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“DDOT Now,” Detroit Paratransit’s Same-Day Service

DDOT launches same-day paratransit service for Detroiters with disabilities

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) launched a new same-day paratransit program called DDOT Now on Monday. The service allows residents with disabilities to schedule rides the day before or up to an hour in advance.

Robert Cramer, executive director of Transit, says the new program gives riders more flexibility. “The new service allows people to schedule transportation on short notice,” he said.

Paratransit services are guaranteed under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in accessing public accommodations — including transportation.

DDOT Now operates between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Riders can schedule a trip by calling 313-570-6845 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The fare is $2.50 per ride, and the program is supported by federal and local funding.

The city has recently made improvements to DDOT’s paratransit services, including better on-time performance and the hiring of additional staff

Download the PDF to learn more. 

Thousands rally in Metro Detroit as part of nationwide ‘No Kings’ protests

Tens of thousands of people rallied across Metro Detroit on Saturday as part of the national “No Kings” protests against authoritarianism.

Many demonstrators carried signs criticizing President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and his decision to deploy Marines and National Guard troops to protests in Los Angeles.

At a rally in Southwest Detroit, high school student Julio Henry gave an impassioned speech in support of immigrants.

“We are here in the United States to come together,” Henry said. “Our diversity is what makes the United States the United States.”

Henry added that young people are paying attention to national politics and they’re not pleased with what they see.

“We call him so many things, the fascist, the dictator, the white supremacist, but what we all agree on is he should not be our president,” Henry said.

The event in Detroit remained largely peaceful. However, a brief altercation broke out when members of a local biker gang arrived and began harassing protesters. Detroit police quickly intervened to defuse the situation.

Reporting by Russ McNamara, WDET

MDOT to extend life of I-75 Rouge River bridge with surface treatment

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is planning a two-year project to coat the surface of the I-75 Rouge River bridge in Detroit.

Crews previously rebuilt the bridge deck in 2017 and 2018. Project engineer Bill Erben says the structure is in good shape, but additional work will help preserve it.

“Sandblasting and smoothing the concrete will make it last longer,” Erben said.

MDOT plans to close the Rouge River bridge eight times this year and eight more times in 2026, each time affecting one direction of traffic at a time.

The first closure was scheduled to begin last Friday on northbound I-75 between Schaefer Road and I-96, but the threat of rain delayed the start.

Reported by Pat Batcheller, WDET

Republican-backed budget would slash funding for U-M and MSU, expand support for other public universities

The University of Michigan could lose a significant portion of its state funding under a higher education budget passed by the Michigan House of Representatives late last week.

The plan would also reduce funding for Michigan State University, while increasing support for most of the state’s other public universities.

Republican House Appropriations Committee Chair Ann Bollin said U-M and MSU rely less on state support than other schools. She and other GOP lawmakers say they hope the proposed cuts will reduce the number of out-of-state and international students at those institutions.

The education budget bill would also eliminate funding for free K-12 school meals across the state.

Reported by Collin Jackson, Michigan Public Radio Network

Taste of Dearborn returns with food tour of 20 local restaurants

The Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Taste of Dearborn event this week, offering visitors a chance to sample dishes from local restaurants.

The event takes place Wednesday, June 18, from 6 to 9 p.m. Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Bryant Branch Library.

About 1,000 attendees are expected to tour 20 restaurants in Downtown West Dearborn.

General admission is $35, and a VIP experience is $50. Tickets are available at www.dearbornareachamber.org

We’re coming off a powerful weekend of action. Millions of people in hundreds of cities were united in “No Kings” protests that swept the country. 

Americans were out to condemn what many see as President Donald Trump’s federal overreach, aggressive anti‑immigrant enforcement, and a military parade that celebrated him and the U.S. Army. 

In Los Angeles, protesters have been out for days and Trump responded with a page from the authoritarian playbook. He deployed thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of active-duty Marines onto the streets of L.A. On Friday, for the first time in recent history, military personnel temporarily detained a civilian.

Here in Detroit, thousands raised their voices at Clark Park, shouting “down with deportations.” Local advocates say ICE agents recently arrested a Venezuelan family in Southwest Detroit moments after their asylum hearing was dismissed. At the McNamara federal courthouse, asylum seekers were detained just as judges ended their proceedings. 

