Stateside
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Conversations that matter to Michigan. Each weekday, host April Baer will bring you stories from people across the state—from policymakers in Lansing, to entrepreneurs in Detroit, to artists in Grand Rapids.
To access full episodes and individual story segments, please visit michiganradio.org.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
12 hours ago
Why Lobster Should Be on Pizza
Lyndsay Green is the dining and restaurant critic at the Detroit Free Press. While she's done her fair share of writing about white table cloth dining, she's no stranger to the joys of a humble pizza slice. On today's episode, Green shares some of her favorite ways to eat pizza, takes us into the Detroit pizza scene, and explains what makes Detroit-style "Detroit."
GUEST:
* Lyndsay Green, dining and restaurant critic at the Detroit Free Press
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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4 days ago
Arab American Heritage Garden
We're revisiting some of our favorite conversations this week. Today it's a trip to the Arab American National Museum to visit a Heritage Garden.
GUEST:
* Shatha Najim, community historian at the Arab American National Museum
*
Dean Nasreddine, curatorial specialist at the Arab American National Museum
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4 days ago
Beer - And Pizza! - With Short's Brewing
We're revisiting one of our favorite conversations from the past year -- sitting down over beers and pizza with Joe Short of Short's Brewing Co.
GUEST:
Joe Short, founder, Short's Brewing Co.
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6 days ago
A New Era for Unions?
Simultaneously striking against all three companies of the Detroit 3, the UAW is making history this month. On today's podcast, we discuss common elements that have historically led to strikes, and look at how the Hollywood and Stand Up strikes aren't so different.
GUESTS:
* Roland Zullo, research scientist at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor,
* Sonari Glinton, journalist and podcast host of Shattering the System
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Sep 18, 2023
Angeline Boulley on New YA Thriller
Author Angeline Boulley, author of the bestselling YA thriller Firekeeper's Daughter, is back with a new novel. Warrior Girl Unearthed features a young Ojibwe teen in the U.P. caught up in a complex web of murder and theft, politics, and culture.
GUEST:
Angeline Boulley, writer
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Sep 15, 2023
A Stand Up Strike For UAW, Explained
The UAW voted to strike against the Detroit Three auto companies. They are using a strategy called a "stand up" strike. We'll explain what that means in this historic moment in Labor.
GUEST:
Tracy Samilton, Michigan Radio News
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Sep 14, 2023
What a UAW Strike Would Mean
Tonight’s the night. The United Auto Workers are poised to strike at midnight, barring a last-minute deal with the Detroit three. This would be the first time the UAW is striking all three automakers simultaneously.
GUESTS:
* Phoebe Wall Howard, Automotive Reporter
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Sep 13, 2023
A Taste of Yemeni Coffee in Michigan
If you live in Southeast Michigan, you know that there’s been a boom of Yemeni-style coffeehouses in the region. Not only do they serve great brews – they also represent a distinctive social space, especially in Arab American culture. Today on the podcast, we’re taking you to one of these coffee shops, Qamaria.
GUESTS:
* Hatem Al-Eidaroos, Qamaria co-founder
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Sep 12, 2023
Looking Dandy in Detroit
Nelson T. Sanders Jr. is the founder of Dandy, a suit atelier in the Corktown neighborhood in Detroit. But his journey to becoming one of the city’s most sought-after purveyors of custom suiting.
GUESTS:
* Nelson T. Sanders Jr., founder of Dandy
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Sep 11, 2023
MSU Suspends Mel Tucker After Sexual Harassment Allegations
Some big news broke this weekend in the world of football. USA Today reported that Michigan State University head football coach Mel Tucker had inappropriate sexual contact with a contract employee. The contract employee in question is Brenda Tracy, a prominent activist who was hired by the team to speak out against sexual violence. MSU has since suspended Mel Tucker without pay.
Today, what we know so far about these allegations, and its impact given MSU’s history of handling sexual misconduct.
GUESTS:
* Graham Couch, Lansing State Journal columnist
* Angela Povilaitis, former assistant attorney general of Michigan
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Sep 8, 2023
Fiction Anthology Captures Life in Dearborn
Lebanese American author Ghassan Zeineddine is an assistant professor of creative writing at Oberlin college. His new fiction anthology, “Dearborn", captures the realties of life in a place he called home for several years. Characters like Youssef, the census-taker and aspiring actor, and Speedoman, the object of every swimmer's eye at the community pool, reflect Zeineddine's observations about place, identity, and the diversity of the Arab and Arab-American experience.
GUEST:
* Ghassan Abou-Zeineddine, assistant professor of creative writing, Oberlin College; author of "Dearborn"
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Sep 7, 2023
Leading Irish Playwright Premiers in Detroit
The Michigan Irish Repertory Theatre in Detroit is set to debut the U.S. premier of a play, "Come On Home," which was written by Phillip McMahon, one of Ireland's leading playwrights. The play deals directly with the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal, but unlike other popular dramatizations, this play focuses on those who were most directly affected: the people who were abused and their families.
GUEST:
* David Kiley, founder and artistic director of the Michigan Irish Repertory Theatre
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Sep 6, 2023
Can Religious Hospitals Deny Trans People Care?
Michigan expanded its civil rights law this spring to protect sexual orientation and gender identity. But now there's this big unanswered question: are religious organizations exempt from those laws? And does that mean religious hospitals and clinics can deny people medical care, specifically people from the transgender community?
