Duggan Endorses Sheffield 

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has endorsed City Council President Mary Sheffield in her run to become Detroit’s next mayor.  The two appeared together this morning at a news conference on the city’s west side. 

Sheffield says she’s ready to move the city forward. 

“I am thankful for Mayor Duggan’s support.  I am ready,” says Sheffield. “I am prepared to lead Detroit to its next chapter.”  

Sheffield won just over 50 percent of the vote in this month’s primary election.  She’ll face Pastor Solomon Kinloch in the November general election. 

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Chandler Park upgrades 

Detroit officials gathered in Chandler Park this afternoon to celebrate upgrades to the eastside park. 

Top of the list is the new Chandler Park Fieldhouse.  The 130-thousand square foot facility includes an indoor sports turf field, multi-sports courts and fitness areas. 

Chandler Park already has an 18-hole golf course and the Wayne County Aquatic Center.  It’s Detroit’s fourth largest park. 

Duggan gains endorsements for governor

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan continues to collect endorsements for his gubernatorial campaign.  He appeared at Michigan Central Station Tuesday to tout 215 endorsements from current and former Democratic and Republican elected officials from around the state.  

Duggan says he’s making a statement with his decision to run for governor as an independent. 

“I know it would be a lot easier to get elected as a Democrat.  It would be a lot easier for all these folks up here not to have to step out and endorse an independent.  But I would have been part of the same old politics in Lansing.  And it is time to send an unmistakable message to tell the folks in Lansing that politics as usual is over.” 

Duggan announced last year that he would not run for a fourth term as mayor of Detroit.  Instead, he’s running to become Michigan’s next governor.  That election takes place in November 2026. 

WSU move-in traffic 

You can expect pedestrian and vehicle traffic to be heavy in Midtown Detroit over the next few days.  That’s because students are headed back to Wayne State University. 

Expect to see U-Hauls and other trucks carrying furniture and other belongings.  Move in at the school’s dorms began today. 

Classes begin on Monday.   

UDM volunteers during orientation

First year students at the University of Detroit Mercy are volunteering for projects in northwest Detroit today and tomorrow. 

They’ll work in parks and gardens and on block clubs in the area near the university. 

The volunteer work is the final part of the school’s orientation for incoming students.  It’s goal is to connect students with the area’s social and cultural networks. 

Federov #91 retired 

The Detroit Red Wings are retiring the jersey of All-Star Sergei Federov. 

Federov played 13 seasons with the Redwings, from 1990 to 2003.  He helped the team win three Stanley Cup Championships.  The Hockey Hall of Fame center scored 400 goals and had 554 assists for the Red Wings. 

A special ceremony to honor Federov and hang his jersey from the rafters at Little Caesars Arena will take place on January 12^th. 

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Last week, the lights went dim on a renewable energy program with big promise for the planet and your pocketbook. 

Michigan was set to receive $156 million from Solar for All. 

The money would have helped low-income households add rooftop or community solar, paid for battery storage and basic upgrades like panels, wiring, or roof work, and funded workforce training and community outreach. Households were projected to save about 20% on electric bills—roughly $400 annually. 

The Environmental Protection Agency terminated the $7 billion program after Congress rescinded the funds via President Trump’s new tax-and-spending law. Lawmakers are contesting the move, but for now, projects are paused, and families who expected relief from high energy bills will keep waiting. 

Oakland County Commission Chair Dave Woodward has supported local solutions that lower residents’ costs and give businesses tools to adopt renewable energy. He joined Robyn Vincent to discuss what a real path forward could look like in the absence of federal support.

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If you want to find bipartisanship, Lansing might not be the best place to look. The statehouse has been in gridlock with very few examples of the Democrats and Republicans working together to get bills passed this session.

A new budget still has not been passed, despite the statutorily-required deadline of July 1st. What’s more, only six laws have been passed in the last six months, meaning Michigan’s divided legislature is off to its slowest start in decades. 

