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Detroit Evening Report: Older adults outnumber children in nearly half of US counties, data shows

The U.S. Census Bureau released new data showing the population of adults 65 and older is increasing, while the population of people 18 and younger is decreasing.  

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The population of adults age 65 and older rose by 3.1% (to 61.2 million) while the population of those under 18 decreased 0.2% (to 73.1 million) from 2023 to 2024, the data shows.

Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Branch, says those changes affect communities of color most among the 4.4 million people who live in cities like Detroit, Warren and Dearborn.  

“The data in 2024 is showing that the non-Hispanic white population is the only population in the Detroit metro area where younger adults are outnumbered by older adults,” she said.

Bowers says nationally, the number of older adults and children 18 and younger now are similar. 

Other headlines for Monday, July 14, 2025:

  • Seventeen nonprofits, businesses and community groups working to reduce food waste will receive support through the state-funded NextCycle Michigan initiative.
  • The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) says federal funding cuts could strip 300,000 Medicaid recipients of their health insurance. Medicaid is the largest insurer in the state, covering one in four residents. Health department director Elizabeth Hertel says the cuts will also affect her agency’s efforts to protect public health.
  • A city building in Dearborn was renamed last week in honor of Dearborn’s first Arab American councilmember, Suzanne Sareini. Sareini served as a council member six terms, from 1989 to 2013. The city’s senior housing building — formerly called the Hubbard Manor East — will now be called the Suzanne Sareini Manor.
  • The Detroit Documenters, a program which trains and pays people to attend city meetings, is hosting a photo documenting workshop this week. Cydni Elledge, senior photographer and editor at Outlier Media, will lead the workshop, set for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

The post Detroit Evening Report: Older adults outnumber children in nearly half of US counties, data shows appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

In The Groove: Opening our musical third eye with New Zealand’s The Circling Sun

This week on In The Groove, some fresh selects and first spins from Wet Leg, Stereolab, The Circling Sun, Patchwork Inc., Rita Moran, Big Thief, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and more.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for July 14, 2025

  • “Canopy” – Resavoir & Matt Gold
  • “Cannock Chase” – Labi Siffre
  • “Seu João” – Gabriel da Rosa
  • “Me Gustas Tú” – Manu Chao
  • “Primos” – Adrian Quesada & Hermanos Gutiérrez
  • “Don’t Call It Love (12″ Version)” – Zero 7
  • “Green Garden (1/f Version)” – Laura Mvula
  • “Disparate Youth” – Santigold
  • “Y Control” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • “Wolf Like Me” – TV on the Radio
  • “Pokemon” – Wet Leg
  • “Summer Girl (Amber Mark Remix)” – HAIM
  • “Give It To Me Baby” – Jarina De Marco
  • “Melodie Is a Wound” – Stereolab
  • “Moon Dance” – Bitchin Bajas
  • “Constellation” – The Circling Sun
  • “African Skies” – Lars Bartkuhn
  • “Brother Where Are You (Matthew Herbert Remix)” – Oscar Brown, Jr. & Matthew Herbert
  • “Babystar” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill
  • “Last Forever” – Patchwork Inc. & Wyatt Waddell
  • “Temporary” – Ria Moran
  • “Don’t Start Now (Kaytranada Remix)” – Dua Lipa
  • “Highway” – Lewis OfMan & Empress Of
  • “Tokyo Midnight” – Sababa 5 & Yurika Hanashima
  • “Siesta Freestyle (Frisco version)” – Lewis OfMan & Alicia te quiero
  • “Incomprehensible” – Big Thief
  • “DEATH COMES FROM THE SKY” – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
  • “Lush” – Four Tet
  • “Latitude” – Coral Grief
  • “Life Signs” – Water From Your Eyes
  • “Kneel” – Nilufer Yanya
  • “Virginia Tech” – Panda Bear
  • “Cherry Sunshine” – Somesurprises

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

Support the shows you love.

WDET’s unique music programs are dedicated to exploring the music and culture of our region and the world. Keep the music going. Please make a gift today.

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The post In The Groove: Opening our musical third eye with New Zealand’s The Circling Sun appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

MichMash: Unpacking the criminal investigation of Fay Beydoun

An email obtained by The Detroit News revealed this week that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) may have played a larger and earlier role in the grant funding provided to executive committee member Fay Beydoun, a major Democratic Party donor who is currently under criminal investigation for allegedly misusing the funds.  As part of the weekly series, MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow talk with Detroit News reporters Craig Mauger and Beth LeBlanc to break down their latest coverage of the case.

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode:
  • How did the $20 million grant for Beydoun’s nonprofit get approved?
  • What role did MEDC play in getting the funding approved?
  • How much did the governor’s office know?

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office opened an investigation into the $20 million grant awarded to Beydoun’s nonprofit business accelerator last April, after reporting by The Detroit News highlighted how the funding was being misused.

