A new study published this week found people with asthma have an especially hard time breathing properly in Detroit.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America rated the Motor City the third worst municipality in the nation for those who routinely need to use an inhaler or nebulizer.

The foundations’ president, Kenneth Mendez, says the group weighed how many people in a city have asthma, how frequently people die from it and the number of times the condition drives residents to visit an emergency room.

“Detroit ranks high in those three areas and that’s one of the reasons why it’s No. 3 on the list.”

– Kenneth Mendez, president of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Listen: New report ranks Detroit as third worst city in U.S. for those with asthma

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Kenneth Mendez: Detroit ranks high in those three areas and that’s one of the reasons why it’s No. 3 on the list. There’s social determinants of health, there’s family origins related to it, but certainly it really hits communities of color. Black Americans are three times more likely to be diagnosed with asthma, five times more likely to be treated in an emergency room. And Black women have the highest mortality rate of any gender or ethnic group. So those factors really are emblematic of things that we need to do in order to better control our asthma and work with our doctors.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Are those demographic groups especially at risk because they have less access to good health care? Or because the factories or whatever might produce pollution that could exacerbate asthma happen to be based in communities of color or poorer areas?

KM: There are a number of factors that go into it. Clearly, your zip code, where you live, has an impact. You can tell how long someone’s gonna live from that. But access to care, additional pollution in certain areas is a trigger for asthma. People in some communities can’t afford to live in areas that do not have high levels of pollution. Those are the kinds of things that go into asthma exacerbation and triggers if you have asthma.

QK: Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Talib, for one, has long pushed to get the Environmental Protection Agency to take into account the cumulative impact of pollution in a given area if they’re going to issue a permit through the Clean Air or Clean Water Acts. If that kind of legislation was passed, do you think it would really make a difference?

KM: Let me break that into two pieces. One is, I think the laws and policies will help. The EPA has come out with a “tailpipe rule” to reduce emissions from light trucks and cars, which are significant contributors to bad air and carbon dioxide. So I think having pieces of legislation passed, whether they’re at the federal or at the state level, can be very helpful to those with asthma. For example, in local communities, you can have an idling rule on school grounds basically saying when people are picking up their children, they shouldn’t have their cars idling. Reducing those kind of tailpipe emissions can go a long way towards helping people with asthma and allergies, in particular in some of those communities that are disproportionately impacted.

In the big picture, the longer growing seasons, the additional carbon dioxide, all those things have an impact on allergies. And allergies are a trigger for asthma. Those are the things that through federal policies and legislation we can try and eliminate. The Inflation Reduction Act clearly had some incentives to reduce pollution and try and amplify clean energy alternatives. So those kinds of things can make a difference. Climate change, with the longer growing seasons, more intense releases of pollen because of carbon dioxide, are all triggers for allergies and asthma. A lot of people say, ‘I’ve never had allergies before. They’re getting a lot worse.’ And that’s because of the additional load on your system from those triggers. We need to reduce our carbon footprint. That will go a long way towards reducing asthma and allergies.

One of the worst parts of World War II is coming to metro Detroit this month. And it’s scheduled to keep coming into January.

Each week about 25 semi-trucks will haul low-level radioactive waste from New York to a disposal site in Wayne County’s Van Buren township.

It’s by-products from the Manhattan Project, which created the atomic bombs dropped in Japan that ended World War II.

It’s also the latest in a series of toxic material shipments sent to Michigan raising concerns among some members of Congress and other officials.

That includes Wayne County Executive Warren Evans. He says there’s a disconnect between federal agencies that regulate hazardous waste, the company that owns the Van Buren disposal site and Michigan’s government.

“It doesn’t make sense to me that we would be the location of choice so often for this toxic material.”

-Wayne County Executive Warren Evans

Listen: Warren Evans on toxic atomic waste coming to Wayne County

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Warren Evans: I don’t believe that they level with us about what they’re doing. My trust level for them is almost zero. And it doesn’t lead to good results or good communications back and forth. The only time we hear about these waste issues is when a reporter writes a story and we read about it and they become automatically defensive. I’m concerned about the lack of notice (that shipments are coming to Michigan.) That leads me to be concerned about the level of hazardous waste in the material and the amount that’s coming and how it’s being transported.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: The Army Corps of Engineers has said they’re not required to notify anybody if they’re sending waste to a facility that’s allowed to take those kinds of shipments, which the one in Van Buren is. So when you say you don’t think that they’re leveling with you, what do you think needs to be changed?

WE: They said they’re not “required” to. What the heck does that mean? Does it mean there’s a prohibition about doing it? They’re hiding behind a rule that doesn’t require them to do it. But good public policy does require them to do it, them or somebody, I think. Hiding behind a rule that doesn’t make you do it just tells me the rule doesn’t make any sense and you’re not concerned about the reaction of the public’s health concerns about this. If that’s the way you feel, then I’m troubled by the whole thing.

QK: You’ve had a couple of town hall meetings about this and other toxic waste that came from the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment. What are you hearing from residents about the situations?

WE: It’s real clear that residents don’t want it here. And what we hear from the federal agencies is how safe they claim to be and what the rules and federal regulations are. That’s not what people are asking for. They are asking for clear answers about why so much of it is coming here and just how safe is it? It’s troubling to me, because the agencies are answering questions in a very bureaucratic way. “This is regulation 207 and we’re required to do that.” It’s double-speak to me. People are asking about the health concerns that they have, the health concerns that they’re afraid of in the future. They are asking for solid, honest answers. Part of that would be alleviated if there was more discussion about the actual hazardous waste, the toxicity of it, how it’s being transported and how it is being kept in the landfill. That would help people determine whether the safety valves are there or not there. When you hear the agencies talk about it, they say they have a stellar track record for keeping us safe. And every year you hear about catastrophes that occur and violations that occur at these different waste treatment places. Those two notions don’t square in my mind or the minds of anybody else that has any sense.

QK: So you still have some concerns when state environmental officials say that they’ve tested this latest waste coming from the Manhattan Project, that it’s within the limits that the site is permitted to take? And there’s only seven similar sites in the country, so you just gotta grit your teeth and bear with it?

WE: Yeah but that doesn’t really make sense. There’s a significant amount of it that’s coming and there’s certainly no legal prohibition against dividing it into some different landfills. Why does it all have to come here? Particularly since the waste is rated at a level that would allow it to go to many other landfills — and many other landfills that are closer to New York than here. They can talk all day about how this landfill provides added security. But if the waste is rated low enough that it can go just about anywhere, then why don’t you send it just about anywhere?

QK: I have heard that it was somewhat cheaper to dispose of it in landfills here as opposed to other places. Have you heard that same reasoning?

WE: Absolutely. And I think that that, in and of itself, calls for a state solution. It appears to me that there are two solutions that we ought to be working on as a community. One is, we ought to act legislatively, get our legislature to refuse to take it. In other words, change the rules about Michigan being able to take the hazardous waste. That’s why it’s coming out of New York, New York won’t take it. That’s one option. That’s a pretty drastic one, but a significant one. The other one is to raise the tipping fees such that it is not so profitable for those who want to deliver the waste here. I think both of those are solutions that bear some close scrutiny and, I think, support.

There are many states that are less populated than Michigan. Wayne County is the largest by population county in the state of Michigan. It doesn’t make sense to me that we would be the location of choice so often for this toxic material. Nobody wants it. There’s no financial advantage to the county for accepting it. The disadvantages are creating a further health care risk. And we’re already rated poorly in the state of Michigan in terms of health indicators.

There likely was no busier man at last week’s Democratic National Convention than transplanted Michigander Pete Buttigieg.

The U.S. transportation secretary stresses he’s using his personal time to campaign for the Harris-Walz ticket — and he seemed to be the go-to spokesperson for the media.

Buttigieg, who was on the list of potential Harris running mates, is viewed by some pundits as a possible gubernatorial candidate when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited out after 2026.

But Buttigieg says he’s focusing now on helping Democrats maintain the enthusiasm shown at the convention all the way through to Election Day.

Listen: Buttigieg says Dems will ‘bottle’ energy from DNC to propel presidential ticket

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Pete Buttigieg: We’ve got many, long weeks ahead. But what we’re going to do is we’re going to take the joy and the positive energy [from the convention], we’re going to bottle it up and we’re going to use it to propel us through the weeks ahead. Of course, on every campaign there are curveballs, there are setbacks. Although I do think it is notable that in the many weeks since Kamala Harris became our candidate, she hasn’t put a foot wrong. People kept saying, “Is this the honeymoon? You know, this is a few days, then it gets real.” The energy has been sustained. The momentum has been sustained. But as she keeps reminding us, we still need to remember that this is an underdog effort.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Any concerns about the protests regarding Israel and Gaza at the convention and whether or not that could actually have a significant impact on the campaign going forward?

PB: That’s one more point of difference between us and the Trump-Vance ticket. Not just the approach she has, to bringing peace to the Middle East, but also the approach she’s bringing to engaging protesters and demonstrators. She’s reaching out to those parts of our party that are so concerned. Versus this idea you hear from Trump about basically turning the military on protesters. We understand the legitimate concerns of those who have spoken out and will continue to engage.

QK: When you talk to voters about what their number one issue is, there still seems to be a lot of worries about the economy. You obviously have a big background in the Midwest, as well as with issues like infrastructure and so on. What do you see that a Harris administration could do that a Trump administration would not, in terms of trying to help lower prices, etc?

PB: The biggest concern in the economy is around prices. And economists who have analyzed the Trump plan believe it will add $3,900 a year to a family’s expenses, because he wants to add all these additional charges (tariffs) on imported goods. You contrast that with the Harris plan that’s very focused on lowering costs. Also, if we want to talk about economic performance, let’s talk about jobs. There was a manufacturing recession under Trump, and that’s even before COVID. Right now, there’s a manufacturing boom the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. A construction boom as well, because the infrastructure policies that Trump failed to deliver, this administration has. These are the kinds of things that are explaining why you’ve had in these last few years the most job creation in any presidency in history. Now we’ve got to pair that with continued work to drive prices and inflation back to baseline. And that’s exactly what you’re seeing right now.

QK: How do you make voters feel that? I hear people recite the data and then people say, “Well, I’m not really feeling that in my own house.”

PB: We got to meet folks where they are. This is a real concern, you can’t wave it away. That’s exactly why Harris is being criticized now for being too aggressive in trying to bring prices down. But I think that’s the right kind of focus that demonstrates concern for what voters are feeling. We also, though, need to make sure that there’s no attempt to rewrite history and have people forget about the manufacturing recession and other problems that happened during the Trump years.

QK: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer campaigned on “fixing the damn roads.” You’ve been a Michigan resident for a while now. She is term limited out after 2026. Would you think about running for governor yourself?

PB: I sincerely am not sure what the future holds for me. I’ve got the best job right now and, of course, I’m not speaking in that capacity. But I also am having the best time when I’m not at my day job, campaigning for a ticket and a party that I really believe in. Between the two, those things are taking about 120% of my capacity.

QK: Are you really having the best time? It’s so politically divided now it seems like it would just be hell at times to deal with from the inside.

PB: Well, look, it’s hard work, but it’s hard work that’s worth doing. I believe in politics as a force that, if you understand it in the right way, can make our lives better. As I shared with the convention audience, I recognize the fact that the simple existence of my family — just what goes on at our dinner table — is only possible because of political involvement, political courage and political action that brought about things like marriage equality. Whatever the biggest issue is that’s affecting somebody’s life, chances are it either gets better or worse depending on the political choices we make. Of course it’s hard. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a death match. And part of why I think Americans are ready to change the channel away from the Trump show, part of why folks are just more and more tired of that, is that most Americans don’t view the political process as something that has to be all about negativity and grievance and revenge. It can be a process of engaging our neighbors, and of course it’ll be tough sometimes, but it can also be really uplifting.

It’s really great speaking to the Michigan audience, in particular, because that’s where the infrastructure and the manufacturing results of the Biden-Harris vision are not just playing out, but very much at stake. The job creation and the clean energy economy that’s bringing back so many blue collar jobs in the industrial Midwest, that will either be developed or it will be destroyed, depending on who the next administration is led by. I want to make sure it’s developed so we create even more jobs.

Use the media player above to listen to the interview with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

President Biden personally thanked more than 100 members of the U.S. government earlier this month for their help in negotiating the recent prisoner exchange with Russia.

The massive deal brought Michigan native Paul Whelan back to the U.S after being held in Russia since the end of 2018 on charges of espionage that both he and federal officials say are bogus.

Some experts believe the exchange could set a model for how nations engage in such so-called “hostage diplomacy” in the future.

Northwestern University Assistant Professor Danielle Gilbert works with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on matters concerning wrongful detentions.

She says duplicating the kind of deal that gained Whelan’s release will not be easy.

Listen: Why the deal that freed Whelan, Gershkovich may be hard to duplicate

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Danielle Gilbert: These are extremely difficult negotiations. Not only are we talking about some of the fiercest adversaries that have to come to the table to come to an agreement in terms of the United States and Russia; but also the challenge of bringing together all of these other parties, getting other governments to agree to put their own prisoners on the line to participate in this complex multi-party swap. This was extremely advanced negotiation that took place at the highest levels of government over the course of quite some time. And that all of it was held as such a tight secret until the actual release was also pretty spectacular.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: There are reports that Germany wanted Putin opponent Alexei Navalny as part of any deal that would include Whelan in exchange for a Russian assassin that was held by Germany. And then Navalny passed away a few days after the deal was supposedly struck. Yet it seemed Germany’s willingness to make a deal continued and that seemed to open the pathway to the eventual exchange. Does it surprise you that Germany would actually, finally partake in such an effort?

DG: Vladimir Putin and his government continually pushed for the release of Vadim Krasikov, the FSB assassin who was imprisoned in Germany for murder. But the United States government didn’t have the power to release Krasikov, that was something that was only up to Chancellor Scholz and the government of Germany. So that took some really difficult conversations behind the scenes. President Biden was drawing on the friendship and the alliance with Germany, speaking to Chancellor Scholz and representatives at the highest level of the German government. And not only about the importance of their alliance, their partnership and friendship with the U.S. and opposition to what Russia was doing in this particular case, but also ensuring that the ultimate deal — the prisoner swap — included Russian dissidents, political opponents to Vladimir Putin. That those people would be released from detention and they’d be able to come to Germany. Countries like the United States and its Western democratic partners and allies are being targeted by autocratic states like Russia.

QK: Beyond the number of nations involved in the swap, the sheer multitude of prisoners involved in the exchange seems to be far different from what one would normally think of in a hostage deal, which is sterotypically a one-for-one prisoner swap. Do you think similar hostage deals that could happen in the future are also likely going to have to include many, many more countries and in effect “enlarge the pie” of what is being offered in any exchange?

DG: It’s a great question. It remains to be seen. I think in past prisoner swaps with Russia, we really have seen that one-for-one dynamic. Russia wrongfully detains an American and they demand the specific release of a Russian who was arrested in the United States. And those deals, while they might be controversial, are about as straightforward as they can get in terms of prisoner swaps. This one (involving Whelan) was extremely complicated because of the number of countries involved, the number of prisoners, the complicated choreography. In an ideal world, the countries that are frequent targets of this kind of attack are going to start really working together to deter the practice going forward.

Read more: Family of Novi man released from Russian prison say they can finally exhale

QK: One of the criticisms of the exchange has been that it rewards Russia and by extension any other country that would follow suit for taking Americans hostage that the government believes could be used as trade bait. How do you think the U.S. can combat that kind of approach?

DG: That requires coordination among allies, drawing on the tools of the international system. How can they punish a state like Russia for engaging in this practice? There might be sanctions on hostage takers, it might result in prosecution or other means of drawing on a country’s own legal system. And thinking about ways to exclude Russia from the things that it might enjoy in the international system.

QK: The U.S. is already involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. There’s few other examples that would be testier for governments to be dealing with than an ongoing war. And yet this deal seems to have achieved Russia’s goals. So in the future would actions like sanctions be sufficient? Is there something else that countries can do to try to deter this type of hostage-taking?

DG: That’s the real million dollar question. It’s the question that gets me up in the morning. Government officials in the United States and a lot of other frequent targets, countries like Canada, the U.K. and Australia are putting their best minds to work to figure this out. The commission that I’m a part of at CSIS is also working on this question and hoping to make recommendations to the next U.S. presidential administration on how they might think about deterring this practice going forward. One big part of it has to do with prevention. Let’s say the U.S. government can’t put more sanctions on these countries that are already so heavily sanctioned. Well, what can the U.S. government do to prevent its citizens from traveling to places like Russia in the first place? How can they increase education? How can they engage the private sector that requires employees to travel to make sure that Americans who are going to these places are aware of the risks that they might be facing, understand other countries’ laws and hopefully stop traveling to places that the U.S. government strongly urges Americans not to visit, like Russia.

Use the media player above to listen to the interview with Danielle Gilbert.

Democrats continue basking in the afterglow of an energetic national convention, where Kamala Harris became the first Black woman to lead a major party presidential ticket.

But as the fanfare fades, Democrats now must grapple with perhaps THE overriding issue among voters — the state of the economy, and the price of goods and services.

The party faithful say the Midwest — and Michigan in particular — remain the epicenter of efforts to define how best to address economic concerns.

At one of the Michigan delegate breakfasts held throughout the convention, those munching their eggs and bagels were greeted by a familiar figure. 

Former Michigan Governor and current U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm pushed-back against surveys showing many voters feel their personal finances were better, when Republicans and Donald Trump controlled the White House. 

“They are not better on the economy!” Granholm said. “This administration, the Biden-Harris administration has created more jobs than any president in the history of America in one term. We are the ones who are bringing this economy back, and Michigan is at the tip of the spear.”

Yet Democrats in the room know many Michigan voters feel pushed daily by the cost of food and other items that government data says should actually be more affordable. 

The contradiction is not lost on the volunteer chair of the state Democrats 12th Congressional District, Kevin Tolbert. He says he’ll be retiring within days from his full-time job with the United Auto Worker union and claims Republicans who blame Democrats for inflation are selling his fellow members a bad bill of goods.

“Those prices aren’t high because of something that someone in government did,” said Tolbert. “Those prices are high because we have conglomerates controlling the majority of the grocery stores and the things of that nature. So I know people are feeling that pain, but if we understand the focus is directed correctly. Let’s look at the real problems and figure out solutions instead of being targeted to be mad at the wrong people.”

Yet a significant number of traditionally left-leaning union members say they will back Trump because he is for the “working class.”

It’s a theme GOP Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance touted during a recent campaign stop in a Grand Rapids suburb. 

“When American businesses threatened to shut down factories and move them to Mexico and China, remember what Trump did? He picked up the phone and said, ‘if you do that, I’m going to introduce you to a little word called the tariff.’ And a lot of Americans benefit because he was willing to fight for their interests and their American jobs,” Vance said.

Democrats counter that Trump wants to target so many foreign products with tariffs it would amount to a national sales tax on goods and services.

Vice President Kamala Harris presented her economic agenda about a week before accepting the Democratic nomination for president.

Though somewhat vague on specifics, Harris pledged to limit the cost of prescription drugs and work to pass what she calls the first federal ban on price-gouging by grocery store chains. 

“My plan will include new penalties for opportunistic companies that exploit crises and break the rules, and we will support smaller food businesses that are trying to play by the rules and get ahead,” she said. “Because I believe more competition means lower prices for you and your families.” 

It’s a vow greeted with gratitude by some outside the chain link fences that surrounded the Chicago convention site, even among those who chanted a message that might startle Michiganders almost as much as high food prices.

A small group of Ohioans lined a street, chanting “Ohio! Fire Jim Jordan-dot-com. Elect Tamie Wilson to Congress. Ohio!” They were campaigning for the Democrat’s long-shot bid to unseat Trump ally Jordan in the U.S. House. 

Wilson says Jordan and the GOP tried to stop the Biden administration from setting up a domestic supply chain for semiconductor chips and electric batteries. She says such efforts further inflame an electorate already edgy about their finances. 

“Oh yeah, everyone’s worried about the economy,” said Wilson. “I’m worried about the economy, and that’s why I’m running for Congress. You know, Jim Jordan, he voted against the CHIPS Act, which is bringing 10,000 jobs to Ohio. People in my district shouldn’t have to drive an hour, two hours, to get a good-paying job.” 

Standing with Wilson, Ohio attorney Rocky Ratliff notes that the COVID-19 pandemic caused economic upheaval across the country. 

He says those who fondly remember the flow of commerce during most of former President Trump’s term forget the situation the Biden-Harris administration found itself in. 

“What they got was a world to clean up post-COVID, with kids in school, with the economy and so forth, having to kick-start it,” he said. “They didn’t have a well-running economy handed down by the Obama presidency. So they didn’t have that opportunity. Ever.” 

Nearby, at the entrance to the “Dem-Palooza” Expo, volunteer Julia Hofmann said she traveled to the convention from Orlando, Florida, where the pandemic — and the resulting economic chaos — turned her life upside down. 

“I am a small business owner and a mother of three. And it is hard, it is hard,” she said. “When I planned my family several years ago and knew I wanted three children…I knew I could afford it. And now I can’t. And the spending power of clients has gone down dramatically. So as a small business owner I’m greatly impacted.” 

Hofmann says she is not so concerned about who to blame for high prices. She says she just wants Kamala Harris to bring cost of living down. 

“I don’t think that is Biden’s fault. I think the wheels were in motion and a lot of what transpired was from policy that Trump put into place,” said Hofmann. “Not thrilled with how Biden has addressed it, or lack of addressing. So I think a fresher face might be good.” 

It’s a hope shared by other Democrats at the national convention, even as Republicans contend Harris is part of a Biden administration they claim has not effectively addressed the nation’s financial woes. 

President Biden has reportedly been frustrated that much of his economic agenda has been slow to show an impact voters can feel. 

Whether presidential candidate Harris can make the case that she will have more of an immediate impact on prices may decide who wins battleground states like Michigan — and ultimately — the White House. 

Michigan is a battleground state in the upcoming presidential election.

And the state’s Democratic members of Congress say they also feel good about their party’s chances to take back the U.S. House by riding the wave of enthusiasm currently surrounding the Harris-Walz ticket.

That includes Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who represents much of Oakland County in the state’s 11th Congressional District

I spoke with Stevens at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday about the political momentum within the Democratic Party and whether they’ll be able to sustain it going into the general election in November.

Listen: Haley Stevens on political sugar high at the DNC, top priorities for the state

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Haley Stevens: It was certainly so exciting for Democrats all over this country to be in the room with the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, and of course, our former First Lady Michelle Obama. The wisdom, the power of their coupledom, the message that they delivered — which was grounding — and it reminded us that we really have work to do, and we can’t take things for granted. We got to go with the good vibes. We know what’s at stake. And as Michelle Obama said, “we have to do something.”

Quinn Klinefelter: Some of the pundits and so on have said, “can you keep this kind of political sugar high going all the way to the election day?”

HS: Well, we know the seasons are going to change. We’re still in summer. The election’s not until to the fall. Moods change with seasons absolutely. We also know that gravity is real, and it feels as though we’re flying very high. One of the elements of the Harris-Walz ticket that I find very optimistic and important for Democrats, as we’re heading into November though, is the more you get to know the two of them and their vision for our country, the more you like them, the more you like what you’re hearing. It’s practical, it’s real, it’s relatable. Kamala Harris — having worked her way through college, worked in McDonald’s — Tim Walz sleeves rolled up, governor of Minnesota, someone who coached high school sports as well as served in the United States military… I think that that really speaks to people. Whereas JD Vance, President Trump’s runningmate, he’s a wardrobe in search of a bedroom. He doesn’t know who he is. He’s saying one thing one week and another thing the other. And I don’t understand why he’s taking shots at women, and I hear that from voters. I think that’s very real.

When we know that the economy is going to be the most important issue, we should just be focusing on the economy. Kamala Harris is rolling out an economic agenda. She’s not afraid to say the words middle class. I can’t remember the last time I heard Donald Trump say that.

QK: The economy does seem to be the overriding issue for a lot of voters. You talk to some of the people in the metro region, they’ll say, “things were so great when Trump was president, the prices were lower, things were happening.” What would you say to those people?

HS: Look, we’ve got to make sure that people feel a certain way about the Harris-Walz ticket, carrying forward from the administration of President Biden, we see that we have the highest levels of employment in Detroit in over 50 years. We have record new factory growth. We, frankly, as the United States of America are buoying the world’s economy, we also though have to understand it’s very real what people are experiencing at the grocery stores. And so Kamala Harris has put forward a plan to tackle costs, to tackle shrinkflation. And what is the first thing that the Trump-Vance ticket says in response to that? “That’s communism.” Give me a break.

QK: There’s been questions about how either side, if they get in, would be able to pay for these kind of things. I mean, you’re on the front lines in Congress. Where do they get the money from? If there’s tax cuts, if there’s other programs that are going to be going forward, where can the money come to try to pay for some of these things?

HS: Well, it’s certainly very concerning to me that if you look at the previous term, Trump’s approach to global competition was largely to tariff goods. Then the pandemic hit, and as a result, those two events very much increased the cost of goods across the board. So our sugar farmers, their equipment is twice as much as it used to be. Sugar is in how much of our food? — as much as we like it or not — and that’s contributing to rising costs. We do need to be responsible about the pay-fors.

We in the Democratic caucus put forward a rules package when we were in the majority, making sure that we were paying as we go for things, offsetting costs, without slashing programs in the government that are working for people, and also making sure that we weren’t increasing our debt as a result. We have a tax bill that we’re going to be reauthorizing. I want to do that under Kamala Harris, because more tax cuts for large corporations and nothing for middle class workers is not going to work. It’s going to fail people, and people need to know that.

QK: Apart from the economy, what other issues do you see that you think are going to be prime importance in Michigan and Oakland County?

HS: Well, certainly when we talk about the economy, we’re also talking about transportation and housing. Those two issues are inextricable, and they’re deeply important in Oakland County. I also think there’s an undergird certainly around national security and foreign policy and some of the toughness — particularly from independent voters — that they want to see from their next commander in chief on the world stage.

We all have to remember that Donald Trump shoots from the hip. He’s tweeting at world leaders in the middle of the night. He’s very unpredictable. It felt like he was going to lead us into war many times. I see in Kamala Harris, someone who’s going to be tough on national security and is going to take her next chapter of her campaign to communicating how she plans to lead on the world stage.

QK: There has been protests here, obviously, regarding the situation in Gaza, how do you see that playing out, and how do you see that impacting the election as you head in November?

HS: Well, we’re a big tent party, and certainly when people disagree with each other, they’re not chased out. And I think it’s actually a productive and good thing that we have people who are not necessarily on the same page with one another, but are engaging with one another respectfully. What we don’t want to see is see protests taking down the event at hand, which is obviously our Democratic National Convention, leading to hate, leading to violence. None of that’s happening here. The city of Chicago is shining. Michigan is shining here. And as a lawmaker who represents a very diverse population and has had to take tough votes and take tough positions, I’m not here trying to thread a needle in the middle to pretend like I’m going to make everyone happy. Votes are binary. Leadership is oftentimes binary in terms of executive decisions, and that’s what Kamala Harris is showing she’s extended some olive branches, but her positions in the Middle East are clear. 

Use the media player above to listen to the interview with Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

Read more:

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• Whitmer shares goals for Democratic Party, Michigan ahead of DNC address
• Mike Duggan talks public transit, city’s new solar program at DNC

Organizers behind the national “uncommitted” movement are commending a decision to host an official panel discussion on Palestinian rights Monday at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The movement began as the “Listen to Michigan” campaign to get 10,000 uncommitted votes in the state’s Democratic presidential primary in February, in protest of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The uncommitted campaign wildly exceeded expectations in Michigan, picking up more than 13% of the votes in the Democratic race, or roughly 101,000 votes.

“The Muslim community, not just in Michigan, but in nearly every state, is more active, more involved than ever before,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellsion told WDET before participating in Monday’s panel discussion. “Not just as candidates, but as people who are doing fundraising; people who are doing communications; I mean, Bernie Sanders campaign manager was a Muslim, right? So the Muslim community has stronger political muscles than ever before, and is making itself heard.”

Others on the panel, like pediatric intensive care surgeon Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan — who recently returned from serving in Gaza — say the Harris-Walz ticket needs to hear the cries of the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

“We feel like the only way to protect and preserve human life is to put political pressure at this point.”

-Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, pediatric physician in Gaza and DNC panelist

“I was asked to be here to provide moral witness to the delegates of the Democratic National Convention, the civilian casualties that I myself witnessed while I was there, the entire families that were exterminated, health care workers, humanitarian workers, that have been killed in unprecedented numbers, child amputees, record numbers of child amputees, all the children who had survived and arrived injured at the hospital with no surviving family,” Haj-Hassan told WDET. “I myself treated several children who would fall into that category. And for these children, they would often die in our arms in the emergency department without any family around to comfort them, because their family were killed in the same attack, and without anybody to bury them once they were dead…it was honestly, completely, utterly devastating.

“So we feel like the only way to protect and preserve human life is to put political pressure at this point. The unconditional ongoing funding of the U.S. for this military campaign, it starkly contrasts with the documented realities on the ground, with the findings by the International Court of Justice — a plausible genocide — and with universal global condemnation from every human rights and humanitarian organization, saying ‘This has to stop.'”

Haj-Hassan says everyone in her immediate family and friends circle are “very afraid of a Trump presidency,” however, she says, “we have red lines for what we will support in a party that we’re going to vote for, and genocide is one of those lines.”

“If the Harris-Walz platform wants to win, then they’re going to need to start listening to all of these voters, and I hope they also start listening to their conscience, because I don’t know how you’d sleep at night knowing that you’re funding this,” she said.

In a statement from uncommitted movement co-founders Layla Elabed and Abbas Alawieh, they called the panel “an important step toward recognizing the rightful place of human rights advocates for Palestinian rights within the Democratic Party.”

“Our focus remains on policy change,” the statement read. “Vice President Harris has an opportunity to unite the party against Trump this week by turning the page towards a human rights policy that saves lives and helps us re-engage key voters for whom Gaza is a top issue.”

Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were gathered outside the DNC on Monday, with some breaking through a security fence near the convention site. However, the protests have been mostly peaceful.

Elabed and Alewieh say they have formally requested that Haj-Hassan and a Palestinian American be granted speaking time on the convention stage this week to share their plight.

A Michigan family is celebrating after one of their own was released from a Russian prison last week, following more than five years of detainment.

Novi native Paul Whelan was arrested in Russia in 2018. 

He had been serving a 16-year prison sentence for espionage, charges both he and the U.S. government say are bogus. 

Whelan was part of a multi-national prisoner exchange with Russia involving roughly two dozen people. 

He was the first person to disembark from the plane that brought the detainees back to the U.S., where Whelan was greeted in-person by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Whelan’s twin brother, David Whelan, told WDET in a phone interview that their family can finally exhale again. 

Listen: Brother of Novi man released from Russian prison says family can ‘finally exhale’

The following interview was edited for clarity.

David Whelan: We’re obviously overjoyed that he is home. There was messaging from the U.S. government sort of letting us know that something might happen, that it could be positive news. But it also could be news that we wouldn’t be happy about. So, I think up until I read the White House statement after Paul had gotten on a plane, that the detainees were on their way home, I didn’t really believe that it had happened. 

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: And you had no idea up until that point that this was going to go through? 

DW: Right. I think we were starting to sense something in the last few days. This didn’t come from the U.S. government. I’ve been watching Russian media for over five years. And you can see things starting to happen. We saw that it was becoming a very large, complicated sort of an activity or event. And I think the more complexity you have, the more likelihood that there is something that could fall apart or that someone might get cold feet, that something doesn’t work the way you expect. Particularly since Paul had not come home twice already, he had been left behind when Trevor Reed came home and he was left behind when Brittney Griner came home. And that’s not to suggest that he could have come home. I’m just saying that he didn’t come home. So I think we were all a little bit cautious about getting our hopes up too high that he would come home the third time.  

QK: Over the last few months you said it seemed like there was little hope that Paul could be freed, that the U.S. had kind of pulled all the levers it possibly could to try to make that happen without anything working. Do you have any sense as to what actually changed now so this has been able to come to fruition? 

DW: I think that this was a very slow-bubbling pot. And it has probably been on a burner for 12 months, 18 months. We have seen some of the names that were exchanged in the media during that time. So I think it’s possible that this thing has just been something that took a long time, a lot of relationship-building, a lot of persuasion. It might have taken changes in dynamics in other countries with elections or with political changes. So I think it was just one of those things that until it was ready, it wasn’t ready, when finally certain things clicked into place. And that was part of our concern, that if those things became un-clicked, that it might fall apart. I think that’s the difficulty for any families in this sort of situation. There are so many unknowns and all of them are out of your control. All of these things that occurred with this exchange, when you consider the number of Russian political prisoners who were coming out, some of whom may not have wanted to come out of Russia, as well as the others who were being exchanged, you start to realize how complicated these things can get. 

QK: So much has changed, politically and otherwise, since Paul was first taken into custody. Does he have to kind of rebuild his life from scratch now back in the U.S.? 

DW: In a sense, yes. And in a sense, no. Fortunately our other brother has done a remarkable job of maintaining Paul’s financial situation, dealing with taxes, dealing with loans or other debts that he had, making sure money was in his bank account, that sort of thing. I think that Paul is going to have to come back and rebuild a lot of his life. He’s going to have to find a place to live, he’ll need to get a job. He’ll have to deal with all the relationships, some people who were friendly to him when he was in America but not when he was in a Russian prison. But at least he will have a financial starting point that I think a lot of prisoners when they come back find that they don’t have. We’ve read about prisoners in Russia who are sentenced to treason, many years of detention, then someone gets a power of attorney and wipes out their bank accounts.  

And I think even when I read the White House statement, I didn’t 100% believe it. I almost needed to see a proof-of-life photo of Paul in a place that I know is in America, for me to really, truly believe it. Obviously, to see him in person would be that too. But you get to the point where you resign yourself to the fact that there is this uncertainty, a solution may or may not appear at any time. And frankly, if the news had been bad, I really don’t know what the U.S. government would have done next. Because this really was cleaning out every cupboard and cleaning out every coin under the cushion. I don’t think that there any more concessions the U.S. could have made. So, I think for the next person who gets arrested by Russia, it’s gonna be very, very difficult. 

QK: What advice might you have for U.S. officials who are dealing with families of hostages such as Paul? 

DW: The U.S. government, frankly, has to trust the family and I think that’s been one of the difficulties with our experiences. Sometimes they’re willing to trust us with a little bit of information. And then sometimes they see us as, maybe not the enemy, but certainly not as an ally. I think we really experienced it in the last three or four months of Paul’s detention. We noticed that the National Security Advisors’ office had really just thrown up walls and the information flow that we had been accustomed to — it wasn’t top secret stuff, it was just information that helped us get situational awareness — had suddenly stopped. I think part of it is because internally the U.S. government has concerns about leaks and different departments feel differently about how much to share with media. So I think we were impacted by decisions that were made by certain departments like the National Security Advisors’ office. 

QK: To bring it back to Paul, do you have any sense of what your family is planning when he actually returns to your home? Is there gonna be a big party, or will you kind of try to ease him back into life in the U.S.? 

DW: No, not really. We’ve discussed some possible outcomes. I think we are all very much focused on Paul having agency at this point and making his own choices about where he lives, who he interacts with, just building relationships. He was betrayed by a very close friend in Russia five-and-a-half years ago and has seen some of his other friends and colleagues peel-off over time. And I think that it will be a while for him to build trust and relationships and rapport again, even with family members.

In Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, Democrat Carl Marlinga is set to face off against Republican incumbent John James, who defeated Marlinga in the last election by only about 1,600 votes — or one-half of one percentage point. 

Marlinga, a former Macomb County judge and prosecutor, says national donors did not put much effort into his campaign last time because former Congressman Andy Levin decided Democrats had a better chance in a different district. 

“If he could not win this district, what chance would anybody else have? But they didn’t have the local knowledge about my years as a prosecutor, as a probate judge, as a circuit court judge – the knowledge of what I would bring to the table,” Marlinga said. “Now they do.” 

Marlinga says there are clear issues separating him from the Republican Congressman now, including issues over reproductive rights, limiting inflation and finding ways to keep raw sewage from overflowing into Lake St. Clair.  

“I’m the guy with the record protecting the lake,” Marlinga said. “John James is the guy who wants to drill for oil in the lake.” 

Republican party officials counter that members like James —  who was unopposed in his primary — will fight to stabilize the economy, lower prices and secure the nation’s borders. 

The 10th Congressional District race was the third-closest in the nation in 2022. Now, with the Democratic party’s new presidential ticket, Marlinga says excitement about the Harris-Walz campaign could play well across the electorate.

“We have a ticket that is just designed perfectly for the voters of this county,” he said. “Macomb County is known as the home to Reagan Democrats from years ago. We tend to vote Democratic but we are suspicious of extremes at either end — right or left.” 

Republicans, both nationally and in Michigan, contend that the Democratic presidential candidate will cater too much to progressive causes. 

The 2022 election marked the first time in seven decades that voters did not choose someone who is Black to represent the majority African-American city of Detroit in Congress. 

This year, with Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib’s seat in the U.S. House seemingly safe, those who hoped for that Black representation focused on the race in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. 

First-term Congressman Shri Thanedar, an Indian American, is seeking reelection in the 13th District’s Democratic primary. 

But the contest involves more than racial representation. It also raises questions over the current representative’s job performance and past malfeasance by one challenger. 

Earning endorsements

When the campaign began, some Black leaders in Wayne County rallied around former State Sen. Adam Hollier’s bid for Congress. But he was forced out of the race after submitting too many invalid petition signatures to get on the ballot. 

High-ranking Democrats like Mayor Mike Duggan then turned to Detroit City Council Member Mary Waters, who is also Black. Duggan gave her his endorsement because, he claims, she is active in the community while Congressman Thanedar is absent. 

“We need somebody in Congress who fights for us,” Duggan said. “And right now I don’t feel like we have any help from our Congressman. He’s not a bad person, just not helping.” 

The 13th Congressional District encompasses more than a significant portion of Detroit. It also includes the Grosse Pointes and some Downriver communities, among other areas. 

Yet during a recent tenants meeting at Detroit’s Jefferson Apartments, Waters told the crowd it matters whether their member of Congress has navigated the same racial issues they have. 

“It’s been decades since the city of Detroit in particular has gone without Black representation. We are a major city. It’s very important that we have some representation in Congress,” Waters said. “But that’s not the only thing. I know how to deliver on behalf of my constituents. And that’s true. I have a proven track record.”

Waters acknowledges the district is diverse, both ethnically and economically. Still, she says, there are problems that bind voters there together. 

Waters notes that many cities in the 13th face aging infrastructure that fails to hold up well whenever there is possible flooding. She believes a Congressperson would have more sway than she currently has on Detroit City Council to work with the U.S. Housing and Urban Development department on an issue impacting much of the district.  

“Housing. That relationship with HUD. We have some issues here,” Waters said. “Folks’ income level doesn’t work anymore. We need income-based housing. HUD can help us with that. HUD used to do a lot more of those things, then they kind of got away from it.” 

It’s the kind of action tenants like Gloria Bell say they want to see happen in the U.S. House. 

“I like what [Waters] said about HUD helping. Housing is my biggest issue right here. There’s a whole lot of housing downtown, the new buildings and all that. But they’re not affordable for people that have been here for so many years,” Bell said. 

