The City of Detroit and Motor City Match held a ribbon cutting for Kidz Kingdom in District 7 in Franklin Park.

Kidz Kingdom childcare center during the week & play & party space on the weekends.

This business received $85,000 from Motor City Match in Round 23. This allowed the founder, Danielle North to be able to own the building instead of rent.

She says this opportunity allows more families to be served.

“I did have a passion and dream and fire inside of me to make my city a better place. To show people…that actually that there is more that we can do that there is greatness that already exists. My friends bring their kids here, my family brings their kids here. This is the block. This is what Kids Kingdom is about.”  

Additional Headlines for Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Spirit Christmas stores to open across Michigan

With the holiday season approaching fast, Spirit Christmas is coming to Michigan.

Shoppers will be able to visit the seasonal retailer stores beginning in November in metro Detroit’s Macomb and Taylor, along with Flint and Grand Rapids.

Spirit Halloween has nearly four dozen stores open statewide for Halloween. To find the nearest one near you, check here.  

.500 Detroit Lions to take on the Arizona Cardinals Sunday afternoon

The Lions have two wins and two losses, currently sitting at third in their division. 

A lot of critics are pointing to their lack of Defensive production.

Lions Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard went viral in a press conference addressing the issue. “I can care less about perception. It’s all poison. Especially the praises”

The Lions hope to build some momentum as they face the Arizona Cardinals in State Farm Stadium in Glendale Arizona at 4:25 p.m. EST on Sunday.

Upcoming Detroit City FC home game

Detroit City FC face Rhose Island tomorrow at Keyworth Stadium. Game starts at 7 p.m.  

One win Red Wings to host the Kraken Friday night

The Red Wings face the Seattle Kraken today at 7 p.m. at Little Ceasars Arena.

Harvest Fest across The Villages

This Saturday, The Villages Community Development Corporation, the East Village Associaiton and more are hosting Harvest Fest at the Shepherd near Waterworks Park from 12-4 p.m.

Organizers say this is an event where attendees can celebrate the season with an afternoon of pumpkins, s’mores, skate demonstration, live music and more. For more information, visit here.

In this episode

• In this episode

• Who are the candidates running for Michigan attorney general?
• Big Deal, Little Deal: Which midterm headlines does the MichMash team think are big deals and which are little deals?

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Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

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The midterms are less than a month away, and there is one race that hasn’t received as much attention as the others. This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben discuss the race and talk to the candidates running in it.

With such a high-profile midterm election, the race for attorney general has flown under the radar for much of the campaign season. Republican Doug Lloyd, the Eaton County prosecutor, is running against Democrat Eli Savit, the current Washtenaw County prosecutor. Both candidates are facing questions from critics. Lloyd is being questioned about whether he would be beholden to the Trump administration. He says he has never even met the president.

A whole bunch of new and old for throwback Thursday including new music from Allison de Groot and Rich Ruth and their standout adventurous blend of banjo-driven folk and big prog rock guitars on “Nervion,” plus classics from Emitt Rhodes (the one man Beatles!), the Zombies, Led Zeppelin and more.

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 October 8, 2026

• “I Believe In Love” — Tyler Ballgame
• “Somebody Made for Me” — Emitt Rhodes
• “This Will Be Our Year” — The Zombies
• “Draggin'” — Hannah Cohen
• “Going to California” — Led Zeppelin
• “Goodbye Mr. Blue” — Father John Misty
• “Words” — Big Thief
• “Knife” — Grizzly Bear
• “Quick Canal (feat. Laetitia Sadier)” — Atlas Sound
• “In a Dream” — Misha Panfilov Sound Combo
• “Northern Sky” — Nick Drake
• “Don’t Be Cruel” — Billy Swan
• “Save It for Later (Live)” — Pete Townshend
• “Summer Girl (Bonus Track)” — HAIM
• “Water Me Down” — Vagabon
• “Please Be Mine” — Molly Burch
• “Nervion” — Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth
• “Fire” — Waxahatchee
• “The Joke” — Brandi Carlile
• “When I Was Younger” — Bonny Light Horseman
• “Cello Song” — The Books
• “Fake Palindromes” — Andrew Bird
• “Hold on, Hold On” — Neko Case
• “Pretty Pimpin” — Kurt Vile
• “Macho” — Jaakko Eino Kalevi
• “TOY NO” — MUGRE
• “The Quarterdrawing of the Dog” — Siouxsie & The Banshees
• “Love Like Blood” — Killing Joke
• “It’s No Reason (Remastered)” — The Church
• “Spangle (Non-LP Version)” — Jimmy Eat World
• “Diving Woman” — Japanese Breakfast
• “Hot Scene” — pôt-pot
• “Oh! Sweet Nuthin'” — The Velvet Underground
• “Willin'” — Little Feat

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.”

Michigan’s secretary of state oversees license renewals, car registrations and elections — the voter rolls, the rules clerks follow, and the certification of results. Jocelyn Benson is term-limited. Two candidates are running to replace her.

Anthony Forlini is the Republican. He’s the Macomb County clerk and register of deeds, and he spent six years in the state House and six as Harrison Township supervisor.

This year Forlini has been looking for noncitizens on Michigan’s voter rolls. In January he said he found 15 in Macomb County. In May he said he found seven more. The state reviewed all 15 names and found at least three of those people are citizens.

A separate state review of the 2024 election found noncitizen voting is extremely rare — 16 ballots out of roughly 5.7 million. Nessel charged five people in August.

The Metro’s Robyn Vincent spoke with Forlini about how rare noncitizen voting is and what he’d do as secretary of state.

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, the Democrat in the race, joins The Metro next week.

Editor’s note: Forlini said noncitizens are turning up for jury duty in Macomb County. People there have claimed not to be citizens to get excused — but whether they are in fact noncitizens is not established.

The jury pool comes from driver’s license records, and Michigan doesn’t require citizenship for a license. Election administrators note that people sometimes claim noncitizenship to avoid jury duty.

He also said 96% of Republicans and Democrats voted for his bills in the Legislature. The Metro has not verified that.

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

More stories from The Metro

Hark! In this week’s Metro Events Guide, show off your crafting skills at the Detroit Public Library! Wanting to delve into culture and history? Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the Detroit Historical Museum!

Also: a Planet Ant original play of tricks and treats, the Senate Theater turns 100 years old, Sonic Memory Circles, the Woodbridge Porch Concert Series returns and much, much more!

Upcoming Events (Oct. 9-15)

My Daddy Is Haunted! – An Original Horror Comedy

Planet Ant Theatre

Oct. 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 31

$30 online / $35 door

In Eastern Europe long ago, evil warlock Sterling Mandrake was burned alive by a nun attempting to save her village. Now, the Maplesquatch family is visiting Mandrake’s vacant castle. Couple Orwin and Margo Maplesquatch thought they were in for a fun family vacation, alongside their daughter Leona and son Linus… but the kids start to notice something is wrong with Dad. In search of a romp full of mysteries and laughs? Make your way to Planet Ant Theatre, if you dare! Online ticket sales end one hour before every performance.

The Intimacy of Memories

Detroit Artists Market (DAM)

Oct. 9-31

Free

Delve into nostalgia and experience the Intimacy of Memories throughout the month of October at DAM. 10 artists will be featured in this exhibition exploring the five senses looking to the past. A curator walkthrough and artist talk for the exhibit titled ‘Intimacy, Remembered’ is happening on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 1-2:30 p.m. Register in advance here.

The Senate Theater 100th Anniversary

The Senate Theater

Oct. 10

$25 – $150

Bring the spirit of the Roaring 20s 100 years into the future! The Senate Theater’s 100th birthday includes live music, a dance, a short film screening and unexpected performances. From burlesque to spoken word, magic and plenty of surprises, The Senate promises to keep the good times going! This party of the century runs 8-11 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Woodbridge Porch Concert Series

Woodbridge

Oct. 10

Free

Do you hear that? It’s the sounds of fall! The annual Woodbridge Concert Series returns for a sixth year. Hear genres from folk music to rock, soul and everything in between. An entire list of performers and relevant addresses can be found here.

Harvest Fest

Little Village

Oct. 10

Free

Enjoy free s’mores and donuts, live music from the Carr Center, crêpes from Warda, art vendor booths, Tyree Guyton’s solo exhibition and so much more at this year’s Little Village Harvest Fest! Father Forgive Me will be open for food and drinks, Detroit Metropolitan Dance puts on a performance, plus a skate demonstration by A Positive Seed along with plenty of fall fun! Harvest Fest runs from noon to 4 p.m.

Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

Detroit Historical Museum

Oct. 10

$15 / $8 children aged 6-12 / Free for members and children 5 & under

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through an exploration of storytelling and culture at the Detroit Historical Museum’s inaugural Hispanic Heritage Program! Hear from the highschoolers from Southwest Detroit via their research and storytelling sessions. This event runs from 1-2:30 p.m. and is designed for families, students, educators and community members. Learn Hispanic history and heritage at the Detroit Historical Museum! Registration is encouraged.

All Ages Crafternoon: Pet Ghost

Detroit Public Library Chase Branch

Oct. 10

Free

Get spooky with art! This free Crafternoon event from the Detroit Public Library guides you as you make your own friendly spirit and a cozy home for it too. Let your creativity shine with decorations including googly eyes, lights, paper faces and more, all at the Chase Branch! Saturday’s event runs from 3-5 p.m.

Detroit Art Book Fair

Vander Detroit

Oct. 10-11

Free

Zine enthusiasts rejoice! The Detroit Art Book Fair returns for its twelfth year, this time at Vander Detroit. On Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., chat with featured local indie authors and view their work. This event is free and open to the public.

Cider in the City

Beacon Park

Oct. 10-11 and 17-18

Free

Want to enjoy the treats of a cider mill without having to drive far? Look no further than Cider in the City. Enjoy cider and donuts courtesy of Blake’s, live music, food trucks, family activities and more! Beacon Park staple restaurant Lumen Detroit will be there with fall cocktails, craft beer and cider selections. This cider-filled event takes place from 1-5 p.m. across this weekend and next. Attendees can pre-order drinks and bites served at the event for pick-up here.

Sonic Memory Circles

Marygrove Denk Chapman Hall

 Oct. 11

 Free with RSVP

Afro Moone and the Detroit Sound Conservancy present a community centric afternoon and early evening of performances and conversation. Each performance will have a guided conversation with a member of the community. After the afternoon is up, these exceptional displays of music and oral histories will be added to the DSC audio archives. Nourishment and refreshments will be provided. RSVP can be found here.

ProsperUs Detroit Family Block Party

Shed 5

Oct. 14

Free / RSVP strongly encouraged

Ring in the fall season with an evening at Eastern Market with ProsperUs alongside amazing food, people, local products and live entertainment. Whether you’re there to chat, network, or revel in the great vibes of this community-centric event. This celebration of local businesses, community members as well as community partners is family friendly. Donations are welcome but not required. This celebration runs from 5-8 p.m.

“You can do the thing that you’re watching…” 

Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Chris Bathgate provided some inspirational words on this week’s MI Local, as we got into a bit of a TED Talk-ish tear about the importance of participating in your community.

In this sense, we spun a ramble on watching YouTube clips instead of actually getting out there and actually doing the thing, yourself! But to a larger extent, we were talking about making sure that you’re showing up to support local music, and especially local music venues. 

Bathgate, who recently released his sixth full-length album (The Significance of Peaches), came to the studio to specifically talk about other musicians, particularly singer/songwriter Cash Harrison, whose new single, “Dog Year,” we premiered at the top of the show.

Bathgate and Harrison are both performing this weekend (Friday, Oct. 10) at The Ghost Light in Hamtramck, with The Go Rounds. 

Along with a brief interview, where we touched on the beauty of Harrison’s new song, as well as an update on Bathgate’s own new writing projects, we were treated to a live performance of the song “In The City,” from Bathgate’s 2011 album Salt Year. 

After that, Ann Arbor-based singer/songwriter and genre-defier Kat Steih, who leads the four-piece rock group known as The Ferals, sat in for an interview and a couple of live performances. Steih is a musician, singer, composer, and educator who has lived abroad for much of her life but always called Michigan home–she’s also continually experimented with her sound and describes, in compelling detail, what motivates her adventurous spirit as a creator. 

Kat Steih and the Ferals are releasing a new album on Nov. 5, Feral Geometry, and we spoke about that, as well as the details around the release party.

Along with a brief interview, we also heard two live performances and the lead single from their new album. You’ll hear guitarist Alex Anest contributing, while drummer Bob Zammit focused on photographic documentation. 

Also on tonight’s show, some premieres of new music from Detroit-based artists Moon Date (indie-pop/new-wave revivalism), Carley Lusk (alt-folk/indie-pop), and a new electronic project from the talented singer/songwriter Annie Bacon, known as Ma Reilly.

Bacon premiered a new single, “Give It Grace,” under the new Ma Reilly moniker, ahead of the Dec. 3 release of that project’s debut album, Exile to Neptune. 

Tay Glass says almost anyone can be the villain.

The vice president of Story Fest and co-founder of Back Pocket Media says the company’s third annual installment in Detroit is bound to be something special. This year, they invite visitors to explore this year’s theme, “Villains: stories about what we fear, what we misunderstand, and what we become.”

Featuring a litany of award-winning journalists, comedians, local artists and storytellers at the Detroit Opera House, the live performance shows off writers and performers from across metro Detroit.

“The ways in which stories are told are as diverse as what the stories themselves are about. From true crime to comedy, politics to poetics, Story Fest invites you to experience a brief and piercing look into the soul of the city,” the company says on its website.

Glass tells The Metro that while villainy can fly under the classic trope of good versus evil, sometimes you can be the villain, too.

“This could be small scale stuff, like hogging the arm rest on a long haul flight. We have one storyteller sharing an amazing story about working a summer job at Rent-A-Center and realizing, ‘Oh, shoot, maybe I’m the villain here.’”

StoryFest starts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8 at the Detroit Opera House. Tickets available on Story Fest website.

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

A new 10-week program is pairing Detroit Black older adults with Wayne State University students to improve social connection and digital literacy.

Dr. Rodlescia Sneed is the program director for the Intergenerational Wisdom Exchange (WiSE). She’s an assistant professor in Wayne State’s Institute of Gerontology and Department of Psychology.

She said social connections are important for health and well-being, but many people depend on technology to maintain that social connection.

“It was our goal to increase social connection and reduce loneliness among older adults, while also improving their technology skills so that we could make improvements that impact their health and well-being,” she said.

Sneed said the program focuses on developing one-on-one connections to make it easier for older adults to learn digital literacy.

“One thing that’s really important when you’re trying to learn something is that you feel comfortable with the person teaching you. Many older adults express that they’re not comfortable speaking up when they don’t understand technology, especially when they’re trying to learn it in a group format,” she said. 

The first half of the program is focusing on sharing life stories of Detroiters. The second half is learning digital literacy.

Oral histories a focus of WiSE

The program is open to Black older adults who live in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb County. Sneed said adults are paired with students who live nearby to reduce transportation barriers and increase accessibility. 

She said undergraduate and graduate students from psychology, social work, engineering, and other disciplines participate in WiSE.

