The Metro

Ed Cackett is a professor of astronomy at Wayne State University and the Michigan Science Center’s astronomer in residence. He joined The Metro to discuss the gravity of the moment, and the benefits of space exploration.

Getting a college degree in Detroit has never been easy. More than half of all children in Detroit live below the poverty line. Many Detroit public school graduates do not enroll in college within a year of finishing high school. Right now, it could be getting more difficult. Student loan rules are changing in July. The programs that help low-income students get to college are on the chopping block in President Donald Trump’s latest budget. 

How are students impacted by these changes? And, how do we close the college education gap between Detroit and suburban students.

Cyekeia Lee is the executive director of the Detroit College Access Network. She spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.

Heather Bruegl is the curator of political and civic engagement at The Henry Ford. Travis Schuyler is director of programming for the North American Indian Association of Detroit. They joined The Metro to talk about the unveiling and the new plaque.

Nearly 1 in 3 voting-age Michiganders has a disability. The law guarantees them equal access to the polls, but a new Detroit Disability Power report finds that only 10% of metro Detroit polling places met basic accessibility standards in 2025 — and the number has dropped every year since the audits began.

Detroit Disability Power advocacy director Eric Welsby and artist and auditor Bakpak Durden join host Robyn Vincent to talk about what they found on the ground, what it costs disabled voters when the system fails them, and what it would actually take to fix it.

Recently, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that seeks to change how mail-in voting works, having it overseen by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Trump and Republicans are also trying to pass the SAVE Act, which would ensure voters provide documentary proof of citizenship at the time of registration, and a photo ID at the time of voting.

All of this is happening as the president has called to “nationalize the elections”, and as MAGA influencer Steve Bannon has asked ICE officials to patrol polling locations in November.

What should we make of all these things? How secure are our voting systems? And, is the president trying to make voting less secure for his advantage? Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent about this and more.  

The Curved Shores Concert: A Native Artists Showcase is set to take over Spot Lite Detroit, bringing together a unique lineup of Native American artists and storytellers. The afternoon and evening are rooted in culture, creativity, and connection.

It’s part of the larger Concert of Colors Neighborhood Programs, an effort to bring global sounds and meaningful conversations directly into Detroit’s neighborhoods. 

SouFy is a Southwest Detroit native and Native American hip-hop artist. When he’s not on stage performing, he’ll be helping bring this entire experience to life as co-founder of Vibes With The Tribes, the producers of the showcase. 

Charles Ezra Ferrell is on the advisory board for Concert of Colors. 

Both SouFy and Charles Ezra Ferrell join The Metro to talk about the vision, the impact, and what you can expect this weekend as they bring a community together through sound and celebrate Native artistry in Detroit.

Noah Kincade of Outlier Media's Detroit Documenters joins host Robyn Vincent to break down what's happening inside DPD's Crime Scene Services unit. 

Federal judges recently ruled that hundreds of people in Michigan were unconstitutionally detained as they never had a chance of being released on bond. For its part, the Trump administration says it's detaining the “worst of the worst.” But in many cases, non-citizens without a criminal record have been detained.

So, what do ICE arrests and detentions look like in metro Detroit? What are the stories of those who’ve been detained? How are local police involved in the work? And, who’s fighting back? 

Violet Ikonomova is an investigative reporter for the Detroit Free Press. She spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.

About 1 in 31 children in the U.S. is now diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD. Behind every statistic is a family trying to figure it out in real time, searching for support, resources, and spaces where their children feel understood and included.

One Detroit mother hustled harder for more. 

After her eldest son was diagnosed with autism, Tiera Moultrie saw first-hand just how much was missing for families like hers.

In 2020, she founded Autism In The D, with a mission to build community and create safe, inclusive spaces for children on the spectrum and their families. Since its founding, Tiera has had three children, with two living with ASD. The work she does is personal but it's about more than her family. 

Autism In The D is hosting its 6th annual Weekend of Inclusivity, one of Detroit’s largest autism awareness walks. It’s not just about awareness, it’s about access to resources, connection, and making sure families don’t feel alone. This year will also welcome Detroit’s first autism-inclusive adaptive kids gym.

