Detroiters are celebrating another Pistons playoff victory. The team defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 Thursday night in Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals. Detroit All-Star Cade Cunningham scored 25 points in the victory. The Pistons have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is tomorrow afternoon at 3 in Cleveland.

Additional headlines for May 8, 2026

Students deal with Canvas hack

A hack of the Canvas academic system has affected students across the country, including many in Michigan. Students at Wayne State tried to access the system Thursday as they prepared for tests and worked to finish papers. But they were denied access. The system was hacked by ransomware, which demanded payment to keep from publishing students’ sensitive information. Canvas says the system is up and running again today.

Senior Olympics return to Detroit

Detroit’s Senior Olympics are returning June 8. The program was started in 1984 to empower seniors ages 50 and older and support healthy living. Seniors will compete in various activities such as swimming, track, golf, and even baking and arts and crafts. Registration as a participant is open through May 15. Athlete registration is $25. For more information or to register, visit the city’s website at detroitmi.gov and search for Detroit Senior Olympics.

Detroit District 1 to hold job fair

Detroit’s Department of Neighborhood Resource Managers is putting on a job fair in District 1 next month. City employers and others will be on-site actively hiring new employees. Project Clean Slate will also be there to help with expungement opportunities. The job fair will be held June 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Crowell Recreation Center. That’s 16630 Lahser at Verne.

Juneteenth art contest seeks entries

The City of Hamtramck’s Park Conservancy is now accepting applications for the TSF Juneteenth Multidisciplinary Art Contest for high school seniors. Any senior attending school or residing in Wayne or Oakland counties can apply. The contest is looking for an original activity that honors the legacy of National Baseball Hall of Famer and Negro League Detroit Stars legend Norman “Turkey” Stearnes. The submission must also portray the Juneteenth holiday. For more information about the contest and how to apply, visit hamtramck-stadium.org/juneteenth-contest. The application window closes May 29.

Metro Detroit gas prices remain steady in past week

Gas prices headed into the weekend haven’t changed much in the past few days. AAA Michigan says the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular in metro Detroit is $4.78 today. That’s the same price as Thursday, and just a couple of cents cheaper than last week at this time. Crude oil prices remain near $100 per barrel as the U.S. and Iran reportedly traded fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Oil tanker traffic in that waterway has not returned to normal, impacting supplies in many parts of the world.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

We like to say that metro Detroit has it all, but you only have so much time to experience it! Every week is a choose-your-own-adventure, and we have some fun options to raise if you don’t know were to start.

This weekend, prepare to laugh with shows like “Shucked” and “Jurassic Park: The Musical”. Celebrate local efforts and learn about food sovereignty with the Detroit Food Commons Fest. You can also take a nice walk through downtown Royal Oak on Mother’s Day looking at everything you could ever need to make your yard a mini-paradise.

Check out the events below for more details! 

Upcoming events (May 8-14)

Jurassic Park: The Musical

Planet Ant Theater

May 8-9

$30-35

Back by popular demand, “Jurassic Park: The Musical” is a retelling of the classic high-stakes dinosaur film—this time, as a prehistoric parody for your amusement with original songs. This show contains mature humor, and isn’t recommended for audiences under 16 years of age. Both showings start at 8 p.m., and this is the last weekend to experience it, so don’t wait!

Detroit Food Commons Fest

8324 Woodward Ave.

May 9

Free

Join the award-winning Detroit People’s Food Co-op for their second anniversary celebration! They’ll have vendors, food, political education and activities for guests to enjoy. Plus, a bouncy house and fun games for kids! This event is in the North End and will be going from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shucked

Midland Center for the Arts

May 9-10

$49.50+

On May 9 and 10, the Midland Center for the Arts will show the Tony Award-winning musical, “Shucked.” Saturday performances will be held at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday performances will be held at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Admission starts at $49.50. For more information, visit the Midland Center for the Arts’ website.

Royal Oak in Bloom

6th and Main Street lots in downtown Royal Oak

May 10

Free

A long-held Mother’s Day tradition in downtown Royal Oak. Step out and start beautifying your outdoor space with offerings of flowers and plants, statues, decorations, furniture and more. You can add another lawn gnome to your collection, get starter plants for your garden, or make a backyard perfect for attracting birds and butterflies. Food vendors will be there to make sure you don’t go hungry or thirsty either. Stop by anytime from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Arab Film Festival

Arab American National Museum

May 8-10

$15

The Arab American National Museum is bringing a world of film to metro Detroit with a curated set of global short films, documentaries, and full length feature. All are subtitled, making a tremendously rich selection of cinematic art accessible for all. Many showings also include discussion and activities to experience film to the fullest. View the showings and buy tickets in advance for this final weekend of films, themed “Remember. (Re)imagine.”

