It feels so good to go to an art show you can actually touch.

At this mini-show for textile artist Katrina Santa Ana Jose’s “The Room Breathes In,” you can actually sit down on one of her pieces. 

It’s a small foam cushion called “Soft Landing” (a steal at $250!) sewn with competing flannel-esque textiles on the outside. It’s warm and inviting with at least one patron sprawling out on “Soft Landing” to take a photo.

You know how good it feels to go to a show that’s actually functional? 

When I say “mini-show,” it’s not a comment on the substance of the show. It’s the fact that it’s actually quite small. Not just the collection itself (six pieces total), but the space it’s in.

Grüna Gallery is basically a makeshift hallway separating the facade and the artist studio of Louise Jones, who operates Grüna and is hosting “The Room Breathes In.” The location blends in with the rest of the brick-and-mortar retail on this block in Grosse Pointe Park.

It’s a bite-sized model I’d love to see more artists’ consider using their own space for.

Outside of the use of space and location, the show itself is a lovely one that likely wouldn’t feel as welcoming and comforting in a larger space, or if it was stuffed in as part of a group show. 

Like the natural fibers she’s using, Santa Ana Jose’s textile creations breathe. Aside from the cushion, the rest are hanging pieces — perhaps as standalone art but here mainly envisioned as curtains allowing light to pour into the mini-gallery. As guests walk by, they grab the fabrics and stretch them out to see the details and let go to watch the fabric waft back into its hanging position. It’s a simple yet utterly satisfying part of “The Room Breathes In.” It’s material you’re used to, but presented as art, which you’re never able to play with like this (gently, of course).

For this show, they are made from a bunch of leftover aprons and other oddities from a former butcher shop in Mount Clemens that she stumbled upon during an estate sale. You can see some of the original logos and uses for these materials still on her creations.

That’s the beating heart of her practice — breathing new life into old fabrics or, as it’s described in a release about the show, the “process of grief becoming material reconstruction.” Because the fabrics she’s using are natural fibers (for this show, mainly cotton and linen), they can “ultimately return to the earth, completing a cycle of reuse and regeneration.”

“Upcycling” is the common term thrown around, but that feels cheap and a bit overused for something like this exhibition, which feels elegantly simplistic and light and fresh. 

That’s likely because it’s got an actual ethos behind its creation that goes far beyond a buzzy term.

Katrina Santa Ana Jose’s “The Room Breathes In” is located at
Grüna Gallery, 15304 Kercheval Ave. in Grosse Pointe Park.

This story was originally published on Midbrow. 

Legendary Motown singer Martha Reeves has seen her share of battles. That includes disagreements with her original back-up singers, the Vandellas, a stint on the Detroit City Council and recent criticism of her rendition of the national anthem.

Yet at age 85, Reeves says she still has fight left in her. And music.

She’s showcasing both on her first new record in two decades, called “Searching.”

Reeves says from her first days in Motown’s Artists and Repertoire, or “A&R” department, she’s tried to deliver tunes that pack a message.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

Martha Reeves: I did a “Heat Wave,” I’ve “Danced in the Street,” I’ve had “Nowhere to Run,” I’ve been in “Quicksand.” What else do I need to do?

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Then why are you doing another record?

MR: I record ’cause I can. My manager, Chris Rowe, kinda helped me get back on the good foot, I’ll put it that way. To do a recording that everybody can learn to love, like Stevie Wonder’s “To Know You is to Love You” (The first single released from “Searching.) We chose that on purpose because I have a personal history with Stevie Wonder.

I was kind of appointed his day care nurse at Motown. When he first came to the studio, he was brought to the A&R department with no introduction or anything. He just was there. I looked and saw a young man, about 8 years old. I said, “Hi, how you doing? What’s your name?” He said, “Stevie. What’s yours?” I said, “Martha.” He said, “You sound like a nice person. Let me see what you look like.” And he fingered my face, precious fingers all over my face.

We got to know each other and fell in love at that moment. He took the liberty of playing rhythms on the typewriter, the telephone. I think he played “Baby I Need Your Lovin’” on the telephone.

We had a good time until they came and knocked on the door and said, “Stevie, you’re needed in Studio A.” It was just across the  hall. So I followed him. We had gotten acquainted and I felt like I was a part of him and he was a part of me, being A&R director.

He went to every instrument in that room and played it. Played a bit of drums, a bit of keyboard, piano, xylophone, harmonica, congas, bongas. He played everything. And (Motown founder) Berry Gordy was standing on the side watching carefully, observing this new talent that Ronnie White of the Miracles had brought to him from church. And after hearing him play all those instruments Berry said, “This kid is a wonder.” There’s his name. Went from Stevland Judkins to Stevie Wonder.

And to sing Stevie Wonder’s “To Know You is to Love You,” a duet between him and his wife, Syreeta, it’s gonna hold a special place in my heart. And I’m sure that Stevie will appreciate it too. To know you is to love you. He’s talking about, maybe, his loved one. I’m talking about God. To know God is to love Him.

QK: It always sounds like you had to really fight your way onto the Motown label, from being a receptionist to them actually recognizing you as an artist?

MR: I was an artist first. I was invited to come to the A&R department for an audition. But when I got there, there was a job. I was asked to answer the phone, by the same guy that approached me and asked me to come to Hitsville, USA (Motown’s original headquarters.) He’d be right back. I didn’t know him that well. But he had given me a card saying, “You have talent. Come to Hitsville.” I was discovered.

On that card was the name Barrett Strong, who sang “Money (That’s What I Want,) one of the first songs my dad liked from Motown. He worked for the city water department, so he was very aware of what was going on in the city. And “Money” was one of his favorite songs. Here I am in the office and I’m talking to the people who produced the song that my dad had taken favor to. And my brother, Benny Reeves, had sang at Hitsville with the Contours. So I was coerced or invited or drawn to or whatever you want to call it on purpose at Motown records. I was asked to come back the next day, the next day, the next day, and it became a habit. Every day, nine o’clock, I’d be at Hitsville, USA. Official secretary, but not really. An artist waiting on my turn. I was invited and I stayed.

QK: There’s so many experiences everybody I’ve ever talked to that’s been connected to Motown has had. And so many classics that you recorded, “Dancing in the Street,” all the rest of them. This is a horrid question journalists often ask, but when you look back at that, are there any moments or songs that have always stood out to you from that time?

MR: Every one. Mom showed me something very young in my life while singing gospel songs in my grandfather’s church. Never sing a song unless you can feel it in your spirit, in your soul. If it can mean something to you, then it’ll be real. If it don’t mean anything to you, it’s just an act of recording. But every song that I sing means something to me, I have it in my heart. Know what I’m talking about, and then give it my worship, give it my praise. And that works for me.

QK: The same way now with this new one, “Searching?”

MR: Yeah. I’m on another level now. I can imitate all my teachers. My album has been classified as jazz but it’s gospel. It’s rock, but it’s pop. It’s rap, but it’s disco. It’s rock and roll, but it’s the blues. We’ve got everything. Somehow we’ve mixed together an album that’s featuring every genre of music, every mode, every mood. So I’m having a good time.

QK: We were talking about Motown. One of the songs on this album is an old Motown song, “I Got it Bad,” that you had cut back in the 1960’s but never released.

MR: It was put on a compilation album that Motown released long after it was recorded, three discs of unreleased product. That shows you have stocked up hit after hit after hit. Some of them have been released, some of them are yet to be. But I worked really hard in the A&R department and I recorded more songs than other artists at Hitsville, USA.

QK: And the one that’s on “Searching,” did you guys remake it completely or did you just take the old recording and kind of gussy it up a bit?

MR: Everything is brand new with brand new musicians, the best to be had from all over the world. I got a chance to be a co-writer on some of the songs. I’ve written on every album I ever recorded. But I’ve never gotten credit. Somehow now I feel I’ve arrived as an artist. I was asked my opinion and was allowed the chance to write on some of the material was already presented to me.

QK: It sounds like there is very much a “praise God” theme, vibe, throughout the entire record.

MR: Yes. I’m dedicated. I’ve got no choice for the rest of my life. I’m reborn. I’m saved by grace. I’m a messenger. I know my job.

One of the questions to me has been, “What made me go back in the studio?” I’ve never been out. I’ve been recording all these years. Most artists are recording all their lives. Everything doesn’t make it to the public or get released. But artists have to stay active, they have to stay in the mode of. I have to sing every day.

QK: People will speak about the civil rights movement and they’ll bring up “Dancing in the Street” and tie it sometimes to the riot, the rebellion in Detroit in 1967. They’ll say some of them thought it was a call to riot, like an anthem of sorts. Was there even any truth to that?

MR: There’s no truth whatsoever. The sweet Marvin Gaye wrote the song. I happened to be standing in the studio at this window that you could see him sing. And I was able to roam around the studio because I worked in the A&R department. So I stood there and watched Marvin, which was one of my favorite pastimes. He was so fine, I gotta be real with you. I was watching him sing “Dancing in the Street” and he did a wonderful job. He saw me in the window and beckoned to me, “Come here, Martha, come here.”

When I went in he said, “I want you to sing this song for me.” And in my mind I thought, I don’t wanna be in the street. I wanna be in the studio, I wanna be in the house, I wanna be in the theater, I wanna be at the casino, I wanna be somewhere, I don’t wanna be in the street.

I didn’t know it was gonna be the hit that it was. It took me the first take to realize that the tape machine wasn’t turned on. They didn’t think I was ready to record it. The engineer, Lawrence Horn, said, “Hey man, the machine wasn’t on.” So I wanted to be angry about it, but I expressed it in my delivery of “Dancing in the Street,” if anybody listens to it and hears how excited I was.

Marvin recorded it to keep people from fighting and breaking into people’s businesses and throwing bricks and acting the fool. He thought if everybody started dancing to that beautiful music that he wrote, it would quench that riot and everything would be wonderful. Those were our intentions. However wrong they were taken is another thing altogether.

QK: You were actually onstage at the Fox Theater when the riot started happening and you had to kind of mellow the crowd out as things were going on?

MR: Yeah, they sent me out there. Said, “Come here Martha.” I thought something was wrong, my dress had unzipped or my shoes weren’t tied or something. And they said, “You gotta go on stage and tell everybody that the riot is on, there are tanks in the street, it’s an uproar. You gotta get these kids out of your dressing room and out of this theater and get to their home. There’s a curfew. There’s a siren going on. Can you hear it? Go to the stage and tell everybody they’ve got to leave quietly. Don’t run, ’cause if you panic the audience, somebody might get stampeded.” He said all this to me and pushed me out on stage.

And I went to the mic and somehow God gave me the ad lib to say, “Everybody, there’s been a riot, you’ve got to go home. Leave quietly.” It worked. Everybody just calmly walked out, with be barely any sound whatsoever. It was scary. Nobody hollered out, “What do you mean?” None of that. Everybody just got up and walked out. Half of them ran, of course, because you could hear the sirens. It was a horrible time.

QK: When people get to a point where they’ve really done a lot in their career and have all this vast experience, some will ask what would be your advice for the next generation, to any young artists coming up? Especially nowadays compared to Hitsville, when everything is digital, it’s streaming, people can share files, and is an artist even gonna earn anything from their work? And you don’t have the big A&R departments spending zillions to develop you as an act. What advice would you have for people coming up in this age?

MR: I don’t know. Nobody advised me. I just went into it head first and took my chances and took what fate had for me. I’ve always tried to be righteous, I’ve always tried to be honest, and always tried to put my best foot forward. I’ve had lessons and I used them. I study other singers, singers that went before me. I imitate them in some of my moves when I sing.

On this new album, I was allowed to do whatever I felt like doing, whatever I heard in the lyrics, however I wanted to express them. I haven’t had that kind of freedom in my past recordings. I’ve almost been dictated to by the person that actually wrote the song. This time I was allowed to not only add to the lyrics of the songs already written, but to bring songs that I’ve written solely on my own. It makes me feel like not only an artist but a writer too, and a producer as well. I’d like to produce some other talent, younger talent, teach them what I’ve learned.

Everything that I’ve ever done, somebody came and got me and made me do it. Or didn’t make me, but asked me if I could. And I was willing and able. Everything in show business.

My first song was “Jesus Met the Woman at the Well” with my two older brothers at my grandfather’s church. I was three years old, but we won that candy! I still remember the words. So, since the age of three I’ve known that I got a message and God will use me. Because I can. He can’t use everybody, because everybody’s not willing. I’m a willing spirit.

“Terrorist.” “Trojan horse.” “Terrorist sympathizer.”

These are the words top Republican officials have used to describe Muslim Americans in public office since Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary two weeks ago. That’s following specific instructions from President Donald Trump about what Republicans should say to win the midterms.

In the days after El-Sayed’s win, anti-Muslim hate targeting him online rose twenty-fold. That’s according to the Center for the Study of Organized Hate. Researchers who track this say the language itself has shifted: from calling Muslims a terror threat to calling them a threat to civilization. 

Last night, that rhetoric arrived in Dearborn. Self-described anti-Islamic activist Jake Lang and Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell came to the city with a promised pig roast, timed to the city council meeting — which had been moved to the Henry Ford Centennial Library over safety concerns. Police made 22 arrests.

Photos by Isaiah Lopez, WDET

Jake Lang’s demonstration comes a week after an Alaska man was federally charged for threatening to kill Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud.

The mayor has been answering this with something other than anger. Host Robyn Vincent spoke with Hammoud about what that message is, and how he’s working to keep Dearborn residents safe.

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 stream on-demand.

Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

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 Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, or ACCESS, is hosting its 11th annual Back to School Health Fair from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Community Health and Research Center in Dearborn.

Mona Makki, director of the ACCESS Community Health and Research Center, says the organization has hosted the event for the past decade. This year, organizers are putting an increased focus on providing essential hygiene products after hearing from families, community members and school administrators about the need.

Makki says about 2,000 people are expected to attend.

The fair will also include vision and health screenings, free haircuts for hundreds of children and other community resources.

People can RSVP by calling 313-216-2200.

Michigan Immigrant Rights Center loses federal contract for legal services

The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center says its federal contract to provide legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children has ended, leaving hundreds of children without legal representation.

Last year, MIRC represented about 1,100 children. This year, the organization says it can take on only 420 cases. MIRC also expects to lose about 70 staff members in October because of the funding loss.

The organization says it will maintain offices in Detroit, Ypsilanti, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Lansing, and its other programs will continue.

Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act in 2008, establishing protections for unaccompanied children, including access to legal services. MIRC says the Trump administration sought to end federal funding that provided legal representation for unaccompanied immigrant children. Its contract with the federal government ended Aug. 1.

People can learn more about MIRC and ways to donate or volunteer.

Detroit to honor Imam Abdullah El-Amin with street designation

The city of Detroit will unveil a new street sign honoring the late Imam Abdullah El-Amin, co-founder of the Muslim Center.

Abdullah El-Amin Way will be designated at Woodrow Wilson and Davison streets near the Muslim Center. Dream of Detroit, Carey Strategy Group and Legacy Story Keepers are among the organizations hosting the street-naming ceremony.

El-Amin was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and moved to Detroit when he was 7. He spent decades serving the community through interfaith efforts and other civic work.

El-Amin co-founded the Muslim Center with his wife, Dr. Cheryl El-Amin, in 1983. He served as the first executive director of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan and as a Neighborhood City Hall manager under Mayor Dennis Archer from 1994 to 2001. He was also a columnist for the Muslim Observer, an author and a provider of funeral services for Muslim families.

The unveiling will take place from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at 13148 Woodrow Wilson St.

Register for the Abdullah El-Amin Way unveiling through Dream of Detroit.

Taste of Hamtramck fundraiser supports local food pantry

Detroit Friendship House is hosting a curated walking food festival featuring several Hamtramck restaurants, including New Palace Bakery, Polish Village Cafe, Srodek’s and Amicci’s Pizza.

Taste of Hamtramck: Take a Bite Out of Hunger will showcase the city’s culinary heritage while raising money for Detroit Friendship House programs that provide nutritious food and other resources to local families.

Tickets are $85, with proceeds benefiting Detroit Friendship House.

Taste of Hamtramck takes place from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30.

Reserve a spot for Taste of Hamtramck through Detroit Friendship House.

Happy retirement, Jerome Vaughn

And finally, WDET wishes a happy retirement to News Director Jerome Vaughn, creator of the Detroit Evening Report podcast.

You will be missed, Jerome, but certainly not forgotten.

The nonprofit Little Traverse Conservancy wants to purchase a 160 acre lot of forest near Harbor Springs and create a wildlife corridor.

The current owners are on board. They’ve allowed public access to the land for years, and plan to donate an additional 20 acres to the organization.

Emily Hughes, chief development officer for the conservancy, says that they’ve raised $2.7 million of the $3 million goal. Many supporters are apart of the local community, who have been using the property with permission of the owners.

“As of today, 69 families have supported this effort,” says Hughes. “So this is now an opportunity to include even more people who want to help protect this land forever.”

The land is adjacent to 80 acres of public trails. After the purchase, Little Traverse Conservancy plans to add new trails and build a parking area.

This story is a part of WDET’s ongoing series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

Jerome Vaughn will tell you it all started with a Panasonic ball-and-chain radio gifted to him by his mother. He was hooked on the voices and foley art that created clear pictures in his mind, all through sound alone.

 ”I was one of those kids who slept with a radio on my nightstand. And even now, I’m one of those people, if I’m driving around late at night, I’m flipping around on the AM radio to see what station I can get from how far away.”

Now, Jerome looks back on a celebrated career in radio news on the brink of retirement. He’s spent 34 years at WDET, where he got to tell the real stories of his hometown. During his time at the station, he’s been an intern, an underwriter, a producer, a reporter, senior news editor, assistant news director…

And he’s spent over 20 years as WDET’s news director.

“WDET is really a special place,” said Jerome. “And Detroit is my favorite place on the face of the Earth.”

Detroit born and raised, Jerome has always held his hometown close. He recalls how media once depicted only the worst of Detroit—sometimes fabricating things altogether to push the narrative of it being a dangerous place, beyond redemption. He worked to set the record straight.

While he covered insightful stories about the metro Detroit region, he worked to make sure that people of color had a voice in news. As a part of that mission, he founded WDET’s Detroit Evening Report Program that tells news for and by people of color.

His dedication to ethical, accurate reporting has earned him many recognitions over the years, including awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, Michigan Associated Press, and Society of Professional Journalists. In 2018, he was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame.

Jerome is also a passionate mentor for WDET interns and beyond. He’s helped kickstart many careers in broadcast, and is always ready to help more young journalists build the skills and networks needed to enter the field.

“I knew that I wasn’t gonna be here, working at WDET in my 90s. I want to make sure that there’s quality public radio being created, you know, so that I can enjoy it after I’ve retired,” Jerome said with a wry smile.

“Jerome’s impact on WDET is deep and lasting. Futhermore, the whole Detroit journalism industry owes a lot to this man, who lives and breathes news. WDET will do its best to continue along the path Jerome helped set while missing his wisdom and humor,” said General Manager Mary Zatina.

Jerome’s final broadcast on WDET will be Monday, Aug. 17 for All Things Considered – Detroit, from 3-7 p.m.

A lasting legacy

At a retirement celebration on Aug. 14, Jerome was surprised with the creation of a permanent internship in his name, honoring his decades of mentorship and the many WDET interns he has helped launch into their careers. The Jerome Vaughn Internship was made possible through gifts from generous WDET donors and members of the newsroom.

The rise in measles across the U.S. coincides with falling vaccination rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed almost 2,500 cases of the disease in 2026, the highest number since the 1990s.

Measles had been virtually eliminated in America by the year 2000. The anti-vaccine movement has gained strength in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health experts say social media has allowed vaccine misinformation to spread. Self-styled wellness “influencers” have built large followings online, pushing unscientific claims and promoting unregulated health products.

Mariah Wellman is studying this trend. She’s an assistant professor of advertising and public relations at Michigan State University. She says many people turn to the internet because they might not have access to health care.

“They may not see their doctor on a consistent basis,” Wellman says. “They may not have a doctor they necessarily trust.”

(Un)healthy skepticism?

Wellman says many people no longer trust the medical establishment. And they feel like they can get answers online faster than they can from a doctor or health care provider. She says wellness gurus take advantage of that.

“Wellness influencers do a great job of building relationships that make the viewer feel like the influencer really sees them, hears them, knows them, and values them,” she says.

Once people accept misinformation as truth, Wellman says it’s difficult to convince them otherwise.

“It’s incredibly hard to change their minds,” she says.

What’s good for the goose…

But some health experts are turning that around. Wellman says many qualified people in their fields are learning how to use social media to turn the tide.

“We’re seeing some evidence that these expert influencers are growing in their popularity online,” she says. “People are reaching out to them, saying, ‘yes, actually this content has changed my mind.'”

Wellman is writing a book on the strategies wellness influencers use to make people believe they’re authority figures. The book comes out in 2027.

Note: The following story mentions suicide. 

The National Poll on Healthy Aging recently surveyed adults 50 and up to find out whether they use the 9-8-8 helpline. 

The survey found 31%of older adults never heard of the mental health crisis helpline.

“Another 38% had not heard of 988, but had heard of other mental health crisis lines, things like the Trevor Project or the Veterans Crisis Line,” says Kevin Saulnier, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor with the University of Michigan.

Saulnier says the survey also found that men were less aware and less likely to use 9-8-8 for mental health crises.

Saulnier says many adults 50 and up depend on other sources of assistance.

“So the majority of people said that in the case of a mental health crisis, they would reach out to family or friends, with 83% of people. Saying that they would be likely to take that approach, 82% said they would be likely to contact their regular healthcare provider,” he shares.

Another 73% say they would reach out to a mental health care professional directly, rather than using the helpline.

Saulnier says the helpline can fill a gap in service by providing counselors on call 24/7, all year long.

While the helpline can be an effective resource for people going through a mental health crisis, people can face barriers to access.

“Barriers to 988 awareness and 988 use might be greater in places with less access to mental health professionals, or limited internet, transportation challenges, or fewer trusted points of access to care,” says Saulnier.

According to Saulnier, the free confidential helpline works with trained mental health professionals to provide mostly talk therapy. However, they do work with crisis intervention teams or emergency responders in the case of suicide or serious concerns.

He also says people can call anonymously for themselves or others by calling or texting 9-8-8 or using the chat feature on the website 988lifeline.org.

According to Booketic, 55% of Gen Z say they read for fun at least once a week. John King, owner of John K. King Used and Rare Books in Detroit, has more quantifying evidence. 

“Sales have increased for the first six months of this year by 6% so people are buying books. Records were coming back, cassettes I heard were coming back, but books were always there,” says King. He says they’re gaining popularity again because younger people are drawn to media they can hold in their hands, and not have to charge. 

King says he began collecting used books in 1965 out of the back of a 1954 Packard. Once he found a reliable building to settle into, his collection grew into what is now the biggest used bookstore in Michigan.

Throughout the years, he has found some unique objects.

Janelle Spann, an employee at John King’s made sure to emphasize that their rare book section was for serious collectors. But when she is in the main building, she sees all kinds of customers. 

“There’s a ton of young people that come every Saturday and on their days off. So really, I guess your social media is the one who spreads it,” Spann says.

Owning what you pay for

Oliver English was in the history section with a book on Mesoamerican mythology. They think it’s important to be able to keep the books they buy in an era of endless subscriptions. “As more things go online, it’s definitely more important to be able to hold something, and especially right now, ownership of things, especially online, is moving more towards a rental model. And the thing about physical books is, once you buy it once, you own it.”

The younger employees at John King share the same opinion. Julian Kane, who was on the floor helping customers, points to another looming threat to the way reading used to be. 

“I think there is a certain panic in the like in Generation Z or whatever they call it of the AI blowup or any kind of technology that threatens us. I know some people are really excited about it too and see it as a thing that helps them. “

Getting kids invested in reading

Kane’s coworker Shantenay Doss finds young adult novels interesting to read because they’re written for her age group. She says that even younger kids are coming back since their parents have tried to improve their education. 

“We have a a literary problem. I think that’s the word I’m using using correctly. But yeah, not a lot of kids are reading anymore, and I don’t even think they’re teaching it well in schools either anymore. So I think now people are coming back and realizing like we got to get to reading again. “

Both Doss and Kane have been surrounded by books their entire lives. Doss says she spent most of her childhood in the library, while Kane found a greater appreciation for physical books as he got older. They both sought out John King’s because of their love for books and found the perfect environment. 

“This is kind of a time capsule of a store, and the physical media here has so much charm,” says Kane. “There’s a smell that’s like old books, and it smells like your grandma’s basement or something. “

But people wouldn’t be talking about a decrease in reading if it wasn’t becoming a real issue. English says an open mind could be the key to taking a chance on a book. 

“Well, there’s so many of them. Statistically, there’s going to be one you like. You and also, you have to have an open mind. If you go in saying ‘I don’t like books,’ then you’re not going to find one. But if you go in saying I’ll look at the titles, even if the cover looks pretty, just pick it up, and maybe you’ll like it.”

Open minds, open books

King is prepared for open minds. He says he makes sure to keep the books he knows people want in stock, so they can find the next thing they might fall in love with.

“The rarity basically is not that important. We’re more interested in filling the needs of the people, and most of the people want Tolkien, they want Philip K. Dick, they want Jane Austen. So those are are golden books for us because… they’re 100% sellers. “

Even if customers don’t buy a book, Julian Kane says the experience of going to John King’s is a memorable one—even if it’s a bit overwhelming at first. “It’s it’s one of those stores you go into and you’re like ‘what is going on, like how do I find anything?’ But you get absorbed into the novelty of it. The first time you come in you’re like, ‘okay wow I could really spend hours here the next time I come back.'” 

In King’s words finding the right book is like a lottery—you don’t win every day, but now and then you’ll find something thrilling.

The United Farm Workers Foundation (UFW), which advocates for farm workers and immigrants in the U.S., recently released a survey finding most farmworkers expressed increased worry about detention and deportation stemming from the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown.

Anna Hill Galendez is the managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC). She leads the farmworker and immigrant worker rights team, providing legal services to farmworkers throughout Michigan.

“While we haven’t seen large-scale raids at agricultural sites in Michigan during this administration, the constant threat or potential threat of that enforcement has really created a chilling effect and climate of fear for farmworkers in Michigan,” she says.

The survey found people are also afraid of seeking medical help, shopping, or using social media.

Many have been working in the U.S. for more than 10 years.

The survey finds half of the agricultural workforce is made up by undocumented workers.

Galendez says more than one-third of Michigan’s agricultural crops depend on labor intensive practices.

“We’re seeing a huge growth in the use of the H-2A temporary visa program, and it’s grown more than 45 times larger since 2012. Last year, Michigan had nearly 16,000 H-2A positions certified for temporary visa workers to come,” she says.

Galendez says the fear of detention and deportation also impacts employment conditions for farm workers with some employers delaying payment and wages.

While migrants have an increased fear of immigration enforcement, Galendez says that MIRC is seeing more local law enforcement helping federal agencies.

“Sometimes in what look to be pretextual types of traffic stops… questioning people and then calling ICE or CBP, sometimes engaging in unlawful practices such as demanding passengers provide their identification,” she explains.

The survey found raids and deportations affect employment, health, and family separation for many people who have lived in the U.S. for 10 years or longer.

The UFW Foundation research surveyed 2,250 farm workers in 12 states, including Michigan.

Michigan officials and advocates often say the state needs to give college graduates a reason to stay here and not look for economic opportunities elsewhere.

But a new report finds Michigan is actually doing a better job of keeping its homegrown students at home than many suggest.

The study, “Talent in Motion,” comes from the non-profit Strada Education Foundation.

The group’s research director at its Institute for the Future of Work is Dr. Peter Bahr. He says college-educated workers are still a key part of creating a thriving workplace.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

Peter Bahr: We know that the highly educated populations help create and sustain economic growth. And as a result of that, many states, including Michigan, have set very ambitious goals to expand their college-educated workforces. But states are making investments to achieve those goals somewhat blind, without the critical information about where their college-educated workers actually come from. We conducted this study to help solve that problem. And we created the most complete portrait to date of the sources of states’ college-educated workers.

One of the most surprising findings was that, despite much attention to recruiting college-educated workers from other areas, a state’s main source of college-educated talent is their own high schools. Across the nation about 2/3 of college-educated workers live in the state where they graduated from high school. And 55 % graduated from both high school and college in the state where they now work. Michigan, however, was remarkable because it had 72%, the highest share of college-educated workers who had graduated from both high school and college in the same state.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: You’d worked as a professor for the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. With that background, what did you think when you saw this data?

PB: I was surprised by how prominent Michigan was in that regard, what a strong share it had. I had heard for many years about the retention rate issue. And to see that Michigan is actually ahead of the average in terms of the retention of college graduates, I thought it was a very encouraging finding for a state that I think is just a wonderful place. On the other hand, many states are struggling with the contraction in their workforce driven by other factors, including retirements from the Baby Boom generation. That’s a big one with Michigan.

QK: You hear so much from government officials and others about the “brain drain” and the state losing homegrown talent. What are you finding in terms of how universities and state governments, for that matter, are operating to keep and retain talent?

PB: You’re definitely pointing to an important issue. We didn’t tackle that specifically in this report, but what we did find was related. College-educated workers that graduated from public colleges and universities are much more likely to be in that homegrown segment. And that’s especially true of the broad access publics like the regional four-year universities. I’m thinking Eastern Michigan, Western, Central. The share of their graduates that are homegrown is exceptionally high. We can contrast that with private institutions, where there’s a much smaller share of graduates who are homegrown. The public institutions, particularly non-selective or less selective, broad access, regional institutions are very much the backbone of the talent production pipeline.

In addition, colleges and universities can be part of the solution too. They need to make sure that their programs are connected to real opportunities in the workforce. And then reinforce those bridges to quality jobs by engaging their local employers in work-based learning opportunities for their students.

QK: And that’s not happening that much currently?

PB: I think everybody has got this on their mind. But it isn’t something that’s necessarily at the top of the priority list. But it is a key element of ensuring that graduates can get quality jobs.

If you’re looking for the Loomi Cart on (most) Thursdays at Bumbo’s Bar in Hamtramck, it’s not hard to miss. Just walk outside to the patio where chef Andrew Stevick is getting the coals hot inside of a shopping cart that he’s rigged into a grill. 

It’s one of the most bizarre set-ups I’ve seen, but instantly makes Stevick’s pop-up a visually intriguing one. 

The food follows suit. 

Stevick’s cooking is colorful and rustic. His al pastor tostada offers big slabs of marinated meat and chunks of pineapple all splayed over a massive fried chip. It’s a meaty portion, essentially spilling over the plate and feels like something you’d get at a friend’s holiday barbecue (if your friend was as good a chef as Stevick).

Or how about a watermelon salad that’s served like a steak and just as satisfying to cut into? This is a surprising, beautifully bright dish with the fresh watermelon activated by lime juice and tajin, covered in a chipotle vinaigrette, jellied and pickled jalapeños on top, and a sprinkle of queso fresco. It’s a full-on sensory display: the satisfying feel of cutting into it, the flavor itself, and the humble presentation — a paper plate in the bar’s backyard, smoke from the shopping cart grill filling the air.

Open late

“We usually sell 80% of our food by 9 p.m. and then I like to stick around for the industry people. It picks up with all the late-nighters,” says Stevick. “That’s what people want in Detroit. There’s not enough good late-night food. I can only go to Grandy’s Coney Island so many times.”

Stevick’s ethos of serving service industry folks and staying open late adds another layer of flavor and character to Loomi Cart, which is undoubtedly the best food I’ve had in the city this year. 

To boot, the energy his pop-up brings to Bumbo’s on a Thursday night truly feels like a thriving nightlife scene you’d expect in cities and countries overseas with a more robust embrace of nighttime economy and culture.

Worldly flavors

Stevick’s perspective and flavor profile are both from his own background and travels.

After closing the brick-and-mortar version of Loomi in Ann Arbor in 2022, Stevick took a sabbatical and headed to South America, traveling and cooking through Peru, Argentina (where he says he got the idea for the mobile shopping cart grill), and Mexico. Stevick took those experiences and blended them with his family’s Palestinian roots to mix Middle Eastern influence with South American cooking with a sprinkle of his time living in Arizona in a Mexican neighborhood.

All of that experience and flavor shows up on every plate from Loomi Cart, one of the most exciting and visually stunning culinary experiences in the city right now.

This story was originally published on Midbrow.

Documentary photographer Syed Yaqeen is the founder of the American Muslim Experience documentary project. He created the project to preserve the stories of American Muslims through visual storytelling and conversations. 

“It’s just everyday lives of folks going through their struggles, kids going to school, people going to their work, and all of that is what the one thing that connects. And they happen to be Muslims,” he says.

Yaqeen began American Muslim Experience as a passion project around 2017. The multimedia platform became a nonprofit in December 2025.

Coming to Michigan

This week, the Pennsylvania-based photographer is visiting Hamtramck, Detroit, and Dearborn to gather pictures of people. 

“Michigan is so interesting because you can go in a half-mile drive radius and have every different ethnic background Muslims and their specific areas where there are specific people from parts of the world, but also in between you have the local and long term Black Muslim community, which are such a historic community, ” he shares.

Yaqeen says he was inspired to begin this project after noticing that American Muslims are portrayed negatively in the public eye. 

“When you think of a Muslim in America or a Muslim, who that person can be, and you might not imagine the person you’re seeing right now as what you think a Muslim is,” he says.

A diverse religious community 

He says American Muslims are among the most diverse Muslim communities in the world. 

Yaqeen, who has two sons, says he also wanted to create positive representation of everyday Muslims for his kids, and others.

“It’s definitely a learning process for myself, and I want to share that with the rest of the community, with everyone,” he says.

Yaqeen says the American Muslim Experience project is a way for Americans to learn about Muslims, but also for Muslims to see themselves in the public. 

“Even inside the Muslim community, it’s such a needed visual representation,” he says.

Yaqeen previously worked on the Muslims for American Progress by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), which featured Muslims from all walks of life. He says he got a taste of what this work could look like long-term.

“A lot of this misunderstanding comes from a point of where whoever has that negative idea so often, if not almost always, has never actually met someone who’s Muslim or don’t know anyone who is Muslim,” he explains.

“They just have this stereotypical idea in their head, and they go with it. So all of this work, I think ISPU’s work, and what I’m trying to do, comes back to that point that… get to know the folks.”

Contemporary archive in the making

American Muslim Experience is now a nonprofit. Yaqeen says the work will expand to include educational programming and community conversations.

“We’re hoping for it to be a place where a lot of different storytelling and… community events and all that stuff is housed in one place, so it’s easy to access,” he says. 

Yaqeen says this work is important for years to come.

“Not just a Muslim community, because you hear such negative talks most of the time. But then, when you’re on the ground with the people, you realize there is so much going on. They’re doing amazing work. They’re building community,” he elaborates.

He says American Muslims have played an important role in the country.

“We’re very much part of the history of this country, but also we plan to be part of this country going forward. So to you know have that documented, recorded, and preserved going forward, I think will be very important,” he says.

Yaqeen is collecting photographs and interviews this week. You can find him on Instagram @americanmuslimexperience to schedule a session.

