The Detroit Evening Report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has lifted the emergency order on the city of Flint's drinking water. The EPA announced Monday that Flint's water system is now in compliance with lead standards and has replaced over 97% of lead pipes carrying water to homes.

Also, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Plus, Detroit City Council has confirmed Tanya Stoudemire as the city's first female Chief Financial Officer. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

On this episode of Detroit Evening Report Weekends, we listen to the third story in WDET reporter Nargis Rahman's series Shustho.

The four-part series explores the barriers Bangladeshi women face in accessing high quality health care, and efforts to bridge those gaps.

In this story, we visit the Health Unit on Davison Avenue (HUDA) — the largest free health clinic in Wayne County — to learn about the services it provides to members of the community without health insurance. 

Stay tuned to DER Weekends throughout the month of May to hear the entire four-part series.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tornadoes may be possible for a second consecutive night across much of lower Michigan on Friday, with parts of metro Detroit likely to experience thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.

Plus, the Detroit Fire Department is continuing its Summer Safety Series every second Wednesday of the month through August, covering seasonal fire safety tips, prevention strategies and more.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

A former Michigan National Guardsman was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday for his role in an alleged plot to attack a U.S. Army Base in Warren.

Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, is accused of planning a mass shooting at Detroit Arsenal and the United States Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) headquarters, on behalf of the terrorist organization ISIS.

Other headlines for Thursday, May 15, 2025:

• Two Hamtramck City Council members have been accused of fraud and perjury, after an internal investigation found that they do not live in Hamtramck. 
• Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says the city has gained almost 7,000 new residents since last year, citing the Census Bureau's latest population estimate.
• Inflation rose in metro Detroit, but not by much. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says consumer prices in March and April were up 1.4% from the same period last year, and .8% higher than the previous two months. The index covers the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area.  
• Detroit Disability Power is inviting voters throughout metro Detroit to join the National Polling Access Audit Coalition for its Voting Access Summit. The virtual event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday next week.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

• Free enrollment for Pre-K is now open for all families across Michigan, regardless of income for the 2025-26 school year.
• Michigan State Rep. Joe Tate (D-Detroit) launched his campaign for U.S. Senate on Sunday. 
• The Detroit Public Library is hosting free estate planning workshops through the spring and summer seasons, with the first one taking place on May 17. The workshop will cover planning tools such as wills, deeds, and trust agreements.
• The Coleman A. Young Recreation Center reopened over the weekend after an $11 million renovation and a five-year closure. Improvements include parking lot repairs, EV charging stations, new exterior windows, gym floor refinishing, pool system enhancements and updated HVAC and electrical systems. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

On this episode of Detroit Evening Report Weekends, we listen to the second story in WDET reporter Nargis Rahman's series Shustho.

The four-part series explores the barriers Bangladeshi women face in accessing high quality health care, and efforts to bridge those gaps.

In the second story, we meet several Bangladeshi American healthcare professionals working to provide culturally competent care to women in their community.   Rahman explores how culture, relationships and education affect how Bangladeshi women experience treatment.

Stay tuned to DER Weekends throughout the month of May to hear the entire four-part series.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

City leaders joined with community members and stakeholders on Wednesday to celebrate the grand opening of a new affordable housing complex at the historic St. Matthew School on Detroit’s east side.

Other headlines for Friday, May 9, 2025:

• The My Mental Wellness clinic inside the Islamic Center of Detroit will host a mental health first aid training from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 10.
• Southwest Detroit music venue El Club closed down Saturday due to what the general manager described as "police intimidation," Detroit Metro Times reports.
• The late Detroit funk and soul ‘ambassador’ Amp Fiddler is being honored on May 16 with his own street — Amp Fiddler Ave. The city of Detroit, in collaboration with the Amp Fiddler Estate, will reveal the street sign on the corner of 7 mile Rd and Revere St.
  All are welcomed to attend.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has expanded its support for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. 

