Detroiters who use I-94 to get to and from Metro Airport are about to experience some delays. The Michigan Department of Transportation is starting a three-year construction project this week.

Thirteen miles of the freeway from Dearborn to Romulus will undergo major renovations, including concrete work, bridge work, and the rebuilding of the Ecorse Road interchange. I-94 will be reduced to two lanes in each direction during construction. Officials say drivers will continue to have access to Metro Airport from I-94.

Airport security increased

The next time you go to Metro Airport, you might notice some differences. The Detroit Free Press reports the airport has installed 9,000-pound concrete barriers in front of the McNamara terminal entrance.

The change was prompted by an incident last month in which a man drove his car through the front door at the departure level of the McNamara terminal and into a ticket counter. No one was hurt. Officials say the crash was not an accident.

Additional headlines for February 4, 2026

Candidate forum on education

Several of Michigan’s candidates for governor will gather in Detroit on Friday to discuss education. The Michigan Education Association is hosting a forum on the subject, saying it gives state residents a chance to hear from candidates on the issue.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, former Attorney General Mike Cox, former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are scheduled to appear. The forum runs from 10:30 a.m. until noon on Friday at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

Ish celebration of life Sunday

The American Arab Chamber of Commerce will hold a tribute to Ismael Ahmed on Sunday. The community activist and civil rights leader died last weekend.

Ahmed had a major impact on metro Detroit, co-founding the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services. He also played a crucial role in the creation of the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn.

The Celebration of Life in Honor of Ismael Ahmed takes place Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Ford Performing and Community Arts Center in Dearborn. The event is free and open to the public.

Pistons trade Ivey

The Detroit Pistons have traded guard Jaden Ivey in a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Ivey goes to Chicago. The Pistons receive Kevin Huerter, Dario Šarić, and a first-round pick swap with the Timberwolves. Minnesota receives luxury tax relief.

Gaming Control Board issues warning

The Michigan Gaming Control Board is warning gamblers to protect themselves in the days leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. The agency says residents should only place bets with state-authorized sportsbook operators and online platforms.

Officials warn that unlicensed gaming can lead to identity theft or the loss of wagering money. The Gaming Control Board is also urging Michiganders to bet responsibly.

The American Gaming Association estimates more than $1.7 billion will be wagered on the Super Bowl. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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

A Michigan lawmaker says he will continue calling for higher fees and tougher regulation of landfills in the state.

Michigan state Senator Darrin Camilleri pressed for the legislation last year as environmental officials weighed whether to renew the license of the Wayne Disposal site in Van Buren Township. Ownership also wanted to increase the size of the landfill by 24%.

The landfill became embroiled in controversy after its owners initially planned to accept toxic material left over from the first atomic bomb project.

Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) recently approved the site’s vertical expansion. But Camilleri says that result is not sitting well with those who live near the site.

The following interview has been edited for clarity.

Michigan state Sen. Darrin Camilleri: Just like my constituents, I am deeply disappointed and frustrated that EGLE decided to expand this toxic waste facility that sits in the middle of our communities. It’s something we’ve been fighting against for many years now. I’m trying my best to regulate it at the state level. But we have not been able to push these regulatory bills through the entire process. Renewing its license is just another slap in the face to my communities. They have said that they do not want to have these types of facilities in their backyard.

The toxic waste that we are getting from all over the country should not be dumped right here in Michigan. That’s been our number one calling point. Michigan is not your dumping ground and we should be doing more to push back against these types of facilities. So of course, when we heard about the permit getting approved, my residents and I were just devastated.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Michigan regulators said they had to address issues raised by the public. But they added that those issues could not be the basis for denying the landfill a license. Regulators say the facility doesn’t present any hazard to public health or the environment based on their monitoring of air, groundwater, etc. in and near the site. With all that being the case, do you see any other options for those who would be concerned about this expansion? Or is it just a done deal and live with it now?

DC: We have won in court when it came to the nuclear waste that came out of the Manhattan Project in New York and keeping it out of Michigan. Our local community leadership, including our mayors and supervisors, led the charge against those shipments and won in court. So there are options on the table to halt this type of material from coming into Michigan, but we do need to do more.

That’s why I  introduced bills further regulating landfills. We passed them out of the state senate and they’re currently sitting in the state house with no opportunities that we know of, so far, for movement. House Republicans have basically indicated that they are not interested in regulating these facilities. Which is really frustrating, because this is not a Democratic or Republican issue.

