According to a Detroit Free Press report, Gov Gretchen Whitmer’s 2027 budget proposes $139.2 million dollars in fee increases. Some of these user fees for government services and licenses haven’t changed in decades.

There will be higher fees for things such as hunting, fishing licenses, boat registrations, and more. During her state of the state address, Whitmer asked Congress to pass her budget in June before the July 1st deadline.

Additional headlines for Friday, March 6, 2026

Sports updates

NBA

The Pistons fell to the Spurs again last night 106-121.

They hope to bounce back against the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow at Little Caesars arena. Tipoff is at 6:00 p.m.

NHL

The Red Wings face the Florida Panthers today at 7:00 p.m. as they try to climb back in the Atlantic division. They are currently sitting at 3rd place with 35 wins and 20 losses.

Club Soccer

Detroit City FC revealed their 2026 season uniforms during their organization event this week. This season’s kits draws inspiration from Detroit’s techno and electronic music scenes as well as the Detroit Red Wings.

The dark kit home uniforms are dark red to maintain the traditional La Rouge Theme, with red tonal wave pattern, gold numbers and white logos of the Spirit of Detroit. The light kit nearly copies a reversed version of last year’s home jersey, with maroon sleeves, salmon colored stripes, and maroon and taupe shorts.

To see their uniforms go to their website: detcityfc.com. You can start seeing these uniforms in action as the team kicks off their first match on Saturday, March 14 at Keyworth Stadium.

Free physical therapy clinic

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers is hosting a free in clinic event on March 19, 2026 at 5 p.m. to celebrate their one year anniversary.

The centers offer personalized physical therapy, balance training, vestibular rehabilitation, and auto injury care. They are focused on evidence-based rehab to help patients recover faster and improve their overall mobility.

Attendees will receive 20% off some products at the event. The event will be held at 30770 Southfield Rd. in Southfield.

Daylight saving time

Daylight saving time is this Sunday, March 8. It’s the annual period when we “spring forward” and adjust our clocks one hour forward.

Daylight saving time occurs at 2 a.m., when local time instantly jumps to 3am. As part of the yearly ritual, the sunrise and sunset will be one hour later, we’ll have more light in the evening and a later sunrise in the morning.

The push to stop daylight saving time was approved by the US Senate in the 2022 Sunshine Protection Act but did not pass the House of Representatives. A 2023 version didn’t go anywhere in Congress as well.

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

Formula 1, the most renowned auto racing competition, is gearing up for the first race of its World Championship season this weekend.

Metro Detroit fans, in particular, have a new reason to watch. For the first time, General Motors is entering the competition, while Ford is returning to F1 after a long absence.

Ford’s grand reveal

Earlier this year, the Ford Motor Company turned the Michigan Central station into a gala event attended by thousands, with millions more viewing it online.

It was all to celebrate a new paint scheme.

Specifically, the latest colors for the cars of Ford’s racing team partner, Red Bull Formula 1— a team that has won multiple F1 championships.

Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. told the crowd that racing is in the Dearborn-based automaker’s blood.

“125 years ago, my great grandfather Henry Ford won a race right here in Detroit to help launch the Ford Motor Company,” he said. “Alongside Red Bull, we intend to make history again. And to quote my uncle, Henry Ford II, ‘let’s go like hell.’”

Ford is helping Red Bull build its own engine, a process that’s taken years.

Reasons for Ford’s return

The automaker’s global director of racing, Mark Rushbrook, says rule changes mandating different types of chassis and new hybrid engines drew Ford to F1.

But he also notes that there’s been an explosion of interest in Formula 1 in the U.S.

It’s been sparked by Brad Pitt’s recent feature film about F1 and the Netflix TV show “Drive to Survive.”

Rushbrook says that makes investing in the series worthwhile for both the company and people looking to buy a Ford. 

“In Formula 1 we’re gonna have a great audience, great diversity in that audience. But there’s so much innovation and tech transfer that will make it onto our vehicles that we sell to our customers,” he said.

GM joins the race

It’s been more than two decades since Ford was in F1.

And now, for the first time ever, the pinnacle of racing includes Ford’s crosstown competitor, General Motors.

“We took the decision to come into Formula 1 before GM did because we wanted to race against Ferrari, Mercedes and we knew Audi was coming in,” Rushbrook said. “We believe it’s great that GM is coming in with Cadillac. It’s not necessarily a rivalry, per se.” 

Starting from scratch

GM, in fact, faces additional challenges.

Ford is joining the established Red Bull team. But the head of Cadillac’s F1 effort, team principal Graeme Lowdon, says General Motors is creating an entire Formula 1 car, plus eventually an engine, completely from scratch. 

“This team has grown from a sheet of paper, literally a blank sheet of paper, he said.”

Cadillac had to design and build a car while hiring enough people to staff a F1 team that typically employs 1000 people, including engineers, attorneys, marketers and others.

Lowdon likens it to the complexity and compressed timeframe of the Apollo project to land a human on the moon.

But although it will be based in the U.S., Lowdon said on the official F1 podcast “Beyond the Grid” the team is still grooming U.S. driving talent.

“Because we talk to the fans we know it’s something that they want to see—an American driver in an American car, ultimately with an American engine,” Lowdon said. “But this is Formula 1. You can’t go for second best just because it ticks some other box, because you’re not going to win.”

A dream come true

Cadillac made it to the track for test sessions earlier this year, but they faced some difficulty on the way.

Formula 1’s management initially rejected U.S. race team owner Michael Andretti’s joint bid with Cadillac to enter the series. The team was accepted after both Michael Andretti and a high-level F1 management official stepped down.

Some in Congress had also threatened to launch an anti-trust investigation, claiming F1 should not be allowed to hold races in the U.S. and then forbid a U.S. automaker from entering the series.

Cadillac kept an Andretti presence in the fold, appointing Michael Andretti’s father, legendary racer Mario Andretti, a board member of the team.

Cadillac even named its first Formula 1 car’s serial number after him, the MAC-26, as in Mario Andretti Cadillac of 2026.

Andretti says the result fulfills a dream he’s had since the 1960’s.

That’s when he says he met Zora Arkus-Duntov, who had turned GM’s Corvettes into race cars. 

“He knew the importance of F1,” Andretti remembered. “I kept saying, ‘Zora, you gotta get General Motors into Formula 1.’ He said, ‘Oh Mario, I speak, I speak. No one hear me.’ But now they heard.”

And GM officials say finally entering F1’s first race in Australia does not mean Cadillac has reached the finish line.

They say it’s just the start.

In this episode

• Why is State Rep. Karen Whitsett not seeking a new term?
• How has the Regional Transit Authority improved public transportation?

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

State Representative Karen Whitsett, is making waves this week for not running for a fifth term in office. What influenced her decision? This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow discuss her reasons for leaving as well as her career in office. 

Although Whitsett was a Democrat, there was friction between her and her own party. Gorchow pointed out multiple policy disagreements she had with her party but there was one thing that seemingly irked people the most.  “Whether in the most liberal corners of Detroit and Ann Arbor to the conservative bastions of Hillsdale…is that elected officials who don’t show up for work can hit the road.” 

This is in reference to Whitsett not showing up to multiple legislative sessions in the span of a year.  

Later in this episode Ben Stupka, executive director of the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan, stopped by to talk about road funding. Stupka says the RTA is responsible for things like making transportation in Detroit more efficient and unifying the fare policy between SMART and DDOT. When it comes to ridership he says things are improving. “We are 80% back to pre-covid levels. We are seeing an increase each year. Transit is a public service, if that means putting routes out there that aren’t heavily used but are available for the people who have funded them locally….that’s what we have to do.” 

Michigan’s 2026 budget includes an increase in road funding.   

• More from WDET:

  MichMash: Democrat Karen Whitsett facing backlash over abortion stance

  Detroit Evening Report: Gas prices spike after Iran war starts

  Detroit Transportation Corporation looks into how to get the People Mover on track

Today marks a milestone at WDET as the Don Was Motor City Playlist celebrates five years on air.  

Don Was and co-host Ann Delisi have delivered crate after crate of deep cuts and hits since 2021, helping listeners discover new favorite tracks and providing  stories about Detroit’s cultural history every Friday night.  

The show is a love letter to Detroit artists and a hub for all genres and musicians.  

Personal history of our hosts

Was and Delisi got to know each other while working on the Concert of Colors and cultivated a relationship that made them well-prepared for this powerhouse program. Delisi’s 35+ years of insights and experience as a broadcaster, combined with Was’ storytelling and internal archive of tunes, make this segment one of the most unique Detroit has to offer. 

Was, the six-time Grammy Award-winning Detroit native has done it all; quite frankly, there may be no music-related task too Herculean a feat for him to dip his hand in.  

He began his creative endeavors at Oak Park High School where formed his first band, The Saturns. But it wasn’t until he partnered with David Weiss to form Was (Not Was) that his talents were fully realized by the public with hits like “Walk the Dinosaur.”  

Following the band’s hiatus, Was became a successful producer, working with The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Willie Nelson and more. In 1995, he even received the Grammy for Producer of the Year.  

Delisi’s also a force to be reckoned with. She’s hosted Ann Delisi’s Essential Music program since 2009, focusing on creating a platform for local artists and spotlighting musical gems, both old and new.  

Delisi has interviewed a plethora of the greats, from David Bowie to Iggy Pop—she always keeps us on our toes with our ears pressed to the speakers.  

She’s also hosted Backstage Pass, a Detroit Public Television show about arts and culture in the city. In 2023, Delisi was presented with the Spirit of Detroit for her work in uplifting artists.  

Now, Was and Delisi combine their knowledge and lived experiences into one of Detroit’s funkiest radio shows. We couldn’t be prouder to host it here on WDET.

Here’s to five years of the Don Was Motor City Playlist! 

