Shutting down the federal government was a matter of principle for U.S. Senate Democrats back in October.

Tens of thousands of federal workers were furloughed. Air traffic controllers were forced to work without pay. The Trump Administration fought in court to reduce SNAP food assistance.

Tax credits tied to plans through the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, were set to expire, and without them premiums were set to skyrocket. That was unacceptable to most Democrats, who wanted to leverage the shutdown to extend healthcare subsidies.

This week, seven Democrats and one independent changed their strategy and voted to end the shutdown.

They received only a promise of a vote on the ACA tax credits and assurances that federal workers fired by the Trump Administration would be rehired.

In the meantime, people are receiving notice that their premiums are going up. In Michigan, insurers are ending coverage for people through Obamacare. That could leave as many as 200,000 people in the state without coverage.

Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters voted to keep the government closed. He thinks it’s going to get worse unless those ACA tax credits are restored.

“Nationally, well over 20 million people are seeing large increases in their health care estimates, somewhere around 10 million will lose their health care coverage as a result,” Peters said.

Peters says he would like the Democrats who capitulated and voted to end the shutdown to speak for themselves.

“I know that they were focused on working on health care costs, but we’re also concerned about the cost of the shutdown itself,” Peters said. “Certainly government employees who had been going without a check for quite some time, which puts a real strain on our families.”

A failure of leadership?

Many Democratic voters—and some Democratic politicians—view the ending of the shutdown as a betrayal of trust and the latest instance where the party refuses to follow through on a promise.

Peters disagrees this was a failure of leadership.

“We don’t work for Chuck Schumer,” Peters said. “Every Senator represents the people in their state. I work for the people in Michigan, and my colleagues around the country work for the people in their individual states, and they have to ultimately do what they think is right.”

The Epstein emails

The White House is scrambling following the release of a new batch of emails to and from rapist and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

The emails seem to implicate that President Donald Trump was aware of Epstein’s crimes, and that the president maintained a relationship with the disgraced financier well into his first term in office.

Epstein died in federal custody in 2019.

After promising on the campaign trail to release all the evidence collected in Epstein’s prosecution, the Trump Administration has backed off that pledge.

Peters says the American public needs to see all of the documents.

“Bottom line, I think there’s enough information out now that raises so many questions that have to be answered that we need to see the release of all of the documents,” Peters said.

Earlier this year, the Trump Administration moved Epstein co-conspirator Ghislane Maxwell to a minimum-security prison.

Across the U.S., flight cancellations have surged and delays are stretching into long waits. The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered major airports, including Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, to cut departures by up to 10% because there are not enough certified controllers to manage full schedules safely.

This didn’t start overnight. The nation’s controller workforce has been shrinking for years as a result of retirements outpacing new hires, a long training pipeline, and waves of budget uncertainty. 

The recent federal government shutdown has made everything worse: hiring is frozen, classes have stopped, and experienced controllers are leaving fast, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. He said the nation is now losing 15 to 20 controllers every day.

Former air traffic controller Todd Yeary is skeptical of those numbers, and some of the other aviation data he is hearing from the Trump administration. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to explain.

Use the media player above to hear the conversation.

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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. 

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Seeing a doctor in America comes with numerous costs—the wait for an appointment, the hours on hold with insurance, the pit-in-your-stomach feeling when the bill finally lands and it is a lot more than you expected. 

Now, millions of Americans are bracing for another cost they did not see coming. 

The federal subsidies that have lowered health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act are set to expire next year and if they do, premium costs could rise by hundreds of dollars a month. 

Healthcare subsidies have been a key point of contention during the government shutdown. Last night, seven Democrats and one independent joined Republicans in a Senate vote that paves the way for an end to the shutdown—but not an end to the debate on healthcare subsidies. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune agreed to allow a vote in December on the expiring tax credits. 

Meanwhile, here in Michigan, the uncertainty comes on top of another shakeup: some insurers are leaving the state’s individual marketplace, and thousands of people are suddenly searching for new coverage.

