Southwest Detroit native and entrepreneur Arnold Boyd is one of two write-in candidates competing against nine others in the city’s mayoral race.

Boyd, the founder of a school bus transportation company, launched his campaign in May and was one of the last to join the packed field of candidates facing off in the upcoming Aug. 5 primary.

Running on a platform of expanding skilled trades, making it easier to start a business, offering legal aid to senior citizens facing foreclosure and more, he says he would bring something new and different to the city.

“I’m running for mayor because I feel the city…all too often we vote for people that have name recognition or people that are career politicians,” Boyd said. “It’s time for the city to vote for people that come from their own.”

Boyd joined The Metro on Tuesday to share more details about his vision for Detroit and how he plans to achieve it.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

The city of Detroit announced on Monday that it has received a credit upgrade from the credit rating agency Moody’s for the 11th year in a row. 

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

Detroit’s rating went up one notch from Baa2 to Baa1 with a positive outlook, the city reported. The city’s financial resiliency and its operating performance over time were key reasons behind this year’s upgrade, Moody’s said in a statement.

Moody’s cited key projects underway — such as the new Hudson’s development, the expansion of Henry Ford Hospital’s campus, and the new Water Square development — as positives, adding that the city’s tax base has more than doubled in the past five years. 

The city’s credit rating hit an all-time low at Caa3 — considered “junk bond” status — in June 2013 after declaring bankruptcy.

“This is what happens when elected leaders set aside us-versus-them politics and work together,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement. “Our CFO team, department heads and City Council all have demonstrated tremendous fiscal discipline over the past 11 years to help bring us to where we are today and to lay a strong foundation for years to come.”

Other headlines for Tuesday, July 1, 2025:

• Residents on Detroit’s east side are speaking out about gun violence after two young people were killed at a city playground near Denby High School on Friday. Police are still investigation the shooting, which claimed the lives of 4-year-old Samir Grubbs and 18-year-old Daviyon Shelmonson-Bey and left another teenager wounded. No suspects are in custody.
• The Motown Museum has reopened its “Motown Mile” art installation along the Detroit riverfront with a new exhibition honoring the legacy of Motown Museum founder Esther Gordy Edwards, titled “Keeper of the Dream.”
• Detroit’s neighbors across the river are celebrating Canada Day on Tuesday, commemorating the country’s “confederation.” Windsor residents celebrated with a parade down Ouelette Avenue late Tuesday morning.
• Detroit is getting a new WNBA team. The league announced the new team on Monday. Tom and Holly Gores will be the controlling owners of the new franchise, set to play in 2029. Other expansion teams will also be launched in Cleveland and Philadelphia that year. Detroit’s previous WNBA team — the Detroit Shock — played from 1998 until 2009, winning three championships during that time.

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

A ballot campaign plans to launch in July to ask voters to ban political donations from committees affiliated with utility monopolies and from businesses with substantial state contracts.  

A coalition of progressive organizations are behind the campaign for a voter-initiated law to reign in the influence of utilities and insurance companies with market dominance as well as contractors that do more than $250,000 in business annually with the state, which would appear to include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan — a prolific political donor.

“This isn’t just another policy tweak,” said Sean McBrearty, Michigan director for Clean Water Action, one of the groups backing the proposal. “It’s a line in the sand. We want to stop corporations from buying off our democracy.”

The Michiganders for Money Out of Politics campaign said Consumers Energy and DTE Energy, in particular, have used their clout to fend off efforts to award bigger paybacks to customers for power losses.

“One of the biggest reasons we don’t see progress in Lansing is because too many politicians are bought and paid for,” said Ken Whittaker with Michigan United. “The political will to fix this mess just isn’t there, but that’s by design. We’re not new to this.”

The campaign needs to collect almost 357,000 signatures of registered voters to qualify for the 2026 ballot. They said the signature-gathering effort will be all-volunteer without using circulators who are paid by the signature. They say the specific language will be revealed closer to having it approved by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers.

But they say it will be very similar to legislation that has stalled in the Legislature already.  