Since 2015, consumer confidence in the economy has plummeted, according to recent consumer survey data by the University of Michigan. But while confidence has declined, spending has remained strong. Why? And, how have rising gas prices factored into the economy?

Professor Joanne Hsu is the Director of the monthly Surveys of Consumers at the University of Michigan. She spoke with The Metro’s Sam Corey.

As America’s strikes against Iran continue and access to the Strait of Hormuz remains in question, gas prices are rising, and more people are thinking about purchasing an electric vehicle. But despite interest, how much will EV sales actually increase for companies like Ford, GM and Stellantis — especially as car sales in general have plummeted over the past few decades?

John McElroy is an automotive analyst with Autoline. He spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.

The economy has undergone many drastic changes over the years. If you’re a millennial, change and chaos have been commonplace. Rising gas prices and supply chain disruptions are now among the challenges small businesses must navigate. It might be why over half of small businesses owners in Michigan say they’re making operational changes to prepare for a recession, according to a recent survey.

Which small businesses are hit hardest by the war in Iran and its disruptions? And, what could make them more resilient in the face of chaos?

Mark Lee is the President and CEO of The Lee Group, where he consults with small businesses across Southeast Michigan. He spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.

Donna Givens Davidson is the president of the Eastside Community Network and of the co-host of the Authentically Detroit podcast. She also was part of Mayor Sheffield's transition team. Givens Davidson spoke with The Metro's Cary Junior II.

Now she hopes to open her own sports bar called Bar IX. It’s a nod to the landmark Title IX amendment that, among many things, expanded women’s access in education and sports.  Alissa Graff joined the program to talk about starting Bar IX and this moment in women's sports. 

Risa Isard is Director of Research and Insights at Parity. She joined The Metro to discuss what this deal means for the future of women's professional sports. 

Dr. Rupali Limaye of George Mason University's College of Public Health joined The Metro to discuss.

Nancy Finegood is the former director of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, preservation consultant and a board member of the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation Detroit. 

She joined The Metro and explained what she found and the unexpected ways the past can show up in our lives.

Reports of antisemitism and islamophobia are on the rise, including a recent attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield by a man who had family members killed in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon.

Just yesterday, Rabbi Aaron Bergman of Adat Shalom told The Metro his temple has pretty much stopped its interfaith dialogue work.

Interfaith groups that include Jewish, Muslim and Christian community leaders are present in metro Detroit and the United States, but how effective are they? How do you talk about hard things during tense times? 

Ben Ginsburg is part of an organization with a response to those questions. He’s the communications director for NewGround, which is a Muslim-Jewish interfaith group in Los Angeles. He spoke with Sam Corey on The Metro about how to have difficult conversations in divisive times.

Bryan Ellis is an assistant professor of sociology at Michigan State University’s Center for Integrative Studies. He teaches about the social science of sports. He joined the program to help us unpack this.

About one month ago, Israel and America struck Iran. Now, Israel has enmeshed itself in more violence. In Iran, about 1500 people have been killed. Over 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon. Settler violence against Palestinians has been ratcheted up in the West Bank. And, in Israel, as of one week ago, a dozen Israelis had been killed from Iranian air strikes.

Israel says it is attacking the Iranian regime and Hezbollah in Lebanon to remove existential threats from the region.

In the midst of all this, a man drove a truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. The attacker then killed himself after engaging security on site.

How are metro Detroit Jews processing this moment? And, what do conversations about domestic and foreign politics look like at this time?

Aaron Bergman is a rabbi at Adat Shalom, a synagogue in Farmington Hills. He spoke about all this with producer Sam Corey.

In the first six months after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, vasectomy rates nationwide increased nearly 60% in men under 30 years old, according to Planned Parenthood of Michigan.

Abortions are legal in Michigan. But renewed interest in vasectomies still prompted the healthcare provider to announce plans in January to resume its vasectomy services.

Vasectomies are just one small part of the larger umbrella that makes up reproductive health, so the growing interest among men to undergo the procedure doesn't necessarily mean men understand more about reproductive health overall.  

Dominick Shattuck, a community psychologist, a men's health fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men, and faculty member in the OBGYN department of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, joins the show to discuss how men can take on a larger role in reproductive health.