GUEST:
* Kate Wells, Michigan Radio reporter
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Sep 5, 2023
Why the UAW Might Go on Strike
A potential United Auto Workers strike loomed large at yesterday's Labor Day parade in Detroit. Contracts between the UAW and the Big Three auto companies are set to expire on September 14th. On today's podcast episode, we look into what the UAW is pushing for in contract negotiations, and why a strike might be imminent.
GUESTS:
* Kalea Hall, Detroit News reporter
* Jordyn Grzelewski, Detroit News reporter
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Aug 25, 2023
Prepping for Storms Like Last Night
Last night’s storms left over 300,000 Michiganders without power this morning. Meteorologists confirmed a tornado touchdown in Rockford, just north of Grand Rapids, and another in Ingham County that then swept through Livingston County.
Southeast Michiganders have been inundated in recent years with heavy rains, flooding, and outages time and time again. We hear from an emergency response manager on the ground in Ingham County, and then from folks working on long-term climate resiliency planning for the region.
GUESTS:
* Rob Dale, Deputy Emergency Manager for Ingham County’s Department of Emergency Management
* Nina Ignaczak, reporter and editor for environmental news publication Planet Detroit
* Kelly Karll, manager of Environment & Infrastructure for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG)
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Aug 24, 2023
What Students Need to Succeed
A back-to-school double feature! First, the lengths that some Michigan teachers go too just to gather enough supplies for their classroom, and how basic resource availability impacts student learning. Then, what you need to know about Michigan's new universal free breakfast and lunch program for all public school students in pre-k through high school.
GUESTS:
* Samantha Keppler, assistant professor of technology and operations, The University of Michigan's Ross School of Business
* Isabel Lohman, education reporter, Bridge Michigan
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Aug 23, 2023
From Hip-Hop to Techno with Waajeed
Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village helped usher in a new sound in the 1990s that transformed the genre. Robert O'Bryant, better known as Waajeed, is one of the skilled sound designers who helped craft their sound. Since then, he's made the shift to producing techno, with all the skill and flavor that he brought to hip-hop.
GUEST:
* Robert O'Bryant, a.k.a. Waajeed, Detroit-based music producer
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Aug 22, 2023
Beaver Island: The Anti-Mackinac
With no fudge shops, no old battle forts, no horse-draw carriages, and no souvenir traps, Lake Michigan's Beaver Island is arguably the anti-Mackinac Island. That also makes it a perfectly peaceful summer getaway for those looking to enjoy the state's natural beauty.
A team of environment reporters at MLive recently featured Beaver Island as a place to celebrate - not only as a vacation destination, but also as an ecological gem.
GUEST:
* Sheri McWhirter, climate reporter, MLive
* Garret Ellison, environment reporter, MLive
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Aug 21, 2023
Making the Outdoors More Inclusive
A Facebook group called “Shades of the Outdoors: A BIPOC Outdoor Enthusiast Community” has garnered about 100 members in just over one month. The group lends people of color a space to share their love of the outdoors, free of judgment or threat.
Brandan Freeman is the Michigander who founded the group, shared the realities of traveling the state as a Black man, and what it means to see people who look like you out on the trails.
GUEST:
* Brandan Freeman, founder of Facebook group “Shades of the Outdoors: A BIPOC Outdoor Enthusiast Community”
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Aug 18, 2023
A Homecoming for Coach Tyrone Wheatley
University of Michigan football legend and NFL coach Tyrone Wheatley is the new head football coach at Wayne State University. He discussed his plans for the 2023 season, as well as how he chose to coach at WSU.
GUEST:
* Tyrone Wheatley, head coach for Wayne State University football
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Aug 17, 2023
dream hampton on Detroit Flooding
On today's pod, dream hampton discusses her microdocumentary about the ramifications of flooding in Detroit. The documentary focuses on what Detroiters are “forced to leave behind when it floods."
GUEST:
* dream hampton, filmmaker
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Aug 16, 2023
Come To Our Pizza Party!
Not only do we eat a lot of pizza in Michigan, we make a lot of it, too. In fact, we’re launching a new podcast all about pizza. It’s called Dough Dynasty and it tells the story of how Michigan became headquarters to a number of the world’s biggest pizza chains. To prelude the new pod, today we're talking about Michigan’s pizza with pizza aficionado and food critic Mark Kurlyandchik.
GUEST:
* Mark Kurlyandchik, editorial director at Frame
Get Dough Dynasty on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Aug 15, 2023
Are Bad Air Days Here to Stay?
With a severe Canadian fire season piled on top of everyday ambient hazards in the metro Detroit area, it has been a distinctly bad summer for the area’s air quality. Dr. Ikenna Okereke, director of thoracic surgery at Henry Ford Health, joined us to talk about the air quality concerns in the metro Detroit area.
GUEST:
* Dr. Ikenna Okereke, director of thoracic surgery at Henry Ford Health
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 14, 2023
The Michigan Puzzler Behind Wordle
At some point during the early days of the pandemic, it felt impossible to get on social media without coming across Wordle's rows of green, yellow, and gray boxes. When it was released to the public in October 2021, the word game quickly became part of people's daily routines. Eventually, the New York Times acquired the puzzle as part of its suite of word games, including the infamous Sunday crossword. When the paper needed an editor for their new game, they turned to Ann Arbor word nerd Tracy Bennett, who was already working as an associate puzzle editor. On this episode of the pod, we talked to Bennett about Wordle's mass appeal and how she landed her dream job creating puzzles for a living.
