President Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office on Tuesday by visiting the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, where he announced a new fighter jet mission at the base. This week on MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben and Zach Gorchow spoke about the base’s history and significance to the region.

Also, Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) stopped by to talk about his run for governor and his vision for the state.

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

In this episode:

• President Trump rallies in Michigan for 100th day
• Historical and political significance of Selfridge
• Sen. Nesbitt’s vision for Michigan

Nesbitt is joined by U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) and former U.S. House candidate Anthony Hudson in seeking the GOP nomination in Michigan’s gubernatorial race. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson have both launched campaigns, while Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an Independent candidate.

Nesbitt spoke with Kasben and Gorchow about what his “common sense” priorities would be if he were chosen as the state’s next governor.

“I’m working around the state, I’m going to put together a campaign that’s  going to put Michigan first, and a campaign that’s going to offer positive conservative solutions to fix some of the deepest problems in Michigan,” Nesbitt said.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been both lauded and criticized in recent weeks for her attempts to bend Trump’s ear about her state’s priorities. But the Democratic governor has responded to her critics by pointing to the results her meetings with Trump have yielded — including the 21 new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets replacing the aging A-10 squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County. 

Nesbitt says Whitmer’s collaboration with Trump has been good to see.

“I think people expect leaders to be able to work to get things done,” he said. “And believe me, I’m not going to agree with the governor and neither is President Trump going to agree with the governor on things like men competing in women’s sports — she seems to support that and we’re opposed to that — or having all this money spent on DEI initiatives — I’m going to actively oppose any of that and so is President Trump…but as I look at it, having President Trump come to Michigan to celebrate his first 100 days shows the importance of Michigan; how much he cares about Michigan.”

More from WDET:

• Whitmer on dealmaking with Trump: ‘I will fight back when I need to’
• President Trump marks 100 days in office with Macomb County trip
• MichMash: Sen. Nesbitt on trying to find ‘common ground’ with Michigan Democrats

A gathering on the Belle Isle Bridge this weekend is aimed at combatting violence against Black women.

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

The “Black Men Unite to Fight Against Our Women and Girls” campaign is being organized in response to recent cases of violent attacks on Black women.

Minister Troy Muhammad is one of the organizers of the event. He says the Belle Isle Bridge was chosen as the campaign launch site in remembrance of Deletha Word, who was beaten by a man on the bridge after a traffic accident in 1995. Word died after either jumping from the bridge to flee the man or being thrown from the bridge.

The group plans to offer conflict resolution and domestic violence prevention classes and produce billboards and public service announcements in the future.

Each man in attendance will be asked to be responsible for five other men. Men will gather at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, on the island side of the bridge. 

Other headlines for Friday, May 2, 2025:

• Cinco de Mayo is on Monday but Detroit will celebrate Sunday with the 60th annual Cinco de Mayo Parade in Southwest Detroit. The parade begins at noon at Patton Park and will end at Clark Park. 
• As the Cinco de Mayo Parade winds down Sunday, the Blessing of the Low Riders revs up at the Motor City Dance Academy. The annual event showcasing lowrider cars and bikes will take place from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, and feature live music and dance performances, food and art vendors, and the blessing of vehicles. 
• Jazz vocalist Penny Wells will perform at the Detroit Historical Society’s Jazz in the Streets of Old Detroit series next Thursday, May 8. Proceeds from the event help support the work of the Black Historic Sites Committee.  

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

Some university faculty members across the Big Ten system want the schools to pool resources to help defend each other if the Trump administration threatens their funding or programs.

Those schools include the University of Michigan, where the faculty senate voted overwhelmingly to approve a non-binding resolution creating such an alliance.

Michigan State University’s faculty senate also voted recently to ask the school’s administration to enact the joint-defense proposal.

MSU Faculty Senate Vice Chair Jack Lipton told WDET the measure stems from a recommendation first developed and passed by educators at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Jack Lipton, Michigan State University Faculty Senate: They had come up with this idea to create an agreement that ran like NATO, “an attack on one is an attack on all,” and propose this out to the schools who are part of the Big Ten Academic Alliance. We took it up with the idea that the federal government, through executive orders, is trying to control what universities are doing through intimidation, through loss of funding. And by going after schools one at a time, it’s difficult for schools to mount an effective defense when they are looking at potentially losses of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars in their funding. Soultimately the faculty senate, which is an advisory body, asks that our president lead with the other presidents of the Big Ten in pushing back against what we consider to be inappropriate and unlawful incursions into the academic mission of private and public universities.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: What would this have the university do if, in fact, administrators accepted it?

JL: The university would put funds into a central repository that would be accessible to all members of the Big Ten, and also utilize human capital, with respect to the offices of the General Counsel and their attorneys. They would work together to mount defenses of any member school if they are challenged by the federal government, through these executive orders, with a loss of funding where they’re targeted based upon perfectly legal actions as universities. They’re all following Title 9 regulations related to students. A lot of what the federal government is trying to do is to say that schools are involved in unlawful discrimination, when the schools are actually supporting equity and inclusion, which this particular administration doesn’t seem to be particularly fond of. Giving all people equal opportunity to gain access to higher education, whether it’s through their work or through education or through jobs.

