At least 19 Michigan cities and townships have voted to pause new data centers — more than in any other state — and power is the common thread.

The data center going up south of Ann Arbor will use more electricity than a million homes, and it will never shut off. DTE says serving that single project raises the company’s demand by a quarter, while insisting customers won’t pay more or lose power — a claim the state attorney general has asked regulators to reexamine, and one that landed differently last week when storms left more than 450,000 homes in the dark for days.

Lansing hasn’t moved. A bipartisan bill that would freeze data center approvals statewide has sat in committee since February.

State Rep. Jennifer Wortz, a Republican from Quincy, is one of its sponsors. She represents Branch and Hillsdale counties along the Indiana border, where she and her husband run a chicken farm. She joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to talk about who gets to say no when a data center comes to town.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

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Tomorrow marks 25 years since the twin towers came down. That day, before people mourned, they were in shock.

What came next reshaped this country. The Patriot Act. Two wars. Here at home, a registration program fingerprinted, photographed and questioned more than 80,000 men and boys largely from Muslim-majority countries. It didn’t produce a single terrorism conviction.

Meanwhile, reported hate crimes against Muslims jumped seventeenfold in one year. They have never returned to where they were.

Almost none of that machinery was ever dismantled. So, we’re wondering how has American politics changed — and how hasn’t it — since September of 2001.

Ali Harb is a freelance journalist based in Washington D.C. He covers American politics, U.S. foreign policy, and politics in the Middle East. He spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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More than 450,000 DTE Energy customers lost power in last week’s storms. Many of them will not see a dollar for it.

Michigan requires DTE to credit customers $42 a day when the lights stay off. But the rule, written by the Michigan Public Service Commission, works on a sliding scale: the bigger the storm, the longer the wait. In the largest outages, nothing starts until day four. Power was back for most customers before then.

The storms produced three tornadoes, including one that tore across Detroit’s east side Thursday with 115 mph winds and kept going into Windsor — the first inside the city since 1997.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat who represents Dearborn and part of Detroit, has spent this year pressing both the company and the state regulators who set that rule. In February, a federal judge fined DTE and a subsidiary $100 million for air pollution at Zug Island. Two days later, regulators approved a $242 million rate increase. In April, the company asked for $474 million more.

Her bill, the Make DTE Pay Act, would raise Clean Air Act penalties on utilities that seek rate increases within two years of an environmental fine. 

Tlaib joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss the storm, the rule and the regulators who wrote it.

The Metro contacted DTE Energy and did not receive a response by airtime.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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From fine arts to a neighborhood-jam sesh, Detroit’s cultural offerings are out full force this weekend. 

On a more solemn note, there is an observance of 9/11’s 25th anniversary with songs, speeches and a coffee social. 

Upcoming events (Sept. 10-17)

Season Fair

The Shepherd
Sept. 10-13
Opening Season Talks free; general admission $40

This second edition of the exhibition fair is titled “Detroit Presents: Other Routes,” exploring how the six featured artists came into their craft and how their personal journeys shape their art, down to the non-traditional materials they use. There is an opening series of talks at the College of Creative Studies on Sept. 10.

9/11 Remembrance

War Memorial
Sept. 11
$10

The Michigan State Fair brings classic fair foods, Michigan agriculture, and all the entertainment you can imagine under one roof. There will be magic shows, performances by the Rock-N-Roll K-9’s, pig races, carnival games and more—plus, we can’t forget the Butter Cow on display! Some events, like the Full Throttle Monster Truck Show and carnival rides require additional costs.

Buffalo Soldiers and Blues Fest

 Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association Barn
Sept. 12
Free

The Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association (BSHA) invites the community to celebrate the legacy of the historic all-Black army unit with a family-friendly blues festival. The event offers horse rides, barn tours games, food and live music by Detroit’s Big Pete and Friends from noon to 4 p.m.. Western wear is encouraged.

Dally in the Alley

 Cass Corridor
Sept. 12
Free 

Dally in the Alley is back for 12 hours of art, music, food and fun in the Cass Corridor. Wander through the free volunteer run fair and visit six music stages, a fair zone just for kids, and many food and beer options.

“For the Love of” fashion show

 Detroit Public Library
Sept. 12
Free

Experience a runway presentation of emerging Detroit designers. This third edition features select designers from last year’s fashion show, ready to showcase their honed skills and bring Detroit fashion further into the spotlight.

Sensory Friendly Concert: Dance Party

 Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Sept. 13
Free

This interactive concert with Cancel Monday Band is designed with neurodiverse teens and adults in mind, along with their families and caregivers. There’s flexible seating, low lights, a limited audience size, noise-cancelling headphones, quiet spaces for a break and more at the venue. Following the 45 minute performance, DanceAbility leads an hour long dance workshop to connect people through the joy of movement in a positive, welcoming environment.

The Recovery and Resilience Festival is an upcoming music and art festival in Wyandotte, focusing on recovery from drugs and alcohol. Festival goers can expect free activities such as creative writing workshops and more.

Christopher Tait and Michael Balcom are co-founders of the free event.

Tait is the director of ‘Passenger’ Recovery, a service providing sober spaces to traveling and local musicians. “For me, the answer was trying to create relief, which turned into severe alcohol and cocaine abuse,” Tait said. 

As part of the band Electric Six for 25 years, Tait struggled with addiction and substance abuse. Through support and connections, Passenger Recovery has been a healing space for him. It’s lead him to folks like Balcom.

Balcom is the director of ‘Be Well My Friends’, a non-profit organization. It’s grown and has developed The Odd Fellow Concert Lounge alongside the Downriver Council for the Arts.

Balcom says working with Tait has made a world of difference bringing the festival to life. “Without him, I wouldn’t have known about half of these places,” Tait said.

They joined The Metro to share how their personal experiences led to them placing sobriety on center stage at the Recovery and Resilience Festival. 

The event runs from noon to 10 p.m. on Sept. 20.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above

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This weekend is Labor Day weekend and in Motown that means it’s time for the Detroit Jazz Fest. Dozens of acts will take the stage in Hart Plaza from September 4th through September 7th.

The Detroit Jazz Fest is the world’s largest free jazz festival. This year marks the 47^th time the event has been held.

Chris Collins president and director of the Detroit Jazz Fest Foundation. He joined The Metro to preview this weekend’s festivities.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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The Season Fair, a free non-profit contemporary art fair, returns second year at The Shepherd in Detroit from Sept. 11-13.

Season Talks at the College for Creative Studies will open the fair with Theo Parrish, Sterling Toles, KESSWA, and more on Sept. 10. It’s free.

Amani Olu is the founder and curatorial director of Season Fair. He reported that Season’s funding comes from ticket sales, sponsorships, and individual donations as they seek to find new ways to pay artists. “A lot of artists are pushing back against the 50-50 split because the galleries are not earning it,” Olu said.

Oshun Williams is a featured fine artist on the Detroit Presents Artist Platform. Though his chosen medium has been acrylic on canvas, Williams also uses newspaper, chenille patches, bows, buttons, and even Michigan mittens for mixed media designs.

His works depicts everyday life with themes that resonate with people across culture and class, especially those who come from families who moved north for better opportunities. “My grandfather just passed away last year, so it was a good way to bring it back to life and pretty much celebrate him,” Williams said.

Olu and Williams joined The Metro not only to discuss the weekend ahead and emphasize the importance of investing in art.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Is money corrupting Michigan’s politics?

According to a Politico poll, 72% of Americans say there’s too much money in politics. Respondents said special interest spending leads to corruption that should be restricted. 

In Michigan, a local campaign believes residents can have a stronger, more representative democracy if political spending by some big-time actors is limited.

The Michiganders for Money Out of Politics measure, which is now on the November ballot, would change some aspects of how money gets into the hands of politicians and political candidates. 

Voters decide Nov. 3, though opponents have asked the Michigan Supreme Court to block it.

Sean McBrearty is the executive committee co-chair for the Michiganders for Money out of Politics campaign.  He spoke with producer and host Robyn Vincent about what happens if the ballot measure passes.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Detroit voters created a board of civilian commissioners in 1974 with the power to investigate their own police department. Eleven members. Its own staff of investigators.

Since May, those investigators can no longer pull body camera video themselves. The cops can edit the footage and decide what’s relevant. 

Victoria Camille represents District Seven on the oversight board. She’s circulating a petition to get that access back. And Thursday afternoon, she was prepared to vote on whether Detroiters can still speak to her board from home.

Commissioner Camille spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent about what the police oversight board can actually do to hold cops accountable and whether some of its power has weakened.

Editor’s Note: After this segment aired, the motion to limit public comment options to solely in-person attendees was rescinded. 

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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There’s no shortage of options when it comes to having fun this Labor Day weekend. Events you’ve waited all year for return, like the world’s largest free jazz festival in Detroit, Royal Oak’s Arts, Beats & Eats, the Michigan State Fair and more. Plus, a toast to sandwich lovers in Detroit.

On Labor Day itself, a union march goes through Corktown, and you can see the results of the first ever Union Hall Arts Residency.

Upcoming events (Sept. 3-10)

Opening Celebration – Detroit Month of Design

Little Village Detroit
Sept. 3
Free

Detroit Month of Design officially starts at this activation hosted by Design Core Detroit and Little Village. From 5-7 p.m., an outdoor activation opens the River Trail with interactive art, architectural installations, food, entertainment and more. After that is a Design Crawl through the corridor, wrapping up with at Father Forgive Me bar.

Michigan State Fair

Vibe Credit Union Showplace
Sept. 3-7
$10

The Michigan State Fair brings classic fair foods, Michigan agriculture, and all the entertainment you can imagine under one roof. There will be magic shows, performances by the Rock-N-Roll K-9’s, pig races, carnival games and more—plus, we can’t forget the Butter Cow on display! Some events, like the Full Throttle Monster Truck Show and carnival rides require additional costs.

Arts, Beats & Eats

 Downtown Royal Oak
Sept. 4-7
$15

Arts, Beats & Eats is back in downtown Royal Oak with over 200 musical acts setting the playlist for your Labor Day weekend. Walk through the Fine Art Fair on Washington Street, hit up 11 stages for music, culinary demonstrations, interactive science experiments and more—and eat well while doing it with more than 65 food vendors on site.

Jazz Fest

 Hart Plaza
Sept. 4-7
Free 

The largest free jazz music festival in the world returns to Detroit this Labor Day weekend, with Artist-in-Residence Joe Lovano threaded into each day of the four day festival. Bounce between four stages to catch your favorites in a jam-packed setlist, including artists like the Ravie Coltrane Quartet, marking 100 years since John Coltrane’s birth; Dee Dee Bridgewater singing alongside pianist Bill Charlap; sisters Tia Fuller and Shamie Fuller-Royston and much, much more.

Art on the Ave

 Livernois Ave
Sept. 5
Free

Immerse yourself in the lively arts community rooted in Detroit’s historic Avenue of Fashion. This event brings together local entrepreneurs, creatives, restaurants and more. Art galleries will be ready to welcome visitors, including Jo’s Gallery, Sherwood Forest Art, Art in Motion and others along the corridor. This family-friendly event is a part of Detroit Month of Design.

Hamtramck Labor Day Festival

 Joseph Campau
Sept. 5-7
Free

Fill your Labor Day with fun at Hamtramck’s Labor Day Festival! Get swept up in the parade, jam at two stages of live music, ride some thrilling carnival rides, and cheer while watching the staple yacht race. The festival is held all weekend and Monday from noon to 11 p.m. each day. 

Detroit Sandwich Party

Eastern Market Shed 5
Sept. 6
Free

There’s truly a sandwich for everyone, and you’d be sure to find several to suit your taste at this all-day event dedicated to the culinary art of putting stuff between slices of bread. Accompanying beverages will be available for sale alongside small-format sandwiches. Swing by and party with the best Detroit sandwichmakers around from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Labor Day Union March | Union Hall Arts Residency Showcase

Corktown
Sept. 7
Free

Take part in the true spirit of the holiday at this march organized by Michigan’s American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.Staging begins around 7 a.m. on the corner of Trumbull and Michigan Ave in Corktown. The march sets off at 9 a.m. and heads west to Roosevelt Park, where labor leaders and other guests will speak around 10 a.m.

Following the march, the first ever Union Hall Arts Residency showcase opens its doors at Talking Dolls studio. This summer, the pilot residency brought the labor movement and the arts together, helping union members practice their craft. Artists include a novel writing electrician, a hotel housekeeper, who’s doing a large scale painting on canvas, a beat-making plumber, and so many more. Stop by from 1-4 p.m.

Since the pandemic, Michigan schools have faced a persistent problem: Students are not showing up enough to class. 

In Detroit public schools, the chronic absenteeism rate has been higher than the rest of the state’s. Recently, that number has been decreasing.

In just one school year, chronic absenteeism dropped 10 percentage points. Even in comparison with other high-poverty school districts, a recent report shows Detroit public schools have been the most effective in the state at boosting attendance rates. 

Why? And, should other school districts take note of what’s happening in Detroit’s schools?

Jeremy Singer is an assistant professor of education policy and leadership at University of Michigan-Flint, and does research with Wayne State. He helped write that report, and spoke about it with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Animation fans have long awaited the release of “Coyote vs Acme.”

The Looney Tunes film blends live-acting and animation into a movie that sees the character, Wile E Coyote, in a legal battle with Acme after the Acme products the Coyote uses to catch Roadrunner keep failing.

The project was finished, but it was shelved by Warner Brothers in 2023 for a tax write off. After fans pushed for the release, “Coyote vs. Acme” is now in theaters.

And the film has some local ties.

Detroiter Bennie Taylor plays a character role in “Coyote Vs Acme.” Since 2020, he’s played various character roles and continues to see his screentime grow.

In 2026, Taylor was featured in the film “Buddy,” starring Keegan-Michael Key, a Michigan native, Patton Oswalt and Delaney Quinn.

Taylor spoke with The Metro’s Tia Graham about his career, Detroit and the future.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Michigan is in the national spotlight. 

That’s in part because of the state’s open U.S. Senate seat. If Democrats lose, their path to a Senate majority all but closes.

The race can tell us a lot about the direction of the Democratic Party — what is seen as acceptable to voters, and what appears too extreme. 

That’s because trends here represent things happening elsewhere, in places where manufacturing is declining but still deemed important, where wages are stagnating, and where younger people are leaving in hopes of finding greener pastures in other states. 

So, how should we be looking at the Senate race between Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers? What does it tell us about the politics of the median Michigan voter? And what does it say about the kinds of politics that are possible. 

Adrian Hemond is the CEO of the bipartisan advocacy firm, Grassroots Midwest. He’s also a longtime Democrat. He spoke with The Metro‘s Sam Corey.

Editor’s Note: In this conversation, Adrian Hemond said Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has associated with people who have committed acts of antisemitism. He did not name anyone on air, and we did not press him to at the time. We should have. WDET asked Hemond afterward for specifics and reviewed what he provided. None of it involved conduct by Dr. El-Sayed, and we found no evidence supporting the claim as stated. We should not have let it air unchallenged.

An earlier version of this note included material that did not meet our editorial standards.

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What’s behind Majesty Hope Blands’ woven purpose?

A native Detroiter, Bland is a seamstress, tailor and fiber artist. As an alum of the College for Creative Studies and ISAIC, Bland has taken what she’s learned and tested its limits.

Bland creates one-of-one pieces that invite people to reconsider their relationship with their clothes.

Working with upcycled materials and whatever is around her at the moment, Bland sees resourcefulness not as a gimmick, but as a way of life.

In this episode, we learn a little more about Majesty Hope Bland.

CONTAINER On The Metro is a WDET produced storytelling series that brings Detroit’s creative heartbeat to the airwaves. 

CONTAINER is a program created by The Love Building. Its goal is to showcase Detroit’s creative talent across music, fashion, fine arts and food. Done in collaboration with WDET Public Radio with major support from the Gilbert Family Foundation.

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

In Her Honor – Detroit is a part of a three-day event using art, storytelling, remembrance and action to honor the mothers lost to maternal mortality. 

The Detroit Institute of Arts hosted a screening of the documentary ‘Aftershock’ to kick off the series.

The film follows stories of loss, grief and advocacy for Black and Brown mothers who have died from pregnancy-related complications. 

Omari Maynard is a Brooklyn-based artist, educator, and advocate. Maynard is featured in Aftershock. Audiences follow along as Omari reshapes his life after the death of his partner, Shamony Gibson.

Maynard created portraits of remembrance for Black and Brown women lost to a lack of support and resources in the maternal health system. 

One portrait turned into dozens. This spring the portraits were on display in Washington D.C. in front of 50 congressional offices, giving a name, face and story to alarming statistics. 

Alongside the portrait series in Her Honor, Maynard is the co-founder of the Ariah Foundation. 

Danielle Atkinson is the founding executive director of Mothering Justice. Mothering Justice is a grassroots advocacy organization. It empowers mothers, particularly mothers of color, to address the critical issues that impact their families and communities. 

Omari and Danielle joined The Metro to talk more about In Her Honor and Aftershock. 

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After nearly a year of back and forth with Flat Rock officials and residents, Huron-Clinton Metroparks is advancing a plan to partially remove the Flat Rock Dam and construct ‘rock arch rapids.’

Located in Flat Rock on the Huron River, the 100-year-old dam is in fair condition, but has a “high hazard potential” rating. Despite the risk, Flat Rock residents and officials strongly opposed the Metroparks’ plan for partial removal.