GUEST:
Tracy Bennett, Wordle editor for the New York Times
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 11, 2023
Shredding Guitar with Patty PerShayla
Patty PerShayla's new EP, “Perpetual Motion Machine” explores the sometimes hard realities that a touring band goes through. Today, a conversation on the album, moving to Nashville, and (of course) shredding.
GUEST:
* Patty PerShayla, musician
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 10, 2023
Man vs. Sand
The dunes in Silver Lake State Park in Mears, MI are unstable. They shift so much throughout the year that the sand has swallowed a farm, a forest and several cottages. We talked with a homeowner who is working to push back the dunes.
GUEST:
* Alan Arbogast, dunes expert and researcher in the Department of Geography at Michigan State University
* Dan Behm, home owner, and dune enthusiast
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 9, 2023
Hana's Garden Takes Root
On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered in a large park in Oxford, Michigan. They were there for a fundraiser and groundbreaking ceremony for Hana's Garden. When completed, the garden will be a memorial for the four children killed in the Oxford High School shooting: Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Justin Shilling. The family behind the garden memorial hopes it will also be a place for the Oxford community to find healing in the wake of unimaginable tragedy.
GUEST:
April Van Buren, Stateside producer
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 8, 2023
Can Artists and AI Collaborate?
Photography and creative direction duo Gerard + Belevender take on the “if you can’t beat em, join em” approach when it comes to AI in the photography/marketing industry. They “collaborations” with AI in their food photography work has produced some interesting and controversial work.
GUEST:
* Jenna Belevender, artist
* Michelle Gerard, artist
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 7, 2023
What to Know About Ohio's Special Election
In Ohio, voters will be asked this week to decide a ballot measure that would substantially raise the bar for future ballot measures. Instead of just getting a majority of voters to approve, future campaigns might need 60%. It has the potential to throw a roadblock in front of one of our region’s hottest topics: access to abortion care.
GUEST:
Karen Kasler, statehouse bureau chief, Ohio Public Radio and TV/ideastream
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 4, 2023
From Toilet Flush to City Bus
The search for efficient, renewable fuels has led one transit system in West Michigan straight to the toilet. On today's pod, Stateside producer April Van Buren travels to the city of Grand Rapids to learn how they are turning human waste into fuel to help power its bus fleet.
GUEST:
April Van Buren, Stateside producer
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 3, 2023
Detroit's Chinatown Remembered
This week a historic building connected to the Chinese community in Detroit was torn down. City officials determined there was no legal standing to prevent Olympia Development from tearing down a former community hub on Cass Ave. This is a brief history of the Chinese community in Detroit, and the significance of the building.
GUEST:
Richard Mui, Michigan’s Association of Chinese Americans
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 2, 2023
GOP Politicians Charged with Election Crimes
A special prosecutor charged two Michigan politicians this week with crimes related to the 2020 election. We dig into the details against the charges against Matt DePerno and former state Representative Daire Rendon, and what it means for the Michigan GOP and the Trump campaign.
Find Michigan Radio's coverage of the charges here.
GUEST:
Rick Pluta, senior capitol correspondent, Michigan Public Radio Network
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Aug 1, 2023
Fishing the Skies with Writer Steve Amick
Steve Amick joins us to talk about the inspiration and the writing process behind his latest book,You Shall See the Beautiful Things. Set in a small fishing village in 1889, the book explores the intertwining lives of its eccentric characters, unveiling their secrets, dreams, and desires.
GUEST:
Steve Amick is the author of the novels Nothing But a Smile and The Lake, the River & the Other Lake.
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 31, 2023
What the Andary Decision Means for Auto No-Fault
To the relief of many car crash survivors across the state, the Michigan Supreme Court decided benefit caps in the 2019 auto no-fault law do not apply retroactively. So what does this means moving forward for all Michiganders?
GUEST:
Tracy Samilton, Michigan Radio reporter
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 28, 2023
Finding Meaning in Michigan's Petroglyphs
In a remote corner of the Thumb region lies the largest collection of petroglyphs in Michigan. The stone carvings were created hundreds of years ago by the Indigenous people of this land. Today, tribal and state partners are working together to preserve the site for generations to come.
GUESTS:
* Jillian Talaski, DNR seasonal Interpreter
* Stacy Tchorzynski, DNR archeologist
* Punkin Shananaquet, tribal leader and member of the Gun Lake Tribe
* Bonnie Kirkegard, park visitor
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Jul 27, 2023
Exploring the Motor City Without a Motor
There's a vibrant community of cyclists in Detroit, due in part to Jason Hall, founder of Ride Detroit Bike Tours, the Slow Roll weekly group ride, and store manager of Trek Detroit. Hall mapped out some ways to enjoy the city by bike, and to share what makes the Motor City such a hub for non-motorists.
GUEST:
Jason Hall, store manager at Trek Bicycle Detroit, bike tour guide
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 26, 2023
Is Oxford Shooter “Worthy” of Parole?
Starting tomorrow, a judge will hear arguments at the Oakland County Circuit Court to determine whether or not the Oxford school shooter will be sentenced to life without parole. We heard from individuals who believe life without parole for minors is unjust, as well as a member of the Oxford community who believes life without parole for the shooter is the closest the justice system can get to accountability.
After these conversations, criminal justice reporter Beenish Ahmed walked us through each of the factors being considered in the upcoming "Miller hearing."
Find Beenish Ahmed's coverage of the upcoming Miller hearing here.
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Jul 25, 2023
A Neighborhood Confronts Stellantis
A neighborhood on the east side of Detroit confronts foul odors coming from one of their neighbors - Stellantis.