The $20 million grant — which has since been canceled — had been earmarked in the state Legislature’s 2022 budget for the nonprofit Global Link International, which was incorporated just 10 days before the spending bill’s passage.

But the latest reporting from Mauger and LeBlanc have led to new questions about the circumstances behind the grant’s approval, and what exactly the MEDC and governor’s office knew at the time it was approved.

“There’s a lot more going on here than the governor’s office has informed voters of ever before,” Mauger said. “Essentially the governor’s team has tried to put this all on former House Speaker Jason Wentworth and saying basically that [state] House Republicans put this $20 million grant into the budget at the last second and the governor just signed off on the budget.”

An email obtained by The Detroit News last week sent by MEDC CEO Quentin Messer Jr. to state officials showed that Beydoun had advocated for a similar $15 million grant that had been included in Whitmer’s initial budget recommendation in February 2022.

“We know that eventually in the budget there was a direct earmark for [Beydoun] with language that is very very similar to that international business accelerator,” LaBlanc said. “…the common thread through all of that is Beydoun’s involvement, and the fact that she would qualify for this [grant] at the end of the day.”

Whitmer has not responded to Mauger and LeBlanc’s latest reporting on the matter.

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Acoustic Café: Canada’s powerhouse vocalist Matt Andersen in-studio; new Haim, Ketch Secor, SZA + more

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café, we welcome back Matt Andersen, playing songs from his new album, “Life Is Just A Vapor.” From New Brunswick, Andersen made the new album with Bahamas, creating a very different sound for this blues rock singer-songwriter.

Also featured, a fun ’80s metal cover, in-studio archives from I’m With Her, Keb’ Mo’, Jack Johnson and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episodes on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Acoustic Café Playlist for July 13, 2025

  • “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
  • “Time After Time” – Cassandra Wilson
  • “Make Out In My Car” – Moses Sumney w/Sufjan Stevens
  • “Carrie & Lowell” – Sufjan Stevens
  • “Blood On The Street” – Haim
  • “Wild And Clear And Blue” – I’m With Her (2025 in-studio performance)
  • “Round And Round” – The Meat Purveyors
  • “The Hammer & The Rose” – Matt Andersen (in-studio guest)
  • “Tonight Belongs To You” – Matt Andersen (in-studio guest)
  • “Holy Smoke” – Maren Morris
  • “Ohio’s Ugly” – CAAMP
  • “What Nashville Was” – Ketch Secor
  • “Wagon Wheel” – Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers (2005 in-studio performance)
  • “Lost Changes” – Beth Gibbons
  • “Blind” – SZA
  • “Love Interruption” – Jack White (happy 50th birthday)
  • “Rough Time Blues” – Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
  • “Don’t You Know” – Keb’ Mo’ (2000 in-studio performance)
  • “Songbird” – Waylon Jennings
  • “Tuesday” – Jensen McRae
  • “Rodeo Clown” – Ken Pomeroy
  •  “Rodeo Clowns” – Jack Johnson (2004 in-studio performance)
  • “Can’t Help Me” – H.E.R.
  • “table for two” – aron!
  • “Countin’ Quarters” – Matt Andersen (in-studio guest)
  • “Always Be Your Son” – Matt Andersen (in-studio guest)

Support the shows you love.

WDET’s unique music programs are dedicated to exploring the music and culture of our region and the world. Keep the music going. Please make a gift today.

Give now »

The post Acoustic Café: Canada’s powerhouse vocalist Matt Andersen in-studio; new Haim, Ketch Secor, SZA + more appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music: My personal ‘Song of the Summer,’ July milestone birthdays for Jack White, Ringo + more

In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, I’m thrilled to share my personal Song of the Summer!

Plus, some cool folks are celebrating milestone birthdays in July, turning 30, 40, 50, 80 and Ringo Starr who just turned 85!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for July 12, 2025

HOUR ONE:

  • “Summer Breeze” – The Mighty Rootsmen
  • “The Look Of Love” – Isaac Hayes
  • “Capable Of Anything” – Ben Folds & The National Symphony Orchestra
  • “No More” – Tanika Charles
  • “Sunburn” – JR JR
  • “Archbishop Harold Holmes” – Jack White (turning 50)
  • 🙂 ” – The Japanese House (Amber Bain turning 30)
  • “This Year” – Emily King (turning 40)
  • “Going Solo” – Ray Davies (solo debut released 40 years ago this week)
  • “Living On A Thin Line” – The Kinks
  • “Better Broken” – Sarah McLachlan
  • “My Love” – Hannah Jadagu
  • “Don’t Pass Me By” – The Beatles (Ringo’s first original song)
  • “Breathless” – Ringo Starr with Billy Strings (Ringo turning 85)
HOUR TWO:
  • “Big Money” – Jon Batiste (my Song Of The Summer)
  • “Be Your Lady” – Galactica & Irma Thomas
  • “Can’t Get Enough (Detroit Funk Mix)” – Nick Behnan
  • “That Lady” – The Isley Brothers
  • “Down To The River” – The War & Treaty
  • “Time Spent In Los Angeles'” – Dawes (Taylor Goldsmith turning 40)
  • “One Way Or Another” – Blondie (Debby Harry turning 80)
  • “All I Really Want To Do” – Valerie June
  • “You Gotta Serve Somebody” – Mavis Staples (at The Aretha next week)
  • “Wreck” – Neko Case
  • “Be Cool (demo)” – Joni Mitchell
  • “Tea Leaf Prophecy” – Herbie Hancock w/Joni Mitchell