Flat Rock Mayor Steve Beller spoke at an Aug. 14, 2025 board meeting after Flat Rock City Council unanimously passed a resolution to urge Metroparks not to remove the dam.

To buy, or not to buy

In September 2025, Huron-Clinton Metroparks offered to sell the dam to the City of Flat Rock for five dollars and provide an additional $4.5 million to help pay for fish ladder improvements.

The city spent months weighing their options and ultimately decided not to take ownership of the dam. 

Huron-Clinton Metroparks CEO Amy McMillan says the organization respects the City of Flat Rock’s decision:

“No matter how we look at it, this is a change for that community. And so, being transparent and listening and disagreeing where reasonable people will disagree, we’re happy that we’ve come to this conclusion and we’re looking forward to moving forward.”

John Webb, president of the Flat Rock Dam Coalition said in a statement his group supports the partial removal plan, as long as Huron-Clinton Metroparks ensures water levels are maintained. 

“It is critical that the [Huron-Clinton Metroparks] clearly and unequivocally mandate to their engineers and contractors the requirement to maintain existing impoundment waters or preferably raise these water levels.”

Dam removals growing more common

A third of the dams in metro Detroit have “high” or “significant hazard” ratings from the National Dam Inventory. Catastrophic flooding like that seen in Midland with the Edenville Dam failure has drawn attention to questions of ownership and accountability of privately owned dams.

Dam removal is growing more common statewide and nationally. Last year, EGLE announced nearly $15 million dollars in funding for dam removals across the state. To date, Michigan has removed 125 dams. There are roughly 2,500 dams in Michigan.

Proponents of dam removals point to improved river health and biodiversity. They also mitigate the risk of catastrophic dam failures.

In the case of Flat Rock Dam, the Metroparks feasibility study for this project notes improved fish passage for sturgeon, walleye, and salmon to travel up the Huron River to spawn.

Guests:

• Amy McMillan, CEO of Huron-Clinton Metroparks
• Brian Graber, senior director of river restoration at American Rivers. He spoke with the Metro’s David Leins. Dave started by asking why Michigan has so many dams in the first place? 

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The FBI put out its 2025 crime numbers this month, and they show the largest year-to-year decline in violent crime rates since estimations began in 1936. Robbery fell 18.5%. Murder dropped by 18 percent — that rate is now tied with 1955 for the lowest ever recorded in this country.

Detroit is part of that trend. The city ended last year with the lowest number of homicides since 1965. Carjackings dropped 46 percent.

What nobody fully agrees on is why. Detroit police credit a mix of strategies: More officers, a different approach to mental health calls, and community violence intervention — those are programs staffed by people from the neighborhoods where the shooting happens.

Andy Arena spent 24 years in the FBI and ran its Detroit division. He now leads the Detroit Crime Commission. He spoke about why violent crime is declining with host Robyn Vincent.

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Dr. Abdul El-Sayed ran the health departments of both Detroit and Wayne County. Three weeks ago he won a U.S. Senate primary by roughly 15,000 votes statewide, and lost Detroit by nearly 2-1.

Seven miles away in Dearborn and Hamtramck, he took 78 and 82%, respectively.

In Detroit, fewer people voted in this primary than in 2016: About 98,000, which is down from 126,000.

So the question in front of him now isn’t only whether Detroit residents will vote for him — it’s whether Detroit residents will turn out to vote.

Bishop James Williams is founder and senior pastor of Spirit and Truth Christian Ministries, and second vice president of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity— a group that supported Dr. El-Sayed during the primary. He joined host Robyn Vincent to speak about what his congregants make of the U.S. Senate race, and how their political preferences have been shifting.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Comedian T. Barb made a name for herself in Detroit. She’s become well known for her “Only in Detroit” social media reels, where she highlights unique scenes from around the Detroit streets.

Now she’s making her way in Los Angeles, where her numerous gigs have included appearances on BET.

T. Barb says L.A. is different from Detroit in many ways — from the way people act to the food they eat. “The dogs even are different,” says T. Barb, “and the reason I say that is because people in California have a dog for companionship. Here, we want our dog to bite you.”

T. Barb is returning to Detroit this week to take part in WDET’s last “What’s So Funny About Detroit” comedy showcase of the summer. The show takes place on Thursday, Aug. 27 at The Old Miami on Cass Avenue.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.  All patrons must be 21+ to enter the venue.  Tickets are available online at WDET.org/events.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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