In 2001, Detroit opened its polls with a big question on the ballot. Twenty-one people were running for mayor. Dennis Archer was stepping aside after two terms, and Detroit was about to pick somebody new.

But that wasn’t the focus for long. Because the day was Tuesday, Sept. 11, and the twin towers came down that morning. So, WDET had to turn east and stay home at the same time: cover the deadliest attack in the country’s history, and cover a city that was still, that same afternoon, quietly choosing who would lead it.

Jerome Vaughn helped run that coverage. It won an award, though the award isn’t the part he remembers. He remembers that the voting didn’t stop — that was the story underneath the story. “Democracy goes on,” Vaughn said.

He joined WDET in January 1992, when he walked into this building as an intern and — apart from one year away at Michigan Radio — never left. He’s run the WDET newsroom since 2007, through stories that defined Detroit: Rosa Parks; Aretha Franklin; Kwame Kilpatrick; a bankruptcy, and a city working to rebuild. Through it all, he was in the room, or he led someone who was.

He also spent those years mentoring generations of Detroit journalists who credit him with their entry into media, and created the Detroit Evening Report so that Detroiters of color would hear about their own city in their own voices

On his last day at WDET, he joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to look at how the city changed over his three decades in journalism, and what he learned along the way.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

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Jerome Vaughn will tell you it all started with a Panasonic ball-and-chain radio gifted to him by his mother. He was hooked on the voices and foley art that created clear pictures in his mind, all through sound alone.

 ”I was one of those kids who slept with a radio on my nightstand. And even now, I’m one of those people, if I’m driving around late at night, I’m flipping around on the AM radio to see what station I can get from how far away.”

Now, Jerome looks back on a celebrated career in radio news on the brink of retirement. He’s spent 34 years at WDET, where he got to tell the real stories of his hometown. During his time at the station, he’s been an intern, an underwriter, a producer, a reporter, senior news editor, assistant news director…

And he’s spent over 20 years as WDET’s news director.

“WDET is really a special place,” said Jerome. “And Detroit is my favorite place on the face of the Earth.”

Detroit born and raised, Jerome has always held his hometown close. He recalls how media once depicted only the worst of Detroit—sometimes fabricating things altogether to push the narrative of it being a dangerous place, beyond redemption. He worked to set the record straight.

While he covered insightful stories about the metro Detroit region, he worked to make sure that people of color had a voice in news. As a part of that mission, he founded WDET’s Detroit Evening Report Program that tells news for and by people of color.

His dedication to ethical, accurate reporting has earned him many recognitions over the years, including awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, Michigan Associated Press, and Society of Professional Journalists. In 2018, he was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame.

Jerome is also a passionate mentor for WDET interns and beyond. He’s helped kickstart many careers in broadcast, and is always ready to help more young journalists build the skills and networks needed to enter the field.

“I knew that I wasn’t gonna be here, working at WDET in my 90s. I want to make sure that there’s quality public radio being created, you know, so that I can enjoy it after I’ve retired,” Jerome said with a wry smile.

“Jerome’s impact on WDET is deep and lasting. Futhermore, the whole Detroit journalism industry owes a lot to this man, who lives and breathes news. WDET will do its best to continue along the path Jerome helped set while missing his wisdom and humor,” said General Manager Mary Zatina.

Jerome’s final broadcast on WDET will be Monday, Aug. 17 for All Things Considered – Detroit, from 3-7 p.m.

A lasting legacy

At a retirement celebration on Aug. 14, Jerome was surprised with the creation of a permanent internship in his name, honoring his decades of mentorship and the many WDET interns he has helped launch into their careers. The Jerome Vaughn Internship was made possible through gifts from generous WDET donors and members of the newsroom.

If you’ve spent a bad week this summer wondering what you ate, you’re not alone.

Michigan seems to be at the epicenter of a fast-growing cyclospora outbreak. The state is reporting far more cases than any other — over 9,000 Michiganders have gotten sick from the parasite. 

