Many Michiganders feel powerless over their own electrical power. That’s because, despite approved rate hikes, when a storm hits the power can be out for days before utility companies like Consumers Energy and DTE Energy are able to restore it. 

But while many are disappointed with the performance of Michigan’s utility companies, some regulators point to progress as outage time has decreased by about 23% since 2019. 

How are Michigan’s utility companies held accountable for their actions? And, what kinds of improvements are taking root?

Dan Scripps is the chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission, which regulates DTE Energy. He says the utility’s performance has been improving. 

“Last year… DTE for the first time in at least 25 years… was actually in the top quarter of utilities when you consider performance across the whole year.” 

Scripps joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what is being done to restore and upgrade the state’s aging grid. 

DTE is a financial supporter of WDET. Our newsroom observes a clear boundary between funders and editorial content, and we do not serve the agendas of those who support us. 

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After President Donald Trump took the country to war and raised costs, many Republicans are finding it difficult to campaign in this election season. 

While the sitting president’s party often performs poorly in midterm elections, the trend seems likely to continue this year.

In general-election polls, Democrat Jocelyn Benson holds the lead. But in politics, anything can happen. Last week, two debates spotlighted the active Republican candidates for governor: Congressman John James, Mike Cox, and Perry Johnson. Who are they, and what do their campaigns reveal about the Republican Party in Michigan?

Andrea Bitely is the founder and principal of Bitely Communications, a Lansing‑based public‑affairs firm. She spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent about the stories the Republican candidates are telling, and why they signal significant changes to the party. 

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Hundreds of thousands of Michiganders lost power over the weekend of July Fourth, prompting a conversation about the fragility of the electrical grid in the face of climate change.

Regulators have approved rate hikes to facilitate infrastructure updates, but modernization of the scale needed will take years. Despite the fact that consumers won’t reap the benefits immediately, residents are having to pay for the upgrades now.

Democratic lawmakers have proposed solutions: Fair compensation for power outages, guaranteeing improvement of utility services, ensuring customers aren’t contributing to CEO bonuses and more. But these bills are gaining little to no traction, often deprived of a hearing.

Why can’t politics fix this issue? What does it say about those we’ve elected in the state legislature?

Colin Jackson is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He says Republicans are concerned with rolling back clean energy standards, while Democrats prioritize regulation.

“I think when you talk about lowering energy costs and lowering power costs and utility costs, that is something that you do see both sides of the aisle talking about quite a bit,” says Jackson. “It’s just the approach to it in general varies drastically.”

Jackson joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to discuss why gridlock in Lansing has meant a less stable electrical grid.

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Learning has become harder for many students as fewer people are reading due to the distractions of new technologies. While artificial intelligence spreads information quickly, it doesn’t necessarily offer the depth of traditional teaching.

So, how does one teach deep learning when most Michigan fourth graders aren’t reading proficiently?

Erik Meerschaert is a special education teacher at Lake Orion High School. He also just became the 2026-2027 Michigan Teacher of the Year, and he’s the state’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award for 2027. 

Meerschaert says students learn better when they feel like they have a strong connection with their teacher. 

“Every great educator I’ve ever met starts with that relationship piece,” he says. “Being able to build that relationship with my students — getting to know their likes, their dislikes — helps create that welcoming, friendly environment. When a student is in that kind of environment, they feel ready to take risks. They feel more at ease.” 

Erik Meerschaert joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss why he loves his job, and how that joy helps construct bonds with his students that aid them in the learning process.

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While Detroit law says a landlord cannot rent a home until it’s been deemed livable by city inspectors, 86% of Detroit’s landlords are operating illegally as they have failed to secure Certificates of Compliance for their properties.

Last week, the Detroit Tenants Union, with support from several legal groups in the city, filed a lawsuit, alleging the 36th District Court chief judge has “failed to perform a clear and legal duty” because the court’s rulings contradict city law, effectively leaving residents vulnerable rather than upholding the statutes protecting them.

