Stateside Daily Archive

Canadians received access to the COVID-19 vaccine later than Americans, yet they’ve surpassed us in vaccination rate as they lean into the science of getting back to normal. With that, the Canadian government announced this week it plans to reopen the border with America at the beginning of August. But even just today the U.S. government announced it will delay that reopening by a couple mor...

The COVID-19 Delta variant is ripping its way through the American south. Federal health officials have said this latest surge is a pandemic of the unvaccinated as many counties throughout the nation report low and very low vaccination rates.  GUESTS: Emily Martin, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health Abram Wagner, Research Assistant Professor, Dep...

Metro Detroiters are demanding answers for catastrophic flooding this summer that swamped basements, filled streets, and destroyed property. Yes, climate change is definitely feeding into this. But there’s also a lot to say about Metro Detroit’s water and sewer systems. Today on the pod, we dig into why these systems are failing more often—and who should pay for upgrades to make...

Long COVID. It’s a range of prolonged symptoms after a COVID infection. It can include brain fog, fatigue, gastrointestinal issues  - not to mention anxiety and depression. Today we're talking about another unexpected side effect of Long COVID: high out-of-pocket costs and medical debt.  GUEST: Rachel Ishikawa , Michigan Radio NPR producer Looking for more conversations from States...

Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of US Olympic team gymnasts and others have led to devastating revelations about sports, institutions, and the value of girls and their truths. Now, a new Department of Justice report has come out, detailing the FBI’s response to tips about Nassar, dating back to 2015. This episode, we speak to Michigan Radio’s Lindsey Smith, co-host of the Peabody-awa...

The auto industry is struggling with supply chain issues and chip shortages resulting in price markups for new and used cars. Today, a look at how we got here, and how consumers are reacting.  GUESTS:  Jamie LaReau, an automotive reporter for the Detroit Free Press Steven A. Melnyk,  professor of Supply Chain and Operations Management at Michigan State University Looking for more co...

Slap! Spray! Scratch! The most biting of topics in Michigan right now is mosquitoes. Yes, there's a boom of bloodsuckers going on in the Great Lakes state.   GUEST:  Bill Stanuszek  directs the  Saginaw County Mosquito Abatement Commission   Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. S...

The U.S. Department of the Interior - under Secretary Deb Haaland - is opening investigations into abuse and inhumanity at hundreds of boarding schools for Native American children in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today we explore the legacy of these boarding schools in Michigan, and what’s being done to revive and reteach Anishinaabek language here.   GUESTS: Netawn Kiogima , language s...

The Covid-19 pandemic was powerful enough to shut down Broadway and devastate performing arts across the country. Now, after a year and a half of virtual theater, countless tribute Zoom concerts, and dozens of staged play readings, theaters across the state are beginning to reopen. Today, we speak with the co-founders of Detroit Public Theatre, who this Saturday, celebrate their new space in Midto...

Detroit artist Cyrah Dardas has a portfolio of ink, watercolors, print media, cut paper, photography and more. But it could be said that a portion of her practice is people. An educator and organizer, she works with kids in schools, teaching kids to unlock their ideas and give them form. And, in less formal environments, she shows them ways to be who they are, without fear. Alongside her partner,...

So much has changed in education for LGBTQ teachers. In some districts in Michigan, it’s now possible to hold a job while being honest about who you love. But in some ways, things haven’t really changed. On today’s pod, we hear from LGBTQ educators. They’re going to tell us about what they see: more acceptance, but also more recognition for the unique help they can provide...

After much discussion, and pandemic delay, the Tokyo Olympics begin this month. It’s an exciting moment for both athletes and viewers. While the Olympics can be really fun to watch, they’re also a stage in which the discrepancies between global haves and have nots is in plain sight. And the politics of who gets to host the games can tell a story, too. Today, we’ll dig into Detroi...

