It’s the new year — a time when we often reflect on the things we did well last year and — more often — the things we’d like to improve. 

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Many make New Year’s resolutions to hit the gym more often, develop better work habits, or to be kinder or more generous to others. But embodying New Year’s goals takes practice, dedication and persistence. That kind of repetitive action we know as habits — something that we do again and again and again, until it feels like it’s part of us. 

But how do we get to that point? Andrea Spyros, a behavior design consultant with BD3 Solutions, joined the show to dig into this topic and give some reassurance and advice on becoming your best self in 2025. 

Spyros says success can be as simple as reframing your goals and thinking about them in a different way.

“Goals can also help us grow,” he said. “It’s really about who we become in the process of trying to attain that goal right, and how we experience ourselves.”

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

“What are your goals for 2025?”

Carlos in Redford said he doesn’t have a resolution, but a word that’s helping him through the year. 

“I have just a one word mantra for the new year, which is intentionality — just doing things more intentional when you actually get to doing them,” he said. “It can be overwhelming when you want to do this, do that, do that, and the other thing. But for example, if you want to visit your parents more, just make sure when you do it that you’re more intentional on the type of quality time you’re spending.”

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

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

• Every day, we’re exposed to chemicals that can affect our health. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are of particular concern. They’re in everything from plastics and pesticides to personal care products. And they can alter how our hormones behave and lead to serious health problems and disease. Wayne State University Professor Christopher Kassostis studies these chemicals. He joined the show to discuss his work, helping us to better understand how endocrine-disrupting chemicals affect metabolic issues, like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• The Detroit Police Department released its year-end crime report and recorded the lowest number of homicides since 1965. It’s the second consecutive year homicides have dropped in Detroit. City officials point to a relatively new community violence intervention program as the reason why. In 2023, the city partnered with six community groups to reduce gun violence. Zoe Kennedy, executive director of Force Detroit — one of the partnering organizations doing this work — joined the show.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day is coming up and to honor him, Hamtramck’s Planet Ant theatre is presenting the musical “Nixon/King,” a fictional account of a meeting between President Richard Nixon and MLK Jr. in a Georgia prison. To talk about the musical and the perceptions of these two figures, Assistant Director and actor Dylan Mirisola and actor Itaysha Walker both joined the show.

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

Sometimes you want to go where everyone knows your name. That’s the kind of place that Temple Bar owner George Boukas has tried to establish. 

The spot for drinking and dancing sits on Cass Avenue in Detroit, and is known for its inclusivity, openness, DJ sets and longtime bartenders. 

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That dream came crashing down in May, when Temple Bar partially collapsed. To help save the bar, Boukas and the bar’s manager raised almost $24,000 on GoFundMe and went through a seven month-long process with Detroit’s historic commission to make the proper repairs. 

Boukas joined The Metro to discuss the restoration process at the bar, which reopened in December. He says a sinkhole in front of the building that has been there for around 20 years is likely what caused the collapse. 

“It’s been repaired and re-repaired, but I don’t think it was ever really repaired properly,” he said. “And later on, my bartenders were telling me, you know,‘ You’re not here when it’s dead, but like when we’re here, and there’s just a few people, and there’s trucks driving down Cass, you can physically feel the building shake.’”

Listen to the full conversation using the media player above.

More headlines from The Metro on Jan. 6, 2024:

• The LIVE Outreach is an organization with the goal of empowering young Detroiters to be the best versions of themselves. The organization is currently looking for funding for a mobile unit to bring much needed support to young people and their families. Founder of the organization and published author Malika Williams joined the show to discuss the project. 
• Also on the show, The Metro team shares stories they’re following in 2025 and a few favorite conversations from 2024.

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

Grievances, we’ve all had them. Whether it’s traffic, the weather, people nagging at us, we’ve all felt the need to get some things off our chest. 

These are the things that we’re thinking about as we celebrate this year’s Festivus on Dec. 23. The holiday was created by Daniel O’Keefe and it later reached the masses when his son, Dan O’Keefe, would become a writer on Seinfeld. Part of the Festivus traditions is the “airing of grievances” — a time to come together and talk about what’s bothering you. 

On the show Friday, we spent some time airing our own grievances and hearing from listeners about theirs. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Later in the show we discussed what we’re grateful for. 

The Metro Producer Sam Corey shared that he has been disappointed in Detroit’s public transit. While Detroit now has the Detroit Air Express bus going to the airport, he’s hoping for more places to board DAX in the city. 

“It works pretty well. It’s fast, it’s on time, it’s affordable, it’s good. What’s the problem? You gotta get to the DAX,” Corey said. 

WDET reporter Bre’Anna Tinsley is peeved at bad drivers. She said if you’re exiting the freeway, keep it moving. 

