Stateside: Recent Episodes
Michigan Radio
Conversations that matter to Michigan. Each weekday, host April Baer will bring you stories from people across the state—from policymakers in Lansing, to entrepreneurs in Detroit, to artists in Grand Rapids.
To access full episodes and individual story segments, please visit michiganradio.org.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
A couple from Muskegon, who started dating in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, shared the story behind the special rocks that became a symbol of their love.
GUESTS:
Maggie and Ben Reinhard
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
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For many a Michigander, Petoskey stones are way more than just a cool looking rock. They’re a physical reminder of happy memories of Michigan summers past. The Petoskey shares a name with the Northern Michigan city, but their distribution–and the story they tell us about our state’s ancient history–is a lot bigger. On this episode of On Hand, we talk to a couple of rockhounding experts about everything you need to know about our state stone.
GUESTS:
Scot and Jennifer Wack, co-authors of Rockhounding: A Beginner’s Guide to Rock Hunting Around Lake Michigan and co-owners of the NorthPort Trading Post
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
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A listener shares his story about the lessons in tenderness, abundance and connection a forgotten cherry tree gave him.
GUEST:
- Andrew Harmon originally from Rockford, MI but spent many of his young adult years living in Grand Rapids. He now lives in Boston, MA.
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
Online Submission Form
Call us: 734-764-7840
Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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Come July, cherries are everywhere here. Sweet. Sour. Deep maroon, golden yellow and even blush pink. Michigan is the second largest grower of cherries in the nation and we're home to the National Cherry Festival. But why?
In this episode we tell you the story of our favorite little stone fruit, the cherry. How did it get here? And how did Michigan become synonymous with cherries?
GUESTS:
Chris Reiser, president for the Peter Dougherty Society.
Nikki Rothwell, 2025 Cherry Industry Person of the year and Michigan State University's extension specialist in tree fruit integrated pest management.
Jim Eckerle, farmer and owner of Eckerle Farms in Leelanau County & Suttons Bay.
Zach Eckerle, grandson of Jim Eckerle and future owner of Eckerle Farms.
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
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Several of you reached out to argue for adding Lake St. Clair as a 6th Great Lake (or 5th if you count Huron and Michigan as one). On this episode, we hear about one man's love for this "heart-shaped" lake — and the song it inspired him to make. Plus, a story about life in the straits of Mackinac.
LYRICS:
Lake St Clair (Make Her Great)
By Guy Sferlazza
In a world that rewards hate
She has always been great
And worth more than a billion billion billion billionaires
She surrounds us with her love
How many years
and still she’s young
Mother Earth produced the jewel of Lake St Clair
We didn’t have to make her great
She’s the heart of all these lakes
See it for yourself if you dare
When the sun is coming up
There’s an ocean full of love
From sea to shining sea,
And she is there
All the service to this land
all generations
the grand lake
Of the sweet fresh water sea
Bathed in beauty
We, the people shall decide
Make it plain in broad daylight
That’s a great lake
that you may have never seen
We proclaimed her a great lake
on this very day
come out and see her here
There’s no compare
In this crazy mixed up world.
Take a break from the absurd
find out what she’s worth
Great Lake St Clair.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
- Guy Sferlazza, Shelby Township resident and musician
- Candace Smith, owner of Tours Around Michigan
Cover image credit: Adam Yahya Rayes
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are Michigan and Huron separate lakes – or have we been counting the Great Lakes wrong?
There may actually be four Great Lakes: “Lake” Huron and “Lake” Michigan could actually be considered “lobes” of one big lake — big enough to unseat Lake Superior as the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area.
We hear two takes: one from a scientific perspective, and one from a cultural perspective.
GUESTS:
Eric Anderson, director of hydrologic science and engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.
Eric Hemenway, humanities program manager for the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability.
Cover image credit:
Aaron - stock.adobe.com/302750092
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
MANY of you wrote in to say that the reason the roads are seemingly always in terrible shape in Michigan is because of truck weights - and the fact that Michigan often doubles truck weight limits from those of federal guidelines. Today we're hearing and feeling your anger, and talking to an engineer about what heavy trucks do to roads, and why it's only one part of the equation for road conditions.
GUEST ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Craig Atwood, managing director of Allegan County Road Commission
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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Are Michigan's roads really so bad that we need to be repairing them all the time? What's really going on with our orange-barrel forests? For this episode of On Hand, we tackle a listener's question about road repairs by talking to two actual road engineers. We'll also get externally-verified facts about road quality, and hear some real talk about road politics in Lansing. We even bump into someone who started her own guerilla road crew.
Guests:
- Hamtramck resident Maritza Garibay
- Brent Schlack, Director of Engineering, Washtenaw Road Commission
- Adam Lape, Director of Operations, Washtenaw Road Commission
- Lauren Gibbons, Bridge Michigan reporter
- Adrian Hemond, CEO, Grassroots Midwest
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For many Michiganders, Up North begins at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge. One listener defends the Upper Peninsula as true north. And another listener says the southern border of the mitten is also Up North for many people.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
Ken Raisanen, retired teacher and lifelong Upper Peninsula Michigander
Keith Baker, City Manger of Coldwater
Want to submit your own story or question to On Hand? Do it here!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's a great Michigan debate; what is the line or the place that marks the end of the southern part of the state and the beginning of that mystical land we call Up North?
The answers vary from emotional to philosophical. But there's also an ecological answer that helps us better understand why we feel different when we go Up North.
Check out the Michigan Natural Features Inventory website for a ton of cool stuff about our natural world.
GUESTS ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
- Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan
- Joshua Cohen, lead ecologist with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory at MSU Extension
Got a question you'd like to have answered on On Hand? Submit your questions about Michigan here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many of us have a road that's more than a line on a map—it's a memory. Maybe it’s the street you grew up on or the dirt road that leads you to a cottage Up North.
For listener Tom Topolski, it’s Lake Michigan Drive.
GUEST:
- Thomas Topolski, Hudsonville resident
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
PHOTO CREDIT: City of Grand Rapids Archives and Records Center
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If you’ve ever gotten directions from a metro-Detroiter, you have probably heard a ‘9 Mile’ or a ‘10 Mile Road’ mentioned. Or maybe even the most famous of them all: 8 Mile. But where did all these boring road names come from? And how did they become a kind of cultural shorthand in the region?
GUESTS:
Paul Sewick, amateur Detroit historian and part-time Lyft driver. Check out his blog Detroit Urbanism here.
Jeff Horner, professor in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at Wayne State University
Jamon Jordan, Detroit historian and lecturer in history at the University of Michigan Residential College.
Cover photo courtesy of the Archives of Michigan
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We recently weighed the costs and benefits of Michigan's bottle bill. Today, a listener shares just how much the 10-cent bottle deposit meant to Central Michigan University students in the 70s.
GUESTS:
- Andrea Haupt, listener
- Michael Lehnert, listener
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is it really worth our time to haul returnables to the store for just 10 cents each? And is it worth it for Michigan's recycling industry to maintain a bottle deposit system when we already have curbside recycling?
- See Shelie Miller's "Comprehensive Ealuation of MIchigan's Bottle Deposit System" here
- Read more from the Container Recycling Institute here
- See a Reloop and CRI study about the impact of bottle deposits on beverage sales here
GUESTS:
- Susan Collins, president of the Container Recycling Institute
- Shelie Miller, Jonathan W. Bulkley Collegiate Professor of Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan; co-director, Center for Sustainable Systems
Cover photo by April Van Buren
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In last week's episode, we dug into the history of euchre and whether the quintessential Michigan game was actually created in the mitten. Turns out, not quite. The trick-taking game came to the Midwest — including Michigan — through farmers who visited New Orleans and Pennsylvania and came in contact with Alsatian immigrants, from a region along the Rhine River where France and Germany meet. The Civil War also helped spread the game across the country.
From the 1700s to today, the way we play euchre has evolved in countless ways and we heard from some of you on how you've managed to make the game your own.
Today, we’re sharing your euchre stories.
GUESTS:
- Keith Kim, an Ann Arbor resident who in college managed to skip doing the dishes countless of times by winning a few rounds of euchre
- Eric Farnum from Grand Ledge is one of the masterminds behind what he and his friends liked to call "Bastard Euchre"
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
Online Submission Form
Call us: 734-764-7840
Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For many Michiganders, euchre (pronounced yoo-kur) feels like a quintessentially Michigan game—but was it actually created here? Long story short, no. But the story of how the trick-taking game made its way to the Mitten state and became one of its most popular card game is an interesting one.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
Jamie and Becky DeVries, hosts of monthly euchre tournament at Oakestown Brewery in Grandville, Michigan
Steven Zink, retired IT professor at the University of Nevada and unofficial euchre historian
Want to submit a question to On Hand or a story about a game of euchre? Here’s how:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michigan is the only state in the country with two distinct peninsulas. How did it come to be this way? We share an episode of the Points North podcast that digs into the history of our states boundary lines. They story of our peninsula "up north" actually begins with a boundary dispute down south - in Ohio.
- Find a transcript of the episode here
- Check out more episodes of Points North from Interlochen Public Radio
GUESTS:
- Ryan Schnurr, producer, assistant professor in the Department of Humanities and Communication at Trine University
- Ted Long, author, local historian, and storyteller based in Toledo, OH
- Marty Herschock, professor of history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn
Cover photo from: AlgerCounty.gov
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rory McHarg was so intrigued by the trout label on Bell's Two Hearted Ale he tracked down the artist and made a documentary about him. The film is screening in Traverse City May 1-2, 2026.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Rory McHarg, filmmaker, A Two Hearted Tale
Take our Michigan Beer Quiz to test your knowledge.
Have a question or story for On Hand? Submit here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ask just about any beer drinker in the state and they will tell you their favorite Michigan brewery and craft beer. That's because our state has many high-quality breweries to choose from, often ranking high among all states for craft beer culture. But why? And how did it get like this? We break down Michigan's beer history.
Take our Michigan Beer Quiz to test your knowledge.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
Mickey Lyons, journalist, historian, and "barcheologist"
Terry Rostic, founder of Black Calder Brewing Co.
Larry Bell, founder of Bell's Brewery
Got a home brewing story? Are you John Stroh? Have a question for On Hand? Submit here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One listener shares memories of going to Angelo's Coney Island through the pages of his journal. Also: Patti Smith's Lafayette meet-cute, and your emails.
Have a story for us, or a question about oh-so-Michigan things?
Bring it on!
Here's our easy-to-use submission form.
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Ask 10 different Michiganders where the best coney is and you'll get 10 different answers. But where does this dog with meat sauce come from, and why do we call our diners Coney Islands? We dig into the debate about who does coney dogs best, and dig deep into the coney history.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
- Damon Smith, coney enthusiast, TikTok and IG content creator, westside Detroiter with an opinion
- Katherine Yung, journalist and co-author of a book called Coney Detroit
- Joe Grimm, journalist and co-author of Coney Detroit
Got a late-night Coney Island story? A family coney dog tradition? Want to submit a question to On Hand or a story about Michigan's political history? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
Coney picture: Flickr user Steven Depolo/Flickr
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West Michiganders Kate Lynnes once ran as a Democratic candidate for Congress against GOP incumbent Rep. Vern Ehlers, in an era when the district was deep red. Lynnes and Ehlers had a fine and cordial repertoire, but during a debate their distinct positions on whether medical marijuana should be legal made their political differences glaringly obvious.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
Kate Lynnes, west Michigan resident and former Democratic candidate for Congress
Want to submit a question to On Hand or a story about Michigan's political history? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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"Under the oaks" of Jackson, Michigan, is a birthplace of the Republican Party. But is it THE birthplace? Ripon, Wisconsin, lays claim to the founding of the political party started by abolitionists. But the Jackson Historical Society has the receipts in favor of our Michigan community.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
Maurice Imhoff, president, Jackson Historical Society
Linda Hass, author and vice president, Jackson Historical Society
Want to submit a question to On Hand or a story about Michigan's political history? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We recently dug into how the robin become Michigan's state bird, and why it hasn't changed in nearly 100 years. Today, we reveal the result of our state bird poll, and hear from a listener who witnessed the circle of life unfold among the bird gathering at her neighbor's backyard pond.
GUESTS:
- Tracey Walker, West Michigander
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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The American Robin is our state bird - but why? You can find Robins everywhere, including most states in the U.S. So should we reconsider our state bird and pick something more unique to Michigan? Like, say, the Kirtland's Warbler? A debate!
- Vote in the On Hand state bird poll here!
- Check out our other state symbols here
- Read about the Kirtland's Warbler Alliance, a nonprofit devoted to protecting the species
GUESTS:
- April Campbell, retired M.D. and bird enthusiast based in Ann Arbor
- Jen Owen, former director for the Michigan State Bird Observatory and center coordinator for Corey Marsh Ecological Center.
- Frances Heldt, archivist for the Archives of Michigan
Cover photo by Lester Graham
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the last episode of On Hand, we dug into why people in Michigan say “ope.” And we found that “ope” likely traces back to European immigrants who settled in the Midwest—long before Midwesternisms were ever a thing.
Since then, we’ve heard from a few of you who say our Michigan way of speaking is about much more than just “ope". Today, we’re diving into the Michigan accent, in all its glory.
GUESTS:
- Sue Merritt, a Michigander-turned-Californian-turned-Michigander again
- Laurie Van Ark lives in Holland, and her family’s roots in Michigan go back to 1866
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
Online Submission Form
Call us: 734-764-7840
Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you live in Michigan, you’ve probably heard someone say the word “ope” more than once. Linguists suggest that the term dates back to the very first European immigrants in the Midwest region but how. On this episode of On Hand, we go back to where we first learned about words and speak with a language expert about the origins of “ope” and why we use it.
GUESTS:
- Katie Howell, Kindergarten Teacher at Buchanan Elementary School, Grand Rapids Public Schools
- Kindergarteners at Buchanan Elementary
- Betsy Sneller, Linguist at Michigan State University
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
Online Submission Form
Call us: 734-764-7840
Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the last episode of On Hand we theorized that ranch first collided with pizza in Michigan, and maybe even at a high school in Ann Arbor in 1992. Why not?
Well one listener, Junebug Harris, says we got it all wrong. He and his wife, Rio, were both dipping pizza - and everything else - in ranch in their high school cafeterias (Northville and Royal Oak, respectively) in the 1980s.
Here's further evidence that Michigan teenagers started the pizza/ranch trend - in the mid 1980s - probably because high school cafeteria food wasn't great, but the ranch was on point.
Junebug and Rio are musicians with a rockabilly band in southeast Michigan. Check them out!
GUESTS:
- Sean "Junebug" Harris, Gen X pizza/ranch pioneer
- Rio Scafone, Gen X pizza/ranch pioneer
- Arrow, Gen Z pizza/ranch legacy inheritor
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
Online Submission Form
Call us: 734-764-7840
Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are a couple things we know for sure:
1) Michigan is the chain pizza capital of the world.
2) Michiganders love ranch dressing and all creamy dips.
So, then, isn't it logical that the pizza-and-ranch phenomenon started in Michigan? We dip as deep as we can into this tangy question, with a crossover episode from Dough Dynasty, our limited-run series on American chain pizza history.
GUESTS:
- Wesley Taylor, ranch-with-pizza proclaimer
- Scott Wiener, NYC pizza tour leader and pizza historian
- Alex Beggs, freelance food writer
- Vicki Haber, Hidden Valley Ranch brand experience lead
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
Online Submission Form
Call us: 734-764-7840
Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It turns out that black is not the only unique color you’ll find on Michigan squirrels. We talked to John and Teri Flory about the furry neighbor they called “White Squirrel.” Plus, listener Carolyn Shalhoub tells us about a mischievous squirrel who tried to steal Christmas.
You can find some REALLY cute pictures of White Squirrel here.
GUESTS:
- John and Teri Flory, Wyoming residents
- Carolyn Shalhoub, Royal Oak resident
Want to submit a question or story to On Hand? Do it here:
Online Submission FormCall us: 734-764-7840Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Squirrels aren’t a particularly exotic animal. The fluffy rodents are native to 49 out of 50 states. But there’s something that makes Michigan’s squirrels a little different–and it’s their color. Research suggests the state is part of a kind of Great Lakes “black squirrel belt.” On this episode of On Hand, we go looking for black squirrels–and talk to an evolutionary biologist about why Michigan has so many.
(Tile photo by Corey Seeman. Check out more of Corey's black squirrel photos here.)
GUESTS:
- Brad Cosentino, Professor of Biology Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- Corey Seeman, University of Michigan librarian and squirrel photographer
- Jerry Wade, Detroit resident
- Gabrielle Riley, Detroit resident
- Kenny Stebner, Traverse City resident
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
Online Submission Form
Call us: 734-764-7840
Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One of the reasons the word "Kalamazoo" shows up in so many lyrics is because it's just a fun word to say. Rapper Jamall Bufford writes a freestyle around "Kalamazoo" and talks about creative writing in music.
- More music from Jamall Bufford, a.k.a. Buff1
GUEST: Jamall Bufford, rapper and lyricist
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are dozens of songs that are titled "Kalamazoo" and more still that mention the southwest Michigan city. It's been that way since the early days of music recording, and "Kalamazoo" continues to find its way into songs. Why, though? We dig into this question, with a multipronged answer that takes us through an American musical legacy.
- Here's a brief playlist of songs that mention "Kalamazoo"
- Here's a brief playlist of famous uses of Gibson guitars
GUEST: Paul Russell, musician (who wrote a song called "Kalamazoo")
GUEST: John Thomas, law professor, historian, and author of Kalamazoo Gals
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Have a story about Kalamazoo's musical legacy? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
EDITOR'S NOTE: In the original version of this episode of On Hand, the song "Sweet Child O' Mine" from Guns N' Roses is used as an example of a Les Paul guitar. Slash's solo, while iconic, was played on a Les Paul replica, rather than a Les Paul.
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The high-intensity beef between Michigan and Ohio State is well-known as the biggest rivalry in college football. We found a story to remind us that even at the height of the conflict, the two teams' legendary coaches weren't always at war. Jeff Weiss, a Michigander who grew up in Bowling Green, tells the story.
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The feud between coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler shaped the way many modern fans think about The Game. But The Rivalry has been fueled by events by much earlier elements, dating back to the founding of the Western Conference in the early 1900s. We trace the history of the rivalry, and the way it's shaped the players and the game.
- See archival footage of Ohio State and Michigan here
- See a timeline here
GUESTS:
Michael Rosenberg, senior writer for Sports Illustrated; author of War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest
Tyrone Wheatley, coach for the Wayne State Warriors football team; former running back for the University of Michigan; former NFL player
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In response to our episode on the Michigan Dogman, listener Linda Alice Dewey of Leelanau County wrote to us about her supernatural encounter that originated from a secluded, cemetery in Glen Arbor. The interaction resulted in a spirit driven book written by Dewey and co-authored by a ghost.
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Blissfield resident Matt Menchaca put forth this question: is the Michigan Dogman real? On this episode of On Hand we learn the history behind the Michigan Dogman and how one podcaster uses his platform to create a safe place for traumatized witnesses.
GUESTS:
- Rachel Clark, education specialist with the Archives of Michigan
- Vic Cundiff, host of Dogman Encounters Radio
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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In Michigan sometimes when we are driving and we want to turn left we have to turn right first and it turns out that quirky traffic design can help prevent car crashes. Most people call it a Michigan Left or a Michigan U-Turn. But there are some Michiganders that have another name for it: the Banana Turn.
GUESTS & SIBBLINGS:
April Van Buren, producer for On Hand,
Chris Van Buren, attorney living in New York City
Find last week's On Hand episode here.
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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In Michigan, the left turn isn’t always a left turn. At certain intersections, you find yourself doing something counterintuitive. You turn right first in order to turn left. That's the notorious Michigan Left, but why does it exist?
GUESTS:
- Betty Nelson, 2025 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition
- Kirk Steudle, former head of the Michigan Department of Transportation
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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For a lot of us, Michigan’s iconic pop brands are tied into special memories from childhood. Maybe your mom would always give you Vernor’s when you had a tummyache. Or you can still remember the Faygo ads that played during your Saturday morning cartoons. Or you have fond memories of the Towne Club pop shop. We talked to one Michigander about the role that pop played in her childhood--and why she still loves those nostalgic flavors today.
GUEST:
Bobbie Bain, lifelong metro Detroiter
Find last week's On Hand episode here.
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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Pop has long been the accepted Midwesternism for a sweet carbonated beverage. But could that be changing? On this episode of On Hand, we dig into the history of the pop vs. soda debate—and take a look at Michigan's linguistic preferences today.
GUESTS:
- Steve Stamenkovich, national accounts manager for Intrastate Distributors, Inc.
- Steven Clark, quality assurance manager at the Intrastate Distributors bottling plant
- Anne Curzan, University of Michigan professor of English and co-host of the That’s What They Say podcast
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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Matt Parker brings us a summer camp story about a childhood friend's tumble down the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The incident resulted in bloodstained shirts and an ambulance ride.
- Find last week's episode of On Hand here.
- Find Ride of Passage, a podcast about Matt Parker's journey across the country on horseback, here.
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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We learned what goes into a rescue at the Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, what situations require a rescue, and how to not need one yourself. Plus, a secret hack if you want to experience the "dune drop" in a less intense way.
- See pictures of the old and new signage here
- Check out our handy travel map here
- Learn more about the Pierce-Stocking Scenic Drive (and #9 Overlook) here
- Learn more about the Dune Climb here
GUEST: Mike Kohl, preventative search and rescue ranger
Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:
- Online Submission Form
- Call us: 734-764-7840
- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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Chad Livengood is a Michiganian. Like... he's never going to be a "Michigander". It doesn't ring true to his ear, and his employer, The Detroit News, doesn't recognize "Michigander" in it's style guide - it prefers "Michiganian". And it's this commitment to style that landed Livengood at odds with Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Here's Chad's Off Hand story.
GUEST:
Chad Livengood, politics editor, The Detroit News
Now we want to hear from you!
Do you have a highly specific Michigan story to tell? Tell us about it!
What questions do you have about Michigan? We'll investigate! Submit them here.
Or drop us a voicemail, if picking up a phone doesn't freak you out: 734-647-7840
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Poll after poll shows folks in Michigan prefer to call themselves "Michiganders" rather than "Michiganian". Why, though? Why did we start calling ourselves something so strange? Are we just a bunch of Michi-geese? It all started with a slave-holding senator, his run for president, and a run-in with Abraham Lincoln.
We've got the goods answering all your burning Michigan questions, beginning with our statewide identity.
GUEST: Jamon Jordan, official historian, City of Detroit
Now we want to hear from you!
Do you hate being called a Michigander and prefer Michiganian? Tell us about it!
What questions do you have about Michigan? We'll investigate! Submit them here.
Or drop us a voicemail, if picking up a phone doesn't freak you out: 734-647-7840
Like this kind of local content? Support Michigan Public.
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The team that produces Michigan Public's Stateside introduces a new podcast answering listener questions about our weird and wonderful state! Our first few episodes will answer:
- Why do we call ourselves "Michiganders"?
- How many people need to be rescued from Sleeping Bear Dunes every year?
- Why we say "pop" instead of "soda"?
To submit your own questions, or share a story, fill out our handy form!
To find more On Hand episodes, head to: michiganpublic.org/onhand
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund
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The Stateside Podcast is taking a summer break as producers prepare a new podcast project that's all about Michigan. You can download or stream the new Stateside On Air podcast, which is the full daily show broadcast on Michigan Public. Stay subscribed here for our relaunch at the end of summer.
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There is something special about strawberry season in Michigan: that brief moment of the year when we trade the pale gigantic plastic clamshell berries for the sweet, deep red jewels of in-season strawberries. On this episode, Chef Abra Berens is back with a recipe that gives those summer strawberries the respect they deserve.
GUEST:
Abra Berens, cookbook author and culinary director at Granor Farm
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Whitefish populations in the lower Great Lakes have been declining for decades. Bridge Michigan environment reporter Kelly House joined Stateside to discuss what’s threatening the iconic fish, and what could be done to save them.
GUEST:
Kelly House, Environment Reporter at Bridge Michigan
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This summer, the Scripps Howard Fund gave Detroit Free Press reporter M.L. Elrick an award for his column “On Guard”, in which he publishes all manner of exposes, in the muckraking tradition.
Back in 2009, Elrick and his colleague Jim Schaefer shared a Pulitzer prize for covering corruption in the administration of then-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Elrick is also the creator of a student journalism project called Eye on Michigan at MSU.
GUEST:
M.L. Elrick, journalist, Detroit Free Press
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For a pilot, ejecting mid-flight is always a bad scenario.
Lt. Kegan "Smurf" Gill narrowly escaped from a fighter jet traveling 695 miles per hour, approaching the speed of sound. It’s the fastest survived ejection in naval aviation history.
“I have a very clear linear memory, right up to the point where I pulled the ejection handle, and after that I have no linear memory,” he said about the experience. “But over the course of the years, I'd gotten a lot back in flashbacks, which were often night terrors. So maybe not the most pleasant way to remember something, but that gave me some insights into what had happened.”
A former Naval fighter pilot, Gill flew a training exercise off the East Coast in 2014 when his F/A-18 ran into trouble. His subsequent injuries, including head trauma, changed his life forever.
Gill wrote about the experience and aftermath in his new book “Phoenix Revival: The Aftermath of Naval Aviation's Fastest Ejection.”
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Everything you hear on Stateside is made possible by listener support. Please become a member today and help keep Michigan Public strong.
In the wake of the U.S. military airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, an Iranian-American scholar at the University of Michigan-Dearborn reflects on how public perception of Iranians has evolved alongside U.S. relations with the country over the years.
GUEST:
Camron Amin, professor of Middle East Studies and Iranian Diaspora Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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As the weather heats up in Michigan, so does the excitement of the Ann Arbor District Library's 15th annual Summer Game. We talked to AADL library director Eli Neiburger about the origins of the beloved tradition and how it's changed through the years.
If you're already a Summer Game fan, we've got a treat for you! Enter the word 'STATESIDE' as a summer game code to earn 500 points. You can also text the code to (734) 327- 4200 to be signed up for the game and start earning points.
GUEST:
Eli Neiburger, director of the Ann Arbor District Library
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Detroit Tigers are the best in baseball right now. Yes, that's right.
GUEST:
Rogelio Castillo, Tigers beat writer and podcaster
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Movement, Detroit’s long-running techno music festival made its way back to the city last month. Dynamic sounds and energetic tempos could be felt miles away from Hart Plaza as massive crowds danced their way through Memorial Day Weekend.
Headlining this year’s festival was Carl Craig, a Detroit music producer, DJ, and founder of the record label Planet E Communications. Last year, a documentary film that chronicles the artist's life, Desire: The Carl Craig Story, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. This year, the film was screened at a pre-party to the music festival, ringing in the vibrant celebration of techno.
“Most people don’t get a chance to see their lives before their eyes until a near-death experience. So I’m totally happy to see these things. These friends, family members, everyone in front of my face,” said Craig.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Carl Craig, music producer and DJ from Detroit
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This year Mackinac Island celebrates a big milestone; it's been 150 years since it was named a National Park. It was only the second space given that designation in the nation, behind Yellowstone. Mackinac Island is a State Park these days, and it enjoys a rich and intriguing history that creates a sense of timelessness. Today we explore some of the chronology that take the island from Anishinaabe fishing community, to Revolutionary War outpost, to the carless, fudge-filled spot it is today.
GUEST:
Craig Wilson, Mackinac Island Historic Parks
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969 brought attention to the harassment and violence that LGBTQ+ people faced in America. But it wasn't just America that was paying attention. We talked to an assistant professor at Michigan State University about how Pride celebrations have evolved in Mexico—which saw its first Pride celebration in 1979.
GUEST:
Alejandra Márquez, assistant professor of Spanish at Michigan State University
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Immigrant advocates in Grand Rapids say ICE tried detaining people at routine check-ins. Now, immigrants face a difficult choice: show up and risk arrest, or stay home and break the law.
GUEST:
Gema Lowe, volunteer organizer with the immigrant rights group Movimiento Cosecha GR
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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You may be wondering why you haven’t seen swarms of mayflies yet. Cold water temperatures have delayed their arrival—but don’t worry, they’re on their way. Experts predict the mayflies will begin hatching in Michigan over the next couple of weeks.
GUEST:
Richard Merritt, former entomology professor at Michigan State University
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Scholar and poet Shonda Buchanan grew up in Kalamazoo with a deep love for Nina Simone. Her new book, The Lost Songs of Nina Simone, captures the singer's spirit in a unique blend of poetry, memoir, and historical reflection.
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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A UM student who has been active in the pro-Palestinian protest movement on campus, says he was followed by apparent plainclothes private surveillance teams contracted by the university. And he has video to prove it.
GUEST:
Josiah Walker, UM student
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Maykol Bogoya-Duarte is a Detroit high school student, who was just 3.5 credits away from earning his diploma when he was pulled over by Rockwood police for alleged tailgating. Bogoya-Duarte, who was already under an active deportation order and planning to fly back to Colombia with his mother, was detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement during the May 20 traffic stop. He had hoped to finish his high school diploma by the end of this year, but now faces imminent deportation. We talked to Bogoya-Duarte's attorney and a reporter about the student's case, and what it can tell us about the bigger picture for undocumented students in Michigan.
GUESTS:
Hannah Dellinger, Chalkbeat Detroit reporter
Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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How Lansing native Terk Brunk, aka Sabu, changed wrestling and became a global sports hero for Arab Americans
GUESTS:
Shaffee Abraham, former radio host and ring manger for Sabu
Khalil AlHajal, Deputy Opinion Editor at the Detroit Free Press
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Senate may soon vote on a federal budget packed with President Trump’s priorities. The bill passed the house last month with major changes to Medicaid. Michigan’s Republican representatives argue these aren’t “cuts” – they say that they’re “protecting” Medicaid by removing “waste, fraud and abuse.” These changes, whatever you call them, could result in millions losing Medicaid coverage by 2027, according to estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Nearly two million Michiganders, including many people with disabilities, are enrolled in eMdicaid. State officials may be left with the choice to let many people lose coverage or make cuts elsewhere to cover losses in federal funding.
GUESTS:
Amanda Rhines, director for Disability Network Lakeshore and member of the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council
Terry DeYoung, board president of Disability Network Lakeshore and former disability concerns coordinator for the Reformed Church in America
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Alex B. Hill is the principal of DETROITography, an organization that provides data resources for city residents.
"You know, I have Detroit maps in the back of my head. I've made so many of them. And the Great Lakes, I've lived here forever, but I hadn't ever really made a map of the region," Hill said.
As a cartographer and information designer, Hill focuses on Michigan locations, offering new perspectives for understanding these areas.
His new book, "Great Lakes in 50 Maps," explores our freshwater features and the surrounding land, highlighting how this relationship impacts how people live.
"As I was thinking about this book, I realized how much the Great Lakes are a part of all of us," Hill said. "We're 90 percent water. We are the Great Lakes; we just walk around!"
The book includes maps featuring indigenous names for the lakes, treaties, and land rights associated with the Great Lakes, historical Underground Railroad stops, and shipwrecks in the inland seas, among other topics.
Hill is also the author of "Detroit in 50 Maps."
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The regents of University of Florida had already offered Ono the gig, and he had accepted. But the larger governing body - the Board of Governors - rejected that plan as pressure mounted from Republican lawmakers and influential voices decried Ono as too liberal.
At the meeting on June 3, 2025, the members of the Board of Governors peppered Ono with questions about his record of support of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. DEI programs have become a target of the Republican Party under President Donald Trump. Ono halted DEI programs at U-M after Trump took office this year.
Ono told the board members this week that he stood by his decision to walk away from DEI.
"My evolution over the past 18 months or more... has really focused on my personal experience seeing DEI programs - that were started with all good intensions - what impact they've had on campuses," said Ono.
Board members also pushed on Ono's handling of pro-Palestinian campus protests, and questioned whether he came out with enough forceful support of Israel in the days after the Oct. 7th attack in 2023. Conversely, many pro-Palestinian supporters on campus and in Ann Arbor railed against Ono while president at U-M for being too supportive of Israel and for continuing university investment in Israeli businesses.
The Florida Board of Governors rejected Ono's appointment by a 10-6 vote. It's unclear what Ono will do now.
His departure from U-M came after three difficult years, in which the university was challenged on multiple fronts.
The reason and manner of Florida’s apparent rejection are also historic, and say a lot about this moment.
Today, we’ve invited back Jamal Watson, editor of the online journal, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education to explain what happened and what's next for Ono.
Watson is also a Professor of Strategic Communication and Public Relations at Trinity Washington University.
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The mistrial in the criminal case against former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr, who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya, has left the Lyoya family vowing to continue seeking justice through civil court. Some legal experts argue that police training and the difficulty of convicting officers played a key role in the hung jury decision.
GUEST:
Ekow Yankah, Associate Dean for Faculty and Research and holds the title of Thomas M. Cooley Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. He's also a professor of philosophy at the university.
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Abra Berens, cookbook author and culinary director at Granor Farm in Three Oaks, offered a risotto recipe that works as the perfect catchall for your farmers market finds this spring.
After you hear her tips, find the full recipe below:
Spring Risotto
This risotto can absorb any random spring vegetables like asparagus or ramps even baby carrots or radish. I just slice them thinly or into a small dice and then add in place of the peas. The broth is a great way to use up old parmesan rinds, but isn’t strictly necessary.
- 1 onion, sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cup risotto rice
- 8 cups water, parmesan broth, or stock, brought to a boil
- 2 cups shelled peas, fresh or frozen
-
1 lemon, zest and juice
-
In a large frying pan, heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat
- Add the onion and garlic with a hefty pinch of salt and sweat until soft but not browned
- Add the wine and reduce until dry
- Add the rice and toast for a couple of minutes
- Add a ladle full of hot liquid to the rice and stir continuously until the liquid is absorbed
- Continue with an additional ladle of liquid and stir until that is absorbed
- Continue adding ladle after ladle of liquid allowing to absorb fully between additions
- When the rice is 90% cooked, add the peas and an additional ladle of liquid
- Finish with the lemon zest and juice along
- Taste and adjust seasoning as desired
- To serve finish with a hefty glug of olive oil and any herbs or pea shoot over the top
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The City of Dearborn is buying or parcels of land along an industrial stretch on the south end of town. The idea is to turn this strip into a green park buffer between industry and residential, in order to tamp down pollution of all sorts.
GUEST:
Ali Abazeed, public health director, City of Dearborn
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Detroit artist Akea Brionne uses a digital loom to create painterly tapestries rooted in the Black experience. Her fresh approach to an age old craft recently earned Brionne accolades, and a $50,000 prize, from the Knight Foundation. We sat down with the Louisiana-born artist to talk about how she blends history and technology–and the stories she’s telling in her work.
GUEST:
Akea Brionne, Detroit-based artist
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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For decades, many Michigan farmers have relied on the herbicide Roundup for weed control. But the federal government has two conflicting policies that may affect whether they can continue to use this highly effective - and dangerous - product. At issue is Roundup’s active ingredient – glyphosate.
Environmental Reporter Keith Schneider is senior editor and chief correspondent at Circle of Blue. He recently wrote about the long history of research on this product’s carcinogenic properties, all the while its maker says the product can be used safely as directed.
Today, we’ll be talking with Keith about Michigan’s most popular farm herbicide, it's health risks, and how it’s regulated.
Background reading:
Conflict Over a Blockbuster Farm Chemical
RFK Jr. tells farmers, GOPT not to worry about his report targeting pesticides
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A deep dive into the history of contamination by the Gelman plume in Ann Arbor. We hear about how it started, its impacts to water and human health, and what's being done about it today.
Michigan Public's Elinor Epperson dug deep into the history of the Gelman plume.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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It's festival season! As Detroiters prepare for Movement this weekend, we revisit a conversation with the festival's founder, DJ Carl Craig.
Read the original story here.
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Carl Craig.
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Planned Parenthood of Michigan closed four clinics this year.
Kate Wells, health reporter for Michigan Public, explained why operational costs and the loss of Title X funding may be the biggest threat to abortion access. She also discussed the role telehealth services have played in changing the reproductive care landscape, particularly in rural areas.
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Malcolm X would have turned 100 years old today. We revisit a series of conversations about why Americans so often overlook Malcolm X when it comes to Black History Month celebrations and formal education spaces.
GUEST:
- Ven Johnson, the attorney representing flood victims in Gladwin, Midland, and Saginaw counties, is involved in a lawsuit accusing the state of intentionally delaying the legal process and avoiding accountability.
Also heard on this episode:
- Mid-Michigan dam restorations are picking back up, with residents to pay nearly $218M from WCMU Public Media reporter Teresa Homsi.
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Malcolm X would have turned 100 years old today. We revisit a series of conversations about why Americans so often overlook Malcolm X when it comes to Black History Month celebrations and formal education spaces.
GUESTS:
- John Aerni-Flessner, associate professor for the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University
- Kidada Williams, associate professor of African American and American history at Wayne State University
- Herb Boyd, Detroit writer, journalist, and activist
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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When Rachel Blistein couldn't find hair products that worked for her curly texture, she took matters into her own hands. Mixing formulas in her kitchen, she launched Original Moxie. It’s a hair care company rooted in Ypsilanti, Michigan, focused on sustainability while celebrating diverse hair types.
In addition to the non-toxic and environmentally friendly ingredients, Blisten decided to ditch the plastic containers. That was right before the COVID pandemic. She described her research into sustainable alternatives as "falling down a rabbit hole."
“It was just really a personal desire to shift to a more sustainable solution. I wasn't thinking about increasing our profits,” Blisten said. “I was just hoping we'd break even, in the transition.”
Listen to the interview to hear more about the ups and downs of growing a values-driven beauty brand rooted in Michigan.
You can learn more about Original Moxie here.
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If you have little kids under ten who tune to PBS on a regular basis – its likely you know about Wimee’s Words. The PBS children’s show that reaches 30 million homes around the country is originally from Grand Rapids. It features Wimee the Robot, an animated puppet, who teaches kids about science, technology, engineering, art and math.
GUESTS:
Michael Hyacinthe, creator, Wimee's Words
Wimee, robot star of Wimee's Words
Want to support shows like Wimee's Words and Stateside? Sign this petition at Protect My Public Media or you can donate to Michigan Public or your local PBS!
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Five Black and Latino teenagers were wrongfully convicted of raping and brutally assaulting a white woman in 1989. The boys’ legal case gripped and divided the nation, and symbolized systemic injustices within the legal system for communities of color. All five men were exonerated over a decade later.
Detroit Opera brings the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera The Central Park Five to audiences on May 16 and 18. Award-winning director Nataki Garrett talked about bringing this powerful piece to the stage, and why it’s so relevant for audiences right now.
“I love that we're doing this opera in Detroit, which has a significant black population, because there are parts of this story that are a part of our collective consciousness, both through memory but also through experience,” Garrett told Stateside.
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Jeffrey Seller is one of the biggest Broadway producers. Beyond ‘Hamilton’ and ‘Rent,’ Seller’s work has grossed billions of dollars. The 60-year-old Tony award winner is nothing short of a living Broadway legend. But before the spotlight, Seller was another Michigan theatre kid – an outsider everywhere but school play rehearsals. Seller's new memoir, Theater Kid: a Broadway Memoir, explores the path that took him to Broadway.
GUEST:
Jeffrey Seller, Broadway producer and author of Theater Kid
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Ever feel the need to get away?
Perhaps, to a galaxy far, far away?
Michiganders did just this past May the 4th. Every year for two weekends a warehouse in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood gets converted into a Star Wars universe. A small army of do-it-yourself artists, makers, and fun-seekers transform a half-block of space into, well, outerspace.
The detail is otherworldly – streetscapes closely resembling Tatooine (otherwise known as Luke Skywalker’s home planet), stucco storefronts, dust-covered tents, and cosplay Mandalorians decked with helmets, breastplates, and blaster pistols.
Space Dive takes place atTangent Gallery, generally around May 4. There are still tickets available for this weekend’s events.
Star Wars attire is mandatory, as declared by the Empire.
GUESTS:
- John Dunivant, co founder of Space Dive
- Daniel Land, cofounder of Space Dive
- Eric Heerspink, Grand Rapids ceramist
Check out photos from the event here.
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A mistrial was declared when a jury in Grand Rapids failed to reach consensus on the conviction or acquittal of Christopher Schurr, the police officer who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya.
GUESTS:
Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Public
Michelle Jokisch Polo, Michigan Public
To listen to full episodes of Stateside, head over here.
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Ann Arbor Writer Michelle Yang came to the states as a child, after growing up in a Chinese family in South Korea. Her debut Memoir, Phoenix Girl: How a Fat Asian with Bipolar Found Love, is a warm, engrossing story of becoming unmoored, and finding connection and community, even as she’s fighting with fierce cultural pressures about her own body image and identity as a woman.
GUESTS:
Michelle Yang: author, Phoenix Girl: How a Fat Asian with Bipolar Found Love
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Students at East Kentwood High School interviewed their family members about their immigration stories in a project marking the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. They will be sharing those stories this week at events celebrating West Michigan's Vietnamese American community.
GUESTS:
- Le Tran, art teacher at East Kentwood High School
- Christina Le, junior at East Kentwood and one of the student speakers at GR Stories event
EVENT DETAILS:
GR Stories: This is our home now, 50 years of building community after Saigon
- May 7 @ the Grand Rapids Public Museum, 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
50 Years After Saigon: Vietnamese Stories of a New Home
- May 9 @ The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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A look back at Santa Ono's career in higher education thus far, and what's been particularly challenging about high education administration in the last several years.
GUESTS:
David Jesse: senior writer, Chronicle of Higher Education
Jamal Watson, PhD: editor of "Diverse: Issues in Higher Education," professor of Strategic Communication and Public Relations, Trinity Washington University
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Scarab Club has played an important role in Detroit’s arts and cultural scene for more than a century. But like many other Detroit arts lovers, the club’s new gallery director first stumbled into it by chance.
On today’s pod, we’re going to be talking to Scarab Club gallery manager Donna Jackson about her approach to community engagement–and the profound impact the Detroit arts scene has had on her own life.
GUEST:
Donna Jackson, gallery manager at the Scarab Club
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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A new storytelling event in Grand Rapids called Unfiltered aims to bring people together through the sharing of experiences in and around the city.
Similar to the format of The Moth, Unfiltered features folks in and around Grand Rapids sharing stories about first loves, scary job interviews, weird interactions in grocery stores, make-or-break moments of adversity, and more. Storytellers are invited to tell a 12-minute story around a common theme.
Raul Alvarez, lead organizer for the event, initially pitched this idea to a group of friends with whom he regularly met for drinks. They were all excited to help plan a storytelling event, he said.
“They went to work, and we had no clue what to expect,” Alvarez said. “It was kind of a prototype, but all of a sudden it sold out.”
While Alvarez said storytelling might be a bit scary at first, because it involves a certain level of vulnerability, the community hasn't backed down.
“Now, we have the second sellout, which tells us it is a movement,” Alvarez said. “We want to keep it going, because there's a lot of stories out there. We already have stories that have been submitted for a future [event].”
The next Unfiltered is May 2, 2025 at the Four Star Theater, in Grand Rapids. The theme is “You Can’t Make This S*** Up!”
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Back in September 2024, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged seven Pro-Palestinian protesters for allegedly defying orders from University of Michigan public safety officers. The individuals were charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor, and for resisting arrest, a felony.
In this episode we break down why the U-M Pro-Palestinian protestors want AG Nessel off the case.
GUEST:
Beenish Ahmed, journalist at Michigan Public
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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We are a time and place in America where more children of Holocaust survivors are with us than survivors themselves. In some ways this is the lens through which many Americans understand how the Nazi regime murdered 6 million Jews in the 1930's and 40's.
Sassa Akervall's mother survived the Holocaust. She shared part of her family's story in the book, The Ones Who Remember: Second-Generation Voices of the Holocaust. It was published in 2022 by members of Temple Beth-Emeth in Ann Arbor and contains a collection of essays telling the stories of the children of Holocaust survivors.
- For more information on the book, go to secondgenerationvoices.com
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Daria Burke’s life wasn’t easy growing up. Her parents split up, and her mom struggled with grief and addiction, forcing Burke to take on adult responsibilities at a young age.
Years later, she became a marketing executive in the beauty industry. Her hunger to understand her own mind led to a season of deep self-investigation, resulting in a new book, Of My Own Making: A Memoir.
Burke joined us to talk about the book. She'll be in Detroit May 13 for an event with Fresh Air’s Tonya Mosely at the Detroit Public Library.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Dish, Stateside's spinoff podcast for Michigan foodies, met up with Eric Kinsler-Holloway, the baker and businessman behind EK's Cheescakes.
More than a decade ago, Kinsler-Holloway turned to baking as a way to rebuild his life after several run-ins with the law. He's since turned his life around, and runs a humble but thriving cheesecake bakery based in Milan, Michigan.
- Read his full story here.
Subscribe to The Dish on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen to podcasts!
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West Michigan author and preacher Jeff Chu took the long way to the seminary. And once he got there, faith led him farther than he expected back out into the world. It all started with a compost pile on the seminary farm.
On this episode, we’ll talk to Chu about his new memoir–titled Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand–which details his journey into community, stewardship, and love of the land.
GUEST:
Jeff Chu, journalist, preacher and author of Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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President Donald Trump wants Michigan automobile manufacturers to move entire supply chains to the U.S. And he’s put steep tariffs on the automotive industry in an attempt to spur that change. But many of these manufacturers are taking a wait-and-see approach because of the administration's constantly changing policies, and the cost associated with moving production.
After President Donald Trump’s 25% automotive import tariffs went into effect on April 3, a report from Reuters estimated auto sales could decline by two million.
GUESTS:
Dr. Jeff Rightmer, Associate Professor of Teaching in the Department of Global Supply Chain Management, Mike Ilitch School of Business, Wayne State University
Kate Magill, lead editor of Manufacturing Dive and Supply Chain Dive
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Ecorse, about 15 minutes south of Detroit, is facing major financial challenges. The city could run out of cash by the end of this month. On this episode, we hear how Ecorse ended up here—and its options for digging itself back out.
GUEST:
Louis Aguilar, Wayne County reporter for the Detroit News
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The city of Dearborn is launching RX Kids, a financial assistance program aimed at providing thousands of dollars for expectant mothers and their newborns. The program first begun in Flint and has expanded to Kalamazoo and several other counties in the Upper Peninsula.
GUEST:
Abdullah Hammoud is the mayor of the city of Dearborn. He announced the launch of the program in Dearborn during this year's State of the City address.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Since Michigan legalized marijuana more than five years ago, cannabis has become pretty visible in everyday life.
Dispensaries are everywhere, you can get marijuana in the form of candy and baked goods, and the industry is generating billions of dollars every year. But there’s also growing concern about how that normalization is affecting kids.
A record number of Michigan kids were hospitalized last year for cannabis, according to the state’s poison control center. In the last five years, they received about 1,500 reports of kids under the age of six being exposed to or ingesting CBD, THC, or other cannabis products.
We’re talking with Michigan Public reporters Kate Wells and Adam Yahya Rayes. They’ve been digging into what the numbers tell us, talking to parents, doctors, and people in the cannabis industry about why this is happening.
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With vaccine hesitancy and measles infections rising among children in the state — some parents are concerned. Here's what you should know about the virus and how to protect against it.
GUEST:
Dr. Rebecca Schein, a pediatrician specializing in infectious disease and a Michigan State University assistant professor, is paying close attention to the measles cases in the state.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Singer-songwriter May Erlewine’s new album offers a different side of an artist known for warm, intimate lyrics and bespoke acoustic arrangements.
But the qualities that draw fans into May Erlewine’s music are still here, just with a less-compliant exterior.
What It Takes is the second album she’s made with friend and producer Theo Katzman, of the post-funk band Vulfpeck.
Erlewine has been thinking about the chaos of the moment and the moral choices she feels compelled to make.
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Jaden Jefferson is 17-years-old and a senior in high school in Toledo. He's also a seasoned reporter, who has interviewed big name politicians like Elizabeth Warren and Tim Walz. Jefferson recently talked to Stateside about how he started his journey as a journalist at just 11-years-old, and what he has learned as the youngest reporter in the room.
GUEST:
Jaden Jefferson, Toledo-based journalist and host of the Behind the Byline podcast from the Toledo Free Press. You can find him on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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A Michigan Supreme Court is considering who has the rights of a frozen embryo created using in-vitro fertilization after a couple gets divorced. The case involves Sarah and David Markiewicz who turned to egg donation and IVF to have children. Since 2019, the couple has been at odds on what would happen to their remaining embryo and after five years of legal battles the state's highest court is deciding on the matter.
GUESTS:
- Bonsitu Kitaba, a deputy legal director at the American Liberties Union of Michigan, co-author of an amicus brief filed in support of David Markiewicz.