QK: Have you had any reaction yet from the Michigan State administration as to whether or not they might follow your recommendations?

JL: I’ve not. Anything that we pass in the faculty senate is strictly advisory. It’s our sense of what should be done and the university president has no obligation to act on our resolution. I would hope that as it garners continued public attention, the president will work with other big Ten leaders to try and figure out some way to support each other so that we’re not essentially picked off one by one.

QK: There have been a number of faculty senates now throughout Big Ten schools that have either voted for this proposal or seem to be considering it. There were some on your faculty that were a little iffy about doing it. Why is that?

JL: Everyone looks at this differently, right? Some individuals feared that by the very fact we’re considering this, we are putting a target on our backs for the federal government to act specifically against Michigan State University. And there were some that had some trepidation regarding passing it. But then there were others who specifically study things like authoritarian regimes and human rights, they felt this is really that critical point when we have to decide whether we are going to do the right thing or we’re going to do the safe thing. While differences of opinion were clearly present, ultimately, when it came to a vote, we shut off debate and it passed. I think that most faculty are obviously concerned about passing something like this. But even despite that, they saw the value and the appropriateness of taking a stand and making a recommendation. We really want to ensure that higher education can continue to maintain its high ideals and be a place where academic freedom and free speech can be lauded and expected.

“Seeing an administration that is so contemptuous of higher education, so contemptuous of freedom of thought and freedom of expression, is really alarming; they are trying to silence faculty by using the power of the purse and withholding federal funding.”

– Jack Lipton, MSU Faculty Senate Vice Chair

QK: You’ve been involved in high-level academia for decades now. Have you ever seen something similar to this in regards to the federal government’s view of and actions towards higher education?

JL: I don’t think anyone has ever seen anything like this. The post-World War II expansion of higher education has been kind of a crown jewel of the United States. The growth of higher education, the growth of universities, particularly public universities like Michigan State University, have been such a gift to this country. And seeing an administration that is so contemptuous of higher education, so contemptuous of freedom of thought and freedom of expression, is really alarming. They are trying to silence faculty by using the power of the purse and withholding federal funding. We all use those funds in our research, like I and the people in my department do to work on neurodegenerative diseases and find the causes and cures of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. They are trying to hold those kinds of funds hostage so that we’ll be quiet. I think that’s wrong, and I’m hopeful that this is a sad, yet brief chapter in American history when it comes to higher education.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.

The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”

It’s the latest move by Trump and his administration to utilize federal powers to control or hamstring institutions whose actions or viewpoints he disagrees with. Since taking office, Trump has ousted leaders, placed staff on administrative leave and cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to artists, libraries, museums, theaters and others, through takeovers of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also pushed to withhold federal research and education funds from universities and punish law firms unless they agreed to eliminate diversity programs and other measures Trump has found objectionable.

The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump’s election, as Republicans have long complained about them.

Paula Kerger, PBS’ CEO and president, said in a statement last month that the Trump administration’s effort to rescind funding for public media would “disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.”

“There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress,” she said. “This public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality.”

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued Trump earlier this week over his move to fire three members of its five-person board, contending that the president was exceeding his authority and that the move would deprive the board of a quorum needed to conduct business.

Just two weeks ago, the White House said it would be asking Congress to rescind funding for the CPB as part of a $9.1 billion package of cuts. That package, however, which budget director Russell Vought said would likely be the first of several, has not yet been sent to Capitol Hill.

The move against PBS and NPR comes as his administration has been working to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which were designed to model independent news gathering globally in societies that restrict the press. Those efforts have faced pushback from federal courts, who have ruled in some cases that the Trump administration may have overstepped its authority in holding back funds appropriated to the outlets by Congress.

—Reporting by AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro.

Communities across Michigan — including several in metro Detroit — will be holding special elections on Tuesday, May 6, for a range of local ballot measures and races.

Check if you’re registered, find your polling place, or view a sample ballot here.

Macomb County

Mount Clemens

Voters in the Mount Clemens Community School District will have a $91.8 million bond proposal and millage reduction on their ballots.

The district says the funding would be used to renovate and revitalize its historic buildings, make critical infrastructure improvements, create modern learning spaces, and address safety and security needs.

Find more information about the bond proposal at mtcps.org.

Oakland County

Ferndale

In Oakland County, voters in Ferndale will see another Headlee override operating millage proposal on their ballot.

Ferndale voters rejected a previous iteration of the Headlee override in November, with roughly 54% of residents voting against it. City council members voted in January to include an adapted proposal on the May 6 ballot that aims to address some of the concerns cited by residents during town halls and listening sessions. If passed, the millage would take effect on residents’ Summer 2026 tax bills.