“Songs from the Trail” broadcasts on low-watt community radio on Beaver Island in the middle of Lake Michigan straight off shore from Charlevoix. Jackson Smith and Steve Girbach turned their neighborly conversations about music made in Michigan and local artists into a show.   GUESTS:  Steve Girbach, co-host "Songs from the Trail" Jackson Smith, co-host "Songs from the Trail"...

Once upon a time, in America, the words “Critical Race Theory” would have been something you’d encounter in a coffeehouse conversation. But this year, Michigan lawmakers have recently introduced bills to ban it in k-12 schools. Today, we get clear on what the controversy around CRT is in Michigan, and how it looks for two educators’ classrooms in very different districts.&n...

In May of 2019, Governor Whitmer signed into law historic auto insurance reforms meant to lower the state’s highest-in-the-nation rates. They’d do that by allowing people to opt out of unlimited medical coverage in their plans. And, starting tomorrow, the laws also put caps on payouts for crash victims' medical expenses. On today’s pod, we’ll talk to a critic of the changes...

The good news is Michigan’s COVID-19 infection rates and hospitalizations are down, compared to where they were at this time in March. The bad news. So are vaccination rates.  Today, we check in with two health officials in very different Michigan communities that are tackling the same problems -- misinformation and distrust. We talk with Detroit’s chief public health official abo...

Heavy rain this past weekend led to massive flooding in Southeast Michigan. For some Metro Detroiters, this weekend wasn’t just a mess. It was also an unpleasant moment of déjà vu, calling back to a similarly devastating flood in 2014. Today on the pod, we’ll talk about what’s behind the region’s increasingly frequent flood events, and what a fix might look li...

Ready to go camping, but not sure what to bring to eat? We got you covered. Today, we're sharing some tips, gear and recipe ideas for cooking while camping.   GUESTS: Alex Beggs , BA senior staff writer Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT . Additional music...

A small, boarded up house in Detroit was recently named one of the 11 most endangered historic sites in the U.S. by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was the home of Sarah Elizabeth Ray, a black woman who many say should be just as well known as Rosa Parks. Today, we’ll talk about efforts to preserve the memory of the now demolished community center next door, Action House, wh...

A group of State Senate Republicans released their final report today on the supposition of voter fraud in 2020. The long-awaited conclusion? There wasn't any fraud. The report even suggested that the state’s attorney general investigate individuals or groups that pushed a conspiracy theory about fraud in Antrim County for their own gain. Today on the pod, we’ll dig into what the repor...

After a year of protests calling on local governments to defund the police, most large cities in Michigan are actually spending more on police, not less. The new fiscal year is about to begin for many cities across the state. July 1st marks the starting point of the new spending cycle for most cities. As those budget plans get finalized, the Michigan Radio newsroom has been digging into how the st...

For decades, Oakland County was known as a wealthy Republican enclave. But as the national GOP leans hard to the right, this traditional Republican stronghold shifted to the left. On today’s episode, we’ll talk about how the state's second most populous county ended up in a political identity crisis with Politico writer and Michigan native Zack Stanton. You can read Zack’s profil...

Michigan state announced it will lift all indoor capacity restrictions and mask requirements starting next Tuesday, June 22nd. That's ahead of the original date of July 1st. Outdoor restrictions already have been lifted, but with little time for concert organizers and promoters to really plan full events for the summer. So what can we expect when it comes to music festivals and concerts? On today'...

We already knew PFAs have worked their way into the ground, lakes, rivers and streams, and tap water… basically everywhere . Today we’ll talk with a chemist about a recent report from the EPA, which has now found PFAS in rainfall on the shores of all five Great Lakes.  GUEST: Marta Venier, chemist and professor at Indiana University  Looking for more conversations from State...

You can find murals by Detroit artist Bakpak Durden on walls all across the Motor City. But Bakpak doesn’t limit themselves to just one—or two, or three—forms of creative expression. They’ve styled hair, inked tattoos, worked as an illustrator, and, more recently, co-founded a printing press. Today, we’ll hear from Bakpak about how they use art to support their commun...