- Ben Carpenter, associate Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Carpenter’s scholarship on the effects of assisted reproductive technologies in estate planning and family law has been widely cited in Sarah Markiewicz' court filings.
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Some public finance experts worry that the unpredictability of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy will dampen consumer spending, putting state revenue generated by sales tax at risk. With consumer sentiment on the decline, some wonder if Michigander will continue to support state and local budgets through spending.
GUEST:
- Kevin Bain, senior strategist for climate and project finance at Public Sector Consultants; former director of strategy for the city of Detroit
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A new study from the University of Michigan suggests that rethinking how lithium ion batteries are manufactured could fix some of the key concerns keeping potential electric vehicle buyers on the sidelines.
GUEST:
- Neil Dasgupta, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering at the University of Michigan
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The Trump administation has revoked visas of hundreds of international students across the nation.
An unspecified number of students at Michigan State University and Central Michigan University have had their visas revoked.
Two students at Grand Valley State University, four at Wayne State, one at Eastern Michigan University, and twelve enrolled students and ten graduates of the University of Michigan have also been affected.
The reasons are not clear. The Trump administration says it’s focused on students who are – in the words of Secretary Marco Rubio — “Hamas supporters."
Today we’re going to talk about the crackdown on campus speech, and other ways the Trump administration has silenced voices of dissent opposing the war in Gaza.
GUEST:
- Huwaida Arraf is an attorney who has done legal work representing some of the students who protested Israel’s war in Gaza on the U-M campus.
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At 19, Michigan writer Lauren Roberts self-published her debut YA novel Powerless. Now, a few years later, Roberts is one of romantasy's biggest stars. We talked to Roberts about how she turned her passion for reading romantasy into a full-fledged literary career writing it.
GUEST:
Lauren Roberts, author of the Powerless series. The third and final installment in the series--titled Fearless--hit shelves April 8.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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President Donald Trump recently described tariffs as a bitter medicine that, the president says, will lead to fairer trade between the U.S. and other countries. But for Michigan’s auto industry, the poison might be in the dose. On this episode, why the impact of global tariffs is likely to hit Michigan automakers particularly hard.
GUEST:
Glenn Stevens, executive director of MichAuto
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The University of Michigan recently announced it would be rolling back its DEI programs on campus. The move has been met with pushback from staff and students, but its not the first time the university's policies on race and equity have been met with ire. On today's episode, we talk with one historian about UM’s confrontation with issues of race and equity on campus over the decades, including as the poster child of affirmative action policies, and as the center of two losses before the U.S. Supreme Court over those policies.
GUEST:
Matthew Johnson, associate professor of history at Washington and Jefferson College and author of Undermining Racial Justice: How One University Embraced Inclusion and Inequality
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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A conversation with Patrick Lyoya's father. The younger Lyoya was killed three years ago by a Grand Rapids police officer during a traffic stop. Lyoya was unarmed, and the officer is awaiting trial for Patrick's murder.
GUEST:
Peter Lyoya, Patrick's father
Thomas Lyoya, Patrick's brother and the translator for his father, who speaks Swahili, during this conversation
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The Trump administration is slashing funding for all sorts of programs and departments - funding that was guaranteed to many departments, institutions, and individuals. Today we hear about the cuts that are being felt, and the legal battle to preserve the funding streams.
GUESTS:
Kate Wells, Michigan Public
Izzy Ross Interlochen Public Radio
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Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a special exhibition honoring the life and work of Dr. Charles Harold Wright himself. Kevin Davidson, the museum's Director of Design and Fabrication, was hired by Wright. He joined us for an inside look at the exhibition.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions
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A Canada-based reporter joins us for a deep dive on the history of the trade and manufacturing relationship between Windsor and Detroit. We also discussed why the new tariffs being rolled out this week feel, to some Canadians, "like your best friend sucker punched you."
GUEST:
Trevor Wilhelm, reporter, The Windsor Star
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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A program that provided millions of dollars worth of donated foods to Michigan food banks has been cut by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We talked to the head of one West Michigan food bank about what this means for their operations.
GUEST:
Ken Estelle, president and chief executive officer of Feeding America West Michigan
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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From the start of the pandemic through March 2024, more than 44-thousand [ 44,728] Michiganders died after contracting COVID-19. These losses left many surviving family members drifting, as the rest of the world seemed to pick up and move on. We tap into our nation's long history with family and community collapse, and think about addressing grief head-on.
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Five years ago, the COVID-19 Pandemic shut doors and changed lives faster than we could learn its name. And amid uncertainty, people looked for answers, even if their searching brought consequences as serious as the virus itself. On this episode of Revival, we delve into the uncertainty that fueled the formulation of conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequences of misinformation.
GUESTS:
Amy Simon, an associate professor of Holocaust studies and European Jewish history at Michigan State University
Melissa May Borja, associate professor of American culture at the University of Michigan and founder of the Virulent Hate Project
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the landscape of business and work. In this episode of Revival, we explore how businesses adapted during these unprecedented times
GUESTS:
Robert Berkhofer, professor of medieval history at Western Michigan University
Jermale Eddie, former owner of Malamiah Juice Bar
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Everyone reacted to the isolation of the first years of COVID a little differently. But there's evidence to suggest that Americans are becoming more solitary. This type of reaction isn’t new. In fact, it can even be found across the world in 12th century Japan. On this episode of Revival, we bring you the story of a Japanese aristocrat who withdrew from the world in response to rampant disease and natural disasters. And then, we have a story of a group of neighbors in Grand Rapids who were inspired to draw toward each other during the pandemic.
GUESTS:
Erin Brightwell, associate professor at the University of Michigan
Grand Rapids neighbors Rae Bunce, Dot and Cal Hekman, Karen Brown, Susan Buist, Sally Wackerly, Josh Brinks, Barb and Joe
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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"Revival" is a Stateside special podcast series, marking five years since our state went on lockdown over the COVID-19 virus. Today we look at how COVID changed our healthcare system, and we reflect on how pandemics have historically impacted medicine in other societies.
GUESTS:
Saeed Khan, associate professor, Wayne State Unviersity
Christina Hanson, hospital nurse in Marquette
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Two of Michigan's refugee resettlement agencies help us understand what's happening on the ground in the midst of federal funding cuts, and the suspension of refugee admissions to the U.S.
GUESTS:
- Lukas Ziomkowski, VP of Refugee Services for Samaritas
- Mira Sussman, Resource Development Manager and Impact Coordinator for Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Wayne County is running a program to repay homeowners who lost their homes during the tax foreclosure crisis. The county had previously pocketed money collected at auction. But courts ruled the county must pay anything beyond what was owed in the tax foreclosure back to the original homeowners. But first the homeowners have to know to ask.
GUEST:
Koby Levin, reporter, Outlier Media
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As a curious and driven kid, Danielle Boyer worked hard to earn the money she needed to join her schools robotics team. But once she was able to join, she was met with bullying and harassment from male coaches and teammates.
Now, the founder of an organization called The STEAM Connection, she's working to give students the STEM education her younger self wanted. Her latest invention
GUEST:
Danielle Boyer, inventor and educator; enrolled citizen of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
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On this Stateside podcast, we hear from Michigan State University mathematician, Albert Cohen, on how we can use statistics to fill out our March Madness brackets.
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On this Stateside podcast, Michigan Public's political director gets context and details about Michigan's new minimum wage and sick leave rules from Sean Egan. He oversees the State's Bureau of Employment Relations and the Wage and House Divisions, also know as LEO.
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Mary Frances Phillips' "Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins” is a biography of the party's longest serving woman.
GUEST:
Mary Frances Phillips, author of Black Panther Woman and associate professor of African American Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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President Donald Trump nominated Dearborn Heights mayor Bill Bazzi as his ambassador to Tunisia. He’s also selected Hamtramck mayor Amer Ghalib as his ambassador to Kuwait.
Both men have been at the center of contentious conversations about local policies and culture.
A reporter who's been covering their careers joined us to provide some context.
Find Niraj Warikoo's coverage here.
GUEST:
Niraj Warikoo, reporter for The Detroit Free Press
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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With just a few weeks' worth of data available, it's hard to say how immigration enforcement under the current Trump administration compares to that of previous years.
Michigan Public's data reporter helps us understand what we can determine from the available data, and what to be mindful of as we see other numbers cited on social media and in the news.
Find Adam's FAQ page on immigration data below:
Here’s what we know about immigrants, visas, DACA, ICE and more in Michigan
GUEST:
Adam Yahya Rayes, data reporter, Michigan Public
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Michigan’s marijuana enthusiasts pay a small price – the lowest price per ounce of marijuana in the country. But Whitmer recently proposed a 32% tax hike on wholesale marijuana products as part of her “Mi Road Plan” to help fund roads.
The 32% tax would be atop the current 10% excise tax and the 6% sales tax on marijuana products. This added cost would be passed to consumers, which would drive these record-low prices even lower, and Michigan marijuana businesses worry this will shut down already struggling doors.
In the past year, adult-use marijuana costs have dropped nearly 30%, from a little over $90 to just around $65 per ounce of marijuana. Crain’s Reporter Dustin Walsh told Stateside that the tax hike would hurt the state’s marijuana growers.
“The real issue is that these cultivators in these processes just aren't paying that wholesale tax now, and they're relying on the retail outlets to sell the product and return the money to them,” Walsh said.
In her press release, Whitmer wrote that the tax hike would fund roads with an additional $470 million. In the 2024 fiscal year, the state received more than $331 million from the Michigan Marijuana Regulation Fund. Michael Ward, CEO of marijuana grower Harbor Farmz, said that the tax hike would take money away from both Michigan and its cannabis industry.
“It's like a catch-22-tax-us-to-death, which is going to kill us. Well, if the taxes see death and we all die, they will not get the money that they're looking for from the tax revenue from the cannabis industry, which is also already contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to municipalities and the state.”
Businesses also worry that the tax proposal could revive the black market. Low marijuana prices kept the product in the legal market because the black market couldn’t sell it at a cheaper rate. The tax hike could change that.
Walsh said desperate marijuana businesses might have higher incentive to participate in the illicit market.
“You're now going to create more desperate operators, more cultivators and processors that are desperate because now that money, they owe more money now in taxes,” Walsh said. “And if it drives them into more desperate situations, you're going to see them potentially loading trucks up with marijuana and shipping it to markets where it's more expensive or doing other illicit market products.”
The adult-use marijuana market is still relatively new, meaning that everyone is dealing with the “growing pains,” according to Walsh.
For now, he said the Michigan legislature seemed to have taken a step back from the proposal once reporting came out.
CORRECTION FROM EDITOR: A previous version of this audio story inverted and misattributed Michael Ward and Chris Jacobson's quotes. The story was updated at 11:00am on March 12, 2025.
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A resolution in the state House is aimed at discouraging cities and universities from having policies that limit their interactions with federal immigration officials. We talked about what the new rule means, and how one city is thinking about the impact to its bottom line.
GUESTS:
Michelle Jokisch Polo, Stateside producer
Milinda Ysasi, Grand Rapids city commissioner
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Yumna Jawad, known across social media Feel Good Foodie, shared the Ramadan meals that make her excited about the holiday season.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Thousands of federal workers have been laid off in recent weeks. In Michigan that includes employees from the VA hospital, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Forest Service. These layoffs are a result of President Trump’s initiative to cut federal spending.
Emily Davies, a reporter for the Washington Post has been covering the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency—commonly referred to as DOGE—on federal agencies. In her latest article, Davies tells the story of Riley Cooper, a Trump supporter from Baldwin, MI who was laid off from the U.S. Forest Service.
In Cadillac, Marie Richards was laid off in mid-February from her job as a tribal relations specialist with the Huron-Manistee National Forests.
Richards, a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, worked as its historic preservation and repatriation specialist before taking the Forest Service job in December of 2023. She was one of thousands of probationary U.S. Forest Service workers laid off as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to cut costs and reduce the size of the federal government.
That story came from Interlochen Public Radio climate reporter Izzy Ross.
Background reading:
She hoped Trump’s victory would change her life, but not like this
U.S. Forest Service firings decimate already understaffed agency: ‘It’s catastrophic’
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The 25% tariffs issued against all Mexican and Canadian imports are cause for major concern for the auto industry, according to Jamie Butters, executive editor of Automotive News.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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A very rare sighting in the thumb region of Michigan this winter: an orange snowy owl. But how did it get that way?
GUEST:
Sheri McWhirter, climate and environment reporter for MLive
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You've probably been hearing a lot of a particular term in the news and social media in the past few weeks: constitutional crisis. There are many people who believe the first few weeks of President Donald Trump's second-term administration have brought the United States dangerously close to one. We talked to Richard Primus, a constitutional law expert at the University of Michigan, about how to tell if you're in a constitutional crisis, and how the country has navigated them in years past.
GUEST:
Richard Primus, law professor at the University of Michigan
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Singer Isis Damil is young, but she's spent her lifetime crafting her uniquely Detroit sound. Now she's the new voice of WDIV's iconic "Go 4 It" theme song, and she's building her catalogue with her band.
GUEST:
Isis Damil, singer
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The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment saw an irregular drop in February. And economist joined us to break down the numbers, and put them into context.
GUEST:
Joanne Hsu, economist; director of the Survey of Consumers at the University of Michigan
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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When we tell stories, we have the opportunity to connect across generations. And sometimes, those connections can become catalysts that shift the course of our lives. Michigan Public’s Christopher Johnson introduces us to Detroit storyteller, Dwight Stackhouse, whose journey led him from the pulpit to the stage to James Baldwin—and beyond.
GUEST:
Dwight Stackhouse, writer and storyteller
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The Great Lakes are renowned for both its commercial and sport fishing industries.
Long before that, the gifts of the inland seas provided both sustenance and economic trading power to the Indigenous peoples who lived in the region. But, there was a time, not long ago, where the fisheries of the Great Lakes were almost left for dead.
A new documentary, narrated by actor J.K. Simmons, explores the decades-long hunt to identify and subdue one of the biggest threats to Great Lakes fisheries: the sea lamprey.
The film, The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery, was commissioned to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the agency tasked with controlling sea lamprey.
On this episode, we’ll be exploring how 19th and 20th century shipping opened the door for new vessels - and new threats to Great Lakes wildlife.
GUESTS:
- Lindsey Haskin, director of The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery
- Mike Siefkes, director of sea lamprey control with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission
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Michigan is in the midst of one of the worst flu seasons in years. There have already been more than 10,000 flu-related hospitalizations in the state this flu season, and outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms are the highest they have been in 15 years. We talked to Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive, about flu season and the best ways to protect yourself.
GUEST:
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the state of Michigan
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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This current outbreak of avian influenza, which started in March 2022, has been wreaking havoc throughout bird populations, domestic or otherwise. Causing high mortality rates amongst birds, bird flu has also spread to some dairy cattle and domestic pets.
Kimberly Dodd, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, said the virus tends to evolve over time, so pet owners should limit the exposure of their pets to sick or dead birds in the area.
Dodd also said to contact the Department of Natural Resources if you come across a dead bird, and if you have to remove the bird from the area, wear personal protective equipment (PPE), like masks and gloves, and double bag the bird before throwing it away.
While the risk of avian flu to the general population is low, it's higher for those who directly deal with animals that may be infected, such as farmers or veterinarians. But, according to Dodd, veterinary clinics around the country are being extra precautionary.
GUEST:
- Kimberly Dodd, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Industry experts discuss the swift impact of the Trump administration's new policies on the Michigan's agricultural industry, from research funding, to farm staffing, to international trade.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- David Tschirley, director of the Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research, Capacity, and Influence at Michigan State University
- Chuck Lippstreu, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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One of the worlds largest real estate cryptocurrency marketplace has been sweeping up properties and selling them to multiple investors sometimes even to hundreds. And because there's not one person tenants can turn to when things go wrong, problems on these properties are piling up.
GUESTS:
Aaron Mondry, Senior Reporter at Outlier Media
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About a quarter of all trade value between the U.S. and Canada happens over one bridge - the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. But that free flow that bolsters these two communities may be threatened by a trade war.
GUESTS:
Drew Dilkens, mayor of Windsor
Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber
Travis Wright, Metro Detroiter and Canadian
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The bird flu outbreak is doing a number on the nation’s egg supply–and it's showing up in the price of your omelet. U.S. egg prices have hit an all time high–with an average price of $4.95 per dozen. And when you're a greasy spoon diner, you need A LOT of eggs. We talked to Johanna McCoy, owner of the Bomber in Ypsilanti, about how her restaurant is coping and what it will mean for customers in the long-term.
GUEST:
Johanna McCoy, owner of the Bomber in Ypsilanti
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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After all that snow, who can be bothered to get all dressed up for a dinner out? That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your plans for a Valentine's Day dinner, though. We asked Chef Abra Berens to walk us through her recipe for a romantic night in.
Find the recipes here!
GUEST:
Abra Berens, cookbook author and culinary director at Granor Farm
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Felicia B. George is a Professor of Anthropology at Wayne State University, and the author of one of this year's Michigan Notable Books: When Detroit Played the Numbers: Gambling's History and Cultural Impact on the Motor City
George joined us to talk about her anthropological approach to the book, the 20th-century resurgence of lottery games in Detroit, and the role they played in the lives of Black Detroiters.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Felicia George, author of When Detroit Played the Numbers: Gambling's History and Cultural Impact on the Motor City
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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New polling data shows the vast majority - 68% - of Michiganders have a favorable, neighborly view of our state's relationship with Canada. That poll was conducted by the Detroit Regional Chamber, which is opposed to tariffs against imports from Michigan's neighbor to the North and East.
GUEST:
Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber
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Ever feel like you're at the mercy of your own emotions? Neuroscientist and psychologist Ethan Kross talked to us about how to get your emotions under control—without dismissing them. Kross is a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, and he recently released the book Shift: Managing Your Emotions — So They Don't Manage You.
GUEST:
Ethan Kross, professor of psychology and management/organizations at University of Michigan
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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PBS affiliates around Michigan are premiering a four part series with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. telling the story of the Great Migration, a period when historic numbers of African Americans from the rural South sought their fortunes in urban areas in the North, Midwest, and West.
The second episode of the series, titled Great Migrations: A People on the Move, heavily features Detroit and Michigan Central Station. Stateside spoke with the show's directors.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Julia Marchesi, co-director of the PBS series Great Migrations: A People on the Move
- Nailah Ife Sims, co-director of the PBS series Great Migrations: A People on the Move
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Marasigan family is bringing all the flavors and fun of a Filipino house party to West Michigan via their restaurant, Adobo Boy. Chef Jackie Marasigan shared why she's excited to share her culture with a community that might know nothing about Filipino food. We also learned what makes the restaurant such a warm welcome for Filipinos far from home.
GUESTS:
- Jackie Marasigan, the owner of Adobo Boy restaurant
- Redd Marasigan, Jackie's son
- Ace Marasigan, Jackie's husband and the founder of Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jay Kaplan, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, discusses the impacts of the executive order by President Donald Trump on gender-affirming care.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The University of Michigan Museum of Art is hosting a new exhibit by photographer Jarod Lew. In, Strange You Never Knew, Lew delves into the complexities of knowing one's true identity, focusing on the Asian American diaspora in the Midwest.
In his photographs, Lew has his subjects looking directly at the camera. He explains that this creative choice is intended to establish a tension between the subjects and the viewer. By capturing images in Asian American homes, he creates a sense of tension that arises from viewing these private interior spaces and the experiences of the subjects.
In his series, In Between You and Your Shadow, Lew explores what tomorrow holds for his subjects. In his photographs, he captures his mother’s history through gestures and memorabilia from her past.
Lew's mother was engaged to Detroiter Vincent Chin, a young Chinese American engineer who was beaten to death by two white men, at a time when anti-Asian racism was widespread in Michigan. Chin’s death was a touchstone for Asian American political activism, but for Jarod Lew’s family, it was a secret he only discovered as a young adult. He includes images of his family in the show, and while his mother is also photographed, her face is never visable.
"For me this work speaks to my mom's right for opacity. My mom's right not to be associated with this history, because it's her decision to not want to be a part of this history," Lew said.
GUEST:
- Jarod Lew, photographer behind the Strange You Never Knew exhibit at the University of Michigan Museum of Art
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Canadian officials and the Trump Administration are at an impasse over the president's 25% tariffs levied against most Canadian goods imported into America. This has come as a slap to Michigander and Canadians who rely heavily on the economic relationship the state and the province of Ontario enjoy.
UPDATE: As of 4:45pm on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a deal with President Trump to delay tariffs by 30 days.
GUEST:
Dennis Darby, President and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
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The auto sector will likely be deeply impacted if President Trump's 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico go through tomorrow. We check in with an automotive advocacy group here in the state with a closer eye on how tariffs may impact Michigan.
UPDATE: Since this conversation was recorded, Mexican officials say they have reached a deal with the Trump Administration to delay tariffs on imports from Mexico.
GUEST:
Glenn Stevens, executive director, MichAuto
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Marie Catrib's was a well known family restaurant in Grand Rapids for it's great Mediterranean food and loving community. Marie Catrib passed away a few years ago, and her son closed the restaurant a couple years later. Today we visit with her son, Fouad, as he shares one of her recipes in the kitchen of the old Marie Catrib's.
GUEST:
Fouad Catrib, son of Marie Catrib
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Veteran artist Jason Singer, better known as Michigander, will release his debut album on February 7, 2025. He joined us to talk about writing lyrics for 30-year-olds, collaborating with other Midwesterners in Nashville, and experimenting with instrumentation.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Jason Singer, the musician and songwriter known as Michigander
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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U.S. Senator Gary Peters announced this week he won't seek reelection when his term ends next year. His announcement sets the stage for a big election in next year's midterm, with other open statewide positions including Governor and Secretary of State.
GUESTS:
Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta, hosts of It's Just Politics
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President Trump proposes tariffs on manufactured goods from China — and longtime allies like Canada. If the plan moved forward as stated, it would mean substantial spikes for the price of everything from gasoline to car parts to a can of Labatt's. What would that mean for Michigan’s businesses?
GUEST:
Jason Miller, professor of supply chain management Interim Chair, Michigan State University
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Three years into the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu, experts say there's no sign of infections slowing down.
While this isn't the first time Michigan has seen a bird flu outbreak, the containment strategies used during the 2015 outbreak, such as euthanizing entire flocks quickly and investing in biosecurity facilities, haven't been as effective this time around.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Kate Wells, health reporter for Michigan Public
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Laken Riley Act, which puts new restrictions on immigrants without legal status who are accused of committing nonviolent theft, received unexpected support from some Michigan Democrats, passed Congress this week.
We unpack why they voted the way they did, and what the Act would mean for Michigan's immigrant communities without legal status.
GUEST:
Michelle Jokisch Polo, producer, Stateside
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Kevin Peterson, owner and co-founder of Castalia at Sfumato in Detroit, spoke with Stateside about his menu and the growing trend of mocktails in Michigan. The business is a natural botanical perfumery by day, and a bar by night. Each scent is paired on the menu with at least two cocktails - one alcoholic, and one non-alcoholic.
GUEST:
- Kevin Peterson, owner and co-founder of Castalia at Sfumato in Detroit
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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In his first 24 hours in office, President Trump signed a slurry of Executive Orders having to do with immigration, including a eliminating birthright citizenship, which is protected under the U.S. Constitution.
GUESTS:
Michelle Jokish Polo, producer, Stateside
Susan Reed, Attorney and Executive Director, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
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The Palisades nuclear plant is in Michigan, right on the shore of Lake Michigan, just south of South Haven. It stopped operations in 2022. The company that was in charge of decommissioning Palisades has decided instead to try to reopen it. The goal is to reopen sometime this fall. But after a meeting last week with the nuclear regulatory commission, that timeline is a little bit in question.
GUEST:
Dustin Dwyer, reporter, Michigan Public
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Do you feel like you're emotionally frozen this month? Are the endless Michigan gray days weighing on you? Or maybe your misgivings about true love, success and renewal are coming out again.
Whatever the gloomy feeling, it means it's probably time to put on Frontier Ruckus' On the Northline (released in Feb. 2024).
Today, we're revisiting the in-studio conversation and performance with Michigan’s own Frontier Ruckus.
Matthew Milia, lead vocalist, says the key to art is making it specific.
"It's seen in the best literature in filmmaking," Milia said. "Like the more specific you can be, somehow people out there can do their own like interior translation, and it actually makes the universal amplified within those specifics."
The band isn't always in a hurry to release more albums. That's because they see themselves as friends first. But, as Milia points out, their albums provide both a light into their lives at the time and the music industry of the time.
"[The music industry has] unrecognizably changed, especially post-pandemic," Milia said. "But, like looking back at every record, it came out in a different music industry climate."
GUESTS:
- Matthew Milia, lead vocals and multi-instrumentalist
- David W. Jones, banjo player and vocals
- Zachary Nichols, multi-instrumentalist
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Fans all over the world have been following the Detroit Lions as they make history. That includes viewers from the UK, including Matthew Turner and Anthony Fitzpatrick.
The two fans, along with five other UK-based co-hosts, produce Roar of the Lions UK, a podcast featuring seven Detroit Lions fans from the UK. They joined Stateside to share how they became fans of American football, and their thoughts on the team's historic season.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Matthew Turner, co-host of the Roar of the Lions UK podcast
- Anthony Fitzpatrick, co-host of the Roar of the Lions UK podcast
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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There's a series of increases in minimum wages coming for tipped workers in Michigan. Some restaurant owners are worried what will happen to their businesses if they have to raise prices on the menu to cover the increase for their staff.
GUEST:
Gricelda Mata, owner of Lindo Mexico Restaurante in Grand Rapids
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We walk the showroom floor at the Detroit Auto Show, and catch up with the City of Detroit's official historian, Jamon Jordan, about the history of the Auto Show dating back to 1899.
GUEST:
Jamon Jordan, official historian, City of Detroit
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What a time to be a Detroit sports fan! The Lions are on their way in the playoffs. The Pistons just cleared .500. And the Red Wings? It’s been a long time since the team was swigging from the Stanley Cup. But things seem to be looking up, after some changes in the Wings’ coaching staff, and the team has shown much-needed new energy. We talked to Helene St. James, who covers the Red Wings for the Detroit Free Press, about how the team's new coach Todd McClelland seems to be turning things around.
GUEST:
Helene St. James, journalist covering the Red Wings for the Detroit Free Press
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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If you love "The Moth" you'll want to listen to this hour of storytelling from Detroit's StoryFest, recorded at the Detroit Film Theater last Fall. Thanks to StoryFest producers and organizers - Tay Glass, McArdle Hankin, and Ellison Libiran.
STORYTELLERS (in order):
- Laura Weber Davis
- Bryce Huffman
- Samuel L. Jackson with "The Pelican" (Produced in collaboration with KALW's Uncuffed. Edited by Ryan Pagan)
- Shannon Cason
- Dame Wilburn
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In the fervent years of the 1970s, a group of Latino and Latina students formed a collective of makers and artists at the University of Michigan. This community-minded group, La Raza, was about everything, from art to history and movement.
Dave Choberka, curator for University Learning at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and Félix Zamora Gómez, program coordinator with the university’s Arts Initiative, display these works in an exhibition titled La Raza Art and Media Collective, 1975 – Today.
The contents of the display, which runs until July 20, 2025, include poems, artwork, gallery proofs and journal editions that discuss Chicano and Latino representation in the media and contain experimental visual art. According to Choberka, these editions marked the evolution and history of the organization.
GUESTS:
- Dave Choberka, Mellon Foundation curator for university learning at the University of Michigan Museum of Arts
- Félix Zamora-Gómez, program coordinator for engagement, U-M Arts Initiative
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Detroit Auto show, and the auto industry overall, has seen a lot of change since the pandemic. This year, the show has returned to its original January schedule after a few slow years when the event was held in late summer.
Longtime autos reporter Phoebe Wall Howard provided some inside perspective on the 2025 Detroit Auto Show, what it means to generations of folks who have attended, and what companies and dealers anticipate in the coming year.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The cabins scattered throughout the Porcupine Mountains each holds a logbook for guests to complete. Since the 1940s, parks staff have collected about 200 completed books full of decades of stories.
Special thanks to John Carlisle and Ryan Garza of The Detroit Free Press for their coverage of the Porcupine Mountains' logbooks.
GUEST:
Katie Urban, Park Interpreter for the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The next few years will be big ones for Detroit.
In the last ten years, there’s been a national reawakening to Detroit’s possibilities. The incumbent mayor, Mike Duggan is moving on, and the city will have a very public conversation about the way forward, as his successor is chosen.
And leadership will come in other forms, as well.
One of the city’s non-profits, the Institute for AfroUrbanism, has come up with a series of grants supporting research into the infinite possibilities of Black futures.
Today, a look at how the institute is empowering visionary leaders with innovative ideas for equity, opportunity, and transformation in the city.
GUEST:
Lauren Hood, founder and executive director of the Insitute for AfroUrbanism
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Ducks are one of the first animals little kids learn about--rubber duckies anybody? But if you head to your local river or lake during the winter, the waterfowl you find there might be a bit...weirder than the kind you see during warmer seasons. Today's episode is all about those weird winter ducks and the people who love them.
GUEST:
April Campbell, doctor and birding enthusiast
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The new Congress is being sworn-in today in Washington D.C. That means there are some current members set to retire, including Michigan’s long-time Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee. He’s been serving as a U.S. Representative for over a decade, and representing Michigan’s 8th district since 2003. His successor, Kristen McDonald Rivet, will take office with the 119th Congress on Jan. 3rd.
Michigan Public’s Zoe Clark spoke with the outgoing Representative from Flint about his dozen years in office.
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One of the most-streamed films online is the original Star Wars: A New Hope. You can watch it in a bunch of different languages. Now, that includes Anishinaabemowin. That means Ojibwe people in Michigan and all over North America can see an absolute classic in their language. We talked to one of the actors involved in the Anishinaabemowin dubbing of the film about the project and what it meant to see one of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters in a language that many of his ancestors were once forbidden from speaking.
GUEST:
Niigaanii-Animikii Inini Kalvin Hartwig, filmmaker and voice actor
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Earlier this month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled the country after a surprise offensive launched by opposition groups, ending the 50-year rule of the Assad family. For many Syrians living outside of the country, it's opened up the possibility of returning home, or visiting loved ones who stayed.
We met one Syrian immigrant who built a life with his family here in Michigan after fleeing Syria over a decade ago. He reflected on his time in Syria, and his hopes for the nation's future.
GUESTS:
- Adam Yahya Rayes, data reporter, Michigan Public
- Basel Alyasin, vice president, American Syrian Arab Cultural Association
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Joe Cedillo was released Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from the Muskegon Correctional Facility after spending 38 years behind bars for a crime he committed when he was 18 years old.
Cedillo’s case marks a significant milestone as the first in Kent County to regain his freedom following a state supreme court ruling that declared unconstitutional automatic life sentences without parole for people 18 years old and younger.
We had the chance to meet him on the day of his release.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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University of Michigan gymnast Frederick Richard sits down for a conversation about the summer in Paris for the Olympics, growing men's gymnastics at the collegiate level at home, and building his brand on social media.
GUEST:
Frederick Richard, UM gymnast and Olympian
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Nothing quite beats snuggling up under a handmade quilt on a cold winter day. But for the members of the Great Lakes African American Quilters’ Network, quilts are more than just a way to stay warm. They are works of art, connecting their makers to a shared culture and to each other.
Stateside producer April Van Buren went to the guild’s most recent meeting to learn more about this unique community of crafters.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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This year, acclaimed contemporary artist and Kalamazoo native Kaphar made the leap into narrative filmmaking. His semi-autobiographical film is titled Exhibiting Forgiveness.
The film follows painter Terrell, played by André Holland, as he wrestles with generational trauma and navigates his relationship with his estranged father, played by John Earl Jelks, who has reappeared in his life unexpectedly.
The Detroit Institute of Arts will screen the film Dec. 11-15.
GUEST:
Titus Kaphar, contemporary artist, producer, writer, and director of Exhibiting Forgiveness
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Author and journalist Tracie McMillan discusses her family's harrowing time navigating the American healthcare system after her mother was diagnosed with MS and then suffered a traumatic brain injury.
GUEST:
Tracie McMillan, journalist and author of "The White Bonus"
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Levon Kafafian's new exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit features artifacts of an fantastical, imagined future for the Armenian diaspora. The show, titled Portal Fire: Shrine of the Torchbearer, features a mix of soft sculptures, wall hangings, carpets, and costumes. The exhibition is inspired by Kafafian's forthcoming graphic novel of the same name.
Kafafian joined Stateside to talk about their textile work and worldbuilding process.
GUEST:
Levon Kafafian, Detroit-based artist
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. Additional music featuring
We also featured Lara Sarkissian's Our Dead Can't Rest (Old Jugha Flute Dance)
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The Grand Rapids police officer who shot and killed resident Patrick Lyoya two years ago will stand trial on murder charges. That's after the Michigan Supreme Court declined to hear the officer's appeal on the charges.
GUEST:
Dustin Dwyer, West Michigan reporter, Michigan Public
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How about those Detroit football Lions? My goodness they're good.
GUEST:
John Niyo, sports columnist, Detroit News
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Detroit poet Brittany Rogers recently published a new collection of poetry titled Good Dress. The book is a a non-traditional coming-of-age story exploring Black womanhood. Rogers sat down with Stateside to talk about the influence of the women who raised her on her work and how audacity has become a guiding light for her in a chaotic world.
GUEST:
Brittany Rogers, Detroit-based poet
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Andrea Bitely previously served as the spokesperson for former Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. She joined Stateside to discuss a the past and the future of the GOP, the benefits of a divided government, and the challenges of being a moderate or independent voter.
GUEST:
Andrea Bitely, founder of Bitely Communications, former spokesperson for former Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The core constituency of the Democratic Party is arguably African Americans - a voting bloc that consistently votes in eye-popping percentages in favor of Democrats. But this time around Donald Trump was able to win over just enough Black voters to make a difference, and Kamala Harris - the first Black woman at the top of a major party ticket - lost. What, if anything, should be learned by the Democratic Party about these two things?
GUEST:
- Stephen Henderson, host, Created Equal on WDET
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Michigan’s House of Representatives has flipped from Democratic to Republican control. The state Senate, which was not up for reelection, still has a Democrat majority. And Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, is still governor. All this means we’re heading into an interesting era of divided government. We talked to State Rep. Bill G. Schuette, a young state House representative from Midland, about his party's wins and their priorities for Lansing.
GUEST:
Bill G. Schuette, state House representative for Michigan's 95th House District,
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Nearly all of the votes have been counted here in Michigan. And we’re beginning to see a picture painted of how votes shifted and changed from 2020 and 2016. Today we look at the data.
GUEST:
Adam Rayes, data journalist, Michigan Public
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The team with It's Just Politics - Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta - join April Baer to talk about election results for Michigan's Congressional, Legislative, and Supreme Court positions.
GUEST:
- Zoe Clark, host, It's Just Politics
- Rick Pluta, host, It's Just Politics
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A look at the surprises from Michigan's election night results that helped deliver a decisive victory to Donald Trump as president-elect.
GUEST:
- Mara Cecilia Ostfeld, associate research scientist and research director at the Center for Racial Justice at the Ford School of Public Policy at University of Michigan
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Researcher Eric Gonzales Juenke studies how non-white candidates are perceived by voters in majority-white districts. He joined Stateside to share his findings, and how they may play out in a presidential election.
GUEST:
Eric Gonzales Juenke, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Chicano/Latino Studies Program in the College of Social Science.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Most of us don’t think about the voting process, or election administration, until it’s actually time for us to drop off our ballot. That season becomes prime time for folks circulating misinformation to do their worst. But one non-profit, non-partisan news source in Michigan spends all year reporting on the truth about democratic processes. We talk to a VoteBeat reporter about how to sort facts about voting from the disinformation swirling around social media.
GUEST:
Hayley Harding, Detroit-based reporter for VoteBeat
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Stateside checks in with two Michigan clerks as their offices run full steam ahead in administering November's election.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Lawrence Kestenbaum, Washtenaw County Clerk
- Tony Forlini, Macomb County Clerk
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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On this edition of the Stateside Podcast, we introduce you Trash the Clown. She's a Michigan clown whose mission is to keep Port Huron clean and improve the world with one small action at a time.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Trash the Clown
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Communities from Southwest Detroit to Oakland County, Grand Rapids and Saginaw are full of Latino voters also making up their minds about voting.
And it’s crazy because while one of the presidential candidates has been talking nonstop about one narrow slice of the Latino population… there’s a lot we’re not talking about with this community’s issues and interests.
GUEST:
- Cindy Gamboa is the executive director of MI PODER…. a non-profit non-partisan social welfare and civic engagement organization serving Michigan’s Latinx population
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This is a re-pod from one of our favorite Halloween convos: a visit to the spooktacular Thrift Witch of Old Town Lansing. This episode originally published 10/31/2022.
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The “Hey, We Need to Talk!” Common Sense Diner brings together a small group of people from diverse backgrounds for a free meal and guided conversation led by artist and social connector Philippa Pham Hughes. Folks from all walks of life and of all political backgrounds are invited to apply for the experience. Hughes joined Stateside to talk about the project, and about her experience dining with a divided America.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Philippa Pham Hughes, a social sculptor and connector, organizer of the Common Sense Diner
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Julianna Sanromán's paintings have an ethereal, otherworldly feel to it. But their subject matter is rooted in something deeply real and personal: the pain of family deportation. We talked to the Detroit artist about the hard realities of growing up divided between two worlds--and how her paintings are shaped by the longing to remember moments of family togetherness.
GUEST:
Julianna Sanromán, Detroit artist
Sanromán’s solo exhibition What Lived And Died Between Us Haunts Me is on view through November 9th at Playground Detroit. You can catch her artist’s talk there Saturday, October 26 at 2pm.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Author and illustrator Supriya Kelkar has two books that hit the shelves this year: Kamala Raised Her Hand, a picture book biography about the Vice President, as well as And Yet You Shine: The Kohinoor Diamond, Colonization, and Resistance.
Today, Kelkar talks about her creative process, writing and illustrating for young readers, and celebrating South Asian culture through books.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Supriya Kelkar, author, illustrator, and screenwriter
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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In some ways, the November election has already begun, with hundreds of thousands of voters in Michigan having already turned in their absentee ballots, and many others voting early.
Justin Roebuck, Ottawa County's clerk, joined Stateside to give some insight into how ballot access has changed things in his corner of the state.
Michigan Public also followed one absentee ballot's journey through the Canton Township clerk's office. Find that story here.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Justin Roebuck, Ottawa County clerk
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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For decades, Ohio was a bellwether state, whose presidential pick signaled who would come out on top nationally. That was true from 1964 until 2020, when Ohio voters picked Donald Trump, but Joe Biden won the presidency.
Journalists Casey He and Ryan Konarska tracked the changes in the state's political character, from being a national bellwether to consistently voting reliably red in the electoral college. Their analysis can be found on Midstory, the Toledo-based Midwestern storytelling hub.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Casey He, Journalism and Political Science student at Northwestern University
- Ryan Konarska, Managing Editor at The Daily Princetonian
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Polling for the presidential election is incredible tight in Michigan. That means both the Democratic and Republican parties are vying for voters in the slimmest of margins. It appears both major party candidates think the place to make inroads is with Black men in Detroit.
GUEST:
- Sam Robinson, reporter, Detroit Free Press
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There are many Michigan communities hurting badly right now. What can you say about what this year has been like, for people who have family, and friends in Lebanon, or Gaza, or Israel? Bilal Beydoun lives in Dearborn - the town where he grew up. And he’s one of about 82,000 Lebanese Americans who live in Michigan, many of whom still have ties to Lebanon. Today, he shares his personal story and perspective.
GUEST:
Bilal Beydoun, lifelong Dearbornite, Lebanese-American
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On today's episode, we sat down with Mara Cecelia Ostfeld, an associate research scientist and the research director at the University of Michigan's Center for Racial Justice at the Ford School of Public Policy.
Mara helped us better recognize the attitudes of Michiganders across the Detroit Metro area relative to immigration. Ostfeld and other researchers focused their survey on Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, and Ypsilanti. Across those populations, residents were asked, "Do you think it should be easier or harder for foreigners to immigrate to the U.S. legally?"
Then, Michigan Public's own Steve Carmody, in part inspired by Mara Cecelia Ostfeld's study, spoke to residents from other cities and counties including Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott. Abbott desires a President who will reduce the flow of immigrants moving in from the Southern border.
In other areas, like sections of Detroit and Pontiac, some Black Republicans, like Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, maintain that "Young Black men are saying right now that they feel that people who are illegally coming into this country are getting treated better than they are.”
Altogether, the topic of immigration looks to be a key factor in attracting voters in the upcoming election. Former President Trump and Vice President Harris each have a plan for solving what many identify as a problem with immigration. Those solutions tend toward mass deportation on the one hand and the creation of earned citizenship pathways on the other.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
- Mara Cecelia Ostfeld, associate research scientist and research director at the Center for Racial Justice at the Ford School of Public Policy at UM
- Steve Carmody, reporter for Michigan Public
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Meredith Kennedy- Fisher is the executive director of Miigwech, Inc., an organization that aims to increase voting among tribal citizens this election year.
She talked with host April Baer about what tribal voters care about in the upcoming election, some barriers for members who really want to vote, and a guide for every tribal ID that exists in Michigan.
Kennedy-Fischer says people don't realize that there are 12 federally recognized tribes that exist in Michigan.
"Now, a lot of that has to do with the fact that there is a lack of education within Michigan curriculum about Native people," said Kennedy-Fischer. "We're always in the past. We're never in the present or the future."
Listen to the full conversation on today's podcast.
GUEST:
Meredith Kennedy- Fisher, executive director of Miigwech, Inc.
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The practice of Anishinaabe contemporary artist Kelly Church marries traditional craft with stunning visuals in her Black Ash basketry. In this conversation you'll hear how she learned the craft, how it's done, and the impact of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer on the tradition. You can see Kelly's work at the UM Stamps School in Ann Arbor now.
GUEST:
- Kelly Church, Anishinaabe artist
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Hadassah GreenSky is an artist, activist, and musician. She is also the organizer of the Vibes with the Tribes, an annual Native American and cultural festival held in Detroit since 2020.
You may know her from a viral photo of her and a few fellow dancers in front of the former Christopher Columbus statue in Detroit.
Another one of her projects is a documentary, referred to as The Red Ghetto, which documents the lives of Native American families living in the Cass Corridor. According to GreenSky, those who lived in Detroit all had stories of relatives living in the Cass Corridor.
"I think I heard an auntie once say there was over 120 different nations once represented in the city of Detroit, and there's still remnants of that," said GreenSky. "But, there's no, like, historical documents that talk about this. It's all just stories that all of us have."
GreenSky has also been vocal about water rights. This year, they are organizing a Prayer Walk for the Water on Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct. 14 from 1-5 pm on Belle Isle in Detroit. The event is in commemoration of Grandma Josephine Mandamin, who, as an elder, walked around all of the Great Lakes, several times.
GUEST:
Hadassah GreenSky, artist, community organizer, curator, cultural worker, indigenous futurist working as a visual and music artist, dancer, bead artist, seamstress, graphic designer, photographer, videographer and model
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People have been immigrating to Michigan from Arab countries for more than 100 years. And they've been involved in politics and community building just as long. So, how does that history inform this present moment in American politics as news of recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon reach an Arab and Muslim American electorate already mobilized for Gaza?
We talked to Hani Bawardi, associate professor of history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He told us about how Arab Americans' political identity has shifted over the years, and what it looks like in this moment.
GUEST:
Hani Bawardi, associate professor of history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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When you’re planning to vote, it's easy to focus on the top of the ticket. But what about all those other important contests farther down the ballot?
This year, Michigan votes on two races for the Michigan Supreme Court. The state’s highest court has decided some pretty big issues in the past five years. Need voters sift through thousands of pages of written opinions to be informed? And what about candidates aspiring to this court, who may or may not have judicial records?
On this episode, a look at how Michigan’s highest court gets elected, and how you might vet the candidates before you vote.
GUEST:
Nicholas Bagley, Professor of Law at the University of Michigan, and a former chief legal counsel to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, for two periods in 2020 and 2022.
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When it comes to this year's election coverage, team Stateside is passing the mic. Our new limited-run podcast series What the Vote? is reported by Gen Z, for Gen Z. It’s all about what matters to young people in politics–and why they matter in this election. We kick off the series with an episodereported and written by Stateside production assistant Adan Quan all about what it means for young people to have a seat at the political table.
New episodes of What the Vote? drop every Tuesday and Thursday through October 24. Subscribe to the Michigan Public Presents podcast feed wherever you listen to make sure you don't miss an episode.
GUEST:
Adán Quan, Stateside production assistant
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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A program to provide cash assistance to new moms and babies in the state is expanding. The state has become a sort of proving ground for basic income assistance.
GUEST:
- Kate Wells, health reporter, Michigan Public
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How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music draws on over 50 years of the networks conversation with and about women musicians that have shaped the industry. The book was largely inspired by Turning the Tables, a series co-founded by music critic Ann Powers.
She and Alison Fensterstock, editor of the new book, joined Stateside to chat about some of the Michigan musicians that have made their mark. Fensterstock's book tour will make a stop at Source Booksellers in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Ann Powers, music critic and correspondent for NPR, co-founder of NPR's Turning the Tables
- Alison Fensterstock, contributor to NPR's Turning the Tables; editor of How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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It's Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish holiday marking the peoples’ exodus from Egypt. And this year, it falls at a time when Israel has just invaded Lebanon, and is considering a response to ballistic missiles fired by Iran. Events of the past year have left many Jews, here in Michigan, in the US – and certainly in Israel - as uncertain of the future as they’ve been in this young century.
GUEST:
- Shimri Zameret is an Israeli citizen, and a Lecturer and Researcher at the UM in the Program of International & Comparative Studies.
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Michigan has a sizable Lebanese-American population, many of whom have friends and family living in Lebanon. The community is reeling as tensions with Israel have spilled into an escalation of violence and civilian deaths. Documentarian Razi Jafri talks about reactions from the community in Michigan, and the political organizing coalescing among Arab Americans here.
GUEST:
- Razi Jafri, journalist and documentarian
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A new book, "The Black Utopians", is an intimate, historical look at the places of community, solace, and sustainability created by Black Americans over generations. That includes in Detroit, where The Church of the Black Madonna, became a hub for Black Christian Nationalism and Civil Rights.
GUEST:
- Aaron Robertson, author, "The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America"
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During his term, former U.S. President Donald Trump focused on the issue of manufacturing, specifically within the auto industry. Now he's promising more tariffs on foreign made goods and raw materials if he becomes president once again.
One of the tariffs that he pursued back in 2018 was requested by a Michigan company, Whirlpool, the maker of various appliances. "Whirlpool had been petitioning the U.S. government for years that that their foreign competitors L.G. and Samsung had been unfairly dumping cheaper made and with cheaper labor, foreign labor, washing machines in the U.S. market and driving down prices to the point that Whirlpool was having a hard time competing anymore," said Chad Livengood, a politics editor for the Detroit News.
Livengood wrote an analysis recently about how trade and tariffs have affected Michigan and decodes what the candidates are saying about them this season. He said, while the tariffs helped Whirpool, and created about 1,800 jobs in the U.S., the benefits came at a cost, “The price of washing machines in this country across the board went up 12% in 2018. I mean, there was instant inflation caused by tariffs.”
GUEST:
- Chad Livengood, politics editor at the Detroit News
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Breaking down the nitty gritty of the utility bill everyone in southeast Michigan: DTE. The energy provider is a source of seemingly endless consternation as consumers feel the pinch from both frequent outages and DTE rate-hike requests. Detroit Free Press columnist Khalil AlHajal recently wrote about it in his column.
GUEST:
Khalil AlHajal, columnist, Detroit Free Press
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Energy gathered from the sun or wind is often seen as a solution to climate change, but there’s a rising conflict in small towns throughout the state over large-scale renewable energy projects. This election season there's been much discussion about how local township and county races have focused on this issue.
Roger Kerson, a Michigan-based writer for Barn Raiser Media, detailed why residents in these communites are pushing back against renewable energy and how opposition goes back to the early 2000s.
GUEST:
Roger Kerson, Michigan-based writer for Barn Raiser Media
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West Michigan chef Abra Berens is publishing a series of cookbooks drilling down on seasonal best. A former farmer and veteran of Zingerman’s Deli kitchen and the cafe at Chicago’s celebrated Local Foods grocery…she’s got chops fancy enough for the company, as well as crowd pleasers that will work on a weeknight.
GUEST:
Abra Berens, author of multiple cookbooks, including "Pulp"
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In the mid-1960s, Michigan State University fielded the first fully racially integrated football team. And they were really good. Those teams forever changed college football. And there efforts are documented in radio special "Teams of the Century" by producers Elizabeth Meister and Dan Collison with Long Haul Productions. Thanks to them for sharing their work on Stateside.