More information about the proposal, including the changes that were made and its potential cost impact on residents, can be viewed at ferndalemi.gov.

Additionally, voters in the Ferndale School District — which includes portions of Pleasant Ridge, Oak Park and Royal Oak Township — will have a school improvement bond on their ballot.

The $114.8 million bond proposal would not increase voters’ tax rates, according to the district, and would enable “transformational improvements” at its middle and high school buildings. Among the updates would be a new academic wing, modernized classrooms, updated fine arts spaces, safer school entry points, and improved student services.

For more information about the school bond proposal, visit ferndaleschools.org.

Clawson

Voters in Clawson will have two charter amendment proposals on the ballot.

The first is asking voters to determine the size of city council. A “yes” vote would maintain the city’s four-member council — excluding the mayor — rather than expand the council by two additional members, as adopted by council in 2023.

The second charter amendment relates to the council members’ term limits, and can only be passed in conjunction with the first amendment.

The full proposals can be viewed at cityofclawson.com.

Madison Heights

Residents in the Lamphere School District will see an $85 million, 30-year school improvement bond proposal on the ballot.

The district says the funding is needed to enhance school safety and security, expand learning opportunities, and update school infrastructure. If passed, the cost to homeowners would be 4.15 mills ($4.15 per $1,000 of taxable property value).

For more specifics on what the bond funding would be used for, visit lamphereschools.com/bond2025.

Proposals 2 and 3 — a non-homestead operating millage renewal and 2-mill hedge — would maintain the current millage rate if passed, allowing the district to retain $5 million for staffing, instructional and extracurricular programming, maintenance and operations.

Residential tax rates on primary residences would not increase if any of these initiatives pass, according to the district. However, the millage rate would decline over the next few years if the bond proposal is rejected.

Know your rights

Michigan’s primary election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. Check back for updates to WDET’s Voter Guide as the election gets closer.

Editor’s note: This episode of The Metro aired prior to the president signing an executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR.

Public trust in the free press has been steadily declining for decades and President Donald Trump’s combative relationship with the news media has further eroded that trust. He frequently refers to the free press as “the enemy of the people” and “fake news.” 

Those words have had an impact. 

In 2020, American journalists faced a sharp rise in attacks, especially during the Black Lives Matter protests. 

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, “at least 400 press freedom violations were reported, including physical assaults, arrests, and damage to equipment.”  

The committee found that many of these incidents, including roughly 300 assaults, were attributed to law enforcement.

On the campaign trail in 2024, Trump continued his rhetoric against the press.

“To get to me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. I don’t mind that so much,” he told a crowd in Pennsylvania.

Now, after Trump’s first 100 days in office, the Committee to Protect Journalists is sounding a louder alarm. 

It says the beginning of Trump’s term has “been marked by a flurry of executive actions that have created a chilling effect and have the potential to curtail media freedoms. These measures threaten the availability of independent, fact-based news for vast swaths of America’s population.”

Trump has banned reporters from his press conferences. He is selective of which media outlets he speaks to, and he has filed multiple lawsuits accusing media companies of misconduct against him. 

The president is also taking aim at NPR and PBS.

NPR reported last month that the administration plans to request Congress cut funding from NPR and PBS — news and information that is not profit-based and relies on funding from listeners, sponsorships, and the government. WDET is an NPR affiliate station that also would feel strong impacts from these cuts.

NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik joined The Metro on Thursday to talk more about this.

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.

More stories from The Metro

Three years ago, “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X” sold out shows at the Detroit Opera House for the first time in over a decade.

Now, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer behind that success is back in Detroit. 

Anthony Davis returns this month to present “Central Park Five,” a gripping opera that tells the true story of the wrongful convictions of five Black and Latino teenagers in the assault of a white female jogger in Central Park in 1989. 

It’s a case that involved President Donald Trump, who at the time became an outspoken voice for convicting the teens. He spoke with WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper about the politics of bringing an opera like this to the stage, and how it feels to be back in Detroit.

Performances will take place on May 10, 16 and 18 at the Detroit Opera House. Visit detroitopera.org for tickets and more information.

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

More stories from The Metro

This week, we’ve got local markets for every occasion, from Mother’s Day to Cinco de Mayo. Plus, new art exhibits, live DJ sets from your favorite WDET hosts and an immersive Star Wars cantina experience. Read on to learn more.

Shop around

On Saturday, May 3, Swanky Lady Couture is partnering with Wayne County Community College to present an early Mother’s Day Market. There will be a flower bouquet bar, a permanent jewelry station, professional family portraits and more to inspire Mother’s Day gift ideas. Food trucks will be available on-site. Admission is free and the event goes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page.