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org.

Support the shows you love.

WDET’s unique music programs are dedicated to exploring the music and culture of our region and the world. Keep the music going. Please make a gift today.

Give now »

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Help shape the future of WDET by taking our listener survey

If you value Detroit Public Radio as your local source for news, music and conversation, we want to hear from you!

As a community-funded public radio station, your feedback and insights help shape WDET 101.9 FM. That’s why we are asking you — our community of listeners — to take part in WDET’s third annual Listener Survey.

The results of the survey will help inform future programming, membership and engagement at WDET by letting us know what you love about the station, what you’d like more of, and where we can improve.

Let us know your thoughts by taking our survey below, now through Aug. 15. It’s quick, it’s anonymous and you’ll be helping Detroit Public Radio serve you better!

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

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In The Groove: Kassa Overall’s hip-hop ‘REBIRTH’ leads new music Friday

Man, this was a heavy new music Friday to unload. So much stuff! And really all over the place, so consider this a stream of consciousness show because I did not know where we were going — but thanks for letting me drive!

Every show is like that, but this one felt like a rowdy ride, including new music from Wet Leg, Kassa Overall, Indigo De Souza, Shame, NewDad, Folk Bitch Trio and much more. Come along for this wild musical ride with me!

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for July 11, 2025

  • “Crossfire / So Into You” – Nai Palm
  • “Falador Passa Mal” – Os Originais do Samba
  • “Pontos de Luz” – Gal Costa
  • “WEIGHT OFF (feat. BADBADNOTGOOD)” – Kaytranada
  • “Let it Happen (Soulwax Remix)” – Tame Impala
  • “Home (Tom Sharkett Edit)” – LCD Soundsystem
  • “Waiting For The Punchline (Swallertrip Extended)” – Franc Moody
  • “Butterfly” – Jamiroquai
  • “Contusion” – Stevie Wonder
  • “REBIRTH OF SLICK (COOL LIKE DAT)” – Kassa Overall
  • “Be Like The Water” – Indigo De Souza
  • “Telescope (feat. Hiatus Kaiyote)” – Tres Leches
  • “DNM” – Mk.gee
  • “Pond Song” – Wet Leg
  • “What We All Want” – Gang of Four
  • “Quiet Life” – Shame
  • “Roobosh” – NewDad
  • “Is She Weird” – Pixies
  • “Like Eating Glass” – Bloc Party
  • “Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks” – The Rapture
  • “Holiday Destination” – Nadine Shah
  • “Holiday In Cambodia” – Dead Kennedys
  • “Someone Like You” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill
  • “Siesta Freestyle (Frisco version)” – Lewis OfMan & Alicia te quiero
  • “Lo Siento (Lido Pimienta Edit)” – Reyna Tropical & Lido Pimienta
  • “Reckoner” – Radiohead
  • “Looking For You” – Nino Ferrer
  • “Cathode Ray” – Folk Bitch Trio
  • “The Wind Cries Mary” – Jimi Hendrix
  • “If I’m Unworthy” – Blake Mills
  • “Tenderly” – Luiz Bonfá
  • “Dumb Feeling” – Mei Semones
  • “Sometime / Someplace” – Cornelius
  • “Prepare Your Coffin” – Tortoise
  • “Overlander” – Budos Band

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

Support the shows you love.

WDET’s unique music programs are dedicated to exploring the music and culture of our region and the world. Keep the music going. Please make a gift today.

Give now »

The post In The Groove: Kassa Overall’s hip-hop ‘REBIRTH’ leads new music Friday appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Metro: Are deer culls the best option to manage overpopulation in metro Detroit?

The deer herd in Michigan is estimated to be two million strong. In southeast Michigan, that number has been growing.

There were more than 58,000 deer-vehicle crashes reported in Michigan in 2023, according to Michigan State Police. That’s an average of 158 per day.

There is a growing coalition of cities and townships in metro Detroit that have taken action to curb deer populations in their communities. Farmington Hills is one of the cities leading this effort, with the city council recently approving organized deer culls. The resolution, which allows sharpshooters to shoot and kill deer in suburban areas where overpopulation is a problem, also includes safety provisions and directs harvested venison to be donated to food banks.

