The Empowerment Plan has been in service to metro Detroit’s homeless population since 2012. 

Empowerment Plan employs people living in shelters. They manufacture coats made from sleeping bags that they distribute to people in need. That includes people in Detroit, across the nation, and in dozens of other countries. 

Veronika Scott is the founder of Empowerment Plan. She talks about her struggles with poverty and homelessness as a kid. She remembers driving around with her mother, getting sent in circles from one caseworker in Detroit to another in Pontiac. 

Years later, a class at College for Creative Studies called “Designing to Fill a Need” led her where she is today—and that’s helping people experiencing homelessness.

This year, Empowerment Plan hand made its 100,000th sleeping bag coat. 

Veronika, founder of Empowerment Plan joins host Tia Graham on The Metro to talk more about reaching this milestone and what’s next for organization.

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For some of our listeners, arts and culture from kindergarten through high school were guaranteed and expected. Woodshop, cooking classes and, of course, art classes were a part of the curriculum. 

As the decades have gone by, less money to schools means less resources. Oftentimes the first things cut from the budget are the arts. But educators who work within the K-12 school system say the arts are essential to a well-rounded education.

Meghan Collins is Museum Educator for K-12 and Family Programs at the MSU Broad Art Museum. She is also an Assistant Professor of Art Education in MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design. 

In 2024, she was named the 2025 Museum Educator of the Year by the Michigan Art Education Association. 

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Michigan’s economy is in flux.

Tariffs have pushed up the cost of some goods. Unemployment has ticked up slightly. Hiring practices are shifting as artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT become more prevalent in workplaces.

Those changes raise big questions for the state’s more than 900,000 small businesses — and the workers who depend on them. How are owners adapting to rising costs and new technologies? What does this moment feel like on the ground? And what should people be doing now to stay resilient?

To explore those questions, Mark Lee, founder of The Lee Group, sat down with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent. Lee hosts several talk shows and writes about business and the economy for Crain’s Detroit, with a focus on how national trends play out locally.

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Michigan’s schools are increasingly tasked with more than teaching.

They are expected to raise reading and math scores, address rising mental health needs, manage technology and discipline, and serve as safe, stable places for families under stress. In some communities, they’re also absorbing fear sparked by immigration enforcement actions. That includes the detention of Detroit students seeking asylum.

Academically, the picture is mixed. On national exams, Michigan’s scores remain close to the U.S. average. But since the pandemic, other states have improved more quickly, especially in early reading. Michigan has moved more slowly, and over time, that difference adds up.

Meanwhile, chronic absenteeism is improving, but many students, especially in Detroit, still miss school regularly.

The state has increased funding and continued free school meals. Educators say those steps help. They also say long-standing challenges persist in special education, staffing, and student support.

This is the landscape facing Michigan’s new top education official.

Dr. Glenn Maleyko was sworn in last month as State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He steps into the new role after nearly a decade leading Dearborn Public Schools. He has identified literacy as his priority and launched a statewide listening tour.

The Metro’s Robyn Vincent sat down with Maleyko to learn how he plans to lead a system being asked to do more than it was designed to handle.

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Some people welcome winter in Michigan with open arms, while others watch the calendar until spring’s warmth returns.

One way to overcome the long, cold winter here in Michigan is to get outside and try some new activities.

Laura Herberg, reporter for Bridge Michigan, joined The Metro to walk us through the Michigan Dreaming Winter Bucket List.

12 activities made this year’s winter weather fun bucket list, with dog sledding in the Upper Peninsula taking the top spot and drop-in hockey on Belle Isle representing Southeast Michigan.

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Empty office spaces and buildings continue to be an issue for owners the COVID-19 pandemic. Rent is too high for small businesses and entrepreneurs to fill in the gap. 

Bamboo is a co-working space seeks to fill the need of office space without the large commitments required when renting a whole building. Bamboo has flexible options to obtain office space and common areas for any business-related needs. 

Bamboo now has five locations across Michigan, including one of its newest locations in Midtown. 

Amanda Lewen says Bamboo started as a grassroots idea from a group of friends. She spoke with The Metro’s Tia Graham about Bamboo and the current state of Michigan’s small business ecosystem.

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In Oakland County, local leaders have gotten more attention in recent months. 

That’s because reports have shown potential conflicts of interest—some have voted on matters that affect their side jobs. 

Discussions arose about hiring an ombudsman to oversee county officials’ operations, or having commissioners disclose their financial information. 

