Michigan’s employment and earnings numbers are coming in better than expected, which also means a likely windfall to help pay for K-12 schools, public universities, community colleges and state government. That determination was made Friday by a panel of state budget officials.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature are required to use the numbers adopted by the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference. It looks like they’ll have a little short of $33.2 billion to work with in the coming fiscal year. That is $770.4 million more than was anticipated.

Jen Flood, the Democratic governor’s budget director, said a lot of economic indicators are pointed in the right direction.

“Inflation is down, more people are working, and incomes are up,” she said. “Our strong economic growth means that we’re well positioned heading into 2025.”

State Treasurer Rachel Eubanks, who also works for Whitmer, said whether that surplus holds will depend a lot on actions by the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

“We will continue to watch very closely what happens at the federal level, especially as it relates to tax and trade policy and how that can potentially uniquely impact Michigan,” she said. “But we don’t have a crystal ball, so we do our very best to forecast revenues based on what we do know.”   

Many Republicans say they would like to see that surplus directed toward fixing roads and a tax cut.

“If we’ve got another billion in projected revenue that’s great, but it’s not a license to spend frivolously,” said Rep. Joe Aragona (R-Clinton Township). “There is still a lot of waste in the budget that we need to cut, and we should be looking for a way to return some of the surplus to the people of Michigan.”

The GOP negotiating position is significantly improved in this session with the Republican takeover of the Michigan House Representatives. The Senate remains in Democratic control.

Read more:

• MichMash: State lawmakers return to Michigan Capitol for first day of new session
• New rules give Michigan House Oversight Committee greater subpoena power
• Michigan GOP needs new leader, looks to maintain momentum

The state’s 103rd Legislative session began on Wednesday, with Republicans taking the majority in the House of Representatives. But Democrats still hold a majority in the state Senate, requiring bipartisan efforts in the Legislature to get bills passed into law.

This week, MichMash host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow discuss the first day back in session and some of the new legislative developments being drafted. Then, Gorchow sits down with Republican state Rep. Joseph Aragona to discuss his goals for this new Legislature and the likelihood for bipartisanship.

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

In this episode:

• House Republicans’ legislative priorities this session
• Likelihood of movement on FOIA expansion bills
• Republicans’ focus on government oversight

Roth noted that a coveted spot for a bill is to be House or Senate Bill No. 1, and this year’s Senate Bill 1 is Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) expansion — something we’ve talked about a lot on this show. 

It’s an issue that was killed during lame duck last year, and one that Gorchow said is hard to be optimistic about this session after multiple terms of inaction and with Republicans in control of the House.

“When a minority party becomes the majority party, they often get cold feet about this idea. See the House Democrats last term,” Gorchow said, adding that there are no firm commitments from House Republicans yet on this issue.

Still, Gorchow said, it’s “a clear message from the Senate that they want this done quickly.”

Aragona, a second term House Republican serving Clinton Township in Macomb County, says while he’d be supportive of FOIA expansion, his priorities this year will revolve around updating Michigan’s tipped wage and sick leave policies, as well as on expanding government oversight via the House Oversight Committee.

“We’re trying to bring a higher value for the tax dollars that people give state government throughout Michigan,” Aragona said, referring to House Republicans’ oversight priorities. “These subcommittees are meant to try and encompass the breadth of state government, and [to address] issues we’ve seen in the past where we haven’t gotten answers.”

More from WDET:

• MichMash: Michigan Legislature’s final days cover EVs, charter schools + more
• FOIA expansion, minimum wage, sick leave bills lead off legislative session in Lansing
• MichMash: Looking back on the state’s top political stories of 2024

The city of Detroit is providing convenient parking, free transportation and more for the 2025 Detroit Auto Show, taking place now through Jan. 20.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Those attending the show can park at a city parking facility, private garage/lot or street parking meter close to a People Mover station and ride for free to the Huntington Place station.

The People Mover will also be operating earlier on the weekends during the Detroit Auto Show, from 6:30 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday.

Individuals can also park anywhere along the Woodward Corridor between New Center and downtown and ride the QLine for free and get dropped off two blocks from Huntington Place.

The city is also restricting traffic in certain areas around the auto show,  including on Washington Boulevard, Atwater, Shelby, Bates, Congress, Fort, Griswold, Cass and westbound Jefferson.

For more information about traffic and transportation during the Detroit Auto Show, visit the city of Detroit’s website.

Other headlines for Friday, Jan. 10, 2024:

• The Detroit Auto Show’s co-executive director Sam Klemet spoke with WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter about what to look forward to at this year’s event.
• After a stellar performance against the Minnesota Vikings for the final game of the regular season, the Detroit Lions are 15-2, No. 1 in the division, No. 1 in the NFC conference and No. 1 in the hearts of passionate Detroit Lions fans.
• Grammy nominated and Soul Train Award winner Chanté Moore is gracing the stage of Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel on Friday, Jan. 17.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

We’re a little over a week into the new year and there’s at least one thing that’s notable about it so far: It is COLD. 

The freezing weather we’re experiencing now is part of a broader cold front hitting the midwest and east coast. Winters have been getting warmer on average, due to climate change, but the nature of our changing climate means the weather shifts to the extremes. 

Today on The Metro, we heard from experts and listeners on how to best navigate the coldest months. 

