The Religious Leaders Forum of Metropolitan Detroit released a statement following the violent attack at Temple Israel yesterday. According to reports, a man rammed his vehicle into the synagogue yesterday afternoon, where security shot at him. He was found dead in his vehicle after the exchange of fire.

A security guard was injured but no other staff or students were harmed. There were reports of smoke during the incident, the cause of which is still under investigation.

The religious forum represents clergy and religious leaders from across metro Detroit and convene through the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit. They expressed their shock and sorrow because of the alarming event. They also committed to peace, compassion and solidarity with the Jewish community.

Additional headlines for Friday, March 13, 2026

DIA shows Oscar nominated films

The Oscars are this Sunday and to celebrate the Detroit Institute of Arts is having live screening of nominated short films in animation and live action. This annual program brings the short films to the big screen for a viewing of the top films to be recognized at the Academy Awards. For tickets and showtimes go to dia.org.

Sports updates

The Detroit Pistons are back to their winning ways after beating the 76ers 131-109. This is their second win in a row and 47th win in the season. The now face the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Little Caesers Arena.

Red Wings

The Red Wings suffered a tough loss yesterday to the Tampa Bay Lighting. Their playoff cushion is decreasing as they fall to fourth in the Atlantic Division. They hope to bounce back tomorrow against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. Game starts at 8 p.m. EST.

Soccer

And Detroit City FC play their first game of the season tomorrow against Brooklyn FC. The game kicks off at 4 p.m. at Keyworth Stadium.

313 Day events

Happy 313 Day to you and me and all the Detroiters from Rouge Park to Gross Pointe, from 8 mile to the Detroit River. There are a few events going on to celebrate Detroit.

Michigan Central Station is curating a four hour celebration of Detroit music featuring live performance and a mix of hip hop, soul, electronic and more. WDET host DJ Wajeed of The Boulevard is the curator of vibes and music for the evening. It starts at 6pm and ends at 10 p.m.

Also, the restaurant Tocororo is hosting a trivia night tonight from 6-9 p.m. You can bring your own team or show up solo. Prizes and bragging rights are on the line.

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

February is Black History Month and WDET’s Detroit Evening Report collected stories from listeners for the Black History Listening Project.

Hadiyah Ahmad is the wife of late Imam Nadir Ahmad, founder and director of Al-Ikhlas Training Academy, one of the first Islamic schools in Detroit. She serves as the Administrative Assistant at the school.

In an interview with WDET, Hadiyah Ahmad shares the story of her husband’s life.

Religion brings Ahmad to Detroit

She says they both converted to Islam from Christianity in 1973. They lived in Virginia before moving to Detroit.

Imam Nadir came to Detroit in 1980 to study Islam at Wayne County Community College’s Muslim World Studies program. Ahmad says Imam Nadir was working on writing a book.

“He’s always been an avid reader and researcher. He studied the religion constantly,” she says.

Ahmad says Imam Nadir studied under Dr. Shahbazz from Masjid Wali Muhammad. The mosque was given historical designation in Detroit in 2013. It was the first temple for the Nation of Islam before becoming a Sunni Muslim mosque.

From student to teacher

Nadir Ahmad became an Imam and taught at the Sister Clara Muhammad School, starting as a 5th grade teacher and eventually making his way up to assistant principal and principal.

“He’s always been committed to giving the children an Islamic education,” Ahmad says.

Ahmad says following the closure of the Clara Muhammad school, Imam Nadir opened Al-Ikhlas in 1991 as a space for kids to continue their Islamic education.

“We had our children, and many parents had their children that they didn’t want them to go to public school. So we decided that… we weren’t going to wait. We were going to continue with Islamic education. He said that, well, we’re going to branch out and open our own school,” she says.

In an effort to allow all students to attend, he created a sliding pay scale for tuition.

Family and community focus

Ahmad says Imam Nadir balanced his home life as a father and husband while working for the community.

“He was doing what he loved doing,” she says.

“We worked hard together, and he always let me know what his mission was and where we were going and what the plans that he had,” she says.

The couple was married for 53 years and worked together in the schools.

Ahmad says Imam Nadir did a lot of work behind the scenes.

“Allah had blessed him with so many talents; he could basically do anything that he decided to do. We didn’t hire a lot of different people to do a lot of different skills, but he did most of it himself,” she shares.

After Imam Nadir’s passing last month, several students shared their memories online, saying they were inspired to come together. They also created a fundraiser in his honor to raise funds for the school.

Ahmad says he was a little obsessed with his role.

“He could not even think unless he thought about the children, what they need, when they need it, how they need it. He loved those children,” Ahmad expresses.

