A new cell phone policy in schools takes affect this year.

Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti in a recent letter sent to parents this week announced cell phone use is not allowed from the entry bell to the dismissal bell. Individual schools will communicate their policy for phones, whether it is to collect and return devices daily or instruct students to turn them off and put them away. The letter says parents who want to reach out to their children during the day should call the school directly.  

Governor Gretchen Whitmer earlier this year signed a law banning the use of cell phones during instructional time. The law addresses research that shows phones are the biggest sources of distraction in classrooms and when student put their phones down, their grades improve. 

There are also concerns about the effects of constant phone use on students’ attention spans, mental health, and social relationships. 

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026

Survey finds kids eat unhealthy breakfasts 

A survey by the University of Michigan’s C.S Mott Children’s Hospital finds most kids eat breakfast before school. But as it may not be a nutritious meal. The hospital says a healthy breakfast consists of a lean protein, high fiber content and a healthy source of fat.  

Mott’s Poll Co-Director and pediatrician Susan Woolford says parents report three top barriers to healthy eating they face daily.  

“First of all, 44% said that their child is a picky eater, and then just over a third mentioned that their child is a little bit grumpy or slow in the morning, and then about a third said that time was a barrier.” 

Woolford suggests preparing breakfast ahead of time to ensure the meal is nutritious and there is time to eat it.  

She also suggests parents with picky eaters let the children help choose healthy options for their meal.  

Mayor Sheffield announces plan to bring rentable housing into compliance

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield wants to bring thousands more rental units up to code. The goal is to increase the compliance rate for single- and double-family units from 14% to 25% within a year.

Most of Detroit’s rental properties are 1 or 2 family units. Sheffield says the city will help small-scale landlords get their compliance certificates.

Six months ago, the mayor launched an effort to bring 65 senior apartment buildings up to code by now. The city has surpassed that goal, issuing 88 compliance certificates.

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

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced an expansion to the Ride to Rise transportation program aimed at addressing chronic absenteeism in schools.

The program allows students for all schools in Detroit, including charter schools, to ride city busses for free. Now the program will be permanent thanks to a $1 million in state funding.

Sheffield also announced the city will be adding ambassadors to the buses to routes citywide to address parents’ concerns about safety.

“We have heard that having trusted adults riding alongside our students could provide additional level of support to help students navigate their trips to and from school,” Sheffield said.

Ambassadors are DDOT employees who will be trained in interacting with students and keeping a watchful eye. They will ride the busses during peak hours before and after school.

Sheffield also announced a rideshare pilot program. The pilot will be available to select high schools with students who have unique transportation barriers.

Detroit’s Senior Director of Youth and Education Chanel Hampton said the pilot will pick up and drop off 150 high school students across 4 schools.

“So this pilot will go through about two months, the first couple months of school, and then we’re really excited again to take that data, see what we’re learning, and frankly, we’re working on a larger agenda around all things transportation, not just with the city, but also with our schools,” Hampton said.

The city also announced an ambassador program where DDOT employees will ride the busses during peak hours before and after school to ensure safety for the students.  

Listen above to the full interview with Chanel Hampton about the new additions to Ride to Rise.

The city of Detroit and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation celebrated the third Green Grocer ribbon cutting in the Motor City. This is part of the effort to have more fresh and healthy food available at retail food locations in the city. 

The Counter Detroit is a 400-square-foot grocery store anchoring community marketplace, Shops on Six, in the Bagley neighborhood. 

Owner Karlyta Williams says that her store is meant to bring people together and to represent the diversity of the neighborhood. “That is what the Counter stands for. It is for every neighbor. Every piece that goes onto their shelves, every neighbor is thought of. There is something magical that happens when the business that shows up in your neighborhood feed you.” 

Mayor Sheffield says that the goal is to have six Green Grocer stores by the end of the year. 

Additional headlines for Friday, Aug. 7, 2026

Gas prices on the rise 

As the summer comes to close…are you trying to go on a last-minute summer trip? 