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Michigan Public's newsroom launched a new web series this week called "Voter Voices" that hears from a diverse collection of Michiganders about what concerns them as they head into the voting booth this fall.
GUEST:
- Jodi Westrick, director of digital audiences, Michigan Public
- Briana Rice, Detroit bureau reporter, Michigan Public
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A professor at Eastern Michigan University compiled stories of women in journalism who covered COVID, collecting oral histories of how the pandemic affected their work and lives.
GUEST:
- You Li, Assoc Professor of Journalism, EMU
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Artist Tiff Massey is the first Black woman to graduate from Cranbrook’s metalsmithing department. The multimedia artist is is perhaps best known today for her jewelry.
While some of Massey's rings and chains are wearable, others are as large as furniture pieces, evoking the place these things have in Black culture.
Stateside host April Baer visited Massey's studio last spring, in advance of the opening of her installation at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The exhibition, titled 7 Mile + Livernois, is open through May 11, 2025.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Tiff Massey, metalsmith and multimedia artist
When people ask what the Stateside podcast is, we say that it’s the most essential conversions from the state of Michigan. But that doesn’t mean it’s just the biggest and latest headlines, or deep political dives… it’s also about introducing you to artists from this state, meeting incredible chefs and biologists and woodworkers. It’s about better understanding your state. Please consider chipping in a couple bucks to keep these essential conversations going in Michigan.
Click here to make your donation.
Thanks!
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Michigan Central Station once represented an era of industry and opportunity in Detroit, and served as a point of convergence for folks coming from all walks of life.
Jamon Jordan, official historian for the city, joined Stateside to talk about what makes the renovation and reopening of the station building, now called Michigan Central, so meaningful.
Hear April Baer's full conversation with Jordan on today's podcast. Find Stateside's coverage of Michigan Central's grand opening here.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Jamon Jordan, founder and operator of The Black Scroll Network, City of Detroit historian, and professor at the University of Michigan
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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For 33 years, the story of Anita Wiley's disappearance was unresolved. Now, Antonio Wiley, and Anita's sister, Tonya Mosley, have a produced a podcast about Anita's story called She Has a Name. The series chronicles the realties of the drug epidemic in Detroit in the 1980s, Wiley's and Mosely's experiences with trauma and grief, and the reconstruction of family bonds.
We revisit Stateside's conversation with Mosely and Wiley on today's podcast. Find the original episode here.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
- Tonya Mosley, Emmy award-winning journalist; cohost of Fresh Air; founder of TMI Productions
- Antonio Wiley, executive producer of She Has A Name
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Folks in Flint will tell you, Comma Bookstore and Social Hub has been lifting the life of the city in many ways since its opening in 2020. But post-pandemic, amid economic uncertainty, this community asset is struggling to keep the doors open.
Comma owner Egypt Otis recently started a GoFundMe campaign for the store. In doing so, she hoped to keep alive the vision she brought to life four years ago. Today, we’ll talk about what it takes to keep our indie bookstores alive–and why it matters gthat we do.
GUEST:
Egypt Otis, owner of Comma Bookstore & Social Hub in Flint
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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When queer folk icon Phranc first started identifying as an "all-American Jewish lesbian folksinger" in the early 1980s, the world was in a very different place when it came to talking about queer identity. But the artist managed to carve out a space for herself with bright, cheery songs that celebrated queer love as often as they dealt with the darker realities of prejudice. This fall, Phranc is on the University of Michigan's campus to talk about her long career and share some of her sculptural work as part of a residency with the University of Michigan LSA Institute for the Humanities.
We talked to Phranc about her lifelong journey to make space for queer people–herself included–to be themselves.
GUEST:
Phranc, musician and artist behind the exhibit "The Butch Closet"
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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James Earl Jones died on Monday, at the age of 93.
This week, stage and screen fans are saying goodbye to a Michigander who was one of the United States most experienced and compelling talents. From the sinister authority of Darth Vader to the caring wisdom of Mufasa, Jones was - still is - a fixture of command. He could capture a movie in a single scene, or even a solitary line.
Today, how the actor's early life in Michigan shaped who he became. And, we’ll hear about the statue dedicated in his honor in Brethren in Manistee County, near Jones’s boyhood home.
GUEST:
- Cynthia Asiala, Chair of the Arts and Culture Alliance of Manistee County
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Justin Heinze's research looks at some of the psychological issues and impacts surrounding gun violence, and strategies for creating a safer educational environment. He joined us to talk about what safeguards are currently in place at the state level in Michigan in order to prevent gun violence in school spaces.
GUEST:
Justin Heinze, Co-Director of the National Center for School Safety; Co-Director of Research and Scholarship Core, Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Yuval Sharon is known for infusing both new and classic operas with fresh relevance. Now, the artistic director of the Detroit Opera is out with a new book that makes the case for opera that speaks to the modern audience. We spoke with Sharon about A New Philosophy of Opera, and why he thinks opera is an art form born for reinvention.
GUEST:
Yuval Sharon, artistic director of the Detroit Opera
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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When Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald leveled involuntary manslaughter charges against the parents of a teen who killed four classmates and injured seven other people at Oxford High School, many believed she wouldn’t get a conviction. Today, James and Jennifer Crumbley are in prison, and another prosecutor in Barrow County, Georgia is attempting a similar approach against the father of the 14-year-old accused of killing four people this week at Apalachee High School. We talked to McDonald about the similarities in the two cases, and about what kinds of circumstances warrant charging parents for the crimes of juvenile offenders.
GUEST:
Karen McDonald, Oakland County Prosecutor
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Cell phone bans in school are becoming more common, along with the ubiquity of smartphones and social media distractions. Florida and California have both made efforts on statewide bans. In Michigan, there is no plan for a state-level ban through the Legislature. But increasingly districts are opting into bans and finding kids are more engaged in school, more social, and less distracted overall.
GUEST: Sneha Dhandapani, reporter, Bridge Michigan
You can read Sneha's story here.
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In the years following the Great Depression, and as African Americans moved through the pathways of the Great Migration, Detroit's Paradise Valley became a hotbed of music and the arts. Among the signature sites for live music was the Apex Bar and Lounge. Taylor Childs's family first opened the bar in the 1940s, a time when, as Taylor noted, "Black land ownership was unheard of."
APEX, Child's art installation at Detroit Month of Design, tells the stories of Paradise Valley through textile and fashion design. She joined Stateside to share a piece of her family history, and to talk about what makes textile such a great medium for passing those stories on.
APEX will open on Thursday, Sep. 5 at the LOVE building, and will close on Friday, Sep. 27 with a fashion show. Find additional details at the Detroit Month of Design website.
GUEST:
Taylor Childs, Detroit native and artist
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Founding Nine Inch Nails drummer shares his journey from performing on stage and producing electronic music to teaching the next generation musicians.
GUEST:
- Chris Vrenna, Multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, composer, Grammy award winning programmer, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, founding Nine Inch Nails and current associate professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance in the Department of Performing Arts Technology.
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Trump campaign has made some notable shifts in strategy since Vice President Kamala Harris stepped into the presidential race, according to Tim Alberta, a staff writer for The Atlantic.
"...Kamala Harris' candidacy has roused a sleeping giant in the Democratic base. She is raising hundreds of millions of dollars. She has seen this huge outpouring of support from the volunteer class," Alberta said. "...And that is the new reality that Trump and his campaign are struggling to to adapt to."
Alberta is the author of two books that dig deeply into the impact of Donald Trump on the Republican Party, and the nation: American Carnage and The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory. He joined Stateside for an analysis of Trump's current presidential campaign.
GUEST:
- Tim Alberta, staff writer for The Atlantic
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A Michigan economist says moves to ban or limit Airbnb-type short-term rentals have no real regulatory benefit on pinched housing markets in popular locations.
GUEST:
Betsey Stevenson, economist, University of Michigan
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The non-profit organization Detroit Horse Power prepares to break ground on its equestrian center in the city this fall. The organization teaches kids about horsemanship and confidence building through work with horses.
GUESTS:
Jada, junior counselor, Detroit Horse Power
Sonja, teen participant, Detroit Horse Power
David Silver, founder and executive director, Detroit Horse Power
Samaya, teen participant, Detroit Horse Power
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A new episode of the Netflix documentary series Untold delves into one of the biggest college sports stories of the past year: the allegations of illegal sign-stealing on the part of University of Michigan's football team. We talk to a film critic about what the episode--which focuses heavily on football analyst Conor Stalions--told us that we didn't know yet. Then, we talk to a sports reporter about how the story is continuing to unfold in the new season.
GUESTS:
- Adam Graham, film critic for the Detroit News
- Isaiah Hole, publisher of WolverinesWire
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Psychiatrist Dr. Arash Javanbakht is the author of "Afraid: Understanding the Purpose of Fear and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety." Javanbakht shared his strategies for making it through election year relatively anxiety-free.
"For example, one antidote is to know that it is impossible that half of Americans are stupid, and the other half are the only smart people," Javanbakht said. "Because each side is made to believe that at this point. "
GUEST:
Dr. Arash Javanbakht, psychiatrist; director of the Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic (STARC); associate professor of psychiatry at Wayne State University
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Summer harvest is a great time of year in Michigan to put all the bounty between two pieces of bread. It's in the spirit of great sandwiches that the first-ever Detroit Sandwich Party festival kicks off at Eastern Market on Sunday, September 1st.
GUESTS:
Carlos Parisi, DSP organizer, host of the “Sandwich Talk” podcast
Will McDowell, DSP organizer
Bekah Galang, DSP organizer
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The Points North Podcast from Interlochen Public Radio won a national Edward R. Murrow award last week for their story about Kenny Pheasant, an Anishinaabe Michigander working to teach and preserve the Anishinaabemowin language. Today, we bring that episode in honor of their great podcast and wonderful story.
GUEST:
Dan Wanshura, host of Points North podcast
Kenny Phesant, teacher of Anishinaabemowin
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Delegates and protesters from Michigan are in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention.
GUEST:
Russ McNamara, WDET reporter in Chicago covering DNC for the Michigan Public Radio Network
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Rewa Zeinati’s new chapbook of poetry, Difficult, touches on the female body, childlessness, marriage, capitalism, and the countries she leaves and returns to. The founder of the critically-acclaimed English-language Arab arts journal, Sukoon, and a curator w the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn joins the show.
GUEST:
Rewa Zeinati, writer and editor
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This week Democrats are in Chicago - including a number from Michigan - in what’s meant to be a moment of unity, with a fiery, joyful presidential nominee and her very Midwestern running mate.
But the party mood is not shared by everyone in the party. Including supporters of the "Uncommitted" movement protesting the Biden Administration's handling of Israel's war in Gaza.
GUEST:
Lexi Zeidan, Listen to Michigan
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Detroit parents Bridget Finn and Sam Beaubien found their lives upended when their daughter, Florence, was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called STXBP1. As they adjusted to a new reality for their family, they also worked to fund research for their daughter's disorder. On today's episode, we talk to Bridget and Sam about their family's story.
GUESTS:
Bridget Finn, art gallery director
Sam Beaubien, audio producer and musician
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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For those who have flown through Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan you have likely noticed the art in Concourse A. The artwork—titled Facets— is built through three suspended sculptures that might make travelers feel like they are suddenly a part of the piece — as though they are composed beneath hundreds of small colorful connected shapes all hanging overhead. Transit is highlighted beneath what the artist's father saw as a capiz chandelier. For travelers, and the artist himself, that sense of imagery is important - it speaks to a sense of home and a feeling of movement.
Today, we talk with Jeffery Augustine Songco about his artistic journey, his Catholic Filipino upbringing, and the vision that drives his creative process.
GUEST:
- Jeffrey Augustine Songco, portraiture and sculpture artist based in Allendale, MI
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Michigan has a rich history of women in the state's top leadership. Can Vice President Kamala Harris learn anything from our state's political leaders about running—and winning—as a woman? We talked to BBC reporter Madeline Halpert has been thinking about that question and recently wrote about what lessons Michigan's women-dominated politics offers to the likely Democratic presidential nominee.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Madeline Halpert, North America correspondent for the BBC
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Extreme weather patterns, fruit flies, and decay have impacted Michigan's sweet cherry crop this year. Governor Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking them to declare a federal disaster for the region, which would make emergency funding available for the state's cherry farmers. On this episode of the podcast, we'll talk to one of those farmers about how he's coping with this tough year.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE
- Isaiah Wunsch, CEO of Wunsch Farms and agribusiness consultant for Third Coast Fruit Co.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The FAFSA rollout for the 2025-26 academic year has been delayed, continuing headaches for students applying for federal aid for higher education. The updated 2024-25 FAFSA form suffered from a series of delays, glitches, and other issues, impacting the number of students who chose to fill out the application for student aid, and potentially limiting the options they had for financing a college education. On this episode, we'll dig into what happened, the potential ramifications for students, and the outlook for next year.
GUEST:
- Jason Gonzales, higher education reporter for Chalkbeat
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Black Tech Saturdays is an organization with a mission to create space for Black tech founders to connect and collaborate.
It’s grown tremendously since its founding. The workshops, trainings and networking events have provided valuable resources to its members, especially in an industry where Black people’s contributions have not always been visible.
Today, a conversation about leveraging tech talent in Detroit and beyond.
GUESTS:
- Johnnie Turnage, co-founder of Black Tech Saturdays
- Darrell Marshall, founder of Total Analysis Solutions–a biotech startup based out of Ann Arbor
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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A new exhibition at the Ukrainian American Archives and Museum in Hamtramck documents a recent phenomenon across the Ukrainian diaspora: tattooing.
“Since the beginning of the war in 2022, there's been a significant uptick in the use of various Ukrainian symbols, whether they be folk symbols, or national symbols to represent the nation,” Olga Liskiwskyi, executive director of the museum, said.
Stateside paid a visit to the museum for a tour of the gallery.
GUEST ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Olga Liskiwskyi, Executive Director of the Ukrainian American Archives and Museum
- Sofia Kuczer, submitted to "Ink as Identity" gallery
- Roman Wonsul, submitted to "Ink as Identity" gallery
- Veronica Rogalla, submitted to "Ink as Identity" gallery
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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In February's Democratic presidential primary, Michigan state representative Abraham Aiyash was one of thousands of people to vote "Uncommitted" in protest of the Biden administration's foreign policy towards Israel and the war in Gaza. Today, he joined Stateside to talk about what it would take for Kamala Harris to earn "uncommitted" voters' support.
The verdict is still out, Aiyash said, on how Harris' foreign policy proposals may differ from that of the Biden administration.
GUEST ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- State Representative Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck), 9th House District and Michigan House Majority Floor Leader
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On today's episode we explore details of the historic exchange that allowed the U.S. to welcome home Michigander Paul Whelan from a Russian prison.
Whelan, a security contractor and former U.S. marine was imprisoned in Russia for six years. He was convicted of spying, but maintains he got caught up in a Russian sting.
Our guest, Tom Nichols recently published an essay in The Atlantic detailing the benefits for Russia of systematically detaining Americans and Europeans, and how President Putin has manipulated prisoner negotiations to his own benefit.
GUEST:
Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic, author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter, and professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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When Melissa Isaac began campaigning for re-election to the board of Mt. Pleasant Public Schools, it wasn't long before she noticed something was odd. Voters on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Indian Reservation had ballots that did not list their school district. Instead, their ballots listed Shepherd Public Schools.
Isaac called the township clerk's office to ask about the discrepancy, and after several conversations, was told that a correction would be made right away.
Read Neely Bardwell's reporting on this story at NativeNewsOnline.net.
[Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or YouTube Music today.]
GUESTS ON TODAY'S SHOW:
- Melissa Isaac, head of the Indigenous Education Initiative for the Michigan Department of Education; treasurer of the Mt. Pleasant Public School Board
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The It's Just Politics team of Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta returns with a panel discussion about this wild presidential election cycle, and a peep into the Democratic and Republican primary elections this week for U.S. Senate.
GUEST:
Zoe Clark, co-host of It's Just Politics, Michigan Public
Rick Pluta, co-host of It's Just Politics, Michigan Public Radio Network
Adrian Hemmond, Democratic strategist, Grassroots Midwest
John Sellek, Republican strategist, Harbor Strategic
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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One of the Detroit's Olympic bids unfolded right in 1963 - right alongside the Civil Rights Movement. While one group saw an opportunity to brandish the city's glory, another feared an oversight of racial oppression and unrest. Detroit's Olympic Uprising, a new documentary from Detroit filmmaker Aaron Schillinger, documents what happened when the two groups collided.
Detroit's Olympic Uprising will air on FOX 2 News on Saturday, August 3, at 2 p.m. Hear April Baer's conversation with Schillinger and two University of Michigan professors who offered their expertise for the film on the Stateside Podcast.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
- Aaron Schillinger, Detroit filmmaker
- Stefan Szymanski, Professor of Sport Management at the University of Michigan
- Silke-Maria Weineck, Professor of German Studies and Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Wall Street Journal set out to rank all of the U.S. National Parks, using as part of its formula the density of crowds... which can make a natural space feel unnatural. With Isle Royale set in the middle of one the inland sea of Lake Superior, it's no wonder that it ranked high with WSJ for it's remoteness and natural serenity.
GUEST:
Emily Pennington, author, journalist, National Parks enthusiast
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Hannah Roberts, at 22 years old, is appearing in her second Olympics for BMX Freestyle. It's also just the second time the sport has appeared at the Summer Olympics. In Tokyo, Hannah won silver. But she's the heavy in the field of riders, and gunning for gold. We spoke with the Buchanan native about the sport and her home town.
GUEST:
Hannah Roberts, Olympian, BMX Freestyle
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For decades, Detroit has been a hub for music of all genres and has been recognized and appreciated around the world. From jazz to Motown to techno and hip hop, Detroit musicians are continuously at the forefront of their genres. So, should the city have its own designated music district? Much like those in New Orleans, Austin or Memphis? Keith Owens says, yes. He's a contributing columnist for the Detroit Free Press, and a musician. He recently wrote a piece on this topic and has been thinking a lot about what it could mean for Detroit to have a central district for live music.
GUEST:
- Keith Owens, local writer, and co-founder of Detroit Stories Quarterly and the We are Speaking substack newsletter and podcast
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Michigan native Brittany Luce, host of It’s Been a Minute on NPR, has made a name for herself with her sharp, engaging commentary and deep dives into contemporary culture.
Whether she's exploring the latest trends or unraveling complex issues, Brittany's approach is both thought-provoking and accessible.
Luse sat down with us to talk about Kamala Harris' campaign, candidacy and potential nomination, and how it represents broader shifts in American culture.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Brittany Luse, host of It's Been a Minute, a NPR podcast.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Within just a couple hours of Vice President Kamala Harris announcing her candidacy for president, an impromptu fundraiser organized by Black women voters across the country came into being via Zoom. They raised more than a million dollars in a couple hours. It's an anecdote, but it speaks volumes about the power of Black women voters who organize around a common cause.
GUEST:
Danielle Atkinson, founder and executive director of Mothering Justice
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud speaks with Stateside's Zena Issa about how "Uncommitted" voters may give VP Kamala Harris a chance now that President Biden has dropped out of the race. But, he says, she'll have to earn their votes.
GUEST:
Abdullah Hammoud, mayor of Dearborn
Zena Issa, production assistant, Stateside
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On today’s podcast episode, we talk with a student and a professor at Concordia University Ann Arbor. The school will need to significantly reduce its operations and program offerings, including athletics, after the 2024-25 academic year. The cuts have staff and students anxious about what the future holds for the institution.
The Lutheran institution is facing a $9 million budget deficit. Enrollment has grown in recent years with a student body around 1,000, but it’s a benchmark many smaller colleges have found it hard to maintain operations.
Even so, back in February university administration announced a series of staff and program cuts. Then came a notice in June that all athletic programs would be cut next year. Just nine in-person and seven online programs will remain after June 2025.
You can find a statement from Concordia University here.
GUESTS:
Dr. Scott Chappuis, associate professor Department of Communication
David Smalls, student Department of Justice & Public Policy, and Student Government Association President
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President Joe Biden shocked the nation over the weekend by pulling out of the Democratic nomination process, and endorsing his VP, Kamala Harris. The question in Michigan is would Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who also endorsed Harris, be a viable No. 2 on a Harris ticket?
GUEST:
Debbie Dingell, congresswoman from MI-6
Stephen Henderson, host of Created Equal on WDET
Zoe Clark, co-host of It's Just Politics on Michigan Public
Rick Pluta, co-host of It's Just Politics on Michigan Public
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July 20, 2024 marks the beginning of dystopian classic novel "Parable of the Sower", written by Octavia Butler 30 years ago.
GUEST:
Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, PhD, is Chair of the Joint Program in English and Education at the University of Michigan’s Marsal Family School of Education
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Michigan-based horror author Josh Malerman has a new set of psychological scares in his paranormal thriller "Incidents Around The House". Malerman rose to prominence in the horror genre with his novel "Bird Box", which became a Netflix hit.
GUEST:
Josh Malerman, best-selling thriller novelist and author of "Incidents Around The House"
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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A new podcast delves deep into the Republican Party upheaval of the mid-1970s to help shed light on our current political climate. And it all begins with a Michigander we know and love: then-President Gerald Ford. The podcast, made by Nuanced Tales in partnership with WFAE and distributed by NPR, is called "Landslide." We talked to host Ben Bradford about the roots of America's current culture war back through the political campaigns of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford.
GUEST:
Ben Bradford, creator and host of the podcast "Landslide"
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Today, a conversation with Johnny Rodriguez, President and CEO of Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP), a social services center focused on the Latino community in West Michigan. And, a sneak peek at LAUP's 60th annual Fiesta celebration this week (July 15-21) in Holland, Michigan.
GUEST:
- Johnny Rodriguez, President and CEO of Latin Americans United for Progress
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In the wake of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump this weekend, many people are raising questions about the Secret Service's protocols at the Pennsylvania rally where the shooting occurred. Former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade joined Stateside to discuss what she sees as shortcomings in the agency's security measures this weekend, and how those lapses are fueling online conspiracies about what happened.
GUEST:
Barbara McQuade, former U.S. Attorney and law professor at University of Michigan
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A new children's book, "The Empty House", creates a fanciful world in which woodland critters take up residence in Michigan cottages during the winter.
GUEST:
Mary Scholl, author of "The Empty House"
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When thinking about spells and witchcraft, a bar probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But in Hamtramck, Michigan, one stands out among the rest. It's the Black Salt Bar, where customers can order a spell kit with their cocktail.
"There are a lot of different cocktail books that exist that play with this idea, but there's never really been a brick and mortar bar" said owner Zoey Ashwood.
When a customer orders a spell kit with their drink, they might get some herbs, gemstones, or a candle and matches. All the spell kits also include a handmade altar and instructions for performing the ritual.
GUEST:
Zoey Ashwood, owner of The Black Salt Bar in Hamtramck, Michigan
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Grand Rapids voters will elect a new mayor this year. Two of the candidates are familiar political names. A third is a military veteran. The fourth describes themself as a neurotic Capricorn who spends their free time “pretending to be a robot and fearing Roko’s Basilisk.” This is a story about the fourth candidate.
GUESTS:
Dustin Dwyer, West Michigan reporter, Michigan Public
Hailey Lynch-Bastion, candidate for Mayor in Grand Rapids
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Governor Gretchen Whitmer's new book, "True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between," is a brief, but insightful look at the Michigan governor's life and how her experiences have shaped the way she governs. It also sets the stage for a bigger political presence nationally. The co-hosts of It’s Just Politics on Michigan Public, offered their insights on one of the most anticipated political books of the season, and what it tells us about Whitmer’s leadership style and national image.
GUESTS:
Zoe Clark, political director at Michigan Public
Rick Pluta, senior Capitol correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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As vote-by-mail ballots start appearing for Michiganders, there’s an ongoing legal dispute about whose interests should carry representative weight when it comes to drawing legislative districts. Six state Senate districts stand at the center of that debate as they await court approval for their redrawn maps.
GUESTS:
Colin Jackson, reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network
Clara Hendrickson, politics reporter for the Detroit Free Press
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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When you think about amateur sports, sumo wrestling is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. However, the traditional Japanese sport has been growing in popularity across the United States, including right here in Michigan. Stateside's Yesenia Zamora-Cardoso headed to a gym in Grand Rapids where modern athletes are finding fun and challenge in the ancient sport.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
- Gabe Unick, head of the Grand Rapids Sumo Club
- Kai Pruiett, member of the Grand Rapids Sumo Club
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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How to tend to the crops in your yard when Michigan bakes with summer heatwaves.
GUEST:
Malik Yakini, founder of D-Town Farms and the Detroit People's Food Co-op
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The longstanding conventional wisdom is that what we call hillbilly music originated in Western Europe. But the truth, as many scholars and musicians have been preaching for years now, is that country music is intimately tied into the experience of African Americans. In fact, one of the most recognizable instruments in the country music genre is the banjo--which made its way to America from West Africa with enslaved people. On today's episode, University of Michigan professor Nadine Hubbs talked about Black Americans' (often erased) influence on country music as we know it today--and how Black artists like Beyoncé are reclaiming a space in the genre.
GUEST:
Nadine Hubbs, professor of music at the University of Michigan and author of "Rednecks, Queers, and Country Music"
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Solar Party Detroit started as a idea to power a e-bike with solar power from off the grid. Now, the company owns a fleet of several solar generators that have powered everything from DJ setups to movie screenings. We talk to the co-founders and owners of the company about their experience powering the city's summer celebrations with sunlight.
GUESTS:
- Ash Arder, co-founder and owner of Solar Party Detroit.
- Diane Cheklich, co-founder and owner of Solar Party Detroit.
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President Biden's doddering performance at his first debate with Donald Trump this election cycle reportedly has many high up Democratic strategists nervous about the president's prospects. And it again raises the question of who could step in on short notice to run for president.... which brings Governor Gretchen Whitmer's name into the conversation. Is Michigan's governor interested?
GUESTS:
Jordyn Hermani, Capitol reporter for Bridge Michigan
Sam Shriber, political reporter for the Michigan Information & Research Service
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The Legislature pulled an all-nighter to pass a record breaking state budget. Here are the topline items they passed, and how they got it done.
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Michigander Courtney Andersen was recently named as the best social media influencer in Hour Detroit Magazine's Best of Detroit 2024 list. On her podcast Sober Vibes, Andersen shares her story as a woman who decided to leave her relationship with alcohol when she was 29 years old. The podcast, which she launched in 2020, focuses on alcoholism, family dynamics, and how Andersen has found healing and help along the way.
GUEST:
Courtney Andersen, host, Sober Vibes podcast
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Within the past few months, two men have been killed in the Grand Rapids area by law enforcement officials in encounters that involved injuries from the officers’ vehicles. We talk to a community activist and the Grand Rapids chief of police about what these incidents have meant for community trust in the police—and what steps the department is taking to rebuild trust in law enforcement.
We reached out to the Kent County Sheriff's Office about Riley Doggett’s death, and they declined to comment. A spokesperson instead referred us to the Kent County prosecutor's decision not to pursue charges against the deputy involved.
GUESTS:
- Aly Bates, Grand Rapids resident, activist
- Eric Winstrom, Grand Rapids Police Chief
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The Surgeon General came out with a startling suggestion last week: social media should come with warnings, like packs of cigarettes and alcohol.
Jenny Radesky is a pediatrician and researcher. Her work guides parents on how to mitigate their child's media use.
Radesky says media habits start in infancy and can be hard to get rid of once they solidify. The more time kids spend on media, the less time they are playing, sleeping or developing skills.
GUEST:
Jenny Radesky, medical director of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health and faculty at the University of Michigan
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A solo exhibit from artist Elizabeth Youngblood is on display now through August 3 at the University of Michigan's Stamps Gallery. It looks back at 40 years of the Detroit artist's work in art and graphic design. On this episode, we talked to Youngblood about her long career and the themes that she sees drawing a thread from past to present in her work. The exhibit, titled Syntax, is on view now through August 3.
GUEST:
Elizabeth Youngblood, Detroit artist
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When you think about Afrofuturism, what pops into your head? Is it the sci-fi novels of writers Ocatvia Butler, Samuel Delany, or N.K. Jemisin? Or perhaps you’ve tuned in more recently to the representation of Afrofuturism on the big screen in movies like Black Panther. What about quilting? A new exhibit at Michigan State University showcases the Black artists using fabric and Afrofuturist themes to create unique works of art. On this episode, we'll hear from one of the curators about how these quilts envision a Black future while paying homage to its rich history.
GUEST:
Liv Furman, post-doctoral scholar in the Department of African American and African Studies at Michigan State University
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Medical professionals at Ascension hospitals are just recovering from the affects of a ransomware attack that targeted the health system on May 8. In addition to the challenge of relying on paper records, caregivers have long been grappling with Ascension's decision to arrange contracts with outside staffing companies.
"A lot of us have worked for multiple different staffing agencies over the years. And the problem is, a lot of us feel like we're being bought and sold like cattle," Michelle Wiener, an emergency medicine doctor at Ascension St. John, said.
See the story here to read more about the staffing model at Ascension St. John, and to read statements from IEP, Ascension, and TeamHealth.
See the story here to read more about the harrowing affects of the May 8 cyberattack on Michigan hospitals.
GUEST:
Michelle Wiener, emergency medicine doctor at Ascension St. John, said.
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Members of the Rochester Hills community are still reeling today after a gunman opened fire at a splash pad in the Oakland County community on Saturday. Nine people were injured, including two young children. Police said the gunman is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot in a nearby home.
The attack came less than three years after the deadly mass shooting at Oxford High School, also in Oakland County.
Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald has a deep knowledge of the pain that gun violence causes. An outspoken advocate for gun violence prevention, she joined Stateside to share her perspective.
GUEST:
Karen McDonald, Oakland County Prosecutor
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Several small to mid-sized cruise lines hop around the Great Lakes, stopping in cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, Marquette, and some going all the way round the Mitten to Windsor. Many of the ships make a stop in Muskegon. We dig into what these trips actually mean for the city’s residents and businesses.
GUEST:
Cindy Larsen, President of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce
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When the Reproductive Health Care Act passed last year, it contained a little-known provision that’s about to take effect. After this summer’s data drop, state officials will no longer keep track of abortion care procedures in Michigan. Bridge Michigan’s Robin Erb looked into how this limit became part of the bill. We talked to her about what she found, and review the arguments for and against tracking this data.
GUEST:
Robin Erb, health reporter for Bridge Michigan
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On this episode, we revisit our 2020 conversation with the couple behind one of our favorite Michigan-born bands: The War and Treaty. Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount Trotter joined us to talk about their musical collaboration and how they have found solace and healing in their work.
GUESTS:
Michael Trotter Jr., singer-songwriter for The War and Treaty
Tanya Blount Trotter, singer-songwriter for The War and Treaty
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Jails are not known for being a friendly, welcoming, humanizing space. In fact, they can be just the opposite. And as someone’s period of incarceration comes to an end, there’s not much guidance around successfully re-entering society. Taylor Made Re-Entry partners with correctional facilities all across the country in an effort to change that.
GUEST:
Dee Dee Taylor, founder of Taylor Made Re-Entry
_______
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Michigan Chef Hajime Sato just took home the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Great Lakes Category. He’s the first sushi chef to earn the title. We met Chef Hajime Sato around this time last year, shortly after he was nominated for a James Beard in the Outstanding Chef category. Today, we revisit our conversation about sustainable seafood, and what it looks like to try new things in order to preserve tradition.
GUEST:
Hajime Sato, chef and owner of Sozai
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Every Michigander knows by birthright that sipping on an ice-cold Vernors will cure what ails you, be it nausea, a common cold, or... I don't know... a broken arm, probably. But what does the historical record show about where the line is between the common understanding of this soda pop, and actual medical science? The Detroit Free Press inhaled deeply on the fizz over this question, and we're here to get the bubbles to your brain.
GUEST:
Dave Boucher, reporter for Detroit Free Press, lifelong Vernors drinker
_______
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Additional music from The Orchestra of the Americas.
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On today's episode, the director of an ensemble that unites musicians from all over the Americas talked about the group's upcoming performance in Michigan, the sustaining reach of orchestral music, and connecting young musicians.
GUEST:
Carlos Miguel Prieto, founding conductor of the Orchestra of the Americas
The Orchestra of the Americas will perform in Ann Arbor on June 11th, 2024 at Hill Auditorium with special guests Yo-Yo Ma and Kayhan Kalhor. You can find more information about the performance here.
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Additional music from The Orchestra of the Americas.
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Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei, the hosts and co-creators of NPR's Throughline, joined Stateside to discuss what they've learned after five years of producing the program. The show dissects how moments in history shape the world we live in today. Throughline airs on Michigan Public at 8:00 p.m. every Saturday.
GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:
- Rund Abdelfatah, journalist, host and co-creator of Throughline
- Ramtin Arablouei, journalist, host and co-creator of Throughline
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Longtime Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow is preparing for her retirement taking place later this year. There are two vying for her spot in the Democratic Primary: Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and actor Hill Harper.
GUESTS:
Lauren Gibbons, politics reporter with Bridge Michigan
Jordyn Hermani, politics reporter with Bridge Michigan
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The third known case of H5N1 bird flu in a human this year was confirmed late last week in Michigan. Two of the three cases were found in Michigan. All of the infections were found in people who work directly with livestock. On this episode of the Stateside podcast, we get into what you need to know about H5N1 and how you can keep safer from infection.
GUESTS:
Adam Lauring, professor of internal medicine, microbiology and immunology, and ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Michigan
Kristen Jordan Shamus, health reporter with The Detroit Free Press
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The newly renovated Michigan Central Station is a sight to behold: towering columns, large sloped ceilings, and graffiti relics of a once abandoned building. But Central Station is more than its parts. Today we want to give you some history. On this episode we get into the story of why the station is such an iconic building and what it represents to Detroit.
GUEST:
- Jamon Jordan, founder and operator of The Black Scroll Network, City of Detroit historian, and professor at the University of Michigan
___
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Detroit’s iconic Michigan Central Station is getting ready to re-open its doors after more than three decades of abandonment, and following extensive restoration by Ford. Throughout those years the building’s various owners and city leaders have argued about whether to save it or knock it down. Many will tell you - it's a miracle the building is still standing. Events are planned June 6-16.
GUESTS:
- Josh Sirefman, chief executive officer of Michigan Central
- Dan Austin, director of communications for Michigan Central
___
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"The Bird Connection" is a new documentary from Michigan Public that explores the connection between the health of bird populations and the condition of our natural world. Hosts Lester Graham and Rebecca Williams look at the variety of factors impacting both, on this special podcast episode takeover.
Hear the rest of "The Bird Connection" documentary here.
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Alma Cooper is Miss Michigan USA 2024. On this episode, a conversation with Miss Michigan USA about her title, her passion in combating food insecurity, and moving forward to compete in Miss USA.
GUEST:
Alma Cooper, Miss Michigan USA 2024
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Hamtramck Disneyland is folk art installation that's been around for more than 30 years. On this episode we meet some of the artists rehabbing the property so that it can exist for 30 more.
GUESTS:
Sean Bieri, project manager and board member with Hatch
Renee Willoughby, artist-in-residence AT Hamtramck Disneyland
___
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Governments and auto manufacturers have big plans for switching the United States to electric vehicles. It's one of many efforts to reduce the impact of climate change. But there's a key ingredient in electrification that could put a crimp in that plan: copper.
GUEST ON THIS EPISDOE:
- Adam Simon, professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan
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Michaela Ayers is a doer of many things. She’s an artist, facilitator, and historian. But she says that her life’s work is a particular project she’s been developing since 2019: Black Her Stories.
GUEST:
Michaela Ayers, founder of Nourish and creator of Black Her Stories
___
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Ascension hospital has been attacked by ransomware. They’ve had to switch to paper charts, staff say it's a safety concern, and patients are experiencing delays in getting medical results. So how should institutions (and you) prepare for an attack?
GUESTS:
Hafiz Malik, Ph.D. Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, U-M Dearborn
Jim Bagian, directs the Center for Healthcare Engineering and Patient Safety (CHEPS) at the University of Michigan
___
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On Tuesday morning, police shut down the encampment on the University of Michigan campus. Protesters want the school to divest from companies tied to the Israeli military.
GUESTS:
Tracy Samilton, reporter at Michigan Public
Salma Hamamy, president of the University of Michigan chapter of Students Allied For Freedom and Equality
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In Michigan, we pride ourselves on our lakes – sandy bottomed and crystalline blue waters. But with such idyllic waters comes a risk: swimmer's itch. On this episode of the Stateside podcast, we look into the biology behind swimmer's itch and get into what scientists are doing to mitigate it.
GUEST:
Curtis Blankespoor, professor at Jackson College and adjunct professor, University of Michigan Biological Station
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Mari Copeny is a leading activist out of the Flint Water Crisis, but she is more than "Little Miss Flint."
GUEST:
Imani Mixon, journalist and founder of Mixon Media
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The College for Creative Studies in Detroit has a fashion design program that’s cultivating some of Detroit’s most creative young minds. Earlier this month the program held their fourth annual fashion show.
GUESTS:
Cierra Headings, fashion designer
David Rodriguez, fashion designer
___
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The Gordie Howe International bridge crossing the Detroit River is nearing completion and is expected to open in the fall of 2025. On this episode of the Stateside podcast, we spoke with one of the officials behind the bridge about what it takes to pull of a project of this magnitude.
GUEST:
Grant Hilbers, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority chief capital officer
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Over the past few months, encampments and protests on college campuses have been a constant in the headlines. But how does news media shape our perception of these actions?
GUEST:
Danielle K. Brown, 1855 Community & Urban Journalism Professorship and associate professor at Michigan State University
___
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A garden designed to bring awareness and combat environmental racism will launch with a major installment this month - a large work of art that will serve as a gateway to the park, but also monitor air quality.
GUEST:
Jordan Weber, Activist and Regenerative Land Sculptor
Rukiya Colvin, Sidewalk Detroit Project Manager
_____
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Ann Arbor Public Schools is facing a projected $25 million dollar deficit in the coming year. So, what happens now? On this episode, we ask the board of education's president about how one of the state's wealthiest school districts ended up here and about the plan for righting the ship.
GUEST:
Torchio Feaster, AAPS Board of Education President
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Former President Donald Trump was in Michigan again campaigning for reelection. A few days later Vice President Kamala Harris was in Detroit promoting the strength and importance of the auto sector. And President Joe Biden will be here as well, making a campaign sweep through Detroit.
On this episode of the Stateside podcast, how Michigan is shaping up as a battleground state.
GUEST:
Zoe Clark, host of It’s Just Politics
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Earlier this week a series of tornadoes whipped through West Michigan, destroying buildings in their path. Images of the aftermath show ruined houses and a caved-in FedEx warehouse facility, where 50 workers were trapped due to downed power lines. On this episode, we look at the immediate affects of the storm. Plus we zoom-in on Portage, a city in Michigan particularly hard hit.
GUESTS:
Brett Dahlberg, news editor at Michigan Public
Patricia Randall, mayor of Portage, Michigan
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Yumna Jawad is best known as the Feel Good Foodie, with millions of followers on TikTok and Reels. Her shortform videos gained popularity for combining the easy and comfort of Midwestern cooking, but with Lebanese flavors and sensibilities. Now Jawad has a new cookbook, "Feel Good Foodie" publishing this week.
GUEST:
Yumna Jawad, Feel Good Foodie
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In Michigan, the warmer months mean mushrooms! On this episode, we learn about some of the mushrooms in season, the basics of foraging, and some simple ways to prepare your bounty.
GUESTS:
Jill Grenchik, co-owner of Great Lakes Treats
Aaron Grenchik, co-owner of Great Lakes Treats
___
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Gaza solidarity encampments have been present at the University of Michigan's Diag for more than two weeks. The coalition of students organizing the protest are calling for the university “to divest from its financial holdings in companies that invest in Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.” In this episode, Michigan Public reportersjoined Stateside to share their analysis of the university's decades-long history with divestment and divestment-related protests.
Then, several Jewish students discussed what a call for divestment means to them, their different experiences on campus since the conflict began last October, and what they wish to see from the university moving forward.
GUESTS:
Kate Wells, Michigan Public health reporter
Adam Yahya Rayes, Michigan Public data reporter
Ryan Silberfein, UM undergraduate and chair of Michigan Hillel
Jack Landstein, UM undergraduate and vice president of engagement at Michigan Hillel
Katya Olson Shipyatsky, UM graduate student and organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace
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Tiff Massey is an interdisciplinary artist whose work focuses on ideas of community and adornment. She makes everything from custom, wearable jewelry to large scale architectural sculptures. Her work contends with race and class, while evoking the history of West African and Black American culture. Massey's solo exhibit, "7 Mile + Livernois ," opens at the Detroit Institute of Arts May 5th.
GUEST:
Tiff Massey, interdisciplinary Detroit-based artist
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"Diarra From Detroit" follows Diarra Brickland, a Detroit school teacher, as she attempts to track down a Tinder date who ghosted her. Diarra Kilpatrick, a Detroiter herself, writes, stars is, and executive produces the new BET+ series. She joined Stateside to discuss the real-life moments that inspired her writing, and what it takes to balance many themes and genres in one story.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Diarra Kilpatrick, writer, lead actress, executive producer, "Diarra From Detroit"
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In 2009, an assistant Wayne County prosecutor made a horrifying discovery: more than 11-thousand untested rape kits sitting in an abandoned Detroit Police warehouse. The repercussions of that find are still being felt today.
GUEST:
Sarah Cwiek, reporter for Michigan Public
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After 14 years of organizing and building, the Detroit People’s Food Co-op will open its doors on Wednesday, May 1st, with a grand opening celebration to follow on Saturday, May 19th.
The co-op was fathered by the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network. Malik Yakini, who co-founded the group, currently serves as its executive director.
"Part of what we're working on is really not just addressing access, but addressing the questions of who shapes the food system, who owns it, who benefits from it,” Yakini said. “And really, we're trying to make a shift in power from the corporate side of things, controlling things to actually having a food system that is shaped by control by and serves people.”
GUESTS:
- Akil Talley, general manager, the Detroit People’s Food Co-op
- Malik Yakini, co-founder and executive director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network___
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For many years, Michigan was considered a national political bellwether.
There are so many factors in play this year. We’ve talked in recent days about how the arrival of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the Michigan ballot last week as a candidate with the Natural Law Party might shift primary results. So, is Michigan going to be any kind of predictor of trends in national election results in 2024? In this episode, Michigan State University political science professor Matt Grossman helped us look ahead to what will matter this November.
GUEST:
Matt Grossman, professor of political science, Michigan State University
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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What would you do if your tap water turned brown? If it gave your children a rash every time they took a bath? Or worse, what if it made them sick? We're revisiting Michigan Public's audio documentary from 2015 about the Flint Water Crisis. Plus we'll hear from the reporter about the making of Not Safe to Drink.
GUEST:
- Lindsey Smith, lead of Michigan Public's Amplify team
___
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More than 100 people who were abused by former Michigan State University and U.S. Olympic gymnastics doctor Nassar have finally reached a $138.7 million settlement with the Department of Justice. The FBI failed to properly investigate complaints about Nassar, which allowed Nassar to continue abusing patients and athletes in Michigan for another year.
GUEST:
Kate Wells, reporter for Michigan Public
___
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Ten years ago today a devastating water crisis began in the city of Flint, Michigan. Its water was tainted with lead, threatening tens of thousands of people. Suddenly the spotlight swung onto Michigan and on the quality of the nation’s drinking water. Today, we’re looking at what happened, what’s changed, and how people are thinking about the crisis ten years later.
GUESTS:
Steve Carmody, reporter for Michigan Public
Sheldon Neeley, Flint Mayor
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The politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be on the presidential ballot in Michigan, as the nominee for the Natural Law Party. Will his run from the outside is a swipe at the binary choice of Joe Biden or Donald Trump, but the odds are stacked against him.
GUESTS:
Tyler Scott, reporter for Michigan Public
Jonathan Hanson, political science expert from University of Michigan
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Kalamazoo-born artist Titus Kaphar's work is displayed in some of the premiere art museums, like MoMA, the Whitney, and the Met. But you can also find his work in a different kind of institution. One of his pieces features in his series "From a Tropical Place" is currently displayed at Grosse Pointe North High School.
The painting is causing quite a stir. On this episode, we’re talking to Titus Kaphar about this particular piece, his process, and some new projects he has in the pipeline.
GUEST:
Titus Kaphar, artist
___
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When changes to auto-no fault insurance in Michigan passed in 2019, lawmakers hailed it as a bipartisan win. But for many catastrophically injured survivors of auto accidents, it meant losing the care they’ve depended on for years. On this episode, we hear about the attempts to increase the caps on in-home nursing care for catastrophically injured crash survivors--and why proposed reforms are stalling.
GUEST:
Tracy Samilton, energy and transportation reporter for Michigan Public
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A political legal drama is unfolding in Michigan. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed more than a dozen charges against former state House Speaker Lee Chatfield, alleging that he used a non-profit to amass kickbacks and to use a slush fund for personal expenses.
GUEST:
Craig Mauger, state politics reporter for The Detroit News
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For 33 years, the story of Anita Wiley’s disappearance was unresolved. After firefighters found her remains in a vacant house in Detroit that had been set on fire, she was buried in a cemetery for the unidentified, and her case was named “Unknown Woman 1987.” In 2020, through a cemetery DNA program, Anita’s remains were identified and linked to her son, Antonio Wiley, and her sister, Tonya Mosley, who never knew she existed.
Together, Antonio and Tonya have produced a new podcast series, She Has a Name, that aims to tell Anita’s story with attention to not only grief and trauma, but to beauty and joy.
GUESTS:
- Tonya Mosley, Emmy award-winning journalist; cohost of Fresh Air; founder of TMI Productions
- Antonio Wiley, executive producer of She Has A Name
___
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The Mackinac Bridge lacks modern protections around its piers in the Straits of Mackinac, making it vulnerable if a freighter veered off course as happened recently in Baltimore.
In response to this question, a representative from the Michigan Department of Transportation sent this statement: "The investigation into the tragedy in Baltimore continues, and appears to be focused on what caused the ship to lose power and veer so far off course. For now, our interest is concentrated on the findings of that investigation, what steps are being taken by the maritime shipping industry and safety agencies to reduce shipping hazards to bridges, including the Mackinac, and guidance for what mitigations are possible."
GUESTS:
Louis Mleczko, former Detroit News reporter
Venkatesh Kodur, professor of civil and environmental engineering, Michigan State University
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The NFL Draft is happening in Detroit from April 25-27. With high volume events like this, there's a risk for human trafficking. So how are law enforcement and advocates preparing to protect people this NFL draft and what should you look out for if you attend?
GUEST:
Sarah Rahal, reporter for The Detroit News
___
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Michigan born author Katie Williams' novel “My Murder” is the next Michigan Public Reads. The premise is a woman murdered by a serial killer and brought back to life as a clone tries to piece together the days and weeks leading up to her murder.
GUEST:
Katie Williams, writer
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Move over, solar eclipse, there's another stunning and fleeting natural phenomenon in Michigan... Corpsy the Corpse Flower. We get an up-close whiff of a pungent corpse flower grown at home by a Michigander. The endangered species is exceedingly rare, and blooms for about 36 hours, once or twice a decade.
GUEST:
Kevin Hauser, owner and nurturer of Corpsy the Corpse Flower
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James and Jennifer Crumbley were each sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for negligence that contributed to their teenage son killing four of his peers at Oxford High School. It's the first such conviction of parents of a school shooter.
GUEST:
Briana Rice, criminal justice reporter, Michigan Public
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The U.S. Census plans to add a new response option for race/ethnicity: Middle Eastern or North African. It's something Arab and Muslim communities have sought for years to codify their community presence and hopefully, over the long-term, cement support for community services.
GUEST:
Germine H. Awad, professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan
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The National Athletic Trainers Association recently came out with a bulletin on how to manage sports related concussions. On this episode, we’re talking about new concussion treatments, the impact of sports, and the mental health side effects.
GUEST:
Steven Broglio, director of the Michigan Concussion Center and professor at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations' recently published report documents a surge in discrimination against Muslims in the U.S.
GUEST:
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations
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Robin Michigiizhigookwe Clark is the first Anishinaabe woman to serve on the Michigan’s Natural Resource Commission.
GUEST:
Robin Michigiizhigookwe Clark, Michigan National Resources Commission appointee and Natural Resources Division Director for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
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Writer A.H. Kim's newest book "Relative Strangers" loosely follows the story of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility," telling the tale of two sisters in transition. Kim joins us for a conversation about writing for entertainment, looking in from the outside, and life after cancer.
