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 President Trump's hostile relationship with the press is playing out for NPR, PBS
Public trust in the free press has been steadily declining for decades and President Donald Trump’s combative relationship with the news media has further eroded that trust. He frequently refers to the free press as “the enemy of the people” and “fake news.”
Those words have had an impact.
In 2020, American journalists faced a sharp rise in attacks, especially during the Black Lives Matter protests.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, “at least 400 press freedom violations were reported, including physical assaults, arrests, and damage to equipment.”
The committee found that many of these incidents, including roughly 300 assaults, were attributed to law enforcement.
On the campaign trail in 2024, Trump continued his rhetoric against the press.
“To get to me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. I don’t mind that so much,” he told a crowd in Pennsylvania.
Now, after Trump’s first 100 days in office, the Committee to Protect Journalists is sounding a louder alarm.
It says the beginning of Trump’s term has “been marked by a flurry of executive actions that have created a chilling effect and have the potential to curtail media freedoms. These measures threaten the availability of independent, fact-based news for vast swaths of America’s population.”
Trump has banned reporters from his press conferences. He is selective of which media outlets he speaks to, and he has filed multiple lawsuits accusing media companies of misconduct against him.
The president is also taking aim at NPR and PBS.
NPR reported last month that the administration plans to request Congress cut funding from NPR and PBS — news and information that is not profit-based and relies on funding from listeners, sponsorships, and the government. WDET is an NPR affiliate station that also would feel strong impacts from these cuts.
NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik joined The Metro on Thursday to talk more about this.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
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Pulitzer-winning composer brings 'Central Park Five' to Detroit Opera stage
Three years ago, “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X” sold out shows at the Detroit Opera House for the first time in over a decade.
Now, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer behind that success is back in Detroit.
Anthony Davis returns this month to present “Central Park Five,” a gripping opera that tells the true story of the wrongful convictions of five Black and Latino teenagers in the assault of a white female jogger in Central Park in 1989.
It’s a case that involved President Donald Trump, who at the time became an outspoken voice for convicting the teens. He spoke with WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper about the politics of bringing an opera like this to the stage, and how it feels to be back in Detroit.
Performances will take place on May 10, 16 and 18 at the Detroit Opera House. Visit detroitopera.org for tickets and more information.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
What Windsorites had to say about Trump ahead of Canada's election
In Canada, Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney won the federal election this week with his message to stand up to President Donald Trump and his policies.
But in three cities in Ontario, liberal incumbents who campaigned against Trump lost their seats. That includes Detroit’s neighbor, Windsor, where the CBC reports Conservatives swept the area for the first time in 95 years.
Ahead of the election, WDET’s All Things Considered host and Senior News Editor Russ McNamara spent some time in Windsor talking to more than a dozen Canadians. He joined The Metro to share what he learned from those conversations.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
'Heroes vs. Villains' exhibit shining a light on Detroit’s comic book history
In 1938, two young Jewish kids decided they wanted to tell a story of an invincible man, who could move faster than bullets and was a hero to all.
Superman took flight that year, first appearing in America Action Comics #1. Kal-El, Clark Kent or Superman was representation needed during the rise of fascism in Germany.
The superhero was created to defeat The Third Reich and Nazi’s plot to take over the world. In American culture, comic books have been a way for readers of all ages to see themselves, in one way or another, as superhuman.
From the friendly neighborhood Spiderman to the Green Hornet — which was a Detroit Radio program before appearing in comics — these stories told the hardships, joys and sorrows of life through the lens of these fantastical characters.
William Wallwinkel is the lead curator of "Heroes vs. Villains: Detroit’s Comic Book Story," opening at Detroit Historical Museum on Saturday, May 3, which is also Free Comic Book Day.
Vault of Midnight owner Curtis Sullivan joined The Metro on Thursday to talk about the comic book culture here in Detroit and southeast Michigan.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Was justice served for ex-Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CFO who stole $44M?
Last week, a federal judge sentenced the former Chief Financial Officer of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, William Smith, to 19 years in prison for embezzling $44 million from the nonprofit over 12 years.
The Riverfront Conservancy is a pretty prominent organization, responsible for all the changes along Detroit’s Riverwalk. So how did one man manage to dodge accountability?
Investigative reporter Violet Ikonomova has been covering the story for the Detroit Free Press. She joined The Metro on Wednesday to provide insight into the case. Journalist, author and long-time Detroit Free Press columnist John Gallagher also joined the conversation.
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.