The adults will share their personal stories with the students, who will write them down and give copies to the adults.

“We’re talking about a community that may not traditionally have a lot of written history, and so particularly, I think there is value in families being able to have written histories that they’re be able that they’re able to share across generations, and we’re providing that,” she said.

Racial and technological divide

Sneed said there are large racial divides when it comes to accessing technology and using it. The program aims to reduce those gaps.

“We see divides both in access to technology and comfort with use of technology. We’re trying to close that racial gap. That’s why we specifically selected Black older adults,” she said.

She said students will have an opportunity to learn about the history of Detroit from Detroiters.

“Students really benefit from being able to talk to older adults, hear their wisdom..it really is helpful to them when they’re trying to make plans for their futures going forward. It’s a really good opportunity for students and older adults to make connection and also to learn new skills,” she shares.

The program ends around Thanksgiving this year. The program will repeat next semest

The city of Detroit approved a three year, $2.7 million contract for surveillance cameras and lighting in four parks across the city.

Detroit-based Bayview Electric Company will provide the service for public walkways in Chandler Park, Eliza-Howell Park, Maheras Gentry Park and Rouge Park. 

According to council members, this is part of the answer to community public safety concerns in these areas. The contract comes after residents have voiced concerns over privacy and surveillance from third party companies, most recently Flock cameras and ShotSpotter.  

Council Member Denzel McCampbell said he was particularly concerned about whether data would be stored on a private, third-party server.

According a city report, the cameras will collect data on locations, vehicles, and individuals at the parks.

Though a third-party vendor will install the cameras, all data will be stored and monitored by the city’s video management system. Video will be kept for up to 30 days unless it contains criminal evidence.

Cameras will be connected to the Detroit Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center. Requests to access surveillance data will be reviewed and approved by the city’s Law Department.  

Additional Headlines for Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026

Michigan Arts and Culture Council grapples with staff cuts

The Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) is reacting to a roughly 40% cut made to its staff. Officials say they were blindsided when three of its seven staff members were dismissed without warning.  

Nafeesa Symonette is vice chair of the council’s board. She says she worries the cuts may deal a blow to Michigan’s $15 billion arts and culture economy.  

“Artists won’t get to do the kind of work they do for a living. One of the goals in the sector is to keep artists here…to produce art here. If they don’t have the resources to do that, they go elsewhere.”

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), which oversees the Arts and Culture Council, confirmed to WDET that it approved the cuts.

The MEDC says it part of a larger 15% reduction to its workforce.  

Romulus warehouse being sold by the Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security is selling a Romulus warehouse it had planned to use as a detention center for immigrants. Michigan Advance and Project Salt Box (an investigative newsletter) report DHS is also selling six other buildings nationwide. The government bought the Romulus facility for almost $35 million dollars in February.

It scrapped plans for a detention center after residents who live near the warehouse protested that it was too close to their neighborhoods. 

Metro Detroit drivers are about to get some relief for a major traffic headache.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is nearing the end of its Restore the Reuther project. 

Crews have been rebuilding I-696 between I-75 and M-10 since early 2025. They took care of the eastbound lanes first and recently completed work on the westbound side.

Starting on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, MDOT will reopen the westbound lanes.

Spokesperson Diane Cross says they’ll also reopen all the off-ramps on westbound 696 except one–the Woodward Avenue exit. She says they were working on Woodward but had to stop because of the annual Dream Cruise.

“We have to come back and do some work on the service drive,” she says. “And because of that, we can’t have any traffic coming off the freeway through the area where we’re working.”

The end is near

To prepare for the reopening of the westbound lanes, MDOT will close the freeway between I-75 and M-10 from 9 p.m. on Oct. 9 until 5 a.m. on Oct. 12. 

Cross says eastbound 696 remains closed between M-10 and I-75, but that won’t last much longer

“We have to repair all those places where we were letting traffic cross over through the work zone,” she says. “We’ve got a lot of clean up in the median on before we can shift eastbound back.”

Cross says that work should be complete by the end of the year.

Once both sides of the freeway are open, drivers will no longer have to use the 26-mile detour around eastbound 696. It has taken traffic south on M-10, east on Davison, and north on 75 to rejoin the Reuther Freeway.

MDOT still has work to do on 696 between I-75 and Dequindre. That will start in 2027, but Cross says they won’t have to close the freeway.

“We will leave two lanes open in each direction,” she says. “It’ll be slow and there’ll be work, but traffic will be able to use the freeway.”

Maintenance will continue

Cross says drivers will see maintenance work on 696 in the years to come.

“We have to take care of small problems before they become big problems,” she says. “You want us doing maintenance because that makes the roadway last longer.”

Drivers can get updates on the project at MDOT’s Driving Oakland website.

It’s one of the most well-known and beloved sets of hand-painted signs in Eastern Market. 

With a new development of the building at 1401 Gratiot Avenue set to start this fall, however, a major question lingers:

Who will save the bees?

The cartoon bees on the former Busy Bee Hardware building are all that’s left of a century-old business that closed its doors in 2017. They were painted by Martin Hirchak as “MPH Signs,” although it’s unclear how long they’ve been there.

Today, despite being weathered and fading away, they’re still greeting folks heading to Eastern Market at one of the main entry points at Gratiot and Russell.

They’re also under threat. 

Changing habitat

Earlier this summer, Crain’s Detroit Business reported the former Busy Bee Hardware property is undergoing a $12.5 million redevelopment that’ll turn the main gateway into Eastern Market into 17 apartments and more than 6,000 square feet of retail space. It’s being spearheaded by developer Roger Basmajian. Construction is expected to start this fall.

Even in their current condition (and maybe because of their current state), the bee murals feel and look like the character of the market even as it evolves.

Old-school businesses have closed. Developers like Basmajian and others have moved in. The Eastern Market Corporation itself rides the line between embracing new development and maintaining the foundational meat and produce businesses that act as a backbone to one of the largest outdoor public markets in the country.

American folk art like these hand-painted signs are one of Detroit’s defining hallmarks. It’s been well documented in photographer David Clements’ excellent book “Talking Shops: Detroit Commercial Folk Art” from 2004. More recently, photographer Andrew Anderson built an online database of signs painted by Ron Miller (a.k.a. Ron Signs), known for his signature chrome-style hand-painted signs on myriad Detroit businesses.

You could make the argument that signs like these around the city and the Busy Bee Hardware bees themselves were in part the inspiration for Murals in the Market, the longtime mural festival in Eastern Market that brought large-scale murals into the neighborhood between 2015 and 2025. Detroit artist Kobie Solomon even painted a giant beehive on the back of the Busy Bee Hardware building as part of the mural festival, honoring the original bees.

In the same Crain’s article, developer Basmajian told the paper that he was going “restore the building back to its original glory,” adding that “all the artists that put murals on the building, once we do the tuck-pointing, we are going to ask them to come back and touch them up, if we can locate them.”

In a rendering featured in Crain’s, however, the murals — including the busy bees — are nowhere to be found.

Is that an oversight by the architectural firm helping to redevelop the property, or is it simply developer smooth-talk to promise on preserving this piece of Eastern Market’s character and failing to deliver?

As Eastern Market grows and changes, it’s inevitable that things will change. No one is against seeing the market expand and flourish in new ways.

There’s great artistic character to Martin Hirchak’s bees at 1401 Gratiot. It’s small tangible pieces of art like these and countless other hand-painted signs and murals around the neighborhood, however, that help make something a landmark and add to the cultural memory of thousands of patrons flocking to Eastern Market over the years.

Art like that is also what ends up attracting developers to a neighborhood like this to begin with.

Here’s hoping a new development can honor the character of Eastern Market when construction is scheduled to wrap up in 2028.

 This article was originally published in Midbrow. 

The citywide coalition MoveDetroit is announcing the first 13 winners of a grant aimed at increasing and stabilizing the city’s population. 

The initial Make Detroit Home awards are worth $15,000 each.

One of the recipients is local entrepreneur Karissma Yve. She says she will use the money to invest in scaling her business. 

“We hire from the city right in our community. We are excited to grow both our factory and the work that we’re doing here…I’m really excited and honored to be able to…invest (it) back into the company, but ultimately (it’s) the investment into the people in the community that we’re hiring from.” 

The coalition will offer another 300 grants of $1,000 each to assist current and future Detroiters with business projects, down payments, home renovations, rent and relocation assistance. 

Additional Headlines for Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026

Free speech survey says Michigan universities don’t make the mark

Multiple Michigan universities got failing grades in a college free speech survey. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) conducted the study for the seventh year.

It found students felt like they can’t speak on controversial topics openly on campus. 
Data analyst Chapin Lundthal Cleary says university policies, behaviors and student responses were evaluated. 

“Our goal is to protect free speech rights, both on and off campus, for all Americans…for instance, (with) the college free speech rankings…students can have a more informed idea of what the speech climate is at schools they’re considering attending.”

The University of Michigan and Central Michigan University got “F” grades for free speech and Wayne State University got a “D.” 

Detroit city council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero asks for data center moratorium

A Detroit city councilmember wants an 18-month moratorium on Al data centers while the city figures out how to regulate the facilities. 

Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero has asked council attorneys to draft an interim zoning measure that would pause permitting through March 2028.

Detroit city planners are separately developing zoning rules addressing data center infrastructure and environmental impacts. 

Mayor Mary Sheffield’s administration says it has effectively paused permits for new principal-use data centers while those regulations are being considered but her office has not formally adopted the moratorium previously requested by council. 

20,000 mail-in ballots received by the city less than a month before election

Detroit election officials say about 20,000 absentee ballots have been returned with less than a month remaining before the November election.

The city mailed roughly 100,000 absentee ballots between Sept. 19 and Sept. 24. 

Detroit has 38 absentee ballot drop boxes across the city. Election officials say the early return rate is encouraging as they prepare for the Nov. 3 election. 

New music from Leon Bridges, who clearly wants to make you dance on new single “Watch You Dance,” produced by the folks behind Jungle. Plus, Matthew Dear’s “New Drug” is as addictive as ever. We also explore new releases from War on Drugs, Sierra Ferrell, S.G. Goodman, Twisted Teens and more.

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 October 7, 2026

• “Watch You Dance” — Leon Bridges
• “Special” — Babe Rainbow
• “New Drug (Original)” — Matthew Dear
• “Queen” — Perfume Genius
• “New York” — Cat Power
• “Let Me Get There (feat. Kurt Vile)” — Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
• “End of the World” — Sharon Van Etten
• “Jesus, Etc.” — Wilco
• “Stay High” — Brittany Howard
• “Ride Lonesome” — Beck & Sierra Ferrell
• “Highway Anxiety” — William Tyler
• “Don’t Let Go” — Johnny Blue Skies
• “Who’s That” — The War on Drugs
• “Mint Tea” — Johnny Blue Skies & Sturgill Simpson
• “Shine” — Dolly Parton
• “Trying to Love You” — Sierra Ferrell
• “I Dig Love (2014 Remaster)” — George Harrison
• “Out In the Woods (Remastered 95)” — Leon Russell
• “Pepper” — S.G. Goodman
• “When We First Met” — Twisted Teens
• “Stabilise” — Nilüfer Yanya
• “Mirror Test” — Pigeon
• “Nome de Deus” — Sessa
• “Lady Day & John Coltrane (feat. Rahsaan Patterson) [12″ Version]” — Brian Jackson & Masters At Work
• “Low Rider” — Quando Quango
• “Toco madera” — Jorge Drexler
• “Puaj” — Salin
• “22° Halo” — pôt-pot
• “West Side” — Studio
• “There Goes the Fear” — Doves
• “oh baby (lovefingers remix)” — LCD Soundsystem

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.

Many couldn’t tell you what an attorney general does. But in Michigan, a lot of people know the name Dana Nessel.

She was the lead lawyer in the Michigan case that helped bring marriage equality to the nation. Then she became this state’s top attorney. For eight years she’s been unabashed about her politics and about who she is.

Dana Nessel’s office won convictions against nine clergymen for abuse going back decades. It won more than $1.5 billion from opioid manufacturers. It fought utility companies over the cost of electric bills. And it sued the federal government — many times over.

To some, Nessel’s become one of Michigan’s strongest defenders. To others, she’s gone too far.

A new Michigan law says whoever replaces Nessel in January cannot sue the federal government without permission from state lawmakers. Republican state House Speaker Matt Hall pushed for the law. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed it.

Attorney General Dana Nessel spoke with host Robyn Vincent about the battles she’s fought and why.

She said her office has contested every utility rate hike request since she took office — roughly $4.7 billion saved for ratepayers, by its own count — and that the system is broken anyway.

Vincent asked how she squares that fight with a governor of her own party who appoints the commissioners  approving those rates, and Nessel she would not have made Whitmer’s appointments to the Michigan Public Service Commission, and that the governor could have reappointed former Commissioner Alessandra Carreon, who Nessel said sometimes deferred to her office’s arguments.

Carreon’s successor, Commissioner Shaquila Myers, was “well known — I’ll just say it — to be in the pocket of DTE,” Nessel said. She added that during Myers’ time as chief of staff to then-House Speaker Joe Tate, bills the utilities opposed “would somehow end up” quashed.

The Metro sought comment from the Public Service Commission and from the governor’s office.

Governor Whitmer’s chief of staff, Zack Pohl, said in a statement: “Shaquila Myers is one of the sharpest policy minds in the state, and she has dedicated her entire career to public service. She is a person of high integrity who is respected on both sides of the aisle.”

The Public Service Commission said in a statement that over more than 20 years in public service, Myers has been chief of staff to the lieutenant governor, a senior adviser to the governor and chief of staff to the speaker of the House. “During her time in the latter role, Michigan enacted a sweeping package of legislation that puts Michigan on a path toward 100% clean energy by 2040,” the statement said. “As she has from the beginning of her time on the MPSC, Commissioner Myers asks to be judged by her work at the Commission, including contributing to Michigan’s best affordability ranking in a decade and to enacting some of the nation’s strongest protections to prevent customers from having to bear any costs associated with data centers. She aims to continue that work during the coming years on the Commission.”

Nessel disputes that last point. In the same interview, she said that under the commission’s approval of power contracts for a Google data center in Van Buren Township, “the ratepayers are absolutely not protected at all.”

After the interview, the commission offered to make Chair Dan Scripps and Commissioner Myers available to appear on WDET. The Metro has invited Myers. 

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with statements from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office and the Michigan Public Service Commission.

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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The food rescue nonprofit Forgotten Harvest is working to harvest 1 million pounds of food by the end of the year.

Mike Yancho, the farm manager at Forgotten Harvest Farms, has been working at the farm for 13 years. He says farm staff till and prep the fields, but most of the planting is done by volunteers.

“There’s not a lot in the vegetable world that can be harvested by a machine, and so we do a lot of hand harvesting,” he explains. 

Last year 3,100 volunteers came out to the farm. Yancho says volunteers plant, weed and harvest plants. 

Lori Setera, assistant farm manager at Forgotten Harvest Farms, says several crates have already been filled.

“We’ve already loaded the trailer once and sent it back in with seven crates of cabbage. Those crates run anywhere from about 750 to 950 pounds,” she says. 

The farm’s funding comes from grants and donations. Setera says the space is donated by a previous board member.

“She leases it to us for $1 a year… the farm property itself is about 1,500 acres. But we only farm 100 of that, and then they lease out to other farmers in the area,” she explains. 

The farm supplements healthy foods people need or request, like hot peppers, which are popular. 

“I think about 20 different crops, and our main, our total harvest goal this year is about a million pounds. So that’s taking everything, you know, the cabbage, the corn, the broccoli, everything, and adding it up and getting to a million pounds,” she says. 

Soon they will plant carrots and spinach in a greenhouse to harvest later in the winter months.

Volunteer harvest

Abu Bangurah came out with his company, Midland Credit Management to help out. 

“Trying to save some cabbages from some pesky raccoons, one cabbage at a time,” he laughs. 

This year the cabbage has a disease. Volunteers strip away the outer affected layers.

Deborah Mahomes is also with Midland Credit Management. She comes out every year with her children and grandchildren.

“Last year we planted broccoli, and then we always planted zucchini, zucchini, lots of zucchini. We’ve done that several times. It’s just every year is something different,” she explains.

Mark Eskola is a senior trainer with ITC Holdings Corp., which manages high-voltage power lines in Southeast Michigan. He’s putting a cabbage in one of the large bins.

“I’ve never done this before, so it’s awesome to be working with all these other volunteers today, and it’s been a lot of fun,” he shares. 

Eskola says it was an opportunity to give back.

“This is all about helping people who are hungry and need food, so that’s why we’re here today, just to help people out,” he says. 

Steady progress

Yancho says the farm grows produce with plastic mulch , using drip irrigation tapes. “It’s a super efficient way to water the crops,” Yancho says.

Setera says the food grown in the field goes to the Forgotten Harvest warehouse, where it’s later dispersed.

“Mostly our stuff here goes farmers market style, just how you see it here in these crates. A lot of our brick-and-mortar pantry partners don’t have the equipment or the space to store these giant crates, so most of our things go to the mobile pantries,” she says.

Yancho says the food is the highest quality.

Volunteers were harvesting the food on a Thursday afternoon, but Yancho says the food could get to people in days. 

“Well, one thing that we know about the food that comes from the farm is it’s the freshest of the fresh. The cabbage that’s being picked today will leave here tomorrow, and it could be on somebody’s plate as early as Saturday,” he explains. 

Setera says volunteers harvested over 10,000 pounds of cabbage that Thursday.

“It’s really important for us, for everybody, to know what the weight is of what they harvest because one pound equals a meal,” she says. 

And for families in need, that could make all the difference.

On this episode of Visions, I play a mix of classics, recent cuts, and music made by musicians from Detroit.

I have classics from Eddie Gomez, Patrice Rushen, Leon Thomas, Thelonious Monk, Gloria Coleman, Luis Gasca, and Ed Blackwell. I play cuts from Detroit artists Kenny Garrett, Robert Hurst, Yusef Lateef, Pepper Adams and Donald Byrd.

I have a brand new single from saxophonist Tomoki Sanders featuring Mélanie Charles and Nicholas Payton, and two of the many artists you can hear at this week’s Edgefest in Ann Arbor: Hannah Marks and Junk Jazz. 

Check out the playlist below and listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Visions Playlist for October 5, 2026

• “Jazz Is Just A Game (feat. Nicholas Payton & Mélanie Charles)” – Tomoki Sanders
• “Thumbs Up” – Ed Blackwell
• “Twelve Tone Blues (Live At Pep’s Lounge, Philadelphia / 1964)” – Yusef Lateef*
• “I Am” – Leon Thomas
• “Hackensack” – Thelonious Monk
• “Unconditional Love” – Hannah Marks
• “Down Stretch” – Eddie Gomez
• “La Raza” – Luis Gasca
• “3 for Lawrence (feat. Bennie Maupin* & Marcus Belgrave*)” – Robert Hurst*
• “My Lady’s Waltz (feat. Pola Roberts)” – Gloria Coleman Quartet
• “I Wanted To Talk About Jazz” – JUNK JAZZ*
• “Curro’s” – Pepper Adams* & Donald Byrd* Quintet
• “Vashkar” – Carla Bley
• “Puttered Bopcorn” – Patrice Rushen
• “Mack the Knife” – Kenny Garrett*

* indicates Detroit artist

Tonight, Big Sonic Heaven featured some great new shoegaze from Encarta 98, out of Bogotá, Colombia. They were handpicked by Robert Smith to open for The Cure and Slowdive in 2023. From New York, we heard the latest single from Aerial Love Feed, described as apocalyptic shoegaze. Plus, new music from Johnny Marr, and lots more. 

We also gave away an advanced copy of the book, “Still in a Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers, and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984-1994,” written by journalist Simon Reynolds, who covered shoegaze while it was exploding! And as always, I mixed in some of your favorite shoegaze, dreampop, and post-punk classics!