GUEST:
A.H. Kim, writer
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The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid may sound and look cute, but it's a menace to our forests and wild spaces. This invasive species has been identified this year in the Huron-Manistee National Forest. And that's just more bad news signaling its spread.
GUEST:
Deborah McCullough, professor of entomology at Michigan State University
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April is poetry month! And in Michigan, there’s lots to celebrate. In honor of the pen, we’re bringing you a conversation we absolutely loved with two of our favorite writers — both who’ve collaborated with InsideOut Literary Arts, a poetry program for students in Detroit.
GUESTS:
Nandi Comer, Michigan Poet Laureate
Ross Gay, best-selling poet and essayist
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The Palisades power plant located in Van Buren township closed down in 2022, but there's a new effort to reopen it. Today, we’re talking about the Palisades power plant, the impact it’s had on the community there, and why some people are pushing for it to reopen.
GUESTS:
Dustin Dwyer, reporter for Michigan Public
Lindsey Smith, editor for Michigan Public
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The total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of North America on April 8th. Today, we’re geeking out about eclipses. We’ll talk about eclipse mythology, learn strategies for staking out your total eclipse viewing spot, and get some tips on how to keep your eyes safe.
GUEST:
Tyler Nordgren, astronomer and artist
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Getting real about Michigan's newest and least favorite resident-- ticks. The bad news is the mild winter means more tick activity. The good news is... okay well there's not a lot of good news. But it's important to understand this forest foe, who's in the state to stay.
GUEST:
Jean Tsao, professor, Michigan State University
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Yesterday the U-S Supreme Court heard oral arguments for a case that could limit access to mifepristone – the drug that’s used in 60% of abortions. Mifepristone is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Michigan’s Governor Whitmer is one of 22 lawmakers across the country who filed an amicus brief to keep it that way.
GUEST:
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan
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A coalition of Michigan adoptees and lawmakers are pushing for new state laws that would simplify the state’s adoption records system.
GUESTS:
Valerie Lemieux, founder of Adoptee Advocates of Michigan
Erica Curry Van Ee, president of Michigan Adoptee Collaborative
Gregory Luce, attorney, at Adoptee Rights Law Center and executive director at Adoptees United Inc.
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In Lansing, residents are taking the issue of reparations action into their own hands. The Justice League of Greater Lansing is a faith-based reparations group focused on repairing the racial wealth gap in the area. They’re partnering with largely white faith institutions to address reparations head on.
GUESTS:
Willye Bryan, founder and vice president of The Justice League of Greater Lansing
Pastor Stanley Jenkins, First Presbyterian Church of Lansing
Prince Solace, president of The Justice League of Greater Lansing
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Kitab Cafe, with locations in Hamtramck and Detroit, is bringing a blend of coffee and community spaces to Southeast Michiganders.
GUEST:
Ahmed Alwhysee, co-owner of Kitab Cafe
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EVs have opened up a new space for revenue in the global auto market. In the US, we don’t see a lot of cars from China, but Chinese automakers have made some big gains in the EV market in recently. That’s become a provocative topic as some political candidates take advantage of Michiganders’ feelings of insecurity about our historic manufacturing sector. Today, we’re coming at this story from two angles. First we’re zooming out and talking about the U.S. 's relationship with Chinese auto companies. Then we’re honing in on Green Charter Township where some have been pushing back on plans to build a plant for an EV battery company – a plant that's parent company is based in China.
GUESTS:
Kalea Hall, business and autos reporter for The Detroit News
Rose White, economic reporter for MLive
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Psychotherapist Tariq Elsaid developed a therapeutic technique that uses poetry to unlock memories and emotions. Today, we’re talking to him about his work and how he uses this approach to help young Muslims balance challenges around identity.
GUEST:
Tariq Elsaid, psychotherapist
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Michigan is the only state that still has a broad criminal ban on surrogacy, but that could change as soon as later today. On this episode we’re talking about what Michigan’s current surrogacy laws mean for families and about a new bill that hopes to change them.
GUEST:
Kate Wells, health reporter at Michigan Public
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Just before the 2020 presidential election, some big news hit Michigan: a plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer from a paramilitary group. A report from the news website The Intercept looked into the FBI records of the case and tells an even more complicated story. The actions of a key informant in the case raises some big questions and points to flaws in about the FBI’s investigation.
GUESTS:
Trevor Aaronson, contributing writer for The Intercept
Eric L. VanDussen, videographer & freelance journalist
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The Oakland County trial of James Crumbley has concluded and the jury found him guilty of manslaughter. Today, we’re looking into what happened during the James Crumbly trial, and we’ll speak to an advocate on what charging parents means in a broader sense.
GUESTS:
Briana Rice, criminal justice reporter for Michigan Public
Tracy Samilton, energy and transportation reporter and producer for Michigan Public
Deborah LaBelle, attorney and advocate
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General Motors and other automakers are playing fast and loose with data gathered from newer-model, internet-connected vehicles. On this episode we look at how this data is collected, and how it’s funneled to insurance companies, sometimes in violation of privacy policies as customers understand them.
GUEST:
Kashmir Hill, reporter for The New York Times
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The Latinx community in Grand Rapids has over 100 years of history. Delia Fernández-Jones’ new book, “Making the MexiRican City: Migration, Placemaking, and Activism in Grand Rapids, Michigan,” explores that history and community in depth.
GUEST:
Delia Fernández-Jones, author of "Making the MexiRican City: Migration, Placemaking, and Activism in Grand Rapids, Michigan;" professor of history at Michigan State University
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The first over-the-counter birth control pill will be available later this month. The pill, named Opill, comes from a company based in Grand Rapids and Ireland. At $20 a month, Opill is predicted to increase accessibility to birth control, particularly in teen populations.
GUEST:
Julie Maslowsky, associate professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Nursing
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Hilo mur, which translates to “bittersweet," is a bright, magenta-colored Sudanese drink enjoyed during Ramadan. Members of Michigan’s Sudanese community recently gathered at the Arab American National Museum to welcome in the Ramadan season with the preparation of this traditional beverage.
GUESTS:
- Intisar Elseddig, co-owner of Mayrum
- Khadega Mohammed, co-owner of Mayrum
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Many Palestinians in the U-S feel a deep connection to their ancestral land. That pull has become more poignant with Israel’s bombardment of Gaza that to date has killed more than 30-thousand people. Michigan Public’s Adam Yahya Rayes and Briana Rice talked to four Palestinians living in Michigan about how they’re thinking about their ethnic and national identities right now.
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A new free-standing birthing center is expected to open its doors in April of 2024. Led by midwives, Birth Detroit aims to provide a safe and culturally relevant “full care experience from period-to-period” for expecting families.
GUESTS:
Char'ly Snow, co-founder & chief clinical officer of Birth Detroit
Leseliey Welch, co-founder & CEO of Birth Detroit
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In her new book, “Attack From Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America,” Barb McQuade explores the United States’ long history with misinformation and how we can combat falsehoods in today’s political environment. Today, McQuade talks about First Amendment rights, histories of authoritarianism, and how to find truth in a sea of falsehoods.
GUEST:
Barbara McQuade, professor at Michigan Law, MSNBC legal analyst, and former U.S. attorney in Michigan
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The painful history of chattel slavery in the United States hasn’t left behind much of a paper trail – and what we have is vague and inhumane. The incompleteness itself of this documentation speaks volumes. Which is why Benjamin Hall’s family heirloom — a "manumission" or freedom paper – is such a big deal. Today, we’re talking about the legacy of Frank Demas, also known as Thomas Willis and the freedom paper that tells a larger history of chattel slavery in the U.S.
GUESTS:
Rachel Clark, education specialist at the Archives of Michigan
Benjamin Hall, descendant of Frank Demas, also known as Thomas Willis.
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Michigan is set to receive around $1.5 billion dollars over the next 18 years from a settlement with pharmaceutical companies that produce and distribute opioids. Half of the money coming to the state will be distributed to local governments. And now, with money rolling in, counties and municipalities are trying to figure out how to spend it.
GUEST:
Robin Erb, health reporter for Bridge Michigan
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In Michigan's primary election, more than 13% of people who voted on the Democratic ballot cast an “uncommitted” vote, which was enough votes to be awarded a couple delegates at the Democratic National Convention.These voters want a permanent ceasefire to put an end to the five-month long U-S-backed Israeli bombardment and siege of Palestine. Today we’re going to hear again from the organizers behind this campaign to vote "uncommitted” and hear about what comes next?
GUESTS:
Abbas Alawieh, political strategist and spokesman for Listen to Michigan
Layla Elabed, campaign manager for Listen to Michigan
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Early voting had been going on for a while, but Michigan had our in-person primary elections on Tuesday. To no surprise, the winners were Joe Biden and Donald Trump. However, there’s always a lot to think about as we get breakdowns of who voters supported, and where in Michigan they turned out.
GUESTS:
Colin Jackson, reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network
Rick Pluta, senior capitol correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
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“The Future,” a new speculative novel by the Montreal-based writer Catherine Leroux, reimagines what a Francophone Detroit would be like today if the French had never ceded the city to the British in 1760. The novel contends with histories of forced migration, poverty, and environmental degradation, and explores how a city adapts in the face of climate change.
GUEST:
Catherine Leroux, author of "The Future"
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What can AI tell us about public opinions on climate change?Researchers at the University of Michigan are experimenting with new technology to measure public attitudes by using social media posts on X (formerly Twitter.) And their findings may surprise you.
GUEST:
Joshua Newell, professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan
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In February, the animal we turn to as a nation to tell us about the heralding of spring is the groundhog. But birders know that the real messenger of the changing seasons lives in the sky. Birds that leave our region for the winter will soon return. There's plenty to prepare for now. And more than a few birds to check out while we wait.
GUEST:
- April Campbell, a long-time birder, retired MD and the founder of BIPOC Birders of Michigan
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Yesterday on the podcast we talked to two organizers from the “Vote Uncommitted” campaign among Arab American and other voters in Michigan. Today we’ll get analysis on that movement from Detroit Free Press editorial page editor Nancy Kaffer.
GUEST:
- Nancy Kaffer, editorial page editor, Detroit Free Press
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Listen to Michigan is leveraging political power by casting "uncommitted" votes rather than voting for President Joe Biden in the 2024 Michigan primary.
GUESTS:
Layla Elabed, campaign manager for Listen to Michigan
Abbas Alawieh, political strategist and spokesman for Listen to Michigan
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Michigan Senator Stephanie Chang and a group of collaborators came up with a plan to fund delinquent water bills and offer more affordable costs to low income households. Today, we’re looking at what this water-affordability plan would do, and we’ll dig into the years of water advocacy in places like Detroit that preceded it.
GUESTS:
Stephanie Chang, Michigan Senator representing the 3rd district
Gary Brown, director of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department
Jim Nash, Oakland County's Water Resources commissioner
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Isle Royale – Lake Superior’s island National Park – is a naturalist's playground. It’s home to an estimated 30 odd wolves and nearly 1000 moose – all protected from hunting. For decades now, a team of researchers have been surveying the wolf and moose populations, but this winter with record breaking warm weather, the census did not go as planned.
GUEST:
Rolf Peterson, research professor in Forest Resources and Environmental Science at Michigan Technological University
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Kristina Karamo was ousted by state committee members last month, but said that she’s not leaving her position as Michigan Republican Party chair. Then, last week the Republican National Committee announced that they are now recognizing former Congressman Pete Hoekstra as MI GOP chair. So what is going on in Michigan’s Republican Party? And how will this all effect the upcoming Republican Convention?
GUESTS:
Craig Mauger, reporter for the Detroit News
Stephen Henderson, host of WDET's Created Equal
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This year, the Kresge Foundation re-introduced us to a prolific metro Detroit artist who connected imaginative abstract motion and ideas with stories and images of Latino and Indigenous people.
Nora Chapa Mendoza is a self-taught painter who established her career in Detroit. She is the 2024 Kresge Eminent Artist, for her life of achievements on the canvas and in advocacy.
GUEST:
Nora Chapa Mendoza - painter, educator and activist
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We have some updates for you from Lansing. Gun reform laws that passed last session came into effect this week, Michigan State Representative Brenda Carter's been feeling the heat from auto no-fault reform activists, and Representative Josh Schriver was recently disciplined for a racist social media post.
GUESTS:
Tracy Samilton, reporter for Michigan Public
Rick Pluta, senior Capitol correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
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Detroit chef Ameneh Marhaba has carved out a place for her own Afro-fusion style with a pop-up kitchen and catering business called Little Liberia. Now Marhaba is working on a big lift: she’s preparing to open a brick-and-mortar storefront for Little Liberia in Midtown, Detroit.
GUEST:
Ameneh Marhaba, owner of Little Liberia
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How has campus security changed one year after the Michigan State University shooting?Today we get into what we know so far about security upgrades and how the MSU community is responding to it.
GUEST:
Isabel Lohman, education reporter at Bridge Michigan
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Confections with Convictions is a chocolate shop. But it does a whole lot more than sell sweet treats. This confectionary employs young people fresh out of entanglements with the legal system, and gives them a chance to build a career path.
GUEST:
Dale Anderson, founder of Confections with Convictions
Jennifer Faketty, owner of Confections with Convictions
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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This week, the mother of the shooter in the Oxford High School mass shooting was convicted on four counts of involuntary manslaughter. Stateside spoke with Aubrey Greenfield, a survivor of the Oxford shooting and a gun violence prevention activist, about what this verdict means to her and members of her community. We also spoke with Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, about how this verdict could impact American perspectives on gun violence prevention.
GUESTS:
Aubrey Greenfield, University of Michigan student; gun violence prevention activist
Nick Suplina, senior vice president for Law and Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety
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This week, an Oakland County jury convicted Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford school shooter, on four charges of involuntary manslaughter. This case is extremely unique in the national landscape. Over the next couple days we’ll explain why.
GUEST:
Eve Brensike Primus, Yale Kamisar Collegiate professor of law at the University of Michigan
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This winter we're seeing rate hikes for DTE Energy customers. So why are rates up and why might your energy bill get even higher? Plus, we also get into what people are doing in response to these rate changes.
GUEST:
Sarah Alvarez, director of Outlier Media
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The pace and patience of fiber arts is learned through mentorship. Williamsburg-based fiber artist Nancy McRay talks about how Northern Michigan provides the perfect backdrop for her practice - as an artist and teacher - at the loom.
GUEST:
Nancy McRay, fiber artist
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The National Parks Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program produced a new video series called “Questioning Conversations.” Through candid dialogue between academics and artists, the series examines the Underground Railroad’s history and its reverberating impact.
GUEST:
Anna Lisa Cox, nonresident fellow with the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University,
Anthony Feimster Jr, musician
Joshua Harris, video artist
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For the first time ever, Michigan is going to have a primary vote on candidates for president about a month earlier than we usually do. Voters can also vote early and in person before election day. Today, we’re talking with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson about the primaries, and what voters in Michigan need to know this February.
GUEST:
Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's Secretary of State
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This week we learned that six staffers have been fired from the Wayne County juvenile jail for failing to ensure the safety of a 12-year-old child, who was sexually allegedly assaulted in March of 2023. But there are now new investigations into other incidents of alleged assault, unsanitary conditions, and other medical care violations.
GUEST:
Christine MacDonald, investigative editor for the Detroit Free Press
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Ann Arbor's dioxane problem from the Gelman Science contamination is in line to get federal help. The EPA announced that the Gelman contaminated site is a candidate for the National Priorities List, which means it’s eligible to become a Superfund site.
GUESTS:
Brian Steglitz, public services area administrator for the City of Ann Arbor
Bill Shuster, professor and chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Wayne State University
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“Come and Get It” is New York Times bestselling author Kiley Reid’s latest book set to the backdrop of dormitory life. But it’s not all dingy shower stalls and stained walls. “Come and Get It” tackles big questions around race and class on a college campus.
GUEST:
Kiley Reid, author and assistant professor at the University of Michigan
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Last week, Dearborn mayor Abdullah Hammoud and other leaders declined an invitation to meet with Biden’s re-election campaign officials. Today, we’re talking with mayor Hammoud about the Dearborn voting bloc; what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what he hopes for the future.
GUEST:
Abdullah Hammoud, mayor of Dearborn, Michigan
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We speak with the man behind "Gridiron Heroes," the Detroit Lions' fight song played after every touchdown at home games.
GUEST:
Theo Spight, "Gridiron Heroes” singer
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Yesterday evening, Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her 2024 State of the State address. In her speech, she detailed her plans to provide universal pre-K and two years of free community college to all Michiganders. Among other topics, she also discussed electric vehicle projects, efforts for more affordable housing, business incentive programs, and the state of the roads in Michigan.
GUESTS:
Zoe Clark, politics director for Michigan Public
Arjun Thakkar, politics and civics reporter for WKAR
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Periodicals, a new brick-and-mortar shop on the corner of Grand River and Warren in Detroit, deals in magazines. But this is not your grandmother’s tabloid rack.
We visited owner and founder Aleiya Olu at the shop to talk about her vision for the new space, and about the power of print media.
GUEST:
Aleiya Olu, partner Olu & Company; owner and founder of Periodicals
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Ann Arbor is one of the first public school boards to pass a resolution that calls for a bilateral ceasefire in Gaza. Today, we speak with one school board trustee about the resolution and why they voted "yes."
GUEST:
Rima Mohammad, trustee and president of the Ann Arbor School Board
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Unlike for adults facing prosecution in Michigan, there’s no centralized structure, training, or even budget when it comes to juvenile public defense. In some cases, children face charges with no attorney at all. Today, we’re talking about public legal defense in the juvenile justice system in Michigan and about House Bill 4630, which would provide funding for indigent defense for juveniles.
GUESTS:
Loren Khogali, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan
Nathan Triplett, director of public policy and government affairs for the State Bar Association, and board president
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A new book co-authored by a professor at Michigan State University suggests ways to bring Asian American history into the elementary school classroom, even if it’s not in the state curriculum. "Teaching Asian America in Elementary Classrooms" defies stereotypes about Asian people in the United States and focuses on the complexity of Asian American identity.
GUESTS:
- Noreen Naseem Rodriguez, co-author of “Teaching Asian America in Elementary Classrooms”
- Jae Lee, 5th grade teacher at Angell Elementary School in Ann Arbor
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Temperatures dropped across the state this week. For housing insecure folks in Michigan, cold days are particularly dangerous. We look at the ongoing homelessness crisis and at how one Grand Rapids shelter is trying to keep people safe from the cold.
GUEST:
- Adrienne Goodstal, president of Mel Trotter Ministries
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A recent report found that Hillsdale College officials have ties to the Michigan fake elector scheme – the plot in which 16 false electors attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Donald Trumps favor.
GUEST:
- Danny Hakim, reporter for The New York Times
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Detroit police said that crime in the city dropped nearly 20% in 2023 compared to 2022. But crime stats can be more complicated than they look. Today, we’re looking at what these numbers really tell us. Plus the two reporters who bring us this story tell us about what other stories they have eyes on this year.
GUESTS:
- Adam Yahya Rayes, data reporter for Michigan Public
- Briana Rice, criminal justice reporter for Michigan Public
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Mornings can be hard. But there are small practices you can make for better ones. Detroit-based podcast producer Zak Rosen has the scoop on some petite and practical changes to make your morning that much smoother.
GUEST:
- Zak Rosen, producer and host of The Best Advice Show
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It’s been three months since Israel's attack on Gaza. More than 23,000 Palestinian people have been killed. Today, we’re talking about media, representation and how what we see, read, and listen to affects our perception of the world.
GUESTS:
- Dr. Muniba Saleem, associate professor in the Department of Communication at UC Santa Barbara
- Dr. Nour Kteily, professor of management & organizations
Northwestern University
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We are now Michigan Public! We’ve been known as Michigan Radio, for years, but here's the thing, we are way more than radio. We're on-demand, online, and in real life for our live events. New year, new name, and the same great storytelling.
GUEST:
- Wendy Turner, general manager at Michigan Public
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With the Michigan Wolverines' National Championship victory yesterday and the Detroit Lions' upcoming playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday, it's a historic week for Michigan football.
GUESTS:
- Al Martin, sports reporter and host at WKAR
- John Niyo, sports columnist at the Detroit Free Press
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Stellantis announced that they’ll be sitting out two major events this year citing cost concerns – the Consumer Electronics Show and the Chicago Auto Show. This also came out: the Detroit Three will not be advertising during the 2024 Super Bowl. Today, a new year of cars and marketing, and what this could signal about the future.
GUEST:
- Jamie LaReau, reporter at the Detroit Free Press
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Lindsey Renee Sims is the host of the Rhythm & Soul Patrol show, airing on WPON 1460 AM, Monday through Thursday. She plays a thoughtful mix of The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Marvin Gaye, and others, delivered with nuggets of historic context. But everything she spins is before her time – Lindsey’s just 21 years old. The show’s gained a loyal following, not just in Metro Detroit, but all over the world.
GUEST:
- Lindsey Renee Sims, Radio DJ
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In the year since Kristina Karamo was elected chair of the Michigan Republican, critics say she hasn’t delivered financially. The party is in disarray, financially and ideologically. Now some members of the MIGOP want Karamo out. They're calling for a vote this Saturday to remove her as chair of the party.
GUEST:
- Jonathan Oosting, Capitol reporter for Bridge Magazine
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Michigan is one of just a few states that outlaw compensated surrogacy contracts, which has made surrogacy a nearly impossible option for many people in the state. But this might be changing. A new bill package aims to legalize surrogacy contracts and create parameters around parentage.
GUEST:
- Adam Taylor, mentor for MI Medicine's peer mentor program
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Michigan secured a close victory over Alabama in overtime at the Rose Bowl, sending them to the College Football Playoff National Championship next week in Houston. This win comes after a tumultuous season for Michigan, with head coach Jim Harbaugh being suspended twice and potential administrative penalties yet to come.
GUEST:
- John U. Bacon, sports commentator
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We get a taste of what musician Joe Hertler is listening to on his Michigan music playlist. And we look back at the legacy of Amp Fiddler, a Detroit legendary musician who died this week.
GUESTS:
Joe Hertler, Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers
Sam Beaubien, Will Sessions and WDET
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The Detroit food scene is abuzz, and this year did not disappoint. We’ve seen chefs in the area pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the city – from the proliferation of Yemeni coffee houses to the rise of Instagram-ready restaurants.
GUEST:
- Lyndsay Green, food critic and writer for the Detroit Free Press
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Looking for some book recs to keep you entertained during this winter? Or maybe you're searching for a perfect last minute holiday gift? Either way, we have you covered.
GUEST:
- Keith Taylor, poet
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This year's unprecedented UAW strike against all three Detroit automakers certainly dominated this year’s headlines. But there’s some other notable industry news you may have missed in the shuffle.
Two auto industry reporters join us to recap the aftermath of contract negotiations, where manufacturers and consumers stand with electric vehicles, and which automakers are dabbling in tech.
GUEST:
- Kalea Hall, business and autos reporter, The Detroit News
- Michael Martinez, Ford and the UAW reporter, Automotive News
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A lot happened in Michigan politics this year. We saw Democrats in control of the state legislature and the governor's office for the first time in 40 years, abortion access laws passed, and auto no-fault reforms stuck in the waiting room – just to name a few of several big ticket items. We look at the year in politics, and what might be in store for 2024.
GUESTS:
- Colin Jackson, reporter at Michigan Public Radio Network
- Alyssa McMurtry, staff reporter at Gongwer News Service Michigan
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Zooming out, the number of ER visits for respiratory illnesses has risen across the country. Today, a check up on viruses like the flu, RSV, and COVID, plus how you can keep healthier this season.
GUEST:
- Dr. Preeti Malani, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Michigan Medicine
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A Metro Detroit rabbi shared her perspective on Hanukkah this year, in the context of the violence unfolding in Gaza and the fact that many hostages' lives are on line.
GUEST:
- Rabbi Alana Alpert, rabbi at Congregation T'chiyah
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Detroit singer, songwriter, and bandleader stoop lee, born Ade Olaniran, produces a warm broth of soul and hip hop that invites listeners to dial in and slow down, rather than tune out.
Olaniran markets himself as a sort of wielder of nostalgia. His social media presence channels grainy home videos, and the series of EPs he's currently working is inspired by a favorite childhood videogame: Pokémon.
"Take your favorite Saturday morning cartoon, a bowl of your favorite cereal, add some dope beats," the bio page on his website says, "and you've captured the nostalgic experience that is stoop lee."
stoop lee joined Stateside to talk about the development of his sound, and to celebrate the release of his latest EP, "BLUE VERSION TAPE."
GUEST:
- Ade Olaniran, a.k.a. stoop lee, Detroit-based singer, songwriter, and bandleader of stoop lee and tha culduhsac
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Gun buyback programs allow people to unload unwanted firearms to a police or sheriff's department with the promise that these guns will be destroyed. But a new investigation shows that it’s not as simple as that.
GUEST:
- Mike McIntire, reporter for The New York Times
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Michigan’s school choice policy means that kids can attend schools outside of their home district. One-in-four kids now go to school in a different district than where they live. School choice has largely been associated with cities – namely Detroit and Grand Rapids. But in recent years, the policy has been growing more popular in rural areas.
GUEST:
- Isabel Lohman, reporter for Bridge Michigan
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The Oxford High School student who shot and killed four of his classmates was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On this episode of the Stateside podcast, we’re taking you to the hearing – a courtroom where pain and anger and so many other conflicting emotions are all coming together.
GUEST:
- Beenish Ahmed, criminal justice reporter for Michigan Radio
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Michigan-based journalist Tim Alberta's new book, "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism," sheds light on the evangelical movement sweeping across the U.S. We talked to Alberta about how in the evangelical movement fear and political anxiety is taking the focus away from scripture.
GUEST:
- Tim Alberta, staff writer for The Atlantic
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The Michigan’s Public Service Commission approved a permit for part of the Canadian company Enbridge Energy’s plan to rebuild its petroleum pipeline, known as Line 5, under the Straits of Mackinac. It’s not the final step of approval for Enbridge to start their plans, but it’s an important one.
GUEST:
- Kelly House, environmental reporter for Bridge Michigan
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Three Chaplains, a new documentary on PBS follows three Muslim military chaplains balancing their experiences, their devotion to their faith, and their commitment to their country.
GUESTS
- David Washburn, Three Chaplains director
- Razi Jafri, Three Chaplains producer
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Michigan is returning to the national spotlight this coming election season. Representative Rashida Tlaib has drawn national attention for her steadfast commitment to Palestine and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Also, Michigan’s Republican party may be in for a big election year due to conflicts with party chairperson Kristina Karamo.
GUEST
- Simon Schuster, Senior Political Reporter at MLive
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You can’t talk about Motown sound without giving respect to the girl groups of the 60s. Hits from Martha and the Vandellas, and The Supremes have resonance, even now. But we might not have hits like “Can’t Hurry Love” without some of the earlier acts that ushered in the sound of the girl group — ensembles of very young women, like the Chantels and The Shirelles.
"But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?: An Oral History of the ’60s Girl Groups" chronicles stories of these early, iconic groups.
GUESTS:
- Emily Sieu Liebowitz, co-author of "But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?: An Oral History of the ’60s Girl Groups"
- Laura Flam, co-author of "But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?: An Oral History of the ’60s Girl Groups"
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In the illegal street racing scene of 1970s Detroit, there was one car that ruled them all: The Black Ghost. The black ‘70 Dodge HEMI Challenger would appear only occasionally to race, win, and then disappear into the night. It later turned out that was because the driver–the late Godfrey Qualls–was a Detroit police officer.
Today on the pod, we hear about a Detroit street racing legend–and his son’s mission to share his story.
GUEST:
- Gregory Qualls, son of Godfrey Qualls, owner of the Black Ghost
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If you live in Southeast Michigan, you know that there’s been a boom of Yemeni-style coffeehouses in the region. Not only do they serve great brews – they also represent a distinctive social space, especially in Arab American culture. Today on the podcast, we’re taking you to one of these coffee shops, Qamaria.
GUESTS:
- Hatem Al-Eidaroos, Qamaria co-founder
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Nelson T. Sanders Jr. is the founder of Dandy, a suit atelier in the Corktown neighborhood in Detroit. But his journey to becoming one of the city’s most sought-after purveyors of custom suiting.
GUESTS:
- Nelson T. Sanders Jr., founder of Dandy
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Some big news broke this weekend in the world of football. USA Today reported that Michigan State University head football coach Mel Tucker had inappropriate sexual contact with a contract employee. The contract employee in question is Brenda Tracy, a prominent activist who was hired by the team to speak out against sexual violence. MSU has since suspended Mel Tucker without pay.
Today, what we know so far about these allegations, and its impact given MSU’s history of handling sexual misconduct.
GUESTS:
- Graham Couch, Lansing State Journal columnist
- Angela Povilaitis, former assistant attorney general of Michigan
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Lebanese American author Ghassan Zeineddine is an assistant professor of creative writing at Oberlin college. His new fiction anthology, “Dearborn", captures the realties of life in a place he called home for several years. Characters like Youssef, the census-taker and aspiring actor, and Speedoman, the object of every swimmer's eye at the community pool, reflect Zeineddine's observations about place, identity, and the diversity of the Arab and Arab-American experience.
GUEST:
- Ghassan Abou-Zeineddine, assistant professor of creative writing, Oberlin College; author of "Dearborn"
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The Michigan Irish Repertory Theatre in Detroit is set to debut the U.S. premier of a play, "Come On Home," which was written by Phillip McMahon, one of Ireland's leading playwrights. The play deals directly with the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal, but unlike other popular dramatizations, this play focuses on those who were most directly affected: the people who were abused and their families.
GUEST:
- David Kiley, founder and artistic director of the Michigan Irish Repertory Theatre
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Michigan expanded its civil rights law this spring to protect sexual orientation and gender identity. But now there's this big unanswered question: are religious organizations exempt from those laws? And does that mean religious hospitals and clinics can deny people medical care, specifically people from the transgender community?
GUEST:
- Kate Wells, Michigan Radio reporter
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A potential United Auto Workers strike loomed large at yesterday's Labor Day parade in Detroit. Contracts between the UAW and the Big Three auto companies are set to expire on September 14th. On today's podcast episode, we look into what the UAW is pushing for in contract negotiations, and why a strike might be imminent.
GUESTS:
- Kalea Hall, Detroit News reporter
- Jordyn Grzelewski, Detroit News reporter
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Last night’s storms left over 300,000 Michiganders without power this morning. Meteorologists confirmed a tornado touchdown in Rockford, just north of Grand Rapids, and another in Ingham County that then swept through Livingston County.
Southeast Michiganders have been inundated in recent years with heavy rains, flooding, and outages time and time again. We hear from an emergency response manager on the ground in Ingham County, and then from folks working on long-term climate resiliency planning for the region.
GUESTS:
- Rob Dale, Deputy Emergency Manager for Ingham County’s Department of Emergency Management
- Nina Ignaczak, reporter and editor for environmental news publication Planet Detroit
- Kelly Karll, manager of Environment & Infrastructure for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG)
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A back-to-school double feature! First, the lengths that some Michigan teachers go too just to gather enough supplies for their classroom, and how basic resource availability impacts student learning. Then, what you need to know about Michigan's new universal free breakfast and lunch program for all public school students in pre-k through high school.
GUESTS:
- Samantha Keppler, assistant professor of technology and operations, The University of Michigan's Ross School of Business
- Isabel Lohman,education reporter, Bridge Michigan
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Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village helped usher in a new sound in the 1990s that transformed the genre. Robert O'Bryant, better known as Waajeed, is one of the skilled sound designers who helped craft their sound. Since then, he's made the shift to producing techno, with all the skill and flavor that he brought to hip-hop.
GUEST:
- Robert O'Bryant, a.k.a. Waajeed, Detroit-based music producer
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With no fudge shops, no old battle forts, no horse-draw carriages, and no souvenir traps, Lake Michigan's Beaver Island is arguably the anti-Mackinac Island. That also makes it a perfectly peaceful summer getaway for those looking to enjoy the state's natural beauty.
A team of environment reporters at MLive recently featured Beaver Island as a place to celebrate - not only as a vacation destination, but also as an ecological gem.
GUEST:
- Sheri McWhirter, climate reporter, MLive
- Garret Ellison, environment reporter, MLive
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A Facebook group called “Shades of the Outdoors: A BIPOC Outdoor Enthusiast Community” has garnered about 100 members in just over one month. The group lends people of color a space to share their love of the outdoors, free of judgment or threat.
Brandan Freeman is the Michigander who founded the group, shared the realities of traveling the state as a Black man, and what it means to see people who look like you out on the trails.
GUEST:
- Brandan Freeman, founder of Facebook group “Shades of the Outdoors: A BIPOC Outdoor Enthusiast Community”
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University of Michigan football legend and NFL coach Tyrone Wheatley is the new head football coach at Wayne State University. He discussed his plans for the 2023 season, as well as how he chose to coach at WSU.
GUEST:
- Tyrone Wheatley, head coach for Wayne State University football
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On today's pod, dream hampton discusses her microdocumentary about the ramifications of flooding in Detroit. The documentary focuses on what Detroiters are “forced to leave behind when it floods."
GUEST:
- dream hampton, filmmaker
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Not only do we eat a lot of pizza in Michigan, we make a lot of it, too. In fact, we’re launching a new podcast all about pizza. It’s called Dough Dynasty and it tells the story of how Michigan became headquarters to a number of the world’s biggest pizza chains. To prelude the new pod, today we're talking about Michigan’s pizza with pizza aficionado and food critic Mark Kurlyandchik.
GUEST:
- Mark Kurlyandchik, editorial director at Frame
Get Dough Dynasty on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcastsor Spotify today.
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With a severe Canadian fire season piled on top of everyday ambient hazards in the metro Detroit area, it has been a distinctly bad summer for the area’s air quality. Dr. Ikenna Okereke, director of thoracic surgery at Henry Ford Health, joined us to talk about the air quality concerns in the metro Detroit area.
GUEST:
- ,Dr. Ikenna Okereke, director of thoracic surgery at Henry Ford Health
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At some point during the early days of the pandemic, it felt impossible to get on social media without coming across Wordle's rows of green, yellow, and gray boxes. When it was released to the public in October 2021, the word game quickly became part of people's daily routines. Eventually, the New York Times acquired the puzzle as part of its suite of word games, including the infamous Sunday crossword. When the paper needed an editor for their new game, they turned to Ann Arbor word nerd Tracy Bennett, who was already working as an associate puzzle editor. On this episode of the pod, we talked to Bennett about Wordle's mass appeal and how she landed her dream job creating puzzles for a living.
GUEST:
Tracy Bennett, Wordle editor for the New York Times
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Patty PerShayla's new EP, “Perpetual Motion Machine” explores the sometimes hard realities that a touring band goes through. Today, a conversation on the album, moving to Nashville, and (of course) shredding.
GUEST:
- Patty PerShayla, musician
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The dunes in Silver Lake State Park in Mears, MI are unstable. They shift so much throughout the year that the sand has swallowed a farm, a forest and several cottages. We talked with a homeowner who is working to push back the dunes.
GUEST:
- Alan Arbogast, dunes expert and researcher in the Department of Geography at Michigan State University
- Dan Behm, home owner, and dune enthusiast
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On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered in a large park in Oxford, Michigan. They were there for a fundraiser and groundbreaking ceremony for Hana's Garden. When completed, the garden will be a memorial for the four children killed in the Oxford High School shooting: Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Justin Shilling. The family behind the garden memorial hopes it will also be a place for the Oxford community to find healing in the wake of unimaginable tragedy.
GUEST:
April Van Buren, Stateside producer
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Photography and creative direction duo Gerard + Belevender take on the “if you can’t beat em, join em” approach when it comes to AI in the photography/marketing industry. They “collaborations” with AI in their food photography work has produced some interesting and controversial work.
GUEST:
- Jenna Belevender, artist
- Michelle Gerard,artist
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Michelle Gerard and Jenna Belevender, Detroit-based photography and creative direction couple
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In Ohio, voters will be asked this week to decide a ballot measure that would substantially raise the bar for future ballot measures. Instead of just getting a majority of voters to approve, future campaigns might need 60%. It has the potential to throw a roadblock in front of one of our region’s hottest topics: access to abortion care.
GUEST:
Karen Kasler, statehouse bureau chief, Ohio Public Radio and TV/ideastream
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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The search for efficient, renewable fuels has led one transit system in West Michigan straight to the toilet. On today's pod, Stateside producer April Van Buren travels to the city of Grand Rapids to learn how they are turning human waste into fuel to help power its bus fleet.
GUEST:
April Van Buren, Stateside producer
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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This week a historic building connected to the Chinese community in Detroit was torn down. City officials determined there was no legal standing to prevent Olympia Development from tearing down a former community hub on Cass Ave. This is a brief history of the Chinese community in Detroit, and the significance of the building.
GUEST:
Richard Mui, Michigan’s Association of Chinese Americans
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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A special prosecutor charged two Michigan politicians this week with crimes related to the 2020 election. We dig into the details against the charges against Matt DePerno and former state Representative Daire Rendon, and what it means for the Michigan GOP and the Trump campaign.
Find Michigan Radio's coverage of the charges here.
GUEST:
Rick Pluta, senior capitol correspondent, Michigan Public Radio Network
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Steve Amick joins us to talk about the inspiration and the writing process behind his latest book,You Shall See the Beautiful Things. Set in a small fishing village in 1889, the book explores the intertwining lives of its eccentric characters, unveiling their secrets, dreams, and desires.
GUEST:
Steve Amick is the author of the novels Nothing But a Smile and The Lake, the River & the Other Lake.
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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To the relief of many car crash survivors across the state, the Michigan Supreme Court decided benefit caps in the 2019 auto no-fault law do not apply retroactively. So what does this means moving forward for all Michiganders?
GUEST:
Tracy Samilton, Michigan Radio reporter
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In a remote corner of the Thumb region lies the largest collection of petroglyphs in Michigan. The stone carvings were created hundreds of years ago by the Indigenous people of this land. Today, tribal and state partners are working together to preserve the site for generations to come.
GUESTS:
- Jillian Talaski, DNR seasonal Interpreter
- Stacy Tchorzynski, DNR archeologist
- Punkin Shananaquet, tribal leader and member of the Gun Lake Tribe
- Bonnie Kirkegard, park visitor
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There's a vibrant community of cyclists in Detroit, due in part to Jason Hall, founder of Ride Detroit Bike Tours, the Slow Roll weekly group ride, and store manager of Trek Detroit. Hall mapped out some ways to enjoy the city by bike, and to share what makes the Motor City such a hub for non-motorists.
GUEST:
Jason Hall, store manager at Trek Bicycle Detroit, bike tour guide
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Starting tomorrow, a judge will hear arguments at the Oakland County Circuit Court to determine whether or not the Oxford school shooter will be sentenced to life without parole. We heard from individuals who believe life without parole for minors is unjust, as well as a member of the Oxford community who believes life without parole for the shooter is the closest the justice system can get to accountability.
After these conversations, criminal justice reporter Beenish Ahmed walked us through each of the factors being considered in the upcoming "Miller hearing."
Find Beenish Ahmed's coverage of the upcoming Miller hearing here.
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A neighborhood on the east side of Detroit confronts foul odors coming from one of their neighbors - Stellantis.
GUEST:
Sarah Cwiek, reporter for Michigan Radio
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Last week Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges against 16 Michiganders – for an alleged offense dating back to December of 2020, right after Joe Biden was elected president. The offense: conspiring to replace Michigan’s electoral college representatives in an attempt to make themselves electors for Donald Trump.
GUEST:
Simon Schuster, senior political reporter at MLive
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Ride of Passage is a summer series from Stateside, chronicling one Michigander's solo horseback ride across America. In 2003, Matt Parker was out of college and adrift. He decided to do something big... ride across the country on horseback. The only problem was he had never really ridden a horse before.
You can listen to the first three episodes of Ride of Passage, and subscribe for updated episodes throughout the summer.
GUEST:
Matt Parker, rode horseback on the American Discovery Trail
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This season, for the first time, the Detroit Tigers are broadcasting 22 games in Spanish online and over the radio. We talk to the person who went to bat to make this happen.
GUEST:
Carlos Guillén, media relations bilingual coordinator for the Detroit Tigers
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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This week marks ten years since the historic municipal bankruptcy filing in Detroit. While the city’s financials are more stable, the woes of future pension payments loom large. Today, we reflect on what the bankruptcy filing meant to Detroit then, and what it still means today.
GUEST:
Stephen Henderson, host of WDET's Detroit Today
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Detroit-based baker Jonathan Peregrino is making a name for himself in the city and beyond. He appeared on season 7 of the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, and was a semifinalist in this year’s Hatch Detroit contest.
Peregrino has found a niche in whipping up familiar, American desserts infused with traditional, Filipino flavors. Now, he’s closer than ever to bringing his dream of a brick and mortar to life.
GUEST:
Jonathan Pergerino, owner of JP Makes and Bakes
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Strawberries are in-season in Michigan and even though this year's climate has stifled the amount of berries produced this season, the berries we did have were “small, yet intensely flavored." Today, all things berries! Plus some suggestions from James Beard award-winning chef and owner of Warda Pâtisserie, Warda Bouguettaya.
GUESTS:
- Kim Bayer,Slow Farm owner
- Warda Bouguettaya, Warda Pâtisserie owner
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Juan Garcés, author of Love in Four Dots, joins us to tell the story of Sofía and Federico. They were two lovers in Columbia during the Thousand Days' War who wrote letters in a secret code within the pages of a novel to smuggle messages back-and-forth while Federico was held in military prison.
GUESTS:
Juan Garcés, author
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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The United Auto Workers union will sit down this week to begin contract negotiations with the Big Three automakers: GM, Ford, and Stellantis. UAW president Shawn Fain isn’t holding back. The union is taking a tough tone. Today, we're talking about these contract negotiations in the age of electric vehicles.
GUESTS:
Kalea Hall, reporter, The Detroit News
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Michigan’s Republican party has had some struggles In the post-Trump era, from disagreements over leadership, to physical altercations, to changes in opinions from voters. Two politics reporters joined Stateside to talk about the future of the party, and the way Republican voters are thinking about their ballot in 2024.
GUESTS:
- Craig Mauger, state politics reporter, The Detroit News
- Jordyn Hermani, culture and politics reporter, MLive
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Middle school is a notoriously difficult time to be a kid. Growing pains and hormones - need we say more? Detroit-based author Jack Cheng tackles these tumultuous middle school years in his new young adult novel, The Many Masks of Andy Zhou. Today, we’re talking to Jack Cheng about his novel, growing up Chinese American in Detroit, plus the good, the bad and the ugly of middle school.
GUEST:
Jack Cheng, author
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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This summer, we're spending time at restaurants that have fed Michiganders over generations. Today we're at the Washtenaw Dairy, just down the street from our studios where team Stateside can sometimes be found having a cooldown on hot summer days. This is a small historic storefront dating back to the 1930s. A place where people park themselves on the benches to enjoy ice cream cones, sundaes and fresh made donuts.
GUEST:
Mary Jean Raab, owner of the Washtenaw Dairy in Ann Arbor.
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Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
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By now most people know that exposure to lead is harmful. However, back in the 1800s not so much. Then on July 9th, 1978 a chemistry professor announced the results of his research and warned that lead must be removed from all consumers products. It took a century before decision makers took full action. The Michigan History Center's Rachel Clark explains how Professor Robert Kedzie sounded the lead alarm and was ignored for decades.
GUESTS:
Rachel Clark, Michigan History Center's education specialist
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Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Last week, the US Supreme Court published their decision on Creative 303 LLC v. Elenis. Referencing the First Amendment, they held that there is a constitutional right to discriminate against customers based on their sexuality. In Michigan, legislators signed LGBTQ+ civil rights protections into law last March in the expanded Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. So how does this new Supreme Court decision square with Michigan’s current anti-discrimination laws?
GUEST:
Jay Kaplan, Nancy Katz & Margo Dichtelmiller LGBTQ+ rights project staff attorney
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Al Hadiqa, a new installation on the rooftop of the Arab American National Museum, consists entirely of plants, seeds, and cuttings donated by the local Arab American community. We pay a visit to the garden on the day of its grand opening, and hear from some donors about their relationship with gardening as an act of memory, cultural preservation, and self-care.
GUESTS:
- Shatha Najim, community historian, Arab American National Museum
- Dean Nasreddine, curatorial specialist, Arab American National Museum
Oral history recordings of Charlotte Karem Albrecht, Sarmad Jabra, Nissrine Hussein, and Tariq Luthan were used with permission from the Arab American National Museum.
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It’s another bad air day here in Michigan. If you haven’t already, check out our podcast episode from June 7th for information on how to stay safe during days like today. But today we want to talk about another part of the wildfire story: weather.
GUEST:
Jeff Andresen, state climatologist for Michigan
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Stateside's Studio Visits introduces you to artists across Michigan – and their workspaces. When you spend time where artists work, you can pick up a lot about what makes them tick, and what shapes their creative process.
In this episode, we take you to the west side of the state to meet an artist who uses glass to make sense of our changing cities.
GUEST:
Norwood Viviano, Michigan Radio reporter
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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The landmark Dobbs ruling overturned nearly 50 years of protections offered by Roe v. Wade, and created a patchwork of abortion access and barriers across the US. But in Michigan, we’ve seen a surge of out-of-state patients coming here for abortions. We're looking at how the number of out of state patients tripled in Michigan a year after the fall of Roe.
GUEST:
- Kate Wells, Michigan Radio reporter
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Enbridge’s Line 5 crude oil and natural gas pipeline is at the center of a long and bitter struggle. This month, a WI federal judge ordered Enbridge to shut down the stretch that crosses over tribal land. Today we hear two perspectives on what this new decision means.
GUEST:
- Robert Houle, council secretary of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Paul Eberth, Enbridge director of tribal engagement, public affairs, communication, & sustainability
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For the first time since the pandemic, Medicaid beneficiaries are being asked this year to re-verify their eligibility. Millions of people could loose their health insurance across the country. Today, the so-called Medicaid "unwinding", and what it can mean for you and your family.
GUESTS:
Becky McIntyre, Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program Coordinator in the Upper Peninsula
Meredith Buhalis,Washtenaw Health Plan Program Manager
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Hospitals are seeing ongoing staffing shortages. But over the course of the pandemic, they've also seen rising profits. We talk about how and how much hospitals profited during the COVID–19 health emergency.
GUEST:
Matthew Miller, MLive reporter
Read Miller’s stories here, here, and here.
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The COVID pandemic put a constant strain on doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. There were long hours, large patient loads, and a constantly changing virus. Now, COVID hospitalizations have eased, but many nurses say their working conditions have not improved. Some say they've only gotten worse. On today's episode, we’re digging into how staffing shortages at Michigan hospitals are pushing nurses out of the field–and what that means for patient care.
GUESTS:
Nikia Parker, emergency room nurse and paramedic in the Traverse City region
Christopher Friese, professor of nursing and director at the Center for Improving Patient and Population Health at the University of Michigan
Doug Tribou, Morning Edition host at Michigan Radio
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Water levels among the Great Lakes have fluctuated very, very drastically in the past decade. In 2013, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron saw an all-time low. Within the next seven years, all five lakes set record highs. Lake Ontario even did it twice, setting a record high lake level in 2017, and then breaking that record in 2019.
A hydrologist explains what over a hundred years of data can reveal about Michigan’s greatest environmental asset. Plus, what it means for the future of us fishers, kayakers, lakefront property owners, and water-drinkers here on land.
GUESTS:
- Drew Gronewold, associate professor, University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability
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Beaches are the best. But WHICH beaches are the best? We here in the Great Lakes State have strong feelings about our fine-sand pristine beaches. But host April Baer has thoughts about the majesty of the oceanside. She's wrong... but let's hear her out. It's a pod for all my baddest beaches.
GUESTS:
- Dustin Dwyer, West Michigander and Michigan Radio reporter
- Jo Latimore, aquatic ecologist and outreach specialist, Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the “hands free driving" bill into law on Wednesday, June 7, the second set of legislation in Michigan aimed at reducing distracted driving. The law bans drivers from using a phone for any reason, save for reporting a crime or in another emergency situation.
No more checking your email at a red light, no holding your phone to your ear at a red light, no finding the just-right song in your shuffle. Just driving.
Today, what you need to know about the new law going into effect on June 30.
GUEST:
- Rick Pluta, capitol news correspondent, Michigan Public Radio Network
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Music:
"Magic Delights" by Marc Jackson Burrows, courtesy of Audio Network
"Golden Grass" by Sour Mash, courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions
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In 2020, the American Library Association documented 156 attempts to ban or restrict library materials in the U.S. Two years later in 2022, that number spiked to 1,269. A library law expert walks us through the materials review process, and what free speech looks like in the context of a library. A reporter joins us to recap how the debate over book censorship has unfolded in Michigan.