When I have town halls on these topics in Van Buren Township or in Wayne County, Republicans as well as Democrats come asking for change. We delivered that promise out of the state senate. And I’m going to keep trying this term and, if not this term, we’re going to try again next term as well.

QK: Some people blame the so-called “tipping” fees that Michigan charges for waste disposal, which are very low compared to other states or countries, for making Michigan a magnet for trash. You have talked about raising those tipping fees. A few months ago, I spoke with Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall about it. He told me that raising the fees would be “a kind of tax on people” for their trash. What’s your reaction to Hall’s argument?

DC: When we look at the reasons why we have so much out-of-state waste coming into Michigan, whether it’s regular trash or toxic trash, it’s because we have had so many low fees for far too long. Michigan has the lowest tipping fees in the nation. And that is a problem for us if you want to rein-in these large corporations that are sending their trash and their waste to Michigan. I believe that it’s time to raise the tipping fees.

And even in the proposal that we passed out of the senate, Michigan would still charge one of the lowest fees of any state in the country. But it would add more revenue back to the environmental cleanup fund and also, critically, put some of that money generated from out-of-state companies trying to send trash here and return the funding back to local communities in Michigan.

So this actually is something that would benefit our local community leadership. And it’s something that I think would be a long-term deterrent to some of these out-of-state companies continuing to use Michigan as a dumping ground.

QK: When someone like Speaker Hall argues that higher tipping fees equal another tax on people for their trash, what’s your response to that?

DC: That’s just not accurate. The fees that we’re talking about are put onto large companies. We need to hold large companies accountable for dumping their trash and their toxic waste in our communities. And then the fees that are generated from that sector go directly back into our communities to help our local governments, as well as EGLE, clean up other toxic and hazardous waste sites all over the state of Michigan. So, it’s a win-win. And there really is no reason for us to not engage in this debate. We can have a back and forth on the number and the price of the potential tipping fee. But to simply say no without a conversation is not serious policymaking.

QK: I’ve gotten different narratives from different state regulators about just how much room Michigan actually has for more landfills. Some say the state won’t have any more space for them after the next decade or two. Others say the state will always be able to build new landfills if it’s necessary. Do you have any view about that situation?

DC: One of the things that we would require in our legislation is a statewide hazardous waste management plan. We’ve not had one done since the 1980’s. And as part of that plan, I would require state regulators to map out and examine this exact question. How much waste can we take in? How much room is there for additional types of facilities? Or have we already met our cap, which is what I hope is the case. And how do we ensure that we can prioritize Michigan waste first before accepting all this out-of-state and out-of-country material? Our regulators have not really done enough to plan-out the future. This is one thing that our legislation would address.

It’s critical that we continue this conversation. Because communities like mine in Downriver and western Wayne County do have a significant amount of hazardous waste and regular landfills across our region. And we want to make sure that we are protecting our environment, taking care of our communities and investing back into them so they are the types of places where people want to move to.

Having one of these facilities in a densely populated area is just not the right move. My goal is to ensure that if they are going to exist, that they are regulated to a higher standard and that it does cost more money to send waste to Michigan. Because right now, we are way too cheap and it’s way too attractive for these out-of-state companies to dump their waste here. We’re saying enough is enough.

Detroit has a lot of needs, including things like bus transit, policing and security, and trash pickup. Those things cost money — money that can be difficult to come up with in a city of relative poverty. 

But with more people spending time in Detroit, and even moving to the city, it also has more opportunity to raise revenue. 

The Citizens Research Council investigated whether a sales tax could benefit residents by generating $72 million a year. Madhu Anderson is the council’s senior research associate for local government affairs. She believes a sales tax isn’t a great idea, but offered other possible ways Detroit could raise revenue. Anderson spoke with The Metro‘s Sam Corey.

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

When the Detroit Tigers won the 1968 World Series, starting pitcher Mickey Lolich jumped into the arms of his catcher, Bill Freehan, to celebrate an improbable comeback. The St. Louis Cardinals, who won the fall classic the year before, led the Tigers three games to one. But Detroit rallied to win the next three games. Lolich pitched two of those games from start to finish.

The left-hander from Portland, Oregon was named the most valuable player of the ’68 series, and went on to become the Tigers’ all-time leader in strikeouts (2,679), shutouts (39), and games started (459).