Holli-Anne Passmore, an associate professor and department chair of psychology at Concordia University of Edmonton, joined the show to talk about the psychological benefits of connecting with the natural world, even in the winter.

“There’s also something called nature connectedness, and that’s about the quality of your relationship with the natural world,” Passmore said. 

Ian Solomon, founder of Amplify Outside and communications and engagement manager for the Detroit Parks Coalition, also joined the discussion. Amplify Outside works to remove barriers that prevent people from enjoying the outdoors. 

“The land moves with the seasons, the city does not. So you really have to give first, give yourself grace that you are expected to move at a pace that is unnatural,” Solomon said. “All of us are moving in an unnatural way right now, and we do it every year for four months straight. And so we have to first accept and say, I’m not the problem.”

We also asked our listeners:

“What do you enjoy doing in the winter months?”

George from Southgate said: “I am a winter person to begin with, I love the winter time. But I’m a retired soldier, and when I was in the army our uniforms improved tremendously because of the new technology out there that keeps you warm. Gore-Tex shoes for example, they’re waterproof, but they’re breathable so your feet don’t sweat.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation and other stories from “The Metro.”

More stories from The Metro on Jan. 10, 2024: 

• Beginning this week, Detroit high school students can earn $200 gift cards every time they have perfect attendance for 10 consecutive school days. The program runs through March and students can earn up to $1,000. Jeremy Singer, a professor of teaching at Wayne State University and associate director of the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity and Research, joins the show to talk about DPSCD’s new approach to combat chronic absenteeism.
• The Detroit Film Theatre is launching its winter season this week. Elliot Wilhelm has been the director of the DFT since 1974. He spoke with WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper about films to see at the theater this month.
• Last summer, the Michigan State Supreme Court ruled that former property owners are retroactively entitled to profits from tax foreclosure sales. This means if your home was foreclosed on from 2015 to 2020, you could be owed some cash. Detroit Documenters, Outlier Media and five community organizations are working to get this money back in Detroiters hands. Senior reporter Koby Levin and Detroit Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade joined The Metro to talk about the new project.

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

If you resolved to beef up your vocabulary in 2025, Wayne State University’s Word Warriors are here to help.

Each year, the group invites people to submit words that have fallen out of use over time. The Word Warriors sift through the entries and choose the ones they believe deserve to be revived.

Chris Williams works with words daily. He’s the assistant director of editorial services in WSU’s Marketing and Communications Office. He also curates the Word Warriors list.

Williams says people submit words every week.

“We’ll look them over and we’ll see if we think they cut the mustard,” he says.

The group adds new words to its Facebook page. Williams says the more users like certain words, the more likely they’ll make the annual top ten list.

“Some of these words are just really fun, and we want to encourage people to use this in their writing or conversation,” he said.

This year’s words (and definitions) include:

• ensorcelled (enchanted, bewitched)
• honeyfuggle (to ingratiate oneself by deceit)
• hurkle-durkle (to lounge in bed long after it’s time to get up)
• inure (to accustom someone to something, especially something unpleasant)
• scaramouch (a cowardly buffoon)
• shackbaggerly (in a loose or disorderly manner)
• sonsy (having an attractive and healthy appearance)
• syzygy (the nearly straight-line configuration of at least three celestial bodies in a gravitational system, such as an eclipse)
• tiffin (a light meal, often lunch)
• vesper (evening)

Williams says the Word Warriors list makes a good counterpoint to Lake Superior State University’s annual list of “banished” words and phrases.

Related: Lake Superior State University shares Banished Words list for 2025

“They want to take some words out of the English language, we want to bring some back, and maybe that provides some balance,” Williams said.

He invites people to submit for next year’s list at the Word Warriors website.

The new Republican speaker of the Michigan House says he’s not sure if or when he’ll forward the final bills passed during the previous legislative session to the governor’s desk.

The issue came up when Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp) took over as House Speaker during the start of the new legislative session Wednesday. At that point, the process of sending the governor bills passed during the last session hadn’t yet finished.

Hall said he told the House clerk’s office to pause once he took charge so lawyers could look through them first.

“Can a new Legislature even present what an old Legislature did? I don’t have answers to all this stuff. I just know that I have a duty to — I don’t like to rush. I stopped. I said we need a legal review, we need to look at this very carefully,” Hall told reporters during a press conference Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Gongwer News Service reported those nine bills included ones dealing with history museum millages, expanding access to the state police pension system, and health insurance premiums for public employees.

The state constitution says “every bill passed by the legislature shall be presented to the governor.” But it doesn’t outline a timeline for that process.

Hall argued Democrats have sat on bills for weeks in the past before sending them to the governor.

“So, you can hold these things a long time and then you can present. I’m just saying that I wanted to do a legal review and we’re going to do a very thorough legal review to look at these bills. I mean, there could be a lot of technical problems with the bills,” he said.

The bills in question were passed in mid-December.

As far as policies for this year go, Hall predicted minimum wage and sick leave bills will pass within “the next few weeks.”

The state is set to see the minimum wage for both tipped and non-tipped workers jump in February.

Meanwhile, most Michigan workers could start earning at least 72 hours of guaranteed sick leave a year, depending on how much they work.

Business groups have shared concerns about both plans.

Hall said he created a special committee this week to deal with the topic, alongside other policy committees.