GUEST:
- Clare Membiela, Library Law Consultant, Library of Michigan
- Jordyn Hermani, statewide politics reporter, MLive
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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The wildfires raging in Canada right now are affecting air quality across the United States. Cities like New York and Detroit had air quality index (or AQI) scores throughout the day that put them on par with some of the highest levels of air pollution across the world. On this episode, we’re looking at the health effects of air pollution from wildfires–and what you can do to keep yourself healthy on bad air days.
GUEST:
Sara Adar, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Update: Since we've published this podcast, the DNR has said that the Wilderness Trail Fire has been 100% contained.
Over the weekend two wildfires made for road closures, evacuations, and other displacements for people in Crawford and Iosco Counties. Today, we’re talking about wildfires in Michigan and what you can do to prevent them.
GUEST:
Kerry Heckman,public information officer, DNR Incident Management Team
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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At The Bomber Restaurant in Ypsilanti, you’ll find a classic spread of breakfast staples: biscuits slathered in warm gravy, peppered corned beef hash, and silver dollar pancakes piled with berries. It’s the kind of place where the same group of friends have frequented for the past twenty years.
But unlike your average diner, the Bomber brings a formidable collection of mostly World War II era memorabilia, paying homage to the restaurant’s roots which date back to that time.
GUEST:
Johanna McCoy, owner of The Bomber Restaurant
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The West Michigan-born band The Accidentals are out with a new album called "Time Out." It's filled with lush harmonies and soulful lyrics, and makes for the perfect windows down, cross-country cruising soundtrack. The band collaborated with some of folk music’s most beloved songwriters to create the album.
On this episode of the pod, we take a trip with the West Michigan band through the joys of working with your heroes and the challenges of creating music during the COVID era.
GUESTS:
Sav Buist, Katie Larson, Katelynn Corll and Patty PerShayla
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Music in this episode from The Accidentals and Blue Dot Sessions.
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Michigan has a population problem. So much so that Governor Whitmer focused her keynote speech this afternoon at the Mackinac Policy Conference on it. Today, we’re looking at Michigan's population problem, and some of the policy measures that could help reverse this trend.
GUESTS:
- Sam Robinson, reporter at Axios Detroit
- Don Grimes, economist at the University of Michigan
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Last year, nearly 70,000 people reached out to the National Eating Disorders Association helpline. But late this spring the Association shut the helpline down…and added a chatbot instead.
GUEST:
Kate Wells, Michigan Radio reporter
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Besides lakes and summer tourism, northwest Michigan's towns have become known for something else: a lack of affordable housing.
GUESTS:
- Mike Rivard, board member, Sleeping Bear Gateways Council
- Bill Witler, board member, Sleeping Bear Gateways Council
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Detroit electronic artist and beatmaker Kevin Reynolds has been on the scene for almost two decades. This year he was able to transition to music full-time. The result has been a new album and another performance at Movement: Detroit's Electronic Music Festival. Kevin explained his musical process and reflected upon his zig-zagging musical journey.
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Today's pod music is courtesy of Kevin Reynolds.
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SBAM just published a report detailing 120 different statistical measurements of what’s happening among the state’s small businesses. While many sectors of the economy seem to be shakier than they were pre-pandemic, entrepreneurship in Michigan still seems to be going strong. We break down the numbers, and revisit a few conversations we've had with entrepreneurs who have experienced the changes firsthand.
GUEST:
Brian Calley, Small Business Association of Michigan President
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Janie Paul and her late husband Buzz Alexander spent decades fostering the artistic endeavors of incarcerated Michiganders through the Prison Creative Arts Project. On this episode, we talk to Janie about the transformative power of art for people living inside prison – which she explores in her new book about the stories of incarcerated artists.
GUEST:
Janie Paul, author of the new book Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance, and co-founder of the Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons, part of the Prison Creative Arts Project.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Whatever image you have of a everyday Northern Michigan artist - maybe a landscape painter or lighthouse photographer - Rufus Snoddy is not that. The mixed media artist from Traverse City is inspired by his surroundings, but the result is vivid painted sculpture with pointed, searing, and thought-provoking social commentary. This visit to his studio is a continuation of our Studio Visits of visual artists from throughout Michigan.
GUEST:
Rufus Snoddy, artist
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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Michigan is one of 12 states (plus D.C.) that permits "home equity theft," a practice which allows for a local government to foreclose on a house, and then sell it to a private company for profit while never compensating the original homeowners.
GUESTS:
Tawanda Hall, Michigan homeowner and plantiff
Christina Martin, senior attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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Great Lakes Bee Company hosts one of Michigan's biggest bee-centric gatherings. Hundreds gather in Fremont, Michigan every May for Bee Pickup Day, where tens of thousands of bees are distributed among beekeepers from all over to bring home to their colonies.
Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio's West Michigan reporter, attended the event to ask folks what they learn from observing the world's pollinators.
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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Marketing professor Marcus Collins' new book, "For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be," offers ways to define the amorphous thing we call "culture."
So often, when we interact with a culture we don't understand, "we rely on instinct [and] ego, we villainize them," Collins said.
"For The Culture" not only offers definitions, but outlines the power of culture to shape our perceptions of ourselves, and each other.
[Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify today.]
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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Some Oxford community members are frustrated by what they see as inadequate investigation into the school shooting at Oxford High School in November 2021. They want accountability and part of that is a third-party review of how exactly a school shooting happened.
Read Anna Clark's original reporting here.
GUEST:
Anna Clark, Midwest reporter at ProPublica
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We got some exciting news. One of our stories won the Asian American Journalists Association Excellence in Audio Storytelling, News Feature Award. So in celebration of this award and in celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage month, we're bringing you the story of Kinuko Yada DeVee.
This story was inspired by Matt Schepeler’s article in the Brooklyn Exponent.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Joe Short, founder of Short's Brewing Co., has made loving what he does, and where he lives, one in the same by brewing some of Michigan's finest craft beers. We join him at his tap room in Bellaire, east of Torch Lake, in Northern Michigan.
GUEST:
Joe Short, Short's Brewing Co.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently ended its long-running frog and toad survey, much to the chagrin of the program's dedicated volunteers. The survey, which had been running for nearly three decades was the brainchild of Lori Sargent, who worked as a non-game wildlife biologist at the department for decades. Today on the pod, we hear about the story behind this popular citizen science project.
GUEST:
Lori Sargent, retired Michigan DNR wildlife biologist
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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The infant mortality spiked during the pandemic. This reality is especially true for Black women in Detroit. State data shows that in 2021, the rate jumped to 18.1 deaths per 1000 live births. Today, why this is happening, and what can be done to make a change.
GUEST:
Nina Ignaczak, editor and founder of Planet Detroit
Jennifer Torres, manager of the Office of Women’s Health and Birth Equity
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Take a trip with us up North. Stateside paid a visit to Sleder’s Family Tavern in downtown Traverse City. The owners say the establishment, founded in 1882, is the oldest continuously-running restaurant in Michigan.
GUEST:
Megan Cox, tavern co-owner
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We’re going to continue this conversation about policing and mental health. We’ll hear about two police encounters during a mental health crisis, and we’ll share some mental health resources – that aren’t calling the police.
For more information on mental health resources, check out our website.
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Seven months ago, Detroit Police responded to a mental health call for a young Black man who had schizophrenia.
His name was Porter Burks.
Police shot him to death just minutes after arriving on the scene. This isn’t the first time that something like this has happened. And so we wanted to know, why was Porter Burks killed during a mental health call?
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By the mid-20th century, mining and logging were still the dominant industries in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But there was another burgeoning industry: women’s undergarments manufacturing.
GUEST:
Phyllis Wong, author
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Your suspicions are correct. There are, indeed, more urgent care centers in Michigan. In fact the number of locations have tripled since 2010.
Detroit Free Press reporter, JC Reindl has been following the trend towards urgent care and found that the number of centers increased from 170 to 541 in 2022, according to the Urgent Care Association.
Today, why urgent cares are popping up everywhere, and what you should know about how they operate and whether or not they’ll be sticking around.
GUEST:
JC Reindl, Detroit Free Press reporter
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Author Angeline Boulley, author of the bestselling YA thriller Firekeeper's Daughter, is back with a new novel. Warrior Girl Unearthed features a young Ojibwe teen in the U.P. caught up in a complex web of murder and theft, politics, and culture.
GUEST:
Angeline Boulley, writer
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Former Michigan State Representative Rick Johnson has pleaded guilty in one of the biggest state capitol-level public corruption scandals in decades.
Federal court filings allege that Johnson accepted tens of thousands of dollars from lobbyists to help clients earn medical marijuana licenses. Johnson was serving as chairman of Michigan's marijuana licensing board at the time. Among the license recipients is Green Peak Industries, known more commonly by their trade name, Skymint.
Detroit News reporter Craig Mauger helps us unpack the details of the case, and what it means for some of the biggest players in Michigan’s marijuana industry.
GUEST:
Craig Mauger, state politics reporter, Detroit News
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Chef Hajime Sato, owner of Sozai in Clawson, Michigan, was recently nominated for a James Beard Award in the Outstanding Chef Category. At Sozai, he offers an omakase experience at the sushi bar, where the entire multi-course meal is chef's choice. Chef Sato is also one of the few chefs in the country serving sustainable sushi. He shares what omakase service looks like from his side of the bar, and what it means to run a sustainable sushi operation.
GUEST:
Hajime Sato, chef & owner of Sozai in Clawson, MI
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The pandemic has taken a toll on many people’s mental health. That might go double for small kids, who saw their routines interrupted and their social interactions shrink to fit a screen. On today's episode, we talk about how mental health challenges are showing up in preschools and daycare settings--and the challenges that's creating for child care providers.
GUESTS:
Jennifer Brookland, Report for America fellow covering children's welfare for the Detroit Free Press
Tracie Bettison, after-school program provider and early childhood education consultant in Metro Detroit
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Some might find the characters and textures featured in artist Matthew Osmon’s work to be a little bit unsettling. Some of his pandemic-era work focuses on goopy and stringy textures, parasitic creatures, and expressionless faces floating in liminal space. But the candy-toned color palettes make these works weirdly inviting.
Matthew Osmon is a Flint native, and chose to keep living and working here as an adult. He's a teacher at Mott Middle College, an instructor at the Flint Institute of Arts, a lecturer at the U-M Flint, and a board member at the Buckham Gallery. Between his many roles, he finds time to make art for himself.
Today, we visit two very different spaces where his work comes to life.
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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In the wake of major mass shootings in Michigan, Democrats in control of the state Legislature have done something previous Legislative sessions have not: address gun violence through policy changes.
Livingston County Sheriff called a recent red flag bill "unconstitutional." So what does it mean when an elected official says they might ignore state law?
GUEST:
Jon King, journalist
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Meet cartoonist, Barbara Brandon-Croft, whose work was first featured in The Detroit Free Press in 1989. Her comic strip “Where I’m Coming From” ran until 2005.
GUEST:
Barbara Brandon-Croft, cartoonist
Marty Claus,former, editor at The Detroit Free Press
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There is nothing like the first days of spring to remind you that humans are animals too. The first warm days of 2023 brought turtles and rabbits out of their winter hiding places–along with flocks of humans in shorts and t-shirts. And, of course, one of our favorite spring arrivals: THE BIRDS. Today, we’re talking about how to slow down and notice nature waking up again.
GUEST:
April Campbell, retired physician and birding enthusiast who lives in Ann Arbor. April is a huge advocate for getting other people of color into birding, and leads regular BIPOC birding walks around SE Michigan.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Nandi Comer was recently appointed Michigan's poet laureate. Originally from Detroit, she's the first person to hold the title in decades.
GUEST:
Nandi Comer, author and poet laureate
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Infighting in the MIGOP led, at least in one case, to an actual fight during an after-hours gathering in Clare. Bridge Michigan wrote about the scuffle between Party officials from Kalamazoo and Macomb.
GUEST:
Jonathan Oosting, Bridge Michigan
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If you’ve been in the international section of a supermarket, chances are you've seen La Choy products — maybe even bought some of their sauces or noodles. And while the brand's signature blue label and mimicry font are ubiquitous, it's origin story is not. The company was started in 1922 right here in Michigan.
GUEST:
Amy Elliot Bragg, assistant city editor at The Detroit News
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Last October we aired a story two weeks before the election in which voters were asked to decide whether to guarantee access to abortion in the Michigan state constitution. For this story, Michigan Radio reporter Kate Wells spent several days in a Michigan abortion clinic, speaking with women about what led them there. That story was recently nominated for a Peabody award.
Voters passed Proposition 3 by a wide margin last November in Michigan, preserving abortion rights in the state. The issue of access to abortion is still relevant and ongoing. With that in mind, we wanted to bring your attention back to the story from the Michigan Radio Newsroom and Stateside. Keep in mind that the story you’re about to hear was recorded and aired before voters went to the ballot to vote on Prop 3 last Fall.
The original story was reported by Kate Wells, and edited by Sarah Hulett and Lindsey Smith. Mixed by Mercedes Mejia, with additional help from Rachel Ishikawa.
Thank you to the many hands at Michigan Radio who helped make this story happen, and thanks especially to the women who agreed to share their personal stories.
Stateside’s executive producer is Laura Weber Davis.
Music from Blue Dot Sessions. Additional music by Brad Gowland.
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Kids book author Kyunghee Kim of Ypsilanti talks about honoring the complex emotions and experiences of kids in her new book "See Us Bloom".
GUEST:
Kyunghee Kim, author and teacher
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The small town of Marshall has been rocked by the planned use of a large swath of land for a Ford battery plant. The Detroit News looked at the long shadow cast over land use in the community. You can read their story here. Today, how Ford's proposed battery manufacturing facility has the town of Marshall divided.
GUESTS:
Kalea Hall, Detroit News
Jordyn Grzelewski, Detroit News
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The nearly unbelievable story of an amateur archeologist's massive and illegal collection and how a Michigan tribe stepped forward to reinter unidentified native remains.
GUEST:
- Matthew Miller, Senior Reporter, MLive
- Matthew Bussler, Historic Preservation Officer for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi
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Among the most prestigious awards in poetry is the Whiting Award. And this year, the award went to Detroit native Tommye Blount, a writer known for his poetry collection Fantasia for the Man in Blue (2020). He stopped in to discuss his work and future endeavors.
GUEST:
Tommye Blount, award-winning poet
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Michigan's 2019 auto no-fault reforms aren’t just hurting people who were injured prior to 2019, they've left out Michiganders injured today. Today on the pod: a new generation of crash survivors struggling to get the medical care they need.
GUEST:
Tracy Samilton, reporter at Michigan Radio
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Over the weekend, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk blocked the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, a drug used for medication abortion. The FDA had approved the drug back in 2000, but Judge Kacsmaryk ruled the decision to be invalid.
Less than an hour later, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice issued an opposing decision, ordering the FDA to maintain access to mifepristone.
State-by-state tumult over abortion was all but guaranteed by the Dobbs decision. But what does this latest federal court ruling mean for a state like Michigan, where abortion has been codified in the state Constitution?
GUESTS:
- Leah Litman, professor of law, University of Michigan Law School; co-host of "Strict Scrutiny"
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Music:
"Perpetuo" Written by Jody Jenkins
"Thinking About It" Written by Alexander L'Estrange
Courtesy of Audio Network
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Coming in with a little something extra for you this weekend. Today, a story from one of our producers about a city in Michigan with a new plan to revitalize their downtown.
GUESTS:
- Eric Winstrom,Chief of Police, Grand Rapids Police Department
- Kelsey Perdue, Grand Rapids Third Ward Commissioner
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Stateside's Studio Visits introduces you to artists across Michigan–and their workspaces. When you spend time where artists work, you can pick up a lot about what makes them tick, and what shapes their creative process.
In this episode, we take you to the west side of the state to meet an artist whose work is transforming the landscape of public art–and making visible the lives of Michigan’s Indigenous people.
GUEST:
Jason Quigno, Saginaw Chippewa tribal member and stone sculptor
You can find photos of Jason at work in his Grand Rapids studio here.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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One year ago this month, Patrick Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, was fatally shot in the back of the head by a white Grand Rapids police officer.
It’s yet another instance of a officer using deadly force against a Black individual. Yet another reason to continue the conversation around training, racial bias, and accountability in our police departments.
Today, one year after that tragedy, we ask what Grand Rapids’ policing looks like, what change has happened, and what one advocate turned city leader wants next.
GUESTS:
- Eric Winstrom, Chief of Police, Grand Rapids Police Department
- Kelsey Perdue, Grand Rapids Third Ward Commissioner
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Over 700-thousand customers of DTE and Consumers Energy lost power in an ice storm earlier this year. There’s since been a public outcry for state leaders to hold the power companies accountable. That pressure ratchets up as DTE faces scrutiny for its political spending.
We examine the relationship between the investor-owned utilities and state lawmakers. Plus one Democrat in the State House shares what he wants accountability from DTE to look like.
GUESTS:
- Craig Mauger, state politics reporter, The Detroit News
- Abraham Aiyash, Michigan State Representative, 9th House District
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Walking in Michigan’s prairies, you may have seen a poweshiek skipperling – a small silvery butterfly – and not even known it. But the reality is their population is dropping at an alarming rate. We talk yo a biologist who's trying to change that.
GUESTS:
- David Pavlik, research associate at Michigan State University
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How do you stage authentic looking intimacy in film and theater? How do you do this while advocating for the people starring in these roles? Today, a conversation with two Michigan State University professors who a book on the intimacy direction. It's called “Supporting Staged Intimacy: A Practical Guide for Theatre Creatives, Managers and Crew.”
GUESTS:
- Tina M. Newhauser, head of the BFA program in Stage Management at Michigan State University
- Alexis Black, assistant professor of acting and movement at Michigan State University
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Jimmy Lee Hill is the executive chef instructor of Lakeland Correctional Facility's food service and culinary arts program. The training program, Hill, and his students are the subject of a new film called Coldwater Kitchen. The documentary offers a lens on modern corrections, and also the power of food in our culture.
Today on the podcast, we revisited our original trip to Lakeland's kitchen back in 2019. We also spoke with chef Jimmy Lee Hill and filmmaker Mark Kurlyandchik. Coldwater Kitchen debuts at the Freep Film Festival on April 26th. Hear more about the film and its making on this episode of Stateside.
GUESTS ON TODAY'S SHOW:
- Jimmy Lee Hill, executive chef instructor, Lakeland Correctional Facility
- Charles Ralston, culinary arts tutor, Lakeland Correctional Facility
- Christopher Dorch, culinary arts student, Lakeland Correctional Facility
- Mark Kurlyandchik, co-writer and co-director, Coldwater Kitchen
--
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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In the debate over so-called "red flag" laws in the state, the subject of suicide is centered. Rural Michigan - as in the remote regions throughout the nation - suffers from the highest rates of suicide. And many of those deaths are caused by guns. Just as most gun-related deaths are self-inflicted. Advocates for red-flag laws say the change could help prevent many of those deaths.
GUEST:
- Pat Gallinagh, Range Suicide Prevention Council in Gogebic Co.
If you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, please seek someone out to talk to. The Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 9-8-8.
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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Democrats in control of the state Legislature think they can start to turn the tide of preventable gun death here in Michigan. But the thing about laws, is they have to be enforced to work. And not all county commissions want new laws on the books.
GUEST:
- Matthew (Matt) Saxton, Michigan Sheriffs’ Association
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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This weekend, UAW members elected the next UAW president: Shawn Fain. And Fain’s taking a strong stance out of the gate – promising a more aggressive approach with automakers. So what does this new era of UAW leadership mean for auto workers, and for the automotive sector at large?
GUEST:
- Jamie LaReau, reporter at the Detroit Free Press
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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Wayne County has a juvenile detention crisis. Last week Wayne County Executive Warren Evans declared it public health emergency.
GUEST:
- Christine MacDonald, investigative reporter at the Detroit Free Press
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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What does accountability look like when a mass shooter is a minor?
In the case of the shooting at Oxford High School, the local county prosecutor is taking a unique approach: charging the alleged shooter’s parents. Today, we’ll talk about prosecutors’ strategy in this case, and the legal precedent it could set if it’s successful.
GUEST:
Mike Nichols, criminal defense attorney in East Lansing and former adjunct faculty member at WMU Cooley Law School
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Today, a studio visit with collage artist Judy Bowman. In less than a decade, Bowman’s bright, textured collages have gained a national audience and collector base. She’s shown her art in New York, at Art Basel Miami, and her first solo exhibition, called “Gratiot Griot,” is currently wrapping up at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. But despite her national fame, Bowman is, admittedly, a homebody. Her home is her studio. She lives and works in Romulus, and her artwork prominently features the scenes and people of her childhood in Detroit’s Black Bottom and Eastside.
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In the aftermath of power outages that affected hundreds of thousands of people in February and March this year, many Michiganders are scrutinizing the state’s largest investor-owned utilities: DTE and Consumers Energy.
Michigan’s Public Service Commission is holding town halls this week on the outages, and dozens of Michiganders have come forward to share their frustrations. Meanwhile, an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit has long been advocating for a transition to a public-owned electric utility, rather than an investor-owned one.
DTE is a corporate sponsor of Michigan Radio.
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GUESTS:
- Nushrat Rahman, Report for America Corps Member, Bridge Detroit and The Detroit Free Press
- Greg Woodring, president, Ann Arbor for Public Power
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Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen an uptick in alcohol related liver disease hospitalizations across the country. In Michigan that number increased by 50% in 2020. We've also seen an increase in younger people needing care. Today, the rising rates of alcohol consumption, the reasons behind it, and what people are doing to make a change.
GUESTS:
- Austin Johnson, Construction inspector and South Lyon resident
- Dr. Scott Winder, Clinical Associate Professor for the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan Medicine
- Dr. Anne Fernandez, Director of Clinical Programming at the University of Michigan Addiction Treatment Services
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In the wake of a creative project that didn't go as planned, Detroit-based audio storyteller Zak Rosen set out to find the best morsels of advice from folks of all walks of life. Since then, he's compiled the advice of hundreds of family members, acquaintances, and total strangers.
Every tidbit is cataloged on his podcast, The Best Advice Show. Today, he shares some of his favorites morsels with Stateside, and solicits some advice from a member of the Stateside team.
GUESTS:
- Zak Rosen, host, The Best Advice Show
- Laura Weber-Davis, executive producer, Stateside
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The Best Advice Show theme music courtesy of Zak Rosen:
"Pizogi" by Guustav
"Come Clean" by Gloria Tells
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Something historic that happened at the Michigan Capitol this week. After more than a decade of starts and stops, lawmakers this week added protections for LGBTQ Michiganders to the state's Elliott Larson Civil Rights Act. We talked with Jay Kaplan, from the ACLU of Michigan, about what this new legislation means for the queer community, and the work that still remains.
GUEST:
Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan's LGBTQ+ Project
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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What if the Midwest's wacky Saint Patty’s Day celebrations reflected Ireland as it actually is?
Ann Arbor husband-and-wife duo Kate McCabe and Max Sussman spoke to Stateside about their work educating others on the country they love, including all its nuanced food, culture, and history. They co-founded Bog & Thunder, a culinary-focused Ireland travel company.
This Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, they’re hosting an Irish cuisine celebration at Frame in Hazel Park. Chef Kevin Burke is visiting from Dublin to whip up a four-course meal for southeast Michiganders – and it’s not the boiled cabbage fare you might be imagining.
GUESTS:
- Max Sussman, co-founder and culinary director, Bog and Thunder
- Kate McCabe, co-founder and CEO, Bog and Thunder
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Music in this episode courtesy of Audio Network:
"Carrigdance" written by Mike Stobbie
"Freestyle" written by Richard Lacey & Nick Haigh
“Celtic Flame” written by Mike Stobbie
Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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If you've stayed home sick in the past 20 years, you've probably come across Judge Greg Mathis on your television screen. He's been hosting his eponymous daytime TV court show, Judge Mathis, for more than two decades. The only other television court personality to top that record is Judge Judy. But long before he found himself on the small screen, Mathis was a judge here in his home state of Michigan. Born in Detroit, he was elected to the state's 36th District Court in 1995.
After more than two decades the show Judge Mathis is coming to an end, but fans of Mathis will be happy to hear that a new iteration of the show will be coming in fall 2023, after former Detroit resident Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group picked up the show. The new show will be called Mathis Court with Judge Mathis.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Infertility treatments can be an incredibly lonely and long journey for folks hoping to have a child. Slate podcast producer Cheyna Roth wanted to find a community she could share her own struggles with. And so, she created a podcast about her family's struggle to conceive via IVF. We talked to Cheyna about her story and the community she found by sharing it.
GUEST:
Cheyna Roth, podcast producer at Slate
You can listen to Cheyna's podcast episode on her journey with infertility here.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Ruth Carter took home the Oscar on Sunday for Best Costume Design in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." It’s the only Oscar the film was awarded, despite being nominated in multiple categories. But it doesn’t take the Academy’s votes to see that the Black Panther films were a global phenomenon.
Hannah Beachler is the production designer who worked with director Ryan Coogler in imagining and crafting the world of Wakand. She came to the University of Michigan’s Institute for the Humanities as a guest speaker earlier this year. She shared what it took to design the landscapes, government, and rituals of Wakanda, and the weight that this imagined universe carries for Black audiences around the world.
GUEST:
Hannah Beachler, production designer for both "Black Panther" films
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Chopped is a competition cooking show in which a constellation of totally weird ingredients are set before three hardworking chefs to see what they can make. Chef Mamba Hamissi, co-owner of Baobab Fare with his wife Nadia, recently competed on the show. Given an ingredients basket filled with fried gluten, leeks, scallops, and chai tea, Mamba made a sweet and spicy taco so delectable and complex that it helped him win $10,000. On today's pod, Chef Mamba on why being who you are, and knowing what you know, is sometimes the key to getting you through a completely unfamiliar situation.
GUEST:
Chef Mamba Hamissi, co-owner of Baobab Fare in Detroit
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Democrats in Lansing have been busy lately: they’ve passed civil rights protections for the LGBT+ community, quashed the state’s 1931 ban on abortion, and repealed Michigan’s decade-old right-to-work law.
Today, lawmakers were urged to make another change: gun safety legislation.
Krista Grettenberger, whose son Troy Forbush was shot and wounded in the MSU shooting, spoke about her experience before the House Judiciary Committee. Shortly after, the Michigan House passed a universal background check bill.
On today’s podcast, we hear tape from Grettenberger’s moving testimony. Plus, we talk with Dr. Thomas Veverka, a Midland trauma surgeon specializing in gunshot wounds, who also spoke at the capitol earlier today. Dr. Veverka, along with a group of other doctors, traveled to Lansing to urge lawmakers to act on gun safety legislation.
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GUESTS:
- Dr. Thomas Veverka, critical care surgery specialist, MyMichigan General Surgery
—
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Last week we got some really hard news about a UP institution. Finlandia University is shutting down operations, after 126 years in operation. Founded as the Suomi College and Theological Seminary, it’s kept Finnish culture alive Up North, in ways that have affected thousands of peoples’ lives over the years.
GUEST:
Timothy Pinnow, President of Finlandia University
—
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Lorri Thomas, aka Lady L, is a tattoo artist in Detroit. After years of sexual harassment and frustration with lack of representation in the industry, Thomas founded Ladies of Ink in 2015, a collective for Black women tattoo artists. They tour the country uniting and connecting with other women artists.
GUEST:
Lori Thomas, founder of the Ladies of Ink tour
—
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Grand Rapids native Annie Rauwerda was finding a lot of strange and charming articles on Wikipedia. So she made started posting her findings to social media. Her project has not amassed 1.2 million followers on Instagram.
GUEST:
Annie Rauwerda, creator of the Depths of Wikipedia
—
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The Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is a non-profit project started by this third-generation tree nursery owner as a way to preserve species now in terrifying decline due to climate change and habitat destruction. They take cuttings from the biggest, strongest, oldest tree species on several continents, coax the cuttings to sprout roots, and nurture them until they can be replanted. We talked to the team at Archangel about what they do and what role ancient trees could play in the fight against climate change.
GUESTS:
David Milarch, founder of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive
Jared Milarch, owner of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive
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A new investigation from the New York Times offered a deeply disturbing picture of children, mostly teens, working hazardous jobs all across the U.S. Reporter Hannah Dreier outlined how young migrants – many as young as 13 who entered the country unaccompanied – are working long, dangerous hours in places like food packing facilities, construction sites, and poultry processing plants.
Child labor laws, in theory, protect kids from unsafe and exploitative working conditions. But Ana Raquel Devereaux, managing attorney at Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), told us many young migrant children slip through the cracks.
GUEST:
- Ana Raquel Devereaux, managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
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In the illegal street racing scene of 1970s Detroit, there was one car that ruled them all: The Black Ghost. The black ‘70 Dodge HEMI Challenger would appear only occasionally to race, win, and then disappear into the night. It later turned out that was because the driver–the late Godfrey Qualls–was a Detroit police officer.
Today on the pod, we hear about a Detroit street racing legend–and his son’s mission to share his story.
GUEST:
Gregory Qualls, son of Godfrey Qualls, owner of the Black Ghost
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In the weeks following the shooting at Michigan State University, a central question around campus security has emerged: What measures can schools and universities take to protect their communities when there is an active shooter?
GUEST:
Dave Boucher, reporter, Detroit Free Press
——
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Hundreds of thousands of DTE and Consumers Energy customers remain without power for nearly five days after an ice storm on Wednesday, Feb. 22. This leaves many without the essential heat during Michigan’s frigid winter temperatures.
GUESTS:
- Senator Mallory McMorrow , state Senator (D-MI 13th District)
- Dan Scripps, chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission
——
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Alright stop, collaborate and listen
Ice is back with my brand new invention (a generator)
Something (the cold) grabs a hold of me tightly
Flow like a harpoon daily and nightly
Will it ever stop? Yo, I don't know
Turn off the lights, and I'll glow (by candle light, because I still don't have power)
GUEST:
Seth Guikema, co-director of the Center for Risk Analysis Informed Design Engineering and a professor of industrial and operations engineering, University of Michigan
--
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On the night of the shooting at Michigan State University, students faced four hours of a shelter-in-place order. During that time many of them were in communication with their parents; texting and calling them. On the other end of the phone, parents had to manage their own fears while reassuring their children. Today we talk with two MSU parents about that horrific night, and about their own activism around gun reform.
GUESTS:
Kelly Dillaha - MSU parent and program director of Red, Wine & Blue.
Jennifer Norber - MSU parent and deputy program director of Red, Wine & Blue.
--
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Over the weekend, Michigan Republicans elected Kristina Karamo as their next party chair. What does her win mean for Michigan's Republican Party?
GUESTS:
- Kaitlyn Buss, assistant editorial page editor at the Detroit New
- Colin Jackson, reporter at the Michigan Public Radio Network
——
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Cuban Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera is one of the many people striving to re-establish relationships between the U.S. and Cuba. She recently visited Detroit for that very purpose.
GUEST:
- Lianys Torres Rivera, Ambassador to the U.S. from Cuba.
——
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Today, a deep dive into former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young's life, work, and political legacy.
GUEST:
Jamon Jordan, Detroit city historian
____
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Thousands of young people attended a vigil Wednesday night to remember the students shot and killed this week in the heart of Michigan State’s campus.
Today, we try to piece together the law that allowed for someone with a prior gun-conviction to legally own another gun. We also hear from a public health researcher about why stronger policies alone aren’t enough.
GUESTS:
Craig Mauger, reporter, Detroit News
Marc Zimmerman, Co-Director of the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at the University of Michigan
____
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Arielle Anderson, 19 years old. Brian Fraser, 20 years old. Alexandria Verner, 20 years old. These are the three Michigan State University students killed in a mass shooting on campus Monday night. Communities around the state have gathered to remember them--and to offer their support for the five other students who are still hospitalized.
Today, we want to take some time to talk about what we know of these students' lives and the communities of people who love them.
GUEST:
Andrea Sahouri, criminal justice reporter for the Detroit Free Press
You can read Andrea's reporting on the MSU shooting victims here.
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Today on the podcast we talk about what we know so far about the mass shooting at Michigan State University. We also hear from two students on what happened.
GUESTS:
- Emily Lawler, politics editor for the Detroit Free Press
- Colin Jackson, Michigan Public Radio Network
- Dan Netter, MSU student and city desk editor, State News and Stateside intern
- Morgan Womack, MSU student and campus desk editor, State News and Michigan Radio digital intern
——
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This last weekend, while many Michiganders had their eyes glued to their TVs for the Super Bowl, there was something going on in the sky. The Department of Defense observed and fired upon an object while it was in the skies over Lake Huron.
GUESTS:
- Melissa Nann Burke, Washington reporter for The Detroit News
- Brett Dahlberg, editor for Michigan Radio
____
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Over the past 20 years, roller derby has seen a major revival across the country. The modern derby era – which got rolling around 2000 in Austin, Texas – is a far cry from the ultra-staged smackdowns of the 80s, or the flame-and-fade derby of the 50s. Now, many major cities now boost their own derby leagues--including Detroit.
Stateside intern Ellie Katz headed to one of the Detroit Roller Derby league’s recent bouts to scope out the scene.
GUESTS:
Amelia Greco, Detroit Roller Derby member
Amy Ruby, Detroit Roller Derby member
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The opportunity for revival of an established Spanish-language paper in Southwest Detroit came up when the paper recently changed hands. Our guests today talk to us about what mainstream news doesn’t get about Spanish-speaking readers and audiences and what they’re doing to shine lights on community news – in both Spanish and English.
GUESTS:
Martina Guzman, founder and director of the Race and Justice Reporting Initiative at the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University
Angela Gallegos, contributing writer to El Central Hispanic News
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Jenn White is the host of the NPR midday news show, 1A. Born and raised in Detroit, White worked in public TV before becoming the local anchor of All Things Considered at Michigan Radio - the very station that brings you this podcast. Today on the podcast, a live conversation with Jenn White about her Michigan roots, covering difficult news, and the importance of treats.
GUEST:
Jenn White, host of 1A
____
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President Biden delivered the State of the Union Address last night to an audience of Congress members, some of whom were very vocal throughout the speech. You've likely seen the viral moments of the President going to head-to-head with Republican representatives, but there were some moments of bipartisan unity.
Freshman Rep. Hillary Scholten, a Democrat representing Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, is optimistic about getting key legislation passed in the coming months.
GUEST:
Hillary Scholten, Congresswoman representing MIchigan's 3rd Congressional District
____
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About 150 years ago, a young nation fresh off its first Civil War was trying to find itself - amid famine, disease, societal breakdown. Our school books talk about this period as the Reconstruction. Wayne State University scholar Kidada Williams refers to the period in different terms in her new book, I Saw Death Coming: A History of Terror and Survival in the War Against Reconstruction.
GUEST:
Kidada Williams, author
____
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Kids and Marvel super fans alike have a new animated television series to look forward to: "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur," which is set to release this week on Disney. The show revolves around Lunella Lafayette, a 13-year-old genius-turned-superhero protecting the Lower East Side of New York with her crime-fighting dinosaur partner. The character is Marvel’s first Black girl superhero to star in her own series.
Diamond White, a Detroit native, voices Lunella on the show. White shared what her career journey has looked like since leaving Detroit, and what it means to portray a young hero that looks like her.
GUEST:
Diamond White, singer, actress, voice of Lunella Lafayette in Disney's "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur"
____
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Michelin star chef Iliana Regan decided to leave behind the buzzing Chicago culinary scene for a quieter life, she found solace in the woods of the Upper Peninsula. Regan has documented her new, slower-paced life in the book Fieldwork: A Forager’s Memoir.
GUEST:
Iliana Regan, chef and author
____
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Today, a charged debate that's gaining more traction in Michigan: are electric vehicle drivers paying their fair share of road use taxes? Plus, a look at how industry giants like Ford are taking financial losses now in hopes of stealing some EV market share from Tesla down the road.
GUESTS:
- Lester Graham, reporter, The Environment Report
- Phoebe Wall Howard, automotive reporter, Detroit Free Press
____
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Twelve people have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct by Dr. Zvi Levran, a urologist who provided medical services to a number of high school and youth all-star hockey teams in both Michigan and Minnesota. On this episode, we talked to reporter Katie Strang, with The Athletic, about the allegations against Zvi Levran, and how it ties into other instances of physician misconduct.
GUEST:
Katie Strang, reporter with The Athletic.You can read her in-depth piece into the allegations against Levran here.
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The past three years have been a particularly scary time for people of Asian descent. Two University of Michigan researchers have been trying to find out if the rise in anti-Asian sentiment has had other, more hidden economic effects. Ones that you might not see in national headlines, but still damage Asian-American livelihoods.
GUEST ON TODAY'S SHOW:
- Justin Huang, assistant professor of marketing, Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan
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When it comes to streaming services, you’ve got a lot to choose from these days. From the giants like Netflix, Hulu, HBO to smaller platforms catering to a more niche audience. The platform Tubi has become a go-to for fans and producers of independent Black cinema.
And it's not just L.A. or New York creators cashing in on the chance to put their work in front of an online audience. There's a sizable amount of Tubi content that's being written by Black Detroiters and produced right here in the Motor City.
GUEST ON TODAY'S SHOW:
- Phil Lewis, senior frontpage editor of HuffPost and writer on Substack
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The next great Americana singer/songwriter could be not from Tennessee, not from the Carolinas, but from Southwest Michigan. Myron Elkins is an Allegan County native. His debut album, “Factories, Farms, and Amphetamines” is an ode to the Midwest, and every track carries the very grit and authenticity that’s characteristic of rural Michigan life.
GUEST ON TODAY'S SHOW:
- Myron Elkins, musician
____
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Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her fifth State of the State address last night. It’s the first of her second term as governor, and her first in-person address in three years, due to COVID. It was also an opportunity to make her priorities known working with a Democratic majority in the Legislature. Today, we’re recapping what we heard from Gov. Whitmer.
GUESTS:
- Colin Jackson, Michigan Public Radio Network
- Alyssa McMurtry, Gongwer News Service
____
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Michigan's Upper Peninsula can get buried in snow during the winter. Some simply thank Mother Nature. Others use meteorology to explain it all. But to some members of the Finnish-American community in the Hancock area, the snow is because of Heikki Lunta. Legend has it, the mystical man's dancing has the power to summon snowstorms.
Hilary-Joy Virtanen wrote her master's thesis on the the legend of Heikki, his not-so-ancient origins, and his role in preserving Finnish-American culture.
GUEST:
- Hilary-Joy Virtanen, Associate Professor of Finnish & Nordic Studies at Finlandia University, a private Lutheran university in Hancock, Michigan
____
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Lyndsay Green is a dining and restaurant critic for the Detroit Free Press, and the first Black person at the publication to hold that role. She finds that a lot of people in the restaurant world don’t expect to see her.
Green recently commemorated her first year at the Free Press by writing about her year in review. The essay, which documents her experience in the food industry as a 4’10” Black woman critic, went viral. She joined us to share the ups and downs of her past year in the Detroit food scene, plus what the fine line between anonymity and invisibility reveals about upscale dining and our culture more broadly.
GUEST:
- Lyndsay Green, dining and restaurant critic, Detroit Free Press
Support for arts and culture coverage on Stateside comes in part from Michigan's Arts and Culture Council.
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In April 2020, Gov. Whitmer assembled a taskforce to target biases and barriers that have long prevented racial minorities from receiving adequate medical care; something that was made abundantly clear during the early weeks of the pandemic. The Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities was called to identify and help reduce the disparities in COVID cases.
GUESTS:
- Dr. Phil Levy, Associate Vice President of Translational Science at Wayne State University; Director of the Center for Population Health Accountability at Wayne Health
- Dr. Renee Canady, CEO of the Michigan Public Health Institute
____
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Tapestry in Black is a new podcast that gives Black Michiganders a space to share their experiences in their own words. Each episode of the show is a new story, told from the perspective of someone who lived it. Season 1 features tales from the Civil Rights era from the 1960s to the early 70s.
GUEST:
Khaliph Young, Tapestry in Black director
____
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There's a lot to think about when you're at the grocery store: your meal plans, your taste, your budget. But what about your plastic bag consumption? Today on the show, one artist’s cheeky take on the problem of single use plastics through art. And then, the Democratic effort to reverse the state's ban on local plastic bag bans.
GUESTS:
Robin Frohardt, Brooklyn-based artist and filmmaker
State Senator Jeff Irwin, Democrat representing Michigan's 15th district
More information about The Plastic Bag Store over here.
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This last weekend, nine candidates vying for Michigan Republican Party Chair took part in a forum in Midland. All nine endorsed false claims that the last two elections had fraudulent outcomes. Among the candidates for the top spot are some failed nominees for statewide office, including former attorney general nominee Matt DePerno and former secretary of state nominee Kristina Karamo. Craig Mauger of The Detroit News has been following the candidates as they look to lead one of Michigan’s two major parties.
Guest:
- Craig Mauger, political reporter for The Detroit News
____
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At the age of 15, Leslie King was sex trafficked in Grand Rapids. For 20 years, she endured sexual exploitation, violence, and drug addiction, until finally escaping in the summer of 2000. Today, King runs an outreach organization in Grand Rapids called Sacred Beginnings. Its mission is to connect with others who may be victims of sex trafficking, and provide them with supplies and support.
After years spent rebuilding her life, filling out applications, working with lawyers, and receiving denial after denial for expungement petitions, Leslie received a phone call she'd been waiting so long to hear: the governor had pardoned King for crimes committed decades ago when she was a victim of human trafficking.
Hear Leslie King's story of survival, and of her legal battle for a new beginning.
GUESTS:
- Leslie King, author, speaker, sex trafficking survivor, and founder of Sacred Beginings
- Madelaine Lane, attorney, Warner Norcross + Judd
_______
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Two months before Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington, tens of thousands gathered to watch him speak in Detroit — a city that’s home to so many Black activists, artists, and entrepreneurs.
Since then, it hasn’t all been easy for Black Detroiters, but the elections of Mayor Coleman A. Young, and Congressman John Conyers brought forward a new era of Black leadership.
In recent years, Detroit has lost Black representation in both local and national leadership. In the latest election, two non-Black candidates came out on top to represent the city in Congress, meaning, for the first time in 70 years, Detroit has no Black lawmaker representing the city.
Bridge Detroit and public radio station WDET have partnered to create a podcast called “What Had Happened Was." The limited series interrogates in real-time what loss of Black representation means for the city.
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GUEST:
Orlando Bailey, engagement director at Bridge Detroit, co-host of "What Had Happened Was"
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Remember video rental stores? We went to one of the last ones in Michigan.
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"Cheers!" has been a longstanding Stateside feature, and now co-hosts Tammy Coxen and Lester Graham have prepped their last call. After 100 drinks from the mixology team, they'll wrap up their run in February. Today, we toast them!
GUESTS:
Lester Graham and Tammy Coxen are co-hosts of the radio series "Cheers!" and co-authors of the book Cheers to Michigan: A Celebration of Cocktail Culture and Craft Distillers.
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In Ottawa County - in West Michigan, a slate of nine new commissioners just took office. In their first meeting on January 3rd, they made some sweeping changes to county operations. Not everybody was happy about it. Today on the pod, a new kind of Republican takes control in reliably red Ottawa County.
GUEST:
Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio's West Michigan reporter
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French documentary filmmaker Dorian Degoutte couldn't bare dumping his 1997 Ford Fiesta. So instead he took took his car from France for one last journey to where it all began: Detroit.
Read the original article here.
GUEST:
Dorian Degoutte,filmmaker
Phoebe Wall Howard,reporter at the Detroit Free Press
_______
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Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein publicly admonished a colleague on the court for hiring a clerk whose past Bernstein thought unbecoming of the court. Bernstein's decision to lambast Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, and her clerk, has drawn sharp criticism. Bernstein issued a statement to apologize today, but not before the clerk resigned under duress. Here's Bernstein's statement:
“Today, I apologized to my colleague Justice Kyra Harris Bolden in-person at the Hall of Justice and she has accepted my apology. I regret overstepping Justice Bolden’s hiring process and should not have disturbed her ability to lead her Chambers.
I would also like to apologize to Mr. Peter Martel. Mr. Martel is not an elected official and my actions invited people into his life in a way that he had not signed up for and he deserved more consideration.
I am committed to working with Justice Bolden in the coming years to advance our many shared values, including immediately working to expand opportunities in the legal field for those who have repaid their debts to society.
My day-to-day priority going forward will be to fulfill the confidence placed in me by the people of Michigan. I will not take that for granted and will focus on evaluating each case based on its merits and the laws of Michigan, as the citizens of our State expect.”
GUEST:
Colin Jackson, Michigan Public Radio Network
_______
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“Liar, Dreamer, Thief,” which is listed as a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Goodreads and Overdrive, is about a young woman trying to repair her glitched-up life as she surveils a man she works with – a man with whom she believes she shares some kind of connection. The truth that unravels turns out to be more surprising than she can imagine.
Author Maria Dong joined us to talk about how her Korean-American identity and experience living with ADHD informed the protagonist's adventure in her debut novel. "Liar, Dreamer, Thief," will be released on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
GUEST:
Maria Dong, author of "Liar, Dreamer, Thief"
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Michigan musicians released an impressive list of hits in 2022. Joe Hertler, frontman of Lansing-based band Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers, brought us a mixtape of some of his favorite Michigan-based bands and songs from the year.
You can find the full list of songs here.
GUESTS:
- Joe Hertler,lead singer of Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers
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Four-term US Senator Debbie Stabenow announced that she will retire at the end of this term in 2025. Today we’re talking about what Senator Stabenow has accomplished in her time and what this news means for the senate race in 2024.
GUESTS:
- Rick Pluta, Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
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Kevin McCarthy has failed, numerous times, to win over his caucus for enough votes to become Speaker of the U.S. House. What's the view from Michigan's Republicans in Congress? All of Michigan's Republicans in Congress support McCarthy for Speaker. Here's our conversation with one of them.
GUEST:
- Jack Bergman, Republican Congressman representing Northern Michigan
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After an underwhelming opening to the NFL season, the Detroit Lions are making news as potential playoff contenders. Meanwhile, in Ann Arbor, Jim Harbaugh is rumored to be leaving the University of Michigan Wolverines to return to the NFL.
Nick Baumgardner, a senior writer with The Athletic, caught us up on all the football news that's unfolded over the past week.
GUEST:
Nick Baumgardner, senior writer, The Athletic
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Santa Ono was appointed as president of the University of Michigan last fall. He came to Ann Arbor from University of British Columbia, where he served as president and vice chancellor. Before that, he served as provost, and then president of the University of Cincinnati.
President Ono stepped into the shoes of Mary Sue Coleman, who served as an interim president following Mark Schlissel’s dismissal in January of last year. At the end of his first semester at the University of Michigan, President Santa Ono joined us to talk about his vision for the year ahead.
GUEST:
Santa Ono,president, University of Michigan
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Malcolm X was a son of Lansing, where he spent some of his most formative years before becoming the iconic activist we know of today. So why aren't his the quotes and legacy we teach in Michigan schools or during Black History Month? Today on Stateside, we explore Malcolm X's family history and controversial legacy in the struggle for Black empowerment.
GUESTS:
John Aerni-Flessner, associate professor for the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University
Kidada Williams, associate professor of African American and American history at Wayne State University
Herb Boyd,Detroit writer, journalist, and activist
This episode originally published on February 7, 2022.
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For decades, the leadership of the United Auto Workers has come from the same group within the union. That changed in a big way with this month’s union elections, where no incumbent leadership was able to secure a win in the organization's competitive races. We talked to Detroit News editor Daniel Howes about what this could mean for the union as the auto industry makes the pivot to electrification.
GUEST:
Daniel Howes, senior editor and business columnist for the Detroit News
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Designer Rey Pador has transformed TV touchstones into global fashions for a constellation of brands in Antwerp, Paris, New York and Milan. Rey now calls Detroit home after taking a position with the College for Creative Studies, overseeing apparel design as part of the College’s fashion design department. For Rey, fashion is all about the surprises.
GUEST:
Rey Pador, fashion designer and associate professor at the College for Creative Studies
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COVID has posed a grave threat to our elders these last two years. Even if your family has been lucky enough to dodge the worst, you're probably finding moments with the grandparents in your life that much sweeter. Two Michigan photographers travelled across the country to find some of those moments, taking portraits of grandmothers and archiving their wisdom in the new book, Grandmothers of America.
GUESTS:
John Hanson, photographer based in Detroit.
Joey Schultz,photographer based in Traverse City.
This episode originally published on January 14, 2022.
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Michigan writer Anne-Marie Oomen chronicles years when her aging mother needed help; a mother who left her flummoxed and angry. The book is called "As Long As I Know You: The Mom Book." Today we talk to Oomen about motherhood, caregiving, and healing.