50 years later, Lolich put his baseball stories on paper in “Joy in Tigertown” in 2018 with help from Baseball Hall of Fame writer Tom Gage. WDET’s Pat Batcheller talked to Lolich about the book.

Pat Batcheller: Why did you write the book?

Mickey Lolich: I sit around with people all the time, and tell baseball stories about the Tigers and my life and that type of stuff. And people are always saying ‘you should write a book.’ I sort of always put it off. And then I came to realize one day that I had three daughters. And those daughters were quite young during my baseball career and really didn’t know too much about the game or what I did in my lifetime. Then I have grandsons that don’t really know anything about what I did. So I figured I’d tell my life story of how I grew up, what I did in those days that led to me being a baseball player. I also mix in the World Series games 1 through 7 and what happened in those games. I put the book together and we got it on the market and are getting a lot of compliments about it.

Pat Batcheller

Pat Batcheller: What will readers learn about you that they might not have known before?

Mickey Lolich: Well, maybe one thing—that they saw me pitch left-handed, but I’m right-handed. It sort of shocks people when they learn about that.

Pat Batcheller: How did you become a lefty?

Mickey Lolich: One day I was out riding in Portland, Oregon. That’s where I’m from. I was 2 years old. I was riding my hot-rod tricycle down the sidewalk. And I lost control of it, I went off the curb. And parked there was an Indian motorcycle. And I hit the kickstand and the bike came down on top of me and broke my left collarbone in two places. Well, back in 1942, they just sort of strapped your arm across your chest and wait for it to heal. When they took the bindings off, I had total atrophy in my left arm. It wasn’t working at all. So my parents had an exercise program, moving my arm in front of my chest, and back-and-forth. Then they took to putting it up and over my head like a throwing action.

Now, at that age, I was fascinated with picking up little trucks and cars and throwing them with my right arm. And when they saw me throwing things, they’d go, “wait a minute, we’ve got to strengthen his left arm.” So the next move would put my folks in jail now. They tied my right arm behind my back and made me use my left hand. Well, I still wanted to throw those little cars and trucks, so I threw them left-handed. And when I built up good strength in my arm, they untied my arm in the back and let me use whatever hand I wanted to. But I continued to eat, write, or whatever I did right-handed. But when it came to a throwing action, I always threw left-handed. And that’s how I became a left-handed pitcher.

The career that almost ended before greatness

Pat Batcheller: Your career as a Tiger almost ended before it began when you briefly quit baseball at age 21. What led to that decision?

Mickey Lolich: I was playing down in Knoxville, Tennessee. I had a bad outing and things didn’t go real well for me at all. And when the game was over, the manager of the team held a clubhouse meeting, called me up to stand alongside him and, in my opinion, ridiculed me far and above what he should have done. And I said, “OK,” and then they sent me off to Durham, North Carolina to play. Well, the next year, I was pitching AAA for Denver. And I was having a few problems at the beginning of the season. And the general manager in charge of the minors decided to send me to go to Knoxville. I said, “I refuse to go to Knoxville, I will not play for that manager again.” He [General Manager Jim Campbell] says “I’m in charge, and you’ll go where you’re going!” So I got an airplane ticket for Knoxville, I went to the airport, and cashed it in for a ticket to Portland, where I lived. When I got there, I called Campbell and said “I refuse to report to Knoxville and I am retiring from baseball.” And that’s what happened.

Pat Batcheller: Why did you come back?

Mickey Lolich: I got involved in pitching in an amateur game for a local team, my neighborhood team. I pitched relief one night for them. I struck out 16 guys in five innings—the catcher missed a pitch and I had to get the next guy. The headlines hit the paper, and went back east to Jim Campbell. He said, “Are you ready to go to Knoxville?” I said, “I told you I’m not going.” He said, “Well, I made a deal with the Portland team,” which happened to be a Kansas City Athletics affiliate at the time. Campbell said, “they would like to buy you, and I refused to sell you. But I will loan you out to Portland, your hometown team, and you can pitch there if you’ll agree to that.” And I said, “OK, I’ll play there.”

And that year I ran into a pitching coach for the Portland team by the name of Jerry Staley, a guy that happened to pitch once for Detroit. And he taught me how to throw the sinking fastball. I never had a sinker, I was just a hard thrower. And it changed my whole life. The next year, I went to spring training with the Detroit Tigers, the big club. I pitched 18 scoreless innings in spring training, but I didn’t make the club. Jim Campbell had to show me he was still the boss. He sent me to Syracuse, where I was for about a month. Frank Lary got hurt on Opening Day and they sent him to Knoxville—I felt sorry for the guy. They told me I was coming up for 30 days to fill in for Frank Lary, and then I’d go back to the minors. Well, that didn’t quite work out. 16 years later, I officially retired from baseball.

