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

Think about the last place you were in public. It could have been the grocery store, on the bus, or in the waiting room at the dentist.

If you did manage to strike up a conversation with a stranger, how did it make you feel? While it might be uncomfortable, it turns out there are benefits to connecting with strangers, people you may not know. 

There is mounting research that suggests that having real-life interactions with other people is good for our health and happiness. In 2023, former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning that isolation poses a health risk equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Today on The Metro, we’re talking to some experts and getting to know some strangers on the phones. 

Guests: 

• Kayla Perry: Marketing and communications manager at the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. She joined us to talk about the importance of in-person conversation and community for seniors. 
• Nick Epley: He’s a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Epley has authored numerous articles on the ways we interact with each other and he co-authored an influential study on talking to strangers that produced interesting results.

We also asked listeners:

“Are you one of those people who seeks out conversations with strangers? Or do you avoid them?”

Joe in Rochester Hills says when he talks to strangers, “You get a smiley face, you get a happy look almost always.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on March 27, 2025: 

• President Donald Trump announced this week that he will place 25% tariffs on auto imports — including autos coming from Canada. WDET’s All Things Considered host and Senior News Editor Russ McNamara crossed the border into Canada to find out how Windsorites are reacting to tariffs and Trump’s idea of annexing our northern neighbor.

• A new exhibition at Detroit boutique Coup D’état is honoring the life and work of photographer Bill Rauhauser, known as “the dean of Detroit photography.” Coup D’état Owner Angela Wisniewski-Cobbina joined The Metro to discuss the exhibit, held in partnership with Hill Gallery in Birmingham.

• The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has approved a rate hike for Consumers Energy, allowing the utility to collect an additional $154 million in revenue. State regulators already approved rate hikes for both DTE and Consumers Energy in the past year. Metro Producer Cary Junior II spoke to Michigan Public Service Commission member Katherine Peretick to better understand how the commission decides to sign off on price hikes.

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

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

Arab Americans have long been an integral part of the cultural and political fabric of metro Detroit, contributing to the region’s identity and shaping local elections.

From Dearborn to the heart of Detroit, the Arab American community has influenced Michigan’s growth and political dynamics. However, as the political landscape evolves, a key question arises: Is there a solid political home for Arab Americans? And if so, where do they fit in today’s polarized environment?

For decades, Arab Americans have been a reliable voting bloc for the Democratic Party, especially in areas like Dearborn. However, in recent years, many have begun to question their loyalty to the Democrats. The catalyst for this shift has been growing dissatisfaction with the party’s stance on key issues, particularly its support of Israel’s actions in Gaza. This evolving political identity is creating uncertainty about the future of Arab American influence in Michigan’s elections.

Today on The Metro, we explored the political future of Arab Americans in Michigan and across the country. Are they finding common ground with the Republican Party, or do their political views span beyond the traditional party lines? The shifts in the community’s political engagement could significantly affect Michigan’s elections in the coming years.

As national and local elections approach, the political leanings of Arab Americans will play a crucial role in shaping Michigan’s political future. Their evolving political identity is fluid, shaped by a range of factors, but one thing is clear: their impact on the state’s political landscape will only grow stronger.

Guests:

• Hassan Nehme:  Organizer for Michigan’s Republican Party.
• James Zogby: President and co-founder of the Arab American Institute. Longtime leader of the Democratic Party 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on March 20, 2025 : 

• Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s decision to file criminal charges against 11 pro-Palestinian demonstrators on University of Michigan’s campus has angered some of her supporters, with critics calling it an infringement on free speech. Amir Makled, one of the attorneys representing the demonstrators pro bono, joined the show to share the latest developments in the case.

• Many American Jews feel deeply uncomfortable criticizing Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. American Jewish author and liberal journalist Peter Beinart says that’s because Jewish identity is tied to uncritical support of Israel. He hopes to change that in his new book, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza.” Beinart spoke with WDET All Things Considered Host and reporter Russ McNamara about this and more.

• Detroit author Donald Goines penned 16 books before being mysteriously killed alongside his wife in their Highland Park apartment, and their murders remain unsolved. Now, a new documentary is exploring Goines’ life, death and cultural impact. Executive Producer Craig Gore, and King Tape Productions Founder Robert “Tape” Bailey both joined the show to talk about the film’s progress and Goines’ impact on their work.

• The Detroit Tigers Opening Day is on Friday, April 4, but the team has been getting ready at their spring training home in Lakeland, Florida. The Tigers have an 89-year history with the Florida city — the longest of any team in Major League Baseball. To discuss this long standing connection, Florida history professor James Michael Denham joined the show.