GUEST:
Anne-Marie Oomen, writer
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Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most commonly used plastics. It's found in everything from construction materials, to medical equipment, to clothing. Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a way to repurpose this previously unrecyclable material. They joined us to share their findings, and what it could mean for plastic consumers and manufacturers.
GUESTS:
Anne McNeil, professor of chemistry and macromolecular science and engineering, University of Michigan
Danielle Fagnani, synthetic polymer chemist
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It's hard to imagine a politics and policy debate in Michigan that experienced the kind of whiplash in public sentiment like that of same-sex marriage. In the span of about 15 years, Michiganders went from voting to ban gay marriage, to broadly supporting rights and marriage protections for LGBTQ couples. At the center of the national legal debate was also a couple from Michigan. Today we revisit that brief history on the week that same-sex marriage became federally protected law.
GUEST:
Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network
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Kulintang music, native to several Indigenous tribes in the Southern Philippines, has been passed down as an oral tradition over hundreds of years. That tradition has traveled 8,000 miles overseas, all the way to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Stateside Producer Ronia Cabansag helps tell part of that story.
GUEST:
Gean Vincent Almendras, Philippine Ensemble Music lecturer, University of Michigan
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Artist Mother Cyborg, AKA Diana Nucera, is a musician, technologist, community organizer, and educator. This past summer she had a quilt exhibition at the University of Michigan’s Penny Stamps Gallery called Crafting Our Digital Legacy. The exhibition has since ended – but today we want to revisit our conversation with Nucera. We talked to her about the digital world, community organizing, and her artistic practice.
GUEST:
Diana Nucera, artist
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Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Judge Allie Greenleaf Maldonado to the Michigan Court of Appeals. As the first tribal citizen to be appointed to the role, and the first minority to ever serve in the 4th District, Judge Maldonado is bringing a fresh perspective to the Court. Judge Maldonado tells us about her family history, career, and what she hopes to accomplish in her new role on the Michigan Court of Appeals.
GUEST:
Judge Allie Greenleaf Maldonado, chief judge of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
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As the year comes to an end, Michigan hospitals are dealing with a surge of viral illnesses. Today, we speak with a specialist about the factors behind this.
GUEST:
Dr. Preeti N. Malani, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Michigan Medicine
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University of Michigan intends to expand its reputation for excellence in medicine to mid-Michigan with a takeover of Sparrow Health Systems in Lansing.
Guest on today's episode:
Dustin Walsh, Crain's Detroit Business
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In the fall of 2020, Grand Rapids resident Isaac Danian, made plans to escape the U.S. at the behest of an online conspiracy theorist. He was joined by Shukree Abdul-Rashed from upstate New York. Their journey ended with the two men lost at sea in the South Pacific, while their families still wait for answers. We talked to the journalist who investigated the men's disappearance for the New York Times.
GUEST:
David Wolman, freelance journalist and contributing editor at Outside.Read Wolman's story "Set Adrift" here.
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On today’s Stateside podcast, we look at a couple of postmortem election stories. We get into election result challenges and we also look at how redistricting has affected election outcomes.
GUESTS:
- Clara Hendrickson, reporter at the Detroit Free Press
- Matt Grossman, Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research of Michigan State University
- Rick Pluta, Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
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Universities across the country, including Michigan State University, are partnering with sports betting companies. Are trusted academic institutions pawning their students for sports gambling profits? Or can we trust undergrads to make responsible decisions about betting?
Read the original New York Times article here.
GUESTS:
Andrew Little, freelance journalist
Walt Bogdanich, NYT special projects reporter
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Early in the pandemic, filmmaker David Siev moved out of his NYC apartment, and back to his parents’ home in Bad Axe, Michigan. 2020 was a weird time for all of us, but Siev thought to capture the moment.
Siev’s new documentary film Bad Axe offers a picture of the life that his mother, a Mexican-American, and his father, a Cambodian refugee, have built in a majority-white small town. The film leans into the tensions caused by generational differences, racism, and fear.
David Siev joined us to talk about the process of documenting his family’s life, and how it’s changed since the film’s release.
GUEST:
David Siev, filmmaker, Bad Axe (2022)
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In "Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids,” philosophy and law professor Scott Hershovitz documents discussions with his own little philosophers, and offers ways to draw the thinkers out of yours.
GUEST:
Scott Hershovitz, Thomas G. and Mabel Long Professor of Law at the University of Michigan; author of "Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids”
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This week marks one year after the mass shooting that took place at Oxford High School. Teachers, family members, and student survivors continue to grapple with trauma, searching for a path toward some kind of healing.
The shooter’s parents are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, but the trial actually has yet to proceed, with the Michigan Supreme Court issuing stays on both parents’ cases.
Tresa Baldas has been following the story for the Detroit Free Press. She talked us through the reason for the delay, and what may happen to the defendants if the trial proceeds.
You can hear teachers, family members, and friends in conversation with each other about what life after the Oxford shooting has looked like. Find it here.
GUEST:
Tresa Baldas, legal affairs reporter, Detroit Free Press
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One year ago, the community of Oxford Township was forever changed by a shooting at Oxford High School that left four students dead.
Justin Shilling, 17
Madisyn Baldwin, 17
Tate Myre, 16
Hana St. Juliana, 14
Today we listen to teachers, friends, a father and a sibling talk to each other about the impact of the shooting on their lives.
Guests on this episode:
Melissa Gibbons, Oxford High teacher
Lauren Rambo, Oxford High teacher
Abbey Allion, friend of Justin Shilling
Olivia McMillan, friend of Justin Shilling
Reina St. Juliana, sister of Hana St. Juliana
Steve St. Juliana, father of Hana St. Juliana
Zoe Touray, former Oxford student
Aubrey Greenfield, Oxford student
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East Lansing saw a tense football rivalry in the 1970s between two unlikely teams. A pickup game between a group of teenagers and local police quickly exploded into something more. It was an unexpected display of collaboration in a tense moment in history, and established a community tradition for years to come.
GUESTS:
- Rachel Clark, education specialist, Michigan History Center
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Three Native American tribes in Michigan are teaming up to create a joint venture that aims to bring additional revenue and stability to several indigenous communities. The venture: a join construction company called, Aki Construction LLC.
GUESTS:
- Julio Martinez,CEO, Mno-Bmadsen
- Shanna Shananaquet,Executive Director, Odawa Holdings
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The University of Michigan released their annual U.S. Economic Outlook Report this week, and it looks like we’re on our way to a recession. But economic forecasters say it won’t necessarily be as stormy as recessions past.
Stateside invited two economists to talk about grocery prices, what the Fed is doing, and what that might mean for consumers as we approach the holiday season and new year.
GUESTS:
- Charley Ballard, professor emeritus of economics at Michigan State University
- Daniil Manaenkov, economic forecaster at the University of Michigan
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A few weeks ago, writer and critic Brittany Luse became the new host of the beloved NPR show It's Been A Minute. But before she became a radio and podcasting fixture, Luse was a kid growing up in Farmington Hills. We talk with Luse about her Michigan origins, her new gig, and her career telling and producing stories from Black experience.
Guest
- Brittany Luse, host of It's Been a Minute
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Young voters waited in hours-long lines at both University of Michigan and Michigan State University on election day. It was a visual reminder that the next generation of voters appears highly motivated. What are the issues driving them? Plus a conversation with one of the youngest ever elected members of the Michigan House of Representatives.
Guests on today's episode:
- Taylor Bowie, Michigan Radio
- Samuel Dodge, MLive
- Jasper Martus, state Rep-elect of MI-69
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The passage of Proposal 3 in last week’s general election means reproductive freedoms will soon be part of the state constitution. However, it doesn't mean the debate over abortion rights is going away.
Reporter Rick Pluta, who's been following the politics of abortion rights in the state for years, joined us to discuss what will happen to the state's remaining 1931 law banning abortion, and about how pro-life advocates might respond to the passage of Prop. 3.
GUEST:
- Rick Pluta, senior correspondent forthe Michigan Public Radio Network
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There are countless historical photos of Native American people, but oftentimes their origins are questionable. A new exhibit at U of M explores their history.
GUESTS:
- Lindsey Willow Smith, exhibit curator, University of Michigan History and Museum Studies
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Meet Kinuko Yada DeVee. She came to Michigan from Kyoto as a World War II "war bride" during a peak in anti-Asian discrimination in the United States. Seventy years later, she's built a life for herself full of love and family. This Stateside Extra is bit of podcast candy for your weekend. Enjoy!
This story was inspired by Matt Schepeler’s article in the Brooklyn Exponent.
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Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Attorney General Dana Nessel all cruise to reelection and for the first time in nearly forty years both chambers of the Michigan Legislature - the state House and state Senate - will be controlled by Democrats. Plus voters approve with big margins the addition of abortion rights and voting rights into the state Constitution and change term limits in the state.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Rick Pluta, co-host of It’s Just Politics,and Senior Capitol Correspondent for the MPRN
- Emily Lawler, politics editor at the Detroit Free Press
- Tim Alberta, author of "American Carnage" and writer at The Atlantic
- Jason Roe, former Executive Director of the Michigan Republican Party
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The highly anticipated film sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters this weekend. We spoke with Tim Flattery, a Detroit-born and based concept artist whose work appears in the movie.
GUEST:
- Tim Flattery, concept artist, illustrator, and provost of College for Creative Studies
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Results of the general election have been rolling in since early this morning. Michigan’s Democrats have largely come out on top, taking all major elected state offices.
Hillary Scholten's win made history in Michigan's 3rd Congressional District. She’s the first woman to ever hold the seat, and the first Democrat to represent the district in decades. Plus, Michigan’s Proposal 3 has passed, enshrining reproductive rights in the state’s constitution.
We’re talking with folks from all around the state today about the results of yesterday’s general election.
GUESTS:
- Zoe Clark, political director at Michigan Radio and host of It’s Just Politics
- Adrian Hemond, co-founder and partner at Grassroots Midwest, former aid to several Democratic officeholders
- John Sellek, head of Harbor Strategic, former advisor for a several Republican officeholders
- Dustin Dwyer, West Michigan reporter for Michigan Radio
- Danielle Atkinson, national executive director, founder of Mothering Justice
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Artists have long been major players in social justice spaces and community aid, but one creative collective in Grand Rapids is looking to take a more explicit role in the housing market. The project completely reimagines affordable living, and aims to set up community members for long-term success.
Marcel Price, known around the Grand Rapids community as “Fable," is a former poet laureate of the city, and the executive director of The Diatribe, a youth-focused non-profit. He joined Stateside to discuss a new affordable housing unit that The Diatribe is planning in the city’s Southeast side.
GUEST:
Marcel "Fable" Price, poet and executive director of The Diatribe
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Election Day is Tuesday. As always, so many things are happening at the last minute with polling locations and voting, that we decided to have It's Just Politics host Zoe Clark on to talk us through it all one last time before you head to the polls. After that, we hear a report from Stateside production assistant Ellie Katz about the Creative Campus Voting Project at the University of Michigan Duderstadt Center Gallery.
GUESTS:
- Zoe Clark, political director at Michigan Radio and host of It’s Just Politics
- Stephanie Rowden, associate professor at the Stamps School of Art and Design
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A county clerk explains what happens if your vote is challenged at the polls, and the It's Just Politics panel answers your questions about about election day.
GUESTS:
- Justin Roebuck, Ottawa County Clerk
- Rick Pluta, co-host of It’s Just Politics, and Senior Capitol Correspondent for the MPRN
- Clara Hendrickson, Politics Reporter, Detroit Free Press
- Chad Livengood, Politics Editor, The Detroit News
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Voters have a few more days to weigh in on a proposal to embed reproductive rights into the state’s constitution. The result will have huge ramifications for all Michiganders, as voters will choose what reproductive medical rights look like in a post-Dobbs world.
Erin and Michael, a married couple whose names we’ve agreed keep anonymous, offered Stateside a personal story about their experience seeking an abortion.
The couple met at work, and have been married for 15 years. They’re raising their 8 year-old son and 4 year-old daughter in mid-Michigan. While Erin and Michael were eager to raise a family, their journey to parenthood was a harrowing one.
They joined Stateside to share their experience seeking an abortion.
GUESTS:
Erin & Michael,married couple in mid-Michigan
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Correction: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that voters would decide this election cycle whether abortion will be legal in the state. Voters WILL decide whether abortion is protected in the state Constitution. There are also ongoing court battles over the 1931 law that are currently upholding legal abortion in the state.
In just a couple of days, Michiganders will vote on Proposition 3: a plan to embed abortion and other reproductive rights in state’s constitution. For people on either side of the abortion debate, this is a huge moment. Last week, we heard about what it's like to be at at one of Michigan's abortion clinics.
This week we're taking you to a small office in Dearborn Heights that houses the Lennon Center. It's a place where women call or visit every week when they’re pregnant, and they don’t know what to do about it.
To be clear, this is an organization that opposes abortion. And it’s one of many in the state that you might hear called “crisis pregnancy centers." Stateside recentlyspent some time there to hear about what this center in Dearborn Heights does, and how the staff there is feeling about this moment of uncertainty for legal abortion.
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Hot topics in this year’s gubernatorial race include abortion, the Michigan economy, and schools. But there's a big issue that has not received much attention: environmental policy. As home to 1/5th of the world’s fresh water, decisions about how to interact with the environment can have strong and long-lasting impacts. On today's episode, we unpack what's at stake and glean where the candidates stand on issues of environmental policy.
GUEST:
Kelly House, environment reporter, Bridge Michigan
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Part thrift shop, part goth, part My Little Pony... get our spooky fits with the Thrift Witch in Old Town Lansing. Stateside takes you inside this unique brick and mortar from the mind of owner Tiesha King.
GUEST ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Tiesha King, Thrift Witch
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Host Zoe Clark sits down with Clara Hendrickson of Detroit Free Press to talk about what could possibly happen at the polls come Nov. 8. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently said she and secretaries of state across the country are most worried about, “violence and disruption on election day… and in the days surrounding the election.”
On Oct. 25, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Tudor Dixon met on the debate stage one last time before Election Day. Clark talked to a panel about what happened during the debate and whether or not it will have an affect on the outcome of the election. Then the panel dug into what to expect from former President Barack Obama's Saturday rally in Detroit as he campaigns for Whitmer. Then, we discussed a report from CNN about some racist remarks Dixon made back in 2020.
Get your 2022 election questions answered here!
GUESTS:
- Clara Hendrickson, politics reporter, Detroit Free Press
- Rick Pluta, co-host of It’s Just Politics and senior capitol correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
- Alexis Wiley, founder of Moment Strategies
- Rich Czuba, founder and pollster of the survey research firm, Glengarriff Group
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Yuval Sharon, Detroit Opera's creative director, is an industry disruptor who’s electrified the company’s repertoire. He directed a production of "Bliss", a 12-hour performance that took place in a decaying palace - the Michigan Building Theater. The company also presented Puccini's "La Boheme" in reverse, flipping the tragedy to begin with death, and end with love. We visited Yuval Sharonat the Detroit Opera House for a peek behind the curtain of this performance season.
GUEST:
Yuval Sharon, Detroit Opera creative director
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On Nov. 8, Michigan voters will decide whether to put the right to an abortion in the state constitution by voting on Proposal 3. To better understand what's at stake, Michigan Radio got a rare degree of access to Northland Family Planning. For nine days in August and September, we shadowed a doctor and clinic staff through every step of the process.
Today’s story was reported by Kate Wells, and edited by Sarah Hulett and Lindsey Smith. Mixed by Mercedes Mejia, with additional help from Rachel Ishikawa.
Thank you to the many hands at Michigan Radio who helped make this story happen, and thanks especially to the women who agreed to share their personal stories.
Stateside’s executive producer is Laura Weber Davis.
Music from Blue Dot Sessions. Additional music by Brad Gowland.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Emily Busch is the Democratic candidate running for State Representative in Michigan's 66th district, but she's also mom to a survivor of the Oxford High School shooting. Today, we speak with Emily about the day of the shooting, the growing discord among Oxford families, and her pathway to politics. We hear how Emily's campaign navigates divisive politics in a community still finding a way through its grief and anger.
GUEST:
- Emily Busch, Oxford resident and Democratic candidate for 66th House district
___
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If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In Dearborn, community members have been at odds with the school board over the availability of books centered on LGBTQ-positive stories in school libraries. In Jamestown, residents harassed librarians at the city’s only public library over young adult books containing LGBTQ-positive themes, accusing them of pedophilia and grooming. Incidents like this have become increasingly common over the past two years.
According to the American Library Association, which has been tracking book challenges for the past 20 years, there were a record-breaking 729 book challenges in 2021. This year, the ALA has already recorded 681 book challenges between January and August.
Debbie Mikula is the Executive Director of the Michigan Library Association, and she has an op-ed in the Washington Post about why the uptick has been cause for concern among librarians. She joined the Stateside podcast to explain some of the trends she’s seen, and what happens when a book is challenged.
GUEST:
- Debbie Mikula, executive director, Michigan Library Association
___
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Puppets! Detroit Puppet Slam is this weekend. And it's what you think... it's about puppets. But there's so much more behind this theatrical art form. This first Stateside Extra is bit of podcast candy for your weekend. Enjoy!
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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As we inch closer to the midterms, we turn our focus to key Congressional races happening in Michigan. On today's pod, we talk to with state Sen. Tom Barrett. Then guest host Colin Jackson helms the show to talk about the competitive down-ballot races.
GUESTS:
- Samuel J. Robinson, Detroit local reporter for Axios
- Alyssa McMurty, reporter at Gongwer News Service
- Alyssa Burr, political reporter for MLive
___
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Quality Scary is a Lansing-based horror film club and comedy series that exists at the weird intersection of frightening and funny.
Their brand is perfectly illustrated by their fictional ad for the Electronic Dream Phone. Their imagined version of this 90s toy is possessed by some horrifying voice.
Emily Syrja, Tricia Chamberlain, and Dan Hartley comprise the team behind Comedy Scary. They joined Stateside for a live taping of the show at Lansing Community College.
GUESTS:
- Emily Syrja, comedian, co-founder of Quality Scary
- Tricia Chamberlain, comedian, co-founder of Quality Scary
- Dan Hartley, videographer, co-founder of Quality Scary
___
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Last Thursday, Michigan State University's President Samuel Stanley announced that he would be leaving the position in 90 days, citing his lose in confidence in the Board of Trustees. So what does this mean for the university and for the upcoming trustee election?
GUEST:
David Jesse, reporter, Detroit Free Press
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Today we break down what know about the complex web of money and power surrounding former State Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield. We’ll update you on where standing and evolving investigations are in this moment.
GUEST:
Craig Mauger, reporter, Detroit News
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Getting outside to watch the birds is a great way to slow down and relax in nature. But birding groups haven't always been an inclusive space. On today's pod, we talk about one effort to change that and create a welcoming space for BIPOC birders.
GUESTS:
- April Campbell, retired physician and founder of BIPOC Birders of Michigan
- Rukiya Colvin, Detroit-based freelance writer who profiled Campbell for Planet Detroit
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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On today’s show we examined the race in Michigan’s newly drawn 7th Congressional District. Several money tracking firms have named the race between incumbent Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Republican State Sen. Tom Barrett as the most expensive congressional races in the country when it comes to outside spending. This week, host Zoe Clark talked to Rep. Elissa Slotkin about what it is like to be a representative in a swing district during a time when the country feels more divided than ever.
After that, we were joined by a panel of reporters to discuss Thursday night's governor candidates debate between Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Tudor Dixon. We broke down what happened, what was said and what to expect when the two candidates meet next on the debate stage on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
There are 24 days until the election.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Rep. Elissa Slotkin, Democrat representing the 8th Congressional District and candidate for the newly-drawn 7th Congressional District
- Laura Weber-Davis, executive producer for Stateside and former Michigan Public Radio Network’s capitol reporter
- Simon Schuster, political reporter for MLive
- Mara MacDonald, reporter for WDIV Local 4
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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In a small town in the Upper Peninsula a backyard boxing club is drawing a lot of attention. This homegrown fight club first started as a joke, has grown into something so much more.
Read the original article here.
GUESTS:
- John Carlisle, reporter, Detroit Free Press
___
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Roland "Ro" Coit is a bit of a modern legend in the world of sneaker enthusiasts. The owner of Burn Rubber sneaker boutique in Royal Oak and Two 18 in Eastern Market was tapped by Nike to design an Air Jordan 2 with Detroit in mind. The limited edition shoe comes out this Friday.
GUEST on today's episode:
- Roland Coit, shoe designer and owner of Burn Rubber and Two 18
Music heard on today's episode of Stateside comes from albums Coit made as rapper Ro Spit. You can listen to his latest album, "Coney Island", with producer Nick Speed here.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Community members within the Dearborn Public School District have been in heated debate over several LGBTQ-positive books and their availability to students. The debate in Dearborn came to a head at a school board meeting this week.
It’s not the first time a religious, conservative group has opposed the availability of books that include LGBTQ-positive stories and sentiments.
However, unlike we’ve seen before, many of those religious conservatives are Muslim. It's the first time someone other than Evangelicals and far-right constituents have been a sizeable force in the protests at the school board.
Reporter Niraj Warikoo provided some context on this multifaceted issue. We also heard from someone who's taken a stand in favor of age-appropriate, LGBTQ-positive books.
GUESTS:
- Niraj Warikoo, religion reporter, Detroit Free Press
- Jackson Wagner, member of Dearborn Adults for Inclusive Schools
___
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Today is Indigenous People's Day. However, this week also marks the 122nd anniversary of the day a group of white folks burned down a village on the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, violently forcing the Cheboiganing Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians to flee for their lives.
A memorial at the University of Michigan Museum of Art commemorates the homes that were lost that day at Burt Lake. Directly across from the memorial wall, two paintings depict portals into an imagined future - one where Indigenous land is reclaimed.
Andrea Carlson is the Ojibwe artist behind “Future Cache,” which will be on display at UMMA through June 2024. She joined the show to share her experience in implementing decolonization with institutions that so often fail to acknowledge Indigenous lives.
GUEST:
- Andrea Carlson, painter of "Future Cache" from the Turtle Clan, descended from Grand Portage Ojibwe
___
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With about a month to go in the campaign season, the It’s Just Politics crew zooms in on one of the three proposals on the ballot: Proposal 1 on legislature term limits and financial disclosures.
GUESTS:
- Jason Roe, senior advisor for Voters for Transparency and Term Limits
- Patrick Anderson, CEO of Anderson Economic Group
- Dave Boucher, state government and politics reporter, Detroit Free Press
- Stephen Henderson, host of Detroit Today, WDET
- Nolan Finley, editorial page editor of The Detroit News
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is Collision Course, a series about the changing of Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance law and how it’s upending the lives of thousands of people, including one hockey legend.
Red Wings defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov is one of 18,000 people at risk of losing their care because of changes to Michigan auto no-fault laws. But some news in the Michigan courts could change all of that.
Listen to episode one here.
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Our theme music is by Brad Gowland.
All other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Seven former public officials have been facing felony charges for their role during the Flint Water crisis. This week, those charges were dropped.
Reporter Steve Carmody joins us to unravel Judge Kelly’s decision, as well as Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s response.
Flint resident and activist Shea Cobb also joined us to share why the news is a devastating blow to those seeking justice for the community.
GUESTS:
- Steve Carmody, reporter at Michigan Radio
- Shea Cobb, Flint resident, activist, and poet
—
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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It’s officially fall, which means it’s also harvesting time for many of Michigan’s wineries. Despite the romantic image of the sun shining over rolling fields of ripe, juicy grapes, this time of year can also be a season of chaos for growers, distilleries and winemakers.
Black Star Farms, founded in 1998 by a team of grape growers looking to showcase northwest Michigan’s agriculture, partners with vineyards on the Leelenau and Old Mission Peninsulas.
Lee Lutes, head winemaker at Black Star Farms, provided a window into what a winemaker weathers throughout the fall.
GUEST:
- Lee Lutes, head winemaker and managing member for the winery at Black Star Farms
—
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Writer Desiree Cooper's new children's book—titled Nothing Special—celebrates the intergenerational friendship between her grandson Jax and her own father. Its lush multimedia illustrations and the story, drawn from Cooper's own life, finds joy in the quiet moments of childhood. We talked to Cooper about how the book came to life and what she learned in the process.
GUEST:
Desiree Cooper, writer and author the the new children's book Nothing Special
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Writer Desiree Cooper's new children's book—titled Nothing Special—celebrates the intergenerational friendship between her grandson Jax and her own father. Its lush multimedia illustrations and the story, drawn from Cooper's own life, finds joy in the quiet moments of childhood. We talked to Cooper about how the book came to life and what she learned in the process.
GUEST:
Desiree Cooper, writer and author the the new children's book Nothing Special
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We are 39 days away from election day and there's a lot going on in Michigan politics this week.
On today's It's Just Politics, we speak with the Ottawa County Clerk about how the absentee voting process is going and get some of your questions answered.
We'll also get into news from Lansing. The state legislature was busy this week during what is likely to be their last voting day before the November election. They passed new bipartisan election bills and a billion dollars in new spending. So, where's all that money going?!
And finally, we'll talk about former President Donald Trump's upcoming visit. He'll be back in Michigan this Saturday holding a rally in Macomb Count with the Republican candidates he's endorsed for statewide office.
GUESTS:
- Zach Gorchow, executive editor & publisher, Gongwer News Service
- Clara Hendrickson, politics reporter, Detroit Free Press
- Jordyn Hermani, politics reporter, MLive
- Justin Roebuck, Ottawa County Clerk
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We are 39 days away from election day and there's a lot going on in Michigan politics this week.
On today's It's Just Politics, we speak with the Ottawa County Clerk about how the absentee voting process is going and get some of your questions answered.
We'll also get into news from Lansing. The state legislature was busy this week during what is likely to be their last voting day before the November election. They passed new bipartisan election bills and a billion dollars in new spending. So, where's all that money going?!
And finally, we'll talk about former President Donald Trump's upcoming visit. He'll be back in Michigan this Saturday holding a rally in Macomb Count with the Republican candidates he's endorsed for statewide office.
GUESTS:
- Zach Gorchow, executive editor & publisher, Gongwer News Service
- Clara Hendrickson, politics reporter, Detroit Free Press
- Jordyn Hermani, politics reporter, MLive
- Justin Roebuck, Ottawa County Clerk
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We are 39 days away from election day and there's a lot going on in Michigan politics this week.
On today's It's Just Politics, we speak with the Ottawa County Clerk about how the absentee voting process is going and get some of your questions answered.
We'll also get into news from Lansing. The state legislature was busy this week during what is likely to be their last voting day before the November election. They passed new bipartisan election bills and a billion dollars in new spending. So, where's all that money going?!
And finally, we'll talk about former President Donald Trump's upcoming visit. He'll be back in Michigan this Saturday holding a rally in Macomb Count with the Republican candidates he's endorsed for statewide office.
GUESTS:
- Zach Gorchow, executive editor & publisher, Gongwer News Service
- Clara Hendrickson, politics reporter, Detroit Free Press
- Jordyn Hermani, politics reporter, MLive
- Justin Roebuck, Ottawa County Clerk
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is Collision Course, a series about the changing of Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance law and how it’s upending the lives of thousands of people, including one hockey legend.
Red Wings defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov is one of 18,000 people at risk of losing their care because of changes to Michigan auto no-fault laws. His network of family, friends, and fans are rallying together to help share the cost.
Listen to episode one here.
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Our theme music is by Brad Gowland.
All other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is Collision Course, a series about the changing of Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance law and how it’s upending the lives of thousands of people, including one hockey legend.
Red Wings defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov is one of 18,000 people at risk of losing their care because of changes to Michigan auto no-fault laws. His network of family, friends, and fans are rallying together to help share the cost.
Listen to episode one here.
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Our theme music is by Brad Gowland.
All other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is Collision Course, a series about the changing of Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance law and how it’s upending the lives of thousands of people, including one hockey legend.
Red Wings defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov is one of 18,000 people at risk of losing their care because of changes to Michigan auto no-fault laws. His network of family, friends, and fans are rallying together to help share the cost.
Listen to episode one here.
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Our theme music is by Brad Gowland.
All other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Election officials in Michigan are dealing with a wave of ballot challenges from the AUgust primary--and expecting more for November’s election. The New York Times reported on concerted efforts to slow down or confuse the process of counting ballots. And election challenges are coming in droves, at the cost of taxpayer dollars, and risking voter confidence in the process.
GUEST:
- Alexandra Berzon, an investigative reporter on the politics desk with the New York Times
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Election officials in Michigan are dealing with a wave of ballot challenges from the AUgust primary--and expecting more for November’s election. The New York Times reported on concerted efforts to slow down or confuse the process of counting ballots. And election challenges are coming in droves, at the cost of taxpayer dollars, and risking voter confidence in the process.
GUEST:
- Alexandra Berzon, an investigative reporter on the politics desk with the New York Times
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Election officials in Michigan are dealing with a wave of ballot challenges from the AUgust primary--and expecting more for November’s election. The New York Times reported on concerted efforts to slow down or confuse the process of counting ballots. And election challenges are coming in droves, at the cost of taxpayer dollars, and risking voter confidence in the process.
GUEST:
- Alexandra Berzon, an investigative reporter on the politics desk with the New York Times
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, who is best known for her public art series Stop Telling Women to Smile, is bringing multiple art installations to the University of Michigan throughout this fall. Her works include an exhibition at the Institute for Humanities Gallery, and a series of murals that will be on display across campus.
She joined the show to discuss her methodology for the new murals, and how her experience with Stop Telling Women to Smile informs her public art today.
GUEST:
Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Brooklyn-based artist working primarily in oil painting, public art, and multimedia installations
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, who is best known for her public art series Stop Telling Women to Smile, is bringing multiple art installations to the University of Michigan throughout this fall. Her works include an exhibition at the Institute for Humanities Gallery, and a series of murals that will be on display across campus.
She joined the show to discuss her methodology for the new murals, and how her experience with Stop Telling Women to Smile informs her public art today.
GUEST:
Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Brooklyn-based artist working primarily in oil painting, public art, and multimedia installations
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, who is best known for her public art series Stop Telling Women to Smile, is bringing multiple art installations to the University of Michigan throughout this fall. Her works include an exhibition at the Institute for Humanities Gallery, and a series of murals that will be on display across campus.
She joined the show to discuss her methodology for the new murals, and how her experience with Stop Telling Women to Smile informs her public art today.
GUEST:
Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Brooklyn-based artist working primarily in oil painting, public art, and multimedia installations
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A child care desert is a region where three children compete for every available slot at an in-home or group center. The Michigan League for Public Policy, a Lansing-based nonprofit, created a list of 11 childcare deserts in Michigan. However, a consortium of newsrooms was able to track down more accurate data and found the actual number to be much higher.
Reporter Derek Kravitz co-authored the report published by MuckRock. He joined the show to explain his team's findings regarding Michigan's child care shortage.
GUEST:
Derek Kravitz, data and investigations editor for MuckRock
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A child care desert is a region where three children compete for every available slot at an in-home or group center. The Michigan League for Public Policy, a Lansing-based nonprofit, created a list of 11 childcare deserts in Michigan. However, a consortium of newsrooms was able to track down more accurate data and found the actual number to be much higher.
Reporter Derek Kravitz co-authored the report published by MuckRock. He joined the show to explain his team's findings regarding Michigan's child care shortage.
GUEST:
Derek Kravitz, data and investigations editor for MuckRock
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A child care desert is a region where three children compete for every available slot at an in-home or group center. The Michigan League for Public Policy, a Lansing-based nonprofit, created a list of 11 childcare deserts in Michigan. However, a consortium of newsrooms was able to track down more accurate data and found the actual number to be much higher.
Reporter Derek Kravitz co-authored the report published by MuckRock. He joined the show to explain his team's findings regarding Michigan's child care shortage.
GUEST:
Derek Kravitz, data and investigations editor for MuckRock
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tudor Dixon and fellow Republicans give their reaction to the state superintendent advising that teachers do not disclose the gender identity to their students’ parents, and old writing from congressional candidate, John Gibbs says he thought women should not be able to vote.
GUESTS:
Jonathan Oosting, capitol and politics reporter for Bridge Michigan
Samuel J. Robinson, Detroit-based reporter for Axios
Nancy Kaffer, columnist for Detroit Free Press
Katelyn Buss, assistant editorial page editor for Detroit News
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tudor Dixon and fellow Republicans give their reaction to the state superintendent advising that teachers do not disclose the gender identity to their students’ parents, and old writing from congressional candidate, John Gibbs says he thought women should not be able to vote.
GUESTS:
Jonathan Oosting, capitol and politics reporter for Bridge Michigan
Samuel J. Robinson, Detroit-based reporter for Axios
Nancy Kaffer, columnist for Detroit Free Press
Katelyn Buss, assistant editorial page editor for Detroit News
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tudor Dixon and fellow Republicans give their reaction to the state superintendent advising that teachers do not disclose the gender identity to their students’ parents, and old writing from congressional candidate, John Gibbs says he thought women should not be able to vote.
GUESTS:
Jonathan Oosting, capitol and politics reporter for Bridge Michigan
Samuel J. Robinson, Detroit-based reporter for Axios
Nancy Kaffer, columnist for Detroit Free Press
Katelyn Buss, assistant editorial page editor for Detroit News
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A few weeks ago, a white Black Bear was spotted in the Upper Peninsula. Today, we’ll talk about what makes this bear special, and how we struggle to protect things that are special in the natural world.
GUESTS:
Cody Norton, large carnivore specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resource
Austin Ayres, Natural Resources Department, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A few weeks ago, a white Black Bear was spotted in the Upper Peninsula. Today, we’ll talk about what makes this bear special, and how we struggle to protect things that are special in the natural world.
GUESTS:
Cody Norton, large carnivore specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resource
Austin Ayres, Natural Resources Department, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A few weeks ago, a white Black Bear was spotted in the Upper Peninsula. Today, we’ll talk about what makes this bear special, and how we struggle to protect things that are special in the natural world.
GUESTS:
Cody Norton, large carnivore specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resource
Austin Ayres, Natural Resources Department, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There’s a new art installation at the Washtenaw County Courthouse over the next month that’s designed to challenge a space in America—a space that’s known for its demoralizing confines.
The project is called RE:CLAIM. It’s a partnership with five groups: Youth Arts Alliance, the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, Washtenaw My Brother's Keeper, Amplify Project, Title Track, and the Washtenaw County Trial Court. April Baer went to the opening reception, which was full of joy, disruption, and the voices of those impacted by the justice system.
GUESTS:
Tracy Van den Bergh, Washtenaw County Trial Court judge
Jamall Bufford, project specialist for Washtenaw My Brother’s Keeper
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There’s a new art installation at the Washtenaw County Courthouse over the next month that’s designed to challenge a space in America—a space that’s known for its demoralizing confines.
The project is called RE:CLAIM. It’s a partnership with five groups: Youth Arts Alliance, the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, Washtenaw My Brother's Keeper, Amplify Project, Title Track, and the Washtenaw County Trial Court. April Baer went to the opening reception, which was full of joy, disruption, and the voices of those impacted by the justice system.
GUESTS:
Tracy Van den Bergh, Washtenaw County Trial Court judge
Jamall Bufford, project specialist for Washtenaw My Brother’s Keeper
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There’s a new art installation at the Washtenaw County Courthouse over the next month that’s designed to challenge a space in America—a space that’s known for its demoralizing confines.
The project is called RE:CLAIM. It’s a partnership with five groups: Youth Arts Alliance, the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, Washtenaw My Brother's Keeper, Amplify Project, Title Track, and the Washtenaw County Trial Court. April Baer went to the opening reception, which was full of joy, disruption, and the voices of those impacted by the justice system.
GUESTS:
Tracy Van den Bergh, Washtenaw County Trial Court judge
Jamall Bufford, project specialist for Washtenaw My Brother’s Keeper
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Boblo Island Amusement Park closed its gates in 1993, but to get to the island, you had to take one of the Boblo boats – mighty steamships with four decks of passengers. The park and the boats are relics of a time when Detroit was one of the industrial capitals of the country. A new film, Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale, documents the boats' place in Detroit's history, as well as more recent efforts to repair them.
Filmmaker Aaron Schillinger joined Statesideto discuss the new documentary. Jamon Jordan also joined us to offer some historical perspective.
GUESTS:
- Aaron Schillinger, director of Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale
- Jamon Jordan,City Historian for Detroit
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Boblo Island Amusement Park closed its gates in 1993, but to get to the island, you had to take one of the Boblo boats – mighty steamships with four decks of passengers. The park and the boats are relics of a time when Detroit was one of the industrial capitals of the country. A new film, Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale, documents the boats' place in Detroit's history, as well as more recent efforts to repair them.
Filmmaker Aaron Schillinger joined Statesideto discuss the new documentary. Jamon Jordan also joined us to offer some historical perspective.
GUESTS:
- Aaron Schillinger, director of Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale
- Jamon Jordan,City Historian for Detroit
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Boblo Island Amusement Park closed its gates in 1993, but to get to the island, you had to take one of the Boblo boats – mighty steamships with four decks of passengers. The park and the boats are relics of a time when Detroit was one of the industrial capitals of the country. A new film, Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale, documents the boats' place in Detroit's history, as well as more recent efforts to repair them.
Filmmaker Aaron Schillinger joined Statesideto discuss the new documentary. Jamon Jordan also joined us to offer some historical perspective.
GUESTS:
- Aaron Schillinger, director of Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale
- Jamon Jordan,City Historian for Detroit
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wasem Fruit Farm has been owned by Bruce and Jan Upston for decades. We visit the farm to meet the couple, look back on their history with the farm, and talk about how they came to the decision to retire. We also get to know Karl Thuemmel, the Wasem's new caretaker.
GUESTS:
- Bruce Upston, owner of Wasem Fruit Farm
- Jan Upston, owner of Wasem Fruit Farm
- Karl Thuemmel, future owner of Wasem Fruit Farm
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wasem Fruit Farm has been owned by Bruce and Jan Upston for decades. We visit the farm to meet the couple, look back on their history with the farm, and talk about how they came to the decision to retire. We also get to know Karl Thuemmel, the Wasem's new caretaker.
GUESTS:
- Bruce Upston, owner of Wasem Fruit Farm
- Jan Upston, owner of Wasem Fruit Farm
- Karl Thuemmel, future owner of Wasem Fruit Farm
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wasem Fruit Farm has been owned by Bruce and Jan Upston for decades. We visit the farm to meet the couple, look back on their history with the farm, and talk about how they came to the decision to retire. We also get to know Karl Thuemmel, the Wasem's new caretaker.
GUESTS:
- Bruce Upston, owner of Wasem Fruit Farm
- Jan Upston, owner of Wasem Fruit Farm
- Karl Thuemmel, future owner of Wasem Fruit Farm
___
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack on her decision to step down from the state's highest court before the end of the year - six years before the end of her term.
Meanwhile, in the gubernatorial race, Tudor Dixon's campaign is slowly picking up speed, and a group of Republicans has stepped forward in support of Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Zoe Clark digs into this week's political news with politics reporters Chad Livengood and Stella Yue.
GUESTS:
- Chad Livengood, politics editor for The Detroit News
- Yue Stella Yu, politics reporter for Bridge Michigan
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack on her decision to step down from the state's highest court before the end of the year - six years before the end of her term.
Meanwhile, in the gubernatorial race, Tudor Dixon's campaign is slowly picking up speed, and a group of Republicans has stepped forward in support of Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Zoe Clark digs into this week's political news with politics reporters Chad Livengood and Stella Yue.
GUESTS:
- Chad Livengood, politics editor for The Detroit News
- Yue Stella Yu, politics reporter for Bridge Michigan
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack on her decision to step down from the state's highest court before the end of the year - six years before the end of her term.
Meanwhile, in the gubernatorial race, Tudor Dixon's campaign is slowly picking up speed, and a group of Republicans has stepped forward in support of Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Zoe Clark digs into this week's political news with politics reporters Chad Livengood and Stella Yue.
GUESTS:
- Chad Livengood, politics editor for The Detroit News
- Yue Stella Yu, politics reporter for Bridge Michigan
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Journalist Danny Fenster ended up in one of the most notorious prisons in the world for simply doing his job. In May of 2021, he was taken prisoner in Myanmar, at a time when military leaders were consolidating their control over the country. Today, his story and what Myanmar is facing.
GUEST:
Danny Fenster, Nieman fellow at Harvard University
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Journalist Danny Fenster ended up in one of the most notorious prisons in the world for simply doing his job. In May of 2021, he was taken prisoner in Myanmar, at a time when military leaders were consolidating their control over the country. Today, his story and what Myanmar is facing.
GUEST:
Danny Fenster, Nieman fellow at Harvard University
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Journalist Danny Fenster ended up in one of the most notorious prisons in the world for simply doing his job. In May of 2021, he was taken prisoner in Myanmar, at a time when military leaders were consolidating their control over the country. Today, his story and what Myanmar is facing.
GUEST:
Danny Fenster, Nieman fellow at Harvard University
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack will be stepping down from the court by the end of this year. The exact date has yet to be announced, but she will remain through the November election. Justice McCormack will go on to serve as the next president and CEO of a legal nonprofit that provides alternative dispute resolution services. The current leader of the organization made nearly $1 million in 2019.
Rick Pluta, who has long been covering the court, joined Stateside to discuss Justice McCormack's legacy within Michigan's justice system.
Hear Pluta's conversation with Justice McCormack here.
GUESTS:
- Rick Pluta, Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack will be stepping down from the court by the end of this year. The exact date has yet to be announced, but she will remain through the November election. Justice McCormack will go on to serve as the next president and CEO of a legal nonprofit that provides alternative dispute resolution services. The current leader of the organization made nearly $1 million in 2019.
Rick Pluta, who has long been covering the court, joined Stateside to discuss Justice McCormack's legacy within Michigan's justice system.
Hear Pluta's conversation with Justice McCormack here.
GUESTS:
- Rick Pluta, Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack will be stepping down from the court by the end of this year. The exact date has yet to be announced, but she will remain through the November election. Justice McCormack will go on to serve as the next president and CEO of a legal nonprofit that provides alternative dispute resolution services. The current leader of the organization made nearly $1 million in 2019.
Rick Pluta, who has long been covering the court, joined Stateside to discuss Justice McCormack's legacy within Michigan's justice system.
Hear Pluta's conversation with Justice McCormack here.
GUESTS:
- Rick Pluta, Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many Detroit tenants are tired of battling the city's landlords over defective facilities and the rising costs of rent. Recognizing they were facing the same problems, one group of residents rallied to form the Detroit Tenants Association to hold their landlords accountable.
GUESTS:
- Steven Rimmer, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association
- M. Lewis Bass, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association
- Christian Bozeman, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many Detroit tenants are tired of battling the city's landlords over defective facilities and the rising costs of rent. Recognizing they were facing the same problems, one group of residents rallied to form the Detroit Tenants Association to hold their landlords accountable.
GUESTS:
- Steven Rimmer, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association
- M. Lewis Bass, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association
- Christian Bozeman, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many Detroit tenants are tired of battling the city's landlords over defective facilities and the rising costs of rent. Recognizing they were facing the same problems, one group of residents rallied to form the Detroit Tenants Association to hold their landlords accountable.
GUESTS:
- Steven Rimmer, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association
- M. Lewis Bass, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association
- Christian Bozeman, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Patti Smith is a lot of things: artist, musician, poet, ex-Michigander. She's had an incredible impact on punk rock music and continues to shape the scene with her performances. She also has her share of controversy, including song lyrics that use a racial slur. Today we talk about a new book about the icon and look into her cultural impact over the years.
GUEST:
Caryn Rose, author of Why Patti Smith Matters
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Patti Smith is a lot of things: artist, musician, poet, ex-Michigander. She's had an incredible impact on punk rock music and continues to shape the scene with her performances. She also has her share of controversy, including song lyrics that use a racial slur. Today we talk about a new book about the icon and look into her cultural impact over the years.
GUEST:
Caryn Rose, author of Why Patti Smith Matters
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Patti Smith is a lot of things: artist, musician, poet, ex-Michigander. She's had an incredible impact on punk rock music and continues to shape the scene with her performances. She also has her share of controversy, including song lyrics that use a racial slur. Today we talk about a new book about the icon and look into her cultural impact over the years.
GUEST:
Caryn Rose, author of Why Patti Smith Matters
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Host Zoe Clark wraps up the week in political news with analysts and reporters. They discuss the many races coming up in November. In Michigan, there’s the race for Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. There are 13 races for Congress — and the entire state House and Senate are up for election. Plus, the future of abortion rights. Election denialism. A weakened economy and heightened inflation.
GUESTS
- Emily Lawler, Politics Editor at the Detroit Free Press
- John Sellek, CEO of Harbor Strategic Public Affairs
- Adrian Hemond, CEO of Grassroots Midwest
- Simon Schuster, Politics reporter at M-Live
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Host Zoe Clark wraps up the week in political news with analysts and reporters. They discuss the many races coming up in November. In Michigan, there’s the race for Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. There are 13 races for Congress — and the entire state House and Senate are up for election. Plus, the future of abortion rights. Election denialism. A weakened economy and heightened inflation.
GUESTS
- Emily Lawler, Politics Editor at the Detroit Free Press
- John Sellek, CEO of Harbor Strategic Public Affairs
- Adrian Hemond, CEO of Grassroots Midwest
- Simon Schuster, Politics reporter at M-Live
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Host Zoe Clark wraps up the week in political news with analysts and reporters. They discuss the many races coming up in November. In Michigan, there’s the race for Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. There are 13 races for Congress — and the entire state House and Senate are up for election. Plus, the future of abortion rights. Election denialism. A weakened economy and heightened inflation.
GUESTS
- Emily Lawler, Politics Editor at the Detroit Free Press
- John Sellek, CEO of Harbor Strategic Public Affairs
- Adrian Hemond, CEO of Grassroots Midwest
- Simon Schuster, Politics reporter at M-Live
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many Michigan communities have toxic chemicals from the industries that powered our state for generations. One of the most pressing problems is PFAS, a class of chemicals sometimes referred to as forever chemicals, for their extreme longevity. State environmental regulators estimate Michigan is home to more than 11,000 sites where PFAS have been used. But there's some new research from a lab in Chicago that's created a stir of hope for solutions.
GUESTS:
Dan Jones, professor of biochemistry and microbiology at Michigan State University.
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
Additional music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many Michigan communities have toxic chemicals from the industries that powered our state for generations. One of the most pressing problems is PFAS, a class of chemicals sometimes referred to as forever chemicals, for their extreme longevity. State environmental regulators estimate Michigan is home to more than 11,000 sites where PFAS have been used. But there's some new research from a lab in Chicago that's created a stir of hope for solutions.
GUESTS:
Dan Jones, professor of biochemistry and microbiology at Michigan State University.
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
Additional music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many Michigan communities have toxic chemicals from the industries that powered our state for generations. One of the most pressing problems is PFAS, a class of chemicals sometimes referred to as forever chemicals, for their extreme longevity. State environmental regulators estimate Michigan is home to more than 11,000 sites where PFAS have been used. But there's some new research from a lab in Chicago that's created a stir of hope for solutions.
GUESTS:
Dan Jones, professor of biochemistry and microbiology at Michigan State University.
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
Additional music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Voters in Jamestown Charter Township voted against renewing a millage that funds up to 85 percent of their local library. This, after the library faced backlash from local conservatives for offering LGBTQ+ content. One book in particular -- Gender Queer-- has become a target for some conservatives around the country, including a group called Jamestown Conservatives. But advocates of renewing the millage are organized too now, and two them join Statesideto talk about their plans to restore library funding.
GUESTS:
- Larry Walton,president, Board of Trustees for Patmos Library
- John Chrastka,founder, executive director of EveryLibrary Institute
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
Additional music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Voters in Jamestown Charter Township voted against renewing a millage that funds up to 85 percent of their local library. This, after the library faced backlash from local conservatives for offering LGBTQ+ content. One book in particular -- Gender Queer-- has become a target for some conservatives around the country, including a group called Jamestown Conservatives. But advocates of renewing the millage are organized too now, and two them join Statesideto talk about their plans to restore library funding.
GUESTS:
- Larry Walton,president, Board of Trustees for Patmos Library
- John Chrastka,founder, executive director of EveryLibrary Institute
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
Additional music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Voters in Jamestown Charter Township voted against renewing a millage that funds up to 85 percent of their local library. This, after the library faced backlash from local conservatives for offering LGBTQ+ content. One book in particular -- Gender Queer-- has become a target for some conservatives around the country, including a group called Jamestown Conservatives. But advocates of renewing the millage are organized too now, and two them join Statesideto talk about their plans to restore library funding.