GUEST:
Sarah Cwiek, reporter for Michigan Radio
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Jul 24, 2023
16 Charged in 'False Elector' Scheme
Last week Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges against 16 Michiganders – for an alleged offense dating back to December of 2020, right after Joe Biden was elected president. The offense: conspiring to replace Michigan’s electoral college representatives in an attempt to make themselves electors for Donald Trump.
GUEST:
Simon Schuster, senior political reporter at MLive
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 21, 2023
One Michigander's Horse Ride Across U.S.
Ride of Passage is a summer series from Stateside, chronicling one Michigander's solo horseback ride across America. In 2003, Matt Parker was out of college and adrift. He decided to do something big... ride across the country on horseback. The only problem was he had never really ridden a horse before.
You can listen to the first three episodes of Ride of Passage, and subscribe for updated episodes throughout the summer.
GUEST:
Matt Parker, rode horseback on the American Discovery Trail
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Jul 20, 2023
¡Vamos, Detroit Tigres !
This season, for the first time, the Detroit Tigers are broadcasting 22 games in Spanish online and over the radio. We talk to the person who went to bat to make this happen.
GUEST:
Carlos Guillén, media relations bilingual coordinator for the Detroit Tigers
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 19, 2023
What the Detroit Bankruptcy Changed
This week marks ten years since the historic municipal bankruptcy filing in Detroit. While the city’s financials are more stable, the woes of future pension payments loom large. Today, we reflect on what the bankruptcy filing meant to Detroit then, and what it still means today.
GUEST:
Stephen Henderson, host of WDET's Detroit Today
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 18, 2023
Detroit Baker Features Filipino Flavors
Detroit-based baker Jonathan Peregrino is making a name for himself in the city and beyond. He appeared on season 7 of the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, and was a semifinalist in this year’s Hatch Detroit contest.
Peregrino has found a niche in whipping up familiar, American desserts infused with traditional, Filipino flavors. Now, he’s closer than ever to bringing his dream of a brick and mortar to life.
GUEST:
Jonathan Pergerino, owner of JP Makes and Bakes
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 17, 2023
Michigan Strawberry Fields Forever
Strawberries are in-season in Michigan and even though this year's climate has stifled the amount of berries produced this season, the berries we did have were “small, yet intensely flavored." Today, all things berries! Plus some suggestions from James Beard award-winning chef and owner of Warda Pâtisserie, Warda Bouguettaya.
GUESTS:
* Kim Bayer, Slow Farm owner
* Warda Bouguettaya, Warda Pâtisserie owner
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 14, 2023
Coded Love Letters Inspire Debut Novel
Juan Garcés, author of Love in Four Dots, joins us to tell the story of Sofía and Federico. They were two lovers in Colombia during the Thousand Days' War who wrote letters in a secret code within the pages of a novel to smuggle messages back-and-forth while Federico was held in military prison.
GUESTS:
Juan Garcés, author
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Jul 13, 2023
UAW Faces-off with the Big Three
The United Auto Workers union will sit down this week to begin contract negotiations with the Big Three automakers: GM, Ford, and Stellantis. UAW president Shawn Fain isn’t holding back. The union is taking a tough tone. Today, we're talking about these contract negotiations in the age of electric vehicles.
GUESTS:
Kalea Hall, reporter, The Detroit News
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Jul 12, 2023
MI's Republican Party Post-Trump Presidency
Michigan’s Republican party has had some struggles In the post-Trump era, from disagreements over leadership, to physical altercations, to changes in opinions from voters. Two politics reporters joined Stateside to talk about the future of the party, and the way Republican voters are thinking about their ballot in 2024.
GUESTS:
* Craig Mauger, state politics reporter, The Detroit News
* Jordyn Hermani, culture and politics reporter, MLive
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Jul 11, 2023
Growing Up with Detroit Author Jack Cheng
Middle school is a notoriously difficult time to be a kid. Growing pains and hormones - need we say more? Detroit-based author Jack Cheng tackles these tumultuous middle school years in his new young adult novel, The Many Masks of Andy Zhou. Today, we’re talking to Jack Cheng about his novel, growing up Chinese American in Detroit, plus the good, the bad and the ugly of middle school.
GUEST:
Jack Cheng, author
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Jul 10, 2023
Washtenaw Dairy: Spreading Joy and Sweetness for Generations
This summer, we're spending time at restaurants that have fed Michiganders over generations. Today we're at the Washtenaw Dairy, just down the street from our studios where team Stateside can sometimes be found having a cooldown on hot summer days. This is a small historic storefront dating back to the 1930s. A place where people park themselves on the benches to enjoy ice cream cones, sundaes and fresh made donuts.
GUEST:
Mary Jean Raab, owner of the Washtenaw Dairy in Ann Arbor.
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Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 7, 2023
Sounding the Lead Alarm Bell back in 1878
By now most people know that exposure to lead is harmful. However, back in the 1800s not so much. Then on July 9th, 1978 a chemistry professor announced the results of his research and warned that lead must be removed from all consumers products. It took a century before decision makers took full action. The Michigan History Center's Rachel Clark explains how Professor Robert Kedzie sounded the lead alarm and was ignored for decades.
GUESTS:
Rachel Clark, Michigan History Center's education specialist
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Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jul 6, 2023
What the SCOTUS 303 Creative Decision Means for MI
Last week, the US Supreme Court published their decision on Creative 303 LLC v. Elenis. Referencing the First Amendment, they held that there is a constitutional right to discriminate against customers based on their sexuality. In Michigan, legislators signed LGBTQ+ civil rights protections into law last March in the expanded Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. So how does this new Supreme Court decision square with Michigan’s current anti-discrimination laws?