The campaign said utility influence has held back reforms that would improve service and make rates more affordable. Spokespersons for two large Michigan utilities said their companies behave ethically. They said donation decisions are made independently by political action committees run by employees and shareholders.

Statements from Consumers Energy and DTE Energy said they and their corporate political action committees strictly abide by existing campaign finance laws. DTE spokesperson Ryan Lowry noted the utility agreed to publicly disclose all political donations of $5,000 or more as part of a 2023 rate settlement agreement with the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Lowry also said political action committee decisions are made by employees and shareholders.

“These disclosures showcase DTE’s commitment to our customers and communities we serve, helping us meet our aspiration of being best in the world and best for the world,” he said in an emailed statement. “The political contributions the company makes are supported by the DTE voluntary employee PAC or DTE shareholders — not from customer revenue.”  

The U.S. Supreme Court could decide if a case involving the Line 5 oil pipeline stays in Michigan court or goes back before federal judges.

The case began in 2019 when Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sued in state court to partially shut down Line 5. Nessel cited three state laws to make an environmental case for stopping the project.

It then got moved to federal court in 2021 at the request of Enbridge, the Canadian company that operates the pipeline. That request came much later than a 30-day window to do so, partly because Enbridge says it was waiting on the result of a similar lawsuit from Michigan’s governor.

A lower federal court granted an exception to the timeline. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, however, didn’t buy that argument and sent the case back to the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County where a hearing was held in January.

The Supreme Court, on Enbridge’s appeal, will decide whether there are exceptions to the 30-day period to remove a case to federal court.

Enbridge argues, while the Sixth Circuit took a narrow view of that time frame, other appellate courts have allowed exceptions. It believes the case belongs in federal court because the matter butts up against international treaty law and some federal laws as well.

In a statement, Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said the company is “encouraged” by the Supreme Court decision Monday to take up the case.

“The District Court cited the important federal issues in this case, including U.S.-Canada Treaty issues, and the fact that litigation of these issues was already pending in another case in federal court. 

However, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, deciding that district courts have no authority to give exceptions to the 30-day time limit.

The Sixth Circuit’s remand decision is in conflict with decisions from two other federal Circuit Courts of Appeals, which both held that there can be exceptions to the 30-day limit. The Supreme Court review will resolve this conflict in the courts of appeals,” Duffy said in an email.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s office is maintaining its position.

“The Department’s lawsuit is based on state claims and law, and it belongs before a Michigan court.  We remain undeterred in our commitment to protect the Great Lakes, especially from the devastating catastrophe a potential Line 5 rupture would wreak upon all of Michigan,” a written statement from AG spokesperson Kimberly Bush said.

If the case goes back to federal court, the proceedings that have happened in state court may be moot. Meanwhile, the legal fight between Enbridge and the governor is already playing out in federal court.

All this is happening as Enbridge tries to move forward with a project to build a tunnel around a replacement section of the Line 5 pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac. That project is currently in the permitting process.

Enbridge says the tunnel would make the pipeline safer by protecting it from anchor strikes. Environmental groups are fighting it, saying it could potentially rupture and dump massive amounts of oil into the Great Lakes.

Michigan has seen some extreme weather the past few weeks, with temperatures rising recently into the upper 90s and a heat index pushing 100 degrees.

Older adults are more susceptible to heat exhaustion or heat stroke during these periods of extreme heat.

Temperatures are expected to remain high this week in metro Detroit. The National Weather Service is projecting a high of 88 degrees on the Fourth of July, and a high of 94 degrees over the holiday weekend. 

Dr. Pragnesh Patel, chief of the Division of Geriatrics at Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center, says older adults are some of the most vulnerable to becoming ill from extreme heat.

“With aging, there are changes, and they have multiple comorbid conditions that can put them at risk from higher temperature,” he said. “That can lead to some serious consequences if they don’t take precautions.”

Some of these illnesses include heat exhaustion, which can then lead to heat stroke, a dangerous condition where the body can no longer control its temperature’

Heat exhaustion symptoms include headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, cramps and elevated body temperature. Patel says in addition to these symptoms, people with heat stroke can run a high fever of 104 degrees or more and not perspire.

