Something is breaking open in Iran — and it’s been building for months. A war, then an uprising, then a massacre, and now a nuclear deal on the table.

Last summer, Israel and the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear sites in a 12-day war. In late December, millions of Iranians took to the streets in the largest protests since the 1979 revolution, driven by economic collapse, a cratering currency, and decades of grievance. The regime responded with what human rights groups are calling the worst government massacre in Iran’s modern history — a crackdown that, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, has killed thousands of protesters. The government imposed a near-total internet blackout, and many families still cannot reach their loved ones.

This week, American and Iranian negotiators sat down in Geneva to try to cut a nuclear deal. Iran’s foreign minister said the two sides reached an understanding on “guiding principles,” though both sides acknowledged significant gaps remain. The talks are mediated by Oman and come as the U.S. deploys two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region.

But here’s what most coverage misses: the millions of Iranians who want this regime gone don’t agree on what should come next.

Saeed Khan, Associate Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Global Studies at Wayne State University and a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Citizenship, joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to break down why what happens inside Iran matters far beyond its borders.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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.

More stories from The Metro

Wayne State University researchers are looking for ways to help people with multiple sclerosis move better.

MS is a degenerative neurological disease that makes it hard for some patients to walk and keep their balance. 

Scientists wanted to know whether a physical therapy regimen that includes walking backward could improve mobility and balance. Their new study suggests it can.

They started small

Dr. Nora Fritz led the research team. She’s the director of research for WSU’s Department of Health Sciences. She’s also a physical therapy professor.

She says they’ve been looking at this in the lab for some time.

“We noticed that some individuals tend to fall backward more frequently than forward,” Fritz says. “We also noticed that individuals tend to have more trouble walking backward than they do walking forward.”

Researchers asked eight MS patients to take part in an eight-week case study. They came to the lab once a week to do backward walking training with a neurologic physical therapist. Subjects walked on a treadmill and on the ground. They also did back-stepping exercises in the lab and at home.

Fritz says the results were encouraging.

“It seems that everyone who’s participating is experiencing some level of improvement,” she says. “They really like it and they’re finding it useful.”

The team also conducted MRI screenings before and after the eight-week program.

“We looked at how the brain changed during this period,” Fritz says. “We saw evidence that there was actually some changes in structures of the brain related to balance in just a short time.”

Results could lead to new treatment

Fritz says it’s too early to reach any conclusions from the study, but the results were good enough to begin a larger, randomized control study with 90 MS patients. That lasted six months.

“Everyone has completed the training, and we’re just in the monitoring period now,” Fritz says. “We anticipate the first papers from that study to come out within the next several months.”

The findings of the eight-week trial appear in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy.

Malcolm X was a leader during the Civil Rights Movement known for his more radical approach to advancing Black Americans rights. But he was also a young man that grew up in Michigan, known as Detroit Red.

Though most only recognize “Malcolm X,” he went by several names throughout his life. His birth name is Malcolm Little, which progressed to Malcolm X. He ended his life as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

Who was Detroit Red and how did his name change reflect his personal transformation?

Dr. Tareq A. Ramadan is an anthropologist, historic preservationist, and interdisciplinary adjunct professor of Anthropology and Near Eastern Studies at Wayne State University and at Henry Ford College. He’s also the co-founder of The Malcolm X House Historic Preservation Project along side Aaron Sims.

This month, Ramadan will take part in The Black Cannon’s program “Martin and Malcolm” where they will discuss the lives and legacies of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. 

Tareq joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to discuss how Detroit Red became Malcolm X.

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.

More stories from The Metro

Dearborn will soon use drones to serve as the very first responders in a variety of incidents where police assistance is requested. The Drones as First Responder program is the first in Michigan. It will deploy aerial drones to any part of the city within 5 minutes to provide real-time video information about situations including traffic accidents, vehicle and property break-ins and violent crimes.

The city says the footage will allow officers to respond more safely to emergencies and complex situations and improve decision-making. They say officers will be able to better assess situations before they arrive on scene.

The police department says it will make flight data available to the public on a transparency dashboard.   

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026

Dearborn Public Schools continues search for superintendent

The search continues to find a superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools. Former superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko, stepped down from his position to serve as the State Superintendent. Lamis Srour is serving as the interim super until the position is filled. 

The district is collecting public input about the search until Feb. 16. People can fill out an online survey available in English, Arabic and Spanish. The Michigan Leadership Institute will also host stakeholder meetings Feb. 5 at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The district hopes to have a new leader ready to start on July 1, 2026.  

