The impact of the recent series of fatal encounters between some Minnesota residents and agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement is being felt in metro Detroit.

Several law enforcement officials in the region say they do not want to cooperate with deportation operations conducted by ICE.

That includes Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer.

She says Washtenaw sheriff deputies and ICE agents often have very different agendas.

The following interview has been edited for clarity.

Alyshia Dyer: It really puts [police] in conflict with the communities they serve. It’s our responsibility, regardless of immigration status, to keep everyone safe. We need our local communities to trust us. As local police, we rely on the public trust that we build in the communities we serve. The way that immigration enforcement operates is completely different.

And it’s not our duty or responsibility to enforce federal immigration law. We don’t ask about immigration status. We don’t get involved in immigration matters. And especially in this climate, where people are so afraid to even leave their homes, we don’t want to be involved in that.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: As a lay person, it has always seemed to me that federal issues would take precedence over local policing matters. Is it legal for your deputies to basically avoid helping a federal agency like ICE?

AD: Absolutely. The Michigan constitution, as well as our state and local laws, make it very clear that we have a duty to protect and serve all residents of the county. We take an oath as well to do that. And it doesn’t say only if they have valid immigration status. Constitutional rights apply to everyone. And we are not trained nor given resources, nor is it our priority, to look into immigration matters.

The 287 (g) program [which allows local police to act as immigration enforcement agents] is a voluntary program. It is a choice to enter into that program or not. There is no mandate that we have to do it. So we are exercising our discretion and not entering into that agreement. We are going to stay focused on local public safety issues. And, honestly, our resources are already stretched thin.

QK: I would imagine there’s additional costs, financial and otherwise, that a department has to bear when it is working with ICE.

AD: There have been a number of rulings that basically say holding somebody in jail after a judge has ordered them released so that ICE can come pick them up, is a serious issue. It raises liability concerns for the county. Agencies have been sued for doing that. And it’s not our responsibility.

My responsibility as sheriff is to make sure we enforce local and state law, keep the county safe and run the county jail. If a judge orders somebody to be released, they are to be released. And it is not a mandate nor, in my opinion, good practice to keep them in jail pending transfer to immigration officials. If we were to hold somebody in jail solely based on an immigration detainer, which is not a judicial warrant, and we keep them past the release date, then we risk liability for the entire county.

QK: At this point many people have seen the viral videos of ICE tactics in action. They seem to create fear, even among those who have not broken the law. Victims are afraid to call 911, witnesses don’t want to talk, crimes are not reported. Beyond not cooperating with ICE, what can be done by departments like yours to try to restore that trust with the public?

AD: What we have done is made it very clear to the community where our values lie and that we will not be working with ICE. We have maintained a clear separation. We also do not ask about immigration status. So when anyone needs help, they can call 911. But because the national administration remains obsessed with mass deportation, it’s hard for local police. People are fearful. And I have no doubt in my mind that people are not calling the police when they need help because they’re worried. Regardless of what we say, there’s still that fear.

People have confused us with ICE. Them wearing masks and hiding their identities and the tactics they use are not best practices. That’s not what we do at the local level. We try really hard to support all residents. We work closely with immigrant rights groups. I’ve done a number of education town halls, making sure people understand their rights.

Honestly, it puts local law enforcement in an impossible situation. They need the trust of the public to effectively do their job. And when federal immigration agents come in and take someone and detain them, they’re not dealing with the aftermath, right? I’ve had residents in Washtenaw County, people with legal status or who are citizens even, that have said, “Should I carry a birth certificate with me? Is it safe to send my kid to school?”

It is really hard to be sheriff and be responsible for the public safety of a county and know that, unfortunately, there are people in the county that are going to be targeted by immigration enforcement, sometimes solely for just existing. This idea that they’re only going after people with violent felonies or serious criminal records is not true. I have seen the opposite. I’ve also seen cases where they have mistaken someone because they were Latino and they assumed that they were someone undocumented.

Over the years law enforcement has pushed back on that. It’s racial profiling. Seeing these situations play out, not just in Washtenaw County but across the country, is really troubling. I think that local law enforcement and sheriffs have a responsibility to be a voice of reason and assure the public that we are not going to operate how ICE is operating.