“These committees are going to be talking to people across Michigan and understanding the impact of these policies, taking these introduced bills and making sure they work. That’s one of the reasons committees matter. When you have committee hearings, you learn things and you say, ‘We’ve got to make some adjustments,’ and that’s what’s going to happen,” Hall said.

House Republicans and Senate Democrats have both introduced bills to allay some of the business community’s fears.

As of Thursday night, the Select Committee on Protecting Michigan Employees and Small Businesses is the only House committee with assigned membership.

Traditionally, the House Appropriations Chair has at least been named by this point, with budget season beginning in earnest this week.

Hall said the lack of assignments was a mix of having to find placements for everyone and “taking on the responsibility of looking at a lot of the Democrats’ assignments too.”

When asked to explain further why he had concerns about Democratic placements, Hall referenced a belief that committees shouldn’t be used to “instill party discipline.”

Jess Travers, a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton), rejected the idea that Democrats were making committee assignments inappropriately.

“Leader Puri has not created any obstacle to committee assignments. He is unaware of what the Speaker might be referring to – the insinuation is simply nonsensical,” Travers said in a text when asked for comment.

In other policy areas, Hall warned not to expect “fast action” on Senate bills to expand the Freedom of Information Act despite him voting for similar bills in previous years.

Instead, Hall pointed to transparency in spending and stopping lawmakers from immediately becoming lobbyists as bigger priorities this time around.

Those could be topics to work out through the what Hall predicted would be “growing pains” of building relationships with leadership in the Democratic controlled Senate and governor’s office.

Hall, who served as minority leader in the House for the past two years, said he hopes to loosen some of what he perceives as the governor’s influence in the chamber.

New House rules remove department heads and liaisons from the governor’s office from the list of people who have access to the House floor.  

“People have asked me, ‘Do you think this is going to be combative two years or do you think it will be a productive two years?’ I think it’ll be both. It’ll be combative and productive because we’re going to get a lot done. That’s what happens when you have strong leadership,” Hall said.

Detroit City Council was back at it this week with a light schedule — mostly taking public comment in Tuesday’s session.

With Mayor Mike Duggan running for Governor, council members Fred Durhal III and Mary Sheffield are both aiming to fill the spot. So this is expected to be a very busy year for the public body — if not a little distracting.

Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero is running for reelection in the newly redrawn 6th District, which encompasses parts of downtown, Midtown and all of Corktown and Southwest Detroit.

In an interview with WDET, she said the city’s allotment of federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is spoken for. All they have to do is approve contracts.

The ARPA cash has gone toward improving city services and infrastructure as well as things like eviction defense and job training.

One area that could still use an influx of cash is public transit.

“We’re going to be pushing for better transits. Many of us have been riding the bus during our terms. Here we have incredible transit advocates who are asking that we double the DDOT budget,” Santiago-Romero said.

Last year’s budget for the Detroit Department of Transportation was $188 million.

Detroit police and Duggan have credited Community Violent Intervention (CVI) programs for reducing crime in parts of the city. Much of the funding for those programs came from ARPA.

Santiago-Romero wants to go a step further.

“I have been pushing for an Office of Violence Prevention since my time here,” Santiago-Romero said. “It would codify an office that does research, that does best practices, that gives the kind of grants that we give to those CVI programs, but that, again, requires funding to staff to continue those programs.”

For the past two years, the Michigan Legislature has been completely controlled by Democrats. Santiago-Romero was optimistic some long-term funding for CVI would be passed. However, House Republicans and Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) shut down the lame duck session last month preventing dozens of bills from receiving a vote.

Public safety funding was among the legislation that was killed.

“Lame duck season was incredibly disappointing,” said Santiago-Romero. “A lot of the bills that we wanted to get passed did not get passed.”

That included bills for water affordability championed by Detroit-area legislators like Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck).

Pollution is a problem in District 6 and is set to get worse with the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge later this year.

“We are also just bombarded by industry,” Santiago-Romero said. “So one of our main focuses is going to establish, is to establish a truck route, first in Southwest and then an ordinance that establishes those routes in other places in the city that have high truck traffic as well.”

Santiago-Romero says some in her district are being denied the basic functions of city government.

“My residents want basic city services, working street lights. When there’s an issue on their block, they want to call the police and have them show up on time. It’s about making sure that they are able to live a good, healthy quality of life.”

Santiago-Romero says the council should consider repealing and replacing the city’s human rights ordinance.

“Right now, city employees don’t have a way to file discrimination against the city, and we need to update our language, codify it, bring it up to speed to the state and federal policies.”

A challenge to Santiago-Romero is likely coming. She won in 2021 by a 3-1 margin. Why does someone want her seat?

“It’s a job that people think is a title and easy, or they just want the power,” Santiago-Romero said. “And quite frankly, that’s not at all how we do our work. We see this as an actual job that needs to get done, that needs to be taken seriously.”

With two of her colleagues running for mayor, Santiago-Romero is taking a wait-and-see approach and isn’t quite ready to make an endorsement.

“I think there are going to be a lot of candidates that run and whoever runs for mayor, in order to receive my support, I will need to see a vision. I need to see what their vision is for the city, what their plans are for the city.”

Last call to see one of my favorite shows of the year, which closes this Sunday, Jan. 12.