Also on Saturday, May 3, Batch Brewing is hosting a “Derby de Mayo” celebration featuring a Mexican market, lucha libre wrestling, and themed food and cocktail specials for both Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby. The market will highlight local vendors selling everything from jewelry to juices from noon to 6 p.m., then wrestling is scheduled for 7–9 p.m. Food trucks from Taqueria El Rey and La Sultana will be on-site starting at noon and guests can watch the derby in the taproom. For more information, visit Batch Brewing Company on Facebook.

The 7th Annual Urban Arts & Eatery Expo returns to Eastern Market on Sunday, May 4 from 2–6 p.m. Visitors can enjoy beverages and street food from around the world while exploring over 60 local vendors offering unique and handmade goods. Early bird tickets are $3 online. For more information, visit urbanartsexpo.com.

See a show

On Saturday, May 3, Spot Lite Detroit is throwing a 39th Birthday Bash & Fundraiser for the Heidelberg Project, one of the longest-running outdoor art installations in the city. Starting at 7 p.m., there will be live DJ sets from Kenjiro, Liz Warner (host of Alternate Take Thursdays at 8 p.m. on WDET), Shigeto (host of The New Music Show Saturdays at 8 p.m. on WDET), Turtle Bugg and Waajeed (host of The Boulevard Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on WDET). Tickets are $23 online. For more information, visit ra.co.

From Wednesday, May 7 through Sunday, May 11, the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn is hosting the 18th Annual Arab Film Festival, featuring the best critically-acclaimed and award-winning films of the Arab and Arab American world. Genres include drama, comedy and documentary, in both short-form and feature lengths. Each film is subtitled in English and can be watched either in-person at the museum or virtually. Tickets can be purchased separately for each screening, or passes are available for the full festival. For more information, visit aanmfilmfest25.eventive.org.

Explore an exhibit

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History’s newest exhibition, “Luminosity: A Detroit Arts Gathering,” celebrates 60 years of The Wright with over 60 artworks from present-day Detroit artists, long-departed masters and the museum’s archive. Spanning painting, sculpture, photography and more, “Luminosity” illuminates Detroit’s creative spirit through shared histories, personal reflections and bold artistic exploration. The exhibit is on display now through March 2026. For more information, visit thewright.org.

One of MOCAD’s newest exhibitions, “Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art,” explores the relationship between Black cultural production and the legacy of computation as a mode of creative inspiration. The exhibition builds on an archival timeline of radical visions from Black makers and thinkers and brings together an intergenerational roster of contemporary artists to unpack the correlation between body and machine, informed further by the “age of the internet.” The exhibition opens on Friday, May 2 and will be on display through August 10. For more information, visit mocadetroit.org.

Detroit Historical Museum’s newest exhibition is “Heroes vs. Villains: Detroit’s Comic Book Story.” Opening on Saturday, May 3, the exhibition highlights Detroit’s contributions to the world of comic books and the generations of local creatives and fans that brought the world of comics to a wider audience and created fandom as we know it today. For more information, visit detroithistorical.org.

The DIA is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with special programming throughout the month of May. In collaboration with AAPI community groups and professional artists, the museum will showcase a dynamic mix of traditional and contemporary dance, music, visual art and more. This year’s celebration includes elements from Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Mongolian, Taiwanese and Vietnamese cultures. To see their full list of events and learn more, visit dia.org.

Feel the force

Calling all Star Wars fans! For five days only, Space Dive 313 has transformed Tangent Gallery in Detroit into a fully-immersive intergalactic cantina. Guests are required to arrive in full costume in order to maintain the Detroitooine experience. Tickets are $60 and still available for Friday, May 2, Sunday, May 4 (May the fourth be with you), Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10. The bar is open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. For more information, visit Space Dive on Facebook.

In 1938, two young Jewish kids decided they wanted to tell a story of an invincible man, who could move faster than bullets and was a hero to all. 

Superman took flight that year, first appearing in America Action Comics #1. Kal-El, Clark Kent or Superman was representation needed during the rise of fascism in Germany. 

The superhero was created to defeat The Third Reich and Nazi’s plot to take over the world. In American culture, comic books have been a way for readers of all ages to see themselves, in one way or another, as superhuman. 

From the friendly neighborhood Spiderman to the Green Hornet — which was a Detroit Radio program before appearing in comics — these stories told the hardships, joys and sorrows of life through the lens of these fantastical characters.

William Wallwinkel is the lead curator of “Heroes vs. Villains: Detroit’s Comic Book Story,” opening at Detroit Historical Museum on Saturday, May 3, which is also Free Comic Book Day. He joined The Metro along with Vault of Midnight owner Curtis Sullivan to talk about comic book culture here in Detroit and southeast Michigan. 

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.

More stories from The Metro

Experts say nearly half of all child injury deaths happen during the summer months. 

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

That statistic earned the phenomenon the nickname “the 100 deadliest days of summer” or “summer trauma season.” 

This month, the nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide  is teaming up with safety advocates across the country to launch the second annual Safe Kids Month.