“It’s been decades since the city of Detroit in particular has gone without Black representation. We are a major city. It’s very important that we have some representation in Congress.” — Councilwoman Mary Waters

Waters does face some headwinds. She lost two previous bids for Congress and was disqualified from a third. And Thanedar, a wealthy businessman, loaned his campaign about $5 million and is far outspending his rivals. 

Some commercials paid for by outside groups remind voters that Waters pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor tax fraud charge 15 years ago, after an investigation into an attempt to bribe a Southfield City Council member. 

Waters says Detroiters already rendered their verdict when they elected her to the City Council. She calls the current attack ads an effort by Thanedar to distract voters.  

“He doesn’t have a record to stand on, right? So, he’s doing the smear campaign,” Waters said. “Because if he had some things that he could really tout, he’d do it. But he does not. And guess what? If the people put him back in again, he’ll do the same thing again. So shame on us if we allow him to do that. He doesn’t have to go to Washington and do anything on our behalf. He’ll just come back and buy the seat again.” 

Connecting with constituents

Thanedar has used his campaign funds and some of his Congressional office budget for media ads and mailings. He says they are designed to ensure voters know who their freshman representative is in the recently redrawn 13th Congressional District. 

The effort seemed to be paying off at a recent senior appreciation day outside Detroit’s Aretha Franklin auditorium. The crowd was dotted by people wearing Thanedar’s white campaign tee shirts with his red, white and blue “Shri” logo. 

That included Thanedar himself, wearing a campaign shirt and a wide smile as a series of people stopped to talk with him, many saying they had seen at least one of his many television commercials. 

The U.S. Representative asked them if he could do anything for them, punctuating most exchanges with a parting, “Love you!” 

Thanedar bristles at the accusation that it’s difficult for people in the district to contact him or his staff. The Congressman claims he’s helped settle roughly 1,600 cases for his constituents since taking office, whether or not critics suggest otherwise. 

“They just keep attacking me. But we have one of the best constituent services,” Thanedar said. “Whenever I go in public like this, people say, ‘Your office has been very helpful.’ The political opponents keep making false accusations but I just keep doing my work. I just keep helping people and I don’t worry about politics.” 

It’s hard to be a politician and not worry about politics, however, as Thanedar is constantly pulled away from other events at the appreciation day to greet more well-wishers in the crowd.

Thanedar stated he’s co-sponsored hundreds of bills in Congress and been endorsed by the Democratic leadership there, including the ranking member of the House. Thanedar says his work in Congress involves everything from trying to ensure voters have access to clean water and mental health services to streamlining the process for Black and Brown entrepreneurs to receive help from the Small Business Administration.

Thanedar also notes that about a quarter of his constituents live at or below the poverty line. He has long maintained that he connects with those voters because he grew up in a home with very little money. 

“I understand the struggles of people living paycheck to paycheck. These are the people that nobody cares about. We have a system that is so catered to the rich, so catered to the powerful corporations. But the ordinary people who are struggling aren’t being catered to. And that’s who I want to help,” Thanedar said. 

He admits his rival Waters has picked up significant endorsements from Detroit Mayor Duggan and the United Auto Workers union. Yet Thanedar insists his outreach to individual voters will turn the election in his favor. 

He said, “It’s not about the party bosses and it’s not about the smoke-filled back rooms making these decisions for people. People have access to information. They make their own decisions. And I trust people’s decisions. Because people know what’s best for them, who can represent them best.” 

Fresh faces

Elsewhere in the senior appreciation day crowd, voter Keith McCord says he’s been watching the contest for the 13th District closely. 

And McCord says his favorite for the Congressional seat is neither Thanedar nor Waters. Instead, he says, he supports the third candidate in the race, attorney Shakira Lynn Hawkins. 

“Her background appears to be real good. They need a new voice, new ideas. And I think that she’s gonna be okay,” McCord said. 

Hawkins worked until recently for Detroit’s law department. She says she felt compelled to make a bid for the U.S. House. 

“I have a child that I’m raising and I want him to have clean air and water, access to education and career growth and medical care. And there’s just so much broken,” Hawkins said. “And I just did not see anyone stepping up and running for office whose values aligned with mine.” 

Hawkins says she also surveyed many mayors and city managers in the 13th District and claims few were enthralled with Thanedar. 

“By and large they’re all disappointed. They don’t think that he’s been present or that he’s helped their communities,” she said. “One said that Thanedar came to town maybe one time, took a selfie in front of, I think it was a well, and that was it. He never heard from him again. He says that U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell reached out and only after that did he hear from our current Congressman.”

Hawkins says she found there could be an opening for a person like herself, who has never won a political election. 

“I have never been elected to public office. But that does not mean that I’m not ready to hit the ground running and that I would do a better job.” 

Hawkins, an African-American, would also provide the Black representation some Detroit officials want the city to have in Congress. Yet Hawkins says she can resonate with constituents across the district more successfully than Thanedar does, because many voters there share her working-class roots. 

“I definitely understand the issues that we all face. And I think Thanedar is very, very, very far-removed, given his wealth,” she said. 

Hawkins does have her own financial issues, though. She was terminated by City of Detroit officials after they determined her candidacy ran afoul of laws against someone in an executive branch running for office while being paid with federal funds. 

Hawkins claims she was offered other sources of campaign funding if she would adopt a stance supporting Israel. 

Thanedar strongly backed Israel after the October 7th terrorist attack by Hamas. Waters has called for a cease fire in Gaza. And Hawkins says she, too, wants a cease fire. 

So she says she refused the PAC money and is now seeking legal advice about her termination by the law department. 

“I was disappointed in the decision obviously. And I was largely funding my own campaign. So that pretty effectively ended my ability to loan my campaign money,” Hawkins said. 

The primary race will likely determine who represents the District in Congress. Even after being redrawn, voters in the long-time blue region overwhelmingly chose the Democratic candidate in the 2022 general election.