I knew nothing of Toshiko Takaezu before this retrospective of her work at Cranbrook Art Museum. “Worlds Within” goes along chronologically, highlighting her array of clay work alongside some abstract paintings and other pieces. 

Takaezu’s career spanned seven decades and it’s all on display here, stretching from the 1950s through the early 2000s, when the scale and impact of her work only kept growing. (In fact, the final gallery is my favorite gallery on display here.)

There’s early student work from her time studying in Hawaii. There’s work from her time spent teaching at Cranbrook, which is a nice feather in the cap for this storied institution in Bloomfield Hills that’s an international draw for artists to study and for patrons to gawk at their collections.

What isn’t captured in the bio of Takaezu’s “Worlds Within” is how warm, engaging and downright wonderful this exhibition is — even when it blasts off into outer space.

Takaezu’s “Moonscapes” are stars of the show here — a galaxy of large spherical sculptures (two large bowls brought together) hanging snuggly in fiber hammocks created by Lenore Tawney for a show all the way back in 1979. They were displayed a decade after the Apollo mission, which tilted Takaezu towards creating these pieces.

Alongside the hammocks, Takaezu creates a small galaxy of these spheres in front of another one of Tawney’s fiber pieces. 

We’re not all on the artistic orbit of Takaezu, but these pieces provide an out-of-this-world viewing experience that’s grounded and inviting to those of us stuck down here on Earth.

“Worlds Within” wraps with large vessels from Takaezu’s “Star Series.” The stoneware vessels are modeled after Korean storage jars and require large kilns to be made. The abstract coloring on the exterior of each one makes it feel like you’re stumbling into an alien graveyard.

They are stunning explorations of scale within the world of clay, the sheer size of which I’ve rarely seen displayed with such humbling affect.

When Takaezu plays with scale, it’s magical. And she knew size isn’t everything throughout her career.

“Sometimes the small one has everything.”

She kept making smaller, more playful works alongside the authoritative stature of her take on Korean storage jars.

It helps weave a story of an artist who never lost sight of playfulness within her work even as her work grew as large in scale as the planets above that fascinated her.

And a true celebration of clay and stoneware, a medium which rarely gets it’s own retrospective on this scale in metro Detroit’s cultural scene.

“Ryan Patrick Hooper goes to…” is published by WDET in partnership with Midbrow.

Read more:

• Still Life Studio’s winter ceramics show offers eclectic pieces from local artists
• Jazz pianist Elew’s electrifying set at Cliff Bell’s
• ‘Monday Is The New Monday’ at Motor City Wine

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on Wednesday announced two more east side neighborhoods as finalists for phase two of the city’s Solar Neighborhood project.  

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

All homeowners in the Houston Whittier/Hayes and Greenfield Park communities have already entered written agreements for voluntary buyouts by the city.  

Duggan says he would not use eminent domain against homeowners, but he will for speculators.  

“You all know how I feel about the speculators in this town who have bought up vacant lots across the city to try to hold us up,” he said. “The fact that we can use eminent domain means we can buy those vacant lots for their worth. They can’t hold us up.” 

The two neighborhoods create an additional 61 acres of solar arrays. 

Phase one of the project already secured 104 acres of land, bringing the total to 165 acres acquired. 

Other headlines for Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025:

• Dearborn Public Schools announced two more schools will be getting vape detectors in the restrooms as part of the district’s anti-vaping campaign that launched last spring.
• Pages Bookshop in Detroit’s historic North Rosedale Park is closing its doors after a decade. The owner of the independent bookstore, Susan Murphy, announced in email she will be retiring at the end of the month.
• Wayne State University is hosting a National Day of Healing from Racism event at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, at the university’s Student Center. This year’s theme is Reclaiming Humanity through Co-Liberation and Solidarity. The free event will feature bystander intervention training, an art therapy session and performances.
• The next Detroit Department of Transportation Monthly Community Input Meeting is taking place at 5 p.m. next Thursday, Jan. 16. Residents can give input on services, fares, routes and more. For more information about the virtual meeting, email ddotcomments@detroitmi.gov. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Happy New Year! We’re starting 2025 strong with the Auto Show’s return to its original January time slot, a fiery outdoor festival, new exhibits and captivating performances.

Plus, some freebies to take advantage of this weekend. Read on to learn more.

The Auto Show

The Detroit Auto Show is back and open to the public from Saturday, Jan. 11 through Monday, Jan. 20. This is the first January show in several years since the event was moved to September to accommodate for the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2025 Auto Show will feature 30 brands and four indoor tracks, as well a “Detroit Through the Decades” display and a sampling of celebrated TV and movie vehicles at Huntington Place. Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for kids. For more information, visit detroitautoshow.com.

Festivals

This weekend is the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy’s second annual Fire and Ice Festival at Valade Park. Visitors can enjoy tons of medieval fun with a winter twist, including oversized fires, turkey legs and an ice carving competition. There will also be ax throwing, Renaissance Fair performers and an Iron Throne made of ice. Admission is free, and pre-registration is preferred but not required. Festivities kick off on Friday, Jan. 10 at 5 p.m. and go through Sunday, Jan. 12 at 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit detroitriverfront.org.