EPA removes hazardous materials

The Environmental Protection Agency is removing hazardous materials from a former industrial chemical plant in Detroit.

The EMCO facility on Lawton Street closed in 2023. Nine months later, someone vandalized the property and set a car on fire, which spread to a storage site containing more than 400 drums of chemicals. The Detroit Fire Department put the flames out before the drums could ignite.

The EPA says it should finish cleaning up the site this summer. 

Hollier announces state senate run

Adam Hollier announced he is no longer running for Secretary of State. Instead he will run for the state senate seat for District 3. District 3 includes Hamtramck, Highland Park and the east side of Detroit. Stephanie Chang currently represents the district. Hollier served in the state senate representing District 2 from 2018-2023. 

Detroit Red program honors Malcolm X, jazz, and Detroit

A new musical performance honoring the legacy of Malcolm X, the history of jazz, and Detroit is coming to Wayne State University. Detroit Red has a 10-piece multidisciplinary ensemble composed of artists LuFuki and Destiny Muhammad. The program will include panel discussions, workshops, and performances. 

Detroit Red will be held Feb. 8th at the Valade Jazz Center at Wayne State University.  Malcolm X gave his last speech at the university’s State Hall on February 14th in 1965. The program is hosted by DREAM of Detroit and is free to the public. To reserve your spot, visit detroitred.org. 

Konjo Me has a new location

Ethiopian food pop-up Konjo Me has found a home at the Detroit Shipping Company. The space is currently under construction, but owner Helina Melaku says it will open soon, offering fresh Ethiopian food, coffee and culture to diners in Midtown. 

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

In the past few weeks, the country has experienced an onslaught of news and information that can often be hard to process. 

From the capture and detainment of the president of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro—which included multiple civilian deaths—to the murder of U.S. citizens by ICE agents, it’s not hard to understand why some people simply check out or take matters into their own hands.

But how much of this is learned behavior? How can it be contributed to learned helplessness? The idea that no matter what you do as an individual or group, the outcome will NOT change.

Dr. Julia Felton, associate professor of psychology at Wayne State University. Dr. Felton joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to unpack learned helplessness in our society right now.

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.

More stories from The Metro

Want to add some vigor to your vocabulary in 2026? Wayne State University can help you with that.

Every year, a group of “Word Warriors” publish a list of words that people don’t use much anymore, hoping to revive them.

It’s a counterpoint to Lake Superior State University‘s annual “banished words” list.

Chris Williams works in WSU’s Communications and Marketing Department. He says both lists have one thing in common: nominations from people who love language.

“I’ve received submissions from as far as Australia,” he says. “We have Word Warriors everywhere.”

Williams says the list celebrates the joy and precision of language.

“We don’t want to deny people to use words,” he says.

What do they mean?

The 17th Word Warriors list follows with definitions and ways to use them in a sentence:

Abnegate – To renounce or reject (something desired or valuable). “He abnegated the family inheritance to make a name for himself on his own.”

Abscond – To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft. “The burglar absconded with the money before anyone noticed he’d entered the house.”

Coterie – A small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people. “He retreated to an online chat room, where he could be surrounded by a coterie of fellow enthusiasts.”

Fluckadrift – Excessive speed or urgency of movement or action. “The kids spent most of the summer day rotting around the house but moved with a frantic fluckadrift to straighten things up once they knew Mom was on her way home from the office.”

Gudgeon – A person who is easily fooled; a gullible person. “The gudgeon believed almost everything he was told, no matter how improbable.”

Inchoate – Something just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary. “The inchoate organization was a mess of squabbling and confusion as the members learned how to work with each other.”

Psithurism – A rustling or whispering sound, such as leaves in the wind; susurration. “He left his earbuds at home and took a long walk in the woods, the blathering of podcasts replaced by the soothing soundtrack provided by the psithurism in the trees.”

Quanked – Overpowered by fatigue; exhausted or having one’s energy consumed. “After spending all of his Thanksgiving weekend managing the demands of customers, he was positively quanked and slept for 12 hours.”

Snoutfair – Having an attractive or pleasing face. “His character might leave much to be desired, but his snoutfair appearance made him a hit on TV.”

Swullocking – Overwhelmingly hot, boiling and humid weather. “He stepped outside, bracing himself for the swullocking August day.”

Anyone can submit a word

Williams says the Word Warriors are always looking for suggestions.

“Anyone who has access to our website can submit a word,” he says. “Every Monday, we post a new word.”