Sadiqa Kendi, chief medical officer for Safe Kids Worldwide, says the most common injuries affecting youngsters come from motor vehicle crashes. 

“We know that a child, if they don’t fit the seat belt well — and many times, they won’t until they’re between eight and 12 years old, and sometimes older — they really need to be in a booster or seat for that seat belt to work effectively,” she said.

Kendi says other injury related deaths occur from improper use of safety equipment such as life jackets and helmets. 

She says most of those fatalities are preventable, which is why the organization developed a child safety checklist to cover five key safety areas: car, water, sleep, home and play.

Safe Kids Worldwide’s High Five Child Safety Checklist can be viewed on their website at safekids.org. 

Other headlines for Thursday, May 1, 2025:

• For the first time in the city’s history, Dearborn will not have a primary election in August, the Detroit Free Press reported. The city clerk says there are not enough candidates running to make a primary necessary.
• The city of Detroit is breaking ground on the $28 million Russell Woods Senior Living Community on Friday on Dexter Avenue. Developer Fabiola Fleuranvil promises the units will be “deeply affordable” for residents.
• Detroit has commissioned 43 artists to establish art installations in nine city-sponsored “art alleys” across Detroit. It’s part of the city’s Arts Alleys initiative, an effort to create vibrant community spaces to celebrate local culture and showcase local talents. Installations have begun and muralists will begin painting this month.  

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

In order for us to move forward, we must consider the foundation that we stand on. The shoulders of those who have done the work. On this episode of The Boulevard, we do that. We honor the story of Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, the Godmother of House.

In this special interview, Hale talks about her musical upbringing on Detroit’s west side, being one of the few female DJs in the early ’80s and winning the Motor City Mix competition as a student at Lawrence Tech.

“In the last 10 years, I look back and go, ‘You were setting the pace.’ I was just being me.” — Stacey Hotwaxx Hale

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

The Boulevard Playlist for April 30, 2025

• “The Boulevard” – Waajeed
• “Fly Away (feat. Alexander Hope)” – Blaze
• “You Lift Me Up (Cats N’ Dogz No Hope Remix)” – Sweetness
• “Panoramica (Hyenah’s Raw Beat)” – Hyenah & Pablo Fierro
• “Took My Love (Jacobin & Domino Remix)” – Fabe
• “Body Sound (Life Recorder Remix)” – Jay Sound
• “Synthphonica” – Henrik Schwarz
• “Still Hope (Waajeed’s Searching Dub)” – Secret Sundaze
• “Baby Powda (Tedd Patterson Edit V2)” – Doug Gomez
• “Forget (Extended Mix)” – DJ Minx
• “Riley’s Song” – Moodymann
• “Helldorado (Original Mix)” – Aki Bergen
• “It’s In Your Mind” – Kyle Hall
• “The System (Original Mix)” – Angelos
• “Dynamic Move” – Dompe
• “Da Fonk (feat. Joni) [Dub]” – Mochakk

Respect the Architect – Interview with Stacey Hotwaxx Hale

• “Down to Love Town” – The Originals
• “I Believe In Miracles” – Jackson Sisters
• “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)” – Chic
• “Contact” – Edwin Starr
• “Flashlight” – Parliament
• “The Boss” – Diana Ross
• “Out Come the Freaks” – Was (Not Was)
• “Jam On Revenge (The Wikki Wikki Song)” – Newcleus
• “Din Daa Daa” – George Kranz
• “I Wonder If I Take You Home (with Full Fore) [Full Force Remix]” – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
• “Rain Forest” – Paul Hardcastle

Listen to The Boulevard with host Waajeed Wednesdays from 8–10 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is responding to critics of her meetings with President Donald Trump by answering that they’ve yielded results. Whitmer, a Democrat serving her final term as governor, and widely considered a possible future presidential contender, says she still has fundamental disagreements with President Donald Trump. She also says face time with Trump, including a now-famously awkward Oval Office encounter, was worth it to win 21 new fighter jets heading to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County.

The Michigan Public Radio Network spoke with the governor Wednesday about cutting a deal with a president with whom she’s had an adversarial relationship.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Rick Pluta: Why does this Selfridge deal matter, not just to Macomb County, not just to metro Detroit, but to the entire state of Michigan?

GW: Yeah, you know, this is a big deal. So the A-10, which is our fighter mission at Selfridge, is being retired. And the fighter mission matters because we think about Selfridge, it has an economic impact on the state of $850 million a year. There are 30,000 jobs in Michigan that are related to Selfridge directly. And so not having a fighter mission would be a huge problem, not just for Selfridge but for a defense economy that we’ve been building out, advanced manufacturing. We think about aerospace as well as bases in Grayling, Alpena, and in Battle Creek. This has a massive impact on the state of Michigan. So I’ve been working to try to get a new fighter mission at Selfridge every year since I’ve been elected governor, and my predecessors did, as well, and we got it done, 21 F-15 EXs. This is the cutting edge, state-of-the-art planes and it’s gonna have a generational impact on our economy.