That tactic — attend your immigration hearing and risk arrest — is becoming common.

An almost-graduated Detroit high school student was also detained during a traffic stop on his way to a school field trip. He was deported last week despite many calls from the community urging officials to let him temporarily stay. 

To help us think about this moment, we’re joined by attorney and professor Sabrina Balgamwalla. She’s the director of the Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic at Wayne State University. 

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

More stories from The Metro

In this edition of The Detroit Evening Report, new housing opens in Detroit’s Gateway Community. Plus, events around the city including theater, stargazing, drag shows and Black cinema.

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

Cathedral Arts Apartments open in Detroit’s Gateway Community

The City of Detroit celebrated the grand opening of the Cathedral Arts Apartments this week. The $19.7 million development brings 53 new housing units to the Gateway Community.

The project is a partnership between MHT Housing Inc. and the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, located across the street from the new building. In addition to residential space, the development includes commercial storefronts and a workforce development hub operated by MHT. The hub will connect Detroiters to job training, internships and employment opportunities.

More information: City of Detroit press release

Around Detroit: Events and activities

ACE Family Night at The Wiz – June 24
Detroit’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship (Detroit ACE) is hosting a special night at the Fisher Theatre featuring the Broadway hit The Wiz. The evening includes family-friendly activities and a Q&A with the cast starting at 6 p.m., followed by the show at 7:30 p.m. Discounted tickets are available.

Details: Detroit ACE Family Night

Northern Lights possible in Michigan – June 13–14
The aurora borealis may be visible in parts of Michigan this weekend, possibly as far south as Saginaw Bay. Best viewing times are expected to be within a couple of hours of midnight, weather permitting. Top viewing locations include Headlands International Dark Sky Park, Keweenaw Dark Sky Park, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Forecast details: Free Press article

United We Slay – June 28–29
United We Slay is a new event series featuring drag brunches, dance parties, queer mixers, and performances by talent from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Most events are free, with VIP tickets available to support the ACLU of Michigan.

More info: United We Slay on Linktree

Black Film in Focus – June 14
The Black Canon and Motor City Cinema Society present a night of cinematic storytelling at Newlab at Michigan Central. This event explores African American film history and features curated screenings from the Black Canon collection.

Event details and tickets: Michigan Central Events

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

From cookouts to concerts, here are a few ways to celebrate Juneteenth in Detroit this week.

Plus, a chance to attend a live recording of your favorite political podcast — read on to learn more.

Celebrating Juneteenth

Hamtramck’s 3rd Annual Juneteenth Family, Friends and Community Celebration March will take place on Saturday, June 14. This year’s celebration includes a community march, a picnic-style gathering, live performances, and a special tribute to fathers in honor of Father’s Day. The event starts at 10 a.m. and is free to attend, though donations are appreciated. To see the march route and get more information, visit their event page.

Hart of Detroit, AfroFuture and Detroit vs. Everybody will host a Juneteenth Block Party ahead of the annual Hart of Detroit Summer Fest on Thursday, June 19. There will be live performances from local artists, local food and merch vendors, interactive games and community activities. Admission is free for the first 1,000 people, and the event takes place at Hart Plaza from noon to 5 p.m. Afterward, the Hart of Detroit Summer Fest concert kicks off at 6 p.m. and is $12.50 to attend. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page.

The Hawk Community Center in Farmington Hills will host a Juneteenth Concert featuring local fusion group, Da’Ja, on Thursday, June 19. The group blends jazz, funk, R&B and Latin influences to create a unique sound that bridges generations, races and cultures. Admission is free but must be reserved in advance. The event starts at 7 p.m. For more information, visit thehawktheatre.com.

Exploring local talent

From Friday, June 13 through Sunday, June 15, the Northville Art House Market returns to Northville’s historic downtown. There will be more than 80 artists, local businesses and food vendors. Admission is free, and the event goes from 3–8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit northvillearthouse.org.

