The Metro

The city of Detroit reported a historic drop in violent crime last year. There was a 19% drop in homicides in 2024 compared to the previous year — the city's fewest homicides since 1965 — and a 25% drop in non-fatal shootings.

Officials partially attribute these significant drops to community violence intervention (CVI) initiatives like the city's ShotStoppers program. 

Yesterday, in a nearly unanimous vote, Michigan lawmakers in the state House passed a $115 million annual public safety fund aimed to decrease violent crime in communities, with money going to CVI programs. 

Zoe Kennedy, executive director of Detroit CVI group FORCE Detroit, joined The Metro to help shed more light on how community violence intervention works.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Many have criticized U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in recent weeks for making sweeping claims about the cause and prevalence of autism and the United States.

At a news conference last week, Kennedy called autism “an epidemic” due to rising diagnosis rates, attributing the rise to "an environmental exposure." He also called autism “a preventable disease," promising to launch studies to find out what "caused the autism epidemic" and "eliminate those exposures" by September.

While it's true that autism rates are on the rise, health experts say the increase is much more likely due to better screenings and higher diagnosis rates in recent years. The definition of autism has also broadened to include a variety of neurodivergent conditions, known as Autism Spectrum Disorders. 

“Autism destroys families,” Kennedy said. “More importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children. These are children who should not be suffering like this.”

Kennedy’s broad claims mirror a larger problem: There are persistent misconceptions about autism that affect autistic people and the way the world interacts with them. 

To discuss all of this, Autism Alliance of Michigan President and CEO Colleen Allen joined The Metro. She also founded the Henry Ford Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Last year, at the national level, these kinds of deaths dropped for the first time in four years. And in Dearborn in 2024, overdose incidents dropped by 34% and overdose deaths dropped by 43%.

While the numbers are trending down, they’re still extremely high over the last two decades.

Ali Abazeed, founding director of public health and chief public health officer for the city of Dearborn, joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss the city's efforts to lower overdoses. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The world of fashion is under pressure. Sales have slowed in recent years. People are spending less on clothes due to inflation and economic uncertainty. 

People are also rethinking how they support an industry with many issues. The ugly reality is that the fashion industry has devastated our environment. That, coupled with exploitative working conditions in manufacturing, have buyers reconsidering both what they buy and where they are buying clothes from. 

In Detroit this week, many designers and manufacturers will gather for Detroit Fashion United. The local initiative is part of a global movement that promotes sustainable fashion as the solution to environmental and workplace harms. It promotes more organic materials, fair wages and quality clothing items that last. 

Today on The Metro, we explored how sustainable fashion is helping to address these problems and Detroit’s potential to be the next fashion hub.

Paulina Petkoski, a College for Creative Studies professor, designer and advocate for sustainable fashion practices; and Jen Guarino, president and CEO of The Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center, joined the conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Dementia affects more than six million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health, accounting for more than 100,000 deaths each year.

A recent New York University study shows Americans have a 42% chance of developing dementia after age 55 — more than double the risk reported by previous studies. And by 2060, the U.S. is expected to have a million new cases of dementia each year. 

While dementia has several known risk factors, a new study by Bowling Green State University Sociologist Jenjira Yahirun highlighted a lesser known one: your children's level of education.

The study found that parents of college-educated adults are less likely to experience dementia or cognitive decline. 

WDET's Sascha Raiyn spoke with Yahirun to learn more about her research and the strong link between older adults' dementia risk and their adult children’s educational and social status. Raiyn joined The Metro on Wednesday to share highlights from the discussion.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

America delivers harsher criminal punishments than almost any other country. That harshness can be seen in our prison sentences, which are — on average — longer in comparison to other countries. 

Part of Michigan’s legal system is trying to change that. At the beginning of April, the Michigan Supreme Court banned mandatory life sentences for 19 and 20-year-olds convicted of murder.

To discuss this, Rick Speck joined The Metro. He’s the leadership programs coordinator for JustLeadershipUSA, an organization advocating for criminal justice reform from people who’ve been directly impacted by the criminal justice system. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

But green spaces like Palmer Park provide an outlet to connect with nature. The park is home to one of the city's old growth forests with diverse plant and animal life. 

And it’s just one of many spaces in Detroit hosting Earth Day celebrations and events this week to inspire environmental awareness and encourage community involvement.

On Sunday, the park will host Art in the Trees, an outdoor art exhibition among the trees in Palmer Park's old growth forest featuring large-scale sculptures, music, activities and more.

Event organizer Mark Loeb joined The Metro on Earth Day to share more about the event.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Studies have shown that urban tree canopies help make communities more climate resilient, reduce air pollution, and combat the urban heat island effect — exposing residents to higher risks of heat-related illness and higher cooling costs. 

The tree canopy project will dig into all of these topics and more over 24 months of reporting.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

In Vatican City, Pope Francis created a sanctuary for people experiencing homelessness. He called them Nobles of the Street.

In Gaza, a small war-torn parish received daily calls from Pope Francis. The pontiff began making those calls shortly after the war in Gaza started in October 2023. 