Well if you plan on going on one this week, you might need to budget some more for gas. According to AAA gas prices in Michigan have risen to 13 cents from a week ago. Michigan drivers are now paying an average $4.36 per gallon for regular unleaded gas.  

Fuel prices have increased in large part due to the continuing war in Iran that has caused the blocking of about 20% of the world’s supply of oil and gas from the Stait of Hormuz. Another reason is that gas prices typically peak during the late spring/early summer when refineries switch to a more expensive summer blend of gasoline. 

AAA says while the market conditions remain unpredictable, drivers may continue to see the prices go up and down.  

Sports

MLB

The Tigers laid a beat down against the Seattle Mariners yesterday with the score of 11-0. They now face the San Francisco Giants this weekend as they continue to claw and climb from the bottom of the American League Central division. 

First pitch for today’s game is at 10:15 p.m. EST. 

Soccer 

Detroit City FC faces off against FC Tulsa tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. at the Tulsa Drillers Baseball Team Stadium in Tulsa Oklahoma.  

Football 

And with the Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs agree to 3-year, $67.5 million extension. The three-time Pro Bowler is now the highest-paid running back in NFL history. The record deal surpasses the extension Bijan Robinson signed with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this week—which is a reminder that anything can happen in football.  

Cyclosporiasis cases slow

The state health department says the number of new cyclosporiasis infections is slowing down, and fewer people are showing up at the hospital with diarrhea-related emergencies.

The agency is lifting its recommendation to avoid bagged salad mixes, one of the possible sources of the outbreak. It says people may also resume their usual food handling practices, but should still avoid recalled lettuce.

Michigan has had more than 12,000 confirmed and suspected cases of cyclosporiasis since late June. So far, 279 people reported going to the hospital. Two people with significant health problems died after getting the disease. 

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

Michigan is reporting the first two fatalities among people suffering from the disease cyclosporiasis. Officials say medical records indicate the people had significant underlying health conditions. Officials add the disease, which can cause cramps and explosive diarrhea, is generally non-life-threatening. Deaths from it are uncommon in the U.S.

The state reports more than 11,000 cases since June, although it’s not clear how many of those people may have already recovered from the disease.  

-Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter

Additional headlines for Monday, Aug. 3, 2026

American Muslim Experience

Documentary photographer and visual storyteller Syed Yaqeen is visiting Michigan this week as part of the American Muslim Experience— a documentary project to preserve the stories of American Muslims through visual storytelling and conversations. 

He says he began the project to document stories of everyday Muslims to counter negative stereotypes and showcase what it means to be Muslim in America.  

“Like the complicated lives of everyday people who again happen to be Muslim. So for them to be able to see themselves as young kids, students going to school, getting jobs, first job, learning how to drive-you know-all these little simple things that people tend not to think of when they are, I guess, put in a specific group.”  

Yaqeen says his focus is on documenting the present-day lives of American Muslims to preserve that for the future.  

He is taking pictures in Hamtramck, Detroit and Dearborn.  

People can contact him on Instagram at americanmuslimexperience to schedule a session. 

Language access failure

The city of Detroit has failed to translate information in emergencies as required through an ordinance created last year to translate public service announcements, says the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. 

Bridge Detroit reports that includes hazardous smoke and extreme heat warnings. City officials say they will make improvements to provide Detroiters whose first language is not English access to resources or information.  

Meanwhile Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has tasked the Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity (CRIO), Office of Immigrant Affairs, and Media Services departments to improve language access in the city. 

BridgeDetroit found much emergency-based information was only posted in English on the city’s website or Facebook. 

The city hopes to provide translated information in Spanish, Bengali, Arabic, and French. Meanwhile, residents can use Detroit’s alert system and choose a language of their choice to access the city’s website. 

Detroit has spent more than $362,000 on language access services in the past year.  

Blood donations at extreme low

The American Red Cross has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations.

Sydney Henry is with the Michigan region of the American Red Cross. She says blood donations typically drop in the summer, but this summer is worse than usual.  

