"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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RSS FeedSouthwest Detroit is a vibrant community that oftentimes gets overlooked as a Detroit neighborhood. Many residents are native Detroiters or have deep roots in the city. Similar to other neighborhoods in Detroit, people living there may feel unseen or forgotten.
The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation recently opened the Dresner Community Center-Gilbert Street in Southwest. The goal is to expand resources while trying to directly connect with the communities they serve.
The foundation bought two properties, the St. Andre Catholic Church and Rectory and the community building on Gilbert street. The neighborhood hub will act as a space for multiple non-profits to live within the community.
Chief Executive Officer of the Dresner Foundation Virginia Romano joins the show to talk about the impact the community center will have in Southwest.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Today on The Metro, we bring you a conversation with the Detroit Documenters, an organization that trains and pays residents to cover government meetings in Southeast Michigan.
One thing they’ve learned at some of those recent meetings is that County Veteran Affairs offices across the state are in a tricky financial situation. Money they usually receive from the Michigan County Veteran Service Fund was miscalculated.
This comes at a time when President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are cutting funds and firing people in the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, making all financial support right now very crucial.
Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt sat down with Documenter Marcia Hartman and Coordinator Noah Kincade to find out how this accounting came about and its effect on Wayne County.
County VA’s can apply for $50,000 to support veterans. Any money not used from this is pooled together and distributed based on the number of veterans living in counties.
Kincade spoke to Christyn Herman, a public affairs officer at the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. She said more counties used their initial $50,000 which shrank the pot being redistributed across the state.
The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency is planning visits and working with county VA offices across the state, Herman said. They understand less money going to counties means fewer veterans being helped.
Arab Americans have long been an integral part of the cultural and political fabric of metro Detroit, contributing to the region's identity and shaping local elections.
From Dearborn to the heart of Detroit, the Arab American community has influenced Michigan’s growth and political dynamics. However, as the political landscape evolves, a key question arises: Is there a solid political home for Arab Americans? And if so, where do they fit in today’s polarized environment?
For decades, Arab Americans have been a reliable voting bloc for the Democratic Party, especially in areas like Dearborn. However, in recent years, many have begun to question their loyalty to the Democrats. The catalyst for this shift has been growing dissatisfaction with the party’s stance on key issues, particularly its support of Israel’s actions in Gaza. This evolving political identity is creating uncertainty about the future of Arab American influence in Michigan’s elections.
Today on The Metro, we explored the political future of Arab Americans in Michigan and across the country. Are they finding common ground with the Republican Party, or do their political views span beyond the traditional party lines? The shifts in the community’s political engagement could significantly affect Michigan’s elections in the coming years.
As national and local elections approach, the political leanings of Arab Americans will play a crucial role in shaping Michigan’s political future. Their evolving political identity is fluid, shaped by a range of factors, but one thing is clear: their impact on the state’s political landscape will only grow stronger.
Guests:
More headlines from The Metro on March 20, 2025 :
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Donald Goines is considered the "Godfather of Ghetto Realism." He wrote fantastical stories based on the realities and struggles of living in urban places and among vulnerable Black communities.
Goines, born in Detroit in 1936, grew up during a time when the world was heading into World War II. He joined the military at 16, and fell into the world of heroin. He ended up in prison for drugs after returning from the war.
Once released, he turned things around and wrote 16 books in four and half years before being murdered alongside his wife Shirley in their Highland Park apartment. Almost 50 years later, the murders remain a mystery.
With the help of the film company Detroit Son, Goines’ story — and the mystery behind his untimely death — is being revisited.
Craig Gore is the executive producer of the documentary, digging into the life and death of Donald Goines. The film also highlights his contributions to hip-hop culture after his death.
Robert “Tape” Bailey is the founder of King Tape Productions and the author of “The Hustle Code," a guide on how to change perspectives and circumstances with empowering messages.
They both joined The Metro to talk about the documentary’s progress and Goines’ impact on their work.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
The Detroit Tigers Opening Day is Friday April 4, but the team has been getting ready at their spring training home in Lakeland, Florida.
The Tigers have an 89-year history with the Florida city, the longest of any team in Major League Baseball.
To find out more about this long standing connection, Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt talked to James Michael Denham, history professor at Florida Southern College and Director of the Lawton M. Chiles Jr. Center for Florida History. Denham is also a Tigers Spring Training Season Ticket Holder.
Before it was Joker Marchant Stadium, it was the location of the Lodwick School of Aeronautics. The flight school opened in 1940 and trained 8,000 American and 1,200 British pilots for World War II. Joker Marchant Stadium opened in 1966, and you can still see barracks and other remnants of the school.
The Lakeland Flying Tigers, Detroit’s Single A team, plays at Joker Marchant Stadium and carries on the site's flight history.