“Despite the excessive high temperatures, you’re not able to dissipate that heat through the sweating mechanism. And they also become very confused, become disoriented, have rapid heartbeat, palpitations and shallow breathing — just a severe form of exhaustion,” he said.

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If left untreated, it can cause permanent disability or death.

Staying hydrated is among the best ways to prevent heat-related illnesses. Patel says older adults should stay hydrated even if they may not feel thirsty. He also suggested that people stay indoors in cool areas, wear lighter, loose-fitting clothing, and reduce caffeine intake.

He says older adults are often hospitalized for dehydration, which is why they should take extra precautions during extreme heat events.

“They come with symptoms of heat stroke, and a lot of older folks are susceptible to this because they also have other conditions, or they may be taking medications that puts them at higher risk,” Patel said.

People can call 2-1-1 or their local health department to find a nearby cooling center.

In Detroit, three of the city’s seven city council districts have a community advisory council (CAC). The body helps advocate for residents’ issues and gives them direct access to city council members. 

Unfortunately, due to confusion around filing deadlines in the city clerks’ office, anyone who wants to run for  a CAC  will have to run as write-in candidate because their names won’t appear on the ballot. This includes incumbent candidates who have been serving on these councils for several years. 

To help us break down what CACs are, why only some distracts have them and what exactly happened that led to candidates missing the filing deadline, Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt spoke with Detroit Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade and Outlier Media Civic Life Reporter Briana Rice.

Use the media player above to hear the full 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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A newly founded Black-owned magazine in Detroit is trying to show its readers that everyone can live a life of luxury. 

Divine Magazine highlights Detroit’s creatives and fashion designers, at a time when the fashion world is paying more and more attention to what’s being made in Detroit. 

Charde Goins, Detroit native and editor-in-chief of Divine Magazine, says she has always expressed herself as a creative through her clothing, and she got the idea to start a fashion magazine after graduating from Central Michigan University. 

Goins joined The Metro to share what inspires her about Detroit’s fashion scene and the journey of launching her own fashion magazine.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

More than 6,000 signatures have been collected by a group seeking to change Dearborn’s city council format from an at-large body to holding district-based council elections.

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

Dearborn Wants Wards filed the petition with the Dearborn City Clerk’s Office on June 18. If the language is approved, the city would have council members per district and only two at-large seats, for a total of nine council members.

If the language is approved, the city would have council members per district and only two at-large seats, for a total of nine council members. 

Campaign spokesperson Mona Mawari says the changes are overdue and necessary for equal representation of the city’s east and south sides. 

“So most of the seats are won by folks from the west side; and the East End has only one person on city council, and the South End has none,” she said. “So that’s when I decided to create this campaign where we will be going to change the structure of city council to a more equitable structure.”

If all the signatures are certified and election language is approved, voters in Dearborn will see the measure on their ballot in November.

Changes to the city council and charter commission would go into effect in 2029.

Other headlines for Monday, June 30, 2025:

• A series of bills were introduced in the state Senate that aim to make renting more accessible. The bills would cap rental application fees at $25, eliminate junk fees that occur after a lease is signed, and seal eviction records.
• The city of Dearborn will be increasing its police presence this Fourth of July weekend to combat a rise in illegal fireworks usage. Parents of children caught mishandling and using illegal fireworks will also receive citations as well. Police are reminding residents that fireworks are only allowed on private property from 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. between June 29 and July 5.

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

The annual Ann Arbor Art Fair — one of the largest juried art fairs in the country — will attract nearly half a million visitors to downtown Ann Arbor later this month.

The three-day event,  set for July 17-19, spans about 30 city blocks with approximately 1,000 artists participating. 

Frances Todoro-Hargreaves, interim executive director of the Ann Arbor Art Fair, joined The Metro on Monday to discuss the history of the event and what to expect this year. Brian Delozier, one of the featured artists at this year’s fair, also joined the program.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

Michigan State Police Director Col. James Grady II is expected to testify before the state House Oversight Committee this week after ongoing attempts to oust him from the role.

