A new report says Michigan is losing teachers about as fast as it’s gaining them.

Researchers at Michigan State University say nearly eight thousand teachers left the field in the last academic year, while nearly the same number entered the profession. The report also highlights a reliance on temporary or interim teaching credentials. About 5% of teachers lack certification, and 3% are still in training. 

Bridge Michigan notes that interim teachers are more common in charter schools and urban areas. Special education had the highest teaching vacancy rates. 

Additional headlines from Friday, Jan. 16, 2026

TSA ConfirmID

TSA is introducing a new option for travelers who have not yet gotten their Real ID or a passport…for a fee. It’s called the TSA ConfirmID.

Starting Feb. 1, travelers will have to pay $45 for it on pay.gov. There isn’t an option to buy a ConfirmID with cash. You will still need photo identification along with the ID to fly.

Passengers with Confirm ID could experience delays of up to 30 minutes for an additional screening process.  

Slotkin calls for settlement in EPA Flint lawsuit

Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin says Flint is still in pain and looking for justice 12 years after lead contaminated the city’s drinking water. Slotkin urged the Trump administration to settle a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Henry Ford exhibit celebrates 250 years of the U.S.

The Henry Ford is honoring the nation’s 250^th birthday with a year-long celebration called “America: 250 Years in the Making.”

The celebration will be centered around two exhibitions and the opening of the Jackson Home, the house that served as the meeting place for Martin Luther King Jr and other leaders as they planned the Selma to Montgomery Marches of 1965.

The two exhibitions will focus on crafting in America and a collection of textiles and fashion that helped shape the county. For more information about all programming this year visit thehenryford.org. 

Hatch Detroit Contest returns

Tech Town’s Hatch Detroit Contest is returning. The contest is for entrepreneurs with a retail concept looking to open a brick-and-mortar location in Detroit, Hamtramck, or Highland Park.

The winner will receive $100,000 from Comerica Bank and business support from TechTown Detroit.

Applications are now open. Participants can submit their business plans on hatchdetroit.com through Feb. 27.  

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

Today marks the 67th birthday of Sade Adu, the voice and frontwoman of Sade, and we are marking it by honoring the full body of work behind her name. While her presence is unmistakable, Sade has always been a band first. A collective built on shared restraint, patience, and long-term vision. What you hear is not just a singer out front, but a unified musical philosophy carried by bass, keys, guitar, rhythm, and silence working together.

Sade Adu’s mystique has never come from disappearance or distance. It comes from musical discipline; knowing when to sing, knowing when not to. That discipline only works because the band around her is equally committed to economy and control.

This is why today’s dive is not a 5-on-5. It is a 6-on-6. Six b-sides and deep cuts that reveal how the band shaped an identity by resisting excess, trusting space, and letting atmosphere do the heavy lifting.

6 Essential Tracks by Sade

1. “Cherry Pie” (Diamond Life , 1984)

Before Sade Adu became shorthand for late-night radio and adult elegance, Sade the band entered the early 1980s British music landscape as a quiet counterforce.

“Diamond Life” arrived during an era of stylistic maximalism, and the group responded with precision. This first cut sets the blueprint. Paul Denman’s bass stays measured. Andrew Hale’s keys leave room to breathe. Stuart Matthewman builds a restrained framework, and Sade Adu sings with observation rather than accusation.

Clarity over spectacle.

2. “War of the Hearts” (Promise, 1985)

If “Diamond Life” was arrival, their sophomore 1985 album release “Promise” was confirmation. The band deepened its commitment to mood as method and authenticated it with a rhythmic musicality that added a layer of sonic sheen to their jazzy and ethereal sound.

Recorded largely at Power Plant Studios in London and produced by the band themselves, “Promise” signaled Sade’s early insistence on creative control and cohesion, privileging atmosphere and emotional tension over radio immediacy. This is where Sade separated themselves from their peers with tracks that presented a complex urgency set amidst love as conflict.

3. “Keep Looking” (Stronger Than Pride, 1988)

By the late 1980s, success was no longer the question. Longevity was. Their next album “Stronger Than Pride” marked a deliberate shift in Sade’s trajectory.

Released in 1988 and largely recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, the album resisted the polish and immediacy that had driven the success of “Diamond Life” and “Promise.” The band leaned into more of an exotic sound built more for mood than momentum. It was their most inward-looking record to that point and a clear statement that Sade was uninterested in chasing radio comfort.

This next track sits squarely at the center of that evolution. The lyrics acknowledge uncertainty as a constant rather than a problem to be solved. Musically, Paul Denman’s bass anchors the track, while Andrew Hale’s keys remain submerged and atmospheric.

4. “Like a Tattoo” (Love Deluxe, 1992)

When the band released “Love Deluxe” in 1992, they had fully stepped outside the prevailing direction of contemporary R&B. As the genre leaned toward New Jack Swing and hip-hop-driven production, Sade slowed everything down, thinning their arrangements and widening their thematic scope. Love Deluxe became their most critically revered album and eventually sold more than four million copies worldwide, distinguished by its restraint, emotional weight, and refusal to chase trends.

This next cut sits at the center of that evolution. Influenced by stories Sade Adu encountered from people shaped by war and displacement, the band shifted toward narrative distance and acoustic minimalism. This song unfolds as testimony rather than performance, with sparse instrumentation and no emotional cueing. Sade does not resolve or dramatize the story. She bears witness, trusting the listener to carry the meaning. In that restraint, the band reached a new level of artistic authority. 

5. “Skin” (Soldier of Love, 2010)

The group would release a commercially well-received album “Lovers Rock” in 2000 and would then step away at the height of their influence. Sade Adu would withdraw from public life to focus on family, and the band overall resisted industry pressure to produce quickly, resulting in a full decade without a studio release.

When they returned in 2010 with “Soldier of Love,” the absence gave the music added gravity. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and reaffirmed the band’s authority. This track reflects that passage of time, confronting desire, regret, and emotional exposure with uncommon directness. Its restrained production places the focus squarely on Sade Adu’s vocal, shaped by experience rather than nostalgia.

6. “Should I Love You” (Unreleased)

To understand Sade fully, you have to look not only at what they released, but at what they chose to hold back. From the beginning, the band operated with collective discipline, treating restraint as part of the art itself. Songs were not issued simply because they were finished. They were released only when they aligned with the band’s emotional economy and long-term vision. That approach is why Sade’s catalog feels curated rather than accumulated, and why absence became a form of authorship rather than retreat.

We’ll end with a song from the early “Diamond Life” era, recorded while the band was still defining its identity and standards. Even at that stage, the song reveals a principle that would carry through their entire career. Love is not assumed. It is questioned.

And there you have it, six songs, six eras and one quiet revolution, on the birthday of Helen Folosade Adu, the lead singer of the band Sade.

If you dig artists who treat soul music as a discipline rather than a trend, who understand restraint as power and atmosphere as language, you are listening to the right place. Keep it locked to The Progressive Underground every Saturday evening at 6 p.m. on WDET 101.9 FM and anytime at wdet.org.

More from The Progressive Underground

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House Republican have moved to unilaterally cut up to $645 million from the state budget.  But is that legal?  This week on MichMash, Cheyna Roth and Zach Gorchow talk with Bob Schneider of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan to make sense of it all. Plus a look at changes in the race for governor and Secretary of State.

In this episode:

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist drops out of the race for governor and into the Secretary of State’s race

The state of the governor’s race

The battle over unilateral budget cuts

Overview

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist has ended his campaign for governor and has launched an effort to become Michigan’s next Secretary of State instead.  Gongwer’s Zach Gorchow says Gilchrist’s decision shouldn’t come as a surprise.

“He had low name recognition and wasn’t raising anywhere near enough money. Jocelyn Benson, the secretary of state, has been the clear frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for months, and Gilchrist’s exit doesn’t change anything on the Democratic side.”

The news does have implications for the race for Secretary of State as Gilchrist joins an already crowded Democratic field.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are dealing with a provision in state law that allows a single legislative committee to cancel certain types of spending. House Republicans used this mechanism like never before – to cancel up to $645 million in spending.

Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed suit saying the legislation allowing the move is unconstitutional.

Bob Schneider of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan tells us the central issue is around the appropriation process for “work projects.”

“A work project is an authorization to carry forward appropriations into a future fiscal year.”

He says the legislature should be thinking ahead on the issue, because the process could be in jeopardy, depending on how courts rule. Schneieder says lawmaker should be saying to themselves,  “How do we get together and fix this so we have a process that works in the future.”

Is it time to rewrite Michigan’s constitution? Voters will answer that question in 2026.

A ballot proposal asks whether state residents want to call a constitutional convention. The last one happened in 1961. Voters approved a new constitution in 1962.

By law, the issue must appear on the ballot every 16 years. Voters rejected convention calls in 1978, 1994, and 2010.

Justin Long is an associate professor at Wayne State University’s School of Law. He’s an expert on state constitutions, including Michigan’s. He says the 16-year cycle gives voters time to think about how state government works and whether to change it.

“The thought was if there’s something seriously wrong with the structure of state government, it’ll take us a few years to figure it out,” he says. We’ll give it a try for a few years, and by 16 years, it’s time to decide whether it’s working or not.”

What does it say?

Proposal 1 will appear on the November 2026 ballot as follows:

A PROPOSAL TO CONVENE A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DRAFTING A GENERAL REVISION OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION

Shall a convention of elected delegates be convened in 2027 to draft a general revision of the State Constitution for presentation to the state’s voters for their approval or rejection?

Voters can either say “yes” or “no.”

It’s not a popular question

So why haven’t voters felt the need to call for a new convention in over 60 years? Long says caution may be one reason.