Bryan Farmer, deputy director of the city of Farmington Hills Special Services Department, joined The Metro to talk more about the resolution. Then, Cervid and Wildlife Interactions Unit Supervisor at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Chad Stewart, joined the conversation to help us understand what’s behind the deer uptick in metro Detroit’s suburbs.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

More stories from The Metro

The post The Metro: Are deer culls the best option to manage overpopulation in metro Detroit? appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Best of 2025 (so far): The WDET midyear playlist

This summer has been hot — perfect for enjoying a cool beverage and an even cooler playlist. To mark the halfway point of 2025, we asked our award-winning DJs to share their top five tracks of the year so far so we could create the ultimate summer soundtrack.

Below is a well-balanced mix of genres, energies and artists.

Listen to the full playlist:

Ann Delisi, Ann Delisi’s Essential Music

  • “Everything’s Beautiful” — Hiatus Kaiyote
  • “I Don’t” — Madison McFerrin
  • “Flower Moon (feat. Aaron Frazer)” — Durand Jones & The Indications
  • “Lotta Love” — Lamont Landers
  • “Stealing A Kiss” — The War And Treaty

Chris Campbell, The Progressive Underground

  • “20/20” — Ideeyah, Meftah
  • “Your first time” — Erogenous
  • “Lovers’ Holiday” — Durand Jones & The Indications
  • “Sweet Danger” — Obongjayar
  • “LIFE IS A RHYTHM (feat. Cazeaux O.S.L.O)” — Alexander Flood

Jeff Milo, MI Local

  • “Jessie” — Danny VanZandt
  • “Fearless and the Pure” — Elisabeth Pixley-Fink
  • “UR WORLD” — LOCAL ORGANIC
  • “Power” — Neu Blume
  • “The Bloodletting” — PHABIES

Jon Moshier, Modern Music

  • “Alcohol” — TVOD
  • “Emilina” — Bloodshot Bill
  • “She’s Too Cool for You” — Audio Book Club
  • “Evil People” — MIEN
  • “Transmuted Matter” — Stereolab

Liz Warner, Alternate Take

  • “Ibiza” — Butcher Brown
  • “The Missing Piece” — Max Cooper
  • “Babystar” — Herbert & Momoko
  • “BROKEN” — Ela Minus
  • “Gadabout Season” — Brandee Younger

Mike Latulippe, The Detroit Move

Note: Due to the retrospective nature of this show, these five songs were released before 2025.

  • “Possum Belly Overalls (feat. Noble ‘Thin Man’ Watts and His Rhythm Sparks)” — June Bateman
  • “I Don’t Like You That Much” — Royal Jokers
  • “Dance What You Wanna” — George E. Lee
  • “Way Out” — Keetie & The Kats
  • “I Can’t Do The Ska” — The Zodiacs

Rob Reinhart, Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music

  • “I’ll Be OK” — Michigander
  • “Walk This Road (feat. Mavis Staples)” — The Doobie Brothers
  • “Love Is On Fire” — The War And Treaty
  • “Lady Liberty” — Galactic & Irma Thomas
  • “After I’m Dead” — Ryan Allen And His Extra Arms

Ryan Patrick Hooper, In The Groove

  • “R B J” — LL Burns
  • “Dumb Feeling” — Mei Semones
  • “Elderberry Wine” — Wednesday
  • “Melodie Is A Wound” — Stereolab
  • “You got time and I got money” — Smerz

Support the shows you love.

WDET’s unique music programs are dedicated to exploring the music and culture of our region and the world. Keep the music going. Please make a gift today.

Give now »

More best-of playlists

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The Metro: Ballot proposal aims to tax wealthiest Michiganders to help fund education

Michigan’s schools have struggled post-pandemic, with students lagging behind in reading and math skills compared to other states.

A coalition of progressive education organizations is seeking to allocate more funding for education in Michigan through the “Invest in MI Kids” ballot initiative. 

The proposal would add a 4-5% tax on single filers who earn over $500,000, or joint filers who earn over $1 million. The group says that would generate about $1.7 billion for Michigan’s School Aid Fund.

Charlie Cavell, Oakland County Commissioner for District 19 and a coordinator for the “Fund MI Future” campaign, joined The Metro on Thursday to share more about this ambitious proposal in its beginning stages.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

More stories from The Metro

The post The Metro: Ballot proposal aims to tax wealthiest Michiganders to help fund education appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Detroit Evening Report: Detroit nonprofit newsrooms collaborate on new project exploring student safety

A new reporting project from Chalkbeat Detroit, Planet Detroit and BridgeDetroit is exploring Detroit students’ perspectives on safety and violence.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Lori Higgins, bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit, says the project is taking a broad look at student safety.

