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The Department of Veterans Affairs announced plans to restructure in early March. The agency will eliminate 80,000 jobs according to a memo issued by the VA’s chief of staff. 

The goal is to reduce the number of staff members to pre-pandemic levels. This is another proposed cut to add to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s list of federal job cuts. Under Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), hundreds of jobs have already been cut at the VA.

Read more: 10 year Marine Corps veteran terminated from Veterans Affairs in Ann Arbor

Veterans make up a large percent of federal workers who are already at risk of losing their jobs due to cuts to other departments. They are a substantial portion of the VA workforce too. So the restructuring plans for the Department just makes things even more uncertain. 

They also rely on the VA to provide the essential services that help them return to civilian life after serving. Veterans get housing assistance and health care through the program. 

Today on The Metro, we’re looking at these cuts and how they could negatively impact services for veterans who need it. 

Guests: 

• Kevin Scott: Decorated combat-era Marine Corps veteran who provides therapy and support to veterans who are facing all kinds of challenges after serving.
• Vedia Barnett: Co-founder and executive director of Vet Space, a group for women veterans to share nature-based experiences. 

We also asked our listeners: 

“What is the transition to civilian life like for veterans and their families?”

Ryan, a Marine Corp veteran in Royal Oak, said: “I mean, (the VA has) been my health care service for 20 years, and I’m hoping to be till I die, my service. And if it goes away, you know, that upends my life in a different way. So it worries me.”

Tomorrow’s caller question: “What would allow you to give up your car in southeast Michigan?”

Use the above media player to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on March 25, 2025: 

• The Michigan statehouse is split with Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans controlling the House, making many wonder what bipartisan work can get done this session. To discuss what’s going on at the state capitol, Michigan Public Radio Network political reporter Colin Jackson joined the show.

• Alyce Hartman is the founder and executive director of Birdie’s Bookmobile. She is also a K-4 STEM teacher at Detroit Prep and the Mack Kids director at Mack Avenue Community Church. Hartman travels the city putting books in little hands and is getting ready to open Birdie’s Book Nest. She joined the show to discuss the project.

• Flooding is an issue Detroit residents are constantly facing, with water main breaks, extreme weather events and flooding growing more common over the last few years. Earlier this year, Metro co-host Robyn Vincent spoke with Nick Schroeck, professor of environmental law and dean of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, about the problem of flooding and some of the solutions that are being proposed to change it.

• We also revisited a conversation with Todd Scott, executive director of the Detroit Greenways Coalition, about pedestrian safety in Detroit. Hear the conversation below beginning at the 47:50 mark.

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.

For a while now there has been tons of money in sports. Professional athletes have been cashing in for decades, but in recent years, student athletes and sports fans have been officially brought into the fold. The NCAA’s name, image and likeness policies have given student athletes the opportunity to be paid. Student athletes with some of the top deals are making around $4-6  million.

Sports betting has raised the stakes on games for fans who are looking to turn a quick profit, and it’s growing. Michigan’s revenue from internet sports betting increased 23% last year. But gambling experts are concerned that sports betting could lead people to develop a gambling addiction.

Today on The Metro, we explore the sports betting boom along with its potential consequences. Plus, we discuss whether paying student athletes is good for sports.

Guests:

• Rachel Volberg: A professor of epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who researched problem gambling.
• David Ridpath: A professor of sports management at Ohio University, and an expert in the NCAA, athlete/coach issues, intercollegiate sports and sports administration.
• Risa Isard: Professor in sports management at the University of Connecticut

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on March 19, 2025: 

• DTE Energy recently filed another request for its plan to raise rates. The request comes just months after Michigan regulators approved another DTE rate increase. In January, the utility was OKed to raise rates by $217 million. Khary Frazier with Soulardarity, a nonprofit working to make energy accessible and affordable to all, joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss how high energy costs affect metro Detroiters.

• The city of Detroit recently doubled funding for homeless shelters and increased outreach to people on the street who are experiencing homelessness. But Detroit housing analyst Alex Alsup says officials aren’t getting to the root of the homelessness problem. Alsup sat down with Metro Producer Sam Corey to discuss why programs that help reduce tax foreclosures are key to reducing homelessness.

• Bridgett M. Davis is an author and daughter of Detroit. Her latest book, “Love, Rita: An American Story of Sisterhood, Joy, Loss, and Legacy,” tells the story of her sister and shines a light on women’s health. Davis joined The Metro to talk more about the book and share stories of her mother Fannie, sister Rita and Detroit.

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.

Ever since Michigan voters approved the sale of recreational cannabis seven years ago, residents have been clambering to get it. 

Michigan just recently surpassed $10 billion in sales since recreational marijuana was legalized, and businesses have capitalized on the demand. The number of pot retailers grew from six back in November 2019 to over 850 today, according to the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. 

But the price of cannabis has gone down, making it difficult for businesses to turn a profit. 

Adrienne Roberts covers Michigan’s cannabis industry, as well as jobs and unemployment for the Detroit Free Press. She joined The Metro on Tuesday to talk about Michigan’s cannabis industry and what it means for the state’s economy. 

Hear more stories from The Metro on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

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.