This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow explain the brewing tensions surrounding the MSP director. Then later, Michigan Association of State Universities CEO Dan Hurley stops by to discuss the various challenges state universities have faced in the last several months. 

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

In this episode:

• What led to the no-confidence vote of Col. James Grady II
• How state universities are navigating recent funding challenges
• A breakdown of how public universities receive funding

Earlier this month, two police unions representing state troopers and MSP command officers announced that more than 90% of their members voted no confidence in Grady and his second in command, Lt. Col. Aimee Brimacombe.

The vote was the latest in a series of tensions that have arisen since Grady’s appointment by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2023. 

Now lawmakers are getting involved, with Republican legislators beginning to call for Grady’s resignation, saying “he’s lost the confidence of his employees.”

“This week, leadership of the House Oversight Committee began deposing some members of the state police behind closed doors, in what appeared to be an effort to get sworn testimony about Grady’s performance,” Roth said, adding that Grady and the Attorney General’s office are saying the body has “no authority” to depose members of the executive branch.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers are rallying behind Grady, Roth said, with the legislative Black Caucus this week calling Grady’s criticism “unwarranted, given Grady’s qualifications,” suggesting that he is getting criticism that a white leader of the department would not get.

Whitmer’s office has also expressed support for Grady.

“In the past when Republicans have called for a department director to resign, the governor and her staff tend to turn the other cheek thinking they don’t want to dignify those types of requests,” Gorchow said. “But her press office is making clear that Gov. Whitmer stands behind Grady.” 

Roth and Gorchow also spoke with Dan Hurley, CEO and executive director of the Michigan Association of State Universities, about the recent reductions in funding for state universities, crackdowns on DEI policies, and other challenges education institutions are currently facing.

“The one thing the universities need are sustainability, stability, and good forecasting,” he said, “and their model has been shaken up.”  

Hurley said despite the added pressures from the current administrations, these universities, collectively, have been around for a while and will weather the storm.

—WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

More from WDET:

• Detroit Evening Report: Federal government revokes visas for international students at WSU, universities nationwide
• Future of DEI at University of Michigan under the microscope
• Attorney for Racial Justice Project responds to report on discriminatory policing by MSP

In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, it’s the annual Canada Day Show, ahead of the July 1 holiday.

“Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder.”

– Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy

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

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for June 28, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “The Canadian Dream” – Sam Roberts Band
  
• “Baseball” – Sara Dufour
  
• “Red Future” – Snotty Nose Rez Kids
• “The Cobbler” – Matt Andersen
• “Consistency” – Tanika Charles
• “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” – The Guess Who
• “Dopamine” – Jon Vinyl
• “Canadian” – Billy Raffoul
  
• “Mhepo” – Munya Mataruse
• “Total Cinema” – Ken Yates
• “Girls Like You” – Sofia Camara
  
• “Yellow” – Tegan & Sara
• “Human Nature” – Sloan
• “Rolodex” – Logan Richard
  

• “Better Broken” – Sarah McLachlan
  
• “Home” – Aysanabee
• “Listen2Me” – foxwarren
• “Poets” – Tragically Hip
• “Eleanor Rigby” – Oscar Peterson
  
• “Life Is A Highway” – Tom Cochrane
  
• “Walking In Sunshine” – Brandon Isaac
  
• “Nothing Is Perfect” – Metric
  
• “My People” – AHI
  
• “The Night Loves Us” – Alan Doyle
• Qujannamiik” – The Jerry Cans
• “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” – Celine Dion
• “Acadian Driftwood” – The Band

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org.

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café, Jensen McRae joins us in the studio for songs from her second release, “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!” Starting her career just before the pandemic, Jensen is now reflecting on life and love in her late 20s.

Also featured, some songs from the COVID Summer of 2020, and in-studio archives from The Head & The Heart in 2013, Nilufer Yanya in 2018 and Kathleen Edwards in 2002!