Looking back at the ’68 World Series, baseball today

Pat Batcheller: In your research for the book, you had a chance to watch replays of the 1968 World Series on YouTube. What do you notice now when you watch games that you pitched that you didn’t notice or didn’t remember before?

Mickey Lolich: Well, first off, it’s the first time I’ve seen replays of the World Series. I’d never seen it. We watched all seven games. The thing I noticed, referring to me, is that I was taught the first three pitches you throw, two have to be strikes. You go right after the hitters. Today, they nibble at the corners way too much. And another thing I noticed was I used to finish games and today, they don’t. They’re geared to pitch six innings and that’s it. Baseball has changed a lot.

Pat Batcheller: Do you watch baseball now?

Mickey Lolich: Yeah, I watch it. I follow the Tigers, you know, to see what’s going on, win or lose. This year’s been a losing season, but don’t worry, they’re rebuilding. We’ll see how long that takes. 

Pat Batcheller: Those who talk about the 1968 World Series often talk about how badly Detroit needed something to feel good about after the riots the year before and how the Tigers gave them that. Many of the problems that existed 50 years ago are still here today. Detroit has not yet fully healed. But you had no way of knowing back in 1968 what 2018 would be like. Do you still feel as if you and your teammates did something good for Detroit?

Mickey Lolich: Yeah, we all believe we did something good. I remember there were some police officers who worked at Tiger Stadium. One of them told me that in 1967, you’d see three fellas standing on a street corner, and they were looking for trouble. How they knew, I don’t know, I guess police officers can sense things like that. And then they said in 1968, you’d see the same three guys standing on the street corner and they had a transistor radio up to their ears and were listening to Tiger ballgames. And they’d say, “We think you guys prevented anything from happening again in the summer of ’68.” Now that’s what I was told, and I’m glad I can believe them.

Pat Batcheller: And you were there, of course…

Returning to Detroit

Mickey Lolich: The city of Detroit has come back a lot. The downtown area, you can see all the buildings that have gone up and the jobs that are down there. I’m glad Detroit’s coming back.

Pat Batcheller: You were at the 50th anniversary celebration at Comerica Park. How did it feel to be back with your teammates and in uniform?

Mickey Lolich: Well, I’m glad I didn’t have to pitch. It was a wonderful weekend for us. I have to congratulate the Tigers on doing it first-class. It was wonderful to see the players that I played with. We were all wearing baseball hats, and on those hats, were the numbers and initials of all the Tigers that were on the ’68 team who have passed away. So in our own little way, we’re paying tribute to our former teammates who couldn’t be there on that Saturday. It was done right, and I really enjoyed it.

The Detroit Transportation Corporation (DTC) is working on its $800,000 study on ways to improve the People Mover. The group plans to share its list of short-term improvements and long-term recommendations this spring.

Melia Howard is the general manager of DTC. She took over the role in January after previously serving as Detroit’s deputy mayor under Mike Duggan.

Howard says public meetings about the elevate rail’s future have been productive.

“People were coming in,” says Howard, “slowly, surely going through the design charrettes. Really taking their time and being thoughtful about how they want to see us grow and expand or remodel.”

Howard says expanding the People Mover to add new lines is not out of the question, but that would likely require outside funding from business leaders or the federal government.

“It’s all about the people,” says Howard. “So if the will of the people desire for us to move forward, then the onus is on to try to fill that need and move forward with it.”

The DTC plans to share its list of short-term improvements and long-term recommendations this spring.

Celebrate Ismael Ahmed’s life with us. Listen to a tribute made with love, sharing stories, music, and remembrances from those closest to him.

Ismael Ahmed: A life devoted to service

Ismael Ahmed’s life was rooted in community and guided by a belief that people are stronger when brought together. Born in 1947 to a working-class Arab immigrant family, he grew up in Dearborn’s South End, shaped by factory work, public education, and a commitment to justice that defined his life’s work

He co-founded the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), helped establish the Arab American National Museum, and later served as Michigan’s first Arab American cabinet member. Music was central to his activism. Through founding Concert of Colors and hosting This Island Earth on WDET, Ahmed used music to break down barriers and connect people across cultures.

