The Metro

The sound of music and engines is synonymous with summer in Metro Detroit. But that noise, specifically the kind generated by modified cars, has been aggravating some people. Residents near Woodward have been complaining about cars being too loud, which has prompted legislators to push for a crackdown on motorists. What’s in their legislation? And could it hurt car culture in the Motor City? Natalie Price is a Democratic state Representative. Her district includes Berkley, Huntington Woods and Birmingham. She spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent. 

John Monaghan and Harry Campeon spent two decades teaching advanced English. This summer, they’re hosting a discussion and lecture series about “The Odyssey” at local libraries.

They spoke about the film and why Homer’s epic still remains relevant even after 3,000 years.

Wildfire smoke at times last week made Detroit’s air quality the worst in the world — that's in a place that consistently gets terrible grades for heavy pollution. How is our health impacted by poor air quality? Dr. Garen Wolff is an allergy and immunology physician at the Detroit Medical Center. She spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent about the health consequences of breathing smoke-filled air. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org

Bobbie Scopa fought wildfire for 45 years. She started as a seasonal firefighter in 1974 and retired as an operations section chief — the person on a major fire who decides where the crews go, and where nobody goes at all. She joins Robyn Vincent to explain what's burning, why fire seasons are months longer than they were in the 1970s, and what Michigan should stop expecting. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org

"Divining Freedom," the debut novel of Donna Givens-Davidson, follows Black Detroit families across five generations. 

The story spans more than a hundred years, following multiple families' hopeful journey to success and prosperity. The fictional narrative covers characters during the emancipation, the Detroit rebellion, and the modern day. 

Givens-Davidson served as a community builder for 40 years before embracing her role as a historian and organizer. She also hosts Authentically Detroit, a podcast that stems from her presidency at the Eastside Community Network. She joins The Metro to foreshadow what these chapters are all about and how the content stands as a testament to ancestors from the city.

In March, an ice storm caused tens of thousands of utility customers to lose power. In April, record-breaking precipitation caused rivers and lakes to flood, ripping apart roads. Now, smoke from Canadian and Minnesota wildfires has been creating air quality alerts.

Climate change is affecting everyone, but effects can very depending on the location. What are things like for residents of northern Michigan? Vivian La is a climate solutions reporter for Interlochen Public Radio and Grist. She spoke about the northern Michiganders trying to adapt to climate change — and those who are trying to maintain the status quo — with The Metro’s Sam Corey.

An outbreak no one can pin down has shaken confidence in the grocery aisle. A Detroit grower who studied infectious disease before turning to agriculture argues for shrinking the distance between soil and plate — and is honest about what going small can and can't solve. She joins Robyn Vincent to talk trust, control, and where dinner really comes from. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org

Michigan has recorded more than 4,000 cases of cyclospora — more than the rest of the country combined — and no one can say which food carried it. Food safety expert Barbara Kowalcyk, who came to the work after losing her son to contaminated food, joins host Robyn Vincent to discuss what this moment reveals about the systems meant to protect us. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org

Chef Nick Sanchez is an immigrant who serves as the director of the Patchwork Culinary Project. He joins The Metro to discuss the impact of immigrants and refugees on the country’s culinary landscape.

The Concert of Colors is celebrating its 35th anniversary and commemorating Ismael Ahmed, who co-founded the event and passed away earlier this year. Building on a spirit of inclusivity and collaboration, the festival organization is now led by Njia Kai.

“One thing Ismael was clear about is that we are all brothers and sisters, and that we should all take care of each other,” says Kai.

Dozens of musical performers and bands from around the world join Detroit-area artists on the festival lineup including Sheila E, The Don Was Detroit All Star Revue, Dengue Fever, Charity Ward, Kasan Belgrave, Steel Pulse and Martha Redbone.

Beyond music performances and a memorial for Ismael, there will be a community forum at the Majestic Theatre Complex presented by the Arab American National Museum.  The conversation will be led by NPR’s Neda Ulaby. There will also be a grant writing workshop, youth programming, and a story circle at N’Nambi Center for Contemporary Art.

Njia Kai, Concert of Colors festival organizer, joined The Metro to discuss this year’s festival.