Exhibits

This weekend is your last chance to check out the “Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within” exhibit at Cranbrook Art Museum. “Worlds Within” is a chronological retrospective that charts the development of ceramic artist Toshiko Takaezu’s hybrid practice over seven decades, documenting her early student work in Hawai’i and at Cranbrook through her years teaching at the Cleveland Institute of Art and later at Princeton University. To represent this evolution, the show presents a series of installations loosely inspired by ones that Takaezu created in her own lifetime, from a set table of functional wares from the early 1950s to an immersive constellation of monumental ceramic forms from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The exhibit is on display in the Upper Galleries now through Sunday, Jan. 12. For more information, visit cranbrookartmuseum.org.

Read more: Last chance to catch Toshiko Takaezu’s ‘Worlds Within’ retrospective at Cranbrook

One of the Wright Museum’s newest exhibitions is called “Gems from the Wright Museum,” highlighting cherished heirlooms, family traditions and stories passed down by Black Detroiters. Divided into six sections, the collection spans multiple countries and decades, preserves American history, documents important people and places, and captures everyday life. The exhibition is on display now through Sunday, March 9. For more information, visit thewright.org.

The Wright’s other newest exhibition is “Paul Collins: The Traveling Artist,” which features the Michigan artist’s portraiture work spanning many decades and continents. As a practice and process, Collins traveled the world, learned about the culture, and painted local people he encountered every day. He believed his process of understanding others and then drawing them helped him to understand himself. The exhibition is on display now through Sunday, March 2. For more information, visit thewright.org.

Freebies

This Sunday is your last chance to take advantage of Kresge Second Sundays at the Detroit Historical Museum. In celebration of the Kresge Foundation’s 100th year, admission is free and open to the public from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12. For more information, visit detroithistorical.org.

For another free opportunity, stop by the DIA’s Art-Making Studio this weekend during their open-ended Drop-In Workshop. Visitors can create something uniquely personal with a variety of fun and interesting materials. The studio will be open on Friday, Jan. 10 from 6-8:30 p.m. and on Saturday, Jan. 11 and Sunday, Jan. 12 from noon to 4 p.m. General admission is free to residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. For more information, visit dia.org.

Performances

Friday, Jan. 10 is opening night for Detroit Repertory Theatre’s production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Set in 1927’s Chicago, the show follows the “Mother of the Blues” and her band as she fights to retain control over her music. More than music goes down in August Wilson’s riveting portrayal of rage, racism, self-hatred and exploitation. Performances go through Sunday, March 2, and tickets are $25 in advance or $30 day-of. For more information, visit detroitreptheatre.com.

Staying in the retro blues vein, Sky Covington’s Satin Doll Revue is performing at Cliff Bell’s on Saturday, Jan. 11. Guests will be treated to an enchanting evening filled with soul-stirring performances by Detroit’s finest vocalists, featuring Faye Bradford as Nina Simone, Tosha Owens as Etta James, Nina Simone Neal as Dinah Washington and Sky Covington as Billie Holiday. These powerhouse women, backed by a stellar live band, will transport you through the timeless classics of jazz and blues, bringing the unforgettable artistry of these legends to life. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. For more information, visit cliffbells.com.

Or for something more in the way of alt-rock, check out Detroit-based bands Virga, Deadbeat Beat and Pretty Island at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tickets are $10 and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit ziggysypsistore.com.

The Detroit Auto Show kicks off its 10-day run on Saturday, but it’s not the same car showcase many past visitors might remember.

No longer is it known as the North American International Auto Show. Now it’s simply the Detroit Auto Show. Yet the event’s co-executive director, Sam Klemet, says the auto show does retain many of its signature elements.

In an interview with WDET, he said that includes a return to its original January timeframe after several years.

Listen: What to expect from the 2025 Detroit Auto Show

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Sam Klemet: January is a pretty natural fit for the Detroit Auto Show. This is a time of year right after the holiday, right after the New Year, which traditionally is slower for businesses in downtown Detroit, for the restaurants and the hotels. It’s a time of year when they need that injection of something large, economically. And our show brings international media from more than 15 different countries and hundreds of thousands of people to downtown. It’s a chance for us to be a good steward of the community and inject some life right at the start of the new year, set some momentum for the city moving forward. So it felt like the right time to come back and hopefully we can do this every year.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: It’s a new day for auto shows in general. So much stuff is shown on social media now. How do you make the Detroit Auto Show stand out?

SK: How people engage with unveils and getting information about cars has absolutely changed over the last number of years. You can get all the specs and information about vehicles, you can see all the pictures online. But there’s still something truly unique about seeing them in-person and, more importantly for us, experiencing these vehicles. Actually getting in them, riding in them, seeing the technology that’s on the dashboard and around the entirety of the vehicle. As we put this show together, we did it intentional to make sure that when consumers come down here, they’re going to be able to engage with these vehicles. The technology in cars and SUVs and trucks is changing rapidly. And for the consumer, it might feel overwhelming. So to be able to see all these various brands under one roof and get a better understanding of what’s out there on the market and how it’s moving is, I think, a real special opportunity. So we’re putting consumers first and foremost. And we think that this is a chance for them to actually get in a vehicle and engage with them in a truly unique way.

QK: It sounds like quite a hands-on experience. No more of the glitzy, showy herds of cattle running through to help reveal new models. None of that anymore?