RP: How did this come to be? Why now?

GW: Well, you know, after the election — I had been trying to get the Biden administration to do this — after the elections, I said, well, let’s keep going. I’m going to keep trying to work with the Trump administration to get it done. And I was at the National Governors Association dinner at the White House. I raised it at that first opportunity with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that night, as well as when I sat next to Donald Trump at the dinner, you know, and I’ve had many conversations and meetings with the president on this issue. I’ve been relentless on this and they were receptive. And despite the fact that we’ve got a lot of differences and we don’t agree on a lot of things, I take every opportunity to make the case for Michigan, whether it’s about tariffs, Asian carp, or ice storms. Selfridge has been a part of all those conversations every time, too.

RP: As you mentioned, you’ve said you will work with everyone, anyone, but you have gotten a lot of pushback from folks within the Democratic Party about your work with this president. Now that this Selfridge deal is done, what’s next? What are your plans for continuing to work with this administration?

GW: I oppose this administration and a lot of things that they’re doing, whether it’s around their — what they’ve done on — you know, I mean, it’s voluminous, the ways that we disagree, the things that we disagree on — from their tariff policy, the chaos that’s been leaked, to the violation of people’s civil rights, to the potential Medicaid cuts that are coming that are going to impact Michigan hospitals and Michiganders everywhere. That being said, I’ve got a duty to continue to try to get as much done for our state as I can. I’ve got to work with people that I don’t always agree with. I always have, and I always will, try to do what’s right for Michigan and that means continuing the conversation on preventing Asian carp from infiltrating the Great Lakes, getting relief for victims of the ice storm. It means continuing to work to try to get more economic development done in Michigan. So I will both fight back when I need to, and try to get Michigan’s priorities done wherever I can.

RP: Finally, Governor, do you think Democratic voters, that is voters in your party, know that you still fundamentally disagree with President Trump?

GW: Yeah, of course they do. My values haven’t changed. My oath is to serve the people of Michigan. It means standing up for our rights, it means fighting back when they’ve got tariff policies that are making Michiganders lose jobs or their costs go up. It also means getting at the table and being there to get a huge investment like Selfridge over the finish line. I can do both. I will do both, that’s the ethos I’ve always led with.

Recreational marijuana has been legal in Michigan for nearly six years, and cannabis culture is thriving. Dozens of dispensaries have opened up across the city and metro Detroit more broadly. 

But even as states like Michigan bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue from legalized cannabis, thousands of people are still sitting in state and federal prisons for marijuana offenses. And, as with many issues in the American criminal justice system, racism is central to this issue.

A 2020 report by the ACLU found that more than six million marijuana arrests occurred between 2010 and 2018. And in every state — including those that have legalized marijuana — Black people are still more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people.

The nonprofit Last Prisoner Project is on Capitol Hill this week as part of a larger effort to lobby for justice reform. Founded in 2019, the organization works within the criminal justice system to help individuals who are still incarcerated for cannabis.

Adrian Rocha, director of policy for the project, joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss the group’s efforts and the stark racial contrast in incarceration rates.

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.

More stories from The Metro

The state treasurer on Wednesday announced $2.5 million in grants for Michigan cities, villages or townships with severe economic problems.

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

Those municipalities are defined as ones that are experiencing one or more conditions that qualify as “probable economic distress.”

The funds will be split among 13 cities across the state to support projects, services or strategies aimed at improving their financial stability.

Among the local communities selected to receive funding are Ecorse, receiving $183,000 for water main replacements; Harper Woods, receiving more than $134,000 to fix sanitary sewer outlets; Highland Park, getting $150,000 for two plow trucks; Inkster, receiving $300,000 to replace water system infrastructure; and River Rouge, which will get just over $86,000 to replace infrastructure at the municipal library. 

Visit michigan.gov to view the full list of municipalities receiving funding.

Other headlines for Wednesday, April 30, 2025: 

• A project to end extreme poverty is coming to Detroit this summer.  The organizers of “Global Citizen NOW” announced Wednesday that their international summit will be held in the Hudson’s Detroit building downtown, July 8-11.
• The trial of a Grand Rapids police officer in connection with the death of a Black motorists continues. Officer Christopher Schurr shot and killed motorist Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in April 2022. Lyoya was shot after a brief struggle and the incident was captured on video.  Schurr was later charged with second degree murder. His attorney says the shooting was in self-defense.
• The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II was honored on Tuesday with the Congressional Gold Medal. Known as the “Six Triple Eight,” the unit received the award following a long-running campaign to recognize its efforts.
• The Detroit Pistons are looking forward to Game 6 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the New York Knicks. The Pistons won Game 5, 106-103, at Madison Square Garden in New York Tuesday night.

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

Southeast Michigan is wrapping up April with temperatures trending slightly higher than average, according to the National Weather Service. Despite several days in the 80s, early April brought cooler conditions.

