The Metro

Where politics is concerned, many are unhappy. A recent poll found roughly 80 percent of Americans think the country is in a crisis because we can’t agree with one another. So how do we get out of it? As some see it, rewriting our state constitution is one way to break the gridlock. It’s on the ballot next month. If passed, Proposal 1 would trigger a constitutional convention next year. Interestingly, groups across the political spectrum oppose it. Recent polling suggests most Michigan voters do, too. Quinn Yeargain is the 1855 professor of the law of democracy at Michigan State University. He joined The Metro's Robyn Vincent to discuss why he says he won't vote in favor of the proposal, and how we can create a politics that works for people.

Practicing Quakers have been in the Detroit area for more than 100 years. However, a century ago in 1926, The Detroit Friends Meeting was founded – that’s the formal name for Detroit’s Quakers.  Today, they have about 25 members.

While the group may be relatively few in number, they focus on having an outsized impact.

Peter Dale and Mike Kelly are member of Detroit Friends Meeting.  They stopped by The Metro to talk with Alex McLenon about the Quaker’s legacy in the city.

Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org

Last March, a DTE rate hike increased bills by 4.6 %for a typical customer. Two months later, a Consumers Energy rate hike also increased rates by 6.1%, its second electric increase in a year.

As some residents in Ann Arbor see it, one solution is to replace DTE with a city-owned utility. A proposal on the November ballot would modify Ann Arbor's city charter, clearing the way for a municipal electric utility board. Last week, Ann Arbor's own city council voted 10-1 to oppose Proposal E and directed its city attorney to challenge it in court.

Why is Ann Arbor's city council fighting a ballot question its own voters put there? Erica Briggs is an Ann Arbor city council member. She voted in favor of the resolution. She spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson co-founded FactCheck.org, which called that wording misleading within a day. She spoke with host Robyn Vincent about the mixed message, how it affects public trust, and how we move forward. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org

Anthony Forlini is the Republican. He's the Macomb County clerk and register of deeds, and he spent six years in the state House and six as Harrison Township supervisor. The Metro's Robyn Vincent spoke with Forlini about how rare noncitizen voting is and what he'd do as secretary of state.

Also: Hallowe'en at Greenfield Village, a Planet Ant original play of tricks and treats, the Senate Theater turns 100 years old, Sonic Memory Circles, the Woodbridge Porch Concert Series returns and much, much more!

She was the lead lawyer in the Michigan case that helped bring marriage equality to the nation. Then she became this state's top attorney. For eight years she’s been unabashed about her politics and about who she is.

Dana Nessel’s office won convictions against nine clergymen for abuse going back decades. It won more than $1.5 billion from opioid manufacturers. It fought utility companies over the cost of electric bills. And it sued the federal government — many times over.

To some, Nessel's become one of Michigan’s strongest defenders. To others, she’s gone too far.

A new Michigan law says whoever replaces Nessel in January cannot sue the federal government without permission from state lawmakers. Republican state House Speaker Matt Hall pushed for the law. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed it.

Attorney General Dana Nessel spoke with host Robyn Vincent about the battles she’s fought and why.

The Michigan Arts and Culture Council is a state agency that distributes grants to creative and cultural projects. 

While the core components of the MACC include economic development, education, and engagement, the group also forms strategies on funding, leadership, resources, outreach and research.

Recently, the MACC cut three positions from its seven person staff. Nafeesah Symonette, vice-chair of the MACC board, said they were not notified of any staffing cuts. 

This comes as grant proposals are being collected through the end of October, with funds  being distributed to grant recipients by Jan. 1. Symonette says the cuts will directly impact the MACC’s ability to process and distribute grants.

It's important to note that the MACC answers to The Michigan Economic Development Corporation.  

Symonette joins The Metro to discuss what happens behind the scenes and the waning interest of arts and culture in Lansing.

For about a year, Mayor Mary Sheffield seemed to be riding high. To get elected, she mounted an impressive campaign, taking 77% of the vote. Many have commented on her leadership skills, balancing confidence and intellect with openness, and a willingness to listen.

Now, the mayor’s office is under scrutiny. Sheffield’s ex-boyfriend, Marvin Walker, says when she was council president, she took $200,000 in kickbacks from city real estate deals. She denies that. Walker also had private photographs of the two of them. Detroit activist Jahdante Smith posted them on Facebook. Sheffield calls it harassment. 

Then Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison called the two men and asked them to take the photos down. Weeks later, police seized Smith's phone during an allegedly unrelated arrest. The city's Inspector General is now investigating Bettison. There's a lot of speculation surrounding these events...so what do we actually know? 

Detroit Free Press investigative reporter Violet Ikonomova has been looking into this. She spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.

In March 2025, President Donald Trump passed an executive order to “restore truth and sanity” to American history. His administration has pressured the removal of "negative history"— which often surrounds the historic struggles of people of color—while restoring Confederate statues.

That's part of why Mario Moore's efforts to erect a statue of Civil Rights leader Malcolm X feel more important than ever. 

He joins The Metro to discuss his work and how art serves to preserve history and start conversations.

As the Iran war continues, gas prices hit a weekly average of $4. 88 in Metro Detroit. The average price of diesel is $2 more than that. The stock market is strong, but inflation is at least 1% than the federal reserve’s target. And the U.S. is in a trade war with Canada. This hasn’t caused a recession, but all of this does make it harder for small businesses to operate, like the corner bar on your street, and the auto repair shop in your suburb.

Mark Lee runs The Lee Group, where he’s been advising small businesses in this region for nearly 20 years. He spoke with The Metro’s Sam Corey.

One of the frequent panelists on that program is comedian Paula Poundstone. She’s currently on tour and has a couple of stops coming up in Michigan.

Poundstone will perform at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing at 7:30 p.m. this Friday night.  On Saturday night she’ll be at the Flagstar Strand Theater in Pontiac at 8:00 p.m.

Paula Poundstone spoke with The Metro’s Alex McLenon about how she got involved in public radio and about doing comedy.

Republican Congressman Tom Barrett won the seat two years ago by less than four points, and both parties think it could decide who has a majority in the House of Representatives. Congressman Barrett joined The Metro's Robyn Vincent to discuss where his positions overlap — and don't — with President Trump's, and what his plans are if he's able to keep his seat.

Melody Baetens is a dining and entertainment reporter for The Detroit News. She stopped by The Metro to bring us up to date on what’s happening in the dining scene.

Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org

Lanay Gilbert-Williams, the co-op's board president, joins host Robyn Vincent to talk about prices, who's shopping, and whether a community can afford to own its own food. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org

Marc Evan Jackson is an actor, comedian, and entertainer. His work includes roles in TV shows "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "The Good Place." Jackson is also founder of the Detroit Creativity Project and a former member of Second City Detroit, a comedy troupe that closed two decades ago.

Andrew Stein is the CEO of The Michigan Children’s Foundation, whose mission to serve the young people from the state aligns with the improv program.

They stopped by The Metro to discuss the event.