“I think neither political party [Democratic or Republican] feels assured that they’ll be able to control the convention, because delegates are elected directly by the people,” he says. “And the delegates would presumably know that if they did anything too wild, the voters wouldn’t pass it.”

That said, delegates could either tweak parts of the constitution or rewrite the entire document. For example, Long says they could decide which offices get elected and which ones don’t.

“They could decide whether we want to have two houses of the Legislature or just one,” he says. “They’re basically unfettered at that point.”

What happens at a ConCon?

If voters do call for a constitutional convention, another election would take place within six months. Long says that’s when voters would choose delegates.

“There’d be one delegate elected from every House district and one from every Senate district,” he says. “They would then hire staff, and then they would meet and debate.”

Long says once the delegates have drafted a new constitution, they submit it to the voters.

“And that vote would be by a simple majority,” he says.

If voters say no to a constitutional convention this year, it wouldn’t come up again until 2042.

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

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

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

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

Submit your photos to the project here.

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

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

More stories from The Metro

The Trump administration wants American museums to be less critical of the nation’s history.

Yesterday, the Smithsonian Institution submitted documents about upcoming exhibitions and programming to the White House for a review of “improper ideology.”

Since last year, President Trump has been pressuring the Smithsonian Institution to celebrate American exceptionalism, and not to focus so much on the ugliest parts of American history, like the institution of slavery.

What the president does next remains to be seen, but the effort to censor and rewrite history and culture raises important questions about American culture and history.

Though museums are suddenly politicized spaces, they’re among the most trusted institutions in America, according to a survey by the American Alliance of Museums.

Devon Akmon, director of the Michigan State University Museum, argues that museums have an opportunity and responsibility to model the ways people can think and listen together.

He joined The Metro to discuss the implications of President Trump’s pressure campaign on the Smithsonian and cultural institutions in America.

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

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 January, it’s customary to establish resolutions or set goals for the year.  But behavioral economists believe we could do more to change our spending habits.  

So many services nowadays—from streaming to software downloads to gym memberships—use a subscription model, which forces us to constantly pay monthly or annually for the things we want.

Michael Luca is a professor of economics at Johns Hopkins University. He has studied these behaviors and has a proposal to adopt a new trend at the top of the year. 

He suggests we take time in January to double-check all the accounts that automatically withdraw our money  and get rid of the service we no longer use. 

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

A sales tax of one percent in Detroit could generate $72 million a year in revenue for the city. That’s according to a report released Wednesday by the Citizens Research Council (CRC). But the juice may not be worth the squeeze. 

CRC officials say that estimated $72 million revenue is only about 5% of Detroit’s general budget for 2026. Creating the tax requires changes to the state constitution, an ordinance from the city council and voter approval. 

Researcher Madhu Anderson says implementing the tax could create other challenges for the city. 

“It encourages what we call tax avoidance, which is looking for areas where taxes may be lower to buy the same product It also encourages more competition for businesses. They may choose to not locate in a city because of the higher taxes, meaning residents may not purchase things there.” 

Anderson says there are alternatives the city could look at for increasing revenue, such as an entertainment tax. 

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield is looking for suggestions from residents about what issues in the city she should be focusing on. The mayor’s transition team, Rise Higher Detroit, has released a survey on their website asking for input on things like taxes, services, community programs and more. Volunteers will also be going door to door in neighborhoods.

For more information or to complete the survey visit risehigherdetroit.com/survey. 

 Additional headlines for Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026

Scholarship for construction, trades

The National Association of Women in Construction Detroit Chapter is offering a $2500 scholarship to Michigan students and apprentices pursuing careers in construction and skilled trades. 

The chapter is holding a free, in-person workshop on Jan. 24 at the Northwest Activities Center. Scholarships can be used for tuition, training, and tools.

Applications are due Feb. 28. For more information, visit the link in today’s DER post at wdet.org/der. (nawic.org/nfsf-scholarships) 

 Donation drive for Interim House

The Church of Christ Care Community is organizing a donation drive for Detroit residents. The church is collecting items to create welcome bags for women and children who arrive at Interim House, Michigan’s largest shelter for victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

People can donate clothing, pajamas, personal care items, formula, stuffed toys, blankets, diapers, wipes, non-perishable snacks and juice.

The drop off location is 23621 15 Mile road in Clinton Township. Donations are being collected through March.   

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

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is this upcoming Monday, and our local museums are making sure you have every opportunity to honor the civil rights leader.

Plus, the Detroit Auto Show is open to the public starting Saturday, and there are some sweet opportunities to get outside with family and friends.

Upcoming events (Jan. 15–22)

Candyland at Beacon Park

  Beacon Park

  Thursday, Jan. 15-20

  Free

Though we’re out of the holiday season, there’s still time to go see a spectacular light display in Beacon Park that draws you into the magic of Candyland! Bring friends and family to enjoy some time outside and take advantage of the picture-perfect scenery. This is the last week the display is up.

Detroit Auto Show

  Huntington Place

  Saturday, Jan. 17 through Sunday, Jan. 25

  $25 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for kids ages 3-12

See the future of the auto industry for yourself in this hands-on, immersive auto show! Cruise through a winding indoor track in an EV driven by an industry professional, see how vehicles connect us with the outdoors in the Michigan Overland Adventure display, and learn about the auto industry as a whole. 

Discover Rouge Park: January Meet Up

  Rouge Park

  Sunday, Jan. 18

  Free

Meet at the Sorenson Recreation Area at noon for a guided walk on the Rouge Park’s Ma’inngan Wildwood Trail. Learn about the park, get some exercise and fresh air, and appreciate the beauty of the outdoors in winter. If there’s heavy snow, snow shoes will be provided to help navigate the trails, granted you register in advance. This event is free and for all ages, but dress appropriately for the two hour walk.

MLK Day is Monday, Jan. 19

A Dream Rooted in Faith: The Legacy of the Black Church in Detroit During the Civil Rights Movement

  Detroit Historical Museum

  Monday, Jan. 19

  Free

Enjoy historical presentations and crafts that reflect Rev. Martin Luther King Jr,’s values of faith, justice and community from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event closes with a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” and cupcakes.

“We Who Believe in Freedom”

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

  Monday, Jan. 19

  Free

Come to the Wright Museum for a full day of  free activities from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Attend a bike ride led by Tour de Troit, observe historical reenactments, listen to some storytelling, watch a film screening, and participate in discussions. A paid experience with Prayer Breakfast and Keynote speakers is available with the purchase of a ticket for $33.85+. RSVP in advance. 

MLK at the DIA

  Detroit Institute of Arts

  Monday, Jan. 19

  Free with admission

The museum will be open during its regular hours with a few different ways to honor MLK’s legacy. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be Collage Portraits workshop inspired by artists displayed in the museum’s African American Galleries. At 2 p.m. in the Rivera Gallery, there will be a civil rights song sing-along featuring poetry from the InsideOut Literary Arts program, followed by a march to the Wright Museum.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor is nearly open, and its community benefits process is winding down.

The bridge will create a second international crossing between Detroit and Windsor-Essex and has been in the works for years. It was first proposed in the early 2000s and the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority was created in 2012. In 2019, a Community Benefits Plan was published by the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority. 

Residents on both sides of the border, including Delray in Detroit and Sandwich in Windsor, were engaged through a number of meetings and an advisory council was assembled. The report highlights key issues raised by community members:

• Workforce development
• Landscaping and aesthetics
• Construction effects
• Community safety 
• Economic development opportunities

Heather Grondin is the Chief Relations Officer for the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority. She joined The Metro to look at what community benefits were delivered for residents of Delray on the Detroit side, and Sandwich on the Windsor side.

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

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Digital Content & Communities Assistant at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

Essential functions (job duties):

POSITION PURPOSE

Assist with the development of WDET’s digital content and communications to reach and build relationships with new audiences. Implement strategies to grow WDET’s online communities and engage members in a way that cultivates loyalty, user creativity and viral energy.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Assist with the creation and incorporation of daily content into the WDET website.

Collaborate with a network of staff journalists; cultivate relationships with a network of diverse contributors and source out of house material for incorporation into daily content streams.

Assist in quality assurance of all digital content.

Develop brand defining communications across multiple social media, social networking and UGC outlets with niche web communities and blog.

Engage and grow a wide, diverse community of listener advocates and foster WDET’s ability to learn and adapt through perpetual audience and community engagement.

Serve in a liaison and resource capacity and remain current with industry developments and trends.

Assist in the gathering and preparation of data and audience analysis.

Perform related duties as assigned.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Coordinate activities to provide content and increase participation in WDET’s digital channels. Assist with the training and motivation of internal and external contributors. This position reports directly to the Digital Manager.

This position is bump ineligible.

This position is 100% on site.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Graduation from an accredited college or university or equivalent combination of education and experience. Major coursework in mass communications, broadcast journalism or related field preferred.

Reasonable previous related job experience.

Demonstrated experience developing digital/multimedia content through a CMS and in depth understanding of CMS software.

Reasonable understanding of HTML and CSS.

Proven ability to build and engage in communities through social media.

Superior verbal and written communication skills and attention to detail.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including high level understanding of digital metrics.

THIS DESCRIPTION IS INTENDED TO INDICATE THE TYPES OF TASKS AND LEVELS OF WORK DIFFICULTY THAT WILL BE REQUIRED OF POSITIONS THAT WILL BE GIVEN THIS TITLE AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS DECLARING WHAT THE SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ANY PARTICULAR POSITION SHALL BE. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO LIMIT OR IN ANY WAY MODIFY THE RIGHT OF ANY SUPERVISOR TO ASSIGN, DIRECT, AND CONTROL THE WORK OF EMPLOYEES UNDER THEIR SUPERVISION. THE USE OF A PARTICULAR EXPRESSION OR ILLUSTRATION DESCRIBING DUTIES SHALL NOT BE HELD TO EXCLUDE OTHER DUTIES NOT MENTIONED THAT ARE OF A SIMILAR KIND OR LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY.

School/College/Division:

Generic Division

Primary department:

H8703

Employment type:

• Regular Employee
• Job type: Full Time
• Job category: Staff/Administrative

Funding/salary information:

• Compensation type: Annual Salary
• Hourly rate:
• Salary minimum: $51,274.00
• Salary hire maximum: $61,531.00

Job openings:

• Number of openings: 1
• Reposted position: No
• Reposted reason: None (New Requisition)
• Prior posting/requisition number:

Background check requirements:

University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required

Tiana Lashae is a doula and birth photographer based out of Ann Arbor. Her business is called Motherhood Portraits by Tiana Lashae. 

She created an initiative to help empower Black mothers and their health through art.

“I’ve been a birth photographer, a newborn photographer for about a decade now, capturing families as they’re welcoming their babies, going through their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journeys,” she says.

Lashae created the “Black Birth Joy” project in 2024 to amplify positive Black maternal health stories and help families to be seen and heard through photography.

She was inspired by a birthing photography session where she witnessed a Black mom giving birth in Ann Arbor with a supportive team.

“It was just so beautiful and just to see everyone working together to facilitate such a beautiful birth really, you know, restored faith in me and the health care system… We can have these safe births and those stories need to be shared more,” she shares. 

The project was originally funded by the Region 9 Perinatal Quality Collaborative in Washtenaw County to support the birth journeys of five families. 

Lashae says she wanted to capture different birthing spaces: home, the hospital, and birth centers. After photographing the families’ journeys, she wrote blogs and distributed the stories.

“I am a woman of color. I think because I’ve been through the system, I’ve lived through the experience to be able to use my talents, to use my voice, to empower families that look like me, that don’t always usually feel seen or feel heard, especially in birth spaces,” she explains.

She says the project also highlights birth workers in metro Detroit.

Creating more opportunities for joy

Lashae says the application for Black Birth Joy project for this year will roll out in April or early spring. In the meantime, she hopes to raise $50,000 to support 10 families for birth photography packages, as state funding is no longer available.

“Hopefully by then there’s been some funding or some, you know, a blessing of some sort so that I can still do this work. And I want to say I want to double the impact,” she shares.

Families will receive birth photography and newborn photography, along with an album. Lashae says the photos will also be shared in art spaces and caregiving spaces across Wayne and Washtenaw County in hopes to spread the impact.

“Just to have a statement piece that says you’re welcome here, you’re safe here, our establishment is a champion for Black maternal health,” she says.

Lashae hopes the work inspires families and creates safe spaces for patients when receiving services from caregivers.

“Photographs do invoke conversations, and then conversations create change,” she states.

She says it’s important to create positive stories to negate stereotypes and bias for Black birth experiences. 

“Walking in and seeing a beautiful portrait of a birthing woman smiling and in joy… it combats what the statistics say,” she expresses, adding that she hopes the photography inspires families and helps combat bias by medical professionals. 

In September-December 2026, Lashae will host a mini show for Black Birth Joy at the University of Michigan’s Lane Hall, as part of the Women’s and Gender Studies for the fall semester. 

The Detroit Auto Show roars into Huntington Place this week for media previews and other events before opening to the public this weekend.

Organizers say this year’s car extravaganza differs from the others in its more-than-a-century history.

Executive Director Sam Klemet says the auto show is filled with the kinds of hands-on activities customers simply cannot duplicate using the internet.

The following interview has been edited for clarity.

Sam Klemet: It’s something for everyone. We’ve talked about the various iterations of what the show has been over the last number of years. And I think it was originally considered more of a media show and then it’s been identified as a consumer show. And I’m really looking at it now as more of a content show.

We’re still going to have some special reveals from some of our OEM partners and some other specialty vehicles. We’re going to have some great news conferences as part of our Mobility Global Forum with newsmakers from all over the world. Of course, we have the charity preview where we’ll raise millions of dollars for local children’s charities. And then we open to the public.

It’s a chance for everyone to come under one roof and see kind of what the auto industry is about, where it’s going, and also what the city of Detroit is about.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: You have a section this year that deals with off-road vehicles and experiences connected with them. What is that all about?

SK: It’s called our Michigan Overland Adventure. Obviously in the state of Michigan there’s a great culture, particularly in the northern part of the state, where people want to do off-roading. There’s a lot of camping. There’s a lot of trails. And we want to tap into that heritage and show off the modern vehicles that really are tapping into that type of lifestyle.

The Michigan Overland adventure has all kinds of support from OEMs like Ford, General Motors and Toyota, among others. We also have a group called the AEV, which has these incredible modified vehicles that go off-road. It’s a really exciting space. It’ll be a cool setup in terms of the display. It really showcases that outdoor culture.

QK: Back in the day people would come to the auto show, look at the vehicles and see if maybe there was one they wanted to buy. Is there more of a thrust now to give people these “experiences” as opposed to them just looking and going, “Man, that’s a cool car?”

SK: Absolutely. I think that’s how people’s relationships with cars are now. They want to see every intricacy of it. They want to see the technology and the dashboard. They want to get under the hood, they wanna see the tires, they wanna see every bit of the vehicle. And our show offers them that access. Not only to see the ones that are being displayed on the floor, but to get into them on our test tracks and feel what they’re like to a degree. The show is very much more hands-on than think what it’s traditionally been, a lot more activations and engagement.

QK: You yourself were a bit hands-on recently, riding along with a caravan of custom cars coming to the Detroit Auto Show from California.

SK: This is the centennial of Route 66 and we kicked off the auto show in Santa Monica. We have nine historic vehicles, Detroit-based vehicles, that made the drive all the way along Route 66. They’re ending the trip in Detroit, which isn’t a part of Route 66. But we’re the Motor City and we’ve got a great partnership with the group that’s doing the drive, America’s Automotive Trust.

Those vehicles that are coming across country will be on display in our concourse at the auto show. We’ll have videos from the entire ride. If you follow us on social media, you can see the day-to-day recaps of what that experience has been like.

And I think that’s been great because it connects our auto show across the country. And along the way, we’re telling these incredible stories of people’s relationships with vehicles, their relationship with driving and how it all connects back to Detroit. It’s been an exciting way to kick off the auto show this year.

QK: It’s no secret that the automotive industry has faced some uncertainty over the past year with President Trump’s use of tariffs and rolling back some regulations. Some consumers used to say that they thought of the auto show as kind of a one-stop gigantic dealer showroom. They would actually buy vehicles after they saw them there. In this current climate, do you see those kinds of sales continuing now at the auto show? Or is there a different purpose for such an event?

SK: I think this is a place first and foremost where people can come and see the cars that are on the market and see what’s coming in 2026 and beyond. Having an event like our Mobility Global Forum is a perfect stage to get a pulse on the industry, where people from all over the world come and talk about the direction automakers are going. And consumers get to interact with these vehicles, whether they’re in the market to buy one or they just want to see how the technology is evolving. I think that’s what an auto show is all about.

But as we evolve, we also want to be a place where people can come down even if they’re not in a market for a car, to learn about the vehicles and also have some fun. That’s why we added so much more entertainment, so much more arts and culture to the show, just kind of on the periphery of what we have on the main floor with our vehicles.

One of the new elements we have this year is our Visit Detroit interactive experience. That’s intended to engage young people with the auto industry. We’ve had people like Ford’s CEO talk about the need to have more auto technicians across the country. And we see this as an opportunity to engage young people in the science, technology, engineering, and math skills that are needed for those careers. So we serve a multipurpose, not only to showcase vehicles, but hopefully to uplift the industry at large through workforce development and other things.

QK: Some people I’ve spoken with say the auto show sounds nice, but they can look up all the details about the vehicles on the internet. So, they say, why even have an auto show? What’s your response to that?

SK: You can get all the information in the world online, there’s no doubt about that. But to actually interact and see the vehicles in person, I think, really does change a perspective. So I think the more that people can engage with these vehicles, the better. And actually I would encourage people to do some research about them before they come down to the auto show. It’ll give them a fuller picture and then they can most closely identify the vehicles that they want to key-in on when they get there. So I think that you can blend all of those things.

I know there’s a big push for nostalgia nowadays. But I would tell people that the 2026 auto show is not a show like we’ve had before. It’ll be very unique, a very different positive engagement experience that we haven’t had in a number of years. I think it’ll be a show that really resets the tone of what a Detroit Auto Show is all about.

We’ve paid attention to every single detail. From the minute people walk into the concourse to the minute they get to the back of the hall, everything is much more immersive. We have more brands on the floor. We have more vehicles. We have more opportunities for people to engage with content. I just think it’s bigger. It’s more robust. There’s more to do. There’s more to see. And there’s more information to be gathered.

The Detroit Auto Show officially begins Wednesday as the event’s media and industry days get underway.  Hundreds of journalists from around the world are in town to see the latest offering from Detroit’s automakers and other manufacturers.  

Detroit Auto Dealers Association executive director Sam Klemet says this year’s show will be unlike any other in recent history. “It’s one thing to look into the rearview mirror of what has been.  That kind of takes your eyes off the road ahead.  I think that people who come to the 2026 show will have a very different, positive engaged experience that we haven’t had in a number of years.  So, I think it will be a show that really resets the tone of what the Detroit Auto Show is all about.” 

The charity preview takes place on Friday evening.  The show opens to the public on Saturday and runs through Jan. 25 at Huntington Place in Detroit. 

Additional headlines for Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026

NACTOY awards announced 

The 2026 North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year awards were announced today.  A group of 50 automotive journalists rate the vehicles on several criteria, including design, safety, technology and performance.  

The 2026 Car of the Year is the Dodge Charger.  The Truck of the Year is the Ford Maverick Lobo.  And the Utility Vehicle of the Year is the Hyundai Palisade. 

Trump speaks to Detroit Economic Club 

President Trump traveled to Detroit Tuesday to connect with the auto industry.  He toured the Ford Rouge plant in Dearborn and talked with company leaders before heading into the city to speak to members of the Detroit Economic Club at the Motor City Casino.  

During his wide-ranging remarks, the president touted the strength of the economy and claimed that affordability is a “fake word”. He also made allegations of rigged elections and called for stronger voter identification requirements. 

Trump protests shadow Econ Club event 

Hundreds of demonstrators showed up outside of the Motor City Casino Tuesday to protest against President Trump and his administration’s policies, particularly those involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  

The protest was peaceful, but Detroit Police did arrest a couple of people for failing to move when ordered to do so. 

Detroit casino revenue surpasses $1 billion 

Detroit’s three casinos earned more than $1.2 billion in revenue last year, according to numbers released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board Tuesday.  Nearly 80% of that came from slot machines. 

The three casinos are reporting lower revenues for December.  The gaming houses brought in $105.1 million last month.  That’s down more than 5% from December 2024.  MGM Grand held nearly half of the city’s gaming market at 49%.  Motor City controlled 29 % and Hollywood Casino at Greektown held 22% of the market.  

The three casinos paid $12.4 million in taxes and wagering agreement fees to the City of Detroit last month.  They paid another $8.4 million in taxes to the State of Michigan in December. 

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

A Hamtramck-based artist residency program has received a $175,000 innovation award for three years.

Entry Points is a program that offers housing and studio space for returning citizens who were formerly incarcerated juvenile lifers. The program began through the work of Hamtramck Free School, an alternative educational organization that facilitates creative writing and art workshops in Michigan prisons, working with juveniles who were sentenced to life without parole. 

Entry Points Artistic Director Jonathan Rajewski and Director of Transitions, Kyle Daniel-Bey, are working together to help returning citizens reintegrate into public life, including presenting their work publicly.

Rajewski says art is a way for people to express themselves. 

“We work within the prison system are artists and, you know, art has and continues to be an important conduit of self-expression. It’s a rejection of censorship. It’s an articulation of resistance. It’s an acknowledgement of, you know, the social structures that dictate our livelihoods,” he explains. 

Second chances

Daniel-Bey was a juvenile lifer after being incarcerated at 17. He was released from prison due to the Miller v. Alabama 2012 ruling by the U.S. Supreme court.

The ruling says, “No juvenile defendant may face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, no matter how serious the crime,” according to Justia. 

Daniel-Bey says he got a second chance.

“When the Miller ruling came out in 2012, it was finally a door opening because I was never supposed to come home. And art was a way to sustain myself in prison, not only financially, but spiritually and emotionally,” Daniel-Bey shares.

Daniel-Bey says he met Jonathan in 2013 at the Macomb Correctional Facility through a creative writing workshop. He says they became friends.

“I came home in 2018. Since then, we’ve continued our creative exploits through what was created,” he says. 

Supporting returning artists

Entry Points gives people an entry point back into society and a chance to make art. The first resident moved in October 2022, when a former juvenile lifer needed a place to live once he was released.

Rajewski says the artists can use the space for studio visits, visits from curators, and exhibition opportunities. 

“Our first resident was a writer and almost strictly in the literary realm. And so those relationships tend to be focused more in the literary realm,” he shares.

Daniel-Bey says former juvenile lifers often come home often without resources, family, or support. 

“As an adult that goes to prison and spends 20 years and comes back out, they at least have an experiential understanding of having to have paid a bill or navigating as an adult, get a job and all those types of things. We had none of that. And so what we do is we are helping to cushion that landing,” he explains. 

Paying it forward

The grant allows at least three artists to use the space over the period of three years, allowing additional staff to be hired. Meanwhile, the program is run by volunteers.

The award is given by the JM Kaplan Fund to 10 awardees for their work in tackling social justice, environmental conservation, and heritage preservation.

Rajewski says he’s grateful for this opportunity to give back.

“This amplifies the work that we’re doing… in the free school, we are largely made up of volunteers. There are no paid employees. There really aren’t any specific kinds of leadership. It’s a sort of shared kind of democratically organized discursive project,” he exclaims. 

Daniel-Bey says that besides supporting the resident artists, the funding will support other artists.

“We also do microgrants to other artists. We have other juvenile lifers that have home support and family support, but they may not be have the material support to get their art supplies,” he explains.