A life of service and a lasting legacy

Imam Nadir previously served in Vietnam, having been affected by Agent Orange from his time in service. Ahmad says he got cancer in 1997 and had to remove a kidney. But that didn’t stop him from continuing his work.

“It didn’t really start affecting him until 10 years ago. He had to get on dialysis. He was the type of person that he never really let anything stop him from what he wanted to do in terms of leading the school he was teaching during this time, he was Mashallah,” she says.

Ahmad says Imam Nadir’s legacy is his love of Allah and the love of community. He died in January 2026.

Across the country, small businesses in immigrant communities are reporting the same pattern: customers are disappearing, workers aren’t showing up, and revenue is in decline.

Federal immigration enforcement has reshaped daily life in these neighborhoods, and some business owners say it’s hitting them harder than COVID, in part because there’s no PPP loan or government lifeline this time around.

In Los Angeles County, the vast majority of surveyed businesses reported negative impacts, with nearly 50% losing more than half their revenue. In Chicago’s Little Village, business sales have dropped an estimated 50 to 70%. And the Brookings Institution estimates that 2025 may have been the first year in over half a century that net migration to the U.S. went negative.

That same predicament is playing out in metro Detroit. In Southwest Detroit, Dearborn, and Hamtramck, the small businesses that anchor entire neighborhoods are under growing pressure. Business owners along Vernor Highway describe empty storefronts, canceled appointments, and streets that used to bustle with foot traffic now eerily quiet. Community networks — WhatsApp alert groups, volunteer patrols, whistle distribution — have emerged to help residents maintain their daily routines.

Mark Lee is the president and CEO of The Lee Group, a consulting firm that works with small businesses on strategy, marketing, and growth across Southeast Michigan. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to talk about what he’s hearing from owners on the ground.

Listen to 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 streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Research shows that people who frequently socialize are more likely to participate in politics — to vote, attend meetings, and financially contribute to a cause.

So what does it actually take to get people out into the world and enjoy each other’s company? What are the barriers, and what breaks those barriers down?

Ian Solomon is an artist, journalist, and organizer. He’s the founder of Amplify Outside, which works to get Black Michiganders into outdoor spaces. Ian also hosts the PBS series “Ian Outside” on Great Lakes Now and recently joined Planet Detroit as its outdoors reporter. He joins the program to discuss what it looks like to build community power.

Small businesses are often described as the backbone of the economy. But in moments of stress, they can also be an early warning system.

In metro Detroit, inflation has slowed — consumer prices in the Detroit area rose about two percent over the past year, but that has not translated into relief for many households or business owners. Spending remains cautious, and many small business owners say they are no longer planning for growth. Instead, they are focused on endurance.

One pressure point keeps coming up in conversations with owners: health care. Small-business health insurance plans in Michigan are set to rise again in 2026, while tens of thousands fewer Michiganders are enrolling in individual marketplace coverage this year as premiums increase and federal assistance shrinks.

The result is a heavy load for small businesses. They are helping families stay afloat, providing places for connection and routine in neighborhoods, and absorbing rising costs that often land directly on owners.

In this conversation, The Metro’s Robyn Vincent examines how small businesses have become survival engines, community anchors, and stress points all at once — and what that means for workers, customers, and neighborhoods across metro Detroit.

Our guest is Mark Lee, president of the LEE Group, a consulting firm that works with small businesses on strategy, marketing, and growth. Lee also teaches business at Michigan universities and regularly speaks with owners across southeast Michigan about the challenges they’re facing.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Latinos in this country continue to fight for the right to exist. Through battles unknown and battles seen in full color, Latinos and their contributions to this country can not be denied. That includes contributions to art. Many in Detroit are familiar with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, but what about the lesser known artists and artforms? 

Black velvet paintings were important artworks on display in most Latino households during the early and mid 20th century. For many, seeing the paintings was a normal part of everyday life. But a new exhibition highlights how the paintings are more than a kitschy item for the home, they are a cultural love letter to art itself. 

“Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic” is an exhibition at the Michigan History Museum that invites visitors to learn more about black velvet paintings and their place in Latino and Chicano history. It’s open through November.   

Elena Herrada is a Detroit community and labor activist. Diana Rivera is Librarian Emeritus at Michigan State University. She also founded the task force that created the Chicano Latino Studies Program at MSU. 

Elena Herrada and Diana Rivera joined The Metro to talk more about the exhibition and the importance of the artworks. 

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Immigration enforcement over the last year has become a lot more visible. Late last year, four Detroit students and their families were detained by ICE. The incident sparked outrage among community members who voiced their concerns.