“Safety could come in a lot of different forms, you know. And Detroit, young people in Detroit are struggling with a lot of different things,” she said. “Homelessness can bring about feelings of unsafety. You know, just walking to and from school can bring feelings of unsafety.”

The two-part series will explore safety related to transportation, gun violence, domestic violence and bullying. It also looks at efforts to address violence.

The series is part of Next City’s Detroit News Hub, a reporting project funded by the Kresge Foundation.

Other headlines for Friday, July 11, 2025:

  • Arab American community nonprofit ACCESS is hosting a community Narcan training on Tuesday, July 15 at the Henry Ford Centennial Library. Attendees will learn about overdose prevention strategies, how to identify an overdose and how to administer Narcan. Those who finish the train will also receive a Naloxone kit. Register at bit.ly/ASAPNarcanCommunity.
  • The Pontiac City Clerk is inviting the community to a “visioning” session on cannabis equity at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, at the Robert Bowens Senior Center, 47450 Woodward Ave., Pontiac. Attendees will learn about the city’s plans to launch adult-use marijuana in the city, and residents will have a chance to share their thoughts about social equity initiatives related to ownership and licensing as well as business and workforce development. They will also learn about the Pontiac Social Equity Fund. RSVP at clerk@pontiac.mi.us. 
  • State Rep. Stephanie Young (D-Detroit) is hosting a community conversation town hall on Monday, July 14, to collect ideas and concerns around five priorities in the Democratic Vision Project: Affordability, public education, health, labor and neighborhood development, and environmental issues. The event includes a free dinner and will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the James E. Tate Community Center, 21511 W McNichols Rd., Detroit. 
  • The 7th annual Detroit Kite Festival is taking place this Sunday, July 13 on the Belle Isle Cricket Field from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

The post Detroit Evening Report: Detroit nonprofit newsrooms collaborate on new project exploring student safety appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Oxford shooter appeals life sentence, claims ineffective counsel

The Oxford High School shooter has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to order a new hearing before a judge to reduce his sentence of life with no chance of parole.

The shooter’s new legal team says his previous counsel failed to take crucial steps to protect his interests before the then-16-year-old pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder, terrorism, assault, and firearm violations. Four students were killed and seven people were injured in the mass shooting.

The shooter’s new lawyers from the State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) argue that at a minimum a new judge should hear expert testimony on fetal alcohol syndrome, a troubled home life and other mitigating factors before imposing a new sentence.

“Though his offense is heinous, how our courts treat even those who have committed the most heinous crimes matters deeply,” said the brief arguing for the Supreme Court to hear Ethan Crumbley’s case. “The tragic nature of Ethan’s crime cannot give courts an excuse to overlook errors that occurred in his legal proceedings. The circuit court did more than overlook these errors. It blithely and repeatedly found that nothing could or would make a difference in the sentence imposed – death in prison, for someone 15 years old at the time of their offense.”

SADO attorney Jacqueline Ouvry said this appeal is not about relitigating the convictions, but requiring the court to consider “mitigating factors” that should have been part of the sentencing decision. Ouvry said that would align with court precedents that require unique considerations for younger defendants, even those charged as adults with violent offenses.

“They involve chronological age, which includes brain development,” she told Michigan Public Radio. “They involve the family and home environment a child grew up in, and the possibility of rehabilitation.”

“Ethan was 15 when he committed his offense,” she said. “He was very much a youth at the time.”

Ouvry said the case is also relevant because there are other defendants convicted as teens or young adults in state custody who are entitled to new sentences under court rulings.

“It matters how we sentence those who have done even the most heinous crimes and there are several hundred people in Michigan who because of recent court decisions will be resentenced for heinous crimes,” she said.

The Michigan Court of Appeals declined to reconsider the sentence in May, and a spokesperson for Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald’s office said the Supreme Court should let that be the final word.

“The facts are undisputed: On November 30, 2021, the shooter murdered Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, and Justin Shilling, wounded seven others, and terrorized an entire community,” said Public Information Officer Jeff Wattrick in an email to Michigan Public Radio. “We are confident the Supreme Court will concur with the lower courts and uphold his sentence.”

The shooter’s parents are serving prison terms for manslaughter convictions. They were charged with failing to act on signs their son’s mental condition was deteriorating and for failing to secure the semi-automatic firearm used in the shootings.

The Michigan Supreme Court refused to dismiss the charges in a 2023 decision that was the first time that allowed for parents to be held criminally liable for a school shooter’s actions.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

The post Oxford shooter appeals life sentence, claims ineffective counsel appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Ferrero will acquire Kellogg cereal brands for $3.1 billion

WK Kellogg Co announced Thursday that it’s been bought by The Ferrero Group. The Italian multinational company makes candy and chocolate products including Nutella, Tic-Tac and Butterfinger.