GUEST:
Jay Kaplan, Nancy Katz & Margo Dichtelmiller LGBTQ+ rights project staff attorney
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Jul 5, 2023
Gardening and the Arab American Experience
Al Hadiqa, a new installation on the rooftop of the Arab American National Museum, consists entirely of plants, seeds, and cuttings donated by the local Arab American community. We pay a visit to the garden on the day of its grand opening, and hear from some donors about their relationship with gardening as an act of memory, cultural preservation, and self-care.
GUESTS:
* Shatha Najim, community historian, Arab American National Museum
* Dean Nasreddine, curatorial specialist, Arab American National Museum
Oral history recordings of Charlotte Karem Albrecht, Sarmad Jabra, Nissrine Hussein, and Tariq Luthan were used with permission from the Arab American National Museum.
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Jun 30, 2023
Why the Wildfire Smoke Lingers
It’s another bad air day here in Michigan. If you haven’t already, check out our podcast episode from June 7th for information on how to stay safe during days like today. But today we want to talk about another part of the wildfire story: weather.
GUEST:
Jeff Andresen, state climatologist for Michigan
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Jun 29, 2023
Studio Visits: Sculptor Norwood Viviano
Stateside's Studio Visits introduces you to artists across Michigan – and their workspaces. When you spend time where artists work, you can pick up a lot about what makes them tick, and what shapes their creative process.
In this episode, we take you to the west side of the state to meet an artist who uses glass to make sense of our changing cities.
GUEST:
Norwood Viviano, Michigan Radio reporter
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Jun 28, 2023
Out-of-Staters Find Abortion Haven in MI
The landmark Dobbs ruling overturned nearly 50 years of protections offered by Roe v. Wade, and created a patchwork of abortion access and barriers across the US. But in Michigan, we’ve seen a surge of out-of-state patients coming here for abortions. We're looking at how the number of out of state patients tripled in Michigan a year after the fall of Roe.
GUEST:
Kate Wells, Michigan Radio reporter
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Jun 27, 2023
Will Line 5 Shut Down on Tribal Land?
Enbridge’s Line 5 crude oil and natural gas pipeline is at the center of a long and bitter struggle. This month, a WI federal judge ordered Enbridge to shut down the stretch that crosses over tribal land. Today we hear two perspectives on what this new decision means.
GUEST:
* Robert Houle, council secretary of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
* Paul Eberth, Enbridge director of tribal engagement, public affairs, communication, & sustainability
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Jun 26, 2023
How to Navigate Your Medicaid Paperwork
For the first time since the pandemic, Medicaid beneficiaries are being asked this year to re-verify their eligibility. Millions of people could loose their health insurance across the country. Today, the so-called Medicaid "unwinding", and what it can mean for you and your family.
GUESTS:
Becky McIntyre, Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program Coordinator in the Upper Peninsula
Meredith Buhalis, Washtenaw Health Plan Program Manager
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Jun 23, 2023
How Hospital Profits Rose During the Pandemic
Hospitals are seeing ongoing staffing shortages. But over the course of the pandemic, they've also seen rising profits. We talk about how and how much hospitals profited during the COVID–19 health emergency.
GUEST:
Matthew Miller, MLive reporter
Read Miller’s stories here, here, and here.
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Jun 22, 2023
What's Driving Nursing Shortages
The COVID pandemic put a constant strain on doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. There were long hours, large patient loads, and a constantly changing virus. Now, COVID hospitalizations have eased, but many nurses say their working conditions have not improved. Some say they've only gotten worse. On today's episode, we’re digging into how staffing shortages at Michigan hospitals are pushing nurses out of the field–and what that means for patient care.
GUESTS:
Nikia Parker, emergency room nurse and paramedic in the Traverse City region
Christopher Friese, professor of nursing and director at the Center for Improving Patient and Population Health at the University of Michigan
Doug Tribou, Morning Edition host at Michigan Radio
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jun 21, 2023
Why Are the Great Lakes Low?
Water levels among the Great Lakes have fluctuated very, very drastically in the past decade. In 2013, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron saw an all-time low. Within the next seven years, all five lakes set record highs. Lake Ontario even did it twice, setting a record high lake level in 2017, and then breaking that record in 2019.
A hydrologist explains what over a hundred years of data can reveal about Michigan’s greatest environmental asset. Plus, what it means for the future of us fishers, kayakers, lakefront property owners, and water-drinkers here on land.
GUESTS:
* Drew Gronewold, associate professor, University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability
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Jun 20, 2023
Great Lakes Vs. Ocean Beaches
Beaches are the best. But WHICH beaches are the best? We here in the Great Lakes State have strong feelings about our fine-sand pristine beaches. But host April Baer has thoughts about the majesty of the oceanside. She's wrong... but let's hear her out. It's a pod for all my baddest beaches.
GUESTS:
* Dustin Dwyer, West Michigander and Michigan Radio reporter
* Jo Latimore, aquatic ecologist and outreach specialist, Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
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Jun 9, 2023
Drive Hands Free or Pay Big Fee
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the “hands free driving" bill into law on Wednesday, June 7, the second set of legislation in Michigan aimed at reducing distracted driving. The law bans drivers from using a phone for any reason, save for reporting a crime or in another emergency situation.
No more checking your email at a red light, no holding your phone to your ear at a red light, no finding the just-right song in your shuffle. Just driving.
Today, what you need to know about the new law going into effect on June 30.