But in a recent Oakland County meeting, neither of those things happened. Instead, county commissioners kicked the responsibility to the state legislature, urging those lawmakers to pass a bill mandating local officials to publicly disclose their assets. 

Why didn’t commissioners pass an ethics resolution? And, what ethics rules should be imposed on commissioners?

Oakland County Commissioner Michael Spisz was originally advocating for the county to pass an ethics resolution, but changed course. He spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

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Double Up Food Bucks is a statewide program through the Fair Food Network. It matches SNAP benefits used to buy fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables at participating grocers and farmers markets.

Back in November, SNAP benefit recipients were on edge, wondering if money would be available to feed themselves and their families.

The program extended its offerings in November, introducing Double up benefits, like Double Up bonus bucks offering $40 vouchers for fresh fruits and veggies. Those incentives are ending Dec. 31.

Rachel Hoh is director of Double Up Food Bucks. They spoke to me about the program and its significance to shoppers and local grocers. 

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In Michigan, bills to restrict phone use and social media access for those under 18 are being considered. 

Social media companies are distracting people, sowing division, and preventing kids from experiencing normal childhoods. 

Those are the big takeaways of the book, “The Anxious Generation”, by Jonathan Haidt. That book is a big reason countries, states and classrooms have been restricting social media and phone use.  

Michigan schools have already taken action. Gibraltar, Dearborn, and Novi school districts have restricted phone use. 

In Novi, the school superintendent gave copies of Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation” to anyone who wanted it. 

About one year later, how has the book influenced Novi students, teachers and parents?

The Metro’s Sam Corey spoke with Novi Community School District Superintendent Ben Mainka to find out.

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The winter months are often marked by the holidays and the new year. Yet, it’s often lost on most people that domestic violence incidents trend up during this time of year. 

The warning signs for domestic violence intensify during this time of year. So, what are the signs and how can we as community members step in to protect survivors of domestic violence?

Co-Executive Director of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence Cheree Thomas joined Tia Graham on The Metro to talk more about domestic violence during the winter months. 

Tia also spoke with Anne Mantha, the Chief Philanthropy Officer at HAVEN Oakland, a nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Oakland County. 

If you or a loved one is looking for support, call 855-VOICES4

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Detroit’s fine arts community is growing and producing more internationally known creatives. And with so much talent, artists and organizers continue to find creative ways to raise their visibility. 

DEROIT SALON is a new initiative produced by the woman-led organization Salonnière that puts Detroit artists in front of global audiences, curators and museums by touring exhibitions that carry their pieces.

The collective’s first show was in Paris at Art Basel, where they installed three different exhibitions. Each one highlighted a different area of life in Detroit.

Juana is the Artistic Director and Chief Curator for DETROIT SALON. KESSWA is a vocalist, producer and filmmaker who musically curated the exhibitions in Paris. 

Juana Williams and KESSWA joined Tia Graham in the studio to discuss DETROIT SALON’S efforts.

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After decades of decay, Detroit’s historic Packard Plant could be on the road to redevelopment.

The city announced a letter of intent with a developer to give 28-acres of the site new life. The plant as a whole has been a significant structure throughout Detroit’s history. It has seen the heights of the automotive boom and the consequences of disinvestment and neglect. 

When auto manufacturing operations at the plant came to an end in the mid-20th century, another generation reimagined the space. So which moments deserve to be preserved in its next chapter? 

Dave Marchioni, the industrial and automotive curator at the Detroit Historical Society, and John Lauter, Packard Plant historian, revisit key moments throughout it’s history. 

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A child has been diagnosed with measles in Oakland County. DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Commerce Township has been identified as the likely site of exposure.

People who were in the Emergency Department of the hospital on Dec.  7, 2025  between 7:20 p.m. and 11:10 p.m. may have been exposed.

Kate Guzman, Oakland County Health Officer, told The Metro the child was not vaccinated for measles and had recently traveled domestically.

Vaccine recommendations changing at CDC, FDA

This follows a series of major changes to federal vaccine recommendations and guidelines, made under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy is a vaccine skeptic and his views are becoming policy at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) both of which are under his supervision.

These changes include loosening recommendations for infants and toddlers regarding hepatitis B, chickenpox, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR).

At the FDA, Vinay Prasad, the chief medical officer and head of evaluation and testing, issued a statement forecasting a more time and cost-intensive process for new vaccine approvals. Members of the medical community including former FDA officials, have shared concerns for public health, saying the proposed changes would make thoroughly tested and safe annual vaccines like the flu shot too expensive and time consuming to adapt to new versions of the virus.

Guests:

• Dr. Teena Chopra is a professor of infectious diseases and Assistant Dean of professional development in the School of Medicine at Wayne State University .
• Kate Guzman  is Oakland County’s health officer.

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As we draw closer to the Christmas season holiday cheer is right around the corner. What better way to bring in the Christmas vibes than a holiday concert extravaganza?

This Thursday, Holiday Detroit will put on a one night only showcase of music and dance featuring artists both near and far. Professional dancers, singers and musicians team up with students from Voyageur College Preparatory High School to put on this holiday performance. 

Lisa McCall is a renowned choreographer and a producer of the show. She joined the program with one of the showcases’ featured artist: The Temptations lead singer, Tony Grant.  

Tickets are available at holidaydetroit.com

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On Sunday, a father and son killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish people in that nation’s history.

The attack is part of a larger trend of rising antisemitism. 

Since October of 2023, American Jews report a rise in antisemitism, including an uptick in violence against Jewish people. This past year alone, high-profile attacks happened in Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and Colorado. 

All of this is occurring amid Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, according to scholars. 

What is the connection between Israel’s violence and violence targeting Jewish people around the world? 

The Metro’s Sam Corey spoke with a variety of Jewish scholars and community leaders to learn more.

This reporting was edited by Metro Host Robyn Vincent.

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Somewhere between the psychedelic 1960s and the arrival of punk in the late 1970s, Detroit had a unique imprint on American music with an avant-garde, noise rock scene. Destroy All Monsters was an influential band and art collective at the time.

Their sound was radical, experimental, and noisy.

The band was formed in Ann Arbor in the early 1970s by Cary Loren, Mike Kelly, Jim Shaw and Niagra.

The group’s influence on art and music in Detroit is being recognized with a retrospective at Cranbrook Art Museum called “Mythic Chaos: 50 Years of Destroy All Monsters.” Also on display through March is a sister exhibition, “Noise, Vision, and Ruins” at the Detroit Public Library, Main Branch and curated by Cary Loren. 

Both exhibitions are open through March.

The Metro’s David Leins spoke Loren about the group’s origins, and what to expect from the exhibitions.

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To some, the story of the Packard Plant mirrors that of Detroit. Built in the early 1900s, the building was a major site of auto manufacturing in the city until the mid-1950s, when the plant closed. 

But that didn’t spell the end for the Packard Plant. The building continued to house industrial and commercial tenants into the 1990s, and was even home to some legendary Detroit raves. 

After a 2022 court order, large parts of the Packard Plant were demolished. What’s left are massive concrete frames and outer shells. No windows. No interiors. No machinery. Just structure. The site isn’t really a factory anymore. It’s a ruin. And now, two developers say they want to give that ruin new life.

What are the plans for the redeveloped plant? And what will it take to make those changes happen?

Developers Mark Bennett and Oren Goldenberg spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent about that and more.

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The project to reconstruct I-375 is meant to do two things at once: rebuild aging infrastructure and repair the harm caused by a highway that, decades ago, tore through Black neighborhoods and business districts in downtown Detroit.

But as plans evolved, the cost of the I-375 reconstruction project was ballooning to $520 million. Criticism was mounting among nearby business owners who feared losing money and Detroiters who wanted to ensure the project would deliver reparative outcomes. 

So in August the Michigan Department of Transportation paused the project. Then last month, it was revived with a different plan. 

Jason Garza is the Michigan Department of Transportation Deputy Region Engineer. He spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

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The Eastern Market just got a guardian to watch over the site.  The Robocop statue commemorating the 80s sci-fi film was finally installed after over a decade of planning. 

The sculpture was crafted by Venus Bronze Works and artist George Gikas after a crowd sourcing campaign sparked the idea in 2011.

The movie that inspired it centers Alex Murphy, a Detroit police officer who was killed on the job by criminal. A corporation tasked with reducing the city’s crime rate then uses his body to create a crime fighting cyborg.

The movie explores humanity, corporate greed and makes clever critiques of American politics and culture. The concept spawned multiple sequels, comics, an animated series, action figures and more. 

But what about the movie resonated so deeply with fans in Detroit that they were willing to help fund a sculpture to honor it?

Curtis Sullivan is the owner of the Vault of Midnight comic book stores and a member of the Robocop fanbase. He joined the program to discuss the significance of the film, its relevance to Detroit, and the new sculpture

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