That’s likely because of the extreme heat events and wildfire smoke that choked some states, especially Michigan. 

Henry says the Red Cross has less than a day’s supply of type O positive blood. That blood can be given to most people in an emergency. 

-Reporting by Tracy Samilton

The City of Detroit has announced a three year, $9.2 million investment to help unhoused families move out of emergency shelter and into stabilized housing. The Homeless to Housed initiative will provide families with 6- 12 months of rental assistance, help them find a home, and provide additional support along the way.  

The program touts that it will assist up to 140 households each year with this program, which is approximately 500 Detroiters each year.  

In a press conference for the program, the city’s first ever Chief Executive of Health, Human Services and Poverty Solutions Dr. Luke Shaefer says this program is about more than providing shelter. “Its about creating pathways to stability. The mayor has challenged us to build a system where homelessness is rare, brief, and non recurring.”

Shaefer also describes how they were able to fund this program.   “This didn’t happen by accident…it happened because dedicated public servants were willing to rethink how we use available resources, they strategically aligned federal emergency solutions and grant funding to launch the Homeless to Housing initiative leaning into the mayor’s charge to us.” 
 
Priority for this program will be given to families with minor children. This program is also expected to free up space in existing shelter homes to provide assistance to other Detroiters facing homelessness.  

Additional headlines for Thursday, July 30, 2026

Small business summit 

The city of Detroit is hosting a micro and small business summit on July 31 at the Wayne County Community College District Northwest Campus. 

The summit is part of the Office of Contracting and Procurement, and it’s part of an effort to build Detroit based micro and small business industries.

The free event will provide attendees an opportunity to interact with funders, banks, and partner organizations including Goldman Sachs, First Merchant bank, the Detroit Development Fund, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and the Small Business Association.

For more information and to register go to detroitmi.gov. 

Sports 

Detroit City FC faces Miami FC on Saturday, Aug. 1 at Pitbull Stadium in Westchester Florida. Also, the club soccer team’s development of their new home stadium broke ground earlier this month.

The AlumniFi Field will hold 15,000 seats, an increase from Keyworth stadium that only holds 7,000 seats. It will also be the city’s first soccer-specific stadium, and the state’s only privately owned major sports stadium. The project also includes a 421-space parking garage and a 104-unit residential building with 76 affordable housing units. 

Completion of the stadium was slated for spring of 2027 but its now slated for 2028 USL Champion season. 

Sports

MLB 

And the Tigers efforts to climb up the American League Central division stalled a bit with a high scoring loss to the Baltimore Orioles yesterday 10-9.

They now face the Athletics in a 3 game weekend affair at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California. First pitch for tomorrow’s game is at 9:40 p.m. EST. 

Talk it Out Walk it Out

And on Saturday August 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History is hosting Talk it Out Walk it Out. This free admission event is an annual community conversation and awareness walk to highlight health disparities impacting Black women.

The event serves as a start to Black Women’s Health Month in Detroit. The event is being held at the museum.  

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

The Detroit Children’s Museum has reopened for the first time in 14 years. The museum originally closed due to financial crisis within the school district. With the help of a grant of over $800,000  from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, the institution was able to open it again to the public.

During its closure, the museum still lent out artifacts and STEM tools to teachers. The museum has now expanded it collection to 2.5 million artifacts including historical objects, science materials, and global treasures.

Schools are open to schedule field trips to the museum. Its open to the public for free every fourth Saturday of the month.  

Additional headlines for Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Ride to Rise program increases student ridership

Detroit’s Ride to Rise program has doubled ridership on city busses among Detroit students. That’s according to the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT).

The program allows all youth to ride DDOT busses year-round for free when they show drivers their student IDs.  

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the program in April to reduce absenteeism in schools and provide reliable transportation for students to after school programs.  

DDOT Director Robert Kramer says the department has secured a million dollars in funding in the 2027 state budget to continue the program.  