Ismael Ahmed died January 31, 2026. He was 78 years old.

Highlights from Ismael Ahmed’s life

• Raised in Dearborn’s South End in a working-class Arab immigrant family.
• Served his country in South Korea during the Vietnam War-era.
• Organized Arab auto workers in Detroit at a time when their voices were often overlooked
• Co-founded Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS).
• Helped establish the Arab American National Museum.
• Served in state government and higher education.
• Hosted This Island Earth on WDET, sharing music beyond borders.
• Founded and led the Concert of Colors until the day he died.
• Left a lasting mark on culture, community and public service.

Share your condolences and tributes

We invite you to share your memories and reflections by visiting wdet.org/ismael or by emailing wdetdigital@wdet.org. You may also leave a voice message through the WDET app on your phone by tapping “Open Mic” in the bottom right corner of your screen.

We’re at that point in winter where we really could use a good party! January lasted a year and dropped a lot of snow on us (and significantly dropped the temps), and now the groundhog has seen its shadow, so we’re left with the long trudging march toward…March. What we need is a laid back yet kinda wild extravaganza, or perhaps, if you will, a festival! With lots of live local music and art and, frankly, positive vibes.

Cut to: Sled Season. This Saturday night at the Tangent Gallery, the twangy indie-rock quartet known as Toboggan Man is partnering with étude Productions to arrange a lineup that features classes and workshops, an interactive art installation, live performances, local artisanal and food vendors, DJs, and a stylish themed photo booth experience.

But this is MI Local, so we’re naturally focusing on the live local music, like Toboggan Man and past WDET guests like Pia The Band, Rose St Germaine, and Checker, along with TY, New Entertainment, and Lee Cleveland & the Lefthand Band.

Toboggan Man formed during the wintertime a few years ago, which played into the naming of their band (it just beat out the next contender for a name, ‘Ski Lift Fist Fight’). Listen to the show and you’ll meet this charming band and hear a couple live renditions of their songs, a charmingly scrappy blend of garage-pop stomp and alt-country clamber through a sweetly smiling indie-frayed lens.

Before we get to the interview with Toboggan Man, you’ll hear new tracks from the local artists like the Detroit electronic duo ADULT., and the power pop maestro Nick Piunti, both of whom have new albums coming out this season. We also heard a dazzling electronic-acid-jazz track from Alice Sun, new noise-rock out of Ann Arbor from Dancers, and a pair of my favorite hip-hop artists, Leaf Erikson and Noveliss.

This week also marks my second anniversary of hosting this show! Onward to year three of MI Local! Thanks for listening!

After years of pandemic disruption, driver shortages, and declining public trust, Southeast Michigan’s transit agencies say they’re finally back on their feet.

There are new labor contracts. New buses on the way. On-demand service pilots. Even a regional transit app designed to knit a fragmented system together.

But recovery doesn’t always feel like progress… especially if you’re still waiting 40 minutes for a bus that’s supposed to come every 10.

At a recent State of Transit meeting hosted by Transportation Riders United, transit leaders struck a cautiously optimistic tone. They said the crisis is over. But questions remain about access, equity, and reliability.

Noah Kincade leads Detroit Documenters, a civic journalism program where trained residents attend public meetings and take detailed notes to help the rest of us stay informed. He joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to examine how transit officials are framing the system’s rebound and how those claims compare with riders’ experiences.

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.

Since 1941 the Wayne State University Press has published over two-thousand titles that explore a number of topics from literature, to history to politics. Senior Director Stephanie Williams joined the program to discuss its offerings this season.

Notable titles

Repoliticizing the Word Through Poetry and Preaching: Early Black Christian Women’s Lives Matter  by April C.E. Langley

Weaving together the legacies of early Black Christian women, author April C. E. Langley explores how faith, poetics, and spirituality have shaped Black activism in the United States. Langley provides a dynamic close reading of the speeches, letters, poems, and sermons of three foremothers of modern Black women’s social justice movements—Phillis Wheatley, Maria W. Stewart, and Jarena Lee—and highlights the resistance strategies emerging from their use of religion as a means for imagination and potential liberation.