Other headlines for Thursday, May 8, 2025:

• The TRUE Community Credit Union is providing $75,000 over five years to the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) to set up a recovery center for substance use disorders.   
• The Hamtramck Drug Free Community Coalition is hosting its 16th Annual Hamtramck Health Hike from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 17. The first 400 people will receive freebies. Register at tinyurl.com/HealthHike. 
• The city of Warren is hosting its second annual Asian American & Pacific Islander Celebration from 12-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, at the Warren Community Center, 5460 Arden Ave. The event will feature music, food and vendors.
• The supermarket La Jalisciense is expanding to Taylor, Michigan. The supermarket offers Mexican cafeteria style foods and groceries. The new store, La Jali, is an expansion of its Southwest Detroit store that’s been family run for over a decade. The new store is located at 9411 Telegraph Rd.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

A recent report from the state health department says big federal spending cuts threaten Medicaid benefits for 700,000 people in Michigan. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, May 7, 2025:

• The United Auto Workers union held rallies in Trenton and Warren this week to demand Stellantis move production work to the U.S., and Michigan in particular.
• Detroit City Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero says she is certified to appear on the August primary ballot. The city elections department disqualified her over a late fee it said she failed to pay.
  Santiago-Romero contested the penalty, saying she did pay it, and that her disqualification was due to a clerical error.
• Construction crews have begun building the Detroit Grand Prix racetrack around the Renaissance Center. Race organizers say it’ll take about a week less to set up for the race this year thanks to a new wall and fence design. The races runs May 30 through June 15.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

• The Michigan Global Talent Initiative wants 60% of the state's workforce to get a post-secondary education or professional certificate by 2030.
• The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is joining efforts to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day on May 5.
• The Division of Victim Services provides grant funding to federally recognized tribes for domestic violence through the StrongHearts Native Helpline, an anonymous confidential hotline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives. To contact the helpline, call 1-844-7Native or visit strongheartshelpline.org to chat.
• The city of Detroit is launching a Summer Youth Arts Employment Training Initiative to train and hire teens for summer jobs.
• Dearborn’s Economic Development Department and the American Arab Chamber of Commerce is hosting a resource fair from 4-8 p.m Wednesday, May 14, at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

On this episode of Detroit Evening Report Weekends, we listen to the first story in WDET reporter Nargis Rahman's series Shustho.

The four-part series explores the barriers Bangladeshi women face in accessing high quality health care, and efforts to bridge those gaps.

Michigan is home to the third largest population of Bangladeshis in the U.S., most living in the metro Detroit area. 

Throughout the Shustho series, Nargis explores a number of challenges that make it hard for Bangladeshi immigrants to access health care, including cultural competency within the medical profession and access to adequate insurance. 

The first story is focused on language barriers. Nargis speaks with organizations advocating for Bangla-speaking patients, community members who serve as advocates, translators and educators and medical professionals working to increase awareness.

Stay tuned to DER Weekends to hear the entire four-part series in May.

• Cinco de Mayo is on Monday but Detroit will celebrate Sunday with the 60th annual Cinco de Mayo Parade in Southwest Detroit. The parade begins at noon at Patton Park and will end at Clark Park. 
• As the Cinco de Mayo Parade winds down Sunday, the Blessing of the Low Riders revs up at the Motor City Dance Academy. The annual event showcasing lowrider cars and bikes will take place from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, and feature live music and dance performances, food and art vendors, and the blessing of vehicles. 
• Jazz vocalist Penny Wells will perform at the Detroit Historical Society’s Jazz in the Streets of Old Detroit series next Thursday, May 8. Proceeds from the event help support the work of the Black Historic Sites Committee.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

To help prevent summer injuries and deaths, the nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide is sharing child safety tips.