But It turns out there’s room for negotiation when it comes to spending on kids and families.

Last week, the Michigan Senate Committee on Housing and Human Services held a hearing to discuss the expansion of Rx Kids, which offers women $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 a month during their child’s first year of life. 

One of the big supporters of Rx Kids is Republican state Senator John Damoose, who represents northern Michigan and the Eastern U.P. He says the bill making its way through the legislature celebrates kids and appropriately spends public and private funds. State Senator Damoose appreciates the program so much, he’s holding a press conference for the program this morning in Sault Ste Marie.

The program has been operating in the state senator’s district for about six months where it’s already distributed almost one million dollars to over 300 families.

Producer Sam Corey spoke with state Senator Damoose to discuss why he supports Rx Kids as a Republican, what the bill could do if it passed, and how he’s trying to overcome the partisanship choking Lansing.

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The governors of several states are sending hundreds of additional National Guard troops to the nation’s capital.

Trump administration officials reportedly say some National Guard members in Washington, D.C. may now carry firearms, reversing previous assurances that all troops would be unarmed.

That worries one former Detroit police chief and deputy mayor.

Isaiah McKinnon was a young police officer working with National Guard troops when violence broke out in Detroit during July of 1967.

McKinnon says he’s had concerns for decades whenever the U.S. military mixes with the nation’s civilian population.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length

Isaiah McKinnon: I’m always skeptical because my experiences going back to the late 1960’s with the National Guard were not good. I hope that people understand this is not a dig at the National Guard troops themselves. But I think that if we use people who are not trained in law enforcement, it’s like a police officer going to war in a foreign country. You’re not trained for that. You’re trained to deal with domestic type situations. And that bothers me. Because when I saw the National Guard here in Detroit and the things that they did, it was frightening and scary.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: That would have been during the 1967 Detroit riots or rebellion, depending on who you talk to, when you were not the chief but a police officer. Why was working with the Guard scary?

IM: They assigned a squad of National Guard people with me, a young officer. We were riding in Jeeps. I had been in Vietnam as an Air Force person and watched the military, and I was impressed with how they reacted to certain situations. But these National Guard people in Detroit, they were young people too. They asked me, “How are we going to do this? What are we going to do?” And I said, “Guys, listen, what we’ll do is we’ll look for looters. We’ll look for people that’s doing wrong things and bad things. And if we have to lock them up, that’s what we’ll do.” Well, as we’re driving in our Jeeps down the streets and patrolling one National Guard member said, “There’s someone moving up in the window on one of the streets.” It was, I think, Chicago Blvd. He started shooting at the window. I said, “Wait a minute! Did you see anyone? Did you see a gun or something?” “No, but it was suspicious.” You don’t shoot on suspicions. Those are the things that scared me because they had no idea of what they were there for. Doing things like shooting the street lights out because they don’t want people to see them. Now, we are years past that. But what are these guys [in Washington, D.C.] going to do when they come into a community? If there’s a domestic situation, are they thinking that they have to use ultimate force to take someone down?

QK: In a military situation, that’s what they would do, right? Try to get rid of the lights or that kind of thing.

IM: Yeah. But I saw National Guardsmen shoot at people and thank God they missed. In fact, my brother, who is now deceased, he told me a similar story. He was walking down 12th Street in Detroit and a number of National Guard people came in that area. They told the people to leave and the people started yelling and screaming back at them, which is a normal thing that people in these kinds of situations do. So, they started shooting at people. And I’m going, again, my God. These are the experiences that I’ve had and other law enforcement people have had. We don’t want to knock the National Guard. But when you bring someone into a domestic situation one has to be trained, for their safety and for the safety of the people that they might be interacting with.

QK: Now, to be fair, a Pentagon spokesperson claims that these particular National Guards people have been trained in de-escalation tactics and crowd control. And I know the Guard does help in certain natural disaster situations. But the Pentagon is also saying that the National Guard in Washington is going to, “Provide a safe environment for law enforcement officers so they can make arrests and be a visible deterrent for violent crime.”

IM: I would have to see it to believe it. I think people say things to make it sound better. But the reality is that you don’t know until they’re there and they have these interactions with people, someone screaming, yelling, throwing bricks and bottles at you. Do they start using ultimate force on them? Police officers have gone through countless hours of training about dealing with these kinds of situations. You can’t just go into a city and say, “My people are trained, they can handle that to relieve the officers.” So they relieve the officers and then what happens? What is making something safer for a police officer who’s responding to a situation or patrolling an area? It appears to be a convenient thing to say. But the reality is, we’ll see as things go on.

QK: You have experience as an officer and police chief and also as a deputy mayor. So you’ve been on both sides of governing and running a police department. President Trump says there is an emergency situation in Washington, D.C., so therefore he’s had to act. Others say they fear he could do the same thing in some other large cities. From your vantage point, do you fear that this could be the precursor, somehow, of the president, in effect, trying to take over police departments across the country?

IM: The proof is in what is happening right now. You had the mayor of Los Angeles who said, “We don’t need you.” The governor said the same thing. So did the mayor in Washington, D.C. If there’s a need to make the officers safer, let us hire more officers who are trained regularly to handle these kinds of situations. We’ve seen what has happened in other locations, whether it’s untrained officers or untrained troops that go in, it does not help the situation in that respective city. There’s a distrust of police officers. But there’s even more distrust of someone who comes in who the community doesn’t even know. I’ve seen this in all my years and it’s frightening to me, when you bring in troops. Someone said to me last night, “Dr. McKinnon, I never thought we would see troops patrolling the streets of our cities when there’s not a rebellion, there’s not a riot, there’s not these horrible things going on, but under the auspices of ‘We’re going to make things safer for the police.’” The way you make things safer for the police is, number one, hiring more law enforcement officers. Number two, you deal with the mental health situations of people and other things to calm or quell the actions that are going on in a respective location.

 Detroit implements new alert system

A new city-wide alert system aims to notify the public more quickly about missing persons cases. The Detroit Police Department introduced the Emerald Alert Monday. It’s meant to provide emergency notifications for missing persons cases which don’t meet the requirements of an Amber Alert.

Police can send an Emerald Alert for cases where they suspect foul play or to look for someone with special needs. The city will transmit them through its Detroit Alerts 365 system.

Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley

Deadline for Home Heating Tax Credit approaches

Qualified renters and homeowners have until September 30^th to apply for the Home Heating Tax Credit.

Last year eligible applicants received an average of $180 to use toward utility bills. Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel says applying might get residents a credit and connect them to other resources like monthly energy discounts and expanded food assistance.

Some utilities offered claimants a $20 monthly credit last year. Anyone can apply using the state’s free tax preparation services. Renters or homeowners must meet income requirements.

Connect to this resource by calling 211 or at Michiganfreetaxhelp.org. 

Wayne County Invest in MI Kids campaign kickoff

Invest in MI Kids is kicking off its Wayne County campaign at Clark Park Friday.

The project is collecting signatures in an effort to change the state constitution to raise taxes on people who make more than 500-thousand dollars who file taxes as single filers or a million dollars for joint filers to better fund schools in the state. Critics have said the change would affect small businesses. Organizers say the language of the petition and amendment only target individuals. Friday’s event will include food trucks, music and “fun.”

It runs from 5pm to 8pm at Clark Park. 

Neighborhood Advisory Council informational meeting

City Council Member Gabriela Santiago Romero is inviting residents from the area where Detroit City Football Club is developing its new stadium to join an educational event tomorrow to learn about the Community Benefits Ordinance and the Neighborhood Advisory Council.

The law requires developers to engage with the community about the impact of large projects and to identify benefits to the community. A Neighborhood Advisory Council is created to represent the community in discussions with developers.

DCFC’s AlumiFi Stadium in Southwest Detroit is expected to cost $150million to build. Projects over 75 million trigger the CBO requirement.

Wednesday’s meeting starts at 6:30 on Zoom. Register here

Free sports clinic sampling in Chandler Park

Chandler Park is hosting a free sports clinic sampling event Wednesday. Youth are invited to come to check out a variety of sports, including golf, pickleball, ultimate frisbee, rugby, lacrosse, soccer, track, volleyball, flag football, tennis, baseball and yoga.

The event runs from 1pm to 6pm with sports scheduled in particular time slots throughout the afternoon. Participants must wear closed toe shoes and parents must stay if children will be participating in any sport.

The event also celebrates the indoor sports facility the Parks and Rec department has opened at Chandler Park. Vendors, DJs and food trucks will be on hand.

Set your GPS to 12300 Chandler Park Drive. 

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

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The Brightmoor community in the city of Detroit has had its battles, from blight to vacant lots, the community has found a way to remain resilient through the years.

The Brightmoor Music Series began in 2019 and wasn’t an instant hit. After a few weeks of word-of-mouth testimonies from community members, there was a demand for another one the next year. 

Now, the event continues to thrive at Etheldra Mae Williams Park. Located on Burgess between Lyndon and Acacia Streets in Detroit, the once blighted 11acre grassland is now renovated and beautiful.

“Puttin on the Ritz” is a celebration of the 100th birthday of the park’s namesake, Etheldra Mae Williams.

The park will be transformed into a 1920’s speakeasy, along with classic cars and vendors.

Michael Williams is a manager of the William Park Alliance who organizes the Brightmoor Series, and Flint native songstress Pia Broden-Williams is headlining the upcoming celebration. They joined The Metro to talk more about the music series and uplifting the Brightmoor community.

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Michigan has long been home to Hmong refugees. The community comprises families who fled war, lived in refugee camps, and rebuilt their lives in the United States. Many fought alongside the U.S. during the Vietnam War.

Last month, ICE agents arrested and detained around a dozen Hmong refugees in Detroit. 

Michigan State Rep. Mai Xiong (D-Warren) was on The Metro urging for clarity from federal immigration officials.

A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement later told The Metro the people arrested include “a known gang member” and convicted criminals.

Still, family members and lawmakers like Xiong and State Sen. Stephanie Chang say the cases are more complex than that. They issued an open letter to ICE field director Kevin Raycraft, urging for the release of detained community members.

Arrested at work, a family in limbo

Last week, ICE deported some of the detained Hmong and Laotian refugees. Several are still in custody, including Lue Yang, a torque technician in the auto industry, a father of six, and president of the Hmong Family Association of Lansing, MI. 

Family describes him as a vital community leader.

“He has literally brought our Hmong community out and gave us a voice — that we do exist in the state of Michigan,” said Ann Vue, Yang’s wife.

Yang was arrested at work in July and is now in custody in a federal detention center in Baldwin. His potential deportation could stem from a decades-old conviction that the state expunged. 

Aisa Villarosa, an attorney with the Asian Law Caucus, says she is concerned about the “covert nature” of many of these arrests and deportations — and the people ICE is targeting.

“We are seeing folks who are anchors of their communities, beloved family members, stripped from their families, often after decades of living peacefully in their communities,” Villarosa said.

State response and what’s at stake

Chang is crafting legislation to protect families like Yang’s, but she says state policy has limits.

“These are not violent offenders. These are not people who are a danger to the community.”

Chang urges a case-by-case judgment that weighs identity, community ties, and journey — not just records. How that plays out in Yang’s case could signal how much due process and consistent legal standards govern these cases.

Guests: 

• Ann Vue, wife of detained Hmong refugee Lue Yang
• Aisa Villarosa, immigration attorney with the Asian Law Caucus
• Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang

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Local leaders recently cut a seven-year pipeline from classroom to commission. The Wayne County Youth Council was a bridge that connected young people to the civic process. 

At the Wayne County Commission meeting on July 17, the Wayne County Commission voted to eliminate the Youth Council. 

The Wayne County Commission is the top legislative branch in the county. Some young people say this decision is silencing their voice and ending a vital way to learn about politics and policy.

Producer Jack Filbrandt spoke with Detroit Documenters Amanda Absher and Lynelle Herndon to learn what the commissioners and community members had to say about this decision. 

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When women actors in Hollywood called out other actors and executives who committed some form of sexual violence against them, the whole world took notice. Survivors were finally being heard and it sparked the #MeToo era, in which accusations of sexual misconduct were heard more than ever before.

In Michigan, decades of abuse by sports doctor Larry Nassar came to light around the same time. A few years ago, the University of Michigan agreed to a settlement worth $490 million, with over one thousand people saying they were sexually assaulted by the late physician Robert Anderson.     

According to a 2018 survey by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime. 

It’s also important to note that many survivors are harmed by someone they know, someone close to them. In the US, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner, according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey.

So how far have we come when it comes to having conversations about domestic violence and abuse to prevent it from happening? And what kind of support does a survivor need to work through their trauma? 

Kalimah Johnson is the Founder, CEO and Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Services for Holistic Healing and Awareness (SASHA) Center, which provides services for sexual assault recovery, prevention, and educational agency. Kalimah is also a consultant on relationship safety and management.

We spoke with Kalimah about the SASHA center and the importance of the language we use when talking about sexual violence, specifically against Black women. We also learned about the upcoming fifth edition of a back-to-school program hosted by the SASHA center.

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The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) may take legal action after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the termination of “Solar for All”, a $7 billion national program designed to bring solar energy to low-income areas. This comes after the state awarded funding to more than a dozen pilot projects.

On August 7th, the EPA called for an end to the national Solar for All program, walking back a promised $156 million investment in Michigan’s renewable energy future.

Projects in the city of Detroit, as well as Wayne, Oakland, Chippewa, Berrien, Hillsdale, Kent and Kalamazoo counties are affected, some already under construction. 

EGLE Director Phil Roos said in a statement that the program aimed to lower energy costs, create local jobs, and help vulnerable residents maintain power in extreme weather events.

At this time, EGLE says it is consulting with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to determine what actions they can take.

Detroit held a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week for a new educational park in the East Village Neighborhood.

The Dr. Ossian Sweet Memorial Park tells the story of an African American physician whose family was attacked by an angry mob in 1925 after they moved into an all-white neighborhood.

The home is now owned by Danny Baxter, whose parents bought the home from the Sweets.

When he was 10, a local newspaper approached his family to ask about the Sweet home. When asked if he knew what had happened there, Danny replied “Yes, a Black man killed a white man and didn’t go to jail for it.”

Shortly after the Sweets moved into their home, they defended themselves against an angry mob that surrounded the house, firing shots and killing one of the agitators. Sweet, his wife, brother, and eight others were charged with murder. The judge declared a mistrial.

However, the court accepted a motion to sever the defendants and try Henry Sweet, Ossian’s youngest brother. An all-white jury acquitted Henry and the prosecutor dismissed all charges against everyone.

Danny Baxter recalled learning the story from a collection of newspaper clippings his family had on the history of the home.

He made it a goal of his to one day share the story with the world.

He spoke with WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley about the renovations done to his home and others on the block, as well as the new Ossian Sweet Memorial Parks.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length

Danny Baxter: At that particular moment, I just learned the history of the house. And, you know, the thing that was very impactful for me was the fact that it was a Black family who stood up that way. You know, at that time, I knew nothing of those types of movements, so I was very impressed with the fact that they would do something like that in 1925 and then I am a direct beneficiary of that. So that was so exciting to learn, and it just piqued my interest. And all my life, I’ve been telling the story about Dr. Ossian Sweet, his wife, Gladys, brothers, and Henry.

Bre’Anna Tinsley: I assume you had input on the updates that were made here.

DB: We worked together from the restoration of the historical home to the park, and then conversations even about the homes, because one of the first conversations was about the two homes that are significant to the history. The gentleman that got shot in the back. His name was Leon Breiner. He was at the greenhouse. And then the young man, who got shot in the leg, Eric Hofburg, 16-year-old, lived upstairs in the yellow house. At the time when we talked about the restoration, they were dilapidated. They were about to tip over. In fact, the yellow house had a big hole right in the roof, so it flooded out the basement. So one of the early conversations was that when me and the mayor met and talked, he didn’t want these houses to be torn down and destroyed, so he issued a requirement and standard to make sure that this work was done. And as you can see, it’s beautiful.

BT: Talk about the park itself. Then we have all of these informational podiums out here, the flowers and everything. Can you talk about the design and the input?

DB: The park tells the story. You have a timeline, and then you have all of the incidents that have occurred leading up to. The trial, and even beyond that, to the point where my family purchased it in 1958, so it tells a story about the house that lives on the corner of God, that reside that rests upon the corner of Garland and Charlevoix.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Belle Isle Conservancy are working to plan for new amenities on the island.  In order to prioritize what Detroiters would like to see next, they’ve launched a new survey that outlines 11 potential projects.

Some key ideas include expanding the beach, creating a new café in the White House, rebuilding docks and piers for boaters and residents who like to fish, and restoring the Remick Band Shell.  

DNR Urban Field Specialist Amanda Treadwell says there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, but the resources don’t exist to do it all at once. “They’re all going to take a lot of stakeholders and community support to fully implement.  So [we’re] looking to have that community support and input on how we go about implementing these projects around the park.” 

Treadwell says she loves all of the proposed ideas for the island, but one tops her list. “If I had to pick one, I love seeing people out in the park, enjoying the new trails and the new bike paths.  I think it’s a wonderful way to enjoy the park.” 

The Belle Isle survey is open until September 8^th. 

Family Wellness Fair in Pontiac

The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is hosting a Family Wellness Fair on Thursday, August 21, from 3:30 to 6:15 p.m.

This event is dedicated to family health, safety, and community resources. It is open to all parents, caregivers, and community members.

The fair will feature information on maternal and infant wellness, child safety and development, social services, and community support. There will also be raffles and giveaways.

Location: 76 Williams St., Pontiac, Michigan
More information: detroitinterfaithcouncil.com | Facebook page

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Maternal and Infant Health Resource Fair

The Maternal and Infant Health Resource Fair takes place Wednesday, August 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Islamic Center of Detroit.

The event promotes the Advancing Healthy Births program and will include:
• Resources and access to healthcare professionals
• Activities for children
• Lead testing and health screenings
• Giveaways

Location: Islamic Center of Detroit
More information: icdonline.org | Event details on Facebook

Detroit launches first food composting program

The City of Detroit is launching its first food composting program, funded by a one-year, $100,000 grant from Carhartt.

The pilot program will provide free five-gallon composting buckets to the first 200 residents who enroll. Participants will drop off filled buckets at Detroit’s People’s Food Co-op on Woodward, where food scraps will be processed and transferred to local farms.

The goal is to process up to 220 pounds of food scraps each day and reduce landfill waste. The program also ties into Michigan’s 2030 statewide goal of diverting 50 percent of food waste from landfills.

More information and sign-up: detroitmi.gov

Michigan prepares wildfire smoke resource site

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is creating an online resource to help residents cope with wildfire smoke.

So far this summer, Canadian wildfire smoke has prompted 31 air quality warnings across Michigan. By comparison, 2023 saw fewer warnings but higher smoke concentrations.

The state’s new webpage will include:
• Links to air quality readings
• A sign-up for air quality notifications
• Answers to common wildfire smoke questions

EGLE officials say that while residents cannot control wildfire smoke, they can take steps to protect themselves.

