The United States signed the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago, and still historians debate what metric the nation should use to define being American.

Long before genetic testing became a standard for identity, the country originally passed laws based on blood. The one-drop rule claimed that even “one drop” of known African ancestry legally made one Black under the law. It created the grounds for Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act and formed Quadroon and Octoroon communities in Louisiana, impacting the property, citizenship, inheritance, and marriages of Black people. 

America did not escape that past after the emergence of artificial intelligence, which determines ancestry using percentages and data bias. The Freedman’s Bureau indexing initiative challenges that by using technology for Black restoration rather than ranking.

Dr. Carolyn Haliburton Carter is a Detroit historian, professional genealogist, and founder of Storykeepers Heritage Network. She also authors articles on the Michigan Chronicle and oversees seven federal Underground Railroad historic designations as the chair of Detroit’s Historic Designation Advisory Board.

During a period where information is manipulated by the government—as seen last year from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who ordered national parks to remove negative content about America—histories like the Underground Railroad are fragile. “Those who control the narrative cannot simply control the history,” Carter says.

She joins The Metro to discuss the relationship between identity, U.S. history and modern genetic testing. As more people use DNA tests as a doorway to their heritage, Dr. Carter outlines what could be missed if we stop at data instead of entering a realm of living history and memory.

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 stream on-demand. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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A new version of one of the world’s most advanced AI platforms is being workshopped inside Detroit classrooms.

A leading artificial intelligence company, Anthropic, is piloting a model of its Claude AI system designed specifically for teachers.

The company’s head of beneficial deployments is Elizabeth Kelly.

She has a background in helping develop safeguards for A-I.

Kelly says the Claude-For-Teachers program is available nationwide but being test-driven in the Motor City.

The city of Midland is the first in the state to use AI to inventory their tree canopy.

Midland partnered with the Davey Tree company and used special software to assess more than 30,000 urban trees.

Midland’s Director of Parks and Recreation Marcie Post says the TreeKeeper system uses a type of 3D scanning technology that is integrated with AI. 

“And what we do with this system is it helps us track where our trees are, species, health, basically everything we need to know about our trees. So that if something were to happen let’s say if we were to get a pest we have an  idea of where that pest is, what trees it may affect, and so on and so forth.”

She says the city is dedicated to the health of its trees.

“We know what value trees bring both in aesthetic appeal but also financially we know the value of a tree so we’re just really excited to be able to show our residents how important we think it is and really to continue education on trees and the importance of trees in our environment.”

Post says the software detects information about the species, circumference and health of each tree, giving the city a baseline for management. Midland’s trees have suffered from pests like the Emerald Ash Borer and this software can find gaps in the tree canopy that need to be filled. 

The city’s trees were scanned last summer and data analysis will begin this summer.

This story is a part of WDET’s ongoing series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

Researchers are using digital technology to improve forest management strategies.

Michigan State University scientists have employed a 3-D mapping technology called LIDAR—which stands for light detection and ranging—to make a digital model of a pine plantation.

Dave Carter is an assistant professor of Silviculture at MSU. He says LIDAR can survey areas faster than foresters.

“In terms of area, that person may only cover like 1% to 5% of the total stand, whereas a LIDAR measurement would conceivably cover like the whole stand aerially, and maybe accurately count and measure 90% to 95% of the trees in some cases.”

After LIDAR scans are uploaded, an AI model simulates different management strategies and finds the most effective ways to remove or apply treatments to trees, or even predict the effects of tree thinning.

“And we were just trying to demonstrate that that workflow was possible, where you could take that simulated thinning, pass it off to a model, have it project what the future yield would be as a result of your thinning, and then do that a number of times and figure out which method is best.”

Carter says AI can be faster and more precise than traditional methods of thinning, saving time and money. He says this technology could eventually be used by tree farmers as well as conservationists

This story is a part of WDET’s ongoing series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

Access to mental health care for young people is an issue gaining more attention in the U.S.  Studies show social media use has changed the landscape for many adolescents.

Sarah Masad is a therapist at My Mental Wellness, a free mental health clinic located inside the Islamic Center of Detroit.

She says many girls come in with body issues stemming from social media usage.

“There’s a lot of depression that comes with that, a lot of family issues that come with that, feeling misunderstood, ” she explains.

She sees clients between 7 years old and 27 years old from Arab American and South Asian communities.

Masad says the clinic offers the option of incorporating faith-based therapy into sessions. 

“I do see that identity struggle a lot too, figuring out what they believe in, what their values are, with what they want to do, and then that struggle is like what they want to do versus what their family says, or what society says,” she shares.

Masad says a lot of people are also turning to ChatGPT, when they don’t have access to their therapist. She says this can be harmful for people who may be dealing with extreme delusions or other mental health issues. As a therapist, she tries to play a supportive role.

“I think that it’s like the struggle with dealing with the AI and social media, and being young, and then also trying to be their therapist, and make sure that they know that I’m with them and not against them, have some sort of like authority trying to make you a better person.” 

“The best thing I think for trauma is meeting them where they’re at, and also giving them autonomy.”

She works with clients to provide different strategies that may work for each client.

“Every single person is different…even if that person is dealing with these very, very similar trauma. The way that they are dealing with it and the way that they are coping with it is not the same.

Creating access to faith-based mental health care

The Islamic Center of Detroit opened the My Mental Wellness clinic in 2024 as a fully staffed mental health clinic to provide free services and remove stigma and barriers to accessing care. 

Masad says she was drawn to work in this space.

“I felt more fulfilled and allowing me to have the space to do support groups was another big thing, and creating these events for my clients, curating events for my clients, so that there’s a thing for everybody,” she says.