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

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

Educators have been sounding the alarm that cellphones disrupt learning. More than half of public school leaders feel their students’ academic performance has been negatively impacted by cellphone usage, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. 

Many public schools already prohibit students from having their cellphones in class, but recently state lawmakers nationwide have taken things a step further — and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is joining them.

Whitmer recently said in her State of the State address that she wants Michigan lawmakers to enact restrictions on school cell usage.

Looking at schools is only one part of the conversation. Nowadays, younger children get their hands on devices well before they enter a classroom. Forty percent of children have a tablet by the age of 2  and exposure to screen time can impact a young child’s ability to develop their behavior and communication skills.

Today on The Metro, we discuss what the impacts of technology on developing children are, both good and bad.

Guests:

• Jenny Radesky: Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School.
• Jennifer Ehehalt: Senior regional manager, midwest for Common Sense Education, a nonprofit that provides research and recommendations about media and technology to families and schools.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on March 3, 2025:

• It’s been two weeks since a 54-inch water main broke and flooded Beard and Rowan street in Southwest Detroit, impacting over 400 households and displacing many residents. Great Lakes Water Authority CEO Suzanne Coffey joined the show to provide an update on the fix and how the agency is continuing to repair outdated infrastructure in the city.

• The Michigan Democratic and Republican parties elected new chairs last week. WDET’s All Things Considered Host Russ McNamara spoke with the Michigan GOP’s new leader, Jim Runestad, about what he envisions for the party’s future.

• The Detroit Documenters have been taking notes on growing tensions in Ferndale. Ferndale Police Department have contracted with Flock Safety, an automated license plate reader company, for over a year. Ferndale City Council is now considering renewing the contract with Flock Safety. Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt sat down with Detroit Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade to learn more. 

• Lacrosse, initially a tradition of many indigenous people including the Anishinaabe, is making a comeback here in Detroit. Cass Technical High School lacrosse coach Liam McElroy joined The Metro to talk about how the long-established game is an enriching activity for young people in the city, thanks in part to the Detroit Youth Lacrosse League founded by Chandler Park Conservancy.

–WDET’s Natalie Albrecht contributed to this report.

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

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

Loneliness in America is bad and getting worse. In recent decades, participation in associations and clubs has gone down while the percentage of people living alone has increased. The negative health consequences can quite literally be life and death. 

When COVID-19 hit Michigan in 2020, we were forced to isolate ourselves for survival. But the consequences of isolation pose a continued risk to our health and well-being. In 2023, former surgeon general Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning that isolation poses a health risk equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Today on The Metro, we’re looking at the treatment for isolation: connecting with people. And while it seems like a no-brainer, society and our built environment has changed in ways that make seeing our neighbors, friends, family and even meeting strangers more difficult. 

Guests:

• Anita Zavala: Director of Entrepreneurship and Wealth Building at the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation. The organization and many in the community are connecting with their neighbors and providing help to those affected by the water main break and flooding in Southwest Detroit. 
• Eric Klinenberg: The Helen Gould Shepard Professor in the Social Sciences and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He also led a widely-cited study on the 1995 Chicago heat wave, revealing how crucial our social connections really are. His most recent book is “2020: One city, seven people, and the year everything changed.”

We also asked listeners:

“Where do you go to connect with your neighbors and community?”

Use the media player above to hear the conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 27, 2025: 

• A new exhibit at the Arab American National Museum gives us a window into Dearborn’s Southend neighborhood. It’s an area that Arab Americans fought to keep amid a zoning battle that lasted from the 1950s to the 70s. The exhibit features photographs of Yemeni and Lebanese people in the Southend neighborhood taken by Tony Maine during the 1960s and 70s. Exhibit Curator Dean Nessredine and Rasha Almulaiki of Adala PR Agency joined the show. On March 6, Almulaiki is also moderating a conversation about the exhibit at the museum.

• Black History Month is almost over. But at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, everyday is a good day to celebrate Black History. Manager of Community Engagement Yolanda Jack joined the show to talk about the significance of the museum for Detroit.

• WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper spoke with Anthony Roth Costanzo about the story behind “Rinaldo” and the power of opera in 2025. It follows a trend at Detroit Opera to find new ways to present old operas. The last two shows of “Rinaldo” are on Friday and Sunday. 

• In her second-to-last State of the State speech, Governor Gretchen Whitmer focused on funding the roads, spending on education and limiting cell phone use in schools. To discuss what Democrats and Republicans made of the speech, Russ McNamara of WDET’s All Things Considered joined the show.

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