Since the pandemic, overdose deaths are continuing to decline in Michigan. The number is dropping quickly in Metro Detroit. 

There are a lot of possible explanations for the decline. Narcan is more readily available, the state has turned toward a harm-reduction approach, and the pandemic, when people were cooped up inside, is further in the rearview mirror. 

Peer recovery coaches are also a big reason for the reduction. That work received significantly more money from the state in recent years.

What does it look like to create intimacy with someone struggling with addiction, and to help them recover?

Pepper Catt is a peer recovery coach with the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities. That’s a Troy nonprofit. She spoke about all this with The Metro’s Sam Corey. 

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency seeks to approve a request from Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to redesignate what qualifies as safe ozone levels in the Detroit region. 

The change would redesignate the region as meeting federal ozone standards after years of strict standards.

EPA Regional Administrator Anne Vogel says the change is partially due to reductions in air pollution. “Redesignations lead to faster and more predictable air permitting processes, while existing pollution controls continue to drive improvements in air quality,” Vogel says. 

Environmental advocates like Nick Leonard disagree. Leonard is executive director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center.

He says ozone air pollution in the region is still above the health-based standard set by the EPA. 

“It’s been consistently above the air quality standard for the past 10 years,” Leonard says. “The EPA is nonetheless justifying its decision to find that air quality is attaining the standard… because they’re pinning the blame for a few high ozone days on wildfire smoke from the last few years.”

Officials say the change will ease the permitting process for industrial projects, which could help the region’s economy. 

Public comment on the proposal is open until Aug. 27.

WDET is gathering Metro Detroiters’ views of the current political landscape as part of our Citizen Vox project.

That includes Detroiter George Thompson, who we caught up with at a Midtown QLINE streetcar stop.

He says he knows citizens are supposed to have the ultimate political power: their vote.

But Thompson says he fears the typical resident has little say in what government does.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

George Thompson: Because a lot of times decisions are made from behind closed doors, where people are not allowed to go in to hear what’s going on, or pass on their opinion and try to persuade. It’s all about whoever got the political movements to make the money to give to the politicians to do the decisions that they want them to do. It’s big business. So, basically, whoever’s got the money can run it. Whoever got the money, the connections and know the people within the circle, they got the power to make whatever happens in this country happen.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Whoever is elected to any of the offices in play, senate, governor, etc., what issues would you like to see them tackle that would be particularly important to you?

GT: Anything dealing with human rights, man, and human welfare. Giving people an opportunity to live the American dream, work hard and fulfill their dreams, hopes, and desires. A man’s home is his castle. So a man needs a place to stay. He needs to be working somewhere so he can take care of the place, raise a family to be productive citizens of this country, and live the American dream that was set for us when the founding fathers founded this country.

But right now it ain’t about that. Because if you look around, you see people who are hungry, people who are struggling, gas prices are out of control. People can’t really enjoy life like they should be. You take a pay check in one hand and it goes out the other. Inflation’s going up, but the checks ain’t going up along with it. So we’re going through some hard times right now. And it seems that nobody is really trying to help to fulfill that for us.

QK: When you talk about helping with the American dream, is there anything in particular that you’d like to see? Lowering prices somehow, trying to get more affordable housing, things like that?

GT: One thing is, before we help other countries, man, we got to make sure our country is up to par. Because we got issues and problems that we need to address seriously to help our country be strong enough so that we can be able to help others. How are we gonna help somebody with a flat tire and we got four flat tires?

There are people out here who don’t want to work, I understand that. But people who are looking for something, help them find enough minimum wage to attain some of the things that they desire in life. Shoot, I remember when rent prices were like $450. Now it’s double and triple that for the same place.

We are still making $14, $12, $10 an hour. And they think that’s supposed to be enough to attain a nice decent apartment or a roof over our head for our family. But it’s not. We struggling, man. And it’s hard. Gas prices are going up. There’s more problems now than ever. Everything just went crazy, man. It makes no sense. You give us something, then you triple up everything else to get the money back. And that’s not right. Not right at all.

Officials in Oakland County and Pontiac are celebrating the completion of a $3 million renovation of Pontiac Oaks Park, turning a once-neglected city park into a cleaner, more welcoming place for families to enjoy. 

The park, previously called Hawthorne Park, had problems with illegal trash dumping and run down facilities. Oakland County Parks Planning Supervisor Simon Rivers explains that the county worked closely with local residents to find out what improvements the community really wanted. 

“There was a lot of trash and illegal dumping,” Rivers said. “The fishing pier was in bad shape, and the playground was falling apart in several spots.” 

The county partnered with the city to restore the area. Pontiac will keep ownership of the park, while the county takes over maintenance and construction of new facilities. 

Rivers mentions that upgrades include fixing up the popular fishing pier, renovating the bathrooms, adding new playground equipment, and expanding the disc golf course. 

“We’re making improvements that the community actually wants to see, instead of trying to do things we think are best,” Rivers said. 

Pontiac Oaks is one of several parks being renewed across the county. 

Rivers also says there are plans to improve parks in Southfield, Madison Heights, and Waterford.

This story is a part of WDET’s ongoing series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project.