QK: You’d raised concerns recently on your personal Facebook page about ICE targeting parents at school bus stops and reportedly detaining a mother in front of her child. Spokespeople for ICE dispute that account, calling it one of the “lies” that put their agents at risk. You later said the report you posted was inaccurate. But you say that doesn’t diminish your worries about how ICE typically operates now compared to a few years ago.

AD: There was a point in time where there was a separation between just focusing on enforcement removal operations and the work that Homeland Security was doing. And there were important things they were doing involving human trafficking and ensuring survivors of violent crime could get citizenship status. Now all of the resources are focused on deporting as many people as possible. I know people that have since retired from some of these agencies, that have said there’s a pressure for quotas. They are told, “You need to deport this many people a month.” That is abhorrent. That’s also a problem.

In this episode

• What has Michigan businessman Perry Johnson promised in his first two months on the campaign trail?

• How are Michigan Republican candidates positioning themselves ahead of the 2026 elections?

• Which issues do candidates need to prioritize to attract voters?

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

There are several major races later this year, with multiple candidates competing for governor, U.S. Congress, and state House and Senate seats. This week on MichMash, Cheyna Roth and Alethia Kasben speak with Kristin Combs, founder of Bright Sparks Strategies, about how Republican candidates are performing across these contests.

The gubernatorial race saw a major shakeup when Michigan businessman Perry Johnson entered the field. Combs said his candidacy is likely to change the race’s dynamics. “The more people out there spending money, building name ID, and talking about the issues we think will matter to voters, the more attention it brings to the race,” she said.

Combs also noted that a key factor in Republican races outside of presidential election years is whether Trump supporters will turn out to vote. She said national trends and local leadership both influence turnout. “People are struggling with gas prices and grocery prices,” Combs said. “So the things Republicans can do to try and keep costs under control — that’s going to help.”

Finally, Combs’ firm is working to gather signatures for a proof-of-citizenship ballot proposal. Supporters argue the measure would protect elections from non-citizen voting, while opponents say it could prevent some eligible citizens from casting ballots.

More from WDET:

• Detroit Evening Report: Water main breaks plague city
• Michigan Republicans stress party unity at Mackinac Leadership Conference
• MichMash: Recapping the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference

Detroit City Council Member Mary Waters is proposing an ordinance that would limit the ability of law enforcement to cover their faces while they’re on the job. The proposed ordinance states that no local, state, or federal law enforcement agency would be permitted to wear masks or any other facial covering while performing their duties in the City of Detroit.

Member Waters said in a statement the she will not have a city where a masked mob can enforce the law with impunity. The ordinance would be named the “Alex Pretti Detroit No Masks” ordinance in honor of the Minnesota man who was killed by ICE agents last week. Council is expect to refer the proposal to committee in the next coming weeks.

-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley

Additional headlines from Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026

Limiting road salt use and snow removal

If you noticed that there is less salt on the ground following the wintery mix we received the past few weeks, you’re not wrong. The above average snowfall is causing a lot of local governments to use more salt than they have in years.

But because the temperatures are too low for the salt to work, they are rationing salt to the most critical routes. Salt becomes less effective in temperatures below 15 degrees according to University of Michigan Climate experts. And in extreme cold temperatures some trucks switch from salt to sand because it provides more traction without relying on melting.

Some areas are alerting that the snow may not be plowed right away because removing the snow can create icy conditions and decrease the traction provided by fresh snowfall. Cities like Lansing issued a notice to residents that they will only focus on critical areas.

Weather forecast

And for those tired of the cold, warmer days are ahead after this weekend. The extreme cold is expected to last through Jan. 30 but according to the National Weather Service warmer air will move in for the weekend.

What does the warmer air mean? The temperatures across the state will rise into the low 20s. It will be 28 in Detroit and 26 in Lansing on Tuesday. It may not seem like a lot but I promise Spring is coming…eventually.

Process + Perception exhibit

And starting today til Feb. 21, the Detroit Artists Market is hosting their new viewing of the Process + Perception Exhibition. It’s a group exhibition of 2D and 3D process-driven artworks that’s created through layered materials and imagery. Organizers say the viewing will range from quiet and contemplative to intense and overwhelming.

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

Detroit and art go hand-in-hand. The arts are held in the same regard as the automotive industry as one of the city’s great exports. But unlike the auto and manufacturing industries, the work can be a lot less stable, the recognition can be less visible, and the pay can be inconsistent. 

So what does an artist in Metro Detroit striving to make a life here do? What supports exist and is it enough? Artists Sydney James and Halima Cassells join the program to discuss.

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 owners of the Detroit Free Press plan to acquire the Detroit News.

USA Today‘s announcement comes less than a month after Michigan’s largest daily newspapers ended a joint operating agreement they entered in 1989.

The Free Press was failing at the time. The JOA allowed both papers to maintain separate newsrooms while combining other parts of their businesses such as printing.

The JOA ended in December 2025. Shortly thereafter, the News announced plans to print its first separate Sunday edition in 36 years. Then it delayed the Sunday paper rollout a few days before USA Today’s takeover announcement.

What happens now?

USA Today CEO Mike Reed says the company will continue to publish separate editions. But for how long?

Bill Shea is a writer based in Hazel Park. He wrote about the city’s newspapers for Crain’s Detroit Business for more than a decade. He also worked for USA Today’s predecessor, Gannett. Shea says before they became partners, the papers were fierce competitors.

“These newsrooms used to have hundreds and hundreds of people in all the various roles,” he says. “Reporters, editors, photographers, copy editors…the whole gamut.”

But as technology changed, so did readers’ habits.

“Customers no longer wanted print as much as they used to,” Shea says.

Both papers have a strong online presence. Shea says that will allow them to stay the course editorially in the short term.

“They both get a lot of eyeballs digitally,” he says. “Maintaining separate newsrooms to keep that up is probably the path for now.”

Is a one-paper town inevitable?

But Shea warns that the new owners might lay off reporters to maximize profits.

“I fully expect to hear the crappy corporate-speak of ‘finding efficiencies to better serve our readers and partners,’ which just means job cuts,” he says.

Shea says fewer journalists means fewer stories to cover. He says that would hurt readers, too.

“Because you’re losing out on that vital storytelling in an age where we absolutely need…as many people as possible telling these stories, holding power and capital accountable,” he says.

USA Today said it expected to close the deal before the end of January. It would not say how much it’s paying to acquire the News or whether it will follow through with a separate Sunday edition.

Over the past decade, homelessness has been down in Oakland County. But in the last three years, it’s been trending up again. 

The 2024 point-in-time count found that about 1,700 people were homeless in Oakland County. 

Last week, the locality conducted its latest count while Wayne County had one on Wednesday. We don’t have the official results from either count yet, but, according to Ryan Hertz, the number of families that are homeless is growing, even as chronically homeless individuals are getting housing more often.

The Metro’s Sam Corey spoke with the CEO and president of the anti-poverty organization, Lighthouse, to learn more.

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

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Artists in Detroit largely depend on support from charitable organizations and government funding. So, what does that support look like? And how can artists and city government come together to make art happen?

The Detroit Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship or ACE is the city’s department that oversees its investment in the arts. It supports the city’s creative workforce with education, mentorship and networking opportunities.

Lacey Holmes is the Project Manager for Detroit ACE . She joined the show to help us understand the city’s role in this conversation. 

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

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Detroiters are dealing the many effects of frigid weather.  One of them is frozen infrastructure.  The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department says there are more than 50 active water main breaks across the city.  The results can include impassable streets, thick ice, and cars on the street frozen in place. 

City officials say there are also 275 fire hydrants that are out of service. 

DWSD Director Gary Brown spoke with WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley about the impact of the freezing weather. 

He says the department is getting many calls from residents dealing with frozen pipes inside homes.  Brown advises them to keep the house heated and insulate pipes on outside walls to keep pipes from bursting and damaging homes. 

Additional headlines for Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026

Wayne State locked down 

Wayne State University was locked down for a couple of hours last night after a shooting in one of its residence halls.  Police say a fight between people who knew one another took place at the Chatsworth Suites, near the Student Center.  Shots were fired.  

Police were dispatched, but the people involved had already left the building  Students were advised to shelter in place as officers searched for the suspects.  A firearm was recovered.  Police determined there was no further threat to the campus community and the all-clear was given to around midnight.

No arrests have been made yet. 

Perry Johnson joins governor’s race 

Michigan businessman Perry Johnson says he’s running to become Michigan’s next governor.  The Republican announced his bid in a video earlier this week. 

“I know people say it can’t be done.  Nonsense.  We can make Michigan great again.  I’m Perry Johnson and I’m running for governor of the state of Michigan.” 

Johnson ran for governor in 2022, but his campaign did not collect enough valid signatures and failed to make the ballot.  He also ran for president in 2024.  Johnson joins the race for the Republican nomination with more than half a dozen other candidates.  The primary election takes place in August. 

Jared Goff going to Pro Bowl 

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is going to the NFL Pro Bowl.  He will take the place of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, who will be busy preparing to lead that team in the Super Bowl.  Goff finished the season with more than 45-hundred passing yards – second best in the league. 

The Lions failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021. 

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

Since September, retired evangelical pastor Dale Dalman has been driving north from his West Michigan home in Rockford to the North Lake Processing Center, sometimes two, three times a week.

Winter storms and frigid temperatures haven’t stopped him from making the four hour round trip to Baldwin, Michigan, so that he can spend 90 minutes visiting people inside.

“It all started when a former member of my congregation was picked up in Indiana as a truck driver, when [federal agents] were pulling over immigrant truck drivers,” Dalman explained. “He’s been detained in Baldwin since.”

Read the rest of the story from Michigan Public Radio here.

The killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers has forced the country to look more closely at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. When applying that closer lens, that scrutiny moves beyond individual agents to the system itself. It’s one built through laws, budgets, and a long-standing decision to treat immigration as a criminal problem.

César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a law professor at Ohio State University, studies the once less known aspects of the U.S. system: where immigration enforcement operates like criminal policing, and detention functions like punishment even when the government calls it “civil.”

His latest book is “Welcome the Wretched: In Defense of the ‘Criminal Alien.'”

García Hernández joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what kind of immigration system is actually being built in the name of Americans, and how we got 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.

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Yesterday, President Donald Trump said he is going to “de-escalate a little bit” in Minnesota. But the protests against ICE in that state have continued as federal officers have remained on the ground.

One of the larger demonstrations in Minneapolis occurred last Friday. That’s when businesses closed and thousands of people took to the streets. It was also the day before Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents. 

Interim Executive Director for The Detroit Jews for Justice Lisa Tencer was in Minneapolis on Friday. The Metro‘s Sam Corey spoke with her about why she went, and what she saw.

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

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More stories from The Metro

The annual “State of Transit” event was this week. Put on by advocacy group Transit Riders United, it gathers leaders from around southeastern Michigan to discuss all things related to public transportation.

Detroit Director of Transit Robert Cramer told WDET at the event that one thing DDOT has made progress over the last year is modernizing its fleet of buses. That includes adding 45 new hybrid and four electric buses.

He says the hybrid models have seem to be more feasible than the electric ones at this time.

“Because we don’t have a network of charging around the city that can keep topping it off, we send [the electric buses] out for 4 or 5 hours, then we’ll have to bring them back for a pretty lengthy charging,” says Cramer. 

However, Cramer says DDOT is still facing bus availability challenges as it works to bring more buses onto the road. He says on time performance isn’t quite where it needs to be as a result.

“Right now we’re in the upper 60s,” says Cramer, “about 70% is out on time performance. The industry standard, and our goal, is 85%.”

Cramer says improving wages for drivers and mechanics has also helped the department improve service over the last year. He says it’s helped with employee retention.

The Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) does not have contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but that doesn’t mean deportation flights won’t continue out of Willow Run Airport.

Chad Newtown, CEO of the Wayne County Airport Authority told attendees at the WCAA board of director’s meeting last week that ICE operations in and out of Willow Run Airport are between airline carriers and the federal agency.

Responding to questions from the public and media about whether the WCAA has contracts with ICE, Newton said the WCAA does not have any direct agreements with ICE.

“The [Wayne County Airport Authority] does not have any involvement in the agreements between airlines and their partners, including federal agencies, as long as those agreements meet legal and safety requirements.”

In 2025, there were over 150 flights in and out of Willow Run Airport, according to reporting from the Detroit News.

Can the Wayne County Airport Authority interfere with ICE operations?

The Wayne County Airport Authority, which operates Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Willow Run Airport, does not receive any tax support, but it does receive federal funding for capital projects.

That means it must make the airport publicly available to airline carriers without discrimination of flights they service, including federal agencies.

Who runs the Wayne County Airport Authority?

The Wayne County Airport Authority is an independent, governmental entity that has an appointed board of directors. The appointments are made by elected officials:

• Wayne County Executive (4)
• Governor (2)
• Wayne County Commission (1)

Noah Kincade, coordinator for Detroit Documenters by Outlier Media, joined The Metro to discuss the recent Wayne County Airport Authority meeting.

Shiva Shahmir is a Detroit Documenter who attended that meeting and contributed to this story.

The next Wayne County Airport Authority board of directors meeting is February 18, 2026.

Detroit Documenters by Outlier Media trains and pays citizens to attend public meetings and monitor local government and elected officials.

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.

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Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced a new protocol that will increase oversight for property managers in the city – especially for senior housing. 

The four point plan mandates increased inspections and communication between the city and property managers, and new citations and fines up to $2000 for violations.

Sheffield says they are also launching a senior advocate program.

“You can expect to see a senior advocate in your building at least twice a month. Those senior advocates will be connecting you with information and resources, whether it’s quality of life issues or even access to recreational activities as well.”
Sheffield says the senior advocate will also create a tenant council in every senior housing development.

She says the new protocol will also double the number of elevator inspections at properties in the city.

-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 

ICE and Detroit

Following the killing of another American by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis, Mayor Sheffield says Detroit residents should feel safe and respected in the city. Sheffield says she is always looking for ways to improve safety, but that so far what they have been doing has been working. “We have done a great job of ensuring that we are not a target or on the radar in the city of Detroit, and we will continue down that path.” 

Sheffield says she is planning to meet with City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who has been very vocal about ICE enforcement tactics in the city. Sheffield posted a statement on social media saying the city “stands with the people of Minnesota as they exercise their First Amendment rights…” She did not condemn the violent actions of ICE agents. 

-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley

Warming shelters stay open

The City of Detroit and its nonprofit partners will keep overnight warming shelters open for the rest of the week. The National Weather Service is forecasting nighttime temperatures below zero Thursday and Friday. The mayor’s office is working with the Neighborhood Service Organization, the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, and the Pope Francis Center to help families and single adults escape the cold. 

Residents can also call the city’s Housing Resource Helpline between 8am and 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon on weekends. That number is 866-313-2520. 

-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

Newspaper buy out

The owners of the Detroit Free Press plan to buy the Detroit News. USA Today’s announcement comes less than a month after the newspapers ended their 36-year-old joint operating agreement. The company formerly known as Gannett says it expects to close the deal this week, adding that both papers will continue to publish separately.

The Detroit News recently said it would print its own Sunday edition for the first time since the joint operating agreement began. It’s not clear how the sale will affect that plan. 

-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

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

A new report finds that the rise in requests to build huge data centers across the country could reshape the size and cost of the electric grid in Michigan.

The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that within five years data centers could require well over half of all the new power demand in the state.

One of the report’s co-authors, Lee Shaver, specifically analyzed the likely impact of data centers on Michigan.

Shaver says the question is not how much new electricity Michigan will need, it’s who will pay for it.

The following interview has been edited for clarity.

Lee Shaver: The utilities have what’s called an obligation to serve. So they are going to build enough generation capacity to be able to meet the demand from data centers. The way that the system is supposed to work is that whoever causes that new demand pays for it. But the amount of demand we’re seeing from data centers kind of upsets the way that these things have been done historically. There’s a much higher likelihood that customers other than the data center would end up paying for a portion of those costs.

The big difference is just how much larger the data centers are. As an example, the total size of the data center that DTE Electric was just approved to connect to their grid in Saline Township would be 1.4 gigawatts, which is equivalent to the energy demand of over a million homes.

If could take decades for a million people to move into a new city. It’s slow growth that the utility can plan for over a long timeframe. Those costs can be spread out very easily. But when you’ve got a million homes showing up in a community in less than two years, that’s a massive amount of growth. There’s tons of new infrastructure that has to be built. And the regulation just can’t accommodate that level of growth without the way that those costs are covered being distorted.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: The Michigan Public Service Commission says the agreement between the data center and DTE includes strong protections against a big rate increase for customers. I’ve also heard that some utilities require owners of data centers to pay what’s called a “large load tariff.” Just what is that?

LS: The word tariff is a bit misleading, especially since tariffs have been in the news so much. But when a utility talks about a large load tariff, they’re talking about a set of terms and conditions that data centers have to agree to in order to be provided with electric service.

And there are a lot of really good and positive things in those tariffs that utilities are proposing, like minimum contract terms, minimum monthly billing amounts. The challenge is that, especially in Michigan, especially with the DTE data center that was just approved, there’s just not enough detail that has been made public from these large load tariffs and from the applications that the data centers themselves are submitting for the public to have assurance that the costs are actually going to be covered.

QK: Is there a point where you finally find that out one way or the other? Does it have to be when the centers are operating or can it be determined while they’re constructed?

LS: There’s several points in the process at which that needs to be done. Obviously the large load tariff needs to be in place when that contract between the data center and the utility is signed. There has to be transparency. A lot of that information, though not all of it, should be public so that it can be reviewed. And there should be regular reporting on at least an annual basis. The utility and the data center should be providing information back to the regulators to say, here’s how much energy was provided, here’s how much it cost, here’s how it was paid for. And at the same time, look at how the billing of other customers changed over that same time period.

QK: Does it take until the things are actually up and going before you can really find that out? Or can you tell that during the construction process?

LS: You need both pieces. You’re not going to get assurance that it happened properly until after things are up and running. But if you don’t have a good framework in place at the beginning to collect and share that data, you would never get any reassurance that it’s been done properly.

QK: Beyond purely financial considerations, I’ve heard some concerns about the possible health or other costs that could be associated with these massive data centers. In your view, is it reasonable to be worried about some of those effects?

LS: Absolutely. What we know today is that any new data centers coming in the near term are going to result in more fossil fuels being burned to provide them with power. And when we burn fossil fuels, there’s emissions of heat trapping carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants that have measurable health impacts. Our report found that due to data centers being built over the next 5-10 years, there’s close to $20 billion worth of health damages that would be caused from air pollution, most of which would happen directly in Michigan. And the global climate damages are estimated to be over $400 billion across the 2026-2050 timeframe.

QK: Having analyzed the issue, what, in your view, is the best strategy for a state like Michigan to follow in regards to where or how many data centers are allowed in?

LS: We didn’t speak to whether or not specific data centers should be allowed to operate, but we do make a couple of recommendations from the policy side.

In addition to the steps that need to be taken to ensure that data centers pay for their own costs, we also recommend what we’re calling a CO2 reduction policy. We found that’s necessary because, while Michigan does have some really progressive clean energy and renewable energy standards, with the growth in data centers, those standards are not enough to continue Michigan on the path to reaching net zero carbon emissions. A CO2 reduction policy would essentially set a limit on how much fossil fuel can be burned in the state of Michigan. And by enacting that limit, over time combustion of fossil fuels will be reduced and all of those negative health impacts would diminish.

QK: Considering the current makeup of Congress and the White House, in your view, how realistic is it that such prohibitions could actually get through?

LS: Our recommendation is actually at the state level, for exactly that reason. And our modeling shows that regardless of policies elsewhere, if Michigan were to enact a CO2 reduction policy, it would have significant impacts on reducing emissions in Michigan.

What does it feel like when a city has its breath taken away—not just by frigid weather, but by sudden shocking violence that cuts into the lives of neighbors and friends?

In Minneapolis, there is a texture to the streets that doesn’t show up in social media clips. Day after day, in bitter cold, people have come together protesting, marching, and organizing neighborhood watches. Their gatherings have been sparked by a wave of federal immigration enforcement in the city and by two fatal shootings.

On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident. The Hennepin County medical examiner ruled her death a homicide. Video evidence has raised serious questions about whether the force used was justified.

Then, on Jan. 24, Border Patrol agents killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti. Federal officials initially claimed Pretti violently resisted and brandished a gun. But video footage, eyewitnesses, and independent reporting refute those claims. The discrepancy between the official account and the evidence has become a flashpoint for protests and calls for accountability.

In recent weeks, journalist Hamilton Nolan has been on the ground in Minneapolis, walking with people in the cold, listening to residents, and trying to make sense of what “resistance” looks like right now. He’s written about what he’s seen and heard in his Substack newsletter How Things Work. 

He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what he saw on the ground and what Detroit can learn from Minneapolis.

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

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It’s been less than a month since Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield took office, but she’s already begun putting her agenda into motion.

Her administration is creating a new Office of Neighborhood & Community Safety  and establishing new departments aimed at reducing poverty. The administration has also brought Rx Kids a program that gives cash to new mothers, to the city.  

Why did Sheffield’s office make these changes? And what does she hope to accomplish in her first year?

David Bowser is Mayor Sheffield’s chief of staff. He spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

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

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Meet Starlings! Or at least half of Starlings. My guests this week were Nick Chevillet (guitar/vocals), Adam Liles (guitar), and Darren Shelton, (keyboards). You can see Shelton on the far right, up top, who immediately joked that he “only has one look” when it comes to photos, otherwise, his energy is significantly mirthful, ebullient even, and certainly exuding lots of encouraging energy toward his bandmate, Liles (he’s the tallest one in the picture) just released his debut solo album “Slow Pony” this week.

During the last segment of this week’s show, I spoke with Liles about his new album, including debuting a song from it, “Heart Attack Machine.” Then Liles treated WDET listeners to a live acoustic version of another song, proper for these chilly winter nights, titled “Silver Letter.”

Liles has been in several bands over the last decade, including Pia The Band and The Indigo Curve, but he’s also been working on solo material, albeit a bit more quietly, for just as long, having released demos in the late 2010s, along with a solid single, “Ripcord.”

Chevillet shared a charming anecdote about how Liles came to join Starlings. This six-piece band grew out of a collaboration that Chevillet started, somewhat on a lark, with singer-songwriter Adam Padden. Chevillet and Padden were already well-acquainted after years of playing together in another indie-rock group, Handgrenades.

Starlings started as a bonding creative project during the quarantine days of Covid, when both Chevillet and Padden had just become new fathers and were eager to fill some of that precious quiet time when their newborns were napping; naturally, they filled it with songwriting.

Liles is a natural fit for Starlings, since Chevillet and Padden’s initial batch of songs matched his own sensibilities for propulsive mini-ballads of melodic brooding post-punk mixed with pedal-augmented guitar phrases, welded over sophisticated compositions that support and sweeten (or bitterly sweeten) the lilts of poetically heavyhearted lyrics.

Shelton had previously set up an impressive recording space Downriver, where Chevillet revealed he’s been working on a slew of new Starlings tracks for future recordings; their debut EP, “Try Hard Town,” was released last year. Liles, in turn, also admitted that while he’s eager to continue recording and performing with Starlings, he’s also got plenty of solo material that could fill a follow-up to” Slow Pony” soon.

Also on tonight’s show, I looked ahead to this weekend’s annual Ann Arbor Folk Festival, a fundraiser for that city’s musical mecca of roots music, The Ark. I featured tracks from two artists performing on Saturday at Hill Auditorium: the versatile Americana-folk-rock ensemble The Crane Wives, and Rabbitology, who weaves a heartwarmingly witchy brew of atmospheric folk that sounds like it’s building her up to be the inheritor of the torches of Kate Bush and Florence Welch.

Also on this week’s show, a track from Tony Mugg’s solo project, DUDE, a dazzlingly jazzy-indie-rock instrumental from Seth Bernard, and a swooning ballad from Annie Bacon. We even found some time to flash back to 2016’s world of local music releases, with two seemingly long-lost music projects known as Real Ghosts and The Good Things.

The William G Anderson Lecture Series: Slavery to Freedom, An American Odyssey formed at Michigan State University 26 years ago. The series brings in guest speakers to lead thought provoking discussions about solutions to issues impacting civil and human rights.

This year the guest speakers are Dr. Jelani Cobb, the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York, Bob Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) and Mary Ann Pettway and China Pettway of Gee’s Bend Quilting Collective.

Dr. Marita Gilbert is the Associate Dean of Osteopathic Engagement & Community Practice at Michigan State University. She leads the lecture series. Dr. Gilbert joined The Metro to talk about the lectures this year, and the big question of who really influences history.

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