See the playlist below and listen to the episodes on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Acoustic Café Playlist for June 29, 2025

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “Back At The Start” – Patty Griffin
• “Fly” – Patty Griffin
• “Sioux Falls” – Wild Horses
• “The Darkness Gets The Best Of You” – The Devil Makes Three
• “Human Touch” – Kathleen Edwards
• “Mercury” – Kathleen Edwards (2003 in-studio performance)
• “Savannah” – Jensen McRae (in-studio guest)
• “Novelty” – Jensen McRae (in-studio guest)
• “My Darling My Dear” – Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
• “Eggs In The Morning” – aron!
• “Punisher” – Phoebe Bridgers (June, 2020)
• “That’s The Way The World Goes Round” – Norah Jones (June 2020)
• “A Bus Ain’t A Home” – Luke Tyler Shelton
• “Living And Dying And In Between” – CAAMP
• “Rushmere” – Mumford & Sons
• “Butchered Tongue” – Hozier
• “Chase Me” – Nilufer Yanya (2022 in-studio performance)
• “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” – I’m With Her
• “Robin’s Egg” – Iron & Wine + I’m With Her
• “After The Setting Sun” – The Head And The Heart
• “Let’s Be Still” – “After The Setting Sun” – The Head And The Heart (2013 in-studio performance)
•  “Dopamine” – Jon Vinyl
• “Let Me Be Wrong” – Jensen McRae (in-studio guest)
• “Praying For Your Downfall” – Jensen McRae (in-studio guest)

Each year the Concert of Colors transforms Detroit with sounds from across the globe.

This year the rhythm is beating strongly in Mexicantown, where the festival kicks off on Saturday with a special showcase of Tejano and Latin music. Tejano, or Tex-Mex music, is a soulful blend of borderland storytelling and rhythms rooted in Mexico, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Ray Lozano, executive director of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation, joined The Metro to talk more about Concert of Colors, Tejano music and the importance of amplifying immigrant voices.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

Men’s sports have dominated the media for decades, but that trend is shifting.

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT), widely considered the most successful international women’s team, has won four World Cup titles and five Olympic gold medals. The team’s success has both increased the popularity of women’s soccer domestically and helped close the pay gap between the men and women’s national teams.

Today on The Metro, national sports columnist and commentator Christine Brennan joins the show to discuss parity in women’s sports and her new book on the subject, “On Her Game: Caitlyn Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports”

Later, Detroit City FC player on the women’s team, Ella Karolak, joined the conversation to discuss the unique challenges women athletes still face and how it has shaped her athletic career so far.  

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

In honor of Juneteenth, Wayne State University hosted a series of lectures and a genealogy workshop focused on tracing African American family lineages beyond slavery.

The workshop was led by Dr. Carolyn Carter, a historian and professional genealogist. Carter says genealogy research is an emotional journey.

“You’re going to find things that you didn’t know, you’re going to make discoveries that you didn’t know, that are going to be emotional. And you have to be ready and open and prepared for that,” she said. “But I tell my students, assume all stories are false because you were not there, and so it’s your job to find the truth in that journey.”

On this episode of Detroit Evening Report Weekends, we listen to WDET reporter Bre’Anna Tinsley’s conversation with Carter about the process of tracing one’s ancestry and the difficulties of tracing the histories of African Americans.

Later, Tinsley joins Detroit Evening Report host Sascha Raiyn to discuss their own family histories.

Listen to the episode using the media player above.

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

A judge is set to decide whether low-level radioactive material left over from the creation of the first atomic bomb can find its forever home in a metro Detroit landfill.

The state of New York wants to send about 6,000 cubic yards of tainted soil and 4,000 gallons of contaminated groundwater to a waste disposal site near Belleville, Michigan.

It’s one of a handful in the country licensed to dispose of such waste.

Communities near the site, including Canton Township, filed a lawsuit to stop shipments of the toxic material from New York.

Canton Township Supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak says the suit kept those remnants of the Manhattan Project out of Michigan so far. But not other contaminated material.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Anne Marie Graham-Hudak: At this time, we still have this kind of waste coming into Michigan, whether it be into the injection well in Romulus or into the Wayne disposal site. But we’re hoping this lawsuit helps us launch some precedents to stop that.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: But the specific one from New York has not come yet?