SK: I don’t think that’s true. I think there’s still tons of glitz and a lot of glamor. You see that at our charity preview. That’s a huge event for us not only to kick off the show, but also to support six local charities. Now, you may not see the displays and the manufacturers like in years past, where you have elevators as part of their displays. But what they have is still outstanding. You’ll see screens everywhere, you’ll see lights everywhere, you’ll see activations everywhere. Of course, there’s going to be kind of the nostalgia of, ‘oh, this isn’t what it once was.’ But the world is changing in a lot of ways. And how we consume content, how we engage with conventions and shows, has changed a little bit. I still think there’s a lot of glitz, a lot of glamor, a lot of excitement. It’s just in a new way where technology is first and foremost and getting involved with that technology as a consumer is first and foremost.

QK: You mentioned some of the experiences people can have. Are there some activities you’re particularly proud of, things that you think people really should be looking forward to if they go to the show?

SK: There’s a number of them. We have four ride and drive test tracks and more than 40 different vehicles where people can actually get inside of them and ride them. So you don’t have to go to individual dealerships over the course of a number of weeks to see that amount of vehicles. You can do it all in one spot. We also have a number of new partners, one of them being the Detroit Grand Prix. They’ll have a lot of activations and that’s another great institution here in Detroit. To have a partnership with them to move each other forward as organizations here in Detroit is great. We have the Michigan Science Center. We’re the Motor City, so we’re hoping to drive the conversations forward about what’s to come in the automotive industry. A big part of that is how do you get a new workforce involved. So by bringing the Michigan Science Center, we get young people involved with STEM activities, where hopefully we can ignite a passion for them to get involved with engineering or design and be a part of our automotive future. You’ll see simulators everywhere. We’ll have more than 500 different vehicles on the show floor around Huntington Place. Even if you just want something a little more simple and just want to walk around and see really cool cars, we have that as well. We have 700,000-plus square feet of showroom here at Huntington Place and every corner of it is packed.

QK: One of the big attractions in the past for consumers was the chance to go through all that space and see all kinds of different vehicles under one roof. Then, maybe, they could test one out or actually purchase it. Is that still a thing, can they still buy the vehicles right at the Auto Show?

SK: Not at the show. But this is a place where you can get all the information, so when you go home, you know exactly what you’re looking for. You can’t actually purchase the vehicles on the show floor. But given the wide range of models, with more than 34 brands and about 500 cars, you’ll have a pretty good understanding of what you’re looking for and what fits best for you. So it’s a good tool for you, after you leave the show, to go to your local dealer and buy the car that stands out to you. I think that this show is evolving. And I think that’s really exciting because we’re bringing in all kinds of new partners. We’re really diving into the spirit of Detroit and Detroit’s automotive history and Detroit’s renaissance that we’ve seen over the last number of years.

This is a very important show for the city economically, with hundreds of millions of dollars of economic impact. We’re building on the momentum that started over the last number of years and hit its apex with the NFL Draft last April. To start the beginning of this year with bringing people together, connecting around the industry that is the foundation of the city is exceptional. And we’re also going to do things like coat drives for Detroit Public School kids to help them feel comfortable when they’re in the classroom. We’re going to have conversations around Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. We have some special surprises with the Detroit Lions. So there’s going to be something for everyone. It’s really a good time for the city to come together, at a time when I think we’re all really proud of what’s happening here in Detroit.

The 2025 Detroit Auto Show will take place Jan. 10-20 at Huntington Place, Detroit. For more information, visit detroitautoshow.com.

New music from Elkka, First Beige, Darkside, Magdalena Bay, Everything Is Recorded and mary in the junkyard, Joshua Idehen and more, plus throwback Thursday with Otis Redding, Sarah Vaughn, Milton Nascimento, Curtis Mayfield and others!

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for Jan. 9, 2025

• “Let it Happen (Soulwax Remix)” – Tame Impala
• “Sudden Weight (feat. Allysha Joy)” – First Beige
• “I Just Want To Love You” – Elkka
• “S.N.C.” – Darkside
• “Golden” – Elmiene
• “SP12 Beat” – Mount Kimbie
• “Water Me Down” – Vagabon
• “Death & Romance” – Magdalena Bay
• “Starfish And Coffee” – Prince
• “100 Yard Dash (Nicky D Remix)” – Derobert & The Half-truths
• “All Mine” – Portishead
• “Origin” – Studio
• “10:03” – Doves
• “Black Coffee” – Sarah Vaughn
• “Cigarettes & Coffee” – Otis Redding
• “Tudo o Que Você Podia Ser” – Milton Nascimento
• “Vento A Favor” – Sessa
• “Tandem Jump” – Jonathan Richman
• “Handshake Drugs (11/13/03 Sear Sound-NYC Version)” – Wilco
• “Heroes” – David Bowie
• “Swamp Dream #3” – Everything Is Recorded & mary in the junkyard
• “AA   BOUQUET   FOR   YOUR   180   FACE” – Saya Gray
• “Could Be Forever” – Joshua Idehen
• “The Makings of You” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
• “Billy Jack” – Curtis Mayfield
• “1st Key” – Birdman & Lil Wayne
• “The Book Lovers” – Broadcast
• “Brains” – Lower Dens
• “Silver Soul” – Beach House
• “Percolator” – Stereolab
• “Cherry Sunshine” – Somesurprises

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

For the past 15 years, Modern Music has helped uplift new and emerging artists on WDET’s airwaves, with host Jon Moshier showcasing some of the best music coming out of the independent music scene along with classic underground trailblazers.