In southern France, Pope Francis inspired Le Village de Francois, a community partnership offering shared living spaces for vulnerable people, from the elderly to former sex workers and people with disabilities. 

And in Detroit, the late pontiff continues to inspire the work of the Pope Francis Center, which was renamed in his honor in 2016. Led by Father Tim McCabe, the Pope Francis Center welcomes many vulnerable people through its doors, offering everything from meals and hot showers to access to laundry facilities.

McCabe joined The Metro on Tuesday to discuss the life and legacy of Pope Francis and how the center will continue to embody the pontiff's cherished values.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

There are more women attending college in the U.S. than men, enrollment data shows. 

And more women have college degrees today than men of the same age. Research shows the more education a person gets, the lower their chances are of living in poverty.

Today on The Metro, we’re having a conversation on why boys are struggling with two people who are working to help Black boys find success right here in Detroit — Black Male Educators Alliance Founder Curtis Lewis and Bottom Line Executive Director Danielle North.

We’re looking at this approach through the Black lens because while all boys are struggling, Black boys are falling behind the most. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The United States spends more on health care costs than any other rich nation, yet maternal death rates remain alarmingly higher than comparable countries.

Those risks are much higher for Black women, who are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White woman, according the CDC. Racial disparities in quality health care, underlying chronic conditions and social determinants of health are all contributing factors to pregnancy-related complications.

Last week in honor of Black Maternal Health Week, leaders of the Congressional Mamas’ Caucus put up portraits of Black mothers who died from maternal health-related causes outside the offices of over 50 Congressional members at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.

The installation, titled "In Her Honor," was created by Omari Maynard, a visual artist and educator whose partner, Shamony Gibson, died after giving birth in 2019.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib , chair of the Congressional Mamas’ Caucus  joined The Metro to discuss the event and help shine a light on maternal health care disparities. Tlaib represents Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, which includes Detroit and Dearborn. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Data has shown that stark racial disparities in maternal and infant health have existed for decades, with Black and American Indian mothers more likely to die as a result of childbirth.

In Detroit, a lot of expectant moms face grim outcomes in a number of ways. The city had the highest preterm birth rate at over 15%, according to a recent report from the March of Dimes. 

These statistics speak to a larger problem. People of color, especially Black women, face roadblocks to accessing health care more broadly. They also have worse health outcomes due to factors like racism, financial barriers and historical trauma.

In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, The Metro had a conversation with Dr. Mona Hanna, a Michigan pediatrician who is leading efforts to improve maternal health care and child poverty in Flint.

Her program, Rx Kids, provides cash payments to expectant mothers during pregnancy and throughout the child’s first year to accommodate families’ basic needs. The program, funded through public and private dollars, is now expanding to Wayne County.

Wayne State Professor of Emergency Medicine Dr. Phillip Levy also joined the show to discuss the Wayne Health Mobile Unit, which takes health care on the road to low-income neighborhoods in Detroit, creating easier access for pregnant moms. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

This is specifically true of auto suppliers. In a recent Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association survey, nearly one-fourth of auto suppliers said their companies would cut or delay investments during the first month of the tariffs. Roughly 21% of suppliers said modifications to supply chains would be needed and 13% said cutting U.S. jobs would be required.

Laurie Harbour, partner and automotive analyst at the tax advisory firm Wipfli joined The Metro to discuss how car companies are reacting. She’s been working with auto suppliers for over three decades. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Today on The Metro, Honorary Chairperson for Bookstock and longtime Detroit Free Press columnist Neal Rubin joined the show to discuss this effort, known as the Bookstock Fund. The fund awards grants to teachers and organizations working to improve literacy. WDET marketing intern and Bookstock enthusiast Natalie Albrecht also joined the conversation.

The weeklong event kicks off Sunday, April 27 with a pre-sale, a performance from the Walled Lake Performance Ensemble, and the joyful Bookstock Volunteer Parade. Nearly 600 volunteers help organize and staff the sale each year.

Bookstock also hosts a Teacher Appreciation Day, recognizing the educators who often buy books and materials for their classrooms with their own money.

Visit bookstockmi.org for more information.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Republican Mike Rogers are also in the running to replace Sen. Gary Peters, who vacates his seat next year.

El-Sayed joined The Metro on Thursday to discuss why he is running, how his experience as a doctor and scientist inform his vision as a political leader, and what he sees as the most pressing issues facing Michiganders.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Global warming and climate change poses a significant threat to two-thirds of North American bird species, according to the National Audubon Society.

These impacts are causing many birds to leave their homes and relocate to places more favorable for their species, including in southeast Michigan.

That’s concerning because it’s not just beauty and sweet songs that birds provide to the world, they also play a vital role in our ecosystem — keeping insect populations low, helping to pollinate plants, disperse seeds and more. Without birds, both people and the environment would experience devastating impacts.

Ava Landgraf is the conservation and research coordinator for the Detroit Bird Alliance, a nonprofit working to protect birds and their habitats in southeast Michigan. Landgraf joined The Metro to discuss local species and the important role they play in our environment.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Last month, the U.S. government deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador who has lived in Maryland for the past 15 years — ignoring a federal court order forbidding his removal. 

