Stateside Daily Archive

More than 1,500 people in Michigan who sustained life-changing injuries in car crashes are losing home care services. That's after the state Legislature passed no-fault auto insurance reforms that allowed insurance companies to cut reimbursements to the agencies providing home care services. On today's episode, we're going to hear about how the effort to lower auto insurance costs in Michigan has...

There’s not a lot you can get Democrats and Republicans to agree on these days. The response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine seems to be the exception. Today on the podcast, a view on Ukraine from two Michigan congressional members on opposite sides of the aisle. GUESTS:  U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI 12) U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI 2) Looking for more conversations from Stateside ?...

It can be hard to know how to support people in a warzone on the other side of the world. One local business is coming at it through food. Today, we talk with the editorial director at Frame in Hazel Park about the restaurant's upcoming Ukrainian dinner event and fundraiser. GUEST:  Mark Kurlyandchik, editorial director at Frame in Hazel Park —— Looking for more conversations from...

During the pandemic, when state and federal governments decline to act, local public health officials have the hard job of writing the road rules for their communities. Add to that harassment from the public and lack of support from health boards and departments. Today, we hear from a Northwest Michigan health director who recently decided enough is enough.   GUEST: Lisa Peacock , health offi...

Ukrainians woke up to the sound of explosions today as Russian forces launched an attack on the capital city Kyiv. Here in Michigan, many of us are watching this play out with horror, especially Ukrainian Americans, as tensions between the two countries reached a breaking point. Today, you’re going to hear from two Michiganders with close ties to both Ukraine and Russia. And we’ll...

The pandemic has been a time of uncertainty for a lot of us. If that’s the case for people outside jail walls, it’s doubly so for those inside. At least 120 people have spent 18 months or more in the Wayne County jail system, without a conviction or even a trial. On today's episode, we talk to two Michigan Radio reporters about how COVID is keeping people in jail for longer--before the...

Metro Detroit is one of the most racially segregated areas in the country. And when you're a Black person from a place like this, you probably learn to code switch at an early age. There are many ways to switch the way you speak and behave, depending on who you're around. But today's episode is about Black people code switching as they move between majority white spaces and majority black spaces,...

Walter F. Edwards of Wayne State University grew up speaking Guyanese Creole, which shaped his approach to linguistics. He shares how Afro-Caribbean languages have spread to African American Vernacular English and what this looks like for Black Detroiters. GUEST:  Walter F. Edwards , professor of linguistics at Wayne State University and director of the Wayne State Humanities Center  ---...

"What up doe?" If you’ve heard the term before, you probably know it as a greeting or maybe even a question. But for many Black Detroiters, the phrase is a piece of home. Today, we'll talk about the history of "what up doe" and what it means to its originators.  GUESTS:  Biba Adams , senior daytime news writer at The Grio Natasha T. Miller , Detroit poet, author , activist, and fil...

James Dewitt Yancy, better known as J Dilla, would have been 48-year-old this month. The Detroit king of all beats showed the world in his brief life that the city’s best musical days are not in the past, but still ahead. Dilla died in 2006, and his story is so recent, we haven’t had much scholarship on his life – until now. On today's episode, Stateside  executive producer...

You might not know their names, but the people who sit on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors make important decisions that touch every part of the U.S. economy. Michigan State University economist Lisa Cook.is the first Black woman nominated to serve on the board. She’s already a star in her field, especially when it comes to talking about how economic policy influences working class fam...

The future of legal abortion is up for debate in a way that it hasn’t been for nearly five decades. The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative-leaning majority is widely expected to weaken federal protections for abortion rights this year, potentially leaving states to make their own rules. Yesterday, we heard a personal story from one Michigander who is hoping that will mean an end to lega...

Whatever your opinion on legal abortion, there’s a good chance you’ll be hearing a lot more about it in the coming months. The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether to reverse or roll back the right to abortion laid out in the 1973 case Roe v. Wade. This is already seeding the ground for a fierce political battle in Michigan. But for many people, this issue is deeper than politic...