Previously, she’s held peer groups for young professionals who are the children of immigrants, exploring the toll it may take on people and their daily lives, and future career choices. 

She’s also starting a Sisters Stroll, a guided meditation with nature walks for people to meet new people and go outdoors together. 

“I have a deep passion for nutrition and health in the world, and teaching people how to take care of themselves even when they’re at their low point,” she explains.

Masad says she’s trying to teach people more about the connection between gut health and mental health. She says a lot of older clients come into therapy with physical symptoms of mental health. 

“I’m trying to fill that gap, trying to see how do I approach this with people who feel hopeless and helpless, and it’s not about solving, it’s about getting through whatever situation that they’re going through,” she explains.

One of the largest data center projects in the country is happening in Michigan, in the small farming community of Saline Township. Southwest of Ann Arbor, Saline Township is home to roughly 2,300 people.

Many of those residents did not want a data center. Their board voted against it, and their neighbors packed the meeting hall. Then the lawsuit came.

The companies are Oracle and OpenAI. Together, they are worth more than a trillion dollars. The township said it could not justify the fight, so it settled, and construction began.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer calls it the largest single investment in Michigan history.

It will use more electricity than an average nuclear reactor produces.

State lawmaker Morgan Foreman represents the district where it is being built. She says her constituents were not partners in this project; they were bystanders to it. She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how a small community of farmers and small-business owners ended up hosting one of the most consequential pieces of AI infrastructure in the country.

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.

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Starting off slow and mellow with tracks from Swamp Dogg, Herbert and Gabrielle Cavassa—who will be performing this year at the Detroit Jazz Fest. Then we go hyperspeed with new music from Dry Cleaning and Soulwax. Tune in and tune out!

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for May 5, 2026

• “Jimtastic Blues” – Greentea Peng
• “Glitter” – BENEE
• “Trying to Live My Life Without You” – Otis Clay
• “Sleeping Without You Is a Dragg (feat. Justin Vernon & Jenny Lewis)” – Swamp Dogg
• “Brother Where Are You (Matthew Herbert Remix)” – Oscar Brown, Jr. & Matthew Herbert
• “Hypnotised (feat. Mel Uye-Parker)” – Herbert
• “Just Like A Baby” – Sly & the Family Stone
• “Hold Me” – SAULT
• “If I Should Die Tonight (SaLaAm ReMi’s Piano Mix)” – Marvin Gaye
• “Prisoner of Love” – Gabrielle Cavassa
• “Last Night Reprise (feat. Cautious Clay, Kaki King & Maeve Gilchrist)” – Arooj Aftab
• “Where Would You Be” – Yaw
• “Can We Pretend” – Bill Withers
• “Mary Don’t You Weep (Piano & a Microphone 1983 Version)” – Prince
• “Demon In Profile” – Afghan Whigs
• “God Gets You Back” – Mogwai
• “Firesuite” – Doves
• “Here It Comes” – Doves
• “Melody Day” – Caribou
• “Can’t Run But” – Paul Simon
• “Roscoe (Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve Remix)” – Midlake
• “Tom The Model” – Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man
• “Deep Harbour (feat. Alfa Mist)” – Commodo
• “Tek Control (feat. Liam Bailey)” – IZCO
• “Brownout” – Ghost Funk Orchestra
• “Traveling With (feat. Jeff Parker & Anna Butterss) (LIVE ON WDET)” – Daniel Villarreal
• “Dita Cuja” – Nicholas Mariano
• “Uncanny” – Daniel Villarreal
• “R&B (Theo Verney Version)” – English Teacher
• “Sliced By A Fingernail” – Dry Cleaning
• “Rich” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• “Territorial Call of the Female” – BODEGA
• “Love Is the Drug (Todd Terje Disco Dub)” – Roxy Music
• “Perfect We Are Not” – Soulwax
• “In Person” – Low Island

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

It’s a Sunday night, and you’re sitting in the emergency room with your sick kid. The waiting room is packed — coughs and sneezes everywhere. Your child has a fever, so you wait. You worry.

Four months later, the health department calls. Your infant was exposed to measles that night. Now you’re facing weeks of medical monitoring.

That’s what happened to families at DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Oakland County last December.

As more people opt out of vaccinating their kids, what are the costs of containing an outbreak?

In Washtenaw County, health officials have spent close to $100,000 containing seven measles cases. That’s more than $14,000 per case.

The system worked: They contained the outbreak, conducted contact tracing, and prevented it from escalating into hundreds of cases. But we are spending enormous resources to achieve what used to happen easily through herd immunity.

Oakland County saw two measles cases last year and handled them well. But the county is now spending an extra $300,000 on vaccines even as vaccination rates keep sliding — Oakland County’s childhood MMR rate sits around 81%, well below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity.

Kate Guzmán, health officer for the Oakland County Health Division, joined WDET’s Robyn Vincent to talk about the hidden costs of outbreaks, and what communities lose when prevention falls behind.

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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In late 2024, Michigan lawmakers voted to provide tax breaks for large data centers. Since then, local officials across Michigan have seen an influx of proposals. 

Last year, there were more than 15 proposals for data centers across the state. Several are still waiting for the green light, including one in Allen Park. The city’s planning commission has delayed a vote twice this year, requesting further information from Solstice Data.

These proposals come with the promise of jobs, but taxpayers are skeptical. They want to know if the electric grid handle the energy demand data centers create, and how much air, water, and noise pollution they will produce.

Steven Gonzalez Monserrate is a post-doctoral researcher at Goethe University in Frankfort and studies data centers and how they affect the people and the environment.

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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