Group lobbies for release of prisoners still locked up for cannabis
Recreational marijuana has been legal in Michigan for nearly six years, and cannabis culture is thriving. Dozens of dispensaries have opened up across the city and metro Detroit more broadly.
But even as states like Michigan bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue from legalized cannabis, thousands of people are still sitting in state and federal prisons for marijuana offenses. And, as with many issues in the American criminal justice system, racism is central to this issue.
A 2020 report by the ACLU found that more than six million marijuana arrests occurred between 2010 and 2018. And in every state — including those that have legalized marijuana — Black people are still more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people.
The nonprofit Last Prisoner Project is on Capitol Hill this week as part of a larger effort to lobby for justice reform. Founded in 2019, the organization works within the criminal justice system to help individuals who are still incarcerated for cannabis.
Adrian Rocha, director of policy for the project, joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss the group's efforts and the stark racial contrast in incarceration rates.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Smog and soot exposure contributing to Detroit's bad air quality
A recent report from the American Lung Association found Detroit’s air quality ranks sixth in the nation for smog and soot exposure.
To many, this news is not entirely surprising. Wildfire smoke from Canada caused people to stay indoors or wear a mask outside two summers ago. And for people who live near Detroit’s heavily industrialized areas, the air quality is a constant issue.
This caused Detroit to rank third for asthma last year.
Today on The Metro, we spoke with two guests about the lasting impacts of this type of environmental exposure to human health.
Community Activist Sam Luqman is a resident of Dearborn’s Southend neighborhood, which is surrounded by industrial plants, like Ford's River Rouge Complex and Cleveland-Cliffs' steel mill. Dr. Garen Wolff, an allergy and immunology physician who works in Detroit, also joined the conversation.
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.
President Trump marks 100 days in office with Macomb County trip
President Donald Trump was in Michigan on Tuesday, visiting Selfridge Air National Guard Base before speaking at Macomb Community College. The White House says the trip was in celebration of his first 100 days in office.
WDET’s Alex McLenon joined The Metro to discuss Trump’s message to his supporters on Tuesday and the various legal challenges his administration is facing over its handling of deportations and funding cuts.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Wrong turns at Detroit-Canada border lead to hundreds of immigrant arrests
In Detroit, it’s not entirely uncommon to make a wrong turn that leads you toward another country. Some of us have made this mistake… and found ourselves on the Ambassador Bridge to Canada. It’s annoying — and more than a headache. But recently, this wrong turn has been much more impactful for immigrants.
After making that wrong turn, more than 200 people have recently been detained at the border this year in a facility that is not equipped for detention. Migrants seeking asylum in Canada who’ve been turned back have also been detained, according to an NPR investigation.
That investigation led to an inquiry by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who held a press conference on the matter last week with staff attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.
Tlaib says the investigation found that 213 people have been detained at the bridge since January, including families with children. At least 90% of the individuals detained were people who made a wrong turn.
Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrants Rights Center, joined The Metro on Tuesday to talk more about the detainments.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
New book spotlights Detroit's Arab, Chaldean communities
Arab Detroit is constantly in flux. In the last 10 years, new communities of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Yemen have settled here. And each new community brings with them different perspectives of what it means to make it in America — to be American.
The backdrop is that many have fled political crises that the U.S. has initiated or intensified.
But when they arrive in the U.S., some Arabs in metro Detroit learn that speaking up about these conflicts can be a thorny matter. Still, the last 10 years have ushered in a new wave of political representation and engagement led by Arab lawmakers and residents.
The new book, "Beyond Refuge in Arab Detroit," explores how life is changing for Arab Americans in Detroit and what it means to thrive here during a time of intense political turmoil — both here in the U.S. and also in many of the countries Arabs have fled.
It weaves together writings from multiple contributors who delve into politics, environmental justice and sexual stigma and violence — all through the lens of Arabs in metro Detroit.
Sally Howell is one of the editors of the book, and a professor of history and Arab American studies at University of Michigan-Dearborn. She joined The Metro on one of the last days of Arab American Heritage Month to discuss the book.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
New MOCAD installation tells the human story behind gun violence statistics
Almost 700 people a week died of gun violence in 2018 across the U.S., and that number has only gone up in recent years — rising to over 900 deaths a week in 2022.
An art installation opening soon at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) makes the case that numbers only tell a fraction of the story.
The Gun Violence Memorial Project, built to honor victims of gun violence, is made up of four homes filled with 700 glass bricks, containing relics of lost loved ones. The purpose of the installation is to serve as a reminder that gun violence statistics are more than numbers — they are people who lived lives and had families and loved ones.
Producer Cary Junior II spoke to designer at MASS Design Group Jha D Amazi and artist Hank Willis Thomas. Amazi and Thomas collaborated on the Gun Violence Memorial Project, which is on display at the MOCAD May 2 through Aug. 29.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
State Rep. Donavan McKinney enters race for 13th Congressional District seat
Democratic state lawmaker Donavan McKinney announced this week his intentions to run against Congressman Shri Thanedar in the 13th District primary election next year.
McKinney, 32, grew up in the district on Detroit’s east side and is the second person to join the race, alongside former state Rep. Adam Hollier.
He was first elected to the Michigan House in 2022 as a representative for the state's 14th district. He was reelected in the 11th House District last year, after district lines were redrawn.
Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with McKinney on the heels of his Congressional bid announcement to discuss his campaign priorities, which include advocating for clean air, clean water, and economic security.
Fact check: During the conversation, McKinney said the 13th District is the second poorest in the country. WDET couldn’t confirm that, but it is among the poorest districts in the nation. The Commercial Driver License law McKinney helped pass will also likely impact about one million Michiganders, not two million as he mentioned.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
US House Democrats demand answers after DOGE's alleged NLRB data breach
Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is one of 50 U.S. House Democrats demanding a full explanation of an alleged National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) data breach.
Whistleblower Daniel Berulis, who did IT work for the NLRB, says a representative from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) did more than search for fraud and waste when it visited the agency last month.
Berulis says DOGE appears to have uploaded a huge amount of data from NLRB’s computers, erased traces of what it did and then left all of the system’s security features turned off. Then someone with an internet address based in Russia repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, tried to access the NLRB computers.
DOGE never requested access to their systems and the agency’s own internal investigation found no sign of a computer breach, a spokesperson for the NLRB said.
Dingell spoke to WDET Senior News Editor Quinn Klinefelter about her concerns and what DOGE could have done with the data. Klinefelter also joined The Metro on Tuesday to recap their conversation.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Detroit youth organization Teen HYPE celebrating 21 years of supporting teens
Detroit youth organization Teen HYPE is celebrating its 21st year supporting local teens.
The youth development program, founded in 2004, aims to help teenagers build healthy habits to chart a better future. Teen HYPE Co-founder and CEO Ambra Redrick says the ultimate goal of the organization was to give young people the respect they deserve while uplifting them to be people who thrive in the world.
Redrick joined The Metro on Tuesday to discuss Teen HYPE’s work in the community. With a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Wayne State University, Ambra says she understands both clinically and holistically what it takes to care for our young people.
She is also a recent recipient of the 2025 Skillman Visionary Award, which is an award program that recognizes and supports visionary leaders in education.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Detroit public schools have higher than average teacher retention rates, report finds
Good teachers can be hard to find and even harder to keep, especially in districts with limited funding and high needs.
But a recent report from Detroit PEER researchers at Wayne State University's College of Education found that Detroit Public Schools Community District has a teacher retention rate above the national average.
To learn more about the report's findings, Metro Producer Cary Junior II spoke to its lead author, Bianca Burch.
Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, also joined The Metro to discuss changes the district is making to retain teachers. She also spoke about the unique and untold challenges teachers currently face.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Detroit Councilwoman Santiago-Romero is suing to get back on August primary ballot
We’re four months away from the primary and already, there’s drama with Detroit’s city council race.
Unofficially, there are 45 people vying for nine seats on the council in the Aug. 5 primary election. District 6 Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero was supposed to be among them, but didn't make it on the ballot after being disqualified for failing to pay a campaign finance fee, according to the City Election Department.
Santiago-Romero called her removal erroneous and "undemocratic," and is now suing the Detroit City Clerk's Office and Clerk Janice Winfrey to get her name restored on the ballot.
Detroit reporter Sam Robinson has been covering the story for his Substack, Detroit One Million. He joined the show to share the latest on the race.
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.
New MOCAD exhibit to highlight contributions of Black tech innovators
The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is unveiling a new exhibition next month to help shine a light on the many contributions of local Black artists and thinkers in the world of tech.
Titled “Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art,” the project was first launched by The Kitchen — a New York-based artist-driven collective — to highlight the work of Black creative technologists in Harlem from the 1960s to the '90s.
Opening at MOCAD on May 2, "Code Switch" will feature artists from across the country and highlight Detroit’s tech contributions. The opening reception is free and open to the public.