A Detroit officer shot 18-year-old Alonzo Lee-Perkins before the Ford Fireworks over a suspected gun. He survived and was charged — but the two sides tell very different stories, and the body-camera footage that could resolve them is stalled by a police union lawsuit. Free Press investigative reporter Violet Ikonomova joins host Robyn Vincent to discuss what's known, what isn't, and the potential pattern behind it. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

Many Michiganders feel powerless over their own electrical power. That’s because, despite approved rate hikes, when a storm hits the power can be out for days before utility companies like Consumers Energy and DTE Energy are able to restore it. But while many are disappointed with the performance of Michigan’s utility companies, some regulators point to progress as outage time has decreased by about 23% since 2019.

Dan Scripps is the chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission, which regulates DTE Energy. He joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what is being done to improve the state’s aging grid, and why the utility company is sometimes too slow to restore power. 

The Ann Arbor Art Fair welcomes nearly half a million visitors from July 16-18. 

There will be a thousand juried artists from across Michigan and the entire country. They will serve at three simultaneous nonprofit events:

- The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original
- The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair
- The Ann Arbor State Street District Art Fair

A Youth Art Fair and Kids Collectors Club is also present for grade school creatives.

Karen Bauer has been the executive director of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair for twenty years, while Teesha Lieber is a Detroit marbling artist from Spontaneity Works.

They join the show to talk about youth participation and keeping art authentic during the digital age. 

After President Donald Trump took the country to war and raised costs, many Republicans are finding it difficult to campaign this election season. In general-election polls, Democrat Jocelyn Benson holds the lead. But in politics, anything can happen.

Last week, two debates spotlighted the active Republican candidates for governor: Congressman John James, Mike Cox, and Perry Johnson. Who are they, and what do their campaigns reveal about the Republican Party in Michigan?

Andrea Bitely is the founder and principal of Bitely Communications, a Lansing‑based public‑affairs firm. She spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent about the stories the Republican candidates are telling, and why they signal significant changes in the party. 

Hundreds of thousands of Michiganders lost power over the weekend of July Fourth, prompting a conversation about the fragility of the electrical grid in the face of climate change. Democratic lawmakers have proposed solutions: fair compensation for power outages, guaranteeing improvement of utility services, ensuring customers aren’t contributing to CEO bonuses and more. But these bills are gaining little to no traction, often deprived of a hearing. Why can’t politics fix this issue? Colin Jackson is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to discuss why gridlock in Lansing has meant a less stable electrical grid.

Learning has become harder for many students as fewer people are reading due to the distractions of new technologies.  While Artificial Intelligence spreads information quickly, it doesn't necessarily offer the depth of traditional teaching. So, how does one teach deep learning when most Michigan fourth graders aren't reading proficiently? Erik Meerschaert is a special education teacher at Lake Orion High School. He also just became the 2026-2027 Michigan Teacher of the Year, and he’s the state’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award for 2027. Meerschaert joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss why he loves his job, and how that joy helps construct bonds with his students that aid them in the learning process.

There's a quiet that settles into a house when the power has been out for days — the hum is gone, the refrigerator's given up, and if someone inside depends on a machine or medication that has to stay cold, the quiet starts to feel like something else. That was the Fourth of July weekend for many in southeast Michigan, after storms knocked out power to more than 450,000 customers — some for five days. Now comes the argument over what people are owed. State Representative Alabas Farhat, whose Dearborn and Detroit district was among the hardest hit, is calling for legislative hearings and bigger compensation than the state's $42-a-day credit — a credit even DTE's CEO concedes "doesn't cut it." Farhat joins Robyn Vincent to make his case. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

While Detroit law says a landlord cannot rent a home until it’s been deemed livable by city inspectors, 86% of Detroit’s landlords are operating illegally as they have failed to secure Certificates of Compliance for their properties. Last week, the Detroit Tenants Union, with support from several legal groups in the city, filed a lawsuit, alleging the 36th District Court chief judge has “failed to perform a clear and legal duty” because the court’s rulings contradict city law, effectively leaving residents vulnerable rather than upholding the statutes protecting them.

Professor Donovan McCarty is the director of Michigan State University College of Law’s Housing Justice Clinic and counsel for the Detroit Tenants Union. He joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to discuss why he believes the court is falling short, and how it needs to be held accountable.

The 36th District Court did not respond to The Metro's request for comment.

Who pays to build all that new capacity — the tech companies, or the rest of us? And who's even making these decisions? Nicholas Schroeck, dean of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, joins host Robyn Vincent to talk about the fight over Michigan's grid, your electric bill, and whether the public has any real say. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.