Stateside Daily Archive

We’re all paying a lot of attention to Detroit’s vote right now—and for good reason. But there’s more than one ingredient to Biden’s win in Michigan, including the county that flipped on the west side of the state. We talked to Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons about why she says voters should trust the elections process—and be skeptical about unfounded cla...

At the TCF Center in Detroit on Wednesday, hundreds of election workers were tabulating ballots. Election observers and poll challengers were inside to watch the work. But there was also a group of unofficial challengers gathering outside of the building. Protesters who support President Donald Trump began chanting “stop the count,” echoing the president’s calls to halt any addit...

As Election Day turns into days, the presidential race is still too close to call. Michigan was predicted to be a focal point of this election, along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and that prediction has held true. Today, we dig into what we know as the state wraps up its final vote tallies, and what the results mean for Michigan's political future. NOTE: This podcast was recorded in the 4 o&rs...

For months, people have taken to the streets in Michigan—and across the country—to protest racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death. While social upheaval can definitely change how voters are feeling as they cast their ballots, it doesn’t always work in the way you might expect. Instead, says journalist and historian Ken Coleman , broad social movements can set...

After one of the strangest election years in American history, Election Day is less than 24 hours away. Clerks across the state have received an unprecedented number of absentee ballot requests, and state officials are expecting that the contentious presidential race will drive record voter participation. The question is: How prepared is Michigan for that kind of a turnout? We talked to Michigan's...

Michigan’s Arab American community is one of the largest in the nation, with people immigrating to the state from all over the Arab world. With such a diverse population comes a wide range of political beliefs. In 2016, around a quarter of Arab Americans in the U.S. said that they planned on voting for Donald Trump. A lot has changed since then. President Trump implemented a ban on travel to...

Some Republican activists in Michigan have mobilized around President Trump’s suggestion during the first presidential debate that substantial voter fraud is not just possible, but imminent. There is no evidence that such fraud is likely to occur—a point reiterated by both Republican and Democratic clerks around the state. Still, hundreds of people have showed up for poll challenger tr...

We know the number of Black voters in Michigan—many in Detroit and surrounding Wayne County—who stayed home in 2016 was greater than Donald’s Trump’s narrow margin of victory here. But there are signs that Black voters in the city are mobilizing like they haven’t in awhile. Millions of Michiganders are expected to vote absentee this year. Many of those requesting abse...

On today’s episode, we take a look at a couple more hotly-contested congressional races in Michigan. In West Michigan, Democrats are fighting hard to flip two districts long held by Republicans. In the 3rd District, which includes the city of Grand Rapids, two political newcomers compete for the seat currently held by Rep. Justin Amash. And in the 6th District, longtime Republican Congressma...

With just about one week left until election day, there are four congressional districts in Michigan that we're watching closely. Today, you’ll hear about two of them: the 8th and 11th Districts. Both have Democratic representatives—Haley Stevens in the 11th and Elissa Slotkin in the 8th—who flipped their seats from GOP control in 2018. Now, Republicans want those districts back....

Today on  Stateside , Big Ten football returns this weekend. A sports columnist talks us through what collegiate football games will feel like amid the spread of COVID-19. Also, a look at what life was like for African American people in Michigan prior to the Civil War. Plus, a Black family wonders whether they’re still welcome in their home Up North. You can find individual conversatio...

Today on Stateside , what you need to know about Prop N, the controversial ballot proposal that would send more funding to Detroit's blight removal program. Plus, we hear from the founder of the group behind a billboard campaign to draw attention to the ongoing issue of missing and murdered indigenous women. Finally, a Flint theater takes on the trauma of George Floyd and the many Black men, women...

Today on Stateside , we take a look how the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in communities around the states is impacting schools. Also, a conversation about Jackson County’s history as a birthplace for the Republican Party. Plus, we talk to two election attorneys about the possibility of contested results after Nov. 3.  You can find individual interviews here. See omnystudio.com/listener...

Today on  Stateside , in a House district race in the district wrapping around the top of metro Detroit, Democrat Haley Stevens tries to hold on to a swing seat. And a conversation around “unschooling” as an alternative to the hectic COVID-19 plagued school year. Plus, who helps the FBI get in the room where impending crimes are discussed. You can find individual interviews here....

Today on  Stateside , what military leadership makes of Michigan's active militia movement. Also, we look into a hotly-contested race Up North that could help decide which party has control of the Michigan House of Representatives. Find individual conversations here .  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our daily  Stateside podcast, hosted by April Baer, helps you understand what’s going on in Michigan, one conversation at a time. The new and improved  Stateside  podcast launches  Monday, October 26 . If you’re already subscribed, you don’t have to do a thing! If not, just find us wherever you like to listen to podcasts.  Learn more: https://bit.ly/2H5sP...