MLB Spring Training ends on Saturday. The Tigers start the season March 27 on the West Coast. They’ll be back in Detroit for Opening Day, facing off against the Chicago White Sox.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
More than two years after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the war has been devastating.
After a shaky ceasefire collapsed, the Gaza Health Ministry reports almost 50,000 Palestinians are now dead from Israeli bombardments in Gaza, which now lays in ruins.
All of this has left many American Jews — especially younger ones — in an uncomfortable situation.
One week ago, hundreds of Jewish Voice for Peace activists were arrested for a protest outside Trump Tower over the detainment and potential deportation of green-card holder and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.
Still, many American Jews feel deeply uncomfortable criticizing Israel. American Jewish author and liberal journalist Peter Beinart says that’s because Jewish identity is tied to uncritical support of Israel. He hopes to change that in his new book, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza.”
WDET’s “All Things Considered” Host and reporter Russ McNamara spoke with Beinart about this and more before a talk he gave last week at a local synagogue in Ferndale.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
A group of local attorneys is offering pro bono representation for protesters facing criminal charges for their involvement in pro-Palestine protests at the University of Michigan last spring. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed the charges against 11 demonstrators. The move has angered some of her supporters.
Last month, she was met with boos at the Michigan Democratic Party Convention in Detroit as people chanted, “Drop the charges.”
Nessel’s office has not responded to WDET’s invitation to discuss the matter.
In a press release outlining the case and charges, Nessel’s office said, “several demonstrators defied orders from law enforcement to vacate the camp, and physically obstructed the police and pushed against their bodies.”
Critics say the charges are an attack on free speech and reflect a double standard, given the number of protests at the University of Michigan that have not led to the prosecution of protesters.
Amir Makled, one of the attorneys representing the University of Michigan protesters pro bono, says they were targeted for their messages centered on divestment. The protesters want the University of Michigan to withdraw funding it provides to companies linked with Israel. The divestment movement is aimed at ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Makled sat down with The Metro’s co-host Robyn Vincent to discuss the latest developments in the protesters’ cases and the broader attacks on free speech in the U.S., including the arrest and detainment of Mahmoud Khalil. The Columbia graduate student is a permanent legal resident, yet he was arrested and detained without due process. The Trump administration claims he has ties to Hamas but has failed to provide evidence of this.
Makled joined the show days after Israel broke its ceasefire with Hamas, launching deadly air strikes that killed hundreds of people and injured hundreds more.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
For a while now there has been tons of money in sports. Professional athletes have been cashing in for decades, but in recent years, student athletes and sports fans have been officially brought into the fold. The NCAA’s name, image and likeness policies have given student athletes the opportunity to be paid. Student athletes with some of the top deals are making around $4-6 million.
Sports betting has raised the stakes on games for fans who are looking to turn a quick profit, and it’s growing. Michigan’s revenue from internet sports betting increased 23% last year. But gambling experts are concerned that sports betting could lead people to develop a gambling addiction.
Today on The Metro, we explore the sports betting boom along with its potential consequences. Plus, we discuss whether paying student athletes is good for sports.
Guests:
More stories from The Metro on March 19, 2025:
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In February, two young children experiencing homelessness died of carbon monoxide poisoning after spending the night in their mother's van outside Hollywood Casino, amid below freezing temperatures.
That news saddened and angered many in Detroit. As a result, the city doubled funding for homeless shelters and increased outreach to people on the street who are experiencing homelessness.
But Detroit housing analyst Alex Alsup says that report doesn’t get to the root of the homelessness problem. Instead, Alsup suggests the city should lobby state lawmakers to continue the Pay As You Stay law, which will be phased out in July. That program, in addition to the, Homeowners Property Tax Exemption and the Detroit Tax Relief Fund, have prevented thousands of potential foreclosures — and many possible cases of homelessness — over the past decade.
The Metro Producer Sam Corey sat down with Alsup to discuss his recent analysis that he explored in his Substack, “The Chargeback,” and why he believes these laws are preventing homelessness and need to be kept around.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Bridgett M. Davis is an author and daughter of Detroit.
She’s written about her mom’s business running the numbers in “The World According to Fannie Davis.” Her new book tells the story of her sister and shines light on women’s health.
“Love, Rita: An American Story of Sisterhood, Joy, Loss, and Legacy” explores the dynamics between generations of Black women moving through the complexities of living and dying in America.
Davis’ mother was diagnosed with cancer and her sister with Lupus, ushering in the uncomfortable truths of the U.S. health care system and the systemic racism that exists within.
Davis joined The Metro to talk more about “Love, Rita” and share stories of her mother Fannie, sister Rita and Detroit.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.