On Saturday, June 14, the Detroit Parks Coalition kicks off their 2025 Freedom Arts Festival featuring five original compositions by Marcus Elliot, each inspired by a different Detroit park. Saturday’s composition is titled “Joy, Beauty and Respect” and will be performed at Chandler Park from 2–4 p.m., featuring Elliot on soprano saxophone, Houston Patton on tenor saxophone, Marquis Johnson on drums, Alex Harding on baritone saxophone, Erinn Alexis on alto saxophone, and John Dixon on keys. Admission is free and open to the public. To see the full list of performances and learn more, visit detroitparkscoalition.com.

On Saturday, June 14, Detroit filmmaker Ryan “Tibbs” Wiese will host the world premiere of his new rock opera film, “Shorthand” at the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac. There will also be a shorts block, a discussion of the upcoming feature, “Get Big Gretch,” and a Q&A. Doors open at 7 p.m. and all are welcome. For more information, visit @ronnytibbs on Instagram.

Exhibiting history

On Saturday, June 14, Black Canon and Motor City Cinema will host Black Film in Focus, a presentation of rare, Black-related prints, all on 16mm film. Admission is $15, and the event will be held from 2–5 p.m. at Newlab in Michigan Central. For more information, visit their event page.

Unjumbling Michigan politics

On Monday, June 16, WDET and Gongwer will host our second-ever MichMash Live event at Go! Comedy Improv Theatre in Ferndale. Podcast co-hosts Cheyna Roth, Altethia Kasben and Zach Gorchow will record an episode in front of a live audience and interview special guests about the latest in Michigan politics. There will be a cash bar and fun giveaways. Admission is $5, and the event goes from 7–9 p.m. For more information, visit our event page.

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

Bill would allow friends, family to officiate weddings

A new bill would allow friends and family members to officiate wedding ceremonies without getting ordained.

Currently, Michigan law only permits certain city officials, judges, or ordained individuals—such as ministers—to perform weddings.

State Senator Veronica Klinefelt sponsored the bill. She says some religious leaders have denied couples based on personal beliefs. She shared her own experience:

“The priest I was seeing made the determination that I shouldn’t be getting married and wouldn’t conduct the ceremony. This year, I will be married 40 years. So I don’t know that he was any more equipped to make that call than my family members who were at that wedding.”

The bill would also expand officiating privileges to township clerks and state lawmakers. It has passed in the Senate and is now headed to the House.

Detroit bike trail guide to include Gordie Howe Bridge path

The Detroit Greenways Coalition is expanding its bike trail guide to include a route across the Gordie Howe International Bridge into Canada.

The group is working with Bike Windsor Essex to compile a list of trails and attractions for cyclists on both sides of the border.

Coalition Executive Director Todd Scott said the potential for tourism is significant:

“I was at the Ontario Bike Summit recently, and they said that bike tourism in Ontario contributes $900 million to that province’s economy. That really opened my eyes to how much potential there is for expanding that bike tourism into the Detroit area.”

The guide will answer questions about cross-border documentation and differing cycling laws. It’s expected to be ready before the bridge opens later this year.

Dearborn updates food truck regulations

The City of Dearborn has revised its food truck regulations, allowing permanent operations in areas zoned for commercial and light industrial use.

The update includes requirements for proper electrical hookups, propane storage, and sanitation. Trucks will not be permitted in business districts near restaurants to protect brick-and-mortar establishments, but they may operate in public parks if they meet city standards for power and waste disposal.

The new rules take effect September 1st.

Juneteenth Black-Owned Business Market in Royal Oak

Bamboo Royal Oak is hosting its first Juneteenth Black-Owned Business Market on June 18th, celebrating Black excellence and economic empowerment.

The event features local entrepreneurs offering handcrafted jewelry, fashion, cuisine, wellness products, and more. It’s free for attendees and vendors.

The market runs from 3–8 PM. For more information, email ally@bamboocowork.com.

Dearborn Summer Market returns this Friday

The Dearborn Summer Market returns this Friday at 4:00 PM in West Downtown Dearborn.

The market highlights downtown businesses, local vendors, and free kids’ activities including face painting, balloon twisting, and caricature art.

More information is available at dearbornsummermarket.com.

