Both of Michigan’s U.S. Senators voted against a procedural move to end the federal government shutdown.

Seven Democrats and one independent joined Republicans last night, taking the first step toward funding the government. GOP Senators agreed to hold a vote next month on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits. The deal does not guarantee they’ll be renewed. Democratic senators Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters say promising to hold a vote on the issue isn’t good enough.

The compromise would reverse the mass firings that took place when the shutdown began and ensure federal workers get back pay.  

-Reporting by Pat Batcheller  

Additional headlines from Monday, November 10, 2025

Supreme Court order blocks SNAP payments

On Saturday the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency stay blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition from issuing full payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. This pauses benefits for 42 million Americans, including many children and the elderly.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director, Elizabeth Hertel, says she is disappointed by the move. MDHHS began sending out full payments on Thursday, however the new order prevents the department from finalizing payments for Michigan residents who have not yet received their payments for November.

To fill the gap, Governor Whitmer announced an additional $4.5 million to the Food Bank Council of Michigan to feed families including food delivery services for families who are unable to visit a food bank. Dial 2-1-1 or visit mi211.org to find assistance. 

Last week, the city of Detroit launched a network of food pantries map with 85 certified food pantries. Mayor Mike Duggan says the city authorized $1.75 million for the project. People can visit detroitmi.gov to find a location near them.  

Catholic Charities provide hunger relief

Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan is providing emergency relief while SNAP benefits are in limbo for 1.4 million families in Michigan.   

People can drop into the Center for the Works of Mercy on 10301 Woodward Ave in Detroit on Thursdays between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays beginning Nov. 22nd through Dec. 6th between 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.  

According to DetroitCatholic.com, the city of Detroit donated food from Forgotten Harvest to support the center.

The Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan are also asking people to donate unexpired AND nonperishable food on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. or provide monetary donations. The group is matching donations up to $20,000 thanks to an anonymous donor. The center is also looking for volunteers.  

MSU study brings solar panels and farming together 

Michigan State University researchers are building an outdoor laboratory to see if solar panels can improve crop production for farmers.

Anthony Kendall is an Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at MSU. He says the project involves researchers from different fields who can offer a variety of perspectives. 

“There’s a real asymmetry of solar installation information that exists right now. And we hope by doing open science with a lot of community feedback, to really just provide better information to everyone.”

He says they’ll also use the project to teach farmers how to use solar panels in under-producing areas of farm fields. The project is funded by a $3.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation.  

MDOT regulations

The Michigan Department of Transportation is still collecting public comment on a set of proposed regulations that could put parameters on how people can protest on MDOT owned roads.

The new rules would require protestors to get a permit before occupying an area such as an overpass or rest stop. MDOT’s Engineer Greg Losch said on the podcast “Talking Michigan Transportation” that the rules are a response to complaints from the public.  

“We’ll be responding to the public complaint, like, ‘hey, I stopped at whatever rest area and someone asked me to sign a petition and I don’t really want to be solicited for that. Why why are you allowing this, MDOT?’” 

Losch said the regulations intend to ensure public safety. Activists argue that this is an infringement of First Amendment rights. MDOT will be accepting public comments on its website through November 20th.  

If there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

I-375 is not just a concrete thoroughfare — it is a reminder of how Black neighborhoods were sacrificed, and how the promise of repair remains unresolved today.

When it opened in the 1960s, the freeway bulldozed Black Bottom and Paradise Valley. Those neighborhoods had been cultural and economic hubs for Black Detroiters. Residents were displaced and businesses were cut off.

Decades later, state and city leaders proposed replacing that mile of freeway with a surface boulevard. They said the plan was more than infrastructure. It was meant to acknowledge the historic harm wrought by I‑375’s construction.

But costs for the plan soared. And the design? Well, it still looks like a highway to many. Earlier this month, MDOT hit pause. Supporters call the pause a chance to rethink, but critics worry it means the project may never get off the ground.

Michigan State Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) has been one of the most vocal leaders pressing for change. She has pushed to scale back the boulevard, center safety, and she wants to ensure any new land honors the legacy of families and businesses displaced decades ago.

She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what the start of real repair could look like.

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.

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The Michigan Department of Transportation recently announced postponing a planned I-375 reconstruction project citing increasing increased costs and community feedback.

The plan would have converted the freeway interchange to ground-level boulevard. The project was to be funded in part by $100 million in federal dollars from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. The rest of the cost, estimated to be at least $300 million, would have come from the State of Michigan.

When the project was announced in 2022, then-Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttegig characterized the federal project dubbed “Reconnecting Communities” as a reparative one, aimed at fixing injustices created from federal highway construction of the mid-20th century.

The announcement that I-375 would be redesigned raised interest and even optimism. Was this an opportunity to address the wrongs of the past? Was this truly going to help resolve the razing of Detroit’s Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods in the name of paved roads?

There were community input meetings, and the plans presented gained both support and criticism. MDOT hosted a presentation on the history Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods at the Charles H. Wright Museum.

Despite being a controversial project, one of the points that was largely agreed upon was that if the I-375 reconstruction was going to be reparative, there should at least be some recognition of the thriving neighborhoods that Detroiters once called home.

Marcia Black and Lex Draper Garcia Bey from Black Bottom Archives joined Tia Graham on The Metro to share their reaction to the I-375 redesign being paused, and the exhibition on display at the Detroit Historical Museum, “10 Years Back, 10 Years Forward,” on display until September 14, 2025.

Guests: 

• Marcia Black is the director of archives and education at Black Bottom Archives
• Lex Draper Garcia Bey is the director of community engagement and programs at Black Bottom Archives

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

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