GUESTS:
- Larry Walton,president, Board of Trustees for Patmos Library
- John Chrastka,founder, executive director of EveryLibrary Institute
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
Additional music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There is a fierce political fight over abortion rights happening in Michigan right now. But the decision to terminate a pregnancy is an incredibly personal one. Today, one mother–who is also a pediatrician–tells us her abortion story and shares why she thinks medical decisions about pregnancy should be left to patients and their doctors.
GUEST:
Dr. Elaine Pomeranz, retired Michigan pediatrician
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this epidsode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There is a fierce political fight over abortion rights happening in Michigan right now. But the decision to terminate a pregnancy is an incredibly personal one. Today, one mother–who is also a pediatrician–tells us her abortion story and shares why she thinks medical decisions about pregnancy should be left to patients and their doctors.
GUEST:
Dr. Elaine Pomeranz, retired Michigan pediatrician
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this epidsode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There is a fierce political fight over abortion rights happening in Michigan right now. But the decision to terminate a pregnancy is an incredibly personal one. Today, one mother–who is also a pediatrician–tells us her abortion story and shares why she thinks medical decisions about pregnancy should be left to patients and their doctors.
GUEST:
Dr. Elaine Pomeranz, retired Michigan pediatrician
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Music in this epidsode by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this week's politics rundown, we talk about why the petition drive looking to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution is now headed to the Michigan Supreme Court. We'll also get into what President Biden's recent speech means for the Trump-backed candidates in Michigan. Zoe Clark is in the host chair again for today's episode with a panel discussing these two developments and more.
GUESTS:
Lauren Gibbons, reporter, Bridge Michigan
Colin Jackson,reporter, Michigan Public Radio Network
Rick Pluta, senior capitol correspondent, Michigan Public Radio Network
——
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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
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The library at the University of Michigan found out that a prized manuscript attributed to astronomer Galileo is a 20th century forgery. Today, the dean of libraries shares the details of this farce.
GUEST:
Donna Hayward, University of Michigan interim dean of libraries
____
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Drivers for The Detroit Bus Company showed up for work last week, only to find that catalytic converters had been stolen from multiple vehicles. Stateside host April Baer went to visit the company's headquarters, where they're working to up security after the break-in.
GUEST:
- Andy Didorosi, founder, chief cook, and bottle washer for the Detroit Bus Company
_____
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If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
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Michigan voters may see a much-anticipated abortion rights ballot measure in the upcoming election. The group Reproductive Freedom for All submitted a record-breaking 752-thousand voter signatures in July in support of a plan to embed reproductive rights in the state constitution.
However, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers meets tomorrow, and may decide to change the language voters would see on the ballot. Reporter Clara Hendrickson explains why Reproductive Freedom for All is now pushing back on the potentially misleading language that the state election supervisor initially drew up for petitions.
GUEST:
- Clara Hendrickson, Report for America Fellow with the Detroit Free Press
_____
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This past weekend, generations of readers gathered at Book Beat in Oak Park to celebrate the bookstore's 40th birthday. Its founders, Colleen Kammer and Cary Loren, joined Stateside for a conversation about the ups and downs of the industry over the last four decades.
GUESTS
- Colleen Kramer, co-founder of Book Beat
- Cary Loren, co-founder of Book Beat
——
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If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
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Ahead of the state GOP convention, a former primary candidate for governor says he wants to be lieutenant governor. The problem is, candidate Tudor Dixon has already picked a running mate, and it’s not him. We’ll also hear about a court decision that has given car accident victims a ray of hope. Laura Weber Davis is in the host chair again for today's episode with a panel, discussing these two developments and more in this week's political news.
GUESTS:
Allan Lengel, founder, Deadline Detroit
Nancy Derringer, reporter, Deadline Detroit
Violet Ikonomova, reporter, Deadline Detroit
——
Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Pianist BLKBOK's been turning heads, since he was eight years old. Since then, he’s played jazz and blues, performed with acts like Cirque du Soleil, and toured with Justin Timberlake and Rihanna. BLKBOK is now stepping out as a solo, neo classical artist, with twin debut albums, Black Book and Black Book Deluxxe.
GUEST:
BLKBOK, musician
____
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Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oudolf Garden Detroit recently opened to the public on Belle Isle, and it's a wonderland of natural landscape. Landscape architect Piet Oudolf was behind the project. We caught up with him on his first visit to the finished garden.
GUEST:
Piet Oudolf, landscape architect
_____
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Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In 2020, a group of defendants was arrested for an alleged plot that ignited national attention in far-right, antigovernmental activism. The group was accused of conspiring to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Today, the jury made a decision on Adam Fox and Barry Croft, who were described by prosecutors to be ringleaders of the group. The verdict: guilty.
GUEST:
Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio reporter
_____
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Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
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When people get behind on their bills, it’s not unusual for collections to come calling. A new investigation from Detroit’s Outlier Media and ProPublica finds one of Michigan’s regional power companies, DTE, is taking an unusual path to deal with outstanding consumer debts.
GUEST:
Sarah Alvarez, Outlier Media executive editor
_____
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Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
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The legality of reproductive rights in Michigan continues to hang in the balance as court challenges work their way through the state judicial system. Also, the Republican nominee for Attorney General of Michigan, Matt DePerno, has come under investigation for allegedly taking illegal actions during his investigation into false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Zoe Clark is in the host chair again for today's episode with a panel, discussing these two developments in this week's political news.GUESTS:
- Craig Mauger, political reporter, The Detroit News
- Stephen Henderson, host, WDET's Detroit Today
- Jordyn Hermani, political reporter, MLive
——
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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Detroit artist Scott Hocking showed us around the city that in many ways is his studio. He's a specialist in creating beauty in the spaces most people have left behind, but his latest installation is much more public facing: in front of the Huntingon Place convention center downtown. The 11-foot "Floating Citadel" bronze sculpture unveiled this week.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Three Fires teaching lodge at Grand Valley State University is the first lodge in Michigan to be built on public university land. Students traveled from as far as Chicago to help construct the lodge this summer. One of those students and a professor who led the project joined Stateside to talk about the significance of having a space reserved for Indigenous students on colonized land.
GUEST:
- Camren Stott, undergraduate student at GVSU and Indigenous chef from the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odowa Indians
- Dr. Andrea Riley-Mukavetz, Assistant Professor in GVSU's Integrative, Religious, and Intercultural Studies Department, and an enrolled citizen of the Chippewa Thames Band
_____
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Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions
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Dodge announced this week it will discontinue its iconic line of Chargers and Challengers. It's a brave new world of autos, moving away from traditional American muscle to an electrified future.
GUEST:
Sonari Glinton, contributor to Planet Money and Slate
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Inmates at Wayne County’s jail have experienced very long stays over the course of the pandemic. For many families who have loved ones at the jail, it can be financially challenging to stay in touch during such an extended period of time. Beenish Ahmed, Michigan Radio’s criminal justice correspondent, brings us a story from one woman whose husband is being held at the jail.
Sheriff Jerry Clayton also joins the show to discuss how Washtenaw County has been looking for alternatives to the costs of things like court-related fines and booking fees.
GUESTS:
- Sheriff Jerry Clayton, Washtenaw County sheriff
- Beenish Ahmed, criminal justice correspondent for Michigan Radio
______________
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On this special Friday episode of the podcast, Zoe Clark is back in the host chair, leading a panel discussion around the last week in politics.They cover Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lawsuit about the 1931 law banning abortion, Kristina Karamo’s Twitter accounting supposedly getting hacked, and the investigation into presumptive Republican attorney general nominee Matt DePerno.
GUESTS:
- Lauren Gibbons, capitol reporter for Bridge Michigan
- Clara Hendrickson, politics reporter for Detroit Free Press
- Zach Gorchow, executive editor and publisher of Gongwer News Service
______________
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A group of teens are changing the theater landscape in Detroit. But they're not reinventing the wheel — instead they're building off of the Mexican Carpas theater tradition to create whimsical, bilingual performances. The group is called La Carpa Theatre and is run by artist Karilú Alarcón Forshee.
GUESTS:
Karilú Alarcón Forshee, creator of La Carpa Theatre
Gabriel Rodriguez, performer
——
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This week, Detroit singer and songwriter Lamont Dozier passed away at age 81. Dozier helped write and produce countless hit records during his career. His work played a huge roll in Mowtown's success, and in the dominance of Black music on pop radio.
Ann Delisi, host of Essential Music from WDET, joins the show to discuss the lasting impact of this Mowtown icon.
GUESTS:
Ann Delisi, host, Essential Music from WDET
You can find a recording of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland's interview on Fresh Air here.
——
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The family that screams together stays together. At least, that's the case with James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca, a husband and wife duo that runs the horror-centric YouTube channel and podcast, Dead Meat.
GUESTS:
James A. Janisse, host of the YouTube channel and podcast Dead Meat
Chelsea Rebecca, host of the YouTube channel and podcast Dead Meat
——
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Michigan's attorney general, Dana Nessel's office has been investigating allegations that some Republicans seized voting machines in 2020. Their goal was to “test" if any deficiencies could validate their conspiracy that Donald Trump actually won Michigan's 2020 presidential vote. But last night, Nessel dropped some pretty big news: One of the people involved in the alleged conspiracy is set to be her opponent as she runs for reelection this fall.
GUEST:
Craig Mauger, politics reporter, The Detroit News
——
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It was a big week in Michigan politics. A panel of guests join guest host Zoe Clark for a look at the results of the primary elections, and what they tell us as we head into the general election.
GUESTS:
- Emily Lawler, politics editor, Detroit Free Press
- Greg Bowens, founder, Bowens and Co.
- John Truscott, founder, Truscott Rossman
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Many communities along about 100 miles of the Huron River are on high alert this week. A manufacturing company in Wixom called Tribar told state environmental authorities it released hexavalent chromium, a toxic chemical, into the river.
GUEST: Garret Ellison, environment reporter, MLive
You can read Garret's reporting here.
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The road ahead for GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon is not an easy one. We broke down what it will take for her to compete with a well-funded incumbent. Plus, Republican Congressman Peter Meijer (MI-3) lost his primary race—after being one of only 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump. What does that tell us about the political winds in West Michigan?
GUESTS:
Rich Czuba, CEO and founder, the Glengariff Group
Rick Pluta, capitol bureau chief for the Michigan Public Radio Network
Dustin Dwyer, reporter and producer, Michigan Radio
______________
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Today is Primary Election Day in Michigan. The people who make sure that elections go to plan are our county clerks. Today, we’re going to check in with two county clerks – a Democrat and a Republican – about how today’s primary process is shaping up, and how their jobs are shifting in a contentious political era.
GUESTS:
Barb Byrum, Ingham County clerk
Justin Roebuck, Ottawa County clerk
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Since May, a state Court of Claims order has blocked the enforcement of a 1931 abortion ban in Michigan. However, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled this morning that the order does not apply to county prosecutors. As soon as three weeks from now, county prosecutors can begin filing criminal charges against abortion providers.
We talk to Rick Pluta, Capitol Bureau Chief for the Michigan Public Radio Network, to better understand the court's decision. Michigan Radio's own Kate Wells also joins us to share what today has been like for abortion providers. Later in the show, we hear from one of the lawyers representing Planned Parenthood in this case.
UPDATE: Since we produced this podcast, Governor Gretchen Whitmer asked for a restraining order to block local prosecutors from filing felony charges against abortion providers in Michigan. On Monday afternoon, an Oakland County circuit judge granted the governor's request, blocking county prosecutors from pursuing charges against abortion providers.
GUESTS:
Rick Pluta, Capitol Bureau Chief for the Michigan Public Radio Network
Kate Wells, public health reporter for Michigan Radio
Deborah LaBelle, lawyer representing Planned Parenthood in Michigan
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Detroit’s Plowshares Theatre Company is finally back onstage after two years of pandemic isolation. The play they chose is not only a world premier; it's also a story specially created for this company, this audience, and this year. We speak with the writer and composer of the musical, "set on the cusp of change in Detroit:" Hastings Street. And we hear from the director of Plowshares about the company's return to the stage.
GUESTS:
John Sloan III, producing artistic director, Obsidian Theatre Festival; co-creator, Hastings Street
Kris Johnson, executive director, Community Music School; co-creator, Hastings Street
Gary Anderson, artistic director, Plowshares Theatre Company
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It’s not a small task unseating an incumbent from Congress in a midterm election. But there’s a special class of Republicans in the crosshairs this primary season: people who voted to impeach Donald Trump after January 6th. Michigan’s Peter Meijer, who represents the state's 3rd District, is in that club. Today, we talk to a political reporter about Meijer's chances--and about the Trump-endorsed newcomer who is challenging him.
GUEST:
Ben Orner, MLive political reporter. Find more of Orner's reporting on the race and other Michigan political news here.
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On August 2, Michigan voters will determine which Republican candidate will face Governor Gretchen Whitmer in the general election. With no clear front-runner, however, the race is close, and the candidates are using the final days to try and swing more voters to their side. Jonathan Oosting from Bridge Michigan and Michigan Radio's own Zoe Clark discussed the race so far, and what can be expected in the next few days.
Find additional coverage on the Michigan primary here.
GUESTS:
- Jonathan Oosting, political reporter for Bridge Michigan
- Zoe Clark, director of content for Michigan Radio
___
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Today we get answers to some of your COVID questions. We talk to an epidemiologist about variants, vaccines, and reinfections.
GUEST:
Emily Martin, professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health and epidemiologist
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San Diego Comic-Con is kind of like the Nerd Oscars: very glitzy with stars of top-grossing comics-based movies and awards galore.
The Eisner Awards are the highest honor in comics. This year's winner of the Eisner for Best Comic-related Book is Michigan-born writer and critic Douglas Wolk. Last year Wolk consumed some twenty-seven-thousand comic books — the entirety of Marvel Comics’ output spanning more than half a century. He wrote a book about it: All of the Marvels. This episode is a rerun.
GUEST:
Douglas Wolk, writer, critic, and journalist
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Michigan is blessed to be surrounded by some of the largest bodies of freshwater in the world. The Great Lakes are a spectacular beauty. Simultaneously, they are large bodies of water that, in the right conditions, can be very dangerous. Recently there have been a series of drownings on the west side of the state, causing Grand Haven State Park to institute new double red flags, which mean no swimming at all. If you do, you could face fines.
GUESTS:
Sarah Leach, executive editor of the Holland Sentinel
Jess Mapes, survivor of a riptide in Lake Michigan
--
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There are two members of the Detroit Public Television Great Lakes Now program who moonlight as sailors. This last week, Sandra Svoboda and Ward Detwiler took part in the Bayview to Mackinac race. While they were on different boats, going at different speeds, they both finished up this week and talked with Stateside about the experience and to talk about the sport of sailing.
GUESTS:
Sandra Svoboda, program director for Great Lakes Now
Ward Detwiler, host of Great Lakes Now
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Advocates worked on a ballot initiative in 2018 to increase Michigan’s minimum wage and codify other protections. The Republican-controlled legislature voted to approve the increase, but later altered the plan amid the chaos of the lame-duck session, essentially weakening the intent of the law.The Court of Claims recently ruled this "adopt and amend" move to be unconstitutional. But this four-year battle over minimum wage and paid sick leave isn't over. Craig Mauger, politics reporter for the Detroit News, breaks it down.
GUEST:
Craig Mauger, politics reporter for the Detroit News
___
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A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision is making waves in law enforcement circles. The case—Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta—concerns who prosecutes crimes committed on tribal land when non-Native American suspects are involved.
Today on the pod, we'll talk about what this case means for tribal sovereignty here in Michigan. As you’ll hear, things just got a lot more complicated.
GUESTS:
Jocelyn Fabry, chief judge for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Kirsten Matoy Carlson, professor of law and adjunct professor of political science at Wayne State University.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed an executive order on Wednesday to prevent Michigan’s law enforcement from helping prosecute people who come from out-of-state to receive an abortion. Barbara McQuade, a former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, and current professor of law at the University of Michigan, discusses why the new laws on abortion represent a challenge to the way states work together under other criminal prosecutions.
GUEST:
Barbara McQuade, now a professor of law at the University of Michigan, and former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan
Additional voices, in order of appearance:
State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Texas)
Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma)
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA):
____
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Grand Rapidian Steve Jessmore won the Audubon national professional photography award for the second year in a row. This time for his picture of northern shoveler ducks titled "Feeding Frenzy". Jessmore spent a career as a photojournalist, most recently with the Flint Journal. But it's his turn with nature photography that's launched him in recent years.
GUEST: Steve Jessmore, photographer, winner of the Audubon photography contest
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It's no secret that websites and apps track your data, including those you may use to track your period and other reproductive information. While this data is often used for targeted ads to sell you goods and services, the end to the constitutional right to abortion has made privacy experts concerned about surveillance as well. While abortion is still legal in Michigan, experts suggest people take steps to limit their digital footprint in preparation for an uncertain future in the Midwest.
GUEST: Nisa Khan, data reporter, Michigan Radio
——
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Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for the state of Michigan, shares what you need to know about the new omicron BA.5 subvariant, as well as the best practices for protecting against COVID-19 throughout this summer.
GUEST:
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for Michigan
——
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In West Virginia v EPA, the Supreme Court limited the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Today we want to find out more about the case, and how it could dampen multi-state plans to stop pollution in the Great Lakes.
GUESTS:
Nick Leonard, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center
Nick Schroeck, Associate Dean at the University of Detroit Mercy Law School
——
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Over 753,000 signatures were submitted today for a petition to put the question of abortion rights on the November ballot. If they're verified, voters will have the opportunity to plant reproductive rights squarely in Michigan’s Constitution. How might this affect the upcoming election?
GUESTS:
Loren Khogali, Executive Director of the ACLU of Michigan
Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, and a Report for America Corps Fellow
——
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You have your campsite reserved. What now? The food! What will you eat? Freelance food writer Alex Beggs has you covered. Today's episode is a rerun.
GUESTS:
Alex Beggs, Michigan-based food writer
——
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In 1966, Renee Chelian had an illegal abortion that almost killed her. That experience, when she was just 15 years old, inspired a lifetime of work as an abortion clinic owner in Metro Detroit.
Michigan Radio’s Sarah Cwiek and Nancy Kaffer, editorial columnist at the Detroit Free Press, talked to us about Chelian's life and the uncertain future she and other abortion care providers face in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health.
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Until recently, Traverse City and the surrounding area have seemed like a secret jewel of natural beauty. Now the secret's out; population has grown by about 10% over ten years in Grand Traverse County. While population growth has its benefits, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy is moving quickly to preserve land that would otherwise be developed amid rapid expansion.
GUEST: Kelly House, environment reporter, Bridge Michigan
Find her article in Bridge Michigan here.
——
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The Michigan State Legislature just approved a new, record-breaking state budget that sits at a whopping $75B dollars. Emily Lawler and Craig Mauger explain what allowed for such a big budget this fiscal year, and what the money might go toward.
GUESTS:
Emily Lawler, politics editor for the Detroit Free Press
Craig Mauger, politics reporter for the Detroit News
——
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The Detroit River is a hot spot not just for anglers, but for dangerous pollutants. These can contaminate the water, the fish, and, if those fish are consumed, our bodies. A group of local community members called the Detroit Riverwalkers are working to educate fishers about how risky it is to consume their catch.
GUEST:
Zaire Daniels, educator and freelance photojournalist
——
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Today the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v Wade. There are no longer federal protections for abortion rights. Today, we’re going to talk about what this means for Michigan from two sides: from the perspective of a care provider, and from someone supporting the change.
GUESTS:
Lisa Harris, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and professor of women's and gender studies at University of Michigan
Genevieve Marnon, legislative director for Michigan Right to Life.
——
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During the fourth January 6 committee hearing on Tuesday we saw several familiar faces and learned about some new revelations. Today, we’re going to unpack some of the Michigan things that have come up in the hearings.
GUESTS:
Craig Mauger, Detroit News Reporter
——
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40 years ago this week, Vincent Chin, a Detroiter and a Chinese American, was killed by two white men. Author Paula Yoo hopes that her book, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement, makes Chin's story more accessible to a younger audience.
GUESTS:
Paula Yoo, author, TV writer/producer and feature screenwriter
——
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The Kellogg Company will split its operation into three companies. While two parts of the company, will remain in Battle Creek, one will move the bulk of its operations to Chicago. Reporter Dustin Walsh, who grew up around Battle Creek, discusses what the move means for the city.
GUESTS:
Dustin Walsh, reporter for Crain’s Detroit Business
——
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Two mastodon skeletons grace the entrance of University of Michigan’s Natural History Museum. The larger of the two is a male discovered in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the late 1990s.
A new study co-authored by paleontologist Dan Fisher analyzed chemical elements in the mastodon’s tusk to paint a clearer picture of where the creature roamed, grazed, and mated in parts of Indiana and Michigan. He joins the show today to share what he's discovered about the mastodon’s 34 years of life.
GUESTS:
Dan Fisher, paleontologist at the University of Michigan
——
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Primary elections are around the corner. And this year, some of the matchups in the primaries will be the ones to watch - especially in races where Donald Trump is trying to rattle incumbents by endorsing challengers.
Today, we’re taking a look at campaign strategy, money, influence, and where they do and don’t intersect.
GUESTS:
Adam Wren, national politics correspondent for Politico
Simon D. Schuster, political reporter for MLive
——
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David Zinn is one of Ann Arbor's best artist. His canvas? The sidewalk.
GUEST:
David Zinn, artist
——
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There is no shortage of issues on the Republican primary field for Governor. Candidates who were held off the ballot for handing in thousands of petition signatures found to be collected under fraudulent circumstances have all been told their appeals to make the ballot have failed.
Plus, one of the five remaining candidates was arrested by the FBI last week and charged with a series of misdemeanors related to the January 6th, 2021 insurrection at the nation’s capitol. Zach Gorchow, publisher of Gongwer News Service and Emily Lawler, politics editor of the Detroit Free Press, unpack this "very unusual" unusual primary.
GUESTS: Zach Gorchow, publisher for Gongwer News Service Emily Lawler,politics editor for the Detroit Free Press
——
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Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the surrounding community have been struggling to adapt to the influx of tourists in recent years. MLive reporter Sheri McWhirter shares what she's learned while writing about the tourism boom. Later, Tom Dolaskie, owner of Roam Inn, discusses the impact of the boom in the city of Munising.
GUESTS: Sheri McWhirter, MLive reporter Tom Dolaskie, owner of Roam Inn in Munising
——
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A group of parents in Oxford Township has come together as a semi-formal collective called #Change4Oxford. The group been pushing the school board to do better for students and faculty. One of the group’s founding parents, Andrea Jones, shares her experiences with Stateside. Michigan Radio’s Briana Rice and April Van Buren report back from a demonstration that took place in Oxford this weekend.
GUESTS: Andrea Jones, a founding member of #Change4Oxford April Van Buren, Stateside producer Briana Rice, Michigan Radio reporter
——
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Yesterday, the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol held its first prime time hearing. Two Michganders were among the voices heard. They talked about why they came to the Capitol in support of then-President Donald Trump. There’s a lot going on in public hearings of this nature. And today we want to unpack some of it.
GUEST:
Jennifer Selin, co-director of the Washington Office of Wayne State University’s Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy
——
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It’s the end of the school year. Lunchbox protocol has been different the past couple years, with universal free meals at every school in Michigan. But that’s not going to continue unless Congress changes course.
GUEST:
Debbie Stabenow, US Senator
——
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If you're feeling some sticker shock over gas prices in Michigan recently, you're not alone. Experts say there are multiple factors contributing to the increased cost. Two economists join us today to explain the price spike.
GUESTS: Charley Ballard, professor of economics at Michigan State University Dr. Gabriel M. Ehrlich, economic forecaster and director of the University’s Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics (RSQE) at the University of Michigan
——
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Despite the reopening of the Abbot baby formula factory in Sturgis last weekend, experts say the nationwide supply chain shortage will likely continue for a while. Many Michigan parents are relying on both community resources and one another to make sure their infants have necessary care.
GUESTS: Kate Bauer, associate professor for Nutritional Sciences at University of Michigan Rachelle McKissick-Harris, Grand Rapids resident and mother of three
——
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The oldest mated loon couple happen to be Michigan residents. But the infamous pair has recently split. Sheri McWhirter, a reporter for MLive, shares what she knows about these beloved birds.
GUEST:
Sheri McWhirter, MLive reporter
——
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Missed out on this summer’s Movement Electronic Music festival? We have you covered. On today's Stateside Podcast, we’re bringing you into the underbelly of Detroit’s Movement Electronic Music Festival. Plus we’ll hear from one of the techno originals, Carl Craig.
GUEST:
Carl Craig, DJ
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This week's Mackinac Policy Conference is focused on how businesses navigate a particularly divisive political moment—and is also host to a major gubernatorial debate. We talked to one of the organizers of the event about what's causing a buzz at the annual gathering of Michigan lawmakers and business leaders.
GUEST:
Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber,
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A new report from the U.S. Department of Interior underscores what Native American families have known for decades: The longstanding policy of removing Native children from their homes and sending them to residential boarding schools had devastating and widespread impacts across the country.
That includes here in Michigan, which was home to several Native boarding schools, the last of which didn't close its doors until the 1980s. Today on the pod, what we know about the history and legacy of our state’s Native boarding schools.
GUESTS:
Levi Rickert, publisher and editor of Native News Online and Tribal Business News and citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
Fred Kiogima, retired from the U.S. Marine and citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians
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Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Last weekend was Detroit’s legendary electronic music festival, Movement. Jeff Mills – affectionately known as The Wizard – is one of the originators of techno music. He’s graced the airwaves of WJLB and WDET and co-founded the prolific group, Underground Resistance. Today, he talks all things techno and about latest album, Mind Power Mind Control.
GUEST:
Jeff Mills, DJ, producer, composer
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The massacre at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, reminds us that just six months ago our own community was reeling from the deadly shooting at Oxford High School. Four young people were killed. One of the most significant differences in these two stories is the law enforcement response. Today, an Oakland County sheriff on police responses to active shooters.
GUEST:
Michael Bouchard, Oakland County Sheriff
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The Board of State Canvassers met today to determine who would make the primary ballot for governor, and whether several of the candidates should be held off the ballot due to thousands of fraudulent signatures submitted. Ultimately, a Bureau of Elections recommendation to keep four of the 10 candidates off the ballot, stood. A fifth candidate, Michael Brown, had already decided he wanted no part of the scandal and dropped out.
GUEST:
Michael Brown, withdrawn GOP candidate for governor, and a captain with the Michigan State Police
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Guns are now the leading cause of death for American children, but Michigan laws won't budge. Today, we talk with the Michigan State Senator whose district includes Oxford Township, where the mass shooting at Oxford High earlier this school year remains a fresh wound. And we hear from a researcher who narrows in on gun deaths -- and ways to possibly mitigate them -- among Michigan children.
GUESTS:
Rosemary Bayer, state senator representing Oxford Township and co-chair of the Michigan Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus (D-12)
Patrick Carter, co-director of the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and associate professor of emergency medicine at Michigan Medicine
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A political bomb dropped last night in Michigan as the Bureau of Elections recommended half of the Republican candidates for governor not make the primary ballot. That’s because the state agency found tens-of-thousands of fraudulent signatures on five of the 10 candidates’ petitions. And they didn’t have enough valid signatures to make the ballot. The signatures appear to have been fabricated by a small number of people, and not noticed or discarded by the campaigns.
GUESTS:
Zoe Clark, program director and host of "It's Just Politics", Michigan Radio
Emily Lawler, politics editor, Detroit Free Press
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Detroit's own Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, known as the Godmother of House Music, will perform at this weekend's techno music festival, Movement. Today, DJ Hotwaxx on techno music, the city's legendary techno festival, and the gender gap within the music scene.
GUESTS:
Stacey "Hotwaxx" Hale, DJ
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More than a dozen prospective candidates seeking office in Michigan have been kicked out of primary contention because of oversights made in their filings. Mellissa Carone is one of those candidates. You may remember she testified before state House and Senate committees as Rudy Giuliani's so-called “elections expert” in Michigan, and was subsequently lampooned on Saturday Night Live.
Carone was running for state Senate in Macomb County. But her campaign finance issues were not made right, and she signed an affidavit attesting otherwise. Barb Byrum, Ingham County Clerk joined Stateside to explain a bit about how candidates find themselves on the wrong side of ballot contention.
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The national baby formula supply shortage began in Michigan at an Abbott plant in Sturgis. Detroit News reporter Kayla Ruble explained the plant's problematic past, the fragility of our supply chain, dramatic steps taken by parents of infants in their quest for formula and the steps being taken to end the shortage.
Guest: Kayla Ruble, reporter for The Detroit News
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Music in today's episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Battle of the Bits.
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On Tuesday, the Michigan Court of Claims granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood of Michigan and Dr. Sarah Wallett. The decision blocks enforcement of a 90-year-old state statute that criminalizes abortion. The leaked draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito suggests the U.S. Supreme Court is prepared to end the federal precedent protecting abortion rights. Today, we break down what this ruling means.
GUEST: Deborah LaBelle, lead counsel for Planned Parenthood of Michigan
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During the pandemic the Wayne County Jail kept its COVID positivity rate remarkably low — and no one in custody died from the virus. To understand how the jail and its for-profit medical providers handled COVID over the past two years, Michigan Radio reporters with more than a dozen inmates in the Wayne County Jail, as well as lawyers, health care workers, and advocates.
GUESTS:
Beenish Ahmed, criminal justice reporter, Michigan Radio
Nisa Khan, data reporter, Michigan Radio
Read Beenish and Nisa's report here.
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This spring’s a waiting game for people involved in securing (or opposing) abortion rights. A recent draft Supreme Court opinion published by Politico confirmed what many suspected: that a sea change is coming in federal protections for abortion. Prosecutors, in particular, need to plan for how they’ll follow guidelines of the 1931 Michigan abortion ban that is poised to prevail if Roe v Wade is vacated.
Today, two Michigan county prosecutors weight in.
GUESTS:
Kym Worthy, Wayne County Prosecutor
Pete Lucido, Macomb County prosecutor
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NOTE: If you haven't heard the first and second episodes of Collision Course, go back and take a listen. This episode will make a lot more sense if you do.
Changes to Michigan's auto no-fault laws means thousands of car crash survivors could lose their care, including hockey legend, Vladimir Konstantinov.
Today we want to show you what options are available for Vladdie and the thousands of other people who could lose their critical care.
Collision Course is a production of Michigan Radio
Our theme music is by Brad Gowland.
Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions.
A special thanks for Vladimir Konstantinov and his family.
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NOTE: If you haven't heard the first episode of Collision Course, go back and take a listen. This episode will make a lot more sense if you do.
For decades, Michigan had some of the most generous benefits available for survivors of catastrophic car accidents. But now, those same survivors face a very different reality: losing their care entirely.
Today we’re going to pull back from Vladimir Konstantinov’s orbit (we promise we’ll return) and look at how the state's unique auto no-fault system came to be—and the politics behind its undoing.
Collision Course is a production of Michigan Radio
Our theme music is by Brad Gowland.
Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Archival tape generously provided by NPR’s All Things Considered and WDIV in Detroit.
A special thanks for Vladimir Konstantinov and his family.
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Collision Course episode 2 drops on Wednesday, May 4th. We'll give you the history of how No-Fault auto insurance came to be in Michigan, and how it was broken.
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This is Collision Course, a special three-part series about the changing of Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance law and how it’s upending the lives of thousands of people, including one hockey legend.
Vladimir Konstantinov was a ferocious hockey defenseman with a Stanley Cup under his belt and a bright future in the NHL. Then, a horrible car crash changed his life forever and left him with a traumatic brain injury. For nearly 25 years, the extensive care he needs to live a decent life has been covered by Michigan's no-fault auto insurance. But soon, that care could disappear. Read the article here.
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Detroit-based creative, Sterling Toles, is best known for his deep catalogue of sounds, beats and pieces. Not to mention the profound gems he's known to drop about compassion, identity, and humanity. As if that isn’t plenty, Sterling is also an accomplished painter, and he has now expanded into mixed media and metalwork. His first solo exhibition at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is called s(h)elves, and it's on view now through June 12.
GUEST:
Sterling Toles, multimedia artist, healer through sound
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The Michigan Republican party held its nominating convention last weekend. Technical problems during voting and intraparty disputes helped draw the normally pro forma event out for hours. Today on the pod, we’ll get into what happened–and we’ll talk about what the party split means for Republicans this election year.
GUEST:
Rick Pluta, Capitol bureau chief for the Michigan Public Radio Network
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Recycling plastic is more complicated than we would like to believe when we throw a cup or packaging into the recycling bin. To that end, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, and chemists are looking for ways to repurpose plastic that is otherwise discarded. Today on the pod, we talk to one of them about new ways to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills.
GUEST:
Anne McNeil, professor of chemistry at University of Michigan
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We’re deep into campaign season, and State Senator Lana Theis – a Republican who represents a part of Livingston County – recently accused Michigan Democrats of wanting to groom and sexualize children in a fundraising email. She mentioned Senator Mallory McMorrow by name, and McMorrow responded with a speech on the Senate floor that subsequently went viral online. Today, we talk to McMorrow about her reaction.
GUEST:
Mallory McMorrow, state Senator (D-MI 13th District)
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When something like the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya happens it’s easy to question what city officials have been doing - if anything - to prevent this kind of tragedy. As you might imagine, the answer is, it’s complicated.
GUEST:
Brandon Davis has been working as the first director of the office of Oversight and Public Accountability for the city of Grand Rapids
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It’s not news to Black folks in Grand Rapids that interactions with the police can go south fast. With the investigation into Patrick Lyoya’s shooting underway, advocates say this awful, awful outcome was all too predictable. On today's episode, you'll hear the latest news on the case–and we'll talk about the police reforms that Black Grand Rapids residents have been waiting on for years.
GUESTS:
Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio reporter
Cle Jackson, president of the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP
Kareem Scales, administrator of operations at the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP
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Tomorrow we'll know who plans to really run for governor, Congress, and the Legislature in Michigan this year. Petition signatures for candidates are due, and for some candidates and causes those signatures come with a big price tag.
GUESTS:
Yue Stella Yu, reporter, Bridge Michigan
Rick Pluta, Capitol Bureau Chief, Michigan Public Radio Network
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Today, one Grand Rapids City commissioner talks about next steps after the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old Congolese refugee. He was killed after a traffic stop in Grand Rapids on April 4. It’s a story that’s rocked the community - especially since Grand Rapids Police Department released video of the incident. As much as police reform has been a topic in Grand Rapids for years, the shock, and the horror are not going away anytime soon.
GUEST:
Senita Lenear, Third Ward City Commissioner
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A Grand Rapids police officer shot and killed a Black man named Patrick Lyoya in a routine traffic stop. The Grand Rapids police chief says to his knowledge, the only weapons recovered at the scene were the officer's taser and firearm. Officials have released footage of the killing, but not the name of the police officer who pulled the trigger.
GUESTS:
Dustin Dwyer, reporter, Michigan Radio
Bryce Huffman, reporter, Bridge Detroit
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Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their home country after U.S. troops withdrew and Taliban forces seized control of the government last summer. Among them are around 1,400 unaccompanied minors, some of whom have ended up in refugee youth shelters here in Michigan. Today on the pod, we talked to two reporters about the experience of these young people--and what their future might hold.
GUESTS:
Anna Clark, reporter with ProPublica
Melissa Sanchez, reporter with ProPublica
You can read Clark and Sanchez's reporting on the young Afghan refugees here.
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At county conventions all over Michigan on Monday, local Republican party members met to lay groundwork for nominating candidates, and to settle some scores between hardcore supporters of former President Donald Trump and their opponents. This is obviously a big midterm election year for a lot of statewide races and congressional races. Today, we talk with two reporters who covered different county party conventions last night.
GUESTS:
Clara Hendrickson, Report for American fellow at the Detroit Free Press
Craig Mauger, Detroit News politics reporter
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The Big Lie. That’s what some have taken to calling former President Donald Trump’s false assertions that the 2020 election was stolen and that there was widespread voter fraud.
But if you thought that all the investigations, reporting, and debunking meant that Trump loyalists had moved on, you’d be sorely mistaken. Today on the pod, journalist Byard Duncan talks about his deep dive for Reveal into how the Big Lie is shaping Michigan's next election: the 2022 midterm.
GUEST:
Byard Duncan, engagement reporter at ProPublica. You can find his reporting for Reveal here.
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Miz Korona is part of a generation of MCs that carved out Detroit’s hip hop scene as one of originality, grit, and fun in equal measure. Her artistry extends from before her scene in 8 Mile through almost three decades of international touring, teaching, photography, and fashion design. Today, Miz Korona is on stage again, getting ready to release a new EP: The Healer and the Heartbreaker.
GUEST:
Paula "Miz Korona" Smiley, hip hop artist, music producer, photographer, educator, fashion designer
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Two separate lawsuits seeking to protect abortion rights were filed in Michigan courts — one by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the other by Planned Parenthood. On today's pod episode, what this could mean for Michigan.
GUESTS:
RickPluta, Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
Deborah LaBelle, lead counsel for Planned Parenthood of Michigan in the lawsuit
——
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This week, longtime congressman, Fred Upton, took the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and announced his retirement. Having represented Southwest Michigan since 1987, he's the longest serving member of Michigan's congressional delegation. Today, we’ll reflect on what it means to lose Fred Upton as a steadfast moderate in Congress. And we’ll listen back to bits of our conversations with him over the years.
GUEST: Andrea Bitely, senior director at Truscott Rossman
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As of now -- April 5 at noon -- jurors are still deliberating the fate of four men accused of plotting to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Defense lawyers presented closing statements on Friday, and now jurors have a web-like narrative to interpret. We will have updates on the verdict as soon as it comes in. But today on the pod, we go over what we know so far.
GUEST:
Ken Kolker, reporter, WOOD TV
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Central Michigan University was once the fourth largest public university in the state, but enrollment at the Mt. Pleasant school has taken a nosedive since 2012. Add in a global pandemic that’s impacted student enrollment across the board, and the situation can start to feel a little dire. On today's pod, a look into what’s happening at CMU–and what administrators hope will turn things around.
GUEST:
Isabel Lohman, education reporter at Bridge Michigan
You can find Lohman's story on the enrollment decline at CMU here.
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Every year, some of Michigan's most important wetland ecosystems form within vernal pools. On today's episode, an MSU conservation scientist and MLive reporter join to talk about what lies within these unique forest puddles.
GUESTS:
Emily Bingham, reporter, MLive
Yu Man Lee, conservation scientist, Michigan State University
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Peabody Award-winning writer and producer, Harvey Ovshinsky became part of Detroit’s media landscape in 1965. After years of interviewing other people, Ovshinsky said it was only fair to apply the same scrutiny and inquiry into his own life. Today, Harvey Ovshinsky on his new memoir, Scratching the Surface: Adventures in Storytelling.
GUEST:
Harvey Ovshinsky, author of Scratching the Surface: Adventures in Storytelling
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Prosecutors rested their case in the trial of four men charged in a plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. In late 2020, state and federal officials revealed that FBI investigators had gone undercover with a group of men in Michigan who had strong anti-government leanings. They said a plot developed in the group to kidnap, and possibly harm, Whitmer. Michigan Radio's Dustin Dwyer caught us up on what’s been happening in the courthouse since the trial began earlier this year—and what to expect as the defense takes over.
GUEST:
Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio reporter based in Grand Rapids
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I’m sure you’ve seen evidence of a loosening of COVID’s grip on your community as well. Fewer people getting sick. Fewer masks being worn in public spaces. But as nice as it’s been having a break from COVID, the virus is not gone. So, where does that leave us? On today's episode, we hear from an epidemiologist about adapting to a virus that’s here to stay.
GUEST:
Marisa Eisenberg, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan
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DTE service shutoffs surpassed 200,000 among Detroit residents, during the pandemic. Outlier Media teamed up with ProPublica to look at the numbers: How does electricity pricing work? What are Metro Detroiters paying? And what happens when they can’t pay? What they found was another case of Detroiters being disproportionately penalized by the systems we all use and rely on.
GUEST:
Sarah Alvarez, founder and Executive Editor of Outlier Media
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In just a few weeks delegates for Michigan’s local Republican chapters will pick their representatives to send to the state party convention. This year’s a mid-term election, and lots of prize seats are in play, including the Governor’s office, and several Congressional seats - not to mention much of the state legislature. But the run up to these meetings is getting acrimonious in Macomb County, one of the reddest counties in SE Michigan.
GUEST:
Craig Mauger, Detroit News reporter
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In 1914, Elsie Roxborough was born into a wealthy, Black family in Detroit. But when she died in 1949, her death certificate listed her as white. Her life was rich, curious and at times, troubled, all while attempting a sort of high-wire-act of living multiple lives, between cities and names and races. Today, we talk about her life, death, and everything in between.
GUEST:
Ken Coleman, writer and reporter
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A previous version of this story stated that Elsie Roxborough died in 1937. It has been updated to the correct year: 1947.
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For a Black person in the 19th century or the first half of the 20th, "passing" meant living part or all of your life as non-Black. Literature, films and other cultural references to passing have been around for a long time. But recent works like the Rebecca Hall’s film adaptation of Nella Larsen’s book, Passing, have brought the idea of passing back to the forefront. Today on the podcast, we talk about the contexts that have caused this narrative to recur, across the centuries.
GUEST:
Sandra Gunning, professor, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, Department of American Culture at the University of Michigan
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Metro Detroit broadcast journalist Christy MacDonald lost her husband, sports broadcaster Jamie Samuelsen, to colorectal cancer when he was just 48 years old. On today's pod, she talked to us about her family's story and how she became an advocate for early colon cancer screening.
GUEST:
Christy McDonald, broadcast journalist and widow of Jamie Samuelsen
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Octavia Butler's 1993 book, Parable of the Sower served as a sort of upside-down comfort read for a lot of people during the pandemic. It draws readers into a 2024 America ripped apart by poverty, corporate greed, and climate calamity -- as a teenage girl leads a rag-tag group of followers through a scary world. Two of the Butler's most famous fans, Toshi Reagon and her mother Bernice Johnson Reagon have adapted Parable of the Sower into an opera, premiering in Michigan this weekend.
GUEST:
Toshi Reagon, musician, composer, producer, co-creator of "Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower" concert opera
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Just when you think you cannot with the cold weather anymore, here comes sugaring season, to take the bitterness of winter out of your mouth. We're dedicating this entire episode to all things maple sugar. We'll take a trip to one of Michigan's maple farms and later in show learn more about maple sugaring's Indigenous roots.
GUESTS:
Kirk Hedding, owner of H&H Sugarbush
Jerry Jondreau, owner of Dynamite Hill Farm
Katy Bresette, owner of Dynamite Hill Farm
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Yesterday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke before a joint session of Congress. He brought up Pearl Harbor, 9/11, Martin Luther King Jr., and urged the Biden administration for further action in the fight for peace in Ukraine. He was met with a standing ovation from the members of Congress. But how far will the U.S. go to achieve this sort of peace in Eastern Europe?
GUEST:
Peter Meijer, U.S. representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district
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For the past five months, state health officials have been telling Benton Harbor residents not to drink their tap water. But now the safety message for Benton Harbor seems to be shifting. And it’s left some residents confused about how best to keep their families safe. Michigan Radio reporter Lindsey Smith filled us in on what's going on in the majority Black community in Southwest Michigan.
GUEST:
Lindsey Smith, investigative reporter at Michigan Radio
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When Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan delivered his annual State of the City address last week, he spent a few minutes talking about the wider world’s fascination with crumbling homes and commercial buildings in Detroit. It’s not the first time Duggan has talked about removing blight. Or the second, or the third. But what has the push to bring down blighted buildings actually meant for the people who live in Detroit’s neighborhoods? On today's pod, we hear from two reporters who have been looking into that question.
GUESTS:
Bryce Huffman, reporter with BridgeDetroit
Christine Ferretti, associate editor with BridgeDetroit
You can find Bryce and Christine's article about blight removal efforts in Detroit here.
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Filling up your tank is getting more and more expensive. The average price for regular unleaded gas is now above $4 dollars per gallon in Michigan. While many consumers would like to see lower prices at the pump, those worried about climate change are wary of expanding drilling in the U.S. to make up for President Joe Biden's ban on Russian oil imports. That's the solution favored by many Republicans--and even some Democrats--in Congress.
On today's pod, how the war in Ukraine is upsetting a global conversation about our use of energy in an era of climate change, and how the ripple effect of that convergence is being felt here at home.
GUESTS:
Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy and former Michigan Governor
Charles Ballard, professor of economics at Michigan State University
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The federal trial of four defendants accused of a plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer began this week in Grand Rapids. Some of the defendants originally charged in what’s become known as “the plot” took plea deals. One has already been sentenced. We talked to Michigan Radio reporter Dustin Dwyer about what happened in court.
GUEST:
Dustin Dwyer, reporter at Michigan Radio
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If it was your family, your friends under a hail of Russian shelling, what would you do? Ukrainian Michiganders are living on edge right now, thinking of loved ones in the grip of the invasion. One Ukrainian American in Ann Arbor says since all this happened, she feels like everything in her life has changed.
GUEST:
Irina Bondarenko, ceramic artist and lead statistician at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
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Let’s get this straight: Liquor stores can't sell marijuana, dispensaries can't sell alcohol, you can’t consume cannabis in a dispensary, and cannabis lounges can't sell weed. But you can consume marijuana in a lounge if you bring your own? Michiganders are finding workarounds, and a cannabis industry reporter is here to tell us how.
GUEST:
Annalise Frank, cannabis industry reporter for Crain’s Detroit Business
——
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You’ve probably noticed a coating of salt on your car or truck. But undercarriages aren’t the only place road salt accumulates during the winter. University of Wisconsin researchers are seeing more and more salt in the Great Lakes, so much that their ecosystems are starting to change.
GUEST:
Rob Mooney, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology
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For Black University of Michigan students, finding everyday hair care products is not easy. Two students sought to change that with the Youniversity Beauty Supply Machine, the first and only vending machine on campus that dispenses Black hair care products.
GUESTS:
Mia Wilson, co-founder, Youniversity Beauty Supply Machine
Rico Ozuna-Harrison, co-founder, Youniversity Beauty Supply Machine
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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued some new guidance around the COVID-19 pandemic. The new guidelines are meant to help folks make personal health decisions around masking and social distancing during this apparent break in the pandemic. Today, we talk to Michigan's chief medical executive about the new guidelines and how the state is changing its pandemic response, two years in.
GUEST:
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the state of Michigan
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More than 1,500 people in Michigan who sustained life-changing injuries in car crashes are losing home care services. That's after the state Legislature passed no-fault auto insurance reforms that allowed insurance companies to cut reimbursements to the agencies providing home care services. On today's episode, we're going to hear about how the effort to lower auto insurance costs in Michigan has had devastating consequences for crash survivors.
GUEST:
Tracy Samilton, energy and transportation reporter for Michigan Radio
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There’s not a lot you can get Democrats and Republicans to agree on these days. The response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine seems to be the exception. Today on the podcast, a view on Ukraine from two Michigan congressional members on opposite sides of the aisle.
GUESTS:
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI 12)
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI 2)
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It can be hard to know how to support people in a warzone on the other side of the world. One local business is coming at it through food. Today, we talk with the editorial director at Frame in Hazel Park about the restaurant's upcoming Ukrainian dinner event and fundraiser.
GUEST:
Mark Kurlyandchik, editorial director at Frame in Hazel Park
——
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During the pandemic, when state and federal governments decline to act, local public health officials have the hard job of writing the road rules for their communities. Add to that harassment from the public and lack of support from health boards and departments. Today, we hear from a Northwest Michigan health director who recently decided enough is enough.
GUEST:
Lisa Peacock, health officer in the Benzie-Leelenau District Health Department and the Health Department of Northwest Michigan (HDNW)
——
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Ukrainians woke up to the sound of explosions today as Russian forces launched an attack on the capital city Kyiv. Here in Michigan, many of us are watching this play out with horror, especially Ukrainian Americans, as tensions between the two countries reached a breaking point. Today, you’re going to hear from two Michiganders with close ties to both Ukraine and Russia. And we’ll help you understand the stakes of the conflict unfolding between them.
GUESTS:
Eugene Bondarenko, lecturer in Ukrainian and Russian cultures and languages at the University of Michigan
Jenny Feterovich, Russian American filmmaker living in Metro Detroit
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The pandemic has been a time of uncertainty for a lot of us. If that’s the case for people outside jail walls, it’s doubly so for those inside. At least 120 people have spent 18 months or more in the Wayne County jail system, without a conviction or even a trial. On today's episode, we talk to two Michigan Radio reporters about how COVID is keeping people in jail for longer--before they've ever been convicted of a crime.