Cyclospora outbreak continues

The state health department says more than 9,000 people in Michigan have reported coming down with a parasitic infection linked to contaminated lettuce. That’s more than twice the number of cases the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed nationwide. 

The CDC estimates Michigan has between 900 and 2,100 people who’ve gotten sick since May 1. That does not include probable cases. 

Whitmer signs new bills

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill to help people avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. The new law makes programs such as installment plans for delinquent property taxes permanent.

She also signed bills banning state lawmakers from lobbying while they’re in office and prohibiting former legislators from becoming lobbyists for two years after they leave office. 

Community Contractor Fair

The development program Ignite Detroit is hosting a Community Contractor Fair on Wednesday. The fair is for Detroit residents, homeowners, and small business owners to connect with contractors, explore home and property improvement resources, and learn about the Homeowners Property Exemption program.

The event takes place at the Northwest Activities Center—that’s 18100 Meyers Rd., Detroit, on Wednesday, July 29 from 6:30-8 p.m.  

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

Michigan candidate for governor, John James, says Canadian wildfire smoke needs to be better controlled, as part of a deal to open the Gordie Howe Bridge.  James made the comments on a video on Facebook earlier this month.  

“You look at wildfire smoke every summer.  They’re throwing off 500 million vehicles’ worth of carbon emissions into our air each and every year and doing very little to nothing about it.  That’s got to change right now,” said James.  “As a part of any deal we do with Gordie Howe Bridge, we have to work in close cooperation with Ottawa to make sure they’re also managing their business, so we can keep our people healthy and we can keep our relationship strong.”   

Last summer, James wrote a letter to Canadian officials asking them for action to keep wildfire smoke from drifting into Michigan.  

President Donald Trump endorsed James on Monday to become Michigan’s next governor.  Other elected officials around the country quickly followed suit.  James will face businessman Perry Johnson, and former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox in the Aug. 4 Republican primary.   

Additional headlines for Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Detroit police pick up 180 curfew violators during fireworks 

The Detroit Police Department is reporting that it detained 180 juveniles on Monday night for curfew violations before the annual Ford fireworks show over the Detroit River.  A news release says 171 of those detained were city residents.  Nine live elsewhere.  

A special curfew was approved for fireworks night.  It required everyone under 18 to be accompanied by an adult from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.  The police department says 19 adults were arrested for a variety of infractions, including carrying concealed weapons, aggravated assault, and disorderly conduct.  

One 18-year-old was shot by a police officer after a short chase, several hours before the fireworks began.  

Dearborn schools seek new bond approval 

Dearborn residents will see a new millage proposal on their November general election ballot.  The city’s Board of Education will ask voters to approve a $1.5 billion bond measure.  If passed, the money will fund the construction of six new schools.  

The district says the bond would also be used to remodel every remaining school building over the next 20 years.  The board approved ballot language for the proposal at Monday’s meeting. 

New apartment complex opens on west side   

A west-side Detroit neighborhood is getting a new apartment building.  The city opened the OSI Art Apartments Tuesday afternoon.  The newly constructed four-story complex provides 30 residential units.  About half qualify as “affordable housing”.  

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield says the project will make a difference along the Grand River corridor. “It is an honor as mayor to welcome this project to our city.  A project that combines housing, culture, arts – and to breathe this vibrancy back into our community, which is so needed in our city.  So I thank you all so much for investing in Detroit.”  

The development, which also includes 5,000 square feet of retail space, will be the gateway to the West End Gallery District.  The building located on Grand River near Selden is named for Nigerian-American artist Osi Audu. 

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

Southgate’s Pride celebration is back on thanks to The Library Network, a library cooperative based in Novi. The celebration was canceled after Southgate city officials decided not to pay for a vendor at the event, stating the city should not be used to pay for social or political advocacy activities.  So, the Library Network offered to pay the vendor instead. 

The event is scheduled for 2-3 p.m. on Saturday at Southgate’ s Veterans Memorial Library, located at 14680 Dix Toledo Road.

Southgate’s event comes about a week after Madison Heights City Council reversed its decision to cancel its Drag Queen Storytime event during its Pride Week celebrations.  

Additional headlines from Friday, June 12, 2026

Cooling centers open

Cooling Centers are opening across Detroit to give residents a break from the heat.  

High temperatures are known to pose health risks. Chief Public Health Officer and Director Ali Abazeed says these centers are an effective solution to keep at-risk residents healthy. 

“Folks in Detroit, especially our vulnerable populations…. if they don’t have access to some of the critical infrastructure that we know is helpful in keeping and preventing extreme heat related health outcomes, then we want folks to know that these cooling centers are available. They’re open and we want our residents to take advantage of them.” 

Detroit’s cooling centers are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. on weekends. They are open to anyone. 

Healthy Home Resource Day

Detroit’s Healthy Home Resource Day – HOPE event is coming earlier this year.

On Saturday, qualified residents can apply for Homeowners Property Exemption program to receive up to 100% property tax exemption. The exemption is given based on the homeowner’s income. 

Those who make an appointment can get a free ride to and from any HOPE event. The next event is Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Samaritan Center on 5555 Connor Ave. 

Infill development conference

The Detroit Land Bank is hosting the first-ever Developers Conference focused on infill development opportunities.

Infill development is the process of building on vacant lots in established neighborhoods. The Detroit Land Bank currently owns 56,000 parcels of vacant land and is working to return them to productive use. 

Attendees will learn about development opportunities, financing resources, permitting processes and more. The event is June 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Occupy the Summer program starts

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield launches a new summer recreation program for kids today. It’s part of her response to recent teen takeovers downtown, and it’s supposed to give them something creative to do.

More than 1,500 young people have registered for the Occupy The Summer activities, which include late night basketball games and longer hours at nine recreation centers. The city will give away 700 bicycles this afternoon. 

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

June is Gun Violence Awareness Month.  To bring more attention to the issue, city officials dressed the Spirit of Detroit statue in an orange jersey last week as they ushered in their “Silence the Violence” campaign.  

It’s the second year the statue has donned the jersey.  

Detroit Police First Assistant Chief Franklin Hayes says the city has seen a 13% decrease in homicides compared to this time last year.  He spoke with WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley about the falling murder rate and the city’s efforts to continue reducing crime.

Interview edited for time and clarity.

First Assistant Chief Franklin Hayes: Yep, so we are down what equates to 16 less victims of gun violence here in the city. We had eight less homicides over this time last year, and eight less non-fatal shootings that occurred over this time last year. 

Detroit has a lot of things going on with the CVI (community violence intervention) programs, a lot of initiatives. Mayor Sheffield just announced a six-point plan to help bring violence down even more. But what else can the city do to help bring us closer to the goal? Well, we’re open to ideas. Everyone is doing something, as you mentioned, Madam Mayor Sheffield, and the resources she’s allocating to this Director Brent, who we heard earlier today at the different offices in this administration, certainly, what the police department can do. Our CVI groups, who have been an invaluable partner in this, this is all the work that we’re doing.

And if we see areas of opportunity, we will take up that as well and do that, because although we’ve seen the reductions and you’ve seen the numbers, still far too much gun violence here in this city, so we’re going to keep working at it.

Bre’Anna Tinsley, WDET:  You mentioned in your speech that you hold a lot of titles as father, as police, as an outdoorsman, and that means you have a lot of responsibility to be a responsible gun owner. Can you talk more about that, and also like what that should look like for other people who hold those titles as well?

FH: Extreme responsibility, extreme ownership, both literally and figuratively, of firearms. We have to set the example. We have to be the leaders, owning firearms in those spaces, being a responsible father, making sure that my firearms are safely stored or staged for my family, my friends, my nieces, my nephews, my daughter in the workspace, making sure again that it, that I secured, and make sure it’s well, and certainly for the hobbies that we mentioned, as a trap shooter and as an outdoorsman, as a hunter, making sure that they are secured safely, but often also utilized in the spaces where they should be.