GUEST:
* Rick Pluta, capitol news correspondent, Michigan Public Radio Network
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Music:
"Magic Delights" by Marc Jackson Burrows, courtesy of Audio Network
"Golden Grass" by Sour Mash, courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions
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Jun 8, 2023
Libraries Weigh Book Ban Demands
In 2020, the American Library Association documented 156 attempts to ban or restrict library materials in the U.S. Two years later in 2022, that number spiked to 1,269. A library law expert walks us through the materials review process, and what free speech looks like in the context of a library. A reporter joins us to recap how the debate over book censorship has unfolded in Michigan.
GUEST:
* Clare Membiela, Library Law Consultant, Library of Michigan
* Jordyn Hermani, statewide politics reporter, MLive
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Jun 7, 2023
Bad Air Day
The wildfires raging in Canada right now are affecting air quality across the United States. Cities like New York and Detroit had air quality index (or AQI) scores throughout the day that put them on par with some of the highest levels of air pollution across the world. On this episode, we’re looking at the health effects of air pollution from wildfires–and what you can do to keep yourself healthy on bad air days.
GUEST:
Sara Adar, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Jun 6, 2023
What To Do About MI's Wildfires?
Update: Since we've published this podcast, the DNR has said that the Wilderness Trail Fire has been 100% contained.
Over the weekend two wildfires made for road closures, evacuations, and other displacements for people in Crawford and Iosco Counties. Today, we’re talking about wildfires in Michigan and what you can do to prevent them.
GUEST:
Kerry Heckman, public information officer, DNR Incident Management Team
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jun 5, 2023
Ypsilanti Diner Serving ‘Bomb’ Food Since WWII
At The Bomber Restaurant in Ypsilanti, you’ll find a classic spread of breakfast staples: biscuits slathered in warm gravy, peppered corned beef hash, and silver dollar pancakes piled with berries. It’s the kind of place where the same group of friends have frequented for the past twenty years.
But unlike your average diner, the Bomber brings a formidable collection of mostly World War II era memorabilia, paying homage to the restaurant’s roots which date back to that time.
GUEST:
Johanna McCoy, owner of The Bomber Restaurant
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Jun 2, 2023
Road Trip Folk Songs With The Accidentals
The West Michigan-born band The Accidentals are out with a new album called "Time Out." It's filled with lush harmonies and soulful lyrics, and makes for the perfect windows down, cross-country cruising soundtrack. The band collaborated with some of folk music’s most beloved songwriters to create the album.
On this episode of the pod, we take a trip with the West Michigan band through the joys of working with your heroes and the challenges of creating music during the COVID era.
GUESTS:
Sav Buist, Katie Larson, Katelynn Corll and Patty PerShayla
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Music in this episode from The Accidentals and Blue Dot Sessions.
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Jun 1, 2023
MI's Population Problem
Michigan has a population problem. So much so that Governor Whitmer focused her keynote speech this afternoon at the Mackinac Policy Conference on it. Today, we’re looking at Michigan's population problem, and some of the policy measures that could help reverse this trend.
GUESTS:
* Sam Robinson, reporter at Axios Detroit
* Don Grimes, economist at the University of Michigan
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 31, 2023
The NEDA Chatbot Saga
Last year, nearly 70,000 people reached out to the National Eating Disorders Association helpline. But late this spring the Association shut the helpline down…and added a chatbot instead.
GUEST:
Kate Wells, Michigan Radio reporter
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May 30, 2023
Up North Has a Housing Problem
Besides lakes and summer tourism, northwest Michigan's towns have become known for something else: a lack of affordable housing.
GUESTS:
* Mike Rivard, board member, Sleeping Bear Gateways Council
* Bill Witler, board member, Sleeping Bear Gateways Council
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May 26, 2023
Studio Visits: Kevin Reynolds Detroit Techno
Detroit electronic artist and beatmaker Kevin Reynolds has been on the scene for almost two decades. This year he was able to transition to music full-time. The result has been a new album and another performance at Movement: Detroit's Electronic Music Festival. Kevin explained his musical process and reflected upon his zig-zagging musical journey.
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Today's pod music is courtesy of Kevin Reynolds.
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May 25, 2023
MI Small Business Snapshot
SBAM just published a report detailing 120 different statistical measurements of what’s happening among the state’s small businesses. While many sectors of the economy seem to be shakier than they were pre-pandemic, entrepreneurship in Michigan still seems to be going strong. We break down the numbers, and revisit a few conversations we've had with entrepreneurs who have experienced the changes firsthand.
GUEST:
Brian Calley, Small Business Association of Michigan President
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 24, 2023
Prison Art as Survival and Resistance
Janie Paul and her late husband Buzz Alexander spent decades fostering the artistic endeavors of incarcerated Michiganders through the Prison Creative Arts Project. On this episode, we talk to Janie about the transformative power of art for people living inside prison – which she explores in her new book about the stories of incarcerated artists.
GUEST:
Janie Paul, author of the new book Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance, and co-founder of the Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons, part of the Prison Creative Arts Project.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 23, 2023
Studio Visits: Rufus Snoddy's Constructed Paintings
Whatever image you have of a everyday Northern Michigan artist - maybe a landscape painter or lighthouse photographer - Rufus Snoddy is not that. The mixed media artist from Traverse City is inspired by his surroundings, but the result is vivid painted sculpture with pointed, searing, and thought-provoking social commentary. This visit to his studio is a continuation of our Studio Visits of visual artists from throughout Michigan.