Professor Donovan McCarty is the director of Michigan State University College of Law’s Housing Justice Clinic and counsel for the Detroit Tenants Union. He says the 36^th District court is not using the law properly to protect renters.

“If landlords can keep going in to collect rent that’s not lawfully collected, then they have no incentive to actually come into compliance, and that 14% number will not grow to where we need it to be,” says McCarty.

He joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to discuss why he believes the court is falling short, and how it needs to be held accountable.  

The 36th District Court did not respond to The Metro’s request for comment.

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Come November, thousands of political seats are up for grabs.

One of the most compelling races in Michigan is the Senate. That’s in part because of what it says about the Democratic Party, especially after Mallory McMorrow dropped out.

Most polls have Abdul El-Sayed leading in the race, but there is still uncertainty as to whether he can defeat Haley Stevens, a sitting congresswoman who gained notoriety for her moderation, and for bailing out the auto industry.

Dennis Darnoi is the founder of Densar Consulting, based in Farmington. He says many voters want candidates that have an anti-institutional and populist bent.

“Progressive candidates are running against these establishment candidates and they’re being more successful because the Democratic base is really looking for two things: They’re looking for people who are going to fight and they’re looking for people who are anti-system.”

Darnoi spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent about the Senate race and how it reflects changes to politics in Michigan and beyond.

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Michiganders are broadly against data centers, especially when they’re proposed near their residence.

Their concerns about electricity and water use are compounded by a general feeling that large tech companies control too much of their lives. Residents have gotten particularly loud about those problems at town hall meetings, including at one Saline Township meeting.

Despite local apprehension, Saline is now slated to host one of the largest data centers in the country.

At this point, 52 localities in Michigan have passed data center moratoriums.

But are concerns about hyper-scale data centers overblown? And, are there more benefits that townships aren’t fully appreciating?

Eric Paul Dennis is the infrastructure research associate for the Citizens Research Council. A new report he did on data centers says their benefits often actually outweigh the costs.

“You cannot discount the idea that data centers can increase electricity rates, but it’s actually not that common and quite minimal,” says Dennis. “Regulatory agencies have now kind of gotten ahead of this and I don’t think it’s going to be as much of a concern for the future.”

The Metro‘s Sam Corey spoke with Dennis about why he thinks data center projects sometimes offer more benefits than drawbacks.

After the two spoke, electricity rates increased in Henrico County, Virginia — which is home to 37 data centers. Dominion Energy says it increased the rates due to inflation, rising fuel costs, the cost of grid equipment, and the need to make more grid investments.

The Metro contacted Dennis about the rate increase. He said that while data centers “have caused headaches for grid managers” in Virginia, the problems are not necessarily “critical or unavoidable.” He says, in fact, “We appear to be managing the risks and even benefiting from the addition of data centers on the grid.”

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This Saturday is the Fourth of July — and it’s a big one. Two hundred and fifty years since the Declaration of Independence.

In that time, this country has done extraordinary things. It has built one of the most diverse democracies on Earth, a haven where people can speak freely and chase a better life. And it’s done real harm: it took land by force, enslaved millions, broke treaties and lives.

So here’s the hard question this Fourth of July: What does it mean to love your country when you’re not sure it loves you back?

A new Gallup poll finds American pride at its lowest in 25 years. Only a third of Americans say they’re “extremely proud” to be American. And the partisan split is stark: 70% of Republicans, versus 14% of Democrats.

Michael Taylor is the mayor of Sterling Heights. He spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn about why it’s more important now than ever to unite.

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Canadians don’t feel so hot toward the U.S. right now. Thirty-seven percent view the country favorably, and most think even less of President Donald Trump. 

That’s in part because of a 25 % tax the president issued on steel and aluminum, which has cost thousands of jobs for people in Windsor alone. Most of those folks work for auto suppliers. 

Today is not only Canada Day, it’s also the day that talks are set to begin to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement. And so, The Metro wanted to learn about what sentiments are like across the Detroit River. 