Garcia, who was detained for alleged association with the MS-13 gang, is now being detained at the Center for Terrorism Confinement in El Salvador. And the Trump administration insists it’s not required to engage El Salvador’s government to bring him back. 

Trump’s defiance of court orders at the national level, is also having a local impact. 

In February, the Trump administration eliminated a legal aid program serving about 26,000 migrant children. The legal aid program was stopped in defiance of a federal judge’s orders. Already, the move has led to the Michigan Immigration Rights Center laying off half of its staff.

To discuss this defiance to court orders by the Trump administration, University of Michigan law professor, legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney General for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara McQuade returned to The Metro.

Editor's note: The Metro reached out to Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall and Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt. We have yet to hear back from them. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

This is on many people’s minds as tariffs could hamper the state’s auto industry. Auto suppliers and advocates are concerned tariffs will devastate their businesses. Meanwhile, automakers worry they’ll drive up the cost of cars and reduce sales.

According to a new study by the Center for Automotive Research, Detroit's Big Three automakers could bear almost $42 billion in annual costs from the tariffs. That’s according to a report commissioned by Detroit’s automakers.

Marick Masters, a professor of business, Emeritus, at Wayne State University and an expert on organized labor,  joined The Metro on Wednesday to help us understand how tariffs might affect workers and why United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain is in favor of them. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Whitmer also met with President Donald Trump last week in Washington D.C., trying to ensure that Michigan receives federal help to restore power in northern Michigan after severe ice storms in late March. 

But tariffs, and how Michigan is navigating economic uncertainty, were also a focus at the White House and the DEC event. 

Auto suppliers are concerned that Trump’s tariffs will devastate their businesses, driving up the cost of cars and reducing sales. And this is important in Michigan where the auto industry makes up about 20% of our economy. 

WDET reporter Bre’Anna Tinsley attend the DEC event, held at MotorCity Casino's Sound Board Theater. She joined The Metro on Tuesday to discuss Whitmer’s remarks. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The World Health Organization says this crisis of child amputees is especially dire because these kids have little access to medical care. Israeli air strikes have decimated what was an already fragile medical system. Many children who have lost their limbs must have surgery without anesthesia, according to the United Nations. 

Steve Sosebee is trying to do something about that. He orchestrates complex plans to evacuate and treat Gazan kids through his organization HEAL Palestine — including the four children who arrived at Detroit Metro Airport on April 13. 

He joined The Metro on Tuesday along with HEAL Palestine volunteer Yasmeen Hamed, a Dearborn Heights mother who has opened her home to multiple young Palestinians who have arrived in the U.S. for treatment after experiencing intense pain and trauma.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Adams, a former program director and host at WDET for more than 30 years, died in December of 2024. During her time at the station, Adams pushed the boundaries of music programming on the radio in Detroit. Her shows Morphogenisis and The Judy Adams Show were known for mixing genres and blending musical styles, curating an eclectic listening experience for her many fans. 

As the station’s program director, she encouraged the music hosts to experiment and many of the music programs on WDET that followed have adopted the “Judy Adams style.” 

Metro Producer Cary Junior II spoke with Adams’ son, Anthony Minnie, and Essential Music host Ann Delisi about Adams’ work and how her legacy will continue at WDET.

Saturday’s event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. and feature music inspired by Adams’ radio shows, DJed by Ismael Ahmed — host of WDET’s This Island Earth.  “Sean Blackman and Friends” will also perform music honoring Adams’ love of global music and rhythms, and artist Jon Strand will share an visual art set to original music composed and performed by Adams.

WDET is also creating the Judy Adams’ Music Internship, helping foster the education and career development of students with a passion for music, education, community service and radio. 

For more information about Saturday’s event or to RSVP, visit wdet.org/events. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The University of Michigan is among many schools that scrapped its DEI initiatives in response to the political pressure.

But not everyone is caving. Harvard University announced Monday it has rejected the Trump administration’s demands to eliminate its DEI programs. The Trump administration responded swiftly, freezing over $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and contracts from the Ivy League school.

But there are also complaints about DEI from good-faith reformers — people who believe that such initiatives fail to help colleges retain low-income and non-white students. They argue that in the workplace, DEI training makes it less likely that people of different backgrounds work together. 

Stony Brook University Professor Musa al-Gharbi and author of “We Have Never Been Woke” spoke with Metro Producer Sam Corey about why he believes DEI initiatives fall short and need reforming.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

There are not enough affordable housing units in Detroit, but the city and community members are working to change that. 

The Campbell Street Apartments is a new $18 million affordable housing development in Southwest Detroit’s East Chadsey-Condon neighborhood.

Leading the charge of the project is MiSide Community Impact Network. The nonprofit works to provide resources for entire communities to create stability for people. 

MiSide and Detroit officials broke ground late 2023 to bring the housing complex to the community. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new development is taking place with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and community partners on Thursday. 

President and CEO of MiSide Community Impact Network Sean De Four joined The Metro to discuss how the organization is working to create affordable housing in Detroit. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.