Stateside Daily Archive

Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack on her decision to step down from the state's highest court before the end of the year - six years before the end of her term.  Meanwhile, in the gubernatorial race, Tudor Dixon's campaign is slowly picking up speed, and a group of Republicans has stepped forward in support of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Zoe Clark digs into this week's pol...

Journalist Danny Fenster ended up in one of the most notorious prisons in the world for simply doing his job. In May of 2021, he was taken prisoner in Myanmar, at a time when military leaders were consolidating their control over the country. Today, his story and what Myanmar is facing. GUEST: Danny Fenster ,  Nieman fellow at Harvard University —— Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? R...

Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack will be stepping down from the court by the end of this year. The exact date has yet to be announced, but she will remain through the November election. Justice McCormack will go on to serve as the next president and CEO of a legal nonprofit that provides alternative dispute resolution services. The current leader of the organization made nearly $1 million in 2...

Many Detroit tenants are tired of battling the city's landlords over defective facilities and the rising costs of rent. Recognizing they were facing the same problems, one group of residents rallied to form the Detroit Tenants Association to hold their landlords accountable.  GUESTS: Steven Rimmer, resident of Virginia Park in Detroit and organizer of the Detroit Tenants Association M. Lewis Bass,...

Patti Smith is a lot of things: artist, musician, poet, ex-Michigander. She's had an incredible impact on punk rock music and continues to shape the scene with her performances. She also has her share of controversy, including song lyrics that use a racial slur. Today we talk about a new book about the icon and look into her cultural impact over the years. GUEST: Caryn Rose , author of Why Patti S...

Host Zoe Clark wraps up the week in political news with analysts and reporters. They discuss the many races coming up in November. In Michigan, there’s the race for Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. There are 13 races for Congress — and the entire state House and Senate are up for election. Plus, the future of abortion rights. Election denialism. A weakened economy and heightened...

Many Michigan communities have toxic chemicals from the industries that powered our state for generations. One of the most pressing problems is PFAS, a class of chemicals sometimes referred to as forever chemicals, for their extreme longevity. State environmental regulators estimate Michigan is home to more than 11,000 sites where PFAS have been used. But there's some new research from a lab in Ch...

Voters in Jamestown Charter Township voted against renewing a millage that funds up to 85 percent of their local library. This, after the library faced backlash from local conservatives for offering LGBTQ+ content. One book in particular -- Gender Queer  -- has become a target for some conservatives around the country, including a group called Jamestown Conservatives. But advocates of renewing the...

There is a fierce political fight over abortion rights happening in Michigan right now. But the decision to terminate a pregnancy is an incredibly personal one. Today, one mother–who is also a pediatrician–tells us her abortion story and shares why she thinks medical decisions about pregnancy should be left to patients and their doctors. GUEST:  Dr. Elaine Pomeranz, retired Michigan pediatrician L...

On this week's politics rundown, we talk about why the petition drive looking to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution is now headed to the Michigan Supreme Court. We'll also get into what President Biden's recent speech means for the Trump-backed candidates in Michigan. Zoe Clark is in the host chair again for today's episode with a panel discussing these two developments and more....

The library at the University of Michigan found out that a prized manuscript attributed to astronomer Galileo is a 20th century forgery. Today, the dean of libraries shares the details of this farce.  GUEST: Donna Hayward, University of Michigan interim dean of libraries ____ Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting...

Drivers for The Detroit Bus Company showed up for work last week, only to find that catalytic converters had been stolen from multiple vehicles. Stateside host April Baer went to visit the company's headquarters, where they're working to up security after the break-in. GUEST: Andy Didorosi,  founder, chief cook, and bottle washer for the Detroit Bus Company _____ Looking for more conversations fro...

Michigan voters may see a much-anticipated abortion rights ballot measure in the upcoming election. The group Reproductive Freedom for All submitted a record-breaking 752-thousand voter signatures in July in support of a plan to embed reproductive rights in the state constitution.  However, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers meets tomorrow, and may decide to change the language voters would se...

