The killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has sparked a lot of conversations about political violence and also about health insurance in the U.S. and the many frustrations people have with their coverage.

Today on The Metro, we discuss the state of health insurance and health care in metro Detroit and beyond with three guests; and look at how things like medical debt affect a person’s quality of life. 

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

Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal is the senior contributing editor for health news analysis at the Kaiser Family Foundation. She’s also the author of “An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back.”

She says health care has placed too much of an emphasis on profits.

“We are talking about not a health care system, as we used to do, but a health care industry,” Rosenthal said. “It’s not a system, right? It’s a bunch of big businesses and poor patients are left struggling in this land of the giants to just get the care they need.”

While medical innovation ranks well in this country, things like insurance coverage, quality, and cost are all pretty bad compared to other First World nations. 

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, director for the Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services, says his department is working with the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt to relieve residents from medical debt. 

“We realized that there was an opportunity for us to step in and take on the scourge of medical debt for our county,” El-Sayed said. “We identified the fact that we ranked No. 8 for medical debt in the entire country, and that this was an opportunity for us to be able to wipe clean $700 million in debt.” 

Oakland County launched a similar program last year in partnership with RIP Medical Debt.

David Kendall, a senior fellow for Health and Fiscal Policy at Third Way — a think tank that champions modern center-left ideas — also joined The Metro to share his ideas on how to improve health care in America. 

He discussed how some states are giving tax exemptions to hospitals extending care to people below a certain poverty level. 

“The thing about it is that Michigan hasn’t done this yet, so about half the states have,” Kendall said. “So if you’re out there thinking about what to do on this issue, that would be a good first thing to contact your state legislator and say, ‘Can we get the hospitals to, you know, provide a certain minimum level of charity care?”

In the second hour of The Metro, we asked listeners:

“Have you ever avoided seeing a doctor or not gotten a prescription because of the cost of health care? Have you ever struggled with medical debt?”

Adam in Detroit said: “My company is located out of Utah, and they don’t cover anything. They don’t cover anything that I actually need. Like, what I will need is Adderall basically, right? But what they cover is the generic version. And right now there’s a shortage of amphetamines in the United States, which is really crazy. So like, I’ll go to the pharmacy after getting this doctor’s visit that was really hard to schedule, and then I’ll go from the doctor’s visit to the pharmacy, and they’ll be like, ‘Oh we don’t even have that.’”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More from The Metro on Dec 17, 2024: 

• Detroit Youth Choir is ready to strut its stuff and branch out a little bit this holiday season. If you’re not familiar with the young performers, they have lit up stages from “America’s Got Talent” to Carnegie Hall. This Friday, DYC will perform two concerts for audiences. The first half of the concert will include soulful renditions of classic Christmas songs. To discuss the concerts, as well DYC’s new album released this fall, Detroit Youth Choir Director Anthony White joined the show.
• The Michigan Poison & Drug Information Center has seen more and more calls about nitrous use and how it’s making people sick — prompting a new state law banning the sale of nitrous oxide paraphernalia. Varun Vohra, a professor at Wayne State University and senior director of the Michigan Poison & Drug Information Center, joined The Metro to discuss the growing problem.
• Stellantis is going through some changes. The automaker that includes the Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands among others is going into 2025 without its CEO, Carlos Tavares, who has led the company since its formation in 2021 until abruptly resigning on Dec. 1. Automotive News Executive Director and host of the Daily Drive podcast Jamie Butters joined the show to help us understand what’s next for the company.

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

We’re seeing a change in Michigan when it comes to wages. After a six-year battle that involved lawsuits, protests, and an intervention by the state Supreme Court, Michigan will start to raise its minimum wage.

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

The goal is to increase the standard to $15 an hour by 2030. But the process — like many things involving politics — was and continues to be contentious. Last week, state House Republicans walked out of their session in protest — seeking a vote on the minimum wage law before it goes into effect next year. 

Critics of the new law argue this change could affect what tipped workers take home and be tough on businesses. They fear customers will tip less and workers could make less money overall. 

Detroit News Restaurant Critic and Reporter Melody Baetens joined The Metro on Monday to help us understand the potential changes coming to worker wages. While minimum wages will change, she thinks the custom of tipping will not shift. 

“The tipping industry in this country is a wild, vast conversation. And I am not sure about this gloom and doom situation where people are going to stop tipping if wages go up,” Baetens said. 

President and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association Justin Winslow also joined the conversation, saying there are some common misconceptions when it comes to servers’ wages. 

“What I think is often misunderstood, and it takes a while to educate on this, no one’s ever making a sub minimum wage,” Winslow said. “If in the event that tips aren’t making up at least that difference, to get you to whatever the full minimum wage is, you as the employer are responsible to make up that difference every time.”

We also talked to Godwin Ihentuge, chef and owner of  Yum Village in Detroit. His servers make between $12 and $15.50 an hour, depending on training, and tips on top of that.

“Everyone still gets tips. It’s still there. We just find that, and I think as this becomes more public, businesses are going to find that the consumer will support the ethical behavior,” Ihentuge said. “They’ll come, they’ll make their way to the businesses that are deciding to do the right things in an industry that is rooted in and need of desperate change.”

Lu Hayoz, a longtime server and owner of the Peppermill Cafe in Grand Rapids, said a change to minimum wage could be detrimental to her business.  

“We make well above minimum wage. I mean, granted, we make $3.90 an hour, but most of our girls $20, $25 an hour. And we have talked to our customers every single day about what is going to be happening,” Hayoz said. “I am a very small restaurant. You know, just like I said, we’re just a diner open from six to two every day. Everything, our margins are 3-5%, they’re so small. And food cost is sky high right now, sky high.”

In the second hour of The Metro, we asked listeners:

“Do you work in the restaurant industry? Are you worried that as your hourly wage goes up, your tips will go down?” 

Louis from Southfield said: “If I go to a restaurant where I’m a regular and have a relationship with knowing my waitress. She treats me good. She takes care of me. I don’t care what the raises she’s going to get is. I tip her 30% because I’m tipping the person. I’m tipping the friendliness.” 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More from The Metro on Dec. 16, 2024:

• Kelley Cusmano has been an educator for 19 years, and is currently an English teacher at Rochester High School. She was also named Michigan’s 2024 Teacher of the Year this past summer. In that role, she’s been traveling to different public schools and trying to increase the state’s teacher retention rate. She’s now about halfway done in her role, and Cusmano joined the show to discuss what she’s learned, why teacher retention is an issue, and what makes a great teacher.
• Typewriters were once as ubiquitous as the computer. Now, they’re mainly found on shelves in antique shops and in various states of repair. WDET’s Jack Filbrandt sat down with Chris Alan Jones and Jessica Letkemann, the team behind Detroit Type Works repairing and bringing new life to these beautiful machines. 
• Water is the most basic necessity of life. The rising cost of water has some Michigan families struggling to pay their water bills. In certain households, that results in water shutoffs. A slate of bills in the state  House would address this problem, one that advocates say is a human rights issue at its core. One organization that’s been central to this work is the People’s Water Board Coalition. The Detroit-based group advocates for people’s equitable access to safe water and sanitation. PWBC Director Sylvia Ordunõ joined the show to discuss their efforts.

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

Many people in the queer community are on edge after Donald Trump’s reelection in November.

The Trevor Project, a leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, reported a 700% increase in calls after the 2024 election.

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

Trump has uttered no shortage of transphobic rhetoric, leaving many concerned that he’ll roll back federal protections for transgender people.

Detroiter Valerie Jean Blakely, who has a 16-year-old transgender son, shares those same concerns. She joined The Metro on Thursday to discuss her feelings of anxiety and fear for her family with Trump back in the White House.

After the presidential election, Blakely said she and her family sat in a bedroom for two days, unpacking their anxieties and discussing what Trump’s reelection could mean for their family, and for transgender rights more broadly. 

Blakely shared her fears that Trump’s election has emboldened transphobic people to openly come after the LGBTQ community.

“Trump supporters immediately came for trans people, like, immediately,” she said. “It was so stark to me, it does not feel like it’s getting better. It felt like it was a little easier when he was six, to be fair, because it didn’t seem… the hate and the bigotry didn’t seem so, you know, violent.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Dec. 12, 2024: 

• The city of Detroit is the 10th U.S. city to get a designated Michelin Green Guide highlighting its cultural attractions, Visit Detroit announced this week. Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit, joined the show to discuss the designation.
• The Ruth Ellis Center is well known within the LBGTQ+ community, often being a lifeline for our most unprotected LGBTQ brothers and sisters. Ruth Ellis herself was one of the oldest and proudest Black lesbians of her time. Mykell Price, director of talent, equity and inclusion for the Ruth Ellis Center, joined the show to discuss what it’s like to be a trans person in Detroit today, and what resources are available.
• In partnership with the State of Michigan and Detroit at Work, The Michigan Central Talent Innovation Training Fund was created to support start-ups. More than $1.5 million will go towards skill building, growing and diversifying Detroit’s business community.
• Democrats have had control of the state House, Senate, and Governor’s office since the 2022 midterms. The “trifecta” government meant the state legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could pursue and advance a policy agenda without Republican support. But that’s changing come January, when Michigan House Democrats will lose their majority.  To discuss this, Michigan Public Radio Network reporter Colin Jackson joined the show.

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

The ​incoming ​Trump ​administration ​wants ​a ​return ​to ​traditional ​family ​values, ​and ​a ​lot ​of ​people ​who ​voted ​for ​him ​do ​too. What ​does ​that ​mean ​for ​women ​and ​the ​many ​roles ​that ​we ​take ​on ​in ​society? ​And ​are ​we ​taking ​on ​too ​much?

Dr. Phillip Hammack is a professor at University of California, Santa Cruz, and is an expert on gender and sexual identity diversity. He joined The Metro on Friday to discuss how gender roles have shifted in the past decade.

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

Dr. Hammack said that labels popularized on social media like “girlboss” (a woman who’s particularly career-driven) and “trad wife” (a woman who follows more traditional gender roles in her marriage) show the expansion of society’s perception of womanhood to more than one specific stereotype.

“I think what’s exciting about these kinds of titles is it’s showing that ideas around how to be a woman, how to inhabit your gender, have now opened up, and there are options,” he said. “Those kinds of micro labels say, ‘You can inhabit your womanhood in different ways, and that’s okay.’”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Dec. 13, 2024: 

• Women now represent half of the labor force, and woman CEOs now run about 10 percent of Fortune 500 companies. But there are still a lot of challenges for women navigating the workplace. Professor Aparna Joshi of UM’s Ross School of Business joined the show to discuss.
• Despite Detroit’s high levels of poverty, roughly 20 percent of the city’s public housing units were empty in September. As of October, Arthur Jemison became the Detroit Housing Commission’s new executive director. He joined the show to discuss his own experience with public housing, and how he plans to turn the Commission around.
• With candidates like City Council President Mary Sheffield and potentially former Councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins, Detroit could elect its first woman mayor next year. Eboni Taylor is the Vice President of programs for Higher Heights America, a political action committee that works to get more Black woman candidates elected to federal, state and local offices across the country. She joined the show to discuss what could be ahead for the city.

The city of Detroit is already donned in holiday drip following the tree lighting last month. This Saturday, holiday cheer will cascade throughout Midtown as the city’s cultural district celebrates its 50th annual Noel Night. 

Produced by the nonprofit Midtown Detroit, Inc., more than 100 participating businesses and vendors will offer Noel Night activities and entertainment including live music performances, holiday shopping with special deals, arts and crafts, Christmas carols and more.

WDET — celebrating its 75th anniversary this year — is a media partner for Noel Night and will be offering tours of the station, opportunities to meet hosts, warm refreshments and more from 3 to 10 p.m. Several Wayne State University schools, colleges and divisions will be hosting Noel Night activities across campus as well. 

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

Maureen Stapleton, interim director of Midtown Detroit Inc., joined The Metro on Monday along with Source Booksellers owner Janet Jones to talk about what participating businesses and organizations have in store for the event’s 50th year.

Stapleton noted that Midtown Detroit is the perfect place to showcase the city’s diverse holiday traditions and culture.

“What makes me most proud is the cultural diversity of the activities of the day,” she said. “We have cultural institutions that are some of the finest in the country that are on display.”

Stapleton also pointed out that, despite being called Noel Night, many activities will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday morning. For a full schedule of events and activities, visit midtowndetroitinc.org/schedule.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More from The Metro on Dec. 2, 2024:

• With Thanksgiving now in the rearview, the holiday season is in full force. Over the weekend at Eastern Market, crowds of shoppers were loading their bags with gifts and filling their pickup trucks with Christmas trees. But Christmas is far from the only religious and spiritual holiday celebrated in the month of December. Aaron Gale, an associate professor and scholar of religious studies at West Virginia University, joined the show to discuss the vastly different ways people of different faiths celebrate the season. 
• For many, food is more than something to excite your taste buds; it’s a container for culinary traditions, helping continue the heritage of the people who created it. In the new documentary, “Detroit: The City of Chefs,” chef, producer and award-winning director Keith Famie highlights what makes Detroit’s food scene so rich and what food can do to continue old rituals and inspire new stories. Famie joined The Metro to discuss the film.
• The holidays are a time where we hear a lot about gratitude, joy and spending time with family. But it can also be a stressful or sad time for many people, emphasizing lost loved ones or estranged relationships. To discuss the importance of mental health awareness during the holiday season, clinical psychologist Dr. Cindy Morgan joined the show. Natasha T Miller, a Michigan poet and former co-host of the Science of Grief podcast from WDET and the MSU Museum, also joined the show.

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

A local nonprofit is working to transform a former school property in Corktown into a community hub that will house an early childhood education program, host artist residencies and more.

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

Co-founded by Paul Spiegelman and Hamsa Daher, Kintsugi Village aims to offer a “unique blend” of educational opportunities for Detroit families, from arts and culinary experiences and a community garden to events and programming promoting wellness and personal growth.

The initiative will be located in the former St. Vincent Middle School in Corktown, with plans to open the early childhood center by September 2025. 

Spiegelman and Daher joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss the project and what inspired it. 

“After going through a really tough personal time about a year and a half ago, we sat around at the DIA one day and talked about maybe doing something new, and Hamsa was ready to take on a new challenge as well,” Spiegelman said. “We thought maybe there’s a way we could help in Detroit and help in a local neighborhood, bring the community together. And that’s where the inspiration started to pull all these initiatives together.”

The pair will hold a community meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 2 at McShane’s in Corktown to discuss their plans for the community hub and share additional details about the early education program and tuition costs. 

For more information about Kintsugi Village, visit kintsugivillage.org.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation with Spiegelman and Daher.

More stories from The Metro on Nov. 27, 2024:

• State Rep. Dylan Wegela and Downtown Detroit Partnership CEO Eric Larson joined the show to discuss GM and Bedrock’s redevelopment plan for the Renaissance Center and its $1.6 billion price tag.
• Filmmaker Tom Brown was diagnosed with HIV when he was just 18 years old. His 2016 feature film “Pushing Dead” — a dark comedy about an HIV-positive struggling writer — is inspired by his own personal journey coping with the disease for decades. Brown, who recently moved to Detroit, joined The Metro to talk about a screening of the film he’s organizing for World AIDS Day at the Senate Theater this Sunday.
• The way we string our sentences together with the metaphors or similes that we use to enrich a conversation can often change an individual or move a nation for better or for worse. Detroit’s poet laureate, jessica Care moore, joined the show to talk about reaching people where they are in the community or with their personal growth.

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

President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t have many concrete plans for what he wants to do when he gets into office. His policy list is thin, but there are two things he’s talked about a lot: deportations and tariffs. 

Trump has said he plans to deport millions of people in the U.S. who don’t have legal status. Yesterday, he said he would use the military to carry out this plan. He also wants to use tariffs to develop industry here.

But how will these policy changes affect neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico? Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens joined The Metro on Tuesday to talk about the potential impact in Canada.

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

Dilkens says Canada has long been impacted by U.S. immigration policy at the Mexico-U.S. border.

“The millions of people who have crossed [the U.S.-Mexico border] in the last four years, many of them have made their way up to Canada, crossed illegally into the country,” he said. “And so in my city today, I’ve got two hotels who overlook the Detroit River and stare at Detroit, full of people who have crossed into our country, waiting for their cases to be adjudicated by our immigration and refugee group in Canada.”

In 2004, the U.S. and Canada entered into a Safe Third Country Agreement, a treaty between the two governments with the goal of better managing the flow of refugees better manage the flow of refugees seeking asylum at the border.

As part of the agreement, individuals seeking asylum in Canada are required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in, unless they qualify for an exception, Dilkens said.

“If you’re entering Canada to claim refugee status from the United States, you’re now required to wait in the United States to have your case adjudicated,” he said. “We’re no longer going to put you up in hotels and have you hang out here.”

Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro Nov. 19, 2024: 

• What is today known as the Knights of Columbus Hall in Clawson, used to be a raucous concert venue called The Hideout from 1966 to 1969. It was the third location in a series of teen clubs in southeast Michigan, where legendary musicians like The MC5, many of Bob Seger’s early groups, and The Subterraneans once played. Martin Hirchak, a Detroit cartoonist and graphic designer, joined the show to talk about the former venue, and an upcoming event at Knights of Columbus, “Tales from the Clawson Comic Book and Toy Show.”
• Educators at the College of Creative Studies (CCS) have made it their mission to stoke the flame of creativity already inside the students they teach. Fiber Flux, a new exhibition on view through Dec. 14 at the Valade Family Gallery on CSS’ campus, pays homage to arts educators across the Midwest through fiber art. Wayne State Associate Professor of Fashion and Fibers Heather Macali and Professor and Section Lead of Fiber and Textiles at CCS, Jeremy Noonan, joined the show to discuss the exhibition.
• Last week, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced he won’t run for another term. WDET’s Senior News Editor Quinn Kleinfelter joined the show to discuss the mayor’s legacy and what the future might hold for both the city of Detroit and Duggan’s political future.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Editor’s note: This conversation discusses some disturbing subject matter, including torture.

A U.S. jury last week awarded $42 million to three former detainees of Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib prison, holding a Virginia-based military contractor responsible for contributing to their torture and mistreatment two decades ago.

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

The decision from the eight-person jury came after a different jury earlier this year couldn’t agree on whether Reston, Virginia-based CACI should be held liable for the work of its civilian interrogators who worked alongside the U.S. Army at Abu Ghraib in 2003 and 2004.

The jury awarded plaintiffs Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili and Asa’ad Al-Zubae $3 million each in compensatory damages and $11 million each in punitive damages.

The three testified that they were subjected to beatings, sexual abuse, forced nudity and other cruel treatment at the prison.

Al-Ejaili joined The Metro on Monday along with Troy attorney Shereef Akeel — who represented the plaintiffs in the case — and local interpreter and attorney Mohammed Alomari, to discuss the case.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

-Reporting by Matthew Barakat, Associated Press

More headlines from The Metro on Nov. 18, 2024: 

• The Kresge Foundation’s Artist Fellowships program has been supporting metro Detroit artists since 2008. Starting in 2025, the Foundation will increase the fellowship awards to $50,000 per artist. Katie McGowan, deputy director for Kresge Arts in Detroit, joined The Metro to talk more about the fellowship program.
• A lot of people are struggling to purchase homes right now. A limited supply of affordable housing options is a part of that problem, propelled by labor shortages, supply shortages and regulatory issues at the city level that make it harder to build. Houm, an architectural design firm in Detroit, is working to change that by building cheaper, more efficent homes. Co-founder Breck Crandell joined the show to talk more about Houm’s efforts to build more affordable homes.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Michigan’s firearm deer hunting season officially opened on Friday, meaning thousands of enthusiasts from around the state and beyond are preparing to take part in the popular tradition — including our executive producer David Leins, who is in northern Michigan doing just that!

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

For some, hunting is more than just a hobby. It’s a way of life — a way to feed their families. Others simply hunt deer for sport. But there are many Michiganders who’ve had little to no exposure to hunting, and one local organization is working to make it more diverse.

Antonio Cosme is a co-founder of “Black to the Land Coalition,” a nonprofit working to build back the connections between people of color and the natural world. Cosme joined The Metro along with avid hunter Andrea Di Cresce, who serves as global kids program coordinator for Black to the Land.

The Coalition offers hunting safety courses and they’ll be hosting a “hunters of color” network gathering next week, Cosme said.

“We just want to create a network, create some support opportunities,” Cosme said. “We’re really interested in helping urban hunters get access to private land. That’s something that we are particularly interested in because that is gonna be your best opportunity to hunt deer.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Nov. 15, 2024:

• Since Michigan legalized recreational marijuana five years ago, weed edibles have been getting into smaller and smaller hands. From 2020 to 2022, the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center recorded a 75% increase statewide in unintentional youth cannabis ingestion. Detroit City Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway joined the show to discuss an effort to keep weed advertisements out of sight from kids.
• The Detroit Documenters play a crucial role in improving our access to public information. They’re at all the city’s public meetings, taking notes on what leaders and community members are saying. Public comment dominates these meetings, often stretching for an hour or two. The board could soon make changes to their public comment process that some worry could have a chilling effect on free speech. Detroit Documenters Coordinator Lynelle Herdon joined the show to discuss these potential changes. 
• Macomb is a swing county. That’s been true in previous elections and on Tuesday, Nov. 5, it was proven to be true as a lot of people came out to vote for President-elect Donald Trump. In Michigan, many of those voters were in Macomb County, with 20,000 more residents there voting for him this time compared to 2020. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel joined The Metro to share his thoughts.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The Michigan Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision next year on a case that will help determine the rules on environmental cleanup of a class of “forever chemicals” in drinking water.

The court heard arguments Wednesday that are part of the state’s long-running battle with the manufacturer 3M over cleaning up PFAS contamination.

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

PFAS are a family of chemicals that have become ubiquitous in our environment because of their widespread use in things like clothing, cookware, food packaging, building materials, firefighting foam and more. These chemicals  have been linked to cancer, they don’t break down, and they have contaminated our food, lakes, rivers and groundwater.

The state has passed regulations in recent years to address that. But the case heard by the Michigan Supreme Court this week could roll back those regulations if the court rules in favor of 3M. The company argues that the state did not follow the rules for adopting drinking water regulations. Lower courts ruled against the state. 

William Dichtell is a chemist at Northwestern University who researches how to break down PFAS in energy efficient ways. He joined The Metro on Thursday to talk about his research and how microbes can help break down the forever chemicals.

Dichtell says he gets asked a lot how to avoid PFAS, but due to their prevalence in the environment, there is no way to prevent human exposure.

“We’re using PFAs in so many different contexts, and we have so much historical contamination,” he said. “This has to be solved at the societal level. This isn’t a matter of just changing the brand of toothpaste that you use or drinking a different kind of bottled water or something like that.”

MPRN reporter Rick Pluta contributed to this report. Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation with William Dichtell.

More headlines from The Metro on Nov. 14, 2024:

• Beginning in the 1950s, Mad magazine has been poking fun at  important figures in our politics, our movies, and our broader culture. It’s been done with a purpose to demonstrate that they are flawed like the rest of us. A new documentary about Mad by Pleasant Ridge resident Alan Bernstein makes its local debut at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Redford Theatre. Bernstein joined the show ahead of the screening to discuss his new film.
• The Detroit City Council have passed a new animal ordinance going into effect in January that outlines the type of livestock allowed in the city.  Animal owners will need to apply for a license and pay an annual fee to have chickens, ducks and bees in their backyard. Roosters are not allowed and wild animals remain prohibited. Jerry Hebron Jerry, executive director of the North End Christian Community Development Corporation, joined the show to talk about the impact the new ordinance will have on urban farming. 
• “Monopoly: Detroit edition” features iconic locations like the Ambassador Bridge, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Princess boat and the Renaissance Center. Game maker Top Trumps USA has been creating special city editions of the classic board game for a decade. Tim Barney, of Top Trumps, joined The Metro to talk about the Detroit edition and why they chose to feature the Motor City.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The holidays are right around the corner. The days around Thanksgiving and Christmas are known for many things: pretty lights, hearty food and lots of time with family members.

But what do we do when quality time with family becomes contentious? Do we confront the situation head on and work through the tension, or do we pretend the tension doesn’t exist? That’s one of the key questions the new film from Detroit filmmaker Christine Swanson asks.

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

“Albany Road,” debuting Nov. 15, stars Renée Elise Goldsberry (“Hamilton,” “Anything’s Possible”) and longtime actress Lynn Whitfield (“The Retirement Plan,” “The Chi,”). The story follows a high-powered woman on her way to the most important meeting of her life and while on her way is forced to share a rental car during a snowstorm with the mother of her ex-fiance.

Swanson joined The Metro on Friday to discuss the project. As writer and director of the film, Swanson said she wanted to explore some serious themes, but in a comedic form.

“It’s almost like a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down-type of approach. So when you have someone who has great comedic timing — like Renée Elise Goldsberry, who’s the original Angelica Skylar from ‘Hamilton,’ — and then you match her up with the legendary Lynn Whitfield, most people are gonna walk away thinking I did not know Lynn Whitfield was just funny, but then the humor takes a serious turn,” she said. “So is equal parts hilarious and equal parts gut wrenching.”

More headlines from The Metro on Nov 8, 2024: 

• It’s Detroit Documenters Friday on The Metro. The Detroit Documenters play a crucial role in improving our access to public information. They’re at all the city’s public meetings, taking thorough notes on what local officials and community members are saying. Recently, they spent some time at a different kind of meeting than what’s normally on their docket. The meeting was part of University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions series. This one focused on community violence intervention. Detroit Documenter Perry Sylvester and Noah Kincade, coordinator for the Detroit Documenters, joined the show to tell us more.
• Starting a business can be tough especially if you aren’t familiar or understand how to get started. Some don’t have the connections that could support their growth. For the last three years Creator Con has stepped up to fill in the gaps. This year, the two-day conference will convene at the Cambria Hotel in Detroit. Attendees will learn about branding, the creative process, and more. Creator Con Founder Robert Courtney joined The Metro to share more about the event.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

President-elect Donald Trump won both the electoral college and the popular vote in the presidential election by gaining support from a broad swath of Americans.

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

One notable area of support came from union members. Generally when the leadership of an organization supports a candidate — as United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain did Vice President Kamala Harris — many rank and file members tend to support that candidate as well. Recent polling of UAW members and member households across key battleground states showed strong support for Harris over Trump by 22 points. But for some UAW members, Trump’s messaging resonated more than Harris’.

Brian Pannebecker, a retired auto worker and 25-year UAW member from Macomb County, was one of them. He spoke with The Metro Producer Sam Corey about what drew him to Trump and the difference in views that exist between union members on opposing sides of the presidential race.

Pannebeckers says he left the UAW when “Right to Work” laws came about in Michigan in 2017. He organized the Facebook group “Auto Workers for Trump,” which amassed thousands of followers — including auto workers and auto suppliers. He also spoke at several of Trump’s rallies in Michigan.  

“Trump appeals to the average working man and woman. I mean, that’s who he speaks to. And I know a lot of people find that, you know, sort of unusual to consider,” said Pannebecker. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro Nov 7: 

• The 21^st annual Detroit Tree Lighting is set to take place on Friday, Nov. 22 at Campus Martius in Downtown Detroit. Laura Dean, director of parks and public spaces for the Downtown Detroit Partnership, joined The Metro to talk more about this year’s event.
• When President-elect Donald Trump took office in 2016, we started hearing the word “unprecedented” a lot. Trump has obliterated all kinds of norms and fundamentally changed the office of president. To discuss this drastic shift in American politics, professor and historian Jeremi Suri joined the show.
• This election season left some voters feeling seen and heard while others are at a loss and maybe even grieving. No matter who you voted for, anxious feelings leading up to this election were felt from many directions. Now that the election has been called, those feelings have been amplified for some. Dr. Rheeda Walker, a clinical psychologist and co-author of  “Calm in Chaos: A Quick-Relief Guide for Managing Anxiety and Overwhelm in Loud and Uncertain Times,” joined the show to share some advice.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Skateparks are more than just a place to sharpen your skills. They’re a community hub that draws people of different backgrounds and skill levels together.

They are also a place where kids can build confidence — and with new skateparks popping up around Detroit in recent years, skateboarding is having a huge impact in the city.

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

Back in June 2022, Tony Hawk came to Detroit to help dedicate a new 15,000-square-foot skatepark in Chandler Park on Detroit’s east side. Hawk also helped design the new It Takes a Village Skatepark, located on the grounds of The Shepherd — an arts and cultural center also on Detroit’s east side — as well as the skatepark at Riverside Park in southwest Detroit.

The proliferation of skateparks in the city is a point of pride for many, with community members playing key roles in creating and maintaining them.

One organization that’s been integral in nourishing skating and skateboarding in Detroit is Community Push. The nonprofit, co-founded by Derrick Dykas and Evan Hutchings, funded the creation of The Wig DIY Skatepark in Midtown in 2014. The Wig is now a permanent skatepark and fixture in the community. 

Dykas and Hutchings joined The Metro on Friday to talk about Detroit’s skateparks and how they are unique from one another. Dykas noted how in 2019, when the Riverside skatepark first opened, many in the skating community thought it might be their only chance to have a state-of-the-art park. 

“We tried to get as much stuff included into it as possible, in case we didn’t get the second opportunity. But once we start getting, you know, a second park, a third park, and you get more of a catalog, it’s easier. You don’t want the same stuff here as over there. And, you know, you get to get a little bit more creative with each piece and kind of rework some things that are traditionally built one way,” Dykas said. “And it’s worked. And now a lot of the stuff that we’re building, those professionals are ripping us off and building it in other places across the world. And it’s cool to see. You know, you can’t really put a trademark on some of the stuff.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Nov. 1, 2024:

• The Detroit Police Department is getting a new temporary leader. Former Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison will take over for Chief James White, who was hired to lead Wayne County’s largest mental health agency. Bettison has been the Detroit deputy mayor for the last three years, but he was in the police department for 27 years. Bettison joined the show to discuss his new position, which officially starts on Nov. 11.
• The music of Burt Bacharach will be celebrated this weekend at the Detroit Opera House. The Mark Morris Dance group is returning for “The Look of Love,” an evening of dance to the music of Bacharach. Ethan Iverson is the pianist and organizer of the event. He spoke with WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper about the magic of Bacharach’s songwriting. 
• The Detroit Documenters play a crucial role in improving our access to public information. They are at all the city’s public meetings, taking notes on what local officials and community members are saying. The parks are one of our favorite subjects to discuss on The Metro because we know they make an impact on our quality of life. To talk more about a project that sent Documenters to neighborhood parks across the city, Detroit Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade and WDET’s Jack Filbrandt joined the show.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Jonathan Peregrino never thought the reaction to his shop would be so warm.  That was until Filipinos and others from around southeast Michigan flocked to his bakery —  JP Makes and Bakes. 

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

They were craving his ube cookies and other baked goods they remembered from their childhood. The Metro’s Producer Sam Corey sat down with Peregrino in his shop along Woodward in New Center. 

Peregrino is a first generation Filipino American and he went to the Philippines to learn the art of pastry . 

“I was just looking for somewhere to study pastry for a little bit of a shorter program, that was also financially feasible for me,” Peregrino said. “But with my parents and my grandparents all being from the Philippines, I’m first generation Filipino American, so I wanted to sort of go back as an adult and sort of see how it was.”

Use the media player above to hear the full interview with Peregrino.

More headlines from The Metro on Oct. 24, 2024: 

• A new innovation is helping Detroit tackle a public health problem. University of Michigan Professor and co-founder of BlueConduit Eric Schwarts joined the show to discuss how his company is using artificial intelligence to find lead service lines in the city.  
• Black Tech Saturdays, in partnership with Rocket Community Fund, recently passed out $120,000 in grants to help close the digital divide. The goal is to make sure everyone has access to the internet and other technologies. That money is also meant to bolster the growing tech field and help local residents create their own jobs. CEO of Ecosphere Organics Brittanie Dabney, one of the grant recipients, and Co-founder of Black Tech Saturdays Johnnie Turnage joined the show. 
• The election is two weeks out and today on the show, we bring you a conversation with 36th District Court candidate William Burton Jr. It’s the second of three conversations you’ll hear on the show this week with candidates running for the two open seats in the court.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Detroit’s Poletown neighborhood is now home to a restored forest.  

Detroit Future City and Arboretum Detroit worked with community members, the city of Detroit’s Neighborhood Beautification Program and others to restore 1.3 acres of land back to nature. 

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

Circle Forest is located along 12 Poletown city lots and will serve as a communal space for residents in the neighborhood. 

Arboretum Detroit Executive Director Birch Kemp and Park Maintenance Assistant Robyn Redding joined The Metro on Thursday to talk about the forest project and trail. 

The first step in the Circle Forest project was clearing 60 yards of garbage from the site, Kemp said.

“There’s this healing aspect that happens with liberating the land from garbage. And everybody who’s been a part of these volunteer work days has felt that, right?” Kemp said. “And planting a tree too, you feel like you’re actually doing something in this world [that] is very tangible, and we’re doing it together and basically building the Detroit we want to see.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation with Birch Kemp and Robyn Redding of Arboretum Detroit.

More headlines from The Metro on Oct. 17, 2024: 

• Detroit, like other cities around the country, is trying to reduce its emissions and ensure clean air, clean water, and safe green spaces for residents to explore. One recent step the city has taken to make Detroit more environmentally-friendly is  offering a new composting program. Patrice Brown, associate director of urban agriculture for the city of Detroit, joined the show to discuss the initiative.
• The fall colors are beautiful in Michigan. And while you’re admiring the trees, Michigan state officials are also asking people to keep an eye out for invasive Asian long-horned beetles, which pose a danger to trees — especially maples. To talk more about this invasive species, we’re joined by Axios Detroit reporter Annalise Frank. 
• For all you beer and Detroit Public Radio lovers out there, we’ve got something special brewing in honor of WDET’s 75th anniversary. WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper joined The Metro to talk about a new collaboration between the station and Batch Brewing commemorating the milestone. Our new WDET Beer – “It’s So Kölsch in the D” – will be unveiled at a special beer release party tomorrow night at Batch. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is holding annual community walks across the country this weekend, allowing people to remember loved ones who died by suicide while also working as a community to create more mental health support. 

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

Over the past 10 years, the suicide rate has increased 16%. The vast majority of the suicide deaths were men, and most were firearm-related.

To discuss the Metro Detroit Out of the Darkness Walk taking place on Belle Isle this Saturday, volunteers Alicia Lyon and Max Olive joined The Metro.

Olive said the most challenging moment he faced in his life was when his cousin died from suicide, three years ago.

“And going through it at the time, it’s so difficult, right? You wonder how someone could think that way, why that would be an option. And it takes a lot to understand that that is something you’ll never understand,” Olive said. “And what you can do, and what I think it did really well for us, is it galvanized us as a family. So I’m closer with my cousins and my uncle now, more than ever. And I think so highly of him, and my involvement in this is a way to really honor Ryan. And he was such a gorgeous, hilarious soul and owned the room.”

You can register for the walk online ahead of time or in-person beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday. If you or someone else needs support, a trained counselor can be reached by calling or texting the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation with walk volunteers Alicia Lyon and Max Olive.

More headlines from Oct. 14, 2024: 

• New Detroit is a racial justice coalition that formed in response to the ‘67 rebellion. On Thursday, the organization is hosting its third annual Just Lead conference, recognizing community leaders and organizations that are working towards racial equity. New Detroit Director of Transformational Change Rebecca Irby and Director of Community Engagement Marshalle Favors joined the show to discuss the conference.  
• The Tigers lost to the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the American League Division Series, ending a miraculous season for the team. To help us recap the series and look ahead, we’re joined by Tigers staff writer for The Athletic, Cody Stavenhagen. 
• Womxnhouse Detroit is a collection of women creatives in the city who aim to spread their knowledge and crafts with interested folks while welcoming more people to the arts. This conversation is a continuation of an interview we did on The Metro last week featuring the co-founder of Women House Detroit Asia Hamilton, ceramics artist Michaela Ayers and fiber artist Cat Washington.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Tejano music, or Tex-Mex music, is a blend of different sounds and instruments from Mexico and other countries — like Poland and the Czech Republic. 

Martin Solis helped make Tejano music popular in Detroit with his band Los Primos. 

As a self-taught musician, he started playing the Bajo Sexto, a Mexican 12-string instrument from the guitar family, and developed his own unique musical style.

Solis wasn’t born here, but Detroit was his home. And the history of Southwest Detroit can’t be told properly without the inclusion of Martin Solis and Los Primos. Solis is the first person from Michigan to be inducted into the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame in San Benito, Texas, and the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame in Alice, Texas.

Martin Solis’ son, Frank Solis, is a local historian who’s preserving Tejano music in Detroit. He joined The Metro to discuss his father’s legacy.

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

There were few recordings of Los Primos, but Frank found some lost treasures while cleaning out his father’s attic. He uncovered a bag of cassettes, filled with rehearsal recordings of the band.  

