The Metro
"The Metro" covers local and regional news and current affairs, arts and cultural events and topics, with a commitment to airing perspectives and uncovering stories underreported by mainstream media in Detroit.
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How Abraham Aiyash plans to lower costs if he's elected to the state Senate
Partisanship isn't just a Washington problem. This year, Michigan's Legislature has been one of the slowest in recent memory as only a few bills passed since January. This is happening as costs keep climbing and families keep stretching. Life is getting really expensive and people want their leaders to take action.
With state Senator Erika Geiss, who is overseeing parts of Detroit and Downriver, unable to run for re-election, two Democrats are now vying to fix the problem of rising costs. One of them is former state House representative Abraham Aiyash. He spoke about his campaign and his plans with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.
Editor's note: this conversation discussed the possibility of data centers recycling water. Water sprayed or circulated in evaporative cooling systems can be recycled at data centers. But the recycling process requires significant on-site treatment to manage high concentrations of salts and other contaminants.
Detroit Techno history and future on stage at Movement this weekend
Since it’s founding in 2000, Movement has honored the raw, electrified spirit of the city where Techno was born. It’s a space where sound, struggle, and innovation come together, uniting people through electronic music.
It’s grown into a massive event at Hart Plaza that draws DJ’s and visitors from around the world. Despite it’s growing popularity and international appeal, the festival still puts local talent on stage, from legendary DJ’s like Kevin Saunderson and Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale to newer artists like Tammy Lakkis and Kesswa.
To hear more about Movement this year, Tia Graham spoke with Sam Fotias, operations manager at Paxahau, the organization that produces the festival.
WDET is a proud media partner of the Movement Electronic Music Festival. We will have live DJ sets on In The Groove this week from 2 to 3 p.m. ET.
On Memorial Day, catch all three performances rebroadcast back to back from noon to 3 p.m.
Why health is the common theme threading Detroit's city departments
Five years ago drug overdoses were killing more than 3,000 people a year in Michigan. It was the worst the state had seen. Behind that number were parents, sons and daughters — people who’d been trying to get well for years. That number is coming down. But the people who do this work are cautious about it. Fewer deaths may not mean fewer people in danger.
Addiction touches lives in different ways. For many of us, it might be indirectly. One analysis put the cost to Michigan last year at $38 billion: lost work, lost wages, courts, treatment. Now there’s money to fight this: Millions from the settlement with the maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma. Detroit gets a share, and it's deciding how to spend it now.
Ali Abazeed leads Detroit’s health department, and founded Dearborn’s before that. He spoke to The Metro's Robyn Vincent about what the city is doing to reduce overdose deaths and help residents be healthier.
Why property taxes are preventing people from moving to Detroit
If you’re a leader in Detroit, your attention is trained on a big task: attract more people to the city. That’s for good reason — with more people comes more tax revenue. But the city is running into a problem when it comes to increasing its population: High property taxes.
Because property taxes are capped until a property is sold, homebuyers in Detroit neighborhoods that have become more desirable bear the burden of potentially very high taxes. As an example, hundreds of homes will see their taxes climb above $10,000, according to an Outlier Media estimate of the city’s 2026 tax roll.
So what does it mean when the system rewards staying still and punishes moving in? Kevin Bain is the chief financial officer for Public Sector Consultants, and a former debt manager for the city of Detroit. He spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.
Healing the mental wounds of domestic violence
When someone leaves an abusive home, we tend to think of it as the end of the story. Advocates say it's often when the violence escalates — and when survivors are left to rebuild a sense of self after years of being told they had none.
For Mental Health Awareness Month, JoJo Dries joins The Metro to talk about the long work of healing after domestic violence. Dries runs On the Wings of Angels, a metro Detroit nonprofit meeting survivors with shelter, security, therapy and a community willing to stay. She spoke with Ahlem Mahdhi, a fellow at WDET through the U.S. State Department's Professional Fellows Program.
Editor's note: This episode includes descriptions of abuse. If you need help, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.
New restaurants, Michelin Guide visit, and summer food fests with Detroit News food critic
Since we last spoke to food critic Melody Baetens, new restaurants have opened, Detroit’s culinary scene has the opportunity to gain national and international attention, and the summer food festival calendar has rounded into shape.