Dispatches from the Avant-Garage by Rebecca Kosick

Rebecca Kosick chronicles the rise, work, and legacy of the Alternative Press, a grassroots art and poetry publishing initiative founded in 1969 in Detroit, Michigan. Operated by Ken and Ann Mikolowski out of their home, The Alternative Press published original countercultural artwork and poetry by nationally renowned artists, including Alice Notley, and Robert Creeley, and Detroit-based powerhouse artists, such as Jim Gustafson, and Donna Brook.

Kosick’s research reanimates the Alternative Press’s unconventional publications with more than one hundred full-color images, while illuminating the national impact their avant-garde interventions had at the intersection of politics, art, and life in the twentieth century.

Roses and Revolutions: The Selected Writings of Dudley Randall by Dudley Randall, edited by Melba Boyd

Dudley Randall was one of the foremost voices in African American literature during the twentieth century, best known for his poetry and his work as the editor and publisher of Broadside Press in Detroit. While he published six books of poetry during his life, much of his work is currently out of print or fragmented among numerous anthologies. Roses and Revolutions: The Selected Writings of Dudley Randall brings together his most popular poems with his lesser-known short stories, first published in The Negro Digest during the 1960s, and several of his essays, which profoundly influenced the direction and attitude of the Black Arts movement.

By the Waters of Paradise: An American Story of Racism and Rupture in a Jewish Family by Clare Kinberg

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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More stories from The Metro

Affordability. That’s the word that’s been buzzing around politics. 

In November, Democrats across the country won on the promise of reducing the cost of living. 

But it’s not just liberals that are embracing an “affordability agenda.” Conservatives and libertarians are latching on as well. 

Jarrett Skorup is the vice president of marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which appreciates the free market and criticizes government regulation. 

In this conversation, The Metro‘s Sam Corey spoke with him about why he thinks unregulated capitalism can help free people from the burden of rising costs.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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More stories from The Metro

To counter President Donald Trump’s agenda, liberals aren’t discussing democracy. They’re talking about the issue of affordability.

Last year, Congressional Democrats fought a previous budget bill on the grounds that peoples’ healthcare costs would rise if it passed. In November, Democrats ran across the country — and won — on reducing the cost of living. Last month, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer unveiled a plan to make America more affordable. 

But what, exactly, is an affordability agenda? And how are politicians trying to resolve the affordability crisis?

EJ Dionne is a New York Times opinion writer, a professor at Georgetown University, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He joined Robyn Vincent to discuss.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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More stories from The Metro

The Michigan Department of Transportation has big plans for I-94 in western Wayne County. 

Crews will rebuild and repair the freeway between I-275 and Michigan Ave. at the Detroit-Dearborn city limits. 

MDOT project engineer Bill Erben says the work will start with clearing shoulders and medians in February. Erben says that includes removing some trees.

“For every tree that we cut, we replace trees at the end,” he says.

February weather is notoriously unpredictable, so the timing is important—especially for wildlife.

“There’s a prohibition on cutting trees during the season that’s conducive to bats mating,” Erben says. “So, we have to get the tree removal done from an environmental standpoint.”

Reconstruction and rehabilitation

Erben says the Restore 94 project has two main components—rebuilding and repairing.

“We start just to the east of Wayne Road and it’s all-new pavement through Beech Daly,” he says. “And then there’s significant section of pavement on westbound 94 from Southfield to the [Ford] Rouge [complex] that will get replaced as well.”

Between I-275 and Michigan Ave., MDOT will install five new bridges and create a new interchange at Ecorse Rd.

Spokesperson Diane Cross says drivers will have access to Metro Airport at all times.

“Drivers will always have I-275, which we redid in the last couple of years,” she says. “If we’re working at Merriman Rd., we’ll make sure Middle Belt Rd. is open and vice versa.”

Getting around it won’t be easy

MDOT plans to shift traffic from one side of the freeway to the other, starting with the westbound lanes. That will reduce traffic from six lanes to four. Erben says the goal is to keep traffic moving on 94 throughout the project.

“There will be local detours, but the bulk of the project is to try to maintain traffic on the freeway,” he says. “We’ll have temporary ramps that will carry traffic from one side to the other.”

The three-year project will affect homes and businesses along 94 in Allen Park, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Melvindale, Romulus and Taylor. That includes the Ford Rouge complex.

Erben says he’s listening to stakeholders. “We’ve met with Ford already, we’ve met with the mayor of Taylor,” he says. “We’re going to do whatever we can to keep that line of communication open.”