AMH: No. And it was supposed to start coming basically in January. So we’re glad that we were able to stop it. We met with the judge, the hearing was in May and the judge is scheduled to make a ruling on July 2. We hope that happens. We’ve been working also with Michigan state Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) and state Rep. Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Twp). They have two bills that are going to increase tipping fees, amongst many other things.

“The EPA were saying that this was safe. Our question was, ‘If this is so safe, why is it being moved? Why don’t you just mitigate it in place?’ And that’s still what we’re questioning.”

– Anne Marie Graham-Hudak, Canton Township supervisor

Our tipping fees are one of the lowest in the nation. We’re at roughly 36 cents a ton, so we’re basically inviting people to come dump into Michigan. In other states you’re looking at $13 a ton — that just exacerbates what we already have. And at some point our landfills will be full and we will be looking for other places. The Canton landfill maybe has five years left. The EPA were saying that this was safe. Our question was, “If this is so safe, why is it being moved? Why don’t you just mitigate it in place?” And that’s still what we’re questioning. Radioactive waste in the body is absorbed and it’s additive, so if you live near where they’re dumping it, that’s a problem.

Also, Michigan has 21% of the world’s fresh water, and we’re putting this in a dense area. They’ve got schools nearby. The groundwater takes it out to the Rouge River, which takes it to the Detroit River, which takes it out to the Great Lakes. So why are we even thinking of putting it there? Also, they’re going to store the waste in what they call “burritos.” They wrap the waste in these plastic burritos and then come here and bury it and put a cap on it. But they could not even guarantee that the plastic they’re going to wrap it in will match the half-life of some of this radioactive dirt. I’m a retired engineer. One of the things that I worked on before I left Ford Motor Company was electromagnetic radiation — that was actually one of my favorite classes in college. And they can’t guarantee how this waste will stay encompassed in this plastic. There’s no test on this plastic that had been done to see that. I think their guidelines are way too narrow. But they’re going to keep dumping it, which makes it additive, and it doesn’t go away. It’s a constant radiation.

QK: So you don’t trust what the agencies or the company are saying about this?

AMH: Correct. I do not trust it. I think some of the guidelines that have been made in Michigan, especially, are leaning more towards favoring companies. We’re an automotive area and we know that we’ve got PFAS. We know that, in the early days, automotive companies would dump (material.) There’s brownfields here for a reason, because companies dumped. And I really believe that some of our land is contaminated. I think our guidelines in Michigan are way too low. They protect companies more than they do our residents. This is a public health issue, it really is.

QK: So what remedy would you seek at this point?

AMH: That we stop this. State Sen. Darrin Camilleri’s bill actually states that we just stop everything from coming in. We do more studies and more testing. We do not allow any more radioactive waste to come into Michigan. We do not allow any more new sites to be established. I know a lot of the businesses are concerned about this, but if you look at it, even hospitals generate radioactive waste. They do X-rays, MRI’s, things like that. So how do we mitigate in place what we have instead of transporting it? I don’t think we should be transporting it. Quit thinking about kicking things down the road and saying, “Oh, hey, we’re just gonna keep doing this. We’re gonna keep making nuclear reactors and we’ll just keep burying it, not really thinking about what’s going to happen in the future.” I think that we’ve done that for too long and too haphazardly. Our limits need to be looked at. I think that they’re more pro-business than they are pro-public health. That is my biggest concern.

QK: So that’s what you would hope to have happen. You’ve been dealing with this issue for a while now. What do you think is within the realms of reality?

AMH: I think if we want it to be more in the business of reality it can be. Look at the concerns raised by the agencies, the mayors and supervisors and the townspeople. That’s why we have this injunction, that’s why we’re trying to push this legislation through. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce needs to take a look at things a little bit more. Let’s just talk about changing tipping fees. They’re saying they don’t agree with that. But we’re just a dumping state based on 36 cents a ton.

QK: If the disposal company comes back and says, “We’re licensed to do this. As you say, hospitals and other places keep making this kind of material. This site is allowed to take it and we’ve got to put it somewhere. So why not here?” How would you answer them back?