Big Sonic Heaven playlist for Oct. 4, 2026

• “Black Sun” – Dead Can Dance
• “Kisses” – Slowdive
• “Can’t Be Sold” – Echo & The Bunnymen
• “Already Yesterday” – The Church
• “Strange Land” – The Tear Garden
• “Paradise” – New Order
• “Like Me” – MØAA
• “That Feeling” – Johnny Marr
• “Terrified” – trentemøller
• “We Raise Our Hearts” – Postiljonen
• “Tomorrow” – Ladytron
• “Glass Castles” – &Tilly
• “Painted Bird” – Siouxsie & The Banshees
• “Blush” – The Secret French Postcards
• “Will it Break” – Silverdeer
• “Closedown” – The Cure
• “Ice Pick (Walk Away)” – Boy Harsher
• “Spanish Heart (feat. Bernard Sumner)” – 808 State
• “A New Goodbye” – Nation of Language
• “Nada va a cambiar” – Encarta 98′
• “Cocoon” – Morphine
• “Happiness Is Easy” – Talk Talk
• “I’ll Be (2026 Remaster)” – Sing-Sing
• “Who Sees You” – My Bloody Valentine
• “Pale Trembles a Gale” – The Autumns
• “The Drift” – deary
• “Blood on the Leaves” – The Wolfgang Press
• “REM (feat. Lili Hall)” – Now Always Fades
• “Deus” – Sugarcubes
• “The Big Shake” – The Mary Onettes
• “We Prayed In the Dark” – Echo & The Bunnymen
• “Someone New” – Aerial Love Feed
• “Thursday” – Asobi Seksu
• “Memories Fade” – Tears For Fears
• “Stare Into Light” – Velour 100

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café,  the Indiana band Houndmouth, now 15 years on, have released their 5th album called “Lordy.” Songwriter Matt Meyers takes us through the (difficult) process and the band runs through some of the new tunes!

Also, in-studio archives from Fitz & The Tantrums, Bruce Cockburn and the legendary Richard Thompson (coming to the A2 Folk Fest in January).

See the playlist below and listen to the episodes on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Acoustic Café Playlist for October 4, 2026

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “Godspeed” – Mavis Staples
• “Liberty Tree” – Phoebe Bridgers
• “I Am Your Season” – The Womack Sisters
• “Changes Like The Weather” – MT Jones
• “Don’t Gotta Work It Out” – Fitz & The Tantrums (2011 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Jesus, Etc.” – Margaret Glaspy ft. Norah Jones
• “Heavy Eyes” – Houndmouth (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guests)
• “Lordy” – Houndmouth (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guests)
• “Remember To Cry” – Billy Strings
• “Bound To Rain” – Ken Pomeroy
• “Yellow Dog Blues” – Bruce Cockburn
• “Pacing The Cage” – Bruce Cockburn (1997 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Fiddler’s Green” – The Tragically Hip
• “Nitro/Hey Sarah It’s Gonna Rain Forever” – This Is Lorelei
• “Prayer For The People” – Farayi ft. The Steeldrivers
• “My Whole World” – Kings Of Leon
• “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” – Richard Thompson (1996 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “All The Beauty” – Pete Yorn
• “Hope Is The Thing With Feathers” – Rhiannon Giddens
• “Solid Gold Country” – Todd Snider
• “Long Haired Country Boy” – Todd Snider (1996 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Tiger Blood” – Houndmouth (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guests)
• “Never Gonna Die” – Houndmouth (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guests)

Listen to Acoustic Café with host Rob Reinhart every Sunday from 1-3 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, tickets for the Ann Arbor Folk Festival are on sale early this year as A2 is celebrating their 50th Folk Fest. In today’s show, we’ll check out some of the artists on the bill.

Also, new tunes from Michigander, new albums from Beck, Beabadoobee and some on the way from Sylvan Esso, Joy Oladokun as well as a couple leftover “guilty pleasure” songs from the fall fundraiser shows!

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

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for September 26, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “I’m Into Livin'” – Stevie Wonder
• “Our Year” – Tegan & Sara
• “The Way It Goes” – Leon Bridges
• “Have A Great Day” – Us3
• “10th Floor” – Apropos
• “Rock & Roll Never Forgets” – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (Oct 1976)
• “Tears Dry On Their Own” – Amy Winehouse (Oct 2006)
• “Naked Eye” – Lucious Jackson (Oct 1996)
• “Silencio” – U2
• “Reflection” – Jungle
• “MADitation” – Rodrigo y Gabriela
• “One And The Same” – Thee Sacred Souls
• “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” – Wang Chung (Oct 1986)

HOUR TWO:

• “It’s Easier” – Stevie Wonder
• “Ebony Eyes” – Stevie Wonder
• “X-panded Universe” – Father John Misty
• “Every Sorrow” – Nick Piunti
• “Grass” – XTC (Oct 1986)
• “All That I Got Is You” – Ghostface Killah (Oct 1996)
• “So Fine” – Electric Light Orchestra (Oct 1976)
• “Unconquered” – Tom Morello ft. KNEECAP
• “My Baby Loves Me” – Pokey LaFarge
• “Laughter & Tears ” – The Womack Sisters
• “Can You Get To That” – Funkadelic (new 2026 remastered)
• “The Monkees” – The Monkees (Oct 1966)
• “Love Rollercoaster” – Ohio Players (Oct 1976)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org