As Detroit’s mayoral race begins to take shape, residents will have to decide which candidates will address the issues most important to them. The candidates have outlined the issues they believe will improve the lives of Detroit residents, but what do residents and community leaders believe needs to be addressed by the next mayor?

Cindy Gamboa is the Executive director of MI Poder– a non profit civic engagement organization that services Michigan’s Latino population- and she’s joined  The Metro today to shed light on the subject.

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

More stories from The Metro

Throughout its parks and recreation centers, the City of Detroit puts on its annual Senior Olympics, to make sure the city’s elders are supported and a part of our community. The competition ends this Saturday and concludes with an Awards Dinner Dance at Northwest Activities Center.

Cary Junior II spoke with Crystal Perkins, Director of the General Services Department, about this year’s event and what he’s most excited for—on today’s episode of The Metro.

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

More stories from The Metro

As Detroit continues its fight to stabilize population loss and rebuild its tax base, one mayoral write-in candidate believes the solution lies in physically expanding the city.

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

WDET’s CuriosiD series answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of CuriosiD, listener Jennifer Kulczycki of Sterling Heights asks... 

“I’ve heard for many years that metro Detroit doesn’t have a robust transit system because the Big Three undermined the streetcar and bus systems in order to sell more vehicles. I’ve always been curious about that, but I’ve never really been able to find any concrete evidence of it.”

The short answer

In 1949, General Motors and the Firestone Tire company, among others, were convicted of conspiring to monopolize the sale of buses and products to National City Lines, which had taken control of dozens of transit systems. But GM, Firestone and the others were acquitted of trying to, in effect, monopolize the transit industry. And experts say automakers could not run over Detroit’s streetcars, because the city itself owned the system.

Riding the rails all around the town

Imagine traveling back to Detroit in the 1920s and ’30s, when streetcar tracks split the middle of Woodward Avenue.

Riders who once strolled past horse-drawn carriages to get onboard the Department of Street Railways system, known as the DSR, now had to dodge vehicles going 30 miles an hour or more.

The DSR touted the system’s widespread use. It noted that at peak periods of the day as many as 1,000 streetcars crisscrossed the city, “carrying Detroit’s industrial army.”

It was also a different animal from some other municipalities, because in 1922 the city itself had bought out the streetcar system, ostensibly to operate it more efficiently.

“Every time a bus or a trolley car rolls down the street, there’s a stockholder’s meeting in motion,” the DSR proclaimed.

Iowa State University Professor Robert Pfaff did his dissertation at the University of Michigan on the history of Detroit’s streetcars. He says it was the largest publicly-owned transit system in the U.S. at the time.

And Pfaff contends Detroit’s burgeoning auto industry viewed rail cars as a necessity.

“They recognized that this was the way that most of their workers actually got to work,” he said.

The takeover of transit

Over those decades, a company called National City Lines (NCL) and its subsidiaries, backed by a consortium that included General Motors and Firestone, took control of dozens of transit systems.

The moves caught the interest of the U.S. Justice Department.

In 1949, GM, Firestone and others in the consortium were convicted of a conspiracy to monopolize the sale of buses, fuel and similar products to National City Lines. They were fined a token few thousand dollars each. But the companies were acquitted of trying to take over the systems owned by NCL in order to, in effect, form a transit monopoly.

Still, the idea of automakers sabotaging streetcars gained increasing traction in the public imagination, even serving as the plot for numerous books and movies.

For instance, the 1988 animated film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” features the villainous Judge Doom buying up the Red Car rail line, preparing for a new freeway with “wonderful billboards reaching as far as the eye can see.”

When a character tells him no one will use the freeway since they can take the streetcar for 5 cents, Doom replies, “Oh they’ll drive. They’ll have to. You see, I bought the Red Car so I could dismantle it!”

Buses take the lead

Pfaff hits the brakes on any takeover of streetcars in Detroit, however, since the city itself owned the system.

“That automatically prevented other private investors from trying to come in and disrupt that space. We are the ones to blame for dismantling that system. We don’t have some private company that swept in with some grand scheme, we have to look inwardly at ourselves,” Pfaff said.

In the mid-20th Century, the American Dream was paved with highways crossing the country. Pfaff says metro Detroit transit officials wanted to be on the cutting edge of it all.

“The super-modern thing were these nice, fast, rubber-tired diesel buses that operate on the streets. And they decided if they’re gonna serve the modern region with more suburban residential areas, they couldn’t do electrification and tracks. The easy way to do it was with buses.”

The transit system that is

About three-quarters of a century later, Metro Detroit’s transit system unfolds along streets like Gratiot Avenue.

Detroiter Charles Green stands at a bus stop on Gratiot near 12 mile in Macomb County. Green says he grew up riding buses with his father.

He calls newer routes, like the suburban SMART system’s Fast Gratiot line into the city, a definite upgrade. Mostly.

“I like the bus. It’s eco-friendly and convenient. But the frequency of the bus just ain’t right,” Green lamented. “I work at a bar and man, every bar over there is closing after midnight. So at that point I gotta pay $20 for an Uber just to get home.”

Detroit’s DDOT bus system wants to significantly increase its number of drivers and cut wait times for customers. But at a bus shelter further along Gratiot, Detroiter Shina Harps says she’s part of the roughly 25–33% of the city’s residents who don’t have their own vehicle.

In the car capitol of the world, Harps says that quickly becomes a badge of shame.

“I do get that a lot, ‘Oh you take the bus,’” Harps said in a disparaging tone. “That’s my life. I’m living in my truth.”

‘Does Detroit really want public transit?’

Detroit transit also carried a stigma among some in the federal government.

The Vice President of Rock, billionaire Dan Gilbert’s family of companies, is Jared Fleisher. He previously worked as a Washington, D.C.-based attorney who helped a Detroit nonprofit group develop what they hoped would be both a catalyst and a part of improved public transit in the region – the QLINE streetcar system.

“Going back to the Carter administration, Washington never saw metro Detroit really be able to get its act together around transit,” Fleisher said. “They did not take us very seriously or send money our way. (The QLINE) was meant to show Washington that we were serious, we were working together around transit in a different way.”

In 2012, before the QLINE even broke ground, officials formed an actual Regional Transit Authority for southeast Michigan, the same kind of transportation agency the federal government worked with in other municipalities.

But Fleisher says a four-county millage to fund inter-connected public transit in metro Detroit ran into a roadblock in 2016.

Rural voters came out in force to support then-GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. Fleisher believes it was an electorate that saw little value in paying extra taxes for a transit system they likely would hardly use.

“It went to the ballot and lost by half a percent. And nine years later, we still have not solved the issue of regional rapid transit.”

A magnet for young talent

What exists alongside bus service, along with Detroit’s elevated People Mover system, is a 3.3 mile stretch of railway on Woodward Avenue punctuated by the clanging bell of the QLINE streetcar.

It’s a reminder of what could be in Detroit, especially for younger travelers.

Onboard the QLINE, Wayne State student Sara Jaloul notes she has her own car. But she says using the streetcar for even a few miles helps her save both gas money and the environment.

“I think the less cars we have on the street is probably a lot less pollution, so that’s really important to me. As much public transportation as possible should be best,” Jaloul said.

Catering to that smog-free desire is a key selling point for many younger workers, says the head of the metro area’s Regional Transit Authority, Ben Stupka. And he says no one wants to grow the transit system more now than Detroit’s automakers.

“The Big Three and those that support them in that ecosystem have a laser-focused understanding that transit is part of the brew, if you will, that keeps and attracts talent to this region,” Stupka said. “And that is what they need to survive and thrive.”

Whether that eventually leads to metro Detroit public transportation that legitimately competes with other regions across the country though, remains a question for down the road.

Meet the listener

Jennifer Kulczycki is the Director of External Affairs and Communications at The Kresge Foundation. She lives in Sterling Heights. She came to metro Detroit from western New York state fresh out of college to work in the automotive industry.

We want to hear from you! 

Have a question about Detroit or southeast Michigan?
Send it our way at wdet.org/curiosid, or fill out the form below. You ask, we answer.

More from CuriosiD:

• What happens to old fire trucks in Detroit?
• What’s the story behind metro Detroit’s mile roads?
• What is on Boblo Island today? And what happened to the Boblo boats?

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For a long time, one of Detroit’s biggest challenges was blight. Generational disinvestment and residential flight left about 80,000 homes blighted by 2014. Since then, the city has removed or rehabbed thousands of properties. But blight and disinvestment have given way to a different problem: housing speculation.

To make quick profits, speculators, often from outside Detroit, buy homes cheaply, rent them out, and invest little to nothing in upkeep.

The City of Detroit once filed suit against several major speculators but dropped the cases more than a year ago, leaving many to wonder what happened and what harm remains. Will the city resume efforts to hold them accountable?

Today on The Metro, Aaron Mondry, senior reporter at Outlier Media, explores how rent-to-own housing agreements can be exploitative. These deals often lack legal protections and leave buyers vulnerable to eviction if payments are missed.

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

More stories from The Metro

Each week on MI Local, you’ll hear me refer to admittedly cryptic-sounding sub-genres, like for example, “post-punk” and “shoegaze.” Well, it’s all done in an attempt to give you, dear listener, a few stylistic and influential reference points for a particular local artist that I’m featuring on the show, like, say, the four-piece “rock” group known as Zastava.

The entire band joined me in studio, seen above, counter-clockwise: Cam Frank (bass), Arman Bonislawski (guitar), Ollie Elkus (drums) and Mateja Matic (guitar, vocals). While we chatted, we also shared an exclusive premiere of a new song, “Fences,” off of their upcoming full-length album, Buildings, which comes out this week, capped off by a release party happening this Friday night at Third Man Records here in Detroit.

Zastava was started by Matic and Bonislawski a little more than four years ago, tapping into a guitar-heavy, slightly brooding, slightly drone-y kinda sound that weaves deceptively catchy melodies into a maelstrom of distortion and heavy-hitting rhythms. Matic even admitted that these sort of catch-phrases sub-genres — such as post-punk, shoegaze or noise-rock — can nevertheless be helpful in a sort of shorthand-evocative way for curious listeners. Then again, Matic said, with a flair, you might just say that they’re “really into Sonic Youth” as far as a reference point.

WDET listeners were given a sneak-preview of “Fences” on MI Local this week, with two previous singles like “Truth” having been premiered on our air waves earlier in the spring. Buildings follows up a few previous singles and an EP the band released, which you can find on Bandcamp. They described Buildings as their first proper statement as a cohesive band, or “a maturation of all of our tastes coming together,” as Bonislawski said.

Notably, and you’ll have to listen closely, but the band described this as “the baseball song.” Fittingly, we were all kinda checking our phones between on-air sessions, to keep track of the concurrent Tigers game. As we left the studio, Bonislawski said that he forgot to say the one thing he had initially pre-scripted as an answer: that if he had one hope for the music of Zastava, it would be that some professional baseball player might some day use one of their songs as a “walk-up” song, to be played over the sound-system as they stride to the plate.

Along with my chat with Zastava, I premiered new music from the alt/indie-folk realm, including a song from The Kate Hinote Trio‘s new full-length album, Stowaways, with the song, “Brake Lights.” You can see The Kate Hinote Trio live next Thursday, June 19, at Chelsea Sounds and Sights at 6:30 p.m. We also checked out the song “Big Ol’ City” from Ann Arbor-based singer-songwriter Maddy Ringo‘s brand new full-length album, People of the Earth and Sea.

On the indie-rock side of things, we heard a new song from Idle Ray featuring Fred Thomas, and a disarmingly soulful ballad from Garrett Gillis.

We also played some tracks by artists you can catch at live shows happening around the region, including Elephant Den (June 21 at Ziggy’s), James Linck (June 14 at the Lager House), and Ronny Tibbs, who has a multi-faceted, multi-media music and film event happening at the Crofoot Ballroom on Saturday.