How are workers in the “steel belt” of Ontario and Quebec reacting to changes? And, how is it shifting their orientation towards America and altering how they see themselves?

Flavio Volpe is the president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, which is located in Toronto. He says American tariffs on Canada have made many Canadians skeptical of America.

“We may never trust them the same,” says Volpe.

The Metro’s Sam Corey spoke with the auto manufacturer president about why America’s aggressions toward Canada have led to losses for everyone.

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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.”

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For years, many of us accepted the stigma and avoided therapy. But things are changing. These days, people are seeking therapy more than medication, and the shift is generational — younger people, Gen Z especially, have made therapy ordinary in a way their parents and grandparents never did.

But how do you pay for it?

Therapists across the country say private equity’s move into health care is making it harder for them to care for their patients.

Earlier this month, a local insurer may have made things harder still. If you see a counselor in private practice through Blue Cross, your therapist could be dropped from your plan in March.

What does that mean for our access to mental health care?

David Sniderman, a counselor and art therapist with the Willows Edge Counseling and Healing Arts Center, says the change will hit people’s access hard — especially rural and low-income Michiganders.

Sniderman joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to break down how insurance shapes therapy, and to make the case that what heals people most isn’t the method — it’s the trust between a therapist and client.

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Many residents in metro Detroit — home to the nation’s largest Lebanese community — are mourning as the war between Israel and Hezbollah brings devastation to Lebanon.

Since March, relentless fighting has left southern towns and villages in ruins. By May, at least 62,000 buildings were destroyed, more than 1 million people were displaced, and over 4,000 have been killed.

In Israel, four civilians have died and 32 soldiers have been killed in the conflict.

There’s a shaky ceasefire now, but it’s only days old, and Israeli forces still occupy parts of southern Lebanon.

For many in metro Detroit, the pain is personal.

What does it look like to be forced from home, only to return to rubble? How does all the violence and instability ricochet among friends and loved ones here in metro Detroit, where many have family and community ties to Lebanon?

Mirvet Makki is the owner of Divine Dine Detroit, a catering business in Dearborn. She immigrated to Michigan from Lebanon in 1990, and she’s been using earnings from her business to make donations to folks in Lebanon. She says she’s constantly reflecting on the devastation in the country where she was born. 

“Seeing the rubble on the side of the road, I was thinking to myself, ‘whose son was lost here, whose father was here, whose child died on this road?’” she says. 

Makki joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to reflect on the heartbreak unfolding in Lebanon and how it reverberates through metro Detroit’s Lebanese community.

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Michigan is facing a serious housing shortage, with experts estimating the state needs to build nearly 100,000 homes.

Outdated zoning laws hinder the creation of diverse, mixed-use neighborhoods, and lengthy permitting processes slow new developments. Additionally, ongoing shortages of construction workers and building materials make it even harder to add new housing units. As a result, many new developments cater to wealthier residents, leaving residents struggling to find affordable options.

Joe Agostinelli, founder of Miller Johnson Growth Advisors, believes better financing and strong partnerships between local leaders and developers are key to expanding Michigan’s housing supply. His team is developing a new riverfront project in Grand Rapids featuring a mix of offices, apartments, and condos. Agostinelli says that city and the broader Kent County area have been able to develop homes faster than places in metro Detroit.

The Metro’s Sam Corey spoke with Agostinelli at the annual Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss how his group is trying to build homes quickly in an environment that often moves slow. 

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In Michigan, we have many needs: higher-paying jobs, better educational outcomes, and more public transit. Above all, we need more people. 

A lot is at stake. Even if your neighborhood feels bustling, when Michigan’s population stops growing, the state actually shrinks in all the ways that matter. Since 1970, we’ve lost a seat in Congress after every census, and those same population counts decide how hundreds of billions in federal funding are divided. That means less money for roads, water systems, housing, and more. As baby boomers retire, our workforce is shrinking, and Michigan has lost 93,000 workers just since last spring. Fewer people here means less political power, fewer resources, and a smaller tax base to pay the bills.

