Far-right influencer and anti-Islam activist Jake Lang appeared before Dearborn City Council Tuesday. As WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley reports, supporters and opponents gathered around Lang as he arrived. 

The city council meeting was moved to the Henry Ford Centennial Library in anticipation of large crowds for Jake Lang’s appearance in Dearborn Tuesday night. City officials encouraged residents not to engage with Lang supporters the day before. Several commentors praised Lang’s rhetoric during public comment. 

Mayor Abdullah Hammoud also condemned that message. “Ultimately, they’re attacking something much larger than any one faith or community, they are attacking the idea that all of us can belong to America at the same time.” 

Lang was escorted out of the city council meeting after failing to yield when his allotted time for public comment was over. 

Dearborn Police made 22 arrests.

Additional headlines for Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026

Benson meets with Black Detroiters

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson met with Black Detroiters as a part of her Democratic campaign for governor. Benson -who’s white —is running against Republican Congressman John James – who is Black. 

At the Benson event, Detroit Federation of Teachers president LaKia Wilson-Lumpkins told the crowd that shouldn’t matter. “All skinfolks are not kinfolks. Staying at home in November is not an option. Brothers and sisters in this room, voting for John James is a vote against our own interests.”

Republicans have criticized Benson for racial discrimination lawsuits her department faced while she was in charge. Benson has denied any allegations of racism and has often brought up her time fighting racial extremism with the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Justice Department has accused the SPLC of targeting conservatives. 

Americans for Citizen Voting campaign hits a roadblock

Voters might not get to decide on a proposed constitutional amendment to tighten Michigan’s voter I-D and registration policies this November. 

The “Americans for Citizen Voting” campaign may not have turned in enough valid signatures to qualify — based on a sample of a thousand signatures the state Bureau of Elections reviewed. The panel says a large chunk of those signatures are invalid. The Board of State Canvassers will decide next week whether the measure belongs on the ballot.

– Reporting by Colin Jackson, MPRN

Small Business Social Hour

The Tejara Innovation Hub is hosting the City Institute and New Economy Initiative for a social and networking event in Dearborn tomorrow. The Small Business Social Hour Summer series ends with its Dearborn event after two Detroit events in June and July.

Thursday’s event is free but registration is encouraged. It starts with networking from 4-7 p.m. with a program from 5-6 p.m.. It’s at the Tejara Innovation Hub 4921 Schaefer Road.

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

For the first time, truckers running between Detroit and Windsor have a choice of bridges — and the two crossings are competing for that business.

A semi pays about half as much to cross the new Gordie Howe Bridge as it does the Ambassador: roughly $35, versus $75.

But that’s a toll — what you pay to drive across. It has nothing to do with what is in the truck, and what is in the truck is about to get expensive. 

On Aug. 19, an additional 50% tariff is set to hit a long list of Canadian goods, among them wine, dairy, cement and hockey sticks. In other words, a business might save $40 getting a load across the river, then pay thousands more for the load itself.

So who actually comes out ahead here?

Mark Lee runs The Lee Group, where he has advised small businesses in this region for nearly 20 years. He joins host Robyn Vincent to talk tolls, tariffs, Delray, and whether Canadian visitors are coming back.

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. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org

More stories from The Metro

The City of Detroit has announced a three year, $9.2 million investment to help unhoused families move out of emergency shelter and into stabilized housing. The Homeless to Housed initiative will provide families with 6- 12 months of rental assistance, help them find a home, and provide additional support along the way.  

The program touts that it will assist up to 140 households each year with this program, which is approximately 500 Detroiters each year.  

In a press conference for the program, the city’s first ever Chief Executive of Health, Human Services and Poverty Solutions Dr. Luke Shaefer says this program is about more than providing shelter. “Its about creating pathways to stability. The mayor has challenged us to build a system where homelessness is rare, brief, and non recurring.”

Shaefer also describes how they were able to fund this program.   “This didn’t happen by accident…it happened because dedicated public servants were willing to rethink how we use available resources, they strategically aligned federal emergency solutions and grant funding to launch the Homeless to Housing initiative leaning into the mayor’s charge to us.” 
 
Priority for this program will be given to families with minor children. This program is also expected to free up space in existing shelter homes to provide assistance to other Detroiters facing homelessness.  

Additional headlines for Thursday, July 30, 2026

Small business summit 

The city of Detroit is hosting a micro and small business summit on July 31 at the Wayne County Community College District Northwest Campus. 

The summit is part of the Office of Contracting and Procurement, and it’s part of an effort to build Detroit based micro and small business industries.

The free event will provide attendees an opportunity to interact with funders, banks, and partner organizations including Goldman Sachs, First Merchant bank, the Detroit Development Fund, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and the Small Business Association.

For more information and to register go to detroitmi.gov. 

Sports 

Detroit City FC faces Miami FC on Saturday, Aug. 1 at Pitbull Stadium in Westchester Florida. Also, the club soccer team’s development of their new home stadium broke ground earlier this month.

The AlumniFi Field will hold 15,000 seats, an increase from Keyworth stadium that only holds 7,000 seats. It will also be the city’s first soccer-specific stadium, and the state’s only privately owned major sports stadium. The project also includes a 421-space parking garage and a 104-unit residential building with 76 affordable housing units. 

Completion of the stadium was slated for spring of 2027 but its now slated for 2028 USL Champion season. 

Sports

MLB 

And the Tigers efforts to climb up the American League Central division stalled a bit with a high scoring loss to the Baltimore Orioles yesterday 10-9.

They now face the Athletics in a 3 game weekend affair at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California. First pitch for tomorrow’s game is at 9:40 p.m. EST. 

Talk it Out Walk it Out

And on Saturday August 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History is hosting Talk it Out Walk it Out. This free admission event is an annual community conversation and awareness walk to highlight health disparities impacting Black women.

The event serves as a start to Black Women’s Health Month in Detroit. The event is being held at the museum.  

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