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

MI Local Playlist for May 13, 2025

• “Brake Lights” – The Kate Hinote Trio
• “Big Ol’ City” – Maddy Ringo
• “Hit The Ground Running” – Garrett Gillis
• “Quiet Cab” – Idle Ray
• “Catamaran” – Bear Vs. Shark
• “Apple” – Elephant Den
• “Pre” – James Linck
• “Love Is (Just) A Cruel Game” – Ronny Tibbs
• “Everywhere But Beside You” – Frontier Ruckus (live in WDET Studios, August 2024)
• “Pix” – Phased Out
• “Fences” – Zastava
• “Truth” – Zastava

In this episode of The Detroit Evening Report, we cover a celebration of African ancestors, a Detroit student facing deportation and more.

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

Carnival of the Spirit returns for 25th year

Each June for the last 25 years, a ceremony has been held on Belle Isle to honor and celebrate African ancestors. The African Diaspora Ancestral Commemoration Institute of Detroit launched the Carnival of the Spirit in 2001 to “venerate” Africans lost in the Middle Passage during the slave trade.

Kefentse Chike is one of the organization’s founders. He says people from various backgrounds have found solace in the ceremony.

“When we started this, the idea was to be — I’ll use the word interfaith, for lack of a better word — but it was to be inclusive of all the various spiritual expressions of African people in the diaspora,” Chike said.

Attendees wear white and often bring items to commemorate loved ones lost. The ceremony starts at the Belle Isle Lighthouse with a procession to the river, and includes African drumming, dance and other offerings.

This year’s carnival will be at 7 a.m. on Saturday, June 21.

To celebrate the carnival’s 25th anniversary, there will also be a film screening and a spiritual healing ceremony as part of this year’s festivities. The film screening takes place on Friday, June 13 at the Shrine of the Black Madonna and features a documentary exploring African spiritual traditions as well as a panel discussion with practitioners from several African faiths. The spiritual healing ceremony, Akom, takes place on Saturday, June 21 at the Detroit Food Commons. For more information, visit ADACI Detroit on Facebook.

Detroit student faces deportation

A Detroit high school student is hoping to stay in the U.S. long enough to graduate before returning to his home country, Colombia. But 18-year-old Maykol Bogoya-Duarte now faces deportation.

Chalkbeat Detroit reports police stopped the undocumented immigrant as he was driving to Lake Erie Metropark to join his classmates for a field trip on May 20. He did not have a driver’s license and officers who couldn’t speak Spanish called Customs and Border Protection, who arrested him. His lawyer says Bogoya-Duarte was already planning to leave the country voluntarily after finishing his education.

U-M updates security

The University of Michigan says it’s cutting ties with a private security company that was accused of following pro-Palestinian activists on and off campus. The school says it found the actions of one employee to be “disturbing, unacceptable and unethical.” It did not elaborate.

Neighborhoods Day continues advocate’s legacy

ARISE Detroit’s Neighborhoods Day returns on August 2, 2025.

Longtime journalist and community advocate Luther Keith founded the event and the nonprofit to help change perceptions about city neighborhoods, and show people the good things they offer. Keith died in March, but his legacy endures.

The city-wide event includes volunteer service opportunities as well as music, car shows and other activities. For more information about Neighborhoods Day, visit arisedetroit.org.

—WDET’s Pat Batcheller contributed to this report.

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

Cass Community Social Services had its first food pantries open during the Great Depression and is now under the leadership of executive director Rev. Faith Fowler. During her time, she has expanded services, bringing in new resources and broader support.

Iron Chef Detroit was created last year as an annual fundraiser for Cass Community Social Services. This Thursday, Iron Chef Detroit 2 will showcase two Cass Corridor chefs during a head-to-head culinary competition at Eastern Market.

Rev. Faith Fowler is on The Metro today  to talk about Iron Chef 2’s goal of “fighting poverty, creating opportunity, and building community” as well as the support Cass Community Social Services provides for Detroit.

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

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Iron Chef Detroit was created last year, with the goal to establish an annual fundraiser for Cass Community Social Services. This Thursday, Iron Chef Detroit 2 will showcase two Cass Corridor chefs during the culinary competition at the Eastern Market.

Chef Anthony Lombardo, winner of the first Iron Chef Detroit, and Chef Andy Hollyday– Executive Chef and Partner at Selden Standard-  join us on The Metro today to tell us more about their game plans for the upcoming competition.

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

More stories from The Metro