But some doctors are rejecting the traditional insurance model altogether. Their alternative is called direct primary care, a type of subscription-based service where patients pay a flat monthly fee and receive care when needed — no billing codes, no middlemen. 

Dr. Paul Thomas brought this model to Detroit a decade ago with Plum Health. His clinics promise same-day visits, transparent pricing, and time to actually talk with your doctor.

Thomas joined Robyn Vincent to discuss how he believes this model could help heal America’s broken healthcare system.

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Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — also known as EBT and Bridge Card in Michigan —  is still uncertain. Yesterday, the Trump administration announced the use of designated emergency funds to pay for half of what card holders normally receive. That’s after the government shutdown froze monthly EBT disbursements on November 1, 2025.

Nearly a quarter of Wayne County residents rely on SNAP benefits to eat.

With the uncertainty surrounding federal funding, community organizations across metro Detroit have been stepping up to fill the gap and ensure people are fed and cared for.

BasBlue, a community organization and gathering place for women and nonbinary people, is located in Midtown, Detroit and was established in 2021.

On Monday, they hosted a first-ever “Community Supper” in response to SNAP benefits uncertainty resulting from the government shutdown.

Ellen Gilchrist, BasBlue CEO, joined the Metro to discuss why now was the time to provide meals to the public.

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Hunger isn’t inevitable. The United States has the tools to prevent it — but during this historic shutdown, millions of Americans have been left waiting to see if those tools will be used.

In Michigan, more than 1.4 million people rely on SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), to buy food each month. Most are children, seniors, or people living with disabilities.

When the federal government shutdown froze November benefits, families across the state faced growing uncertainty about how they would put food on the table.

Contingency funds released after court rulings

Late last week, two federal judges ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use 5 billion in contingency funds to continue SNAP payments.

On the Monday deadline, the Trump administration announced it would comply, but it would pay out half the amount recipients typically receive. Officials warn the solution is temporary. If the shutdown continues, December SNAP funding and other safety-net programs could again be in jeopardy.

Broader impacts across Michigan

Even with food aid partially restored, the shutdown is rippling through daily life.

• Federal workers and contractors have gone weeks without paychecks.

• Housing vouchers, heating assistance, and childcare subsidies face processing delays.

• Head Start programs risk closures in several states.

• Small-business loans, IRS services, and passport processing remain slowed or suspended 

Those disruptions can be just as destabilizing for families living close to the edge as lost food aid.

This is especially true in places like Michigan’s 12th District, which covers Detroit, Dearborn, Inkster, and downriver communities. These areas are shaped by working-class families, new immigrants, and people living paycheck to paycheck.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, representing the 12th District, joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss these reverberations.

The discussion also turned to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and how it is reshaping politics with people like New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who, like Tlaib, has been outspoken about the crisis and U.S. foreign aid priorities. His advocacy, and the movement around him, highlight a generational push inside the Democratic Party for a more value-driven, intersectional approach to policymaking, one that connects international issues to struggles faced by working class communities in cities like Detroit.

For updates or emergency food aid, residents can visit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Food Assistance page or call 2-1-1.

Editor’s Note: This conversation aired shortly before the Trump administration announced it would comply with court order and use contingency money to fund SNAP.

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Update: Just hours after this segment aired, the Michigan Senate passed a measure that would put $71 million toward food assistance. Supporters say it wouldn’t take effect by Nov. 1 or cover all SNAP benefits, but it would help food banks bridge the gap in the meantime. The measure still needs approval from the House. (Reporting by Colin Jackson, MPRN)

The politics of food is personal, especially now.

It’s day 30 of the federal government shutdown, and key programs are grinding to a halt. One such program is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps more than 40 million Americans keep food on the table.

In Michigan, roughly 1.4 million residents rely on those benefits to stretch their grocery budgets. The federal pause means November’s payments could be delayed — a disruption that would ripple through the entire food system. Families will face the prospect of empty dinner tables, while local grocers, food co-ops, and urban farms brace for reduced spending. 