Melody is a restaurant critic and dining reporter at the Detroit News. She joined the show to catch us up.
How therapy talk is reshaping mental health
Terms you would typically only hear in therapy like "trauma," "gaslighting" and "narcissist" are now being used to refer to everyday experiences. Does the adoption of therapy terms in popular language help remove stigma around mental illness? Or does it dilute the terms' original meaning?
Kristen Abraham , a professor and the chair of the psychology department at the University of Detroit Mercy, joined the show to explain how the mainstream use of therapy terms is changing our understanding of mental health.
Who cheats and why, according to psychology
When relationships get tough, couples can venture into infidelity. While cheating remains as frequent as it has always been, we wanted to better understand why it happens.
Todd Shackleford is an evolutionary psychologist from Oakland University. He joined the program to discuss how and why infidelity happens.
Keeping indie film alive in Detroit
In recent years, notable art theaters in metro Detroit have shuttered or completely changed the way they operate.
Main Art Theatre which was in Royal Oak and Cinema Detroit which was based in midtown Detroit are recent examples. They both showed more niche, independent or foreign films you could not catch at a commercial movie theatre. The Main Art Theatre was demolished and replaced with apartments, and Cinema Detroit now operates as a pop-up.
When theaters like them closed, John Monaghan and Kevin Maher started Motor City Cinematheque which is a series of art film screenings that will take place over the next few weeks. It supports independent, niche, art films and theatres in the metro area. John Monaghan joined the show to discuss their upcoming screenings and what they provide for the Detroit film community.
Why those closest to crimes are some of the biggest advocates for rehabilitation
A common assumption shapes American crime policy: that the people most exposed to crime — victims, and the officers who respond to it — want the harshest punishment in return. The evidence says otherwise. In a new survey from the Alliance for Safety and Justice, 8 in 10 officers said things like community violence intervention would make their jobs safer.
Officers want neighborhood programs. They want clinicians on certain 911 calls. They want job training, therapy, and addiction treatment instead of long prison sentences. Why is that the view from inside law enforcement? And if it is, why haven’t we built the systems to match?
Harvey Santana is the Michigan director for the Alliance for Safety and Justice. He’s based in Detroit. He spoke about all this with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.
World renowned Mariachi Vargas to perform at Detroit Opera House
This weekend Detroit will experience a legendary performance. The Detroit Opera House is hosting Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan May 9. The ensemble has been performing for over a century and is considered to be the world’s best mariachi band. The style of music grew in popularity after the Mexican Revolution and has remained a representation of unity for the country and its people ever since.
Martina Guzman, a journalist and the founder and program director of VERDAD, and Detroit Opera's Director of Community and Audience Engagement Arthur White join the show to discuss Mariachi Vargas and the broader genre’s relevance today.
This trucking company owner worries about price hikes — but not the war causing them
High fuel costs are impacting everyone. One industry is being hit particularly hard.
Truckers are seeing costs skyrocket as diesel costs have risen 41% since the United States and Israel started a war with Iran. Jim Burg is the President of the James Burg Trucking Company in Warren. He’s been moving steel in the trucking business for decades. While he says costs are rising really fast, at this point, he’s only been modestly impacted by them.
How 'social prescribing' could solve America's loneliness epidemic
Around 40% of Americans ages 45 and up report being lonely. That puts them at higher risk for all kinds of serious health concerns like dementia and stroke. Some public health researchers are turning to a new kind of prescription to address the problem. It's called “social prescribing.”
Dr. Mary Henningfield is the executive director of the Wisconsin Research and Education Network at the University of Wisconsin. She joined the show to discuss why is loneliness so common, why it is difficult for people to overcome, and how "social prescribing" can help the healthcare can system address loneliness, instead of only its negative consequences.
Why the push to recall Dave Woodward is about more than one person
On April 8, hundreds of people showed up to protest surveillance technology at an Oakland County meeting. Because of the way that meeting was conducted, a number of people decided to organize to recall Oakland County Chair Dave Woodward.
What would it mean to recall the legislative leader of Oakland County? What might come of all this local political organizing? Justine Galbraith is a leader of the I Am Oakland County campaign. Justine joined Robyn Vincent to discuss her attempt to recall Chair Woodward.
The Metro called and emailed Oakland County Commissioner Dave Woodward. He never responded to our requests to have him on the show.