AMH: My answer is that we need to study this even more. I can understand that we have to decide what to do with Michigan’s waste, where this is happening. But taking outside waste, it just gives us less space to figure out what to do with our own. And it also is in a densely populated area. There is an interstate commerce clause that does not allow us to stop. There would have to be a constitutional change on the federal level also, because this is considered trading commerce and money.

QK: Have you ever had much reaction back from the federal government on this entire topic, no matter which administration was running it at the time?

AMH: Not really. They keep pointing to the interstate commerce clause. People always say it’s hard to change a constitution and it will never happen. But the U.S. Supreme Court just changed some things that were in the Constitution for 50 years. So I think it’s a possibility. I think the need is there. The want has to make it happen.

More stories from The Metro

The city of Detroit’s Office of Mobility Innovation has announced the return of its annual Detroit Bike Summit at Chandler Park this weekend.

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

The ride will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, and is free and open to all ages. This year’s theme is “Eastside Bound,” focusing on community, clean transportation and active mobility on Detroit’s east side.

“Detroiters deserve access to safe, fun, and convenient ways to get around their neighborhoods,” said Tim Slusser, chief of the Office of Mobility Innovation, in a press release. “We’re excited to bring the Bike Summit to Chandler Park and highlight the importance of active mobility and community-led solutions.”

In addition to a full day of riding, there will be food trucks on site, music and more. The first 100 people to register will be eligible to receive a prepaid lunch voucher. The actual bike ride begins at noon, leaving from Chandler Park. Riders will bike to Detroit’s Maheras-Gentry Park and back — a seven-mile ride.

Visit detroitmi.gov for more information. 

Other headlines for Friday, June 27, 2025:

• The city of Detroit is one of 50 finalists in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ sixth Mayors Challenge — a competition to encourage innovation in local government that improves life in cities around the world. The city will receive $50,000 to test its idea for improving Detroit’s property information systems.
• Detroit’s Rouge Park is turning 100 years old this year. To celebrate the milestone, the nonprofit Friends of Rouge Park is hosting a free, three-day festival at the park this weekend, June 27-29.
• Since May 31, local nonprofit group Black Leaders Detroit has been participating in the national Ride for Equity — a 1,600-mile bike ride through the midwest aiming to raise money and create awareness around equitable funding practices for entrepreneurs of African descent.
• The Rocket Classic continues this weekend at the Detroit Golf Club, with more than 150 athletes taking part in the 7th annual tournament. It will be televised on CBS Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

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

Two groundbreaking leaders of Detroit’s arts and culture scene will be honored at the GhostLight Arts Initiative’s inaugural GhostLight Gala, taking place this Sunday at the Garden Theater.

Honoree Njia Kai is a celebrated cultural curator, producer and community visionary. Through her company NKSK Events + Production, the lifelong Detroiter has curated some of Detroit’s most iconic cultural celebrations— from the Charles H. Wright Museum’s African World Festival to the Downtown Detroit Tree Lighting.

Dr. George Shirley, who will also be honored on Sunday, is a man of many firsts.

He was the first Black man to teach music at a Detroit High School; the first Black tenor to perform a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City; and the first Black member of the U.S. Army chorus in Washington D.C. He also received the National Medal of Arts from former President Barack Obama in 2015 for his work mentoring countless Black musicians.

Kai and Shirley both joined The Metro ahead of the gala to discuss their commitment and contributions to Detroit’s art scene.

Proceeds from the event will help support GhostLight programming, including its Obsidian Theatre Festival — which provides a platform for emerging Black voices in theater and film.

Use the media player above to hear the full 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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After decades of steady decline, Detroit’s population is finally growing. Latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Detroit increased its population by 6,800 residents from 2023 to 2024.

And even more people seem to be moving to Detroit’s neighboring suburbs, with many housing investments being made in recent years in the city’s outer suburban ring and nearby “exurbs” like Lyon, Milford and Commerce townships.

Ro Harvard, a realtor with Island Realty — an affiliate of Keller Williams Realty — joined on The Metro on Thursday to shine some light on the inner workings of Detroit’s housing scene, and what types of amenities and priorities draw buyers to certain communities — from school districts and walkability to affordability and property values.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro