Highland Park is an odd shape—a trapezoid to be exact. Its borders include West McNichols Road on the north side, railroad tracks along the eastern edge, alleys behind Tennyson and Tuxedo streets to the south, and the Lodge freeway forming part of its western boundary.

These have been Highland Park’s city limits since officials incorporated it 1918.

That’s how it managed to avoid becoming part of Detroit, which had already annexed most of the surrounding land.

Leaders and residents wanted autonomy

Jeff Horner is a professor at Wayne State University‘s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. He says Detroit wanted to absorb Highland Park even before the latter became a city.

“Highland Park was not open to the idea of being absorbed,” Horner says. “They wanted to have some local autonomy.”

Michigan’s Home Rule law in 1909 made it difficult for one city to annex another. That same year, Henry Ford finished building his Model T factory in Highland Park. It was the first Ford plant to use an assembly line. Horner says the city’s population exploded.

“From the 1910 U.S. census to the 1920 census, the population of the city grew by over 1,000% from about 4,500 to about 45,000,” Horner says. “That is remarkable growth.”

Auto industry drove growth

Highland Park kept growing until 1930, peaking at almost 53,000 people. Marsha Battle Philpot grew up in the city and has written about its history. She says Henry Ford’s offer of $5 a day to work on his assembly line drew thousands of people from across the country.

“This was an astronomical sum in those days,” she says. “Maybe an average person might make $5 a month”.

The city’s population steadily declined through the 1930s and 1940s. But it was still relatively prosperous. Philpot says the schools were among Michigan’s best in the 1950s and 1960s.

“Even our elementary schools had swimming pools,” Philpot says. “It was really an extraordinary place to live.”

But good schools were not enough to keep people from leaving the city decade after decade. Ford eventually closed its Highland Park factory, which is now a Michigan historical landmark. Chrysler moved its headquarters, established in 1925, from Highland Park to Auburn Hills. The city’s tax base evaporated. It had so much trouble paying its bills its streetlights were repossessed. State-appointed emergency managers ran the city and the school district for much of the early 2000s, closing the McGregor Library and the high school. Glenda McDonald, Highland Park’s mayor since 2022, says those decisions hit young people especially hard.

“Children need a place to go, and literacy is a very important part of our children’s learning,” the mayor says. “It kind of put a very bad taste in people’s mouths.”

Lansing takes over

McDonald says emergency management didn’t solve Highland Park’s long-term financial problems. One was literally bubbling under the surface: leaky water pipes, some more than 100 years old. The city incurred tens of millions of dollars in debt to the Great Lakes Water Authority. Each side sued the other with the city accusing GLWA of overcharging residents who were too poor to pay for water. The legal dispute pushed Highland Park to the brink of financial ruin.

In 2023, the state intervened again, this time giving the city $100 million to pay its debt and fix its water infrastructure. McDonald says workers are now replacing every lead water line in town.

“We’re working with the state, we’re working with GLWA, and hopefully we’ll continue moving forward that way,” McDonald says.

Had the state not thrown Highland Park that lifeline, the city likely would have filed for bankruptcy. The financial crisis raised a question: would Highland Park be better off becoming part of Detroit? The mayor demurred.

“Blasphemy,” she says.

Legal hurdles, local pride make merging difficult

For one local government to absorb another, state law requires residents of both communities to vote in favor of it after weighing the pros and cons. Stephanie Leiser directs the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy. She says uniting Detroit and Highland Park could reduce bureaucracy.

“You can eliminate some layer of management there,” she says. “They don’t need to have an additional mayor and a clerk and all of those things.”

But Leiser says there’s not a ton of evidence that it would help Highland Park financially.

“They’re not going to save money necessarily on like plowing the roads, picking up trash, or maintaining the infrastructure,” she says.

Leiser says Highland Park’s finances are in better shape than they were when officials were considering bankruptcy in 2023. But it still has challenges, such as high property taxes.

Highland Park has some of Wayne County’s highest millage rates

In 2025, the city’s millage rate for principal residences was 63.221. That’s $63.22 for every $1,000 of a home’s taxable value. The non-homestead rate as over 79 mills. Rates for industrial and commercial personal property were over 57 mills and 67 mills respectively.

Former Highland Park Councilman Ken Bates says the city’s millage rates and pervasive poverty make it hard to attract new investment.

“We have to look into the future as to what will help Highland Park become sustainable,” he says. “What kind of industry should we count on?”

Bates says city leaders need a plan and the expertise to implement it.

“If not, it’s just you maintaining the status quo year after year,” he says. “You’re just one disaster away from financial calamity.”

More than just lines on a map

Bates says Highland Parkers are fiercely loyal to their community and that most want to remain a city within a city. Resident Michael Williams, Sr. admits he wouldn’t rule out becoming part of Detroit.

“We would get more popularity, probably more services,” Williams says.

But other residents, like Kim McDade, don’t see the benefit of giving up Highland Park’s identity.

“Highland Park needs to be given a chance to continue to build,” McDade says. “Our mayor is doing a great job in doing some things and making connections with the right people.”

Mayor Glenda McDonald says the city’s greatest strength is its people.

“They’re resilient, they’re loving, they’re kind, and we take care of each other,” she says. “I know a person on every single street.”

The mayor says that resilience defines Highland Park more than its shape on a map.

There has been a lot of discussion in the recent years about the direction romance is heading. The marriage rate is lower than it was at the turn of the century, technology has shaped the way dating is measured, and people are embracing new forms of the practice.

Jessica Moorman, an associate professor of communication at Wayne State University, joined the show to discuss the state of today’s dating scene, how complicated it can be, and whether coupling should even be the goal.

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Technology changes the world around us at a fast pace. So fast, our jobs, the way we communicate, even the way we move around hardly resemble what they were like 10 or 15 years ago.   

Typically, new technology becomes the standard and the old one becomes obsolete. The music industry is very familiar with this.  The songwriters and producers of today create music in bedrooms instead of major studios.

Vinyl records break this rule. In recent years, records have consistently generated the most revenue among all physical music formats. That’s due in part to Record Store Day which molded younger music fans into collectors. They leap frogged cassette tapes and CDs, which were considered more advanced than records when they were released. 

Jeremy Peters, a music business professor from Wayne State University, joined the show to discuss what in the last 20 years catapulted vinyl records back into the mainstream.

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The United States has a long history of deciding what Iranians want. Saturday, it happened again.

Without Congressional authorization, President Trump and Israel launched strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader and hundreds of civilians, including as many as 165 children at a girls’ elementary school. Trump says he is giving Iranians a chance at freedom. But 92 million people live in Iran, and reducing them to a single story is something the United States has done before, with devastating consequences.

Saeed Khan, associate professor of Near Eastern Studies at Wayne State University, specializes in the politics and history of the Middle East. He joined Robyn Vincent to discuss the history the U.S. tends to ignore and the costs of reducing Iranians to a single story.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Mayor Mary Sheffield has hired Dearborn’s former Chief Public Health Officer to fulfill the same role in Detroit. Ali Abazeed is credited with building Dearborn’s public health department from the ground up. He also worked in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the pandemic. 

Abazeed says he is looking for bold ideas to improve public health in Detroit. He is credited with achieving a 60% reduction in drug overdoses and expanding air quality testing in the city of Dearborn. Abazeed also brought the Rx Kids program to Dearborn, the same program Mayor Sheffield launched in Detroit earlier this year. 

Additional headlines from Monday, March 2, 2026

DPSCD offers Ramadan meals to students

Detroit Public Schools Community District is offering Ramadan meals to students fasting during the month-long holiday. Meals are available for pick up between 2 and 3:30pm from school cafeterias.

Each meal package includes one breakfast and one lunch distributed to students who attend school that day. Ramadan meals are available school days until March 17. 

Temple Beth El tour

Temple Beth El is opening its doors to the community for an exploration of history and faith. Attendees will learn about Judaism and the history of the Temple Beth El congregation and it’s impact on southeastern Michigan.

The evening includes a tour of the synagogue and a meal. The event is Tuesday, March 12 at 6 p.m. It’s a part of the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metro Detroit’s Interfaith Odysseys program. Registration is $35 for individuals and $50 for families.

Southwest Detroit Loteria fundraiser

Community members and Wayne State University alumni are invited to play a Southwest Detroit edition of Loteria Wednesday. The event is a fundraiser for the joint alumni association for Wayne State’s Latino en Marcha, Chicano Boricua Studies and Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies programs.

This version of Loteria showcases people and businesses in Southwest Detroit. There will be Loteria-inspired merchandise for sale connected to each program. Funds support the Dr. Jorge Chinea Endowment.

A $100 donation buys a Loteria board. The event is Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Mexicantown Community Development Corporation at 2835 Bagley Street. 

Lunar eclipse

Metro Detroiters will be able to see a total lunar eclipse Tuesday morning…if the weather cooperates.

The moon will enter the Earth’s shadow overnight, and a partial eclipse will begin around 4:50 a.m. Totality will last for about an hour between 6 and 7 a.m., during which the moon will appear to be red. 

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

If you have lived in Detroit for a while, you’ve heard the city’s revival narrative. The magazines, the national news, the awards —they proclaim Detroit is back. Many Detroiters have bristled at this. Back from where? They never left.

That phrase — “Detroit never left” — is the counter. It is emblazoned on T-shirts, stickers, and murals. Detroiters utter these words to take back the narrative. But from whom?

In her new book, “Detroit Never Left: Black Space, White Borders, Latino Crossings,” Nicole Trujillo-Pagán makes the case that powerful outsiders have long defined Detroit’s problems at the expense of residents. 

She argues foundations, banks, the state, and national media used words like “blight” and “vacancy” to define the city’s problems in ways that benefited themselves while excluding Detroiters.

She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how Detroit’s comeback has looked different depending on where you stand.

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Wayne State University has a new president.  The school’s Board of Governors elected Richard Bierschbach as the 14^th president of the university at a special meeting Tuesday.  

Bierschbach has served as Wayne State’s interim president since the departure of Kimberly Andrews Espy last September.  Before becoming interim president, he was the dean of Wayne State’s law school.  While there, Bierschbach helped the law school rise from a national ranking of 100^th in 2017 to 55^th best in the U.S. now. 

Additional headlines for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026

Tlaib heckles Trump during State of the Union 

Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib heckled President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address Tuesday night.  The Detroit Democrat called the president a liar during his remarks.  She wore an anti-ICE button, as well.

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also jeered at Trump during the event.  Trump responded by saying the Democrats should be ashamed of themselves. 

Whitmer to deliver State of the State tonight 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivers her final State of the State address Wednesday.  She’s expected to tout her accomplishments over the past year and lay out her vision for the future of Michigan.  

Whitmer is expected to spend a portion of her speech talking about the importance of creating more affordable housing options for Michiganders. That includes plans for a new affordable housing tax credit.

You can hear the State of the State tonight at 7 p.m. on 101.9 WDET FM or at WDET.org. 

Flags lowered to half-staff to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson 

U.S. and Michigan flags across the state will fly at half-staff Thursday and Friday.  Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered the action in honor of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.  

Jackson died last week at age 84.  In a statement, Whitmer says, “Rev. Jackson had a special connection to Michigan and especially the city of Detroit.”  

BET reports Jackson will lie in state at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago tomorrow and Friday.  A private homegoing service will take place on March 7.  That event will be livestreamed. 

Ford recalls more than 400,000 SUVs 

Ford is recalling almost 414,000 Explorer SUVs because of possible steering problems.  

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says certain vehicles from the 2013 through 2017 model years could have faulty rear suspension toe links that could break.  The problem could make it hard to steer the vehicle.  

Affected owners will be notified by mail.  Repairs will be made at no cost to consumers. 

First place Pistons face Oklahoma City 

The Detroit Pistons play the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight in a battle of NBA first place teams.  The Pistons are first in the Eastern Conference with a record of 42 wins and 14 losses.  The Thunder hold the top spot in the Western Conference with 45 wins and 14 losses. 

Game time at Little Caesars Arena is 7:30 p.m. tonight. 

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

Something is breaking open in Iran — and it’s been building for months. A war, then an uprising, then a massacre, and now a nuclear deal on the table.

Last summer, Israel and the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear sites in a 12-day war. In late December, millions of Iranians took to the streets in the largest protests since the 1979 revolution, driven by economic collapse, a cratering currency, and decades of grievance. The regime responded with what human rights groups are calling the worst government massacre in Iran’s modern history — a crackdown that, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, has killed thousands of protesters. The government imposed a near-total internet blackout, and many families still cannot reach their loved ones.

This week, American and Iranian negotiators sat down in Geneva to try to cut a nuclear deal. Iran’s foreign minister said the two sides reached an understanding on “guiding principles,” though both sides acknowledged significant gaps remain. The talks are mediated by Oman and come as the U.S. deploys two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region.

But here’s what most coverage misses: the millions of Iranians who want this regime gone don’t agree on what should come next.

Saeed Khan, Associate Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Global Studies at Wayne State University and a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Citizenship, joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to break down why what happens inside Iran matters far beyond its borders.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Wayne State University researchers are looking for ways to help people with multiple sclerosis move better.

MS is a degenerative neurological disease that makes it hard for some patients to walk and keep their balance. 

Scientists wanted to know whether a physical therapy regimen that includes walking backward could improve mobility and balance. Their new study suggests it can.

They started small

Dr. Nora Fritz led the research team. She’s the director of research for WSU’s Department of Health Sciences. She’s also a physical therapy professor.

She says they’ve been looking at this in the lab for some time.

“We noticed that some individuals tend to fall backward more frequently than forward,” Fritz says. “We also noticed that individuals tend to have more trouble walking backward than they do walking forward.”

Researchers asked eight MS patients to take part in an eight-week case study. They came to the lab once a week to do backward walking training with a neurologic physical therapist. Subjects walked on a treadmill and on the ground. They also did back-stepping exercises in the lab and at home.

Fritz says the results were encouraging.

“It seems that everyone who’s participating is experiencing some level of improvement,” she says. “They really like it and they’re finding it useful.”

The team also conducted MRI screenings before and after the eight-week program.

“We looked at how the brain changed during this period,” Fritz says. “We saw evidence that there was actually some changes in structures of the brain related to balance in just a short time.”

Results could lead to new treatment

Fritz says it’s too early to reach any conclusions from the study, but the results were good enough to begin a larger, randomized control study with 90 MS patients. That lasted six months.

“Everyone has completed the training, and we’re just in the monitoring period now,” Fritz says. “We anticipate the first papers from that study to come out within the next several months.”

The findings of the eight-week trial appear in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy.

Malcolm X was a leader during the Civil Rights Movement known for his more radical approach to advancing Black Americans rights. But he was also a young man that grew up in Michigan, known as Detroit Red.

Though most only recognize “Malcolm X,” he went by several names throughout his life. His birth name is Malcolm Little, which progressed to Malcolm X. He ended his life as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

Who was Detroit Red and how did his name change reflect his personal transformation?

Dr. Tareq A. Ramadan is an anthropologist, historic preservationist, and interdisciplinary adjunct professor of Anthropology and Near Eastern Studies at Wayne State University and at Henry Ford College. He’s also the co-founder of The Malcolm X House Historic Preservation Project along side Aaron Sims.

This month, Ramadan will take part in The Black Cannon’s program “Martin and Malcolm” where they will discuss the lives and legacies of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. 

Tareq joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to discuss how Detroit Red became Malcolm X.

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Dearborn will soon use drones to serve as the very first responders in a variety of incidents where police assistance is requested. The Drones as First Responder program is the first in Michigan. It will deploy aerial drones to any part of the city within 5 minutes to provide real-time video information about situations including traffic accidents, vehicle and property break-ins and violent crimes.

The city says the footage will allow officers to respond more safely to emergencies and complex situations and improve decision-making. They say officers will be able to better assess situations before they arrive on scene.

The police department says it will make flight data available to the public on a transparency dashboard.   

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026

Dearborn Public Schools continues search for superintendent

The search continues to find a superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools. Former superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko, stepped down from his position to serve as the State Superintendent. Lamis Srour is serving as the interim super until the position is filled. 

The district is collecting public input about the search until Feb. 16. People can fill out an online survey available in English, Arabic and Spanish. The Michigan Leadership Institute will also host stakeholder meetings Feb. 5 at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The district hopes to have a new leader ready to start on July 1, 2026.  

EPA removes hazardous materials

The Environmental Protection Agency is removing hazardous materials from a former industrial chemical plant in Detroit.

The EMCO facility on Lawton Street closed in 2023. Nine months later, someone vandalized the property and set a car on fire, which spread to a storage site containing more than 400 drums of chemicals. The Detroit Fire Department put the flames out before the drums could ignite.

The EPA says it should finish cleaning up the site this summer. 

Hollier announces state senate run

Adam Hollier announced he is no longer running for Secretary of State. Instead he will run for the state senate seat for District 3. District 3 includes Hamtramck, Highland Park and the east side of Detroit. Stephanie Chang currently represents the district. Hollier served in the state senate representing District 2 from 2018-2023. 

Detroit Red program honors Malcolm X, jazz, and Detroit

A new musical performance honoring the legacy of Malcolm X, the history of jazz, and Detroit is coming to Wayne State University. Detroit Red has a 10-piece multidisciplinary ensemble composed of artists LuFuki and Destiny Muhammad. The program will include panel discussions, workshops, and performances. 

Detroit Red will be held Feb. 8th at the Valade Jazz Center at Wayne State University.  Malcolm X gave his last speech at the university’s State Hall on February 14th in 1965. The program is hosted by DREAM of Detroit and is free to the public. To reserve your spot, visit detroitred.org. 

Konjo Me has a new location

Ethiopian food pop-up Konjo Me has found a home at the Detroit Shipping Company. The space is currently under construction, but owner Helina Melaku says it will open soon, offering fresh Ethiopian food, coffee and culture to diners in Midtown. 

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

In the past few weeks, the country has experienced an onslaught of news and information that can often be hard to process. 

From the capture and detainment of the president of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro—which included multiple civilian deaths—to the murder of U.S. citizens by ICE agents, it’s not hard to understand why some people simply check out or take matters into their own hands.

But how much of this is learned behavior? How can it be contributed to learned helplessness? The idea that no matter what you do as an individual or group, the outcome will NOT change.

Dr. Julia Felton, associate professor of psychology at Wayne State University. Dr. Felton joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to unpack learned helplessness in our society right now.

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Want to add some vigor to your vocabulary in 2026? Wayne State University can help you with that.

Every year, a group of “Word Warriors” publish a list of words that people don’t use much anymore, hoping to revive them.

It’s a counterpoint to Lake Superior State University‘s annual “banished words” list.

Chris Williams works in WSU’s Communications and Marketing Department. He says both lists have one thing in common: nominations from people who love language.

“I’ve received submissions from as far as Australia,” he says. “We have Word Warriors everywhere.”

Williams says the list celebrates the joy and precision of language.

“We don’t want to deny people to use words,” he says.

What do they mean?

The 17th Word Warriors list follows with definitions and ways to use them in a sentence:

Abnegate – To renounce or reject (something desired or valuable). “He abnegated the family inheritance to make a name for himself on his own.”

Abscond – To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft. “The burglar absconded with the money before anyone noticed he’d entered the house.”

Coterie – A small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people. “He retreated to an online chat room, where he could be surrounded by a coterie of fellow enthusiasts.”

Fluckadrift – Excessive speed or urgency of movement or action. “The kids spent most of the summer day rotting around the house but moved with a frantic fluckadrift to straighten things up once they knew Mom was on her way home from the office.”

Gudgeon – A person who is easily fooled; a gullible person. “The gudgeon believed almost everything he was told, no matter how improbable.”

Inchoate – Something just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary. “The inchoate organization was a mess of squabbling and confusion as the members learned how to work with each other.”

Psithurism – A rustling or whispering sound, such as leaves in the wind; susurration. “He left his earbuds at home and took a long walk in the woods, the blathering of podcasts replaced by the soothing soundtrack provided by the psithurism in the trees.”

Quanked – Overpowered by fatigue; exhausted or having one’s energy consumed. “After spending all of his Thanksgiving weekend managing the demands of customers, he was positively quanked and slept for 12 hours.”

Snoutfair – Having an attractive or pleasing face. “His character might leave much to be desired, but his snoutfair appearance made him a hit on TV.”

Swullocking – Overwhelmingly hot, boiling and humid weather. “He stepped outside, bracing himself for the swullocking August day.”

Anyone can submit a word

Williams says the Word Warriors are always looking for suggestions.

“Anyone who has access to our website can submit a word,” he says. “Every Monday, we post a new word.”