Other headlines for Thursday, May 1, 2025:

• For the first time in the city’s history, Dearborn will not have a primary election in August, the Detroit Free Press reported. The city clerk says there are not enough candidates running to make a primary necessary.
• The city of Detroit is breaking ground on the $28 million Russell Woods Senior Living Community on Friday on Dexter Avenue. Developer Fabiola Fleuranvil promises the units will be “deeply affordable" for residents.
• Detroit has commissioned 43 artists to establish art installations in nine city-sponsored “art alleys” across Detroit. It’s part of the city's Arts Alleys initiative, an effort to create vibrant community spaces to celebrate local culture and showcase local talents. Installations have begun and muralists will begin painting this month.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Those municipalities are defined as ones that are experiencing one or more conditions that qualify as “probable economic distress."

The funds will be split among 13 cities across the state to support projects, services or strategies aimed at improving their financial stability.

Other headlines for Wednesday, April 30, 2025: 

• A project to end extreme poverty is coming to Detroit this summer.  The organizers of “Global Citizen NOW” announced Wednesday that their international summit will be held in the Hudson's Detroit building downtown, July 8-11.
• The trial of a Grand Rapids police officer in connection with the death of a Black motorists continues.
• The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II — known as the "Six Triple Eight," was honored on Tuesday with the Congressional Gold Medal. 
• The Detroit Pistons are looking forward to Game 6 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the New York Knicks after the team's 106-103 win in Game 5 Tuesday night.

Congressman Shri Thanedar announced Monday that he has drafted articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, accusing him of violating the U.S. Constitution.

The Detroit Democrat cited Trump's defiance of a Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of a man who was mistakenly sent to a prison in El Salvador and trying to abolish government agencies without Congressional approval.

Other headlines for Wednesday, April 29, 2025:

• Michigan State Rep. Donavan McKinney is challenging incumbent Shri Thanedar for the 13th Congressional seat.
• The Arab American nonprofit organization ACCESS and the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) are teaming up with several community groups to host the 19th Annual National Arab American Service Day at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, mobilizing over 400 volunteers for hands-on environmental projects across metro Detroit.
• The Detroit Pistons will take on the New York Knicks in Game 5 of Round 1 of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday. If the Knicks win, they'll face the winner of No. 2 seed Boston or No. 7 Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals. If the Pistons win, they will stay alive and force a Game 6 at Little Caesars Arena.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

The Asian American nonprofit Rising Voices is hosting an educational event this weekend to kick off Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The event, Teaching Asian American History in Michigan: A Book Launch and Film Screening, will focus on the need for inclusive education in K-12.

Other headlines for Monday, April 28, 2025:

• The city of Hamtramck will host a series of Night Bazaars on the first Saturday of each month through the summer where local entrepreneurs, artists and small businesses can feature their work and products. The first event will be held from 4-9 p.m. this Saturday, May 3, at Pope Park. 
• Southwest Detroit will host the 60th annual Cinco De Mayo Parade this Sunday, May 4, featuring school marching bands, dignitaries, dancers, and more. This year's theme is past, present and future. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m. from Shed 2 at Eastern Market.
• The Dearborn Public Library and We Shall Read are hosting a series of free workshops in English and Arabic to support parents in helping their children learn how to read. The first workshop begins at 10:30 a.m. June 11 for grades 1-2, in Arabic only. Parents should bring their children with them to the workshop.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org. 

Plus, Detroit Fashion Revolution Week is wrapping up this weekend with several events.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Detroit has some of the worst air quality in the nation, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association. The organization’s “State of the Air” report gives the region an "F" grade in ground level ozone pollution, a "D" in particle pollution, and a failing grade overall in pollution levels above federal standards. 

Plus, Detroit City Council member Gabriella-Santiago Romero has been disqualified from having her name on the city’s August primary election ballot.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills is offering free admission on Thursday in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom HaShoah.

Also, the Detroit Department of Transportation announced Monday that it is expanding services including increasing frequency of buses on 13 routes and expanding weekend hours on 17 routes.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Several Michigan leaders released statements today in response to the news of Pope Francis' death, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church died on Monday morning at the age of 88. Francis was the first Latin American pope and the first Jesuit in the position.

Also, addiction researchers at the University of Michigan are starting a study this year that will pay smokers of menthol cigarettes to quit.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.