“Stop signs that are on the service drives next to the exit ramp. There are people who will exit the freeway and stop at that stop sign,” Tinsley said. “And that stop sign is not for you. It is for the people who are already on the service drive because you, freeway exiter, have the right away. Stop stopping.”

Gratitude is not always easy to access, but we have a lot to be grateful for at WDET. Sometimes, we’re so caught up in our grievances, that we forget the things that others do for us and the little things that give us joy – the blossoming of flowers, the thoughtfulness of strangers, the orange-pink sunsets, the reminders that life can be beautiful and breathtaking. 

In 2024, WDET launched The Metro. Co-host Robyn Vincent said she’s grateful for our listeners and team that makes the show hit the airwaves every day.

“You all are just like these bright, shining stars in my life,” Vincent said. 

Co-host Tia Graham said she’s grateful for her family and loved ones. 

“[My family has] been great, really been there for me. I had a rough year, like I said, and whenever I was down, they were right there to pick me up,” Graham said. 

Executive Producer Dave Leins shared his love and gratefulness for his wife and one-year-old daughter. 

“I got to shout them out, because that’s what I’m grateful for. I mean, I can’t not be grateful for the moments where they’re laughing and even the quiet moments where she’s sleeping, it’s all been just so beautiful,” Leins said. 

In the second hour of The Metro, we asked listeners to share their grievances, as well as what they are grateful for.

John in Detroit said he’s grateful for people working to provide residents with high quality and affordable food. 

“The first one is Raphael Wright. He turned a liquor store in the middle of Jefferson Chalmers into a neighborhood grocery. And the second one is the Detroit People’s Food Co-Op, opened up on Woodward,” John said. “And they’re just two amazing opportunities to keep the money inside the city and have access to fresh vegetables.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Dec. 20, 2024: 

• WDET Reporters and editors were working around the clock during some of this year’s most chaotic happenings. News Director Jerome Vaughn joined the show to help us look back on what happened in 2024. 
• The Lucha Libre style of wrestling has grabbed the masses, including those in Detroit. Joining us to discuss the wrestling style and why he’s in Detroit is Joshua Markuez, otherwise known as El Dragon. He is one of the several luchadors that’ll be featured in this year’s LuchaBoom! Holiday Limbo. 
• Host of WDET’s In the Groove Ryan Patrick Hooper spoke with Detroit stand-up comedian Brett Mercer about his new special, “Not special,” streaming on YouTube.
• Plus, Detroit Documenters Coordinator Lynelle Herndon joined the show for Detroit Documenters Friday to recap what took place at many local government meetings this year.

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

Content warning: The topic this hour includes mentions of sexual violence.

If you listen to rap and hip-hop, it’s hard to avoid hearing songs that P Diddy or Jay Z had a hand in making. But last week, both Sean Combs, aka P Diddy, and Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z, were named in a civil lawsuit. They’re accused of raping a 13 year-old girl at an industry event in 2000. They both deny the allegations.

Combs is currently being held without bail at a federal jail in Brooklyn until May of next year. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which include sex trafficking and racketeering. Several appeals to release him on bond have been denied.

The trial has not yet happened, but that hasn’t stopped people from reacting to the allegations, some calling for boycotts of Combs’ and Carter’s music.

Roula David, owner of Spot Lite and UFO Bar in Detroit, joined The Metro to discuss the cases and whether it’s OK to separate the art from problematic artists. She says character checks are a part of the booking process at both venues. 

“There are multiple local famous DJs that we have said no to. We actually canceled a show for one particular artist that had transphobic comments on social media, and people came and asked us to not have the show,” David said. “We ended up switching the show and turning it into a fundraiser for the Ruth Ellis center.”

The concept of separating art from the artist is one that has proven difficult for many, says hip-hop journalist and historian Kahn Santori Davison,  adding that people’s fandom and celebrity complicates this more.   

“From just a fan perspective, we all choose what celebrities we choose to forgive and still allow to entertain us,” Davison said. 

T Barb is a comedian now based in Los Angeles, but forever a Detroiter. She is concerned about people being presumed guilty before the standing trial.  

“Of course, I do feel like R. Kelly was completely wrong. He should be locked up, but what I didn’t like was the public prosecution aspect, because I feel like those are things that should be in a court of law,” T Barb said. 

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

“Are you going to avoid music made or produced by P Diddy and Jay Z amid the charges against them?