To share more about the exhibit, Artistic Director and Co-Director of MOCAD Jova Lynne joined The Metro. Johnnie Turnage, co-founder and creator of Black Tech Saturdays — an organization that’s helping Black people thrive in Detroit’s burgeoning technology field — also joined the conversation.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Political analysts say Canada's federal election is the most important in decades
Just across the Detroit River in Windsor and throughout Canada, voters are headed to the polls to cast their ballots in federal elections.
Political analysts are calling the election the most important in decades. Key issues at the ballot box include the economy, housing, tariffs, and how to address U.S. President Donald Trump's extreme policies.
In this election, Canadians will select Members of Parliament and the political party that will run the government for the near future. Five parties are vying for that power, including the Liberals, Conservatives, and the New Democratic Party.
Lydia Miljan, a professor of political science at the University of Windsor, spoke with WDET news director Jerome Vaughn about the potential outcome and impacts of Canada's federal elections.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
What Detroit’s next mayor should run on
For the first time since he won the role 12 years ago, Mayor Mike Duggan will not be on the ballot for Detroit mayor.
The longtime Democrat, whose term expires at the end of this year, announced in December that he'll instead be campaigning (as an independent) for Michigan governor — opening up a competitive field of candidates vying to succeed him as mayor.
During his more than 10 years as mayor of Detroit, Duggan prioritized ridding the city of blight, revitalizing parks and recreation centers, and decreasing crime with the help of initiatives like community violence intervention (CVI) programs.
Now, with nine people running to replace Duggan, what should they prioritize?
Anika Goss is the chief executive officer of Detroit Future City, a local think tank and policy advocate organization. In a new report, the organization is encouraging the city's next mayor to focus on creating more middle class neighborhoods, generating more wealth opportunities for residents, and establishing a climate-resilient city.
Goss joined The Metro on Thursday to discuss the report and the importance of this pivotal moment for the city.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
A conversation with Jason Moran, Detroit Jazz Fest's 2025 Artist-in-Residence
This year's Detroit Jazz Festival just announced its first wave of artists they'll be bringing to downtown Detroit this Labor Day weekend. It's the largest free jazz festival in the world, and will feature performances from Keyyon Harrold, John Scofield and many more.
This year's Artist-in-Residence is pianist Jason Moran, who will perform three very different sets over the three-day festival. It's just one aspect of Jason Moran's role this year, which will also include supporting the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation's educational initiatives and community engagement activities, among other initiatives.
WDET's Ryan Patrick Hooper spoke with Moran about his residency, his musical influences and what he plans to play at jazz fest this summer.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
US Rep. Haley Stevens on why she’s running for Senate
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens launched her U.S. Senate campaign on Tuesday — joining a growing crowd of candidates vying for outgoing Sen. Gary Peters' open seat.
The Michigan Democrat is the fourth well-known candidate to join what is quickly becoming one of the nation’s most-watched Senate races, alongside Democrats Dr. Abdul El-Sayed — the former director of Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services — and State Sen. Mallory McMorrow. Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is the only Republican in the race so far.
Peters' retirement announcement has caused a frenzy among Democrats, who hope to hold onto the seat to avoid expanding Republicans' 53-47 Senate majority in a battleground state Trump won in November.
Stevens joined The Metro on Thursday to talk about her Senate campaign and what motivated her to run.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Oakland, Macomb counties feud over sewage overflow
Over one million gallons of raw sewage were recently dumped into a Macomb County drain, and officials say Oakland County is responsible.
In early April, Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) stating that raw sewage from Oakland County’s Retention Treatment Basin is running into the Red Run Drain at Dequindre Road.
Pat Batcheller, host of Morning Edition and senior news editor for WDET, has been covering the ongoing feud between the two counties. He joined The Metro on Thursday to share the latest.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Detroit Pistons' journey from the league's worst team to the playoffs
The Detroit Pistons have local sports fans buzzing going into Game 3 of the team's first-round series against the New York Knicks — currently tied at 1-1.
The young, scrappy team worked their way into the playoffs after having one of the worst records in the NBA last season, at 17-65. For those who’ve toughed it out and have remained hardcore fans, this has been a long time coming.
Before beating the Knicks in Game 1 and ending a league-record, 15-game playoff losing streak, the Pistons had not won a postseason game since the 2008 Eastern Conference finals at the Palace, where the franchise won NBA championships in 2004, 1990 and 1989.
Today on The Metro, Detroit Pistons beat writer for the Detroit Free Press, Omari Sankofa II, and former sports reporter Perry Ferrell joined the show to discuss the various factors playing into the Pistons' exciting playoff run.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
How Community Violence Intervention programs stop harm before it happens
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.
Demystifying and fighting misinformation about autism and those who have it
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.