We have historically dealt with issues of gunfire throughout the city. We know what happens on New Year’s Day, and we’re trying to change that behavior as well, and others that are treating our city like a gun range. So, again, making sure that I don’t have any of the firearms that I own available to do that, but also in these roles, whether I’m talking to fellow outdoorsmen, whether I’m talking to other dad groups or other parents, and certainly my colleagues in law enforcement, not only here but around the country, to encourage safe storage and responsibly securing our firearm, so they don’t get into the wrong hands and something bad happens.

BT: There was a young man who spoke earlier, he said that the first time he picked up a gun was around 13 years old. How many of our youth are also on that path right now?

FH: Far too many, but with the commitment again of this administration, this police chief, police department, and our CVI partners, we are working to change that narrative day by day, making sure that that is not the norm for our young Detroiters and future leaders of the city.

James Tate is the latest in a long line of Detroit city council presidents as of January.  He attended the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island last week and sat down to speak with WDET’s Jerome Vaughn.  

Tate has been on the city council for years, but now he’s learning how to perform in his new role as president. He’s had conversations with current Mayor Mary Sheffield about her transition from council member to council president.

The city council president says he looks forward to working closely with Sheffield on an issue that he sees as Detroit’s biggest challenge: poverty.  Tate hopes potential opportunities posed by transit could help ease some of the effects of Detroit’s income gap.

A former Detroit Police sergeant accused of raping six women and girls will stand trial. The Detroit Free Press reports Benjamin Wagner faces 20 charges, including criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping. 

Prosecutors allege that he committed the crimes between 1999 and 2003, attacking females ranging from 14 to 23 years old. He was charged in March, based on DNA evidence from a rape kit that sat in storage for years. The survivors testified against Wagner at his preliminary hearing. 

His lawyer argued some of their stories had changed over the years. A judge ruled that enough evidence exists to let a jury decide.  

Additional headlines for Tuesday, May 19, 2026

DHS may end TPS for Burmese refugees

The Department of Homeland Security wants to end Temporary Protected Status for Burmese refugees. TPS allows those fleeing dangerous conditions in their home country to live and work in the U.S. 

TPS status was granted when the U.S. declared the mass killings of the Rohingya people a decade ago to be genocide. A federal judge postponed the effort to end Temporary Protected Status for Burmese refugees. DHS claimed conditions were safe enough for refugees to return.  

Detroit sidewalk repairs

The city currently has a backlog of 6,300 sidewalk repair requests. Some residents have been waiting up to five years for a response. 

Detroit City Council approved an $8 million contract two weeks ago to fix the sidewalks and allocated an additional $1.5 million in carry-over funds from the previous budget. 

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield says when she was on city council, she constantly received questions about sidewalk repairs. “Oftentimes I think we think about big developments and big investments that residents want and deserve in their neighborhoods, but it’s also about simple quality of life things like lights and sidewalks that residents deserve to get addressed.” 

Officials say the backlog should be cleared by the end of this construction season. The city is now taking requests for 2027.  

-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley

Chemical clean up

Monsanto and the state of Michigan have reached a settlement to help pay for cleaning up PCB contamination. 

PCBs are a class of chemicals that had a wide range of industrial uses before they were banned. They’re linked to cancer, weakened immune systems and neurological disfunction, among other things. 

PCBs are particularly troublesome because they persist in the environment and build up in the food chain. For example, the state has had to issue advisories warning people not to eat certain types of fish because of contamination.

Attorney General Dana Nessel says Monsanto has agreed to pay somewhere between $108 million and $240 million once the settlement is paid in full. As part of the deal, Monsanto does not acknowledge any wrongdoing.

It will be up to the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the Department of Natural Resources to develop cleanup plans. 