Healing power

Daniel-Bey says art is a universal language that can heal people.

“Their art is trying to speak to the soul and the spirit of people and bring them into community, bring them into unity and into a more humanistic understanding of what drives not only the children that do these things, but the society that produced them,” he says.

Rajewski says the funding supports the work they’ve been doing for years.

“When I met Kyle, he was never coming home, and now here we are working outside on this project together. And it is just an endlessly powerful experience to support this work together,” he says.

Andre “Dre” Dukes is a living example of what happens when you get a second chance in life. Dre grew up in Detroit on the eastside and watched once thriving neighborhoods collapse. 

Dre lived a rough life, growing up in Detroit riddled with gun violence and drugs. He battled addiction and spent a decade in prison. Since his release, he has changed the way he approaches life. He works at recovery centers, and with at-risk kids and teens.

He has been motivated to make an impact to ensure the next generation of young Black boys have a blueprint to follow and learn a better way to escape their issues. 

“Street-Wise & Real Talk” is an autobiographical guide for boys who simply need to feel seen and heard. It’s a fictional, age-appropriate book for at-risk youth that focuses on consequences and not glorifying crime.

Dre spoke with The Metro’s Tia Graham about “Street-Wise & Real Talk.”

Discovering music from The Beths, Jorja Smith, Silica Gel, Patchwork Inc., and more.

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 January 14, 2026

• “Last Forever” – Patchwork Inc. & Wyatt Waddell
• “NamgungFEFERE (feat. Japanese Breakfast)” – Silica Gel
• “Keep Me Satisfied” – Jungle
• “God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (Tasty Or Not Remix) [Extended Mix] [feat. Yazmin Lacey]” – Ezra Collective
• “raat ki rani (Sylvan Esso Remix)” – Arooj Aftab & Sylvan Esso
• “The Morning Sun” – Eddie Chacon
• “Taito City Hideout” – FloFilz & Takuya Kuroda
• “Desire” – Kamasi Washington
• “Chant” – Donald Byrd
• “Rewind / Remind” – Momoko Gill
• “Supernatural (Extended Mix)” – We Are KING
• “Rose Rouge” – Jorja Smith
• “What Kinda Music” – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes
• “Flowers” – Jordan Rakei
• “Midas” – Maribou State & Holly Walker
• “On My Mind” – Jorja Smith & Preditah
• “Straight Line Was a Lie” – The Beths
• “Belinda Says” – Alvvays
• “Phish Pepsi” – Wednesday
• “Words” – Big Thief
• “I’d Have To Be Crazy” – Willie Nelson
• “Do You Realize??” – The Flaming Lips
• “The Darkness That You Fear (Harvest Mix)” – Chemical Brothers
• “Mind’s A Lie” – High Vis
• “Until We Meet Again” – Hermanos Gutiérrez
• “Meet Me In the City” – Junior Kimbrough
• “Count The Days (feat. Jenny Lewis)” – Swamp Dogg
• “The Weight of My Words (Four Tet Remix)” – King of Convenience
• “Under The Pressure” – War On Drugs
• “They Came In Peace” – Tranquility Bass
• “Love Like Blood” – Killing Joke
• “Slow Like Honey” – Fiona Apple
• “Nobody New” – The Marias
• “Locket” – Crumb
• “Paper Trails” – DARKSIDE 

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.

During President Trump’s second term, immigration enforcement has become more dangerous and more visible. 

Detention has expanded rapidly. Last year was the deadliest year in more than two decades. Federal records show people have continued to die in custody in the opening days of this year.

There have also been multiple fatal shootings at the hands of on-duty and off-duty ICE agents in recent months. 

In Minneapolis, an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good. That killing prompted lawsuits from Minnesota and its largest cities. There were also resignations inside the Justice Department after leadership declined to open a customary civil rights investigation.

Other people have also been killed by ICE agents, including Silverio Villegos González near Chicago and Keith Porter Jr. in California. Those deaths, though, did not trigger the same national response.

In Detroit, City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero is pushing the city to act. She represents Southwest Detroit and chairs the City Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee. She’s asking whether Detroit can legally restrict ICE activity on city property and in sensitive areas, such as schools and hospitals. 

Santiago-Romero joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how cities can respond when federal immigration enforcement becomes more aggressive, and how local governments weigh responsibility, risk, and trust.

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

At the federal level, democracy is on its heels in America. 

President Donald Trump has violated national and international laws by kidnapping Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro, allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to breach residents’ civil liberties, including killing an individual in Minnesota, and by sending military troops to cities that have not requested them.

But at the local level, despite weak participation, officials say democracy is strong, that the trash is getting picked up on time, and that services are being properly distributed, especially in more urban areas. 

That’s what Stephanie Leiser found in a recent survey of Michigan municipal leaders. She’s the Director of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, and a lecturer at University of Michigan. The Metro’s Sam Corey spoke with Leiser to learn more.

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