Moshier was first hired at WDET as a part-time “music librarian” in 1996, serving as a substitute host for the station’s music programs. The following year, he launched The Jon Moshier Program, a music variety show that aired overnight on Saturday/Sunday mornings, and later, from 9 p.m.-midnight on Saturdays. He was brought on full-time in the early aughts as the station’s music coordinator — and a few years later, as senior music producer — launching the show Live From Studio A, which featured archived live performances from WDET Studios.

The position and show were eliminated in 2005, but he was brought back in January 2010 to host Modern Music, originally airing on Friday nights. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Moshier celebrated the show’s 15-year milestone this past Saturday by looking back at some of his favorite new music discoveries made since the launch of the show — including sounds from LCD Soundsystem, Future Islands, Fontaines D.C., Matthew Dear, Nation of Language and lots more!

View the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Modern Music’s 15th Anniversary Show Playlist for Jan. 4, 2025

• “Living in Colour” – Frightened Rabbit
• “Home” – LCD Soundsystem
• “Hours” – Tycho
• “Pixels” – FAWNN
• “Star Machine” – Bob Mould
• “Gone Are the Faces” – Oscillating Fan Club
• “Move Music Kills a Kiss” – Califone
• “Back in the Tall Grass” – Future Islands
• “Lazaretto” – Jack White
• “Let It Happen” – Tame Impala
• “Lazarus” – David Bowie
• “A 1000 Times” – Hamilton Leithauser & Rostam
• “Mitchell St. Marauder” – The Hentchmen
• “Plimsoll Punks” –Alvvays
• “Bad Ones (feat. Tegan and Sara)” – Matthew Dear
• “Lost Without You (feat. Dames Brown)” – Will Sessions & Amp Fiddler
• “Mary Winter” – Swervedriver
• “Wrong Train” – The Psychedelic Furs
• “A Hero’s Death” – Fontaines D.C.
• “Across That Fine Line” – Nation of Language
• “Jeff Goldblum” –Mattiel
• “Chaise Longue” – Wet Leg
• “Gettin’ to the Point” – Panda Bear & Sonic Boom
• “Barley” – Water From Your Eyes
• “Address Unknown” – The High Strung

Listen to Modern Music with host Jon Moshier every Saturday from 4-6 p.m. ET with an encore broadcast Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org.

Republicans formally took control of the state House Wednesday after winning a majority of seats in the November election.

One of the chamber’s first actions was to give the House Oversight Committee broad power to subpoena state officials to testify. The oversight committee will have six subcommittees with purview over “weaponization” of government, the child welfare system, corporate subsidies by the state, public health and food security, homeland security and foreign influence, and public assistance.

Subpoenas would have to be approved by the full oversight committee.

State Rep. Mike Harris (R-Waterford), the house majority whip, said Republicans want to have every tool available at the front end of the process to compel cooperation. He said the rule will only be invoked if executive branch officials try to stonewall oversight activities

“Our goal is not to have that be the first gunshot that we make,” he said. “This is if we’re trying to obtain information, and we are not getting cooperation than that’s something we can fall back on.”

The inquiries will be directed at actions taken by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration as far as COVID-19 orders and business incentives. The committee could also be interested in actions by Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. All are Democrats.

Democrats voted for the package of rules as a collegial gesture on the new session’s first day, but are not happy with granting the committees up-front subpoena power.

“Obviously, I understand the need for accountability and transparency in government, but creating artificial witch hunts and politicizing the committee structure is not the way to get it done,” said state Rep. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton), the House minority leader.

The Whitmer administration had no comment on the House rules.

Bills to expand Michigan open records laws to apply to the governor’s office and lawmakers were among the first introduced at the start of the new legislative session Wednesday.

The policies were among the many that had passed the Michigan Senate last session but died in the House of Representatives during the final days of last year.

Package co-sponsor Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) has worked on the Freedom of Information Act expansion for years.

Moss said he feels optimistic about its chances despite party control in the Michigan House switching from Democrats back to Republicans this session.

“This is now something that has only passed out of a Democratic controlled Senate and only passed out of a Republican controlled House. I’m hopeful that maybe this is the right mechanics that are in place now to get it done,” Moss told reporters.

Between Moss and Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Waucedah Twp), the policy has bipartisan sponsorship.

The bills were set up Wednesday to skip the committee process in the state Senate, meaning they could potentially be voted on as early as next week if lawmakers chose.

Moss said there’s little more to add to discussions about the matter.

“This has got to be the most vetted policy that’s still lingering in this town. And I think that by not only prioritizing it as Senate bills one and two, but by sending it directly to the floor, we are signaling how important this is,” Moss said.

Senate Democrats also unveiled their plan Wednesday for the future of the state’s minimum wage and sick leave laws.

That’s ahead of a policy shift scheduled for February.

Both the scheduled increase and the Democrats’ plan would gradually increase pay for both tipped and non-tipped workers.

The bills would gradually bump the overall minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027, quicker than the scheduled timeline. But it would cap the minimum wage for tipped workers at 60% of what non-tipped workers make, instead of the current plan to create parity by 2030.

Business groups had pushed lawmakers to scale back the increase.

Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp.) said he hasn’t fully looked at the Democrats’ proposal yet. But he said keeping the tipped wage credit is a top priority.