-Reporting by Rick Pluta

Local governments prepare to spend opioid settlement money

Local governments in Michigan are sitting on $176 million from the nationwide opioid settlement. The attorney general’s office reports that cities, townships, and counties have spent less than 20% of the money they’ve received since checks started going out in 2023. The funds are supposed to help communities reduce drug overdoses and deaths. An adviser to the Michigan Association of Counties tells Bridge Michigan some local governments are preparing to spend part of that money this year.

Last year, Michigan recorded the fewest drug-related deaths since 2013. 

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

If you’re a leader in Detroit, your attention is trained on a big task: attract more people to the city. 

That’s for good reason — with more people comes more tax revenue. With more revenue, Detroit can provide better social services, quicker Detroit Department of Transit buses, more paved roads, and working streetlights.

But the city is running into a problem when it comes to increasing its population: High property taxes. 

Because property taxes are capped until a property is sold, homebuyers in Detroit neighborhoods that have become more desirable bear the burden of potentially very high taxes. As an example, hundreds of homes will see their taxes climb above $10,000. That’s according to an Outlier Media estimate of the city’s 2026 tax roll. 

So what does it mean when the system rewards staying still and punishes moving in? What does that do to a city trying to grow?

Kevin Bain is the chief financial officer for Public Sector Consultants, and a former debt manager for the city of Detroit. He spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

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. 

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Yemeni nationals living in the United States who have Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have until April 13 to self deport or seek other legal residency through asylum or work visas.

In February the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem—who was fired last week—announced the end of TPS for Yemen.

The designation was first granted in September 2015 due to war in the country. Noem said conditions have improved, no longer warranting TPS. About 1,400 Yemeni nationals had TPS status as of last year according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 

People who wish to self deport are encouraged to use the Customs and Border Protection CBP Home app to report their departure. That includes a complimentary plane ticket and $2,600.

People who do not leave or find alternative legal residency could be deported and banned from future immigration to the U.S.  

Additional headlines from Monday, April 6, 2026

Detroit Ride to Rise

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield launched the Ride to Rise program Monday. It allows all students living in Detroit to ride city buses for free. 

The program is aimed at reducing absenteeism, as well as providing transportation for students to get to after school activities such as tutoring, enrichment programs, and more. 

Sheffield says the program also brings more money back to the district. 

“It’s about $700,000 a year that they currently spend on bus fare for students. Bus passes, that money, again, will be redirected back into the school system. The school board and the superintendent will decide what…they use that money for,” she says. “We have been advocating for it to go back to after school programming.” 

The 6-month pilot allows any student to show their school ID to get on a D-DOT bus for free. That includes students who attend charter, private, and other city schools.  

-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley 

Pay gap widens

A new report shows Michigan’s gender pay gap widened in 2024. Women who worked full-time earned 79 cents for every dollar a man earned. That’s three cents less than the year before, as men’s wages grew faster. 

Sarah Javaid from the National Women’s Law Center lists other factors.  

“The bigger picture is that women are being impacted by caregiving duties, they’re impacted by state policies. Unpaid leave paid sick time. They’re impacted by what education and training they can receive, and they’re also impacted even way earlier than they enter the workforce.”

Javaid says supporting childcare, banning employers from asking about salary history, and increasing education access would help close the gender pay gap.  

-Reporting by Colin Jackson   

Michigan job data

Last year’s partial federal government shutdown made it hard for Michigan to collect statewide job data. The state’s last unemployment rate was 5% in January. Michigan lost jobs last year as more people left the workforce. 

The revised annual report shows unemployment remained essentially flat last year. Michigan showed a net loss of about 2,300 hundred jobs.

The Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information Director Wayne Rourke says Michigan’s workforce declined by 1.6% percent over the course of 2025. He says that’s largely due to older people retiring and exiting the workforce.

The new monthly federal jobs report for March showed the nation added jobs last month and the unemployment rate ticked down.  

-Reporting by Rick Pluta   

Arab American Heritage Month

Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared April as Arab American and Chaldean-American Heritage Month.

Dearborn, Michigan is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans per capita in the U.S.  

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