In Detroit, one person working to keep the city’s food systems healthy amid the uncertainty is Amanda Brezzell, co-founder and creative director of Fennigan’s Farms, an urban agriculture and community design studio devoted to food access, sustainability, and resilience.

Brezzell joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to describe what she’s hearing from residents and what advocates are doing in real time.

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The federal government shutdown nearing the one-month marker. Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill remain locked in a standoff over a new budget.

As a result, funding on hand to support certain government programs is running out. That includes SNAP benefits — the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirms that it will not be able to provide food stamps to low-income families beginning in November.

Alex Hill is project director of the Detroit Food Map Initiative, which surveys neighborhoods on grocery access. He says parts of Detroit will be especially hard hit.

“The estimated household income of houses that rely on SNAP is about $29 thousand,” says Hill, “so any household in that range is going to be having a really difficult time.”

He adds that SNAP households will feel a wide range of effects.

“People aren’t going to be able to work as well as they want to,” says Hill. “Kids aren’t going to be able to learn as well as they should. Folks who are reliant on taking medications on a regular basis — you have to take food when you take medicine.”

Hill says pausing SNAP benefits is likely to have a negative impact on grocery stores in low-income areas, that rely on customers using food stamps to shop. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services say pausing the food stamps program is likely to impact about 13% of Michigan households, with 1.4 million residents relying on the service.

A number of states around the country are suing the federal government in an attempt to support SNAP funding.

Food stamps will not be available in Michigan next month.  

The state Department of Health and Humans Services says it’s been instructed by federal officials to pause the Snap benefits program in November as a result of funding gaps caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown.  Around 13% of Michigan households rely on Snap benefits—roughly 1.4 million residents. 

In a statement, the State of Michigan said the program will remained be paused until further notice. 

Additional headlines from Thursday, October 23, 2025

Hamtramck’s former Chief Altaheri allowed to resign, collect severance pay after lawsuit

Former Police Chief of Hamtramck Jamiel Altaheri has reached an agreement with the city that allows him to resign and receive five months of his salary as severance. His resignations is being back dated to August. 

Altaheri was the first Yemeni American and Muslim police chief in the city. Tensions between Altaheri and the former city manager led to an internal investigation. Allegations against Altaheri prompted him to sue the city. 

Eventually Altaheri agreed to drop the lawsuit, and resign instead of being fired.

Honorary street sign   

Community organization Dream of Detroit is asking for support from residents to get an honorary street sign for Imam Abdullah Bey El-Amin on the corner of Davison Street and Woodrow Wilson Street on Detroit’s west side. 

 El-Amin was a prominent faith leader in Detroit and co-founder of the Muslim Center of Detroit. He died in March of 2023. Dream of Detroit is asking residents to give messages of support to city council at their next formal session, Tuesday October 28.  

Michigan Starters Coalition seeks to remove barriers for new entrepreneurs 

An entrepreneurial advocacy group Right to Start is launching the Michigan Starters Coalition. It’s a statewide initiative promoting entrepreneurship as a civic priority.

The group aims to educate lawmakers about removing barriers to starting and growing a business and increasing public awareness about how starting new businesses drives economic growth. To learn more visit righttostart.org/michiganstarters 

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Updated 12:00 p.m. ET, Friday, October 3, 2025.

Funding for arts and culture grants in Michigan is preserved in the state budget for fiscal year 2026.

Last week, Governor Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and House Speaker Matt Hall announced they had agreed on a framework for the state budget and it would be passed before October 1. The state budget was passed early Friday morning, with state funding for arts and culture grants preserved.

Last month’s budget proposal passed by the Republican-led State House eliminated all funding for arts and culture grants from the state.

The entity that administers arts and culture grants for the state is the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC). In 2025, MACC grants awarded totaled over $10.5 million.

The council distributes grant funds to arts and culture programs throughout the state, providing funding for things like K-12 arts programs, cultural festivals and museums.

To better understand what arts and culture grants from the state fund, Cary Junior II spoke with Lauren Ward, director of the Cultural Advocacy Network of Michigan. They spoke on Thursday, before the final state budget had been passed for fiscal year 2026.

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