That is the story in front of us. Behind it is a harder one.

A year ago, about three-quarters of Americans said they trusted the CDC’s health advice. Today, it is half. 

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, fired the entire committee that advises the CDC on vaccines and replaced it with his own picks. A federal court blocked those changes, though the administration is appealing. 

Meanwhile, many pediatricians did something they had never done. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued its own vaccine schedule rather than following the government’s. 

So when health officials tell you how to keep your family safe from a parasite in the lettuce, there is a question underneath it now: Do you still believe them?

Dr. Céline Gounder is an infectious disease specialist, epidemiologist, and public health correspondent for CBS News and KFF Health News. She hosts the podcasts Epidemic and American Diagnosis. 

Gounder worked on the ground during the Ebola epidemic in Guinea and spent years studying tuberculosis and HIV across southern Africa. She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss the erosion of America’s public health apparatus and how it’s affecting the cyclospora outbreak and public health more broadly.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

More stories from The Metro

There is a quiet that settles into a house when the power has been out for three days. The hum you never noticed is gone. The refrigerator has given up. If someone in the house depends on a machine to sleep, or a medication that has to stay cold, the quiet starts to feel like something else.

That was the mood in many homes in southeast Michigan over the Fourth of July weekend. Storms came through on Friday night with winds over 60 miles an hour.

By that night, more than 450,000 utility customers statewide were in the dark — most of them DTE customers. For some, the power did not come back for five days.

As the lights returned, so too did an argument about what people are owed when the grid fails, and about who, exactly, is supposed to answer for it.

Representative Alabas Farhat is among the people pushing for answers to those questions. He represents Dearborn and part of Detroit — some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods — and he is calling for state hearings into how the utilities responded, along with bigger compensation for residents than the state’s $42-a-day outage credit.

DTE has defended its response. In a statement to WDET, the company said the storms caused the most damage it has seen in years — knocking out power to nearly 400,000 of its customers — and that its “sole focus is on restoring power for our customers as quickly and safely as possible.”

At a press conference this week, CEO Joi Harris said the company got only about 90 minutes’ warning before the storm hit, and officials said most of the damage came from large trees outside the utility’s easements, with replacement crews coming from as far as Texas and Canada.

Harris also acknowledged the limits of the credit: “We know that $42 doesn’t cut it.”

Farhat joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what he heard from constituents who spent days in the dark, why he believes the current credit falls short, and what it would take to hold Michigan’s utilities to a higher standard.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

For years, many of us have watched political polarization deepen, pulling families, friends, and communities apart. That sense of distance isn’t imagined. According to the Listen First Project, 87% of Americans say polarization threatens the country, and 86% feel exhausted by division.

In Washtenaw County, one group is trying to change that. Braver Angels, a national organization with local chapters across the country, brings together liberals, conservatives, and independents to help communities lower the temperature and rebuild trust.

Producer Sam Corey spoke with Ed Karls and Emily Twanmo, the red and blue co-leads of Braver Angels of Washtenaw County. Both say the goal is to replace hostility with curiosity — to get people listening instead of arguing.

And both believe it starts small, away from the fight. “There’s more to life than this constant cage match,” Karls said. “Go out and have a bagel. Smell the flowers. Walk the dog.”

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Honoring their longtime neighbor Mary Lou Kouba, Dr. Nelia Afonso and Dr. George Alangaden are helping WDET-FM 101.9 expand its internship program through a new gift that supports Wayne State University students as well as others across a range of disciplines.  

Afonso and Alangaden have previously donated the bequest Kouba left to them to support access to education and opportunities at Wayne State. In 2023, they established the Mary Lou Kouba Endowed Memorial Scholarship in environmental science to honor Kouba’s dedication to fighting for equality and justice. 

With this new donation on her behalf, Afonso and Alangaden support WDET’s robust paid internship opportunities for Wayne State students and other local young professionals for the next five years.  

Afonso and Alangaden often talked about the news with Kouba. “She had this wonderful outlook on life and taking risks. She was a fierce supporter of independent journalism and the press,” says Afonso. With this gift in her memory, the couple hopes to see young people take to the field and develop creative ways to bring unbiased news to the forefront. 

WDET internships prepare students for success

WDET’s many paid learning opportunities provide hands-on, holistic experiences that educate and prepare the next generation of media professionals. With more than 24 different internship opportunities, the program attracts students from a variety of disciplines to work in reporting, production, marketing, music, business operations and more. Fourteen interns are working at WDET this summer. 

As part of their internships, students are immersed in the media profession and have access to coaching and development workshops. Interns get hands-on experience and have the chance to meet notable visitors. 

“Our interns are out in the field interviewing people, traveling across the state. They get that experience, and that’s what makes us different,” says WDET Strategic Initiatives Manager Diane Sanders, who directs the internship program. “I want our interns to see that there’s a lot they can do with their degree.” 

All of WDET’s internship roles are paid positions, which Sanders says is important for providing access to opportunities, in alignment with Wayne State’s mission. Afonso and Alangaden’s donation will cover the cost of two interns a year for five years with some additional funding. 

“We are grateful for the generous gift from Dr. Nelia Afonso and Dr. George Alangaden, which will support WDET’s work in preparing the next generation of media professionals,” said Dr. Keith Whitfield, interim provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. “As a community service of Wayne State University, WDET plays a key role in fostering connection, community and opportunity in Detroit, which includes its fantastic internship opportunities.” 

With this gift, Afonso and Alangaden join other major supporters of WDET’s internship program, including Michigan Central, the Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation, the Ralph L. and Winifred E. Polk Foundation, the May Mitchell Royal Family Foundation, a 2025 Wayne State Presidential College to Career Pilot Award, as well as a number of other individual donors. 

For more information about WDET’s internship program, visit WDET’s internship page.

This story was cross-posted with WSU’s Division of Academic Affairs.

This month marks a milestone at WDET as the Don Was Motor City Playlist celebrates five years on air.  

Don Was and co-host Ann Delisi have delivered crate after crate of deep cuts and hits since 2021, helping listeners discover new favorite tracks and providing  stories about Detroit’s cultural history every Friday night.  

The show is a love letter to Detroit artists and a hub for all genres and musicians.  

Personal history of our hosts

Was and Delisi got to know each other while working on the Concert of Colors and cultivated a relationship that made them well-prepared for this powerhouse program. Delisi’s 35+ years of insights and experience as a broadcaster, combined with Was’ storytelling and internal archive of tunes, make this segment one of the most unique Detroit has to offer. 

Was, the six-time Grammy Award-winning Detroit native has done it all; quite frankly, there may be no music-related task too Herculean a feat for him to dip his hand in.  

He began his creative endeavors at Oak Park High School where formed his first band, The Saturns. But it wasn’t until he partnered with David Weiss to form Was (Not Was) that his talents were fully realized by the public with hits like “Walk the Dinosaur.”  

Following the band’s hiatus, Was became a successful producer, working with The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Willie Nelson and more. In 1995, he even received the Grammy for Producer of the Year.  

Delisi’s also a force to be reckoned with. She’s hosted Ann Delisi’s Essential Music program since 2009, focusing on creating a platform for local artists and spotlighting musical gems, both old and new.  

Delisi has interviewed a plethora of the greats, from David Bowie to Iggy Pop—she always keeps us on our toes with our ears pressed to the speakers.  

She’s also hosted Backstage Pass, a Detroit Public Television show about arts and culture in the city. In 2023, Delisi was presented with the Spirit of Detroit for her work in uplifting artists.  

Now, Was and Delisi combine their knowledge and lived experiences into one of Detroit’s funkiest radio shows. We couldn’t be prouder to host it here on WDET.

Here’s to five wonderful years of the Don Was Motor City Playlist!