A recent survey of Wyandotte’s water system by state regulators has identified “significant deficiencies” that they say “pose a significant health risk” to water consumers in the city.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) survey, released in April, reported deficiencies in four specific areas, including water treatment plant maintenance, distribution maintenance, finished water storage, and management and operations.

Additionally, the survey suggests that 40% of Wyandotte’s water system has “significant deterioration.”

“As a result,” the report said, “the city is not demonstrating the technical, managerial and financial capacity necessary to own and operate a water system.”

Paul LaManes, general manager for Wyandotte Municipal Services, says the city is currently working to address the issues highlighted in EGLE’s survey, but insisted that the water is safe to drink and poses no health risk to the public.

He joined The Metro to share more details about the survey and how the city is responding.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

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The industry for materials key to American manufacturing could receive extra government support under proposed legislation from a Michigan congresswoman.

The bill, called the “Unearth America’s Future Act,” would create new federal loans, tax credits, and programs to spur the domestic production and refining of critical minerals like copper, magnesium and aluminum.

“What this bill is, is focused on public-private partnerships, supply chain opportunities, as well as recyclability, which is something that’s gaining a lot of traction in the critical materials space right now,” U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan) said about her pending legislation.

Stevens estimates her plan would invest around $10 billion in the industry. It would cover loans, tax credits, partnerships and the creation of a new national center to oversee research and development.

The policy proposal is a response to concerns about China’s dominance in the market for precious metals, especially those used in goods like smart phones or vehicle batteries.

Stevens said that makes both the country’s and Michigan’s current situations untenable.

“Leaving Michigan’s entire manufacturing base on the hook for materials coming from minerals that are refined in China, that’s a risk. And that’s not working,” she said.

The Trump administration has already issued executive orders aimed at increasing the country’s mining capacity, despite environmental concerns. Separately, existing bipartisan bills in Congress are also trying to address that issue.

Stevens, however, said her way of addressing the matter is by taking a similar approach to how the bipartisan CHIPS Act addressed a shortage of American semiconductor chip makers: increasing the capacity for processing and refining already-mined minerals.

“This will increase our resilience here in the United States of America, but it will also increase our domestic production capabilities, which means lowering costs, lowering costs, lowering costs — we need to lower costs, and that’s what this bill’s going to be about as well. And job creation,” Stevens said.

The city of Detroit is suing a blockchain real estate company after many of its properties allegedly violated local safety and health codes.

Real Token, or RealT, is a Florida-based company that markets itself as a decentralized real estate security token platform. In the lawsuit, the city alleges that the company’s co-founders, brothers Remy Jacobson and Jean-Marc Jacobson, have neglected over 400 properties in the city by failing to maintain basic health and safety requirements.

“We’re talking about roofs that are leaking, sewage leaking in the basements. We have standing water as well in many of the basements…408 properties, 408 properties and not one of them has a certification of compliance,” said Detroit City Councilmember James Tate of the violations at a press conference.

Conrad Mallett, corporation counsel for the city of Detroit, joined The Metro on Tuesday to share more details about the lawsuit.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

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Unhappy with the Trump Administration’s arrests of undocumented immigrants, about 50 protesters demonstrated near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Detroit on Sunday.

Mass arrests and deportations, including some that continue to violate court orders, have sent many to the streets in protest.

Over the weekend, law enforcement in Los Angeles, CA attacked protesters and journalists with tear gas and projectiles injuring dozens.

The crowd was small but vocal, chanting “Summer’s here, melt the ICE, immigrants deserve their rights,” along with chants in Spanish that included expletives aimed at ICE.

Mike Barber, a special education teacher from White Lake, was among them. He says he’s troubled by the administration’s actions.

“This is against what America stands for,” Barber says. “America is a nation of immigrants and now they want to kick them out without even looking at their papers.”

“It could be us next if we’re disliked.”

“I mean, here at Wayne State, we had people that got their F1 visas canceled,” Pico says. “These aren’t criminals, and the fact that Trump wants to portray them like that, I mean, he’s just racist.”

Jo Pico was drawn to protest after seeing the police-initiated violence in LA.

Leah Checchini of Hazel Park says her father immigrated from Argentina and that she believes everyone should have the same opportunity that he did.

“I have a lot of friends that are in the process of getting their papers taken care of and everything,” Checchini says. “So just seeing what’s happening to people is enraging, to say the least.”

Nationwide protests are planned for Saturday. It coincides with a planned show of military might by President Trump.

The President is celebrating his birthday with a military parade in Washington D.C.

In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, a few songs from “Get Behind Me Satan,” The White Stripes album released in June 2005. A new vinyl re-issue is coming on June 27, 2025.

Also, some other notable June album releases from 1975, ’85, 2020, 2000 and much more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for June 7, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “Move On Up” – Curtis Mayfield
• “The Makings Of You” – Curtis Mayfield
  
• “Mahal” – Glass Beams
• “N’dini” – Nickodermus
• “Wax & Strings” – Shannon & The Clams
• “Cold Heart” – Nilufer Yanya
• “The Denial Twist” – The White Stripes (released 20 years ago today!)
• “School Boy Crush” – AWB (released 50 years ago this month)
• “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Diana Ross (released 55 years ago this month)
• “Round Here” – Counting Crows
• “Sally When The Wine Runs Out” – Role Model
• “Save Your Soul” – Kathleen Edwards (at The Ark next Friday 6/13)
  
• “D.M.S.R.” – Prince (born today, 1958)

• “My Doorbell” – The White Stripes (released 20 years ago today!)
• “Attack Me With Your Love” – Cameo (released 40 years ago this month)
• “Queen Of The Underground” – Jack Spivey
• “How Long Will It Take” – Tanika Charles
• “Kyoto” – Phoebe Bridgers (released 5 years ago this month)
• “I’m Alive” – Norah Jones (released 5 years ago this month)
• “Nights On Broadway” – Bee Gees (released 50 years ago this month)
• “Little Ghost” – The White Stripes (released 20 years ago today!)
• “Anxious All The Time” – Ryan Allen
• “That’s Gonna Leave A Mark” – Molly Tuttle
• “Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number” – Aaliyah
• “When I’m Sixty-Four” – The Beatles

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org.

Detroit’s “largest and oldest literary nonprofit,” InsideOut Literary Arts, celebrated its 30-year anniversary last week by unveiling a new Detroit City Walls mural along the Avenue of Fashion.

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The mural was designed by artist Oshun Williams and inspired by InsideOut student poet Charisma Holly. It features a quote from her poem entitled “If I wake up in Detroit 25 years in the future,” which reads “In the Detroit City, the D has always been for dreams.”

The mural is located on the side of the Yoshi Hibachi Grille on Livernois Avenue along Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion.

“Detroit is where I was born and raised,” Holly said. “I’m so glad I had the opportunity to be a part of this mural project because Detroit is truly the place where I learned to dream big.”

Other headlines for Friday, June 6, 2025:

• Money Matters for Youth is looking for help to keep their student trip to Washington D.C. alive.
• Motor City Pride is taking over downtown this weekend, June 7-8 at Hart Plaza, with the parade beginning at noon on Sunday.
• The city celebrated the opening of the Orchard Village Apartments with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, bringing 48 affordable units across four buildings to the Old Redford neighborhood.
• Michigan’s First Native American Music and Cultural Festival, Vibes With the Tribes, is coming to the Russell Industrial Center this Saturday, June 7, with doors opening at 2 p.m.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.