Experts say Medicaid cuts passed by the U.S. House could result in millions of people losing health care — including more than 700,000 people in Michigan. 

Michigan resident Janae Wouldfolk says the cuts would change her life. A union liaison for AFSCME Local 140 who has worked at the Detroit Medical Center for 27 years, Wouldfolk cares for her 74-year-old mother and 19-year-old disabled son, Shemar.

On today’s episode of the Detroit Evening Report, she spoke with WDET’s Sascha Raiyn about her concerns. 

Wouldfolk says she’s used the knowledge she’s gained as an advocate and caregiver to help coworkers who needed help with health care coverage for themselves or loved ones. She says she knows many families who will be deeply impacted by the Medicaid cuts.

“You know, it’s a lot. It’s a struggle and if they do cut it, it’ll be a disaster,” she said.

The House passed the Trump administration budget last month. The bill will move to the Senate for a vote this week.

Other headlines for Tuesday, June 3, 2025:

• The Department of Homeland Security has agreed to restore the visas of four international college students — two at Wayne State and two at the University of Michigan. The American Civil Liberties Union sued the government, which has stripped visas from thousands of students across the country this spring and threatened to deport them. A federal judge dismissed the case after the Trump administration agreed not to terminate their status based solely on cursory background checks.
• Tiff Massey’s “Baby Bling” will be added to the Detroit Institute of Arts’ permanent collection. DIA Director Salvador Salort-Pons broke the news on WDET’s The Metro on Monday. Baby Bling is one of the pieces featured in Massey’s year-long “7 Mile + Livernois” exhibit that closed at the museum in May. After the success of the exhibit, the museum says it plans to re-install its contemporary African American galleries in a more prominent location near Diego Rivera Court in October. 

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

On this episode of Detroit Evening Report Weekends, we hear a local woman’s story of discovering and trying to address her mother’s hoarding.

Brenda McGadney says her work as a social worker focused on gerontology did not prepare her to identify her mother as a hoarder or to address it.

Hoarding disorder affects about 3% of the population. Older adults and people who experience depression and anxiety are more susceptible to the condition than others.

McGadney told WDET’s Sascha Raiyn that she turned to family, clergy and community professionals for help. They weren’t prepared to help either. Now, McGadney is working to increase awareness about the disorder and to advocate for a Hoarders Task Force in Wayne County.

Listen to the episode using the media player above.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has lifted the emergency order on the city of Flint’s drinking water.

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The EPA announced Monday that Flint’s water system is now in compliance with lead standards and has replaced over 97% of lead pipes carrying water to homes.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says it’s a major accomplishment.

“The EPA has been working closely with our state and local partners in Flint, Michigan for several years to restore safe drinking water. It’s been a long, arduous journey, but significant progress has been made over the last decade to revitalize their water infrastructure and ultimately achieve this goal,” Zeldin said. “It’s been more than nine years since the emergency order was placed in January 2016, after a switch in drinking water source caused the corrosion of pipes and leaching of lead into resident’s homes. 

–Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley, WDET News.

Other headlines for Tuesday, May 20, 2025:

• The state has launched an initiative it hopes will make it easier for workers and employers to manage substance abuse recovery. The Michigan Recovery Friendly Workplace program provides education for managers, owners and human resources staff on policies, practices and issues related to substance use disorder. 
• Detroit Champions of Hope and Black Mother’s Breastfeeding Association Mommy Ambassadors are inviting families to the “Capture Black Joy” event at 5 p.m. Friday, May 30, at the James E. Tate Community Center, 21511 W. McNichols Rd. Registration is open to the first 50 families with children under 7, and includes access to giveaways, community resources and a free family portrait.
• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

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

On this episode of Detroit Evening Report Weekends, we listen to the third story in WDET reporter Nargis Rahman’s series Shustho.

The four-part series explores the barriers Bangladeshi women face in accessing high quality health care, and efforts to bridge those gaps.

In this story, we visit the Health Unit on Davison Avenue (HUDA) — the largest free health clinic in Wayne County — to learn about the services it provides to members of the community without health insurance.