“Over the last several decades, over the last 70 years, we’ve had a whole industry built around this. And my No. 1 priority is how do you save the 50,000 restaurant jobs in the state of Michigan? And so I’m willing to work with anybody anyhow to find that solution as we go into it,” Nesbitt told reporters.

In the Michigan House, Republicans are also naming minimum wage and sick leave as top priorities.

The city of Detroit has been granted $346 million in Community Development Block Grants for federal disaster recovery. 

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Mayor Mike Duggan and Kera Package from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development made the announcement at the city’s Water Board Authority Building on Randolph Street Wednesday morning.

The city says it’s getting the funds because of flooding issues in 2023. The money will be used to provide infrastructure and housing improvements to prevent future flood damage. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2024:

• The funeral for former President Jimmy Carter will be held on Thursday, and President Joe Biden has declared it a National Day of Mourning.  That means Detroiters will have to do without some federal services for the day. Listen to special coverage of the funeral services beginning at 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning on 101.9 WDET or watch the livestream at wdet.org.
• Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery could be back in uniform and ready to play in the team’s first playoff game of the year, according to coach Dan Campbell.  The team has the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
• Downtown Detroit continues its preparations for the North American International Auto Show. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is expected to get a special preview tour of the show Thursday morning. Media Day and the Charity Preview take place on Friday. The show opens to the public on Saturday and runs through Monday, Jan. 20.
• Gas prices are slightly lower in metro Detroit, with the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded at $3.09 — down from $3.12 last week, but 14 cents more than residents were paying a month ago. The national average is $3.06.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

What an interesting show… from the simply gorgeous piano playing of Joe Webb to new music from Divorce, Michael Kiwanuka, Oscar Jerome, Lola Young, DARKSIDE and others all the way to the Ethio-jazz of musical pioneer and ambassador Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra and guitar legend Santana.

Felt like we were at the height of our genre-hopping powers today on In The Groove — hope ya dig!

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for Jan. 8, 2025

• “Rebel Soul” – Michael Kiwanuka
• “Antarctica” – Divorce
• “Desert Belly” – Oscar Jerome
• “Soft Spot” – JMSN
• “Before You Gotta Go” – Courtney Barnett
• “Stay Around” – J.J. Cale
• “Go It Alone” – Beck
• “Messy” – Lola Young
• “Because I’m Me” – The Avalanches
• “Love Hangover” – Diana Ross
• “Hello Detroit” – Tall Black Guy
• “Collblanc” – Joe Webb
• “Diane Charlemagne (Iman Houssein Remix)” – LEFTO EARLY BIRD
• “Maneiras (feat. Zeca Pagodinho e Marcelo D2)” – Arlindo Cruz & Rogê
• “Can We Pretend” – Bill Withers
• “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise” – Andrew Bird, Alan Hampton & Ted Poor
• “Nothing Can Surprise Me” – Tamar Aphek
• “Pára (feat. Jessica Lauren)” – MOMO.
• “Oye Como Va” – Santana
• “Tension” – Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra
• “I Set My Face to the Hillside” – Tortoise
• “S.N.C.” – DARKSIDE
• “Roy” – IDLES
• “Tomorrow Never Knows” – Beatles
• “Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose” – Father John Misty
• “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings” – The Smile
• “Guided Tour” – High Vis
• “I Wanna Be Adored” – Stone Roses
• “Les Fleur (feat. Carina Andersson)” – 4hero
• “In a Moment Divine” – Freak Heat Waves & Cindy Lee
• “Too Much Love (Rub ‘n’ Tug Mix)” – LCD Soundsystem

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

No matter how you look at it, the beautification of Detroit’s alleyways and building walls have helped change the perspective for visitors. 

But for native Detroiters, seeing walls adorned with art isn’t new, it’s just newly embraced. And the city aims to continue to embrace that artistry. 

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

The city of Detroit’s City Walls program in collaboration with Space Lab Detroit have selected 18 emerging artists to partake in its Detroit Artists Apprentice Program. The inaugural program will connect the 18 creatives with six experienced artists. The goal is to nourish and grow Detroit’s arts community. Mentors and mentees will work together through the year to create public works of art. 

Head of the city’s Blight Remediation Department Zak Meers and artist and mentor Ijenia Cortez joined The Metro to talk about the new program. 

Cortez was a mentee of artist Sydney G. James and she’s now a mentor in the program. 

“So I think it’s important also to let people know that no matter where your neighborhood is and what the history of your neighborhood, you’re important in your neighborhood and beautifying this neighborhood is important,” Cortez said. “You know, this space is important, and you should be able to see yourself here. So that’s what I try to do with murals.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Jan. 8, 2024:

• Photographer Johnny Miller’s project “Unequal Scenes” uses drones to capture aerial shots of cities worldwide. The images are bird’s eye views of urban areas. And from these vantage points, the unequal distribution of wealth becomes painfully clear. Miller joined The Metro to discuss the inspiration behind his work.
• Detroit’s new Department of Transportation Director Robert Cramer joined the show to discuss how he hopes to improve the transit service. 
• Wayne State University Professor of Oncology Dr. Mohammed Najeeb Al Hallak joined the show to talk about the U.S. Surgeon General’s recent advisory about the link between cancer and alcohol use.

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