In a joint statement, both companies said Ferrero will acquire all of WK Kellogg Co., which makes the brand’s cereals. The release said Battle Creek will remain a “core location” for the company and will serve as Ferrero’s headquarters for its North American cereal operations.

The city of Battle Creek said in a press release on Thursday that its leaders were still learning the details of the sale and how it might impact the community.

“We welcome Ferrero to Battle Creek,” Mayor Mark Behnke said in the release. “We look forward to building a strong, long-term relationship that supports their success and secures their presence in our community for years to come.”

Interim city manager Ted Dearing added that Kellogg had a strong commitment to Battle Creek. “We are hopeful that this commitment will continue under Ferrero’s ownership,” Dearing said in the statement.

Maryann Vassallo owns Barista Blues coffee shop in downtown Battle Creek. She said she’s hopeful the company will succeed under new ownership.

“It’s a shame to see Kellogg break apart their business like that,” Vassallo said. “But I think that the new company will do well. [The] community is awesome here – they’ll welcome it with open arms and I hope that we can become a home to them.”

Vassallo said that if layoffs and downsizing were to occur, she’s confident that the community would persevere.

“I have great customers that work at Kellogg’s, but I don’t think that this town revolves or any town revolves around one business. I think it’s the people that live here that invest in your community, that send their kids here, that buy houses, that buy cars, that go to church, that shop here,” Vassallo said.

Both companies said Kellogg shareholders will meet as soon as possible to approve the merger. The Detroit Free Press reports the sale is expected to be finalized toward the end of the year.

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The Metro Events Guide: Outdoor concerts to catch this week

This week, we’ve got several free concerts around the city to check out. Plus, looking ahead to this year’s Concert of Colors. Read on to learn more.

Upcoming events

On Friday, July 11, the City of Detroit’s Summer Music Series continues with Soul in the Parks. This free concert features a live performance by WDET’s Sounds Like Detroit 2024 winners, Drey Skonie & The Klouds, as well as food trucks, bounce houses and more in North Rosedale Park. The concert goes from 5–8 p.m., and free parking is available in the surrounding areas. For more information, visit Detroit Parks & Recreation on Facebook.

On Saturday, July 12, the Ferndale upcycled fashion boutique Not Sorry Goods is throwing a closing party to mark the end of operations for their brick-and-mortar storefront. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., there will be live DJs, drinks and deep discounts on the entire store. For more information, visit notsorrygoods.com.

Detroit’s annual diversity festival, the Concert of Colors returns for its 34th year on Wednesday, July 16 through Sunday, July 20. Highlights from this year’s lineup include soul legend Mavis Staples, Afrobeat pioneer Femi Kuti and Detroit’s Queen of the Blues Thornetta Davis. WDET will have special programming throughout the festival, including a live broadcast of The Don Was Motor City Playlist on Friday, July 18, a live broadcast of Essential Music on Saturday, July 19, and live DJ sets by Alternate Take’s Liz Warner and The New Music Show’s Shigeto on Sunday, July 20. All events are free and open to the public. To see the full lineup and learn more, visit our events page.

On Thursday, July 17, the Detroit Parks Coalition presents the second concert in saxophonist Marcus Elliot’s “Sounds From The Park” series. The series features original compositions inspired by different Detroit parks, as performed by Elliot and his ensemble. This month’s concert takes place in Clark Park and centers the theme of “Family & Resilience,” celebrating the culture and unity of Southwest Detroit. The concert goes from 6–9 p.m. For more information, visit detroitparkscoalition.com.

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Detroit Evening Report: Detroit moms invited to share birth stories; Hamtramck seeking youth council members + more

Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, we cover a storytelling event at a Detroit birthing center, summer food preservation classes from MSU Extension and more.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple PodcastsSpotifyNPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Mothers invited to share birth stories

Birth Detroit is hosting a Birth Story Circle for All Generations from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, at the birthing center, located at 8575 Heritage Place, Detroit. The event will be therapist-led.

Dearborn to host inclusive summer pool party

The city of Dearborn is hosting a summer pool party for kids with special needs later this month. The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 20, at Ford Woods Park, 5700 Greenfield Rd., Dearborn.

Dearborn launches Summer Connection programming

Dearborn’s Public Health Department and Emagine Health Services is teaming up to offer a free program for parents and children to connect and build social-emotional skills. Summer Connection events will take place at Hemlock Park from 6 to 7 p.m. on Mondays (beginning July 14), and Wednesdays (beginning July 16), until Aug. 13. 

MSU Extension offering food preservation classes through July

Michigan State University Extension is hosting a series of classes on summer food harvest preservation this month. Classes are taking place virtually every Thursday from 1-2 p.m. or 6-7 p.m. Topics include preserving summer fruits, pressure canning, pickling, balancing, and freezing produce. 