“Overall, I think we are coming in just slightly above normal,” meteorologist Trent Frey told WDET. “We did have a couple of really hot days. We had 83 degrees on the 18th and then we had 80 [degrees] on the 23rd and 82 [degrees] again on the 24th.”

Rainfall totals for the month are near typical levels, with just under 3 inches. 

Frey say a low-pressure system is expected to move in Thursday into Friday, bringing widespread showers and a drop in temperatures.

“This week is kind of a microcosm of the whole month,” Frey said. “We’ll be kind of up and down the rest of this week.”

Looking ahead to summer, Frey says the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center gives southeast Michigan a 30% to 40% chance of warmer-than-normal conditions.

President Donald Trump was in Michigan on Tuesday, visiting Selfridge Air National Guard Base before speaking at Macomb Community College. The White House says the trip was in celebration of his first 100 days in office.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base

Selfridge has operated a fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs since 2009. But with that plane retiring, questions over whether the base would get a replacement have muddied its future. Those concerns are now eased. During his visit, President Trump announced Selfridge will receive 21 new F-15s. “This is the best there is anywhere in the world — the F-15EX Eagle II,” Trump said. “This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of Northern American air power.” Trump added there are also plans to update the refueling planes at Selfridge. The president was joined at the announcement by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who he credited with bringing the bases need for a new plane to his attention.

Macomb Community College

After Selfridge, the president headed to Macomb Community College, where he gave a campaign-style speech to a crowd of supporters. Trump used his time at the podium to tell the crowd he’s making good on promises, including on tariffs and immigration. He also told the crowd he’s making good on promises on topics like immigration, and took aim at ongoing court battles against his administration. “We cannot allow a handful of communists and radical left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws and assume the duties that belong solely to the President of the United States,” Trump said. The administration is facing a number of legal challenges over its handling of deportations and funding cuts. A federal judge ordered the White House to restore $12 million in funding to Radio Free Europe. Despite stock market volatility in his first 100 days, Trump told supporters he feels his economic plan is working. The president also repeated criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates, telling the crowd that Powell is doing a bad job. “You’re not supposed to criticize the Fed,” Trump said. “You’re supposed to let him do his own thing. But I know much more about interest rates than he does about interest rates — believe me.” The Federal Reserve has said it’s holding off on cutting interest rates for now in order to fight inflation. Some economists say tariff uncertainty isn’t making the Fed’s life easier.

What’s up family? Chris Campbell here with The Progressive Underground, and it’s time for this week’s Pick of the Week. We’re shining the spotlight on Irene Renee — a vocalist, songwriter, and Detroit native whose journey through music is as rich as her voice.

She’s been singing since childhood, coming up in church choirs at Northwest and Glad Tidings COGIC in Detroit. She later took that love for music to Michigan State, where she danced, performed and eventually toured with MCM and the Hype Crew. After moving to New York, she hit the Apollo stage, sang at Café Wha?, and even plaudits and props from the New York music community.

Life took a few turns — motherhood, detours, comebacks — but the music never left her. Irene Renee re-emerged on NYC’s open mic scene, claimed wins in karaoke battles, and became a featured performer at the Sugar Shack and Zuppa Lounge. All of that led to the release of her independently produced debut album, “Serendipitous Experience.”

Her sound? Think Jill Scott meets Anita Baker with a twist of Cassandra Wilson — sultry, grounded, lyrical and real. We’ll dip into her musical vault and check out one of her signature singles. Here’s Irene Renee with “Smooth Step,” and its my Pick of the Week.

That was “Smooth Step” by Detroit native and soul songstress Irene Renee. If you’re feeling music like this, don’t miss The Progressive Underground — Saturday nights at 6 p.m. on 101.9 WDET. We serve up soul, nu-jazz, rare grooves, and b-side magic just for you. For the Progressive Underground, I’m Chris Campbell and until next time, stay soulful and stay tuned.

Singer-songwriter Valerie Salerno started her ambient noise-rock/alt-country solo project — Dick Texas — about five years ago, building up to this Spring’s release of her debut full length LP “All That Fall“ (on Fred Thomas’ LifeLike Records). Salerno visited WDET Studios to talk about the new album and her upcoming show at Third Man Records next Saturday, May 10, with Winged Wheel.

Prior to Dick Texas, Salerno was in the Grand Rapids-based alt/noise-rock group Sojii (which recorded its debut album with the late Steve Albini). Salerno started Dick Texas when she moved to Detroit in 2019.

“Catharsis is in almost everything that I make,” Salerno said, remarking upon one of the most distinctive qualities of “All That Fall” — which involves reverb-splashed guitars that go from resonant twangs into purposefully dissonant crescendos. “And that’s what draws me to a lot of the music that I like. I think in this project — and especially what comes out on this album — my biggest goal as an artist is to just write better and better songs…and I think a lot of that came out in my guitar playing.”