GUEST:
Rufus Snoddy, artist
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 22, 2023
What is 'Home Equity Theft'?
Michigan is one of 12 states (plus D.C.) that permits "home equity theft," a practice which allows for a local government to foreclose on a house, and then sell it to a private company for profit while never compensating the original homeowners.
GUESTS:
Tawanda Hall, Michigan homeowner and plantiff
Christina Martin, senior attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 19, 2023
Bee-ing More Observant
Great Lakes Bee Company hosts one of Michigan's biggest bee-centric gatherings. Hundreds gather in Fremont, Michigan every May for Bee Pickup Day, where tens of thousands of bees are distributed among beekeepers from all over to bring home to their colonies.
Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio's West Michigan reporter, attended the event to ask folks what they learn from observing the world's pollinators.
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 18, 2023
The Defining Power of Culture
Marketing professor Marcus Collins' new book, "For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be," offers ways to define the amorphous thing we call "culture."
So often, when we interact with a culture we don't understand, "we rely on instinct [and] ego, we villainize them," Collins said.
"For The Culture" not only offers definitions, but outlines the power of culture to shape our perceptions of ourselves, and each other.
[Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify today.]
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Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 17, 2023
Oxford Community Wants Answers
Some Oxford community members are frustrated by what they see as inadequate investigation into the school shooting at Oxford High School in November 2021. They want accountability and part of that is a third-party review of how exactly a school shooting happened.
Read Anna Clark's original reporting here.
GUEST:
Anna Clark, Midwest reporter at ProPublica
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May 16, 2023
The Story of Kinuko Yada DeVee
We got some exciting news. One of our stories won the Asian American Journalists Association Excellence in Audio Storytelling, News Feature Award. So in celebration of this award and in celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage month, we're bringing you the story of Kinuko Yada DeVee.
This story was inspired by Matt Schepeler’s article in the Brooklyn Exponent.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 15, 2023
Up North With Short's Brewing Co.
Joe Short, founder of Short's Brewing Co., has made loving what he does, and where he lives, one in the same by brewing some of Michigan's finest craft beers. We join him at his tap room in Bellaire, east of Torch Lake, in Northern Michigan.
GUEST:
Joe Short, Short's Brewing Co.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 12, 2023
The Amphibian Advocate
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently ended its long-running frog and toad survey, much to the chagrin of the program's dedicated volunteers. The survey, which had been running for nearly three decades was the brainchild of Lori Sargent, who worked as a non-game wildlife biologist at the department for decades. Today on the pod, we hear about the story behind this popular citizen science project.
GUEST:
Lori Sargent, retired Michigan DNR wildlife biologist
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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May 11, 2023
A Spike in Black Infant Mortality
The infant mortality spiked during the pandemic. This reality is especially true for Black women in Detroit. State data shows that in 2021, the rate jumped to 18.1 deaths per 1000 live births. Today, why this is happening, and what can be done to make a change.
GUEST:
Nina Ignaczak, editor and founder of Planet Detroit
Jennifer Torres, manager of the Office of Women’s Health and Birth Equity
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May 10, 2023
Sleder's Tavern, Going 141 Years Strong
Take a trip with us up North. Stateside paid a visit to Sleder’s Family Tavern in downtown Traverse City. The owners say the establishment, founded in 1882, is the oldest continuously-running restaurant in Michigan.
GUEST:
Megan Cox, tavern co-owner
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May 9, 2023
Who to Call During a Mental Health Crisis
We’re going to continue this conversation about policing and mental health. We’ll hear about two police encounters during a mental health crisis, and we’ll share some mental health resources – that aren’t calling the police.
For more information on mental health resources, check out our website.
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May 8, 2023
How a Police Mental Health Call Turned Fatal
Seven months ago, Detroit Police responded to a mental health call for a young Black man who had schizophrenia.
His name was Porter Burks.
Police shot him to death just minutes after arriving on the scene. This isn’t the first time that something like this has happened. And so we wanted to know, why was Porter Burks killed during a mental health call?
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May 5, 2023
Who Were the Gossard Girls?
By the mid-20th century, mining and logging were still the dominant industries in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But there was another burgeoning industry: women’s undergarments manufacturing.
GUEST:
Phyllis Wong, author
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May 4, 2023
A Surge in Urgent Care Centers
Your suspicions are correct. There are, indeed, more urgent care centers in Michigan. In fact the number of locations have tripled since 2010.
Detroit Free Press reporter, JC Reindl has been following the trend towards urgent care and found that the number of centers increased from 170 to 541 in 2022, according to the Urgent Care Association.
Today, why urgent cares are popping up everywhere, and what you should know about how they operate and whether or not they’ll be sticking around.
GUEST:
JC Reindl, Detroit Free Press reporter
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May 3, 2023
Angeline Boulley on New YA Thriller
Author Angeline Boulley, author of the bestselling YA thriller Firekeeper's Daughter, is back with a new novel. Warrior Girl Unearthed features a young Ojibwe teen in the U.P. caught up in a complex web of murder and theft, politics, and culture.
GUEST:
Angeline Boulley, writer
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May 2, 2023
Corruption Scandal Over Marijuana Licenses
Former Michigan State Representative Rick Johnson has pleaded guilty in one of the biggest state capitol-level public corruption scandals in decades.
Federal court filings allege that Johnson accepted tens of thousands of dollars from lobbyists to help clients earn medical marijuana licenses. Johnson was serving as chairman of Michigan's marijuana licensing board at the time. Among the license recipients is Green Peak Industries, known more commonly by their trade name, Skymint.