Riverfront Herbal Walk

Cullen Plaza

May 11

Free

Stroll along the beautiful Detroit Riverfront with local herbalists. As you walk, you’ll learn how to identify and best handle different plants, and be able to take home your own herbal creation. Bring a water bottle and dress for the weather. This event runs from 5:30-7 p.m.

An important state senate race for Michigan’s 35th Senate District was decided Tuesday, and it could have huge implications for the November midterm elections. This week on WDET’s weekly series, MichMash, Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben discuss what how the race was decided. They are joined by Alvin “AJ” Jones from WCMU Public Radio to break it all down.

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

In this episode

• What were the campaign strategies for Democrat Chedrick Greene and Republican Jason Tunney?
• Why did it take so long to call this special election?
• What could this race signal for the 2026 midterm elections?

Jones also pointed to the focus on the race being a reason why Greene won this special election. “The two candidates had very different strategies. Tunny’s campaign really hammered in local issues—talking about reading levels and tax cuts. Greene’s focused on national issues of affordability.” 

Both Greene and Tunney will face off again in the 2026 November midterm elections. 

More from WDET

• MichMash: The 2026-27 fiscal year budget process is outpacing last year
• The Metro: Trust in elections is declining. A Michigan Republican clerk blames politics
• 4 living ex-Michigan governors make case for civility in politics

This Throwback Thursday edition is built for movement, taking you on a ride through post-punk, house, disco, and techno made to keep you dancing from day into night. Along the way, we spotlight selections from electronic duo Disclosure as they prepare to light up Detroit’s Masonic Temple, alongside tracks from Joy Division, Daft Punk, Tyler, The Creator, finishing off strong with Kraftwerk, Kano, and DJ 3000.

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 May 7, 2026 

• “HIGHER!” – Dijon 

• “Lowdown” – Ronald Langestraat 

• “Days in the Summer” – Kosta G 

• “Son of a Gun” – The La’s 

• “Love Will Tear Us Apart” – Joy Division 

• “I Love You” – Spacemen 3 

• “Corridor of Dreams” – The Cleaners From Venus 

• “Under the Pressure” – The War on Drugs 

• “Orin (Ricardo Villalobos Variation)” – Ricardo Villalobos & goat (JP) 

• “Star Blanket River Child” – Brightblack Morning Light 

• “Mosty (feat. Latarnik & Tenderlonious)” – Jaubi 

• “By Your Side (Cottonbelly’s Fola Mix (Edit))” – Sade & Red Hot Org 

• “Part 4 (Live at Alexandra Palace, London 8th and 9th May 2019)” – 4TLR 

• “Automaton” – Ash Walker, Oscar Jerome & Joe Armon-Jones 

• “When A Fire Starts To Burn” – Disclosure 

• “White Noise (feat. AlunaGeorge)” – Disclosure 

• “Noid” – Tyler, The Creator 

• “20th Century Boy” – T. Rex 

• “Stompin & Motorik’n” – Penza Penza 

• “Something About Us” – Daft Punk 

• “I’m Ready (Extended Version)” – Kano 

• “Computer Love (1991 Remix)” – Kraftwerk 

• “Shari Vari (Original Mix)” – A Number Of Names 

• “Sad Piano House” – Daphni 

• “Stand On the Word (Larry Levan Mix)” – Joubert Singers 

• “So Sheik (Los Hermanos Remix)” – DJ 3000 

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. 

An insanely special guest stops by – the legend Ed Love! To celebrate his birthday, he joins Ryan Patrick Hooper for a discussion about his career and shares some stories from back in the day, like introducing Art Blakey at the Hotel Pontchartrain in 1984, and how the sound of jazz made up the soundtrack for the Civil Rights Movement.

The set features music from Curtis Fuller, Donald Byrd, Les McCann, Lonnie Liston Smith and more. You can listen starting at the 2:19 mark.

Plus, new music from Hollie Cook, Jordan Rakei & FKJ, alongside tracks from Kelela, Amber Mark, Tom Misch, and Yussef Dayes. 

There’s dance floor energy from Underworld, Hot Chip, and Flight Facilities, plus music from Panda Bear, Sonic Boom, and Adrian Sherwood, with classics from The Beach Boys, Blondie, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Damned, and New York Dolls. 

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 May 6, 2026 

• “Villain” – Annahstasia 

• “Problems” – Jordan Rakei & FKJ 

• “Know You Love Me (Flight Facilities Remix)” – Riva Starr, Flight Facilities & Soul Speech 

• “Different Places” – Amber Mark & John The Blind 

• “idea 1” – Kelela 

• “Days Of Us” – Tom Misch & Kaidi Akinnibi 

• “Marching Band (feat. Masego)” – Yussef Dayes 

• “Rockaway Dub” – Hollie Cook 

• “Slow Down” – Skip Marley & H.E.R. 

• “Whirlpool Dub (Adrian Sherwood Reset in Dub Version)” – Panda Bear, Sonic Boom & Adrian Sherwood 

• “Caroline, No” – The Beach Boys 

• “stupid prizes” – KeiyaA 

• “Bamboo” – Harvey Sutherland 

• “Didn’t Cha Know / Gone Baby Don’t Be Long (Medley)” – Cousin Kula 

• “Too Good (Unknown Mortal Orchestra Remix)” – Arlo Parks 

• “Color My Life” – Chicano Batman 

• “Break Me Down” – Yukimi 

• “Need to Run” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill 

• “Jumbo (Remastered)” – Underworld 

• “Over and Over” – Hot Chip 

• “Pawa! (Boys’ Shorts Remix)” – Asha Puthli & Say She She 

• “Heart of Glass (12-Inch Version)” – Blondie 

• “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” – Elvis Costello & The Attractions 

• “New Rose” – The Damned 

• “Trash” – New York Dolls 

• “Cult of Celebrity” – Lambrini Girls 

• “One Thing At A Time” – Courtney Barnett 

• “Goo Goo Muck” – The Cramps 

• “Chantized” – Curtis Fuller 

• “Bup A Loup” – Donald Byrd 

• “Astral Traveling” – Lonnie Liston Smith 

• “Price You Gotta Pay To Be Free” – Les McCann 

• “Mississippi God Damn” – Nina Simone 

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. 

Dearborn Public Schools has a new superintendent. After several rounds of interviews, the school board chose Mike Esseily to lead the district on Monday. 

Esseily served as the Executive Director of Special Populations, overlooking special education, English language programs and mental health programs in the district. He previously worked as the Director of Special Education. He was also a special education teacher and served as an assistant principal.  

Dearborn Public Schools has 20,000 students and 2,700 staff according to the school district’s website.  

The search began after former superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko was hired as the State Superintendent. Mike Esseily is the first Arab American Muslim superintendent in the district. If he signs the contract, his new role begins on July 1, 2026.  

Additional headlines for Thursday, May 7, 2026

Detroit Healthy Homes resource fair

The City of Detroit is hosting a Healthy Homes resource fair. The resource and foreclosure prevention event will also offer HOPE Application Assistance, Payment Plans and a chance to talk with staff from the Department of Water and Sewerage, the Wayne County Treasurer’s office with Eric Sabree, the Property Assessment Board of Review, and the Department of Neighborhoods.

The event takes place on Saturday at the Islamic Center of Detroit from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. That’s 14350 Tireman Ave., Detroit, MI. Lyft services will also be provided if needed. Call 866-313-2520 to schedule a ride.  

Michigan aging poll

The Michigan Poll on Aging finds that many Michigan residents 50 and up find the state a favorable place to live as they age. The latest survey says 82% of older adults in Michigan say that it’s an “excellent, very good or a good place to live as they age.” However, half of older adults say cost of living, housing and transportation are barriers.

The survey also finds that despite opportunities, there are several challenges to create quality life for older adults. About 84% of Michigan residents say they believe older adults receive quality healthcare. Older adults who live in Southeast Michigan say its easy to find healthcare.  

Detroit Compost Week

A Detroit-based coalition is sharing the results of a 4-month pilot study on food waste solutions. That’s ahead of Compost Awareness Week, beginning May 8.

The Detroit Community Composting Collective Project (DCCCP) is a partnership between several organizations to bring residents, farmers and organizers together to tackle food waste. The pilot was launched last April to train 100 Detroiters in community composting. The coalition partnered with six local farms.  

The coalition says Detroit throws away 251 million pounds of food waste each year. The coalition’s work hopes to reduce food waste in landfills.  

An event will be held at the Detroit Food Commons Friday, May 8 from 6-9 p.m. to share the results from the pilot program and discuss ways for community-led solutions.  

Mosquito season awareness

Michigan’s health department is encouraging people to be aware of mosquitoes and ticks. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) says people should take precautions to protect themselves and pets. The agencies suggest that people remove standing water in pools, trim tall grass and keep lawns mowed to reduce mosquito and tick habitats. 

They also recommend stacking firewood neatly and in dry areas. 

People can also use repellent on exposed skin to protect themselves against mosquito bites, keep pesticides away from children and pets and bathe after spending time outdoors to find any ticks. Officials also advise people to wash their clothes with hot water to kill ticks. For more information visit Michigan.gov.  

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Celebrated producer, musician and WDET host Don Was is being honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters by Wayne State University in recognition of his profound contributions to Detroit’s sound and art as a whole.

Was has earned six Grammys for producing and musicianship. He’s also been recognized for his work as a filmmaker, composer and more with a British Academy Award, Emmy and other honors. Was has lead the jazz label Blue Notes Records as company president since 2011.

With his many international accomplishments, Was keeps Detroit front and center, invigorating the cultural scene with his yearly performances at the Concert of Colors and his work with the talented Pan-Detroit Ensemble.

WDET is grateful to have him behind the mic every Friday night on The Don Was Motor City Playlist alongside Ann Delisi, where he shares insights, stories about the city’s music scene and expertly selected songs with a rapt audience. The show recently celebrated five years on air.

The honorary degree from the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at Wayne State University further highlights his extraordinary accomplishments in the arts and his lifelong commitment to Detroit. Join us in congratulating Don Was on this well-deserved honor.

Hear from Don himself, talking about his career and insights about the arts today on The Metro.

In the early 20^th Century Ford and Chrysler operated extensive facilities in Highland Park, helping its population grow to more than 50,000 people by the 1930s.

But both car companies moved away from Highland Park decades ago. Now its population hovers between 8,000 and 9,000.

Automotive historian Robert Tate writes for the website MotorCities and worked with the Chrysler museum.

Tate says Ford mass-produced its Model T in Highland Park, creating the moving assembly line that forever changed manufacturing.

Tate says even the Highland Park plant’s architecture was inspiring.

The following interview edited for length and clarity.

Robert Tate: The building was designed by Albert Kahn. He and Henry Ford had a great relationship. The doors opened January 1, 1910, on Woodward Ave. It became one of the largest factories in the world because they manufactured the Model T. The factory was about 865 feet and ran parallel to Woodward Ave. This was one of the most historic sites in the United States and the world, to be honest with you. And it also attracted a lot of people from European countries and other cultures to finally get a job and become an American citizen. So, the factory itself created a lot of things for a lot of people, not just the Model T, but for people to live a good life.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Why did it attract people from Europe and elsewhere?

RT: Henry Ford began using the moving assembly line. And in 1914, the average wage was $2.30. But he raised it to $5 a day. That attracted a lot of people from all over the world to come here, including my ancestors. My family came here from the South to get jobs like that. The only problem was that the hours were long, 10 hours a day and then five hours on Saturday for the workers. And that created a lot of health issues for a lot of individuals because they were so regimented in putting together parts at the assembly plant.

QK: How much did the Ford factory actually mean to the city of Highland Park?

RT: It meant a lot because you’re talking about taxes and people coming in. The Highland Park Hotel was there, they had a racetrack as well at the time. That generated a lot of income.

QK: Why did Ford move it out eventually? Why did it leave Highland Park?

RT: My belief is that things began to change when the 1927 Ford came out and the company had the model assembled at the River Rouge plant. The Model T was produced from 1908 to 1926. And then Ford introduced the 1927 Model A, which was very, very popular. Ford sold millions of those cars. Also, and people don’t like to talk about this, unfortunately there were a lot of workers who got killed at the Highland Park plant. Because at that time they didn’t have things enclosed for safety. So, a lot of men, unfortunately, lost their lives. But I think that Ford wanted to get out of Highland Park and move it closer to River Rouge because you had more goods coming into that particular facility for models to be assembled.

QK: In regards to Chrysler, how did they get into Highland Park?

RT: It was their major headquarters until they moved to a larger facility in Auburn Hills. I used to hear a lot of Chrysler employees say that the Chrysler Highland Park site was just too archaic.

QK: I’ve heard some experts say that when Chrysler in particular moved out, it truly devastated Highland Park’s economy. And that the enclave has struggled to really replace that revenue since. Do you agree?

RT: Yes, I do. The same thing happened with American Motors when they moved out. Unfortunately, the neighborhoods and the communities suffered when both of those companies moved to Auburn Hills. The neighborhoods were devastated.

QK: There must have been a lot of tax revenue and other money coming into Highland Park that suddenly vanished. But you say that from what you heard people who were working for Chrysler were happy to vacate and to go to a newer facility.

RT: My God, yes. I would hear that all the time because it was a new facility. It created a new way of thinking, using the new things that they were not accustomed to having at Highland Park. I remember walking through the hallways at the Chrysler facility in Auburn Hills and it was a showcase. It was a very beautiful building.

QK: After all that has happened since Ford opened the Model T assembly line, when you look at Highland Park now, what do you think is the legacy that automakers have left there?

RT: As a historian, I look at the 1950’s in Highland Park. Virgil Exner, who was the chief designer in charge, came out with the 1957 Chrysler line. And I’m a big fan of the 1957 Chrysler line. So, whenever I think of Highland Park, I think of the good days that launched a lot of cars that were popular, the 1964 Dodge, the 1957 Chrysler. Those cars changed America.

Read more Crossing the Lines: Highland Park

Last month, hundreds of Oakland County residents packed a Pontiac meeting room. They came to speak against a proposal that would put surveillance drones, built by a company called Flock Safety, into the hands of the county sheriff.

Police nationwide have used Flock cameras to run thousands of immigration-related searches on behalf of ICE.

Many residents did not get a chance to speak. Just before the discussion began, Commission Chair Dave Woodward held a vote to move public comment to the end of the meeting, after the contract had already passed.

When Commissioner Charlie Cavell asked for a roll call vote — to make every commissioner go on the record — Woodward denied it and moved on.

The drones were approved, 14-4.

After that meeting, residents launched a campaign to recall Woodward, and by late April, petition language was approved. 

Yesterday, Woodward appealed that approval in Oakland County Circuit Court. If a circuit judge upholds the petition language, organizers will have 60 days to gather roughly 9,000 signatures across Royal Oak, Birmingham, and parts of Troy.

Woodward has called the recall “a distraction.” 

He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss the recall effort, his business connections that have prompted ethical concerns, and whether he should have handled that April meeting differently.

Editor’s note: During this conversation, Woodward said some people involved in the recall campaign are advocating for political violence. The Metro reviewed the social media posts Woodward referred to. In one, a person supporting the recall effort praised Luigi Mangione — the man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December of 2024 — calling him “the closest thing to a superhero we have.” A leader of the recall campaign says that supporter is no way affiliated with the campaign. 

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

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

More stories from The Metro

Hockeytown is getting a new team.  Officials from Ilitch Sports and Entertainment announced today that Detroit is getting a Professional Women’s Hockey League expansion team.  

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield and others attended a news conference Wednesday just outside of Little Caesars Arena.  Sheffield says the new team means something special to her as Detroit’s first woman mayor.  “This moment is especially meaningful to me.  It represents the progress we are making as a city to ensure that women and girls are seen, supported, and given the opportunity to shine at the highest level.”   

Detroit’s new team, which doesn’t have a name yet, will start play in the fall.  The league will hold its national draft in Detroit in mid-June. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Dearborn chooses superintendent 

Dearborn has selected a new school superintendent.  The district has offered the top job to Mike Esseily.  He currently serves as the district’s Director of Special Populations.  That means he oversees special education, English language learner programs and mental health initiatives.  He’s worked in different positions in the Dearborn school system since 2007. 

The school board and Esseily are in the midst of contract negotiations.  The district says he’s expected to start in July. 

WXYZ TV-7 returns to Xfinity 

Metro Detroiters who have Xfinity for their cable service will be able to watch a local television channel once again.  A contract dispute between the cable provider and E.W. Scripps kept subscribers from watching WXYZ-TV 7 for several weeks.  That meant no access to the Southfield station’s national or local news or entertainment programming, including one of the Pistons’ nationally-televised playoff games.  

Customers were told at the beginning of the contract dispute that they could get an over-the-air TV antenna to watch Channel 7 at an additional cost, or watch on certain streaming services. 

Gas prices update 

Metro Detroit gas prices average $4.80 per gallon today.  That’s up 55 cents from just a week ago.  Crude oil prices remain at more than $100 per barrel, keeping fuel costs high.  

Negotiations reportedly are underway to end hostilities with Iran, but the Strait of Hormuz remains closed at this point, meaning oil tankers are not traveling the waterway as normal yet. 

Pistons win opening game of round two 

Pistons fans in Detroit are celebrating today.  The team won its first game in the second round of the NBA playoffs Tuesday night, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 111 – 101 at Little Caesars Arena.  

Cade Cunningham scored 23 points in the victory.  The Pistons built up a double-digit lead early, but let it slip away during the course of the game. 

The score at one point in the fourth quarter was tied at 93, but Detroit pulled away to secure the victory.  Game two in the best-of-seven series takes place Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

This weekend Detroit will experience a legendary performance. The Detroit Opera house is hosting Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan on Saturday, May 9. 

The ensemble has been performing for over a century and is considered to be the world’s best mariachi bands.

The style of music grew in popularity after the Mexican Revolution and has remained a representation of unity for the country and its people ever since. 

Martina Guzman, a journalist and the founder and program director of VERDAD, and Arthur White, the director of community and audience engagement at the Opera House, join the show to discuss Mariachi Vargas and the broader genre’s relevance today. 

Additional event details can be found here.

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

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

More stories from The Metro

High fuel costs are impacting everyone. One industry is being hit particularly hard. 

Truckers are seeing costs skyrocket as diesel costs have risen 41% since the start of America and Israel’s wars with Iran. 

Jim Burg is the President of the James Burg Trucking Company in Warren. He’s been moving steel in the trucking business for decades. While he says costs are rising really fast, at this point, he’s only been modestly impacted by them.

He talks about how he made his start in trucking and what he envisions for the future of the business with The Metro’s Sam Corey.

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

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

More stories from The Metro

For the nearly 1,500 immigration detainees at North Lake Processing Center, the large ICE detention facility in Baldwin in northern Michigan, visitation hours are limited.

Each detainee gets two hours a week. And many are being held hundreds of miles from friends and family.

Over the past few months, Julie Cordier has been visiting them.

She keeps a binder filled with notes on the people she’s visited and when. She estimates she’s met between 15 and 20 detainees, none of whom she knew before, who were brought to her corner of Michigan after being detained all across the U.S.

She says the cabin she shares with her husband at the end of along, winding dirt road is “kind of our happy place, out in the middle of the woods on a two track, nobody around.”

Except, it happens to be less than 10 miles from the private prison facility, owned by GEO Group, that’s been operating as a immigration detention center since last summer. 

The first time she visited was with her pastor at the Covenant Community United Methodist Church in Baldwin. 

They got the idea from a retired pastor in Grand Rapids, who has been driving people out to North Lake to visit detainees ever since a member of his church was detained. 

“We knew that there were all these strict rules,” she said. “Your shirt isn’t supposed to have any pockets. You can’t wear an underwire bra because of the metal. They are literally for people who come a long way to see their family members, and if you’re wearing an underwire bra, you’re not going in.

“They’ll give you a pair of scissors. They send you out to the little waiting area, and women wiggle out of their bra and cut out the underwire.”

To get in, she just needs someone’s name and what’s called their “Alien Number” — which is how they’re identified by the government. She calls it an “A” number. She doesn’t like the word “alien.”

The detainee she first met puts her in touch with others. 

“He’ll say, this person, here’s a name, a number, he really needs a visit. He’s really struggling. He’s losing hope and could really use a visit.”

Now, Cordier goes most weeks that she can, sometimes multiple times a week. She has been to North Lake so many times that she catches up with the staff at the facility about their weekends, their families, and how they’re doing. 

The other day, when she called to ask about visitation hours, the person on the other end of the line at North Lake recognized her voice.

“The gal who answered the phone,” she said, “was like, is this, Julie? I’m like, it is.”

She has helped family members of detainees get their cars back after they were impounded, given advice to people who’ve lost their apartments, and deposited money into commissary accounts on behalf of detainee’s family members who couldn’t do it in person. 

If people in detention don’t have family or friends who can come, the only connection they have to the outside world is through visitors like herself. 

“You actually feel like, oh my gosh, this is probably one of the very most important things I’ve ever done in my life,” Cordier said.

Baldwin is a very conservative part of Michigan. 65% of Lake County voted for President Donald Trump. 

When the facility re-opened back in June, lots of people here were excited about the jobs and traffic coming to this area, where there are very few opportunities for well-paying work. 

Cordier is part of a network of people across West and northwest Michigan paying visits to North Lake. It’s called Hope for Neighbors. 

But not all of her neighbors want to come with her to support detainees. 

“Honestly, not everybody in our church is wanting to get involved with it,” Cordier said. “I think a lot of people have preconceived ideas about the migrant population… and if you don’t take the time to actually get to know the immigrant population, I guess you just believe what you’re told, right?”

She pointed to data from ICE, about 1,200 out of the nearly 1,500 people detained at North Lake have no criminal record. 

When people at her church ask her why she continues to go, Julie says it’s simple to explain.

“It’s very easy to just hearken back to the things that Jesus said and say, ‘Hey, I’m welcoming the refugee. I’m loving my neighbor.'”

This story was originally published by Interlochen Public Radio.

One of the largest data center projects in the country is happening in Michigan, in the small farming community of Saline Township. Southwest of Ann Arbor, Saline Township is home to roughly 2,300 people.

Many of those residents did not want a data center. Their board voted against it, and their neighbors packed the meeting hall. Then the lawsuit came.

The companies are Oracle and OpenAI. Together, they are worth more than a trillion dollars. The township said it could not justify the fight, so it settled, and construction began.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer calls it the largest single investment in Michigan history.

It will use more electricity than an average nuclear reactor produces.

State lawmaker Morgan Foreman represents the district where it is being built. She says her constituents were not partners in this project; they were bystanders to it. She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how a small community of farmers and small-business owners ended up hosting one of the most consequential pieces of AI infrastructure in the country.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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

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

More stories from The Metro

The Detroit police and fire departments have released a video of a man who started a fire inside Huntington Place last month.

Officials say on the morning of April 28 a man poured gasoline onto the carpet in the convention center’s first floor concourse and set the carpet on fire.

Police are looking for information about the man – dressed in all black, wearing a grey face mask and carrying a black backpack. Anyone with information can contact the Police Department’s Fire Investigation Division at 313-596-2940. 

Additional headlines for Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Michigan Supreme Court hears lawsuit against House Speaker Matt Hall

Union members and lawmakers will gather at the State Supreme Court Wednesday to support sending several bills passed during the 2023-2024 legislative session to the governor for her signature. Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall has held the bills back. The court will hear oral arguments this week.

The 9 bills affect pensions for corrections officers, health insurance premiums for public workers and garnishment policies for low income residents – among other issues.

Judge halts termination of TPS for Yemenis

A judge in the Southern District of New York has stopped the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Yemeni nationals living in the U.S.

Then Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced in March that Yemen no longer met the conditions for TPS designation. TPS protections and benefits were supposed to end May 4, but District Judge Dale Ho said last week that the Trump administration did not follow the law when it revoked TPS status for people fleeing armed conflict in Yemen.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule this summer on DHS attempts to terminate TPS status for Haitians and Syrians. 

High school marks end of first E-sports season

Denby High School has wrapped up its first E-sports season.

School leaders say video gaming has already led to higher grade point averages. The E-sports program at the Eastside school offers students the opportunity to compete with other schools in gaming, commentating and graphic design.

Korran “Ms. Que” Whittake tracks student progress in the E-Sports program. “I want to see kids really getting into school and using this platform… to really get into school and doing something that they like,” says Whittake. She hopes that the E-sports program leads to higher GPAs and more opportunities for students.

The E-Sports program has already led to one student receiving a full scholarship to Olivet College.

-Reporting by WDET’s Jonathan Roden

Drinks x Design

Drinks x Design will explore product design in the city. The event will shine a spotlight on Caroline Del Guidice, Jimmy Ward, Ryan Kahen, Kyle Stahler, The Duey Dealer, Eric Strebel, Botzen Design, Vidit Singh, Shayla Johnson, All Motion Studio, Hanna Garza and more! 

Drinks x Design is May 7 at Vander Design, with music by Ember LaFiamma and food by Waka Street Food. The event is free but reservation is required. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Starting off slow and mellow with tracks from Swamp Dogg, Herbert and Gabrielle Cavassa—who will be performing this year at the Detroit Jazz Fest. Then we go hyperspeed with new music from Dry Cleaning and Soulwax. Tune in and tune out!

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 May 5, 2026

• “Jimtastic Blues” – Greentea Peng
• “Glitter” – BENEE
• “Trying to Live My Life Without You” – Otis Clay
• “Sleeping Without You Is a Dragg (feat. Justin Vernon & Jenny Lewis)” – Swamp Dogg
• “Brother Where Are You (Matthew Herbert Remix)” – Oscar Brown, Jr. & Matthew Herbert
• “Hypnotised (feat. Mel Uye-Parker)” – Herbert
• “Just Like A Baby” – Sly & the Family Stone
• “Hold Me” – SAULT
• “If I Should Die Tonight (SaLaAm ReMi’s Piano Mix)” – Marvin Gaye
• “Prisoner of Love” – Gabrielle Cavassa
• “Last Night Reprise (feat. Cautious Clay, Kaki King & Maeve Gilchrist)” – Arooj Aftab
• “Where Would You Be” – Yaw
• “Can We Pretend” – Bill Withers
• “Mary Don’t You Weep (Piano & a Microphone 1983 Version)” – Prince
• “Demon In Profile” – Afghan Whigs
• “God Gets You Back” – Mogwai
• “Firesuite” – Doves
• “Here It Comes” – Doves
• “Melody Day” – Caribou
• “Can’t Run But” – Paul Simon
• “Roscoe (Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve Remix)” – Midlake
• “Tom The Model” – Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man
• “Deep Harbour (feat. Alfa Mist)” – Commodo
• “Tek Control (feat. Liam Bailey)” – IZCO
• “Brownout” – Ghost Funk Orchestra
• “Traveling With (feat. Jeff Parker & Anna Butterss) (LIVE ON WDET)” – Daniel Villarreal
• “Dita Cuja” – Nicholas Mariano
• “Uncanny” – Daniel Villarreal
• “R&B (Theo Verney Version)” – English Teacher
• “Sliced By A Fingernail” – Dry Cleaning
• “Rich” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• “Territorial Call of the Female” – BODEGA
• “Love Is the Drug (Todd Terje Disco Dub)” – Roxy Music
• “Perfect We Are Not” – Soulwax
• “In Person” – Low Island

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.

Many look at our politics and feel powerless. But they often skip over the decisions that are happening in their backyard, and turn to the actions in Washington. 

For many, that’s not the story in Oakland County. 

On April 8, hundreds of people showed up to protest surveillance technology. And because of the way that meeting was conducted, a number of people decided to organize to try to recall Oakland County Chair Dave Woodward. 

What happened at that April 8 meeting? What would it mean to recall the legislative leader of Oakland County? What might come of all this local political organizing?

Justine Galbraith is a leader of the I Am Oakland County campaign. Justine joined Robyn Vincent to discuss her attempt to recall Chair Woodward.

The Metro called and emailed Oakland County Commissioner Dave Woodward prior to this segment. He later responded and appeared on The Metro on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

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

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

More stories from The Metro

The record-high rainfall for some parts of northern Michigan — combined with melt from March’s above-average snow — pushed infrastructure to the brink across the region in Cheboygan, Bellaire and other cities.

For some, the flooding was a reminder of our vulnerabilities in the face of extreme weather, which is expected to worsen as our climate continues to shift.

“This needs to be considered not the worst we can experience. This needs to be considered as typical of the future,” said Richard Rood, a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan who studies climate change.

More than half of Michigan’s 2,500 dams have reached the end of their 50-year design life, according to state data. And an estimated $1 billion is needed to pay for all the upgrades needed in the state.

‘Would have been far worse’

Bob Stuber, executive director of the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Commission, peers at the swollen Boardman-Ottaway River in downtown Traverse City. The river saw record-breaking levels from the flood, which came shy of a 500-year flood, according to the city.

“It’s really remarkable how quickly it’s recovered here,” he said.

That recovery is largely thanks to the 2024 removal of the old Union Street Dam, said engineers at the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC). The old dam was upgraded to a different structure for FishPass, the final part of a river restoration project on the Boardman.

“Upstream would have been under two more feet of water, which would have been quite devastating,” said Daniel Zielinski, a principal engineer for GLFC. “We actually had a really great stress test of the system. It functioned really well.”

Stuber said the flooding at Boardman-Ottaway River signals what needs to happen across the state: more dam upgrades and dam removals where it makes sense.

“I think every opportunity we have to remove an aging dam, we should take advantage of it because it’s not going to get better. It’s just going to get worse,” he said.

Dam removals

Conservation organizations like Huron Pines help dam owners in northern Michigan remove small dams on their property. They’ve managed nine removals in the last 13 years.

The organization has seen more interest from dam owners in removals after the recent flooding, said Josh Leisen, senior project manager for Huron Pines.

“There are costs associated with repair, and there are risks associated with having a dam,” Leisen said. “Even if it seems to be in good condition, you get extreme weather events like we just had.”

Removal is often a win-win for waterways and dam owners, he said. Ecosystems get reconnected and owners don’t have to pay for expensive upkeep of aging dams.

But some dams are easier to remove than others. People are often reluctant to give up the lakefront access that dams often create.

“A lot of other industries are sustained by the fact that we have built dams in our systems,” said Heather Huffstutler, executive director for the environmental organization Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council.

Some dams also provide electricity, drinking water or are used for transportation. But Huffstutler sees a growing momentum around small dam removal, which could help mitigate future flood impacts.

“When a river is allowed to use its floodplain and then use those associated wetlands and headwater streams, the less flooding we will see,” she said.

A proposed legislative solution 

Upgrading or removing dams is also expensive. The Boardman-Ottway River dam removal — considered the largest removal effort in the state’s history — cost $25 million for three dams. Huron Pines is managing the removal of Sanback Dam in Rose City next month, with an estimated cost of $4 million.

Funding for half of the Sanback removal comes from a grant program through the Michigan Department of Environment, Energy and Great Lakes (EGLE) — as a response to the 2020 Edenville dam failure. The $44 million state program funded several dam removals, upgrades and engineering studies before it ended last year.

Now, local and state officials are renewing calls for more money and stronger safety regulations.

“Dam safety may be an issue that isn’t partisan,” said Phil Roos, director of EGLE.

Proposed legislation would bolster rules around inspections, private ownership, design standards, and create more funding opportunities for upgrades or dam removals.

“It’s so important to our state that we can come together, and whether it’s passing the legislation that was proposed, or improving procedures or ultimately funding,” Roos said.

State Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, said at a Traverse City roundtable discussion on dam safety that he’s concerned about private dam ownership after the close call at Cheboygan Dam. Michigan owns about 1,000 dams in the state, others are privately owned.

“Somebody made a point, ‘Well, we can’t have private companies owning these things.’ I tend to believe in private ownership but they might be right,” Damooose said.

Flooding in a warming world

Climate change is likely to bring more frequent and intense storms capable of similar floods.

As the climate warms, more water is evaporating. And an atmosphere with increased moisture can fuel intense precipitation, according Rood at the University of Michigan.

Recent flooding “has shown an incredible vulnerability,” he said. “(Dams) are either going to have to be removed or reengineered. Or they’re going to become a set of slowly unfolding failures.”

Luke Trumble, chief of dam safety for Michigan, agrees we’re living in a different climate than when most dams in the state were built. But flooding will still happen, he said.

“It’s a little bit of a misconception that if we fix the dam issue, there’ll be no more flooding,” Trumble said. “There’s still going to be flooding on rivers whenever we get rain like this, or rain on snow.”

There’s still a solution, though.

“What we can do with dam safety legislation is help ensure that flooding is not made worse by a dam failure,” he said.

This story was originally published by Interlochen Public Radio.

Some public health researchers are turning to a new kind of prescription to address the problem. It’s called “social prescribing.” According to former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Americans are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, and it’s a problem that only seems to be getting worse.

Around 40% of Americans ages 45 and up report being lonely, which puts them at higher risk for all kinds of serious health concerns like dementia and stroke. 

Some public health researchers are turning to a new kind of prescription to address the problem. It’s called “social prescribing.”

Dr. Mary Henningfield is the executive director of the Wisconsin Research and Education Network at the University of Wisconsin. She joined the show to discuss why is loneliness so common, why it is difficult for people to overcome, and how “social prescribing” can help the healthcare can system address loneliness, instead of only its negative consequences.

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

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

More stories from The Metro