Michigan’s leaders agree — we need to attract more people to our state. Yet one central question remains: how do we make it happen, and who is responsible for leading the way? Some are trying to answer that question. The state of Michigan has a growth office. The City of Detroit has an initiative to grow its population. 

Jeff Donofrio is a leader in the population growth space. He’s the president and chief executive officer of Business Leaders For Michigan. He’s written about this topic in several reports, and he’s worked for the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan to resolve the problem.

He believes we need to reform teaching.“It’s about making sure that [students are] engaged and can do stuff besides passing a standardized test,” says Donofrio.

He joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to explore how government culture needs to change to build more housing, create better regional transit, and to ultimately attract more people to the state.

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The Gordie Howe International Bridge is widely interpreted as strengthening the connection between Canada and the United States, making travel easier and cheaper. It’s seen as a win-win project that Canada paid for and jointly owns with the Michigan.

But President Donald Trump has tried to block the bridge’s opening until Canada meets certain trade-related demands with the U.S. and compensates America for it, even though Canada already paid for the bridge. 

The upcoming opening of the bridge has now been delayed. In an email statement Thursday morning, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said, “Although we would all like the Gordie Howe International Bridge to open, Canada need not fall on bent knee to make it happen.”

Producer Sam Corey spoke with Dilkens yesterday before the ribbon cutting was canceled. He says the bridge is “the ultimate symbol of connection” and friendship.

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Affordability is the buzzword of the moment — you can watch it climb in how often people google the word itself. But the harder measure is what it actually costs to live: the prices we’re all paying for gas and groceries.

Nearly half of Americans — 49% — don’t have the resources to cover their essential expenses, according to the Urban Institute, and gas prices alone are up about $1 per gallon since late February. More people are going hungry now than at the height of the pandemic. And in Detroit, where many residents were already struggling with food insecurity, that squeeze lands even harder.

“When the economy catches a cold, Detroit gets pneumonia,” said Cass Tretyak, an outreach navigator at Community and Home Supports in Detroit.

She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to unpack how economic instability keeps failing people living in poverty — and to describe the daily reality of helping her clients find food, shelter, and benefits, at a moment when new federal rules are making public assistance harder to get.

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For about three years, Detroit’s Right to Counsel program has given free legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction. The share of tenants who walk in with a lawyer has gone from almost none to nearly all. Research credits the program with keeping families housed and saving the city money.

But this program is running low on money, and its future depends on the state, the federal government, or philanthropy to step in. What happens to tenants — and to the court itself — if it disappears? And how has it changed what justice actually looks like in that courtroom?

William McConico is the Chief Judge of Detroit’s 36th District Court. He spoke about why he’s hoping to keep the program with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent.

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Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin is one of the most closely watched politicians in her party right now.

A former CIA analyst, she took three tours in Iraq alongside the military, and spent years in national security under both Republican and Democratic administrations before she ran for office. Then she won a House seat in a Trump-led district, followed by a Senate seat in a state President Trump carried. When her party needed someone to deliver the Democratic response to President Trump’s address to Congress, they picked her.

She’s been called a centrist. A pragmatist. A rising star. She’s also been called too cautious — not progressive enough, not tough enough — at a moment when many Democrats argue the party must get louder. The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent spoke with her at the Mackinac Policy Conference.

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How much has politics changed in the last 20 years?

That was a different time — a time before President Trump and MAGA, before the wealth gap continued to expand, before the country became as polarized as it is today, and before algorithm-driven media took hold.

But how different were things, really? What can we learn from that era of politics? And what should we be glad we’ve left behind?

Jennifer Granholm was Michigan’s governor from 2003 to 2011. She also served as energy secretary under the Biden administration. Granholm is on Mackinac Island for this year’s Mackinac Policy Conference, where she spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent.

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