“(Jack White), he’d hear these Mexican bands, and that was my dad,” Frank said. “So he assigned his brother to clean them up with an engineer. They cleaned up the tapes, and the album came — his first and last album.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation with Frank Solis about Tejano music in Detroit.

More headlines from The Metro on Oct. 10, 2024: 

• A local author wants to spread the joy of reading, writing and stretching imagination. Mianne Adufutse is a graduate of Columbia College of Chicago where she studied fiction writing and poetry. Adufutse joined the show to discuss her new book, “Garbage Dump” – a dystopian fictional story set in Detroit. 
• The Tigers are red hot. They beat the Houston Astros in the wild card round and now lead the Cleveland Guardians 2-to-1 in the American League Division Series. The Tigers could win the series and move on to the next round if they win today at Comerica Park. Detroit Free Press Sports Columnist Shawn Windsor joined the show to talk about the team’s unpredictable run. 
• The holiest day of the year for the Jewish people starts tomorrow night. Yom Kippur goes from sunset to sunset and is marked by fasting, prayer and atonement. For Jews observing the holiday, that means apologizing directly to those they’ve wronged over the year. Professor and writer Susan Shapiro joined the show to talk about apology, forgiveness and why those two things are important to everyone, everywhere. Shapiro’s most recent book is titled “The Forgiveness Tour: How To Find the Perfect Apology.”

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Detroit native Tim Meadows is making a point to bring support to this year’s presidential election. The comedian is hosting Tim Meadows & Friends: Comedy Caucus at the Flagstar Strand Theatre in Pontiac on Saturday, Oct. 12.

The event, supporting Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Fight Like Hell PAC, will include stand-up comedy, live music and a call for people to register and vote in November. 

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

Meadows recently spoke with The Metro’s Tia Graham about the event and the importance of voting — especially this election cycle. 

“This election is more than about just, you know, democracy or just another president,” Meadows said. “It’s about women’s rights to choose. It’s about our relationship to other countries; our relationship with each other in this country; and I just wanted…my hope is that we can ease up the rhetoric, and we can ease up and be empathetic towards each other a lot more.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation with comedian Tim Meadows.

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

• Everyone in this country is expected to get a K-12 education, but funding that expectation falls on the many, not the few. That’s because schools get funded by federal, state and local institutions in America. And in Michigan, schools rely a lot on local millages for funding. So far this year, voters statewide have rejected about half of the 44 bond requests that have been proposed. To discuss this trend, Bridge Michigan Education Reporter Isabel Lohman joined the show. 
• The Michigan Department of Transportation is studying ways to make Gratiot Avenue safer for both drivers and pedestrians. It’s one of the most dangerous streets in the city. Metro Region Planning Manager Matt Galbraith joined The Metro to talk about the study and why Gratiot is so dangerous.
• Story Fest is an event that blends a range of different storytelling techniques — including live podcast journalism, first-person narratives, original scores and other unique performances. The Detroit iteration is coming to the Detroit Film Theatre this Thursday, and it’s not too late to grab your ticket. To talk about the event, Story Fest Producer McCardle Hankin joined the show along with WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter and Metro Times/Model D Media reporter Khan Santori Davison — who will both be presenting stories at the event.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly suggested that the benefit event was being held at the Redford Theatre in Detroit.

Detroiter James E. Wheeler collected 40,000 pieces of Black independent film memorabilia, preserving the history of what is known as “race films” and more. Wheeler died in 2022, but his kids Alima Wheeler Trapp and Ali J. Wheeler started The Black Canon to preserve and show the collection.

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

The Black Canon, with support from the Redford Theatre, is hosting its first benefit Art of the Ages, on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Taylor’d Garden in Livonia. The event will include an exhibition of rare Black films dating back to the 1920s. Brunch will also be served.

Redford Theatre Programmer and volunteer John Monaghan joined The Metro on Monday to discuss the collection and how you can see part of it this weekend.

“It all starts with my friendship with James Wheeler, who is sort of a well known figure in Detroit, really, for the last 40 or 50 years as an activist, as a collector, involved in theater,” Monaghan said. “He passed about three years ago. And his kids, Ali and Alima, they’ve taken on this amazing project of cataloging and preserving all the stuff that he collected over the years. And I’m talking about a lot of stuff. This is a warehouse that’s filled with, I compare it to that scene at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, maybe a little smaller. But it’s just, it’s full of books and records and posters and magazines, toys, dolls, photos, and a lot of 16 millimeter film.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation with Monaghan.

More headlines from The Metro on Oct. 7, 2024:

• The rural landscape of West Tennessee is undergoing a massive change. That’s because Ford is building a “BlueOval City” complex that spans six square miles and is expected to bring 6,000 jobs to the area. Last week on Created Equal, Stephen Henderson spoke with Mason, Tennessee resident and BlueOval Good Neighbors member Shannon Whitfield and Tennessee for All Statewide Coordinator Rebekah Gorbea.
• The College For Creative Studies recently launched a Practicing Design Center meant to not only provide work experience for students, but also advance design efforts for Detroit nonprofits and organizations. Vice President of Strategy and Communications at CCS, Olga Stella, joined the show to discuss how the program will benefit students, nonprofits and small businesses in the city.
• Vesey Lane Goods is a Detroit small business that sells crafted goods and personalized items. But it’s also a space for artists and educators to connect and grow a community. Owner Robin Wilson joined the show to discuss how the space is fostering community. Author Jean Alicia Elster will give a talk and book signing at the store from 2 to 3:30 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 12.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.