Teachers, students, and parents requested the Detroit Public Schools Community District institute stronger protections for immigrant students, and over the weekend, protestors urged the city council to make Detroit a sanctuary city.

A new project spearheaded by two Detroiters aims to give people whose loved ones were detained or separated by immigration enforcement a place to heal.

The Altars for Collective Grief Project is an effort by Theresa Beckley-Amaya and Julianna Sanroman to construct altars around Southwest Detroit. They will be made of photos of loved ones who have been detained. Beckley-Amaya and Sanroman joined the show to discuss the project and why they organized around grief.

Submit your photos to the project here.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

The Michigan Historical Museum is showcasing black velvet paintings and their ties to Latino History in a new exhibit. “Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic” includes more than 100 black velvet paintings from the private collections of co-curators Elena Herrada and Diana Rivera, collector Minerva Martinez and from the community. 

“[This is] probably the only kind of art exhibit ever where people brought their own and added them to the collection,” says Herrada. “Like people were walking in with their velvet paintings and some of them donated them and some of them loaned them and some of them took them with them when they left.”

Herrada says there have been several small exhibits of black velvet paintings in Lansing and Detroit over the last few years but this is the largest. She says black velvet paintings were popular art pieces in Chicano homes but people were not given the space to celebrate the art elsewhere.

“Many times people’s aesthetics or tastes are really put down or looked down upon. That’s one of the reasons we don’t have close ties to museums because people don’t feel at home in places where there is high art.” 

Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic is on view at the Michigan Historical Museum until late November. The museum plans to host several events related to black velvet painting in the coming months. This Saturday, Jan. 17 admission is free and visitors can make crafts inspired by the collection.

The museum is in Lansing at 702 W Kalamazoo Street. Admission is $8 for adults and less for seniors and children; $2 for adults and free for kids with EBT cards.

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026

Sheffield restructures city services

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the creation of the Department of Human, Homeless, and Family Services Monday, led by its new director Benita Miller. Miller previously served as the executive director of the New York City Children’s Cabinet, and has three decades of experience in family and child welfare. 

The restructuring of city services also creates the role of Chief of Health Human Services and Poverty Solutions. The University of Michigan’s Luke Shaefer will fill that position and also oversee the Detroit Health Department, and the Office of Immigrant Affairs and Economic Inclusion. Shaefer was the founder and director of the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions research initiative and co-founded the program Rx Kids. 

Sheffield says the reorganization of these services will make the process of reaching out to community services less fragmented and confusing for residents. 

Applications open for Queer Equity Impact Program

The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for the next cohort of its Queer Equity Impact Program. The 12-week business accelerator program starts in February and offers participants with business plan development, peer support, training and other guidance.

Applications are due Jan. 30. Learn more at detroitlgbtchamber.com.

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

Over the holidays, we’re sharing some of the stories Detroit Evening Report hosts produced for the radio this year. Today we hear a story from Nargis Rahman.   

Journalist Martina Guzman has created an AI-powered tool to monitor disinformation aimed at Spanish speakers via radio. 

The project is a part of Guzman’s work for the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University’s Law School. They recently received a $350,000 grant to expand VERDAD which stands for Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse. 

Guzmán told Nargis Rahman the tool will now expand to all 50 states, into multiple languages and also globally. 

Additional headlines for Friday, Jan. 2, 2026

Women’s Hockey League returns

The ladies come to hockey town tomorrow as the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) returns to Little Caesars Arena for their Takeover Tour. The Vancouver Goldeneyes play the Boston Fleet Saturday at 7 p.m.

Detroit audiences have broken PWHL attendance records at previous games. 

The league will play in Detroit again March 28 when the New York Sirens and Montreal Victoire play.

The league expanded last year from 6 teams to 8 – adding Vancouver and Seattle. No Detroit team has been announced yet. 

Fullmoon Party

The Euphoria Flow Sisters will host a Fullmoon Party Saturday evening at the Congregation. The event offers a chance to de-stress, release negative energy and shove in some self-care after the holidays.

It is free and will include an “ecstatic dance.”

Windsor tarot reading

Start the new year with appreciation for our international border and a psychic reading. GQ Tarot and Celestial Spirit Tarot are hosting Beyond Resolutions! New Year Psychic Readings at Celeste’s Café in Windsor starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The event is scheduled to fall on the Full Wolf Supermoon – a time for emotional release and profound clarity.

Celeste’s Café is at 1295 Ottawa Street in Windsor. Pre-booking is strongly encouraged. Call 519-256-9859.  

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