Hamtramck Night Bazaar

The city of Hamtramck is hosting a Night Bazaar from 4 to 9 p.m. this Saturday, July 12, featuring local craft and food vendors. The event is hosted by Discover Hamtramck, part of the Hamtramck Downtown Development Authority and the Community and Economic Development department, and takes place at at Pope Park, 10037 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck.

Hamtramck seeking youth council members

The city of Hamtramck is looking for youth between 13-18 years old to join its Hamtramck Youth Advisory Council. Applicants will attend monthly meetings and be on the board for a year. There are eight positions available. The deadline to apply is July 31. Submit an application to Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj to apply by visiting hamtramckcity.gov.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

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In The Groove: Detroit loves Lewis OfMan, new music from Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill

The music of Lewis OfMan has always been very popular on this show. I swear, every time I play it, I get a text / email / phone call / smoke signal about how much y’all dig it, so I wanted to spotlight a handful of his tracks, including the new one, “Seoul Disco Night.”

Plus, new music from LL Burns, Matthew Herbert & Monoko Gill, Mocky and more.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for July 10, 2025

  • “Bright Moments” – Admin
  • “Don’t Be Afraid” – East Coast Love Affair
  • “Seoul Disco Night” – Lewis OfMan
  • “Avalanche!” – Shinji
  • “Obsession (feat. Grégory Louis & Robert Benjamin) [The Paris Version]” – Guy Cuevas
  • “Attitude” – Lewis OfMan
  • “Plasty” – LL Burns
  • “Quiet Places” – Ghost Funk Orchestra
  • “Loud Places” – Jamie xx
  • “Dark Moon” – Okonski
  • “Fallen Again” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill
  • “Animals” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill
  • “Music Will Explain” – Mocky
  • “Benoego” – Don Cherry
  • “Metronomic Underground” – Stereolab
  • “Queenless King” – WITCH
  • “Drains” – Mary in the Junkyard
  • “Kill Me” – Indigo De Souza
  • “What You Are” – Pete Brandt’s Method
  • “Nova” – Nomo
  • “No Muscle, No Memory” – Rich Ruth
  • “Love Buzz” – Shocking Blue
  • “Archbishop Harold Holmes” – Jack White
  • “Blues” – Geordie Greep
  • “Happy House (Matthew Dear vs Audion Remix – Edit)” – The Juan MacLean
  • “LITE SPOTS” – Kaytranada
  • “Siesta Freestyle” – Lewis OfMan
  • “Água de Coco” – Marcos Valle
  • “All I Ever Am (Mura Masa Remix)” – The Cure
  • “House of Mirrors (feat. Harry Stone)” – Riva Starr
  • “Blue Ridge Mountains” – Fleet Foxes
  • “Roscoe (Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve Remix)” – Midlake
  • “Draw Something Beautiful” – Ganavya
  • “summer of love (Minow Remix)” – Two Another
  • “Summer Sweat” – Hannah Cohen

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

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New Hampshire judge decides to pause Trump’s birthright citizenship order

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a ruling Thursday prohibiting President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship from taking effect anywhere in the U.S.

Judge Joseph LaPlante issued a preliminary injunction blocking Trump’s order and certified a class action lawsuit including all children who will be affected. The order, which followed an hour-long hearing, included a seven-day stay to allow for appeal.

The judge’s decision puts the birthright citizenship issue on a fast track to return to the Supreme Court. The justices could be asked to rule whether the order complies with their decision last month that limited judges’ authority to issue nationwide injunctions.

The class is slightly narrower than that sought by the plaintiffs, who wanted to include parents, but attorneys said that wouldn’t make a material difference.

“This is going to protect every single child around the country from this lawless, unconstitutional and cruel executive order,” said Cody Wofsy, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a pregnant woman, two parents and their infants. It’s among numerous cases challenging Trump’s January order denying citizenship to those born to parents living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily. The plaintiffs are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and others.

At issue is the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” The Trump administration says the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” means the U.S. can deny citizenship to babies born to women in the country illegally, ending what has been seen as an intrinsic part of U.S. law for more than a century.

“Prior misimpressions of the citizenship clause have created a perverse incentive for illegal immigration that has negatively impacted this country’s sovereignty, national security, and economic stability,” government lawyers wrote in the New Hampshire case.

LaPlante, who had issued a narrow injunction in a similar case, said while he didn’t consider the government’s arguments frivolous, he found them unpersuasive. He said his decision to issue an injunction was “not a close call” and that deprivation of U.S. citizenship clearly amounted to irreparable harm.

In a Washington state case before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the judges have asked the parties to write briefs explaining the effect of the Supreme Court’s ruling. Washington and the other states in that lawsuit have asked the appeals court to return the case to the lower court judge.