“All That Fall” certainly has some elements of alt-country-conjuring twang to it, and a proclivity toward some grittier textures, but I’m hooked by these primal and honestly satisfyingly abrasive circuitous guitar phrases that singe the edges of each composition. Most of all, the album attains its radiance from the subtle yet spellbinding lead vocals of Salerno, weaving gracefully through those stormy guitars.

Put succinctly, Salerno said: “I do like exploring the extremes of dynamics…”

But we also asked about how these songs, in the best way, seem to take their time — following slowed tempos that stretch tracks into the six-minute mark. “I have low blood pressure” Salerno said, following with a self-aware chuckle. “And I think that slow…it’s a good experience to explore. And if you listen to my old band, Sojii, it was hard and fast and intense, and I think that was a big energy to my early 20s. And, now, I think life in the last few years, I dunno, this slow universe has been really nice…”

Salerno was joined in studio by band member, multi-instrumentalist/audio-engineer Adis Kaltak, who added more anecdotal exposition about the recording process, particularly the vocals for a track we listened to, “Flies,” from “All That Fall.” Stream it for the full interview.

Along with an interview with Salerno, we premiered a lot of new music by local artists this week (as we often do, on MI Local). We started the show with the brand new single from Grand Rapids-based indie-pop ensemble Phabies, along with the Detroit-based alt-country duo Neu Blume, who have a release party coming up on May 31 with Bonny Doon and Conor Lynch at UFO Bar.

Speaking of new releases, we heard the latest from indie-rock/power-pop auteur Ryan Allen, who has an album release party coming up on May 16 at Bowlero Lanes Lounge, and the four-piece ’70s-tinged psych-rock band The Dusty Rose Gang also premiered a song on this week’s show — they have an album that’s also out on May 16 titled “A One from Day One.”

And that’s not all! We heard a new industrial-leaning goth-shoegaze soundscape from Stormfeldt, the latest dream-pop ballad from the duo known as Bluhm, and an indie-rock cut from the band My Time In The Arctic who — like so many other locals of late — have a new album out in the world!

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

MI Local Playlist for April 29, 2025

• “Bloodletting” – Phabies
• “Cold Strange” – Neu Blume
• “Preybirds” – Rabbitology
• “Take It Back” – Jake LeMond
• “When You Come Over” – Bluhm
• “Eastern Palace Identity Crisis” – My Time in the Arctic
• “Lost in a Daze” – Ryan Allen
• “Low Animal” – Stormfeldt
• “Person of Light” – The Dusty Rose Gang
• “Flies” – Dick Texas
• “Long Dirt Driveway” – Dick Texas

NEW YORK (AP) — The players the Pistons put together to turn a 14-win team into a playoff squad aren’t ready to split up for the summer.

Instead, they’re going back to Detroit together — and maybe back to New York after that.

Cade Cunningham had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Pistons stayed alive in their first postseason appearance since 2019 by beating the Knicks 106-103 on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series.

The Pistons insisted they felt no extra pressure when they talked Tuesday morning on what could have been their last shootaround of a season in which they went 44-38 in one of the biggest turnarounds from one season to the next in NBA history.

“Everybody’s got a back’s-against-the-wall type of mentality, but the group really loves being around each other and I think that was one of the biggest things,” forward Tobias Harris said. “Like, we don’t want this thing to stop. Like, we’ve got to keep on fighting.”

Ausar Thompson added 22 points and Harris had 17 for the Pistons, who will have a chance to even things up Thursday night at home in Game 6. If they win that, the deciding game would be back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Detroit, though, has lost an NBA record-tying nine straight home games since 2008.

But the Pistons seem comfortable in New York, where they were 2-0 in the regular season and now 2-1 in this series, including their Game 2 victory that snapped their 15-game postseason losing streak, the longest in NBA history.

Not surprisingly, they still like their chances in the series.

“Confident,” Cunningham said. “We’ll be back.”

OG Anunoby scored 19 points for the Knicks, who were trying to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the third straight season but never fully recovered from a poor start. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each had 17, but Jalen Brunson had his worst game of the postseason with 16 points on 4-for-16 shooting.

“We just put ourselves in a deficit early,” Towns said. “All series we’ve been fighting back.”

The game was tied at 95 before Jalen Duren made consecutive baskets and Cunningham scored for a six-point lead. The Pistons got a good break when Brunson and Josh Hart both left the game with injuries with 2:57 remaining and play went on for a while without a stoppage when they were ready to return. By the time they could, there were only 27 seconds left.

Brunson had scored 30 or more points in every game of the series and was averaging 33.3 through four games before not even getting halfway there Tuesday, when the Knicks were trying to win a series on their home floor for the first time since the 1999 Eastern Conference finals.

Now they will try to do it in Detroit, where they won Games 3 and 4.

Duren finished with nine points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

–Reporting by Brian Mahoney, Associated Press sports writer