Detroit News reporter Craig Mauger helps us unpack the details of the case, and what it means for some of the biggest players in Michigan’s marijuana industry.
GUEST:
Craig Mauger, state politics reporter, Detroit News
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May 1, 2023
James Beard Nominee Hajime Sato
Chef Hajime Sato, owner of Sozai in Clawson, Michigan, was recently nominated for a James Beard Award in the Outstanding Chef Category. At Sozai, he offers an omakase experience at the sushi bar, where the entire multi-course meal is chef's choice. Chef Sato is also one of the few chefs in the country serving sustainable sushi. He shares what omakase service looks like from his side of the bar, and what it means to run a sustainable sushi operation.
GUEST:
Hajime Sato, chef & owner of Sozai in Clawson, MI
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Apr 28, 2023
Uptick in Preschool Mental Health Issues
The pandemic has taken a toll on many people’s mental health. That might go double for small kids, who saw their routines interrupted and their social interactions shrink to fit a screen. On today's episode, we talk about how mental health challenges are showing up in preschools and daycare settings--and the challenges that's creating for child care providers.
GUESTS:
Jennifer Brookland, Report for America fellow covering children's welfare for the Detroit Free Press
Tracie Bettison, after-school program provider and early childhood education consultant in Metro Detroit
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Apr 27, 2023
Studio Visits: Multimedia Artist Matthew Osmon
Some might find the characters and textures featured in artist Matthew Osmon’s work to be a little bit unsettling. Some of his pandemic-era work focuses on goopy and stringy textures, parasitic creatures, and expressionless faces floating in liminal space. But the candy-toned color palettes make these works weirdly inviting.
Matthew Osmon is a Flint native, and chose to keep living and working here as an adult. He's a teacher at Mott Middle College, an instructor at the Flint Institute of Arts, a lecturer at the U-M Flint, and a board member at the Buckham Gallery. Between his many roles, he finds time to make art for himself.
Today, we visit two very different spaces where his work comes to life.
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Music from Blue Dot Sessions and Audio Network.
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Apr 26, 2023
Conservative County Rejects Gun Laws
In the wake of major mass shootings in Michigan, Democrats in control of the state Legislature have done something previous Legislative sessions have not: address gun violence through policy changes.
Livingston County Sheriff called a recent red flag bill "unconstitutional." So what does it mean when an elected official says they might ignore state law?
GUEST:
Jon King, journalist
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Apr 25, 2023
Trailblazing Cartoonist Barbara Brandon-Croft
Meet cartoonist, Barbara Brandon-Croft, whose work was first featured in The Detroit Free Press in 1989. Her comic strip “Where I’m Coming From” ran until 2005.
GUEST:
Barbara Brandon-Croft, cartoonist
Marty Claus, former, editor at The Detroit Free Press
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Apr 24, 2023
Eyes Up for Spring Birding
There is nothing like the first days of spring to remind you that humans are animals too. The first warm days of 2023 brought turtles and rabbits out of their winter hiding places–along with flocks of humans in shorts and t-shirts. And, of course, one of our favorite spring arrivals: THE BIRDS. Today, we’re talking about how to slow down and notice nature waking up again.
GUEST:
April Campbell, retired physician and birding enthusiast who lives in Ann Arbor. April is a huge advocate for getting other people of color into birding, and leads regular BIPOC birding walks around SE Michigan.
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
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Apr 21, 2023
Detroit's Nandi Comer Named Poet Laureate
Nandi Comer was recently appointed Michigan's poet laureate. Originally from Detroit, she's the first person to hold the title in decades.
GUEST:
Nandi Comer, author and poet laureate
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Apr 20, 2023
MIGOP Fight "We Got A Problem!"
Infighting in the MIGOP led, at least in one case, to an actual fight during an after-hours gathering in Clare. Bridge Michigan wrote about the scuffle between Party officials from Kalamazoo and Macomb.
GUEST:
Jonathan Oosting, Bridge Michigan
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Apr 19, 2023
La Choy's Detroit Roots
If you’ve been in the international section of a supermarket, chances are you've seen La Choy products — maybe even bought some of their sauces or noodles. And while the brand's signature blue label and mimicry font are ubiquitous, it's origin story is not. The company was started in 1922 right here in Michigan.
GUEST:
Amy Elliott Bragg, assistant city editor at The Detroit News
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Apr 18, 2023
Nine Days in a Michigan Abortion Clinic
Last October we aired a story two weeks before the election in which voters were asked to decide whether to guarantee access to abortion in the Michigan state constitution. For this story, Michigan Radio reporter Kate Wells spent several days in a Michigan abortion clinic, speaking with women about what led them there. That story was recently nominated for a Peabody award.
Voters passed Proposition 3 by a wide margin last November in Michigan, preserving abortion rights in the state. The issue of access to abortion is still relevant and ongoing. With that in mind, we wanted to bring your attention back to the story from the Michigan Radio Newsroom and Stateside. Keep in mind that the story you’re about to hear was recorded and aired before voters went to the ballot to vote on Prop 3 last Fall.
The original story was reported by Kate Wells, and edited by Sarah Hulett and Lindsey Smith. Mixed by Mercedes Mejia, with additional help from Rachel Ishikawa.
Thank you to the many hands a…
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Apr 17, 2023
The Complex Feelings of Kids
Kids book author Kyunghee Kim of Ypsilanti talks about honoring the complex emotions and experiences of kids in her new book "See Us Bloom".
GUEST:
Kyunghee Kim, author and teacher
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