GUESTS:
Beenish Ahmed, Michigan Radio criminal justice reporter
Nisa Khan, Michigan Radio data reporter
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Metro Detroit is one of the most racially segregated areas in the country. And when you're a Black person from a place like this, you probably learn to code switch at an early age. There are many ways to switch the way you speak and behave, depending on who you're around. But today's episode is about Black people code switching as they move between majority white spaces and majority black spaces, something that's often necessary in order to get by in the world.
GUESTS:
Sydney James, Detroit-bred and based fine artist and muralist
Kwaku Osei-Bonsu, co-founder of Detroit Black Restaurant Week, EastEats, and IdlewildEats; a milliner by trade
Bryce Huffman, reporter and producer at Bridge Detroit and host of Michigan Radio podcast Same Same Different
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Walter F. Edwards of Wayne State University grew up speaking Guyanese Creole, which shaped his approach to linguistics. He shares how Afro-Caribbean languages have spread to African American Vernacular English and what this looks like for Black Detroiters.
GUEST:
Walter F. Edwards, professor of linguistics at Wayne State University and director of the Wayne State Humanities Center
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"What up doe?" If you’ve heard the term before, you probably know it as a greeting or maybe even a question. But for many Black Detroiters, the phrase is a piece of home. Today, we'll talk about the history of "what up doe" and what it means to its originators.
GUESTS:
Biba Adams, senior daytime news writer at The Grio
Natasha T. Miller, Detroit poet, author, activist, and film producer
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James Dewitt Yancy, better known as J Dilla, would have been 48-year-old this month. The Detroit king of all beats showed the world in his brief life that the city’s best musical days are not in the past, but still ahead. Dilla died in 2006, and his story is so recent, we haven’t had much scholarship on his life – until now. On today's episode, Stateside executive producer Laura Weber Davis talks to journalist Dan Charnas, whose book about J Dilla's massive influence on American music was published this month.
GUEST:
Dan Charnas, journalist and author of Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm
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You might not know their names, but the people who sit on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors make important decisions that touch every part of the U.S. economy. Michigan State University economist Lisa Cook.is the first Black woman nominated to serve on the board. She’s already a star in her field, especially when it comes to talking about how economic policy influences working class families and communities of color. On today's episode, we talk about Cook's work and the barriers she and other Black economists have faced in the field.
GUESTS:
Trevon Logan, professor of economics and associate dean at Ohio State University
Anna Gifty Okopu-Agyeman, co-founder of The Sadie Collective and graduate student at the Harvard Kennedy School
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The future of legal abortion is up for debate in a way that it hasn’t been for nearly five decades. The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative-leaning majority is widely expected to weaken federal protections for abortion rights this year, potentially leaving states to make their own rules. Yesterday, we heard a personal story from one Michigander who is hoping that will mean an end to legal abortion in Michigan. On today's episode, we hear from someone whose personal experience giving birth at 18 shaped her fierce support for abortion rights.
GUEST:
Catherine Hadley, Washtenaw County resident and abortion rights supporter
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Whatever your opinion on legal abortion, there’s a good chance you’ll be hearing a lot more about it in the coming months. The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether to reverse or roll back the right to abortion laid out in the 1973 case Roe v. Wade.
This is already seeding the ground for a fierce political battle in Michigan. But for many people, this issue is deeper than politics. Where they stand on abortion is informed by deeply personal beliefs and experiences.
Over the next couple of days, we want to introduce you to two Michiganders, with different perspectives on abortion rights, who will tell you the story of how they came to hold those views.
GUEST:
Nick De Leeuw, Lansing resident who works in political communications
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For almost as long as its been a state, Michigan has had laws on the books that make abortion illegal. The most recent one was passed in 1931. But for nearly five decades now, it’s been rendered moot by the U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade. A forthcoming decision from the court could change that.And Michigan advocates on both sides of the issue are already gearing up for a fight. On today's pod, we'll talk about the legal and political context of Michigan's impending battle over legal abortion.
GUESTS:
Nicole Wells Stallworth, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan
Zach Gorchow, executive editor and publisher of Gongwer News Service - Michigan
Genevieve Marnon, legislative director for Right to Life of Michigan
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After a months of hospital overcrowding and wide community spread of the omicron variant, public health indicators are showing some turnaround. And one by one, Michigan's county health departments in populous areas have dropped mask mandates for schools. Could omicron finally be letting up? Mileage in your school, workplace, or congregate care setting may vary, but today we go over the basics with a health officer and a reporter covering COVID cases.
GUESTS:
Linda Vail, health officer for Ingham County Health Department
Mike Wilkinson, Bridge Michigan reporter
——
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Michigan-born playwright Noah Haidle’s Broadway debut was just about to happen — in 2020, the year COVID doused the stage lights. But now, Birthday Candles, is back, and he’s here to tell us about it.
GUEST:
Noah Haidle, playwright, screenwriter
——
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Team USA’s forward Abby Roque made her Olympic debut last weekend in Beijing. She grew up in the UP, and she’s the first Native American to play for the US women’s team, a member of the Wahnapitae First Nation. But she’s not the first Native player to be part of the US team. That player was one Taffy Abel, and today on Stateside, his nephew talks about his life and many athletic achievements.
GUEST:
George Jones, Taffy Abel’s nephew
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You may have heard about the ongoing trucker protests in Ottawa, Canada because of vaccine mandates. Now protestors have a new target in sight: the Windsor-Detroit border crossing. Today on Stateside, the mayor of Windsor talks about the Ambassador Bridge being shut down, and what the overall protests mean for the two cities straddling the border.
GUEST:
Drew Dilkens, mayor of Windsor, Ontario
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Malcolm X was a son of Lansing, where he spent some of his most formative years before becoming the iconic activist we know of today. So why aren't his the quotes and legacy we teach in Michigan schools or during Black History Month? Today on Stateside, we explore Malcolm X's family history and controversial legacy in the struggle for Black empowerment.
GUESTS:
John Aerni-Flessner, associate professor for the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University
Kidada Williams, associate professor of African American and American history at Wayne State University
Herb Boyd, Detroit writer, journalist, and activist
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For years now Michigan Democrats have wanted to remove the Lewis Cass statue in the U.S. Capitol. But the question has always been: who do we replace it with? A new proposal in Lansing suggests the next statue should be of former Detroit mayor, Coleman Young. Today, why Democrats want a Coleman Young statue in Washington, and the hurdles they face to make it happen.
GUEST:
James Dickson, reporter for The Detroit News
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With the new district maps, there are two wide open congressional seats in Michigan. There's the 13th District in Detroit, and there's the 10th district in parts of Macomb County. The 10th is a largely suburban metro Detroit district that both parties think is competitive. Today, a look at the political landscape of the 10th Congressional district.
GUESTS:
Jeff Payne, news editor of the Macomb Daily
Michael Taylor, mayor of Sterling Heights
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This weekend is the I-500 — a 500 mile snowmobile race in Sault Ste Marie. It’s a test of endurance for everybody involved, from racers to pit crews to spectators trying to keep their beer from freezing. The race was cancelled last year because of the pandemic. But this year, the sleds are back in town, and the race is expected to be bigger than ever.
GUEST:
Ric Federau, chairman of the I500
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The Detroit Lions have never played in any of the 55 previous Super Bowls. But this year, Lions fans are, in a way, the closest they’ve ever been. That’s because former Lions quarterback, Matthew Stafford, is Super Bowl bound with the Rams. Some Michiganders have mixed feelings watching Stafford find so much success in another city. Today, a Michigan football update.
GUEST:
John Niyo, sports columnist at the Detroit News
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Last week, General Motors announced that they will invest $7 billion to build electric vehicles and batteries in Michigan. In turn, General Motors is receiving an $820 million state incentive. Today, what this announcement means for Michigan and the future of electric vehicles.
GUEST:
Chad Livengood, Senior Editor at Crain’s Detroit Business
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COVID cases are finally falling this week in Michigan, after months of surges and spikes during Delta and then Omicron variants. But the spread of COVID still continues unabated in parts of the state, and hospitals are paying the price.
GUESTS:
Kate Wells, reporter, Michigan Radio
Dustin Dwyer, reporter, Michigan Radio
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In her fourth State of the State speech, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer focused on policy goals with some bipartisan support. But how much comradery will Democrats and Republicans be able to find in an election year? On today's episode, we'll break down what Whitmer said and how likely it is she'll get movement on her policy priorities. Plus, we dig in on one particular focus for the governor: boosting the earned income tax credit (EITC) for lower-income workers.
GUESTS:
Zoe Clark, Michigan Radio program director
Laura Weber Davis, executive producer of Stateside
Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy
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In 2020, for the first time on record, Michigan saw more deaths than births. And while COVID-19 certainly added to the death numbers, it wasn't the only reason for the disparity. As a state, we've been dealing with much slower growth than other parts of the country. On today's episode, we'll talk to a demographer and an economist about how that might impact the way our state--and its economy--looks in the future.
GUESTS:
Kurt Metzger, director emeritus at Data Driven Detroit
Charley Ballard, economics professor at Michigan State University
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"Let's see how grand your rapids are," was a playful challenge from RuPaul herself to Grand Rapids area native and drag queen, Orion Story. Otherwise known as Chace Lambert, Story became the first queen to represent Michigan on RuPaul’s Drag Race, which is currently on its 14th season. Today, we talk with Lambert about drag in Michigan and on the show.
GUEST:
Chance Lambert, West Michigan drag queen and RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 contestant
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Simone Biles' withdrawal from the 2021 Olympic finals showed us how difficult, yet important it can be to prioritize self care as a star athlete. And the issue definitely hits home here in Michigan. Today, a former Michigan State runner reckons with the prevalence of eating disorders within the running world.
GUEST:
Maggie Farrell, former Michigan State University cross country runner, grad student and dietetic intern at Texas State University
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Like many Michigan grandparents, piping plovers have flown south for the winter. But the endangered bird makes its summer home along the shores of the Great Lakes. And in Chicago, they eagerly await the return of a sort of piping plover celebrity couple: Monty and Rose. The pair has many fans in the city, a beer named in their honor, and a documentary about their journey. On today's episode, we talk to the film's director about Monty and Rose's epic story of love and conservation.
GUEST:
Bob Dolgan, filmmaker behind the documentary Monty and Rose 2: The World of Monty and Rose.
The film is streaming through the Thunder Bay International Virtual Film Festival from Wed, Jan 26, 2022 to Mon, Feb 7, 2022. You can find out how to watch here.
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New political maps, the retirement of Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib announcing she’ll move to a new neighboring district have left Detroit with a rare opportunity: a wide open congressional seat. We talked to two Detroit politicos about who is in the running for the 13th District, and how race and class might play a role in the upcoming election.
GUESTS:
Greg Bowens, longtime political strategist and public relations specialist
Branden Snyder, a grassroots political organizer in Detroit and co-executive director of Detroit Action
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The University of Michigan has reached a settlement with survivors of Dr. Robert Anderson, a physician who worked in sports medicine and the University health system for 37 years and is accused of sexually abusing more than a thousand students. We talked to a reporter and a lawyer representing some of the survivors about the details.
GUESTS:
Kim Kozlowski, higher education reporter for the Detroit News. You can read her coverage of the Anderson settlement here.
Mick Grewal, attorney representing many of the Anderson survivors in settlement negotiations
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This past weekend, after a closed-door meeting, the University of Michigan’s board of regents fired President Mark Schlissel for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a university employee. We talked to a Title IX attorney about what this says about the school's approach to sexual harassment cases—and what it might mean for the future.
GUEST:
Sarah Prescott, attorney specializing in Title IX sexual harassment cases for the law firm of Salvatore, Prescott, Porter, and Porter
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COVID has posed a grave threat to our elders these last two years. Even if your family has been lucky enough to dodge the worst, you're probably finding moments with the grandparents in your life that much sweeter. Two Michigan photographers travelled across the country to find some of those moments, taking portraits of grandmothers and archiving their wisdom in the new book, Grandmothers of America.
GUESTS:
John Hanson, photographer based in Detroit.
Joey Schultz, photographer based in Traverse City.
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Keeping Indigenous languages alive is not a small job. The more hands, the better. That’s why the team behind Ojibwe.net created an online platform to make learning the Anishinaabemowin language more accessible for language learners everywhere.
GUESTS:
Margaret Noodin, poet, teacher of language, professor in the departments of English and American Indian studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, director of the Electa Quinney Institute
Stacie Sheldon, user experience (UX) strategist, designer & researcher; author; language advocate
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During the pandemic, the number of arrests for carrying a concealed weapon skyrocketed in Detroit. Police say they're responding to an increase in gun related crimes. But defense attorneys say the arrests have been heavy handed, burdening an already backlogged court system and further eroding public trust in police.
GUEST:
Beenish Ahmed, criminal justice reporter, Michigan Radio
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Ever feel like endless Zoom meetings are slowly draining your life force?It’s not just you; science says Zoom fatigue is a real phenomenon. The lag in a person’s response time “disrupts this automatic, neural process, and so it makes conversation more effortful,” says researcher and professor Julie Boland.
GUEST:
Julie Boland, professor of psychology & linguistics, University of Michigan
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Former House speaker, republican Lee Chatfield, is being investigated by state and regional police. His sister-in-law has accused him of sexual assault, starting when she was in her mid teens.
This conversation and allegations against Lee Chatfield will be disturbing or triggering to some listeners.
GUESTS:
Kelly House, reporter, Bridge Michigan
Jonathan Oosting, reporter, Bridge Michigan
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After Toyota beat out GM for the top-selling automaker in the U.S. market last year, some analysts say American automakers have lost their home turf dominance. At the same time, the Big Three have been making big investments in an electric future, which was clear from their offerings at this week's Consumers Electronic Show in Las Vegas. On today's episode, we checked in with some folks who cover the auto industry closely about what all this says about the future for both the industry and consumers.
GUESTS:
Rory Carroll, editor-in-chief at Jalopnik
Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Cox Automotive
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The game changed for a lot of people on Jan 6th 2021. Maybe for no one more than West Michigan Republican Congressman Peter Meijer. As the successor to Justin Amash, a Libertarian star, he was never really as closely identified with Donald Trump as some House members. But when he was among just a handful of Republicans to vote to impeach the former president for his actions that day, Meijer found himself with a political target on his back. On today's pod, we talk to writer Tim Alberta about his deep dive profile of Meijer for The Atlantic.
GUEST:
Tim Alberta, staff writer at The Atlantic
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It's not just the auto industry grappling with major pandemic supply chain disruptions. Everyday items like ketchup, dumbbells, and worst of all, coffee are also seeing shortages and price hikes. So, what is actually driving this disruption? And what does it mean for the average consumer? We asked journalist Sonari Glinton to share what he's learned about this issue in his recent reporting.
GUEST:
Sonari Glinton, host of the podcast Now, What's Next
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A lot of people hoped that by this point in the pandemic, there'd be a finish line in sight. But with case numbers and deaths still alarmingly high, that's clearly not the case. Instead, epidemiologist Debra Furr-Holden told Stateside, we have to learn to live with the virus, and get real about the danger it still poses.
GUEST:
Debra Furr-Holden, epidemiologist and professor of public health at Michigan State University
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The state's new political maps have gotten a final stamp of approval from the independent redistricting commission. But one lawsuit is already in the works over how lines were drawn in and around Detroit. On today's episode, we'll talk to a reporter about the response to the new maps and a state lawmaker who says they dilute the power of Black voters.
GUESTS:
Clara Hendrickson, Report for America fellow who has been covering the commission’s work for the Detroit Free Press
Adam Hollier, Democrat representing Michigan's 2nd State Senate district
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For a long time, if you asked Alice Randall where she was from, she’d say Detroit-Alabama. The Detroit-born writer grew up surrounded by relatives who had come north from Alabama. She wrote about that experience recently for the Oxford American.
On today's episode, you'll hear Randall talk about her experience “Up South” and the profound cultural mark the northern migration of Black Americans made on the city of Detroit.
GUEST:
Alice Randall, songwriter and author of Black Bottom Saints, The Wind Done Gone, and many other books.
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The co-hosts of "Songs from the Trail" on WVBI, Jackson Smith and Steve Girbach, share their picks for favorite musical releases of 2021 (okay... and Steve sneaks a 2020 release in there, too.)
GUESTS:
Jackson Smith, co-host, Songs from the Trail
Steve Girbach, co-host, Songs from the Trail
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A strange sickness is sweeping through Detroit, leaving unbearable grief and overwhelmed city hospitals and morgues in its wake. That’s the eerily familiar world into which writer adrienne maree brown’s debut novella drops us. Grievers is the first story in a trilogy published by Black Dawn, a speculative fiction imprint from AK Press.
The seed of this story took root a long time before any of us had ever heard of COVID-19, and yet the book is a work of speculative fiction that feels anything but. It’s an auspicious and affecting story for everyone who’s lost something, but especially for Black Detroiters.
GUEST:
adrienne maree brown, writer-in-residence at the Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute and author of several non-fiction and fiction books, including Pleasure Activism, Emergent Strategy, and Grievers
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One of the big business stories out of Michigan this year was Larry Bell selling Bell's Brewery. The maker of craft brew favorites Oberon and Two Hearted Ale, Bell has said publicly that he would never sell. But 2021 is the year that changed his tune.
GUEST:
Larry Bell, founder of Bell's Brewery
Dustin Walsh, reporter, Crain's Detroit Business
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Eggnog, hot toddies, mulled wine, coquito. For a lot of folks, a little tipple is what we do during the holidays. But for those who’d rather abstain, we thankfully have a lot more options than just hot chocolate or O’Doul’s these days. Today on the pod, holiday cheer and non-alcoholic beer. Plus, a cocktail recipe for those who want a little booze at their holiday table.
GUESTS:
Michelle Zajac, beer and wine buyer at Arbor Farms Market in Ann Arbor
Lester Graham, environmental reporter at Michigan Radio
Tammy Coxen, mixologist and owner of Tammy's Tastings
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has published December jobs report. And, like so many things in the COVID-19 pandemic, well, it’s complicated. Unemployment is down. 82% of jobs lost in the pandemic are back. But, growth in new job openings last month was much slower than expected. That’s despite all the “now hiring” signs you’re seeing around town. Economists have been trying to crack the current labor market puzzle. On today's episode, we see what one of them is making of these mixed signals.
GUEST:
Justin Wolfers, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan
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Dozens of parents showed up to speak at the Oxford School Board meeting—the first since the deadly shooting at the town's high school two weeks ago. The question for the school district now: how to rebuild trust and community after unimaginable loss.
GUEST:
David Jesse, reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Find his article about the board meeting and parent response here.
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If you’ve ever driven down Scio Church Road in Ann Arbor, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a barn with “M GO BLUE” shingled into the side of its roof. The barn has long been a local Ann Arbor landmark. It's even gotten national attention with shots of it showing up on television during college football games. Now, the family that owns the barn is hoping to give it a second life as a beer garden and restaurant. On today's episode, we'll talk to two members of the Parker family about finding ways to preserve history while creating a community spaces for the present day.
GUESTS:
Bill Parker, owner of M Go Blue barn and property
Matt Parker, son of Bill, who is spearheading the plan to turn the barn into the “Barn and Grill”
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Many Michigan hospitals are in crisis mode right now. Between COVID-19 cases and normal seasonal spikes of illnesses like flu, they are struggling to find space for patients. Some hospitals are postponing surgeries and shifting staff to deal with the overflow. Michigan Radio's Dustin Dwyer tells us about the view from inside a Grand Rapids hospital.
GUEST:
Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio reporter
You can find Dustin's story about the situation at Mercy Health St. Mary's here.
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Ahead of University of Michigan’s College Football Playoff clash against University of Georgia, we look back on previous matchups between the two states — a history embroiled with racial conflict.
GUEST:
Buddy Moorehouse, journalist and filmmaker behind the documentary, Black and Blue: The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Football Game.
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Years before educator and historian Jamon Jordan founded Black Scroll Network, History & Tours, taking a tour of Detroit with him was a must-do. And apparently, the City of Detroit agreed; Jamon Jordan has recently been appointed as its first official City Historian. It's an honorary role that is both ceremonial and educational. He will promote, research, and preserve information about Detroit's history.
GUEST:
Jamon Jordan, educator and Detroit City Historian.
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The suspect in the deadly Oxford High School shooting last week is 15 years old. But he will stand trial as an adult. On one hand, we know the brain of a 15-year-old is neither fully developed nor making the rational decisions of an adult. But it's vital the law prevents future harm by a violent offender. Today, we talk with a juvenile defense attorney about the legal rights Ethan Crumbley is afforded.
GUEST:
Deborah LaBelle, civil rights attorney
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When we talk about building generational wealth in the US, we’re mostly talking about property ownership. But often, the conversation is far more complex: there's grief and estate management when someone dies and wealth is passed on. And for Black Americans, holding onto something like a family home can be slippery. In Detroit, the gains Black families made over generations have been eroded by foreclosures, scams, and limited access to credit. Today, we talk with an award-winning poet in Detroit about her efforts to keep her family home... in the family.
GUEST:
Nandi Comer, poet, writer and Detroiter.
ReadThe Mendota House: Generational wealth and inheritance in Detroit, an essay by Nandi Comer at michiganradio.org.
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Last week's shooting at Oxford High School is the latest in a long line, nationally. Does it change the longstanding conversation around gun reform in Michigan? In its wake, two members of the Michigan House of Representatives — from different ends of the aisle — share their views on Michigan’s gun laws and preventing the next tragedy.
GUESTS:
Matt Koleszar, Michigan House Representative (D-Wayne County) and former public school teacher
Phil Green, Michigan House Representative (R-Huron County) and former youth pastor, coach and private school administrator
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Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald filed four counts of Involuntary Manslaughter against both Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of Oxford High School student and shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley. The details of McDonald's investigation allege Ethan had unfettered access to a gun bought for him as a gift by his parents. Prosecutor McDonald shares more details on today's Stateside.
GUEST:
Karen McDonald, Oakland County Prosecutor
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Students at Oxford High School had their world turned upside down in a matter of minutes. Two days later, it is still hard to know where to begin with the aftermath. Today, a former school superintendent talks about managing community mental health response, and an expert weighs in on the psychology behind why these shootings happen.
GUESTS:
Darienne Driver Hudson, president and CEO of United Way for Southeastern Michigan.
Marc Zimmerman, director of the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center, co-director of the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and a professor of public health, psychology, and education at the University of Michigan.
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What do you do when there's someone outside your classroom door, and they have a gun? Today, the unspeakable tragedy of a fatal shooting at Oxford High School in Oakland County.
GUESTS:
Dave Coulter, Oakland County executive
Dylan Morris, junior at Oxford High School
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Michigan is on pace to top the national record for COVID hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. And Kent County may not have as many cases as, say, Oakland or Wayne County. But per capita, it is not far behind. Today, we hear how Michigan's surge is largely occurring among the unvaccinated. In this case, that means children.
GUEST:
Dr. Adam London, health officer for the Kent County Health Department
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On Friday, the World Health Organization announced that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is a “new variant of concern.” Omicron has not been detected in the US...yet. But it has been found in Europe, Africa, Asia, and right over the border from Michigan—in Ontario, Canada. Today, what you need to know about the Omicron variant.
GUEST:
Emily Martin, epidemiologist with the University of Michigan
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Are you as excited as we are to be back around the table with vaccinated friends and family this Thanksgiving? Last year, we did our best, but it just wasn't the same. At the same time, the holidays can also be a potent reminder of people we've lost and the grief left behind in their place.
For Bon Appétit contributor Alex Beggs, the holidays are about holding our grief and joy in equal measure, accompanied by a hearty serving of family favorites, whether that's mole enchiladas or a White Russian post-dinner cocktail. On this episode, we talk to her about the alchemy that turns shared meals into a way through mourning.
GUEST:
Alex Beggs, senior staff writer for Bon Appétit. You can find Alex's story, titled "Ghosts at the Table," here.
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Thanksgiving brings frozen and farm-fresh turkeys to tables throughout the U.S.—but Michiganders, even in cities, have already been seeing wild ones wandering down streets and up driveways. Are we really seeing wild turkeys where we’ve never seen them before? And… are they tasty? On today's podcast episode, we're answering your turkey questions.
GUEST:
Al Stewart, director of the Nimrod Education Center at Hillsdale College
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When you think about traditional Thanksgiving side-dishes in Michigan, you think mashed potatoes, stuffing and green bean casserole, right? But Michigan is so much more than a shelf-stable can of Campbells. We’re a multicultural state that has carried forward ancestral delights to the Thanksgiving table. Mark Kurlyandchik wrote about this very thing in a recent article for SEEN Magazine and shares his finding with us.
GUEST: Mark Kurlyandchik, food writer
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With recent COVID increases in the state, parents are uncertain about the future and school districts are grasping for solutions, setting off a host of new problems for parents and kids. Today, we check in with two parents, in two very different school districts about masking, vaccines for kids, and other pandemic school year challenges.
GUESTS:
Caitlyn Perry Dial lives in Brighton. Her son, Elliott, is seven and her son, Theo, is four.
Arlyssa Heard lives in Detroit. Her son, Judah Shelton, is 15.
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This week, Michigan’s COVID infection numbers exploded into a fourth surge that has worried doctors, overwhelmed hospital systems and left the rest of us asking what could be next. Michigan is now leading the nation in COVID infections.
West Michigan’s largest hospital, Spectrum Health, on Tuesday reported more COVID inpatient cases than the hospital has ever had at any point in the pandemic. In addition, more tests are coming back positive, more kids are being hospitalized and people seem to be sicker than in previous months, according to Michigan Radio reporter, Dustin Dwyer.
Dr. Preeti Malani, chief health officer at the University of Michigan, is responsible for the health and safety of tens of thousands of students, faculty, and staff. She’s also a practicing physician at Michigan Medicine who specializes in infectious disease.
“It's easy to forget that this is a novel coronavirus,” Malani said. While doctors have made strides in prevention and treatment, the way the virus moves and changes is not fully understood.
“We still don't understand it even almost two years into this. Although it's changed all of humanity, we're still learning,” she said.
But we do know who’s most likely to become severely ill from contracting the virus. According to Dr. Malani, most people hospitalized due to COVID are unvaccinated or those with underlying health conditions.
“We still have work to do in terms of getting folks vaccinated,” she said.
As if hospitals don’t have enough on their plates with the surge, the state continues to be threatened by another virus: the flu. Dr. Malani warned of what she called a “twindemic”—being hit by a flu outbreak amid the pandemic. Although she first started worrying about how both viruses' paths might collide last year, her fears didn't pan out -- possibly because many Michiganders were staying home and avoiding one or the other disease. But this year, the fourth surge, combined with low vaccination rates, may be cause for concern.
Around 70% of Michiganders are fully vaccinated against coronavirus. But, according to state records, only 20% have gotten flu shots this season. At this time last year, Michigan’s vaccination rates were nearly 50% higher. Health systems paid a lot of attention to vaccinating against the flu because, in addition to avoiding the bug, their ERs and inpatient beds were already overwhelmed, Dr. Malani said.
To the extent they know healthcare systems are swamped by COVID, people may be more motivated to get their flu shots in coming weeks.
Most flu vaccines are free with insurance, but free vaccines are available for those without insurance as well. Locations for COVID and flu vaccines can be found at vaccines.gov.
GUESTS:
Dustin Dwyer, reporter with Michigan Radio
Dr. Preeti Malani, chief health officer at the University of Michigan
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Today, PBS will premiere the new film "American Exile” about the lives of military veterans, deported from the United States after their service, because of their immigration status. The documentary was a collaborative effort between Burning Box Studio and WKAR Public Media at Michigan State University. Military service is such a huge part of the stories we tell ourselves about who belongs in this country. What happens when the government decides that, even as a veteran, you don’t belong here?
GUESTS:
Carleen Hsu is a journalism professor at MSU, and editor of documentary "American Exile."
John Valadez is a journalism professor at MSU and production director of the documentary "American Exile."
Manuel Valenzuela is a Vietnam War veteran at the center of the documentary "American Exile."
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On Friday, we considered the possible need for new tactics for the U.S. to secure the release of Michigan-born journalist Danny Fenster from his imprisonment in Myanmar since May. He had just been sentenced to 11 years of hard labor on alleged charges that included violating immigration law and encouraging dissent against the military. He also faced newly raised charges of sedition and terrorism, which can carry life sentences in Myanmar under its current military regime.
Just three days later, seemingly suddenly, Fenster was finally freed today.
“There started to be some rumors circulating a couple of hours before he was actually released,” said Andrew Nachemson, a friend and colleague of Fenster’s at Frontier Myanmar who is currently based in Thailand.
Former diplomat and past governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson was in Myanmar last week for face-to-face meetings with the regime’s Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, on a mission to talk about COVID. He negotiated Fenster’s release.
It was the last step in a monthslong process. “The suddenness of the release shouldn't fool people,” said U.S. Representative Andy Levin (MI-09). “It was the result of steady patient work by career diplomats and folks in the intelligence and diplomatic community around the world.”
On today's Stateside podcast episode, April Baer talks with both Nachemson and Levin about Fenster’s release, and where this saga leaves journalists still in the region as well as U.S. relations with the regime.
GUESTS:
Congressman Andy Levin is a Democrat representing Michigan’s 9th congressional district.
Andrew Nachmenson is a journalist covering politics and human rights in southeast Asia.
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This morning we learned that a military court in Myanmar sentenced US journalist and Michigan native, Danny Fenster, to 11 years in prison. He’s charged with allegedly spreading false or inflammatory information. Today, Danny Fenster's story and how this happened to begin with.
GUEST:
Steven Butler, Asia Program Coordinator, Committee to Protect Journalists
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Today, we return to one of the most anticipated YA reads of the year. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Michigan’s Angeline Boulley is at once a a ripping thriller and a complex story of a girl finding her way in two cultures. Since our conversation in February, it hit the New York Times best-seller list.
GUEST:
Angeline Boulley is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and writer of the debut novel Firekeeper’s Daughter.
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There's a steady uptick in COVID-19 cases in Michigan right now. And while we aren't seeing dramatic spikes like we did earlier in the pandemic, this slow autumn surge of cases is pushing Michigan healthcare systems to their limits. On this episode of the podcast, we'll talk to an emergency doctor about how this rise in cases is impacting hospital care for patients, whether or not they have COVID-19.
GUEST:
Dr. Brad Uren, emergency medicine professor at the University of Michigan and former president of the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians
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The House recently passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, a massive $1 trillion infrastructure spending bill. Michigan is getting ready to spend a significant amount of cash. Today, we dig into what this bill will do for Michiganders and what may come next.
GUESTS:
Rashida Tlaib (D) is the representative for Michigan's 13th District in Wayne County.
Zoe Clark is Michigan Radio’s director of content. You can follow her at @ZoeMelinaClark.
Riley Beggin is Detroit News' Washington correspondent. You can follow her at @RBeggin.—
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The American Rescue Plan, passed by Congress earlier this year, turned the annual child tax credit into monthly cash payments for families with kids. As Congress debates whether to extend the policy, Stateside digs into what the extra cash has meant both for individual households and the broader economy.
GUESTS:
Anita Cobb, mother of three living in Lansing. You can find more about Anita and other families receiving the child tax credit payments here.
Betsey Stevenson, professor at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy
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Love ‘em. Hate ‘em. Either way zoos play a big role in nearly every city. And that’s especially true in Detroit. Dr. Hayley Murphy is the new director of the Detroit Zoo. And she's also the first woman to hold that position in the zoo’s 93-year history. On today's pod episode, we have Dr. Murphy to talk all about conservation, animal stress, and the impact of COVID.
GUEST:
Dr. Hayley Murphy, director and chief executive officer of the Detroit Zoo
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Last week, Facebook announced it was changing its name to Meta, and Mark Zuckerberg talked about the rebrand in terms of the metaverse and the future of the internet. But what exactly is the metaverse, and will we have to be customers of Facebook — or Meta — to go there? Today, on Stateside, a media and information expert fills us in on some, sci-fi, social media and social equity points to think about.
GUEST:
Robby Ratan is an associate professor of media and information at Michigan State University.
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Three cities in southeast Michigan elected young Arab American men serve as mayor: Hamtramck, Dearborn Heights, and Dearborn.
The latter, home to one of the largest Arab American populations in the country, elected State Representative Abdullah Hammoud to replace longtime mayor John "Jack" O’Reilly. On today's episode, we talk to Hammoud about his historic election and his plans for the city.
GUEST:
Abdullah Hammoud, Michigan state representative and Dearborn mayor-elect
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So many kids and families have been desperate to restore a sense of normalcy. Getting back to face to face learning has been a huge relief, even if fraught with complications. Many school districts are hanging on to normal operations by their fingertips with a shortage of staffers and increasing COVID-19 infections. Today, we talk to the president of Michigan's largest teachers' union, and to one school superintendent about what’s behind the school staffing shortages and what districts are doing to address COVID in the classroom.
GUESTS:
Jeanice Kerr Swift is the Ann Arbor Public Schools superintendent.
Paula Herbart is the president of Michigan Education Association.
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State officials last week stripped Adams Township clerk Stephanie Scott of her of authority to run elections. The story behind why they did that reflects a broad shift in how national politics are playing out at your local ballot box.
GUEST:
Jonathan Oosting, politics reporter for Bridge Michigan. You can find more of Oosting's reporting on Stephanie Scott here.
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Since the Lewis College of Business closed in 2013, there hasn’t been a single historically Black college or university in the whole of Michigan. That is until now. Shoe designer and entrepreneur, D’Wayne Edwards, is helping to bring back Lewis College under a new name and mission. On today’s podcast episode, representation in design, opening doors, and maybe some broader lessons for higher education.
GUEST:
D’Wayne Edwards, Founder of PENSOLE & PENSOLE Lewis College of Business & Design
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As November draws near, families around the state are preparing for Día de los Muertos. The holiday, which originated in Mexico, speaks to all of our feelings about lost loved ones, both sad and happy. Families create small altars, called ofrendas, that bear pictures, flowers, favorite foods, and lots of love. Today, we'll talk to three Michiganders about what the day and its traditions mean to them.
GUESTS:
Reyna Garcia, Grand Rapids artist, social activist, and cultural ambassador
Kim Kozlowski, reporter at The Detroit News. who You can read Kozlowski's story about connecting with her late mom’s Mexican heritage through ofrendas here.
Sarah Nasser, mental health counsellor by training. Nasser's ofrenda at the DIA this year honors her family's Lebanese heritage.
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It’s getting colder out, and some Michigan restaurants are still struggling with operational costs and staffing shortages. Running a restaurant has never been easy, but this particular moment is loaded with a whole new set of challenges around staffing, procurement, and what happens at the front of the house. Today, a celebrated Detroit area chef talks about survival during and after the pandemic.
GUEST:
James Rigato is chef and owner of award-winning Mabel Gray in Hazel Park.
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Jamon Jordan is an educator and a historian, and has been telling Detroit's story for a long time. Now the city has officially named him the city's historian.
GUEST:
Jamon Jordan, educator and Detroit City Historian
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Seven years after Flint's Water Crisis rocked Michigan, why are we seeing elevated lead levels in communities such as Benton Harbor? It's complicated, and Michigan Radio editor Lindsey Smith has been on the story for years.
GUEST:
Lindsey Smith is an editor at Michigan Radio, and has been following the Flint water story for many years. She produced an award winning documentary for Michigan Radio on Flint called "Not Safe To Drink"
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Soon, Michigan will have new congressional and legislative districts. How those lines are drawn will have political consequences that last a decade. But before that happens, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Council is seeking public comment on the set of draft maps they recently released.
Today on the pod, we talk to one of the members of the commission about how that's going, and we hear from a state lawmaker who says he has some major concerns about the maps as they are drawn right now.
GUESTS:
Sue Hammersmith, executive director of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.
Adam Hollier, Democratic state Senator representing parts of Detroit, Grosse Pointe, Highland Park, Hamtramck and Harper Woods.
Information about the remaining public hearings:
Friday, Oct. 22, 1-3:30 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.DeVos Place, Steelcase Ballroom
303 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
Monday, Oct. 25, 1-3:30 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.Treetops Resort
3962 Wilkinson Road, Gaylord
Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1-3:30 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.Dort Center
3501 Lapeer Road, Flint
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An unusually warm fall means more time to grow your favorite summer crops—while adding in some veggies that love cooler temperatures, too. On this episode, Luke Marion, the creator of the wildly popular MIGardener YouTube channel, explains how to make the most of your fall garden.
GUESTS:
Luke Marion, Michigan Youtube gardner
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Michigan’s legislature is moving a package of bills designed to streamline operations for the state’s beleaguered child care industry. Not only have day-to-day operations changed radically because of COVID, but the industry’s financial model has been thrown into chaos because of the statewide labor shortage. This episode, two perspectives on Michigan's child care crisis.
GUESTS:
Dustin Walsh is a reporter for Crain's Detroit Business.
Nina Hodge is the owner of Above and Beyond Learning Child Care Center in Detroit.
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Father Charles Coughlin's radio ministry was founded during the Great Depression, and based at this church in Metro Detroit, the Shrine of the Little Flower. He commanded tens of millions of listeners through hateful rhetoric. His conspiracy theories spun about Jewish bankers and global cabals informed a growing wave of intolerance and far right wing radicalism. Today, we dig into the history of this broadcast pioneer who spread a doctrine of intolerance and division across the United States.
GUEST:
Andrew Lapin, producer and host of the new podcast series Radioactive for Tablet Magazine.
NOTES:
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Twenty years after beginning his job as the Detroit Pistons’ PA announcer, beloved Detroit radio personality John Mason joined Stateside to look back on his work.
From his “cartoon imagination” on the mic, to the essential Mason in the Morning show on WJLB, to playing a part of the the 2004 Pistons national championship, John Mason has seen a lot.
GUEST:
John Mason, Detroit radio personality and Pistons' PA announcer
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A recent study in Michigan found that schools without mask mandates have seen 62% more COVID-19 cases than in schools with enforced masking. Despite the date, the issue of masking in schools has become a political lightning rod. But there's a side of this story that hasn’t been at the forefront of the masking conversation...and it really needs to be. Today, we're talking about what COVID-19 means for students with disabilities. and their families.
GUESTS:
Andrea and Beth, two parents in Wayne County*
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With great bookshelves come great responsibilities. For writer and critic Douglas Wolk, that means consuming some twenty-seven-thousand comic books – the entirety of Marvel Comics’ output spanning more than half a century. And he wrote a book about it: All of the Marvels published October 12.
GUEST:
Douglas Wolk, writer, critic, and journalist
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For about a week, former Wolverine football player Jon Vaughn has been camped out in a small blue tent in front of University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel's house in Ann Arbor. He's there to protest how the university has treated survivors of sexual abuse by former U of M sports doctor Robert Anderson, including himself, during mediations over compensation. And he says he'll stay there until he and other survivors can meet directly with Schlissel or members of the Board of Regents.
GUEST:
Jon Vaughn, former U of M and NFL football player
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At Detroit’s Fillmore theater this past summer, comedian Dave Chappelle performed four shows that became his current Netflix special "The Closer." Since then, Chappelle has been criticized for homophobia, transphobia and antisemitism. But his defenders say he is misunderstood and is pushing the bounds of comedy.
GUESTS:
Eric Deggans, television and media critic for NPR
Bryce Huffman, reporter for Bridge Detroit
Joe Aasim, comedian and host of the monthly Neapolitan Ice Cream open mic in Detroit
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Members of county boards of canvassers don’t often find themselves in the political spotlight, but that changed after the 2020 election. Now, some local chapters of the Michigan Republican Party are looking at county boards as potential battlegrounds for the next election, too.
GUEST:
Craig Mauger, Detroit News reporter
You can find Mauger's article about local GOP chapters remaking county boards of canvassers here.
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The pawpaw, an elusive and unique fruit native to the U.S.’s mid-Atlantic region, has been an important food to plenty of Native people for a very long time. But in modern times, it’s just now getting traction in the culinary scene. Today, we learn how to find, cook, and consume a pawpaw.
GUEST:
Sara Bir, chef and author of The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook
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Flint born-poet Jonah Mixon Webster’s collection Stereo(TYPE) got a second life this summer. It originally came out in 2019, published by ASADA Press, and this summer saw a reprint published by a much larger imprint, Knopf. If you’ve never read him before, you’re in for a totally immersive experience.
GUEST:
Jonah Mixon-Webster, poet and author
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Dr. David Pilgrim is a museum curator at Ferris State University's Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. It's home to 14,000 mostly racist artifacts. Today we’re talking with Pilgrim about how this Michigan museum uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance, and about the future of the museum with it’s $18.5 million expansion.
GUESTS:
David Pilgrim, Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia curator and Ferris State University’s vice president for diversity, inclusion and strategic initiatives.
Find out more about visiting the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia.
Check out the virtual Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia tour.
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Federal prosecutors and attorneys for an armed anti-government militia continue to lay groundwork for a trial set to take place next year. The group of mostly-Michigan men, the so-called Wolverine Watchmen, are accused of plotting last year to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The defense has indicated it will show jurors that the plot never would have happened, had FBI informants not drawn the militia members in.
The defense has indicated it will show jurors that the plot never would have happened, had FBI informants not drawn the militia members in. Today, we talked with two Buzzfeed reporters about their investigation, which shines critical light on how the FBI investigated the plot, and the role confidential informants played in the case.
GUESTS:
Jessica Garrison, senior investigative editor for BuzzFeed News, based in San Francisco
Ken Bensinger, investigative reporter for BuzzFeed News, based in Los Angeles
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President Joe Biden will be in Howell, Michigan tomorrow. And he’s coming to rally support for his infrastructure plan. The infrastructure bill passed in the Senate back in August. But the House vote has been pushed back again and again for months. On this episode, we’re digging into this infrastructure bill, how it could help Michigan if passed, and why it’s been delayed.
GUESTS:
Congressman Dan Kildee, represents Michigan’s 5th District
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Autumn is the season for pumpkin spiced everything. As for Stateside? We'll take all the apples instead. So we were distraught to hear that a few freezing nights in April hurt the crop at many orchards in the state.
GUESTS:
Jan Upston, owner of Wasem Fruit Farm in Milan
Leandra King, owner of Detroit Farm and Cider in Detroit
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The state budget, signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, has a provision that could threaten the funding of local health departments that issue mask mandates. The governor says it's unenforceable, but some counties aren't willing to risk it. On this episode, we'll sort through what this all means for public health policy on the ground with a political reporter and someone from a county health department.
GUESTS: Jonathan Oosting, state politics reporter with Bridge Michigan.
Gillian Conrad, communications manager for the Berrien County Health Department
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From the Great Migration to the impact of the I-75 extension in Detroit, Black and Latinx Americans have seen many parallels through their decades in the city. Today, we talk about the history, development and gentrification of Southwest Detroit, including Mexicantown, Corktown, and Delray.
GUEST:
Maria Elena Rodriguez, native Detroiter, entrepreneur, activist, and former president of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation.
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In Northern Michigan, two GOP events, one on Mackinac Island, and one in Antrim County cast light on a party divided. Many national figures joined with mainstream elected officials at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference. Not too far away, Garrett Soldano, a candidate for Governor held his own rally.
What is the Republican Party in Michigan in the post-Trump era? And can the disparate factions of the Party align on a single message ahead of the midterm elections?
GUEST:
Jonathan Oosting, politics reporter for Bridge Michigan
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Detriot artist Rashaun Rucker has spent the past few years thinking about birds—more specifically pigeons. He’s considered their gift of flight, their lower status with respect to human city dweller, and the odd kinship he feels with them as a Black man. On this episode, we talk to Rucker about his new exhibit exploring those connections, which draws its title—Never Free to Rest—from a James Baldwin quote.
GUEST:
Rashaun Rucker, award-winning photographer and interdisciplinary artist from Detroit
Never Free to Rest is on view to the public at the U of M Institute for the Humanities in Ann Arbor. The show runs through October 15, 2021. If you can’t make it in person, you can see photos from the exhibit here.
Rucker will be giving a virtual talk about his work this Thursday, September 30th as part of the Penny Stamps Speaker Series. Find more info about that here.
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Have you noticed a barrage of projectiles crashing down on your roof this fall? Much to the delight of squirrels, chipmunks and other creatures, 2021 has been a big year for acorns, walnuts and other fruit of Michigan trees. Today, a horticulturist talks about our unexpected bumper crops.
GUEST:
Bert Cregg, professor of horticulture at Michigan State University.
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How do you capture the sense of a place? The sights, the sounds, its people? Author Jerry Dennis's new book, Up North In Michigan: A Portrait of Place Across Four Seasons, sets out to capture the essence of Northern Michigan.Today, we’re talking to Jerry Dennis about his love of the North Michigan landscape and what it means when the place you’ve known for a lifetime transforms because of climate change.
GUEST:
Jerry Dennis, author
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Michigan’s system of care for people hurt in car accidents is breaking down after the state implemented a package of major reforms to auto insurance laws this summer. That’s left auto accident survivors, and the home health care workers that support them, without the funding they’ve relied on for years.
On today’s episode, we talk to a reporter about how insurance companies are routinely delaying or denying payment for post-accident care—and putting the entire care industry in jeopardy because of it.
GUEST:
Tracy Samilton, reporter at Michigan Radio
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Kent County’s health director was nearly run off the road by an angry county resident, after issuing a countywide mandate for masks in schools. A new bombshell report in Michigan Advance details a health official in distress. Today, the health director's appeal to the county’s Board of Commissioners for help.
GUESTS:
- Anna Gustafson, assistant editor of Michigan Advance
- Melissa LaGrand, Kent County County Commissioner representing parts of Grand Rapids
- Phil Skaggs, minority Vice Chair of the Commission representing some of East Grand Rapids
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Doctors, nurses, and hospital staff have seen scores of COVID-19 patients pass away in the past year and a half. They've endured brutally long hours at the hospital. But now, they're up against a different kind of challenge: unvaccinated patients who are in denial about their condition or refuse to accept doctors' advice.
On today's episode, you'll hear from a doctor whose widely-shared Facebook post detailed his frustrations with trying to fight the misinformation he hears from patients.
GUEST: Dr. Matthew Trunsky, pulmonologist with Beaumont Hospital in Troy
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Back in 1972, a couple of contemporary artists created an installation that explored what it means to be a woman. It was called Womanhouse. And the artists transformed a deserted Hollywood mansion into an expression of womanhood, femininity, and its challenges. Now, nearly 50 years later, a group of Detroit artists are taking on the same concept and reinterpreting it for this present moment. On today’s episode, we’re talking about contemporary feminism and the making of Womxnhouse Detroit.
Reserve tickets here to see Womxnhouse Detroit
GUESTS:
Jessica DeMuro Graves, multimedia and interdisciplinary artist
Laura Earle, Womxhouse Detroit co-curator
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School is back in session—from college campuses to kindergarten classrooms. And, thanks to the highly contagious delta variant, COVID-19 outbreaks in schools are popping up across the state. On today’s episode, we talk to Michigan Radio data reporter Nisa Khan about the latest state data on COVID outbreaks in public schools, and how to interpret the numbers.
GUEST:
Nisa Khan, data reporter at Michigan Radio
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It’s back to school season, and in this era of COVID-19 with the debate over mask mandates, what this looks like depends a lot on where you live. Today, we hear stories of two Michigan families: One family has an unvaccinated seven year old in a school district that is not requiring masks, and the other has a teenager who is vaccinated in a district with a mask mandate.
GUESTS:
Erin Allen is a producer for Stateside.
Rachel Ishikawa is Michigan Radio’s podcast producer.
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Surrounded by protesters on Belle Isle, former Detroit Police Chief James Craig announced his run for Michigan governor as a Republican. This may not be the announcement he had planned or hoped for, but it could work out in his favor.
GUEST: Zoe Clark, Michigan Radio program director
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After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, people who hadn’t thought much about domestic security were suddenly painfully aware of what could happen. And people whose business was public safety suddenly had a new set of concerns on their hands. On today’s episode, we’ll get into how that day changed the institutions charged with keeping us safe, and the implications those changes have had on a new era of domestic threats.
GUEST:
Barb McQuade, University of Michigan law professor and former U.S. Attorney for Michigan’s Eastern District
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Tomorrow marks two decades since September 11th. Twenty years later, we’re still trying to wrap our heads around its impact. Today, we’re looking at a specific piece of this story, one that's especially relevant in Michigan. Michigan is home to the largest population of Arab Americans in the U.S. and since 9/11 Arab or Muslims - or people perceived as Arab or Muslim - have experienced intensified policing and discrimitation.
GUESTS:
Zahra Huber, podcaster and photographer
Ali Harb, journalist
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In 2009, Wayne Count Prosecutor Kym Worthy found out there were more than 11,000 unprocessed rape kits sitting neglected in a Detroit warehouse. Horrified, she made it a mission of her office to make sure all of the backlog of kits were tested, and as many rapists were convicted as possible. That work is finally nearly complete.
GUEST:
Bryce Huffman, reporter, Bridge Detroit
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