As in New Hampshire, a plaintiff in Maryland seeks to organize a class-action lawsuit that includes every person who would be affected by the order. The judge set a Wednesday deadline for written legal arguments as she considers the request for another nationwide injunction from CASA, a nonprofit immigrant rights organization.

Ama Frimpong, legal director at CASA, said the group has been stressing to its members and clients that it is not time to panic.

“No one has to move states right this instant,” she said. “There’s different avenues through which we are all fighting, again, to make sure that this executive order never actually sees the light of day.”

The New Hampshire plaintiffs, referred to only by pseudonyms, include a woman from Honduras who has a pending asylum application and is due to give birth to her fourth child in October. She told the court the family came to the U.S. after being targeted by gangs.

“I do not want my child to live in fear and hiding. I do not want my child to be a target for immigration enforcement,” she wrote. “I fear our family could be at risk of separation.”

Another plaintiff, a man from Brazil, has lived with his wife in Florida for five years. Their first child was born in March, and they are in the process of applying for lawful permanent status based on family ties — his wife’s father is a U.S. citizen.

“My baby has the right to citizenship and a future in the United States,” he wrote.

Reporting by Holly Ramer and Mike Catalini, Associated Press.

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Detroit mayoral candidate John Barlow says city is on the verge of ‘a new era’

Detroit’s primary election is less than a month away. Nine candidates are on the city’s ballot for mayor. WDET has been bringing you interviews with those candidates. 

Detroit businessman and mayoral candidate John Barlow sat down with WDET’s Jerome Vaughn to talk about his vision for the city.

Listen: Detroit mayoral candidate John Barlow shares priorities for the city

Barlow says back in the fall of 2023, he started to study possible candidates as they considered joining the city’s mayoral race.   

“No one was able to convince me of a plan or a team that was organized or mobilized enough to be able to perform these duties once elected, or even to campaign properly to get elected,” he said.

Barlow says he did his full assessment of the field — and as a lifelong Detroiter — he felt the need to step into the mayoral race as a candidate who would represent both his generation and future generations. 

“I could not sit by and not put my name in the hat to give Detroit a real choice, from my perspective,” he said.  

Barlow says the city is on the cusp of a new era. He says the city was in a similar position in the late 1960s, when officials put in a bid to host the 1968 Olympics. If elected, he says he’d have the city put together a bid for the 2036 Olympics. 

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Donate today »

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Chase Bank workshops helping metro Detroit seniors avoid fraud

Chase Bank is teaming up with the Detroit Police Department this summer to help educate seniors on how to avoid scams through local workshops. 

Gail Taylor, vice president of community management at JPMorgan Chase, has been leading the workshops. She spoke with WDET about how scam calls and other ploys to defraud seniors are affecting metro Detroiters.

Listen: Financial wellness workshops aim to educate seniors about common scams

Recent data from the Federal Trade Commission shows a 25% increase in consumer losses as a result of fraud in 2024, compared to the prior year. Michigan residents lost over $200 million to fraud and scams during that timeframe, according to the FTC.

Adults ages 60 and older submitted the most fraud complaints of any age group last year, according to the FBI’s latest annual report, with an average loss of $83,000.

The most common scams targeting older adults are scam callers impersonating IRS, Medicare, Social Security and other government or financial institutions.

Taylor says these scam calls can deceive anyone — not just seniors — and shared a personal example of a time when her niece nearly fell victim to a scammer claiming she would go to prison if she failed to follow their instruction.

“These scam calls are here to create fear and panic and urgency so that you can not think rational,” she said. “So just imagine — if she is a young lady and that is how quick it was, imagine a senior.” 

Over 40% of the scammers are adult children, Taylor said, noting that a lot of them might know the victims personally. She says she hopes to help local seniors look out for warning signs by spreading awareness about these scams and sharing tips for financial wellness at the workshops.

“Our goal is to build trust in our communities and then offer financial help, education, access to tools and resources, so that communities can be financially savvy,” she said. 

Other banks such as American Bankers Association, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and more are also taking steps to help seniors and other customers avoid similar scams.

View a list of upcoming financial wellness workshops from Chase Bank below:

  • Lunch and Learn: Ways to help protect your finances as you age (open to seniors) – Thursday, July 3 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Chase’s Corktown Community Branch, 1620 Michigan Ave., Ste 121, Detroit
  • Homebuyer’s Workshop – Saturday, July 12 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Chase’s Harbortown Branch, 3300 E Jefferson Ave., Detroit
  • Understanding and Building Credit – Tuesday, July 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Chase’s Corktown Community Branch, 1620 Michigan Ave., Ste 121, Detroit
  • Lunch and Learn: Cyber Safety for Good (open to seniors) – Tuesday, Aug. 5 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Chase’s Corktown Community Branch, 1620 Michigan Ave., Ste 121, Detroit

Learn more about how to spot financial scams here. 

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WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

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