For almost as long as its been a state, Michigan has had laws on the books that make abortion illegal. The most recent one was passed in 1931. But for nearly five decades now, it’s been rendered moot by the U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade. A forthcoming decision from the court could change that. And Michigan advocates on both sides of the issue are already gearing up for a figh...

After a months of hospital overcrowding and wide community spread of the omicron variant, public health indicators are showing some turnaround. And one by one, Michigan's county health departments in populous areas have dropped mask mandates for schools. Could omicron finally be letting up? Mileage in your school, workplace, or congregate care setting may vary, but today we go over the basics with...

Michigan-born playwright Noah Haidle’s Broadway debut was just about to happen — in 2020, the year COVID doused the stage lights. But now, Birthday Candles , is back, and he’s here to tell us about it. GUEST: Noah Haidle , playwright, screenwriter —— Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider support...

Team USA’s forward Abby Roque made her Olympic debut last weekend in Beijing. She grew up in the UP, and she’s the first Native American to play for the US women’s team, a member of the Wahnapitae First Nation. But she’s not the first Native player to be part of the US team. That player was one Taffy Abel, and today on Stateside , his nephew talks about his life and many at...

You may have heard about the ongoing trucker protests in Ottawa, Canada because of vaccine mandates. Now protestors have a new target in sight: the Windsor-Detroit border crossing. Today on Stateside, the mayor of Windsor talks about the Ambassador Bridge being shut down, and what the overall protests mean for the two cities straddling the border.  GUEST:  Drew Dilkens , mayor of Windsor...

Malcolm X was a son of Lansing, where he spent some of his most formative years before becoming the iconic activist we know of today. So why aren't his the quotes and legacy we teach in Michigan schools or during Black History Month? Today on Stateside, we explore Malcolm X's family history and controversial legacy in the struggle for Black empowerment.  GUESTS: John Aerni-Flessner , associat...

For years now Michigan Democrats have wanted to remove the Lewis Cass statue in the U.S. Capitol. But the question has always been: who do we replace it with? A new proposal in Lansing suggests the next statue should be of former Detroit mayor, Coleman Young. Today, why Democrats want a Coleman Young statue in Washington, and the hurdles they face to make it happen. GUEST: James Dickson,  rep...

With the new district maps, there are two wide open congressional seats in Michigan. There's the 13th District in Detroit, and there's the 10th district in parts of Macomb County. The 10th is a largely suburban metro Detroit district that both parties think is competitive. Today, a look at the political landscape of the 10th Congressional district. GUESTS: Jeff Payne , news editor of the Macomb Da...

This weekend is the I-500 — a 500 mile snowmobile race in Sault Ste Marie. It’s a test of endurance for everybody involved, from racers to pit crews to spectators trying to keep their beer from freezing. The race was cancelled last year because of the pandemic. But this year, the sleds are back in town, and the race is expected to be bigger than ever. GUEST: Ric Federau , chairman of t...

The Detroit Lions have never played in any of the 55 previous Super Bowls. But this year, Lions fans are, in a way, the closest they’ve ever been. That’s because former Lions quarterback, Matthew Stafford, is Super Bowl bound with the Rams. Some Michiganders have mixed feelings watching Stafford find so much success in another city. Today, a Michigan football update. GUEST: John Niyo,...

Last week, General Motors announced that they will invest $7 billion to build electric vehicles and batteries in Michigan. In turn, General Motors is receiving an $820 million state incentive. Today, what this announcement means for Michigan and the future of electric vehicles. GUEST: Chad Livengood, Senior Editor at Crain’s Detroit Business Looking for more conversations from Stateside...

COVID cases are finally falling this week in Michigan, after months of surges and spikes during Delta and then Omicron variants. But the spread of COVID still continues unabated in parts of the state, and hospitals are paying the price.  GUESTS: Kate Wells, reporter, Michigan Radio Dustin Dwyer, reporter, Michigan Radio  Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If...