Martin.

The New York State comptroller is in the process of auditing the City of Ithaca's financial management processes. Meanwhile, the city remains without a credit score and is years behind on its routine yearly audits.

Updated federal flood risk maps were released last month for Ithaca. More properties will require flood insurance, which could drive up housing costs. The city's more renter-heavy, working class neighborhoods could see the largest changes.

Original air date: July 4, 2025

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reporting by Jimmy Jordan and Fernando Figueroa.

Music by Andrii Poradovskyi from Pixabay

Tuesday was primary election day in the first countywide local elections since President Donald Trump's second inauguration. We analyze the races and talk about the winners — and winning issues. However the general election shakes out, county, city and town governments are poised to see significant turnover come January. With looming threats of federal spending cuts on Medicaid and other programs, incoming lawmakers may need to contend with budget shortfalls sooner than expected.

Original air date: June 27, 2025

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reporting by Matt Butler and Megan Zerez.