Shawn in Royal Oak said: “I think that if an artist shows that they have remorse and understand they did something wrong — stop the behavior, apologize even — then, you know, there’s no reason to ‘cancel them.'” 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

• The Irwin House Gallery in New Center is hosting its 5th annual “Gifted V” art exhibit. Most art work costs between $40 and $500, allowing a lot of people to become art collectors. To discuss the art exhibit, and why art can make for a great gift, Irwin House Gallery Director Misha McGlown joined the show. 
• Now that Trump is returning to office, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over diversity, equity and inclusion programs all over the country. It has led to heightened concerns among the students and faculty at the University of Michigan. After rumors surfaced that the school would potentially defund DEI at the university, students rallied on campus to defend it. Here to give us an update on where the university stands and how its affecting students and faculty is WDET reporter Bre’Anna Tinsley. 
• Miss Eva’s is a brand new fixture to the Grandmont Rosedale Park community, which sits on Detroit’s westside. The owner, Jay Williams, wanted to make the venue special, honoring Detroit’s rich musical history and the artistic ancestors who helped make the music so great. Williams also chose the name Miss Eva’s to honor his grandmother, a lifelong Detroiter. Williams joined the show to discuss.

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

International travel is an easier concept to wrap your head around when you’re from Detroit. There’s a whole other country that’s only a short drive or boat ride away.  It takes less than 30 minutes on a good day to get to Canada. 

For many of the people who call Detroit home, it’s something that is often taken for granted, yet it’s the first time many have traveled internationally.

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Jessica Nabongo is a writer, travel expert and Detroit native. Jessica was bitten by the travel bug after her first trip to Canada as a child. Years later she’s done something only a handful of people in the world have had the opportunity to accomplish. She’s been to all 195 countries and she’s the first Black woman to do so.

She joined The Metro on Wednesday to share her travel experiences. Nabongo’s parents are from Uganda and helped expose her to many different cultures and destinations when she was a kid, she said. 

“I think it removed fear, which I think a lot of people have around traveling, especially if you’ve never traveled internationally, there was just a lot of fear,” Nabongo said. “And also, like, I don’t have a fear of flying, like I’ve been flying since I think I was five or six. So those sort of, what I would consider to be fairly simple barriers, were removed for me from a pretty early age.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Dec. 11, 2024: 

• Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield this week announced her plans to run for mayor next year, leaving many in the city wondering: Why in a city dominated by women in politics, has a woman never been elected mayor? To discuss the challenges and experiences women in Detroit politics face, former Detroit City Council member Sheila Cockrell and former state representative and current Detroit school board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo joined the show.
• Poet, author and community leader Rhonda Greene released a collection of popular nursery rhymes, “Are You Sleeping,” that are reimagined to teach lessons about police brutality and cultural awareness. Greene joined the show to talk about the book and her nonprofit, Heritage Works.
• WDET’s Jack Filbrandt went to Belle Isle on a freezing day last week and stepped inside the climate-controlled oasis that is the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, which reopened to the public this week. He talked to Belle Isle Conservancy CEO Megan Elliott and Amanda Treadwell from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources about the recent renovations. 
• The Detroit News will announce the top 10 best new restaurants of the year tomorrow. WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper sat down with Detroit News Restaurant Critic Melody Baetens to get a preview of that list before it’s published.
• Navigating Detroit and our Metro area can be scary. The city itself has one of the highest pedestrian death rates and driving comes with its own risks. That’s because Detroit has some of the highest rates of fatal car crashes. Weather can make a lot of these statistics worse, with snow, rain and ice making driving all the more treacherous. To discuss how people can navigate the roads more safely this winter and what kinds of winter conditions to anticipate in the coming months, former WDIV Meteorologist Paul Gross and Gary Bubar from AAA joined the show.

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

When you don’t have hair that is seen as beautiful by the mainstream, it’s often hard to see the beauty in yourself. That’s exactly what inspired Detroiter Yelitsa Jean-Charles to create a brand of dolls with kinky, coily, curly hair for children of color.

The Healthy Roots Dolls CEO joined The Metro on Monday to talk about her inspiration behind the brand.

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Jean-Charles said that growing up, she never had a doll with features that resembled her own. Healthy Roots Dolls represent a blend of Jean-Charles’ creative aspirations and entrepreneur spirit, and aim to promote self love among young people.

According to the Children’s Defense Fund, roughly 50% of young people in the U.S. are children of color, but Jean-Charles says those demographics are not reflected in most toy aisles. 

“(T)he industry only knows what the industry already does. And so I’m forcing them to learn how to mimic something different, something that hasn’t been represented,” Jean-Charles said. “And I spent a lot of time watching little wigs dry, like washing them with shampoo, using the conditioner, doing box braids, Bantu knots. So I spent a lot of time manually working with the hair myself, until I found the fiber that mimicked the experience I wanted kids to have the best.”

For more information about Healthy Roots Dolls, visit healthyrootsdolls.com.

Listen to the full conversation with Jean-Charles below, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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