Stay tuned to DER Weekends throughout the month of May to hear the entire four-part series.

Listen to the episode using the media player above.

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

A former Michigan National Guardsman was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday for his role in an alleged plot to attack a U.S. Army Base in Warren.

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Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, is accused of planning a mass shooting at Detroit Arsenal and the United States Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) headquarters, on behalf of the terrorist organization ISIS.

According to the complaint, Said told two undercover law enforcement officers about the planned attack, scheduled for May 13. Said was arrested this week after traveling to an area near TACOM and launching his drone to take a final look at the base.

“The arrest of this former soldier is a sobering reminder of the importance of our counterintelligence efforts to identify and disrupt those who would seek to harm our nation,” said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command, in a statement. “I commend the tireless work of our special agents and FBI partners who worked together to investigate and apprehend this individual.

Said faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted, according to the FBI.

Other headlines for Thursday, May 15, 2025:

• Two Hamtramck City Council members have been accused of fraud and perjury, after an internal investigation found that they do not live in Hamtramck. 
• Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says the city has gained almost 7,000 new residents since last year, citing the Census Bureau’s latest population estimate.
• Inflation rose in metro Detroit, but not by much. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says consumer prices in March and April were up 1.4% from the same period last year, and .8% higher than the previous two months. The index covers the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area.  
• Detroit Disability Power is inviting voters throughout metro Detroit to join the National Polling Access Audit Coalition for its Voting Access Summit. The virtual event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday next week.

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

On this episode of Detroit Evening Report Weekends, we listen to the second story in WDET reporter Nargis Rahman’s series Shustho.

The four-part series explores the barriers Bangladeshi women face in accessing high quality health care, and efforts to bridge those gaps.

In the second story, we meet several Bangladeshi American health care professionals working to provide culturally competent care to women in their community. Rahman explores how culture, relationships and education affect how Bangladeshi women experience treatment.

Stay tuned to DER Weekends throughout the month of May to hear the entire four-part series.

Listen to the episode using the media player above.

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

A recent report from the state health department says big federal spending cuts threaten Medicaid benefits for 700,000 people in Michigan.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order in April asking the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to conduct a study into how Medicaid cuts would affect Michiganders.

The report found that Michigan could lose $1.1 billion dollars a year in funding. Michigan hospitals could also lose billions of dollars, resulting in  hundreds of millions less for nursing homes.

“Medicaid provides a lifeline to 2.6 million Michiganders, and the huge, proposed cuts will terminate coverage for our neighbors, family, and friends who need it most,” said Whitmer in a statement.

Republican leaders say Medicaid is off the table, but many budget experts say GOP spending targets can’t be met without touching health care. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, May 7, 2025:

• The United Auto Workers union held rallies in Trenton and Warren this week to demand Stellantis move production work to the U.S., and Michigan in particular.
• Detroit City Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero says she is certified to appear on the August primary ballot. The city elections department disqualified her over a late fee it said she failed to pay.
  Santiago-Romero contested the penalty, saying she did pay it, and that her disqualification was due to a clerical error.
• Construction crews have begun building the Detroit Grand Prix racetrack around the Renaissance Center. Race organizers say it’ll take about a week less to set up for the race this year thanks to a new wall and fence design. The races runs May 30 through June 15.

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

On this episode of Detroit Evening Report Weekends, we listen to the first story in WDET reporter Nargis Rahman’s series Shustho.

The four-part series explores the barriers Bangladeshi women face in accessing high quality health care, and efforts to bridge those gaps.

Michigan is home to the third largest population of Bangladeshis in the U.S., most living in the metro Detroit area.

Throughout the Shustho series, Nargis explores a number of challenges that make it hard for Bangladeshi immigrants to access health care, including cultural competency within the medical profession and access to adequate insurance.

The first story is focused on language barriers. Nargis speaks with organizations advocating for Bangla-speaking patients, community members who serve as advocates, translators and educators and medical professionals working to increase awareness.

Stay tuned to DER Weekends to hear the entire four-part series in May.

Listen to the episode using the media player above.

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

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

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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.