This past weekend, generations of readers gathered at Book Beat in Oak Park to celebrate the bookstore's 40th birthday. Its founders, Colleen Kammer and Cary Loren, joined Stateside for a conversation about the ups and downs of the industry over the last four decades. GUESTS Colleen Kramer , co-founder of Book Beat Cary Loren , co-founder of Book Beat —— Looking for more conversations from Statesi...

Ahead of the state GOP convention, a former primary candidate for governor says he wants to be lieutenant governor. The problem is, candidate Tudor Dixon has already picked a running mate, and it’s not him. We’ll also hear about a court decision that has given car accident victims a ray of hope. Laura Weber Davis is in the host chair again for today's episode with a panel, discussing these two dev...

Pianist BLKBOK's been turning heads, since he was eight years old. Since then, he’s played jazz and blues, performed with acts like Cirque du Soleil, and toured with Justin Timberlake and Rihanna. BLKBOK is now stepping out as a solo, neo classical artist, with twin debut albums, Black Book and Black Book Deluxxe.  GUEST: BLKBOK, musician ____ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right t...

Oudolf Garden Detroit recently opened to the public on Belle Isle, and it's a wonderland of natural landscape. Landscape architect Piet Oudolf was behind the project. We caught up with him on his first visit to the finished garden. GUEST: Piet Oudolf, landscape architect _____ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting...

In 2020, a group of defendants was arrested for an alleged plot that ignited national attention in far-right, antigovernmental activism. The group was accused of conspiring to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Today, the jury made a decision on Adam Fox and Barry Croft, who were described by prosecutors to be ringleaders of the group. The verdict: guilty. GUEST: Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio report...

When people get behind on their bills, it’s not unusual for collections to come calling. A new investigation from Detroit’s Outlier Media and ProPublica finds one of Michigan’s regional power companies, DTE, is taking an unusual path to deal with outstanding consumer debts.  GUEST: Sarah Alvarez, Outlier Media executive editor _____ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way . I...

The legality of reproductive rights in Michigan continues to hang in the balance as court challenges work their way through the state judicial system. Also, the Republican nominee for Attorney General of Michigan, Matt DePerno, has come under investigation for allegedly taking illegal actions during his investigation into false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Zoe Clark is in the host c...

Detroit artist Scott Hocking showed us around the city that in many ways is his studio. He's a specialist in creating beauty in the spaces most people have left behind, but his latest installation is much more public facing: in front of the Huntingon Place convention center downtown. The 11-foot "Floating Citadel" bronze sculpture unveiled this week.  GUEST: Scott Hocking, artist _____ Looking for...

The Three Fires teaching lodge at Grand Valley State University is the first lodge in Michigan to be built on public university land. Students traveled from as far as Chicago to help construct the lodge this summer. One of those students and a professor who led the project joined Stateside to talk about the significance of having a space reserved for Indigenous students on colonized land. GUESTS:...

Dodge announced this week it will discontinue its iconic line of Chargers and Challengers. It's a brave new world of autos, moving away from traditional American muscle to an electrified future.  GUEST: Sonari Glinton , contributor to Planet Money and Slate Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in t...

Inmates at Wayne County’s jail have experienced very long stays over the course of the pandemic. For many families who have loved ones at the jail, it can be financially challenging to stay in touch during such an extended period of time. Beenish Ahmed, Michigan Radio’s criminal justice correspondent, brings us a story from one woman whose husband is being held at the jail.  Sheriff Jerry Clayton...

On this special Friday episode of the podcast, Zoe Clark is back in the host chair, leading a panel discussion around the last week in politics. They cover Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lawsuit about the 1931 law banning abortion, Kristina Karamo’s Twitter accounting supposedly getting hacked, and the investigation into presumptive Republican attorney general nominee Matt DePerno. GUESTS: Lauren Gibbons...