Resource page: michigan.gov/egle/wildfire-smoke

Detroit Tigers face Houston Astros in key series

The Detroit Tigers continue their strong season with a three-game series against the Houston Astros at Comerica Park, beginning tonight at 6:40 p.m.

The Tigers hold a commanding lead in the American League Central Division, but playoff seeding could be influenced by this matchup. If the Tigers sweep the series, they would secure a potential tiebreaker advantage.

Learn more from the Detroit News

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Picture this: you’re on Mackinac Island having a grand old time at the Grand Hotel, and then boom, a mystery is a foot.

Someone has been murdered during the Mackinac Policy Conference and treachery begins—and if you’re familiar with Mackinac Island, you know you’re not leaving unless it’s by boat or ferry.  

That’s the premise of a new book called “The Grand Secret” that depicts schemes, betrayal, and, of course, a high profile murder. The book also highlights the beauty of Michigan and its landmarks while going through the twists and turns of a murder-mystery.

“The Grand Secret” is the work of author Ed McKenna. The Downriver native and Michigan State Graduate has been writing for more than 20 years. 

The father of two joined The Metro to talk more about “The Grand Secret” and why writing matters.

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Detroit and Windsor’s economies are intimately connected. On a typical day, thousands of trucks cross the Detroit River with parts that may cross back again several times before a single car rolls off the line. 

But that rhythm is off. 

New tariffs and shifting border rules have fueled uncertainty, and you can see it in fewer trucks and feel it in prices. The port handled about 1.4 million inbound trucks last year, down from over one and half million the year before. The flow has been wobbling through 2025. 

Canadian travel to the U.S. has also slumped this summer, draining foot traffic from border businesses. A new crossing, the Gordie Howe International Bridge, could add capacity later this year, but the rules at the booth still set the tempo. 

Marta Leardi-Anderso, executive director of the Cross-Border Institute at the University of Windsor, joined The Metro to unpack the mechanics and the human impact of President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.

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The final medical decisions in a person’s life are among the most difficult anyone can make. They can include how to proceed with treatment for someone with a terminal illness, or to cease treatment all together. When that person is unconscious or unable to make that decision themselves, family, or next of kin, are often the ones who decide.

But, in practice, carrying out the wishes of a loved one is not as simple as it seems. 

Without having the necessary paperwork already completed, a person needs to gain legal guardianship before they can make medical decisions on their loved ones’ behalf. That process is complicated and can waste precious, fleeting moments on bureaucracy.

State Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown) is co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill along with Angela Witwer (D-Delta Township) to close the medical decision-making gap in Michigan.

Rep. Thompson joined the Metro to discuss the details of the bill, and her personal experience which highlights Michigan’s need for a next-of-kin law in the state.

Guest:

• State Rep. Jamie Thompson represents Michigan’s 28th House District and serves as Vice Chair of the House Health Policy Committee.

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In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, what’s the point of the Dream Cruise without cruising music? We’ll provide.

Also, a lovely new duet from Detroit’s Lilly Macphee with Mike Leslie, new music from IVY, Durand Jones & The Indications, Chance the Rapper with Jazmine Sullivan and more!

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 August 16, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “If She Could See Me Now” – Lorde
  
• “Lucky Stars” – HAIM
  
• “Flower Moon” – Durand Jones & The Indications
• “‘Heartbreak” – IVY
• “Someone I Knew” – Lilly Macphee & Mike Leslie
• “White Mustang” – Lana Del Ray
• “My Mustang Ford” – Chuck Berry
  
• “Mustang Sally” – Wilson Pickett
• “Mustang Sally & GTO” – John Lee Hooker
  
• “Peaceful Place” – Leon Bridges
• “Lonestar” – Charley Crockett
  
• “Southern Man” – Kashus Culpepper w/Marcus King
  
• “Save Your Tears” – Jade Bird
• “Immigration Man” – The Roamers
• “Immigration Man” – David Crosby & Graham Nash
  

• “Express Yourself” – N.W.A.
• “Foreign Bird” – Folk Bitch Trio
• “Always On My Mind” – Chrissie Hynde
• “Boots Of Chinese Plastic” – The Pretenders
  
• “Muddy Shores'” – Moonrisers
  
• “Sunday Driver” – The Raconteurs
  
• “Baby Driver” – Simon & Garfunkel
  
• “One Piece At A Time” – Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Three
• “Motor City” – The Satintones
• “Being A Woman” – Lake Street Dive
• “I Want You Back” – Lake Street Dive
• “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” – George Strait
• “Motor City Steel” – The Dandy Warhols

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

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café, it’s Jon Muq telling an amazing story of coming from Uganda, to Austin, TX, then on to Nashville to work with The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach on his debut album.

Also, the return (for the first time) of the Buckingham/Nicks album from 1973, new songs from Folk Bitch trio, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jade Bird 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 August 17, 2025

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “32 Flavors” – Ani DiFranco
• “God’s A Different Sword” – Folk Bitch Trio
• “Broken Wing Bird” – Kashus Culpepper & Sierra Ferrell
• “Holy” – Mac Demarco
• “For What It’s Worth” – Martin Sexton (in-studio performance)
• “Whiplash (acoustic)” – Kristen Ford
• “Hello Sunshine” – Jon Muq (in-studio guest)
• “Run Away” – Jon Muq (in-studio guest)
• “Who Wants” – Jade Bird
• “You Called Me Kid” – Pete Droge
• “Crying In The Night” – Buckingham Nicks
• “Races Are Run” – Cunningham Bird (in-studio performance)
• “Way Up To the Sky” – Patty Griffin
• “Truth #2” – The Chicks
• “16 Military Wives” – The Decemberists (20th anniversary of “Picaresque”)
• “California” – Natalie Bergman
• “This Love Is Real” – John Prine (in-studio performance)
• “Youth Gone Wild” – Alex Williams
• “One Ray Of Shine” – Alison Krauss & Union Station
• “Redemption Song” – Bob Marley
• “Old Soul” – Stephen Marley
• “Bend” – Jon Muq (in-studio guest)
• “One You Love” – Jon Muq (in-studio guest)

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.

In this episode

• The current state of the U.S. Senate Race in Michigan. 
• Reasons why state representative Joe Tate dropped out of the U.S. Senate Race. 
• Abdul El-Sayed makes his case for the open U.S. Senate seat. 

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

In this episode of MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben are joined by the former director of Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services, Abdul El-Sayed. He discusses why he’s running for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat and what qualifies him for the role. 

Plus, now that State Representative Joe Tate has dropped out of the US Senate race, we explore how this affects the rest of the field. 

El-Sayed, who ran for governor in 2018, announced his run for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat this spring. El-Sayed spoke to the current state of politics and how he feels his party has not responded to the current administration’s actions properly.

“We’ve got a lot of talking heads in the party that people seem to respect because they did something back in the 90s who are telling us that we just need to roll over and play dead,” commented El-Sayed. “I’m so sorry, but democracy means too much to me, America means too much to me to be willing to roll over and play dead.” 

The other two major Democratic candidates are Mallory McMorrow, state senator, and Haley Stevens, U.S. representative. 

On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers appears to be the sole candidate from his party running for the seat.

Kasben said the President seems to support Rogers’ uncontested run.

“Republican U.S. Senate leadership backed Mike Rogers out of the gate. And President Donald Trump has now endorsed him. And he essentially asked Huizenga not to run,” said Kasben. “So strategically, it appears the GOP has made the decision that avoiding a primary here gives them the best chance to win the seat.” 

The elections of the open US Senate seat will be held Nov. 3rd 2026.  

More from WDET:

• The Metro: Dr. Abdul El-Sayed enters US Senate race in Michigan
• MichMash: State Sen. Mallory McMorrow enters Michigan US Senate race
• MichMash: Preventing youth tobacco usage + more candidates eye Michigan US Senate Race