Toward that end, MDOT has two public meetings on the project. The first takes place at 1 p.m. on Feb. 2 at the Allen Park Department of Public Services on West Outer Drive. The second happens at 4 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Taylor City Hall on Goddard. 

This week on Visions, I celebrate Black History Month with the creators, innovators, and current shapers of jazz. Since jazz music is Black music, what better way to start this month than with jazz through the decades? This episode features bebop, spiritual jazz, the avant-garde, modern jazz and hard bop. It touches on themes of slavery, freedom, resistance, political issues of the time, and forward-thinking, afro-futurist art.

I start out in 1947 with one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, Charlie Parker. I move through almost each decade with selections from Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Dorothy Ashby, Andrew Hill, Sonny Stitt, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, and Ornette Coleman.

I play more contemporary selections from Cassandra Wilson, Wynton Marsalis, Trio 3 & Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell, and Kamasi Washington. I’ll continue featuring Black artists this month, so stay tuned!

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 Feb. 2, 2026

• “Donna Lee” – Charlie Parker
• “Bright Mississippi (Take 1)” – Thelonious Monk
• “What’s Your Story, Morning Glory” – Trio 3 & Geri Allen*
• “Driva’man (feat. Weedie Braimah, Milena Casado, Morgan Guerin, Simon Moullier & Matthew Stevens)” – Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell
• “Strange Fruit” – Cassandra Wilson
• “Original Faubus Fables” – Charles Mingus
• “The Chocolate Nuisance (Live)” – Cannonball Adderley
• “Lift Every Voice and Sing” – Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
• “There Is No Greater Love” – Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt
• “Land of Nod” – Andrew Hill
• “Broad Way Blues” – Ornette Coleman
• “The Windmills of Your Mind” – Dorothy Ashby*
• “A Love Supreme, Pt. 2: Resolution” – John Coltrane
• “Chambers Of Tain” – Wynton Marsalis
• “Final Thought” – Kamasi Washington

* indicates Detroit artists

Since 1986, The McDougall-Hunt Neighborhood on Detroit’s east side has been home to the Heidelberg Project, an environmental art installation that pushes the boundaries of what outdoor art could be and how it can improve a community. It was created by life-long Detroiter, painter, and visionary place-maker Tyree Guyton.

Through trials and tribulations, the Heidelberg Project celebrates 40 years this year. The installation preserves community history while reimaging the neighborhood where three generations of Guyton’s family lived. 

Guyton, now 70, is this year’s Kresge Eminent Artist. He’s being honored for his life’s work improving community through the arts. 

Guyton and the former manager of The Heidelberg Project Jeanne Whitefield joined The Metro. Whitefield is also Guyton’s wife of 25 years. Both spoke about life, legacy and the future of Detroit Heidelberg Project. 

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

Birth Detroit is Black-led, community-based midwifery practice and the first free-standing birth center in Detroit.

The organization’s co-founder, Elon Geffrard, says the practice is expanding the services it offers, with a continued emphasis on helping marginalized families.

“If you’re wanting to have an out-of-hospital birth experience in the hands of midwives, we also provide easy access care in the hands of midwives for prenatal care and individuals planning a hospital-based birth, we do GYN or well-woman services, and soon we’ll be offering well baby care,” she says.

Geffrard says Birth Detroit has served 500 families in the 6 years since its inception in 2020. She says the nonprofit also offers childbirth education classes, a fatherhood support group and postpartum classes.

Birth Detroit has been a freestanding birth center since October 2024. “Currently, we are at 12 babies who have been born at our birth center, and we are on call waiting for the next few,” she shares.

Making birthing safer 

The nonprofit focuses on empowering Black, brown, and Indigenous families, often who face higher rates of maternal and infant mortality.

“In public health we know that if we tend to those most disparately impacted, those who have experienced higher rates of illness, higher rates of death, higher rates of marginalization as well. We level up the entire ship, if you will. Everybody gets to rise up,” she says.

Last year the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said maternal and infant mortality rates were on the decline in the state.

Geffrard says the nonprofit’s standard of care is to have healthy moms and babies.

“We attend and build with intention to support those who, again, are most pushed to the margins, but thusly, we get to provide and offer to everyone the highest quality of care, the highest standard of care,” she explains.

She says Birth Detroit works to provide integrated maternal health care to keep people safe, working with a network of health care professionals.

“Sometimes, people no longer should be in the care of a low-risk provider like a midwife. They do need a maternal-fetal medicine doctor or an OB GYN,” she says.

Geffrard says babies born in the center do not have low birth weight or premature birth.

Providing the best in care

Geffrard says Detroit families deserve the best care. The center provides culturally sensitive care to advance their goal of  making high quality care accessible for marginalized communities.

The Michigan Black Birthworker Directory was created to have a central database of providers who serve Black and brown communities. It includes doulas, midwives, and lactation professionals, along with other service providers.

MDHHS says the state now has more than 1,000 registered doulas, nonmedical birthing assistants, providing support for moms and families to improve birth outcomes.

Geffrard says Birth Detroit worked to pass legislation, including the Momnibus 9 bill package to improve maternal health for communities of color, which passed in April 2025 in Michigan, but is pending in Congress.

“We want to build trees that we will not enjoy the shade of. Our children’s children’s children deserve safety. They deserve justice. They deserve love. They deserve trustworthy care. And that’s, I think, what we’re aiming to do every day,” says Geffrard.

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

Ismael Ahmed dies

Arab American activist and civil rights leader Ismael Ahmed has died. He was 78 years old.

Ahmed co-founded the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services in 1971. He was instrumental in the creation of the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn. Ahmed later worked in the Granholm administration as head of the Michigan Department of Human Services, leading one of the state’s largest agencies.

Throughout his life, Ahmed, known to many as Ish, believed strongly in the importance of fighting poverty. In a 2008 video message to DHS staff, he said:

“The question of poverty is the most important question of our time. I think we have lost the battle around that question. Many people have forgotten the importance and the powerful way poverty affects our lives.”

Ahmed founded the annual Concert of Colors series in 1993. For many years, he also hosted the programs Radio Free Earth and This Island Earth on WDET.

Reported by Jerome Vaughn.

Additional headlines for February 2, 2026

Hamtramck lead in water

The City of Hamtramck has elevated lead levels in its drinking water. The city posted a public notice on Facebook on January 22.

Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant people and children. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy evaluates lead levels in the city for compliance. Hamtramck’s lead levels exceed the action level of 12 parts per billion. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. The designation means that 10 percent of homes tested had high lead levels.

The notice says ongoing testing occurs every six months and that service lines may be replaced.

People with faucets installed before 2014 are at higher risk. Boiling water does not remove lead. The city recommends running cold water for up to five minutes before use and having children tested for lead in their blood.

Hamtramck participates in the state health department’s Faucet and Filter Safety Net Program. Residents may be eligible for a water filter if they have lead plumbing or faucets installed before 2014. Eligible households must include Medicaid recipients who are pregnant or children. For assistance, call 844-934-1315.

https://hamtramckcity.gov/elevated-lead-levels-in-some-homes-in-hamtramck/

Dearborn overdose decline

The City of Dearborn reports fewer overdose deaths for the second year in a row, with a 36 percent decrease in 2025.

The Dearborn Department of Public Health was created in April 2022. The department installed free Narcan vending machines throughout the city to help reduce overdose deaths. It also works to raise awareness about substance use disorder and reduce the stigma around seeking help.

Narcan is a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Free Narcan is available at vending machines located at the John D. Dingell Transit Center, the East Parking Deck at West Village Drive, the Wagner Parking Deck, and the Islamic Center of Detroit.

More information is available at Dearborn.gov/PublicHealth.

Many have been actively engaging and organizing against federal immigration enforcement and the killings of Americans at the hands of immigration agents.

It’s been true in Minneapolis, where thousands have taken to the streets. And it’s spread from there to Detroit and many other places across the nation.

Scenes in America this past weekend harkened back to the civil rights era with people taking to the streets, students walking out of class, and businesses shutting down for a national day of protest against ICE and the Trump administration. 

All these actions have us wondering: How effective have anti-ICE protests been so far? And when exactly is a protest successful?

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is a professor of constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She’s also the author of “A Protest History of the United States.” She joined Robyn Vincent to discuss.

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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Of all the architects in Detroit, one of the best known may be Albert Kahn. He designed some of the city’s most treasured buildings, including the Belle Isle Conservancy, the Fisher Building, and the Detroit Athletic Club. 

Even still, a lot of people don’t know that much about Kahn. They don’t know how or why his work changed architecture in Detroit, or any of his design preferences. 

Chris Meister is the author of the new book, “Albert Kahn’s Daylight: An Architect Reconsidered.” He spoke with The Metro’s Sam Corey about why much of Kahn’s work prioritized natural light.

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