On today’s 5-on-5, we spotlight a duo carrying the torch of Detroit’s electronic musical imagination. We’re talking about Erogenous, the creative partnership of producer and multi-instrumentalist Tim Ellerbe and vocalist, writer, and multimedia artist Tamika “Diamond” Davis-Shelton. 

Erogenous sits at the nexus of Detroit house, electronic soul, and the narrative clarity of Black creative tradition. Ellerbe spent decades touring with the legendary R&B group Enchantment, observing band leadership, stagecraft, artistic discipline, and the mechanics of audience communication.  

That experience sharpened his ear as a producer, shaping him into the kind of arranger who hears the emotional architecture of a song before a note is even recorded. Davis-Shelton, a media professional, educator, entrepreneur, and creator steeped in Detroit’s cultural circuits, brings a commanding presence and conceptual depth. Her voice and writing extend what Detroit’s great frontwomen have always done: translate lived experience into sonic truth. 

Together, they formed Erogenous as a pure statement of electronic identity. Their work blends neo soul vibes, deep house textures, ambient warmth, and narrative songwriting, earning them an expanding audience and frequent rotation on this show. Let’s trace their journey in five tracks.   

5 essential tracks by Erogenous

1. “Sensual City” (2017)

That was “Sensual City” from The Encounters Project, released in 2017 by Erogenous.

Their next chapter would appear several years later with their 2023 release “Ebb & Flow.” Co-produced by Ellerbe and Davis-Shelton, the album reflects their growth as collaborators and the maturation of their sound. The project is more personal, more architecturally detailed, and more attentive to lyrical nuance. Its tracks move between deep house, downtempo reflection, and electronic soul, anchored by Davis-Shelton’s expressive delivery and Ellerbe’s refined production approach. 

2. “Your First Time” (2023)

That was “Your First Time” from Erogenous’ 2023 album “Ebb & Flow.”

The track highlighted the duo’s commitment to dynamic pacing, layered pads, steady low-end movement, and Davis-Shelton’s vocal phrasing that brings emotional contour without sacrificing groove.

The album itself represents a turning point for the duo, created during a period in which both artists were expanding their creative identities: Ellerbe forging a path through global meditation music on the Insight Timer platform, and Davis-Shelton through multimedia production, educational work, and community-centered artistry. 

The middle section of “Ebb & Flow” contains some of their most resonant compositions, including a tune that captures the pair’s understanding of belonging and interior grounding. Built with a strong melodic motif and vocal clarity, this next cut widens the album’s emotional frame.

3. “Home” (2023)

Ellerbe’s production foregrounds atmosphere without losing rhythmic precision, while Davis-Shelton brings directness to the lyrical line.

“Ebb & Flow” as an album-work demonstrated their skill in pairing emotional narrative with Detroit’s club lineage, tapping into the long tradition of electronic music as a vehicle for dance and introspection. 

4. “More Pronounced Shenanigans / Lomyl” (2025)

Their next creative leap came through “Erogenous: The Movie,” an audiovisual project that merges storytelling with electronic composition. It expands the duo’s aesthetic into cinematic territory with more experimental structures, thematic sequences, and arrangements that function as both standalone tracks and part of a narrative arc.

One of the project’s most notable pieces is a two-part composition built around tonal shifts and conceptual interplay.

The track reflects the duo’s interest in hybrid forms: part soundtrack movement, part electronic suite, part conceptual commentary. Their willingness to experiment while maintaining emotional coherence is a core reason their audience continues to grow. 

5. “Is it Okay?” (2025)

Across their catalog, Erogenous’ work honors the city’s history while crafting their own lane, guided by musicianship, intention, and an understanding that electronic music can be a site of healing, movement, and storytelling. 

 If you dig artists who embody the spirit of electronic music, keep listening to The Progressive Underground every Saturday evening at 6 p.m. on WDET 101.9 FM and wdet.org.  

For The Progressive Underground, my name is Chris Campbell. See you next time. 

The Metro team has been noticing a chilling effect as we dig for answers and information: some sources who used to talk to us are not picking up. Community members, advocates, and elected officials are going quiet. But silence is only one side of the story. The other side is a deliberate wall of noise.

Washington Post reporters obtained thousands of internal Department of Homeland Security messages and found a taxpayer-funded media operation embedded in immigration raids. Producers were told to flag “cinematic scenes” for the camera. When someone arrested had no criminal record — and nearly 74% in ICE detention don’t, according to government data — officials were told to find something else “newsworthy.”

At the same time, DHS has sent hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord demanding the identities of people who criticize ICE online. 

Maria Hinojosa has spent decades fighting against the silence and the noise. The Pulitzer Prize-winning host of Latino USA and founder of Futuro Media joined Robyn Vincent to talk about the federal government’s information war on immigration.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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

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

More stories from The Metro

The City of Hamtramck is now a part of the Michigan Main Street program as a Select Level city. 

The program is run by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which aims to bolster technical support for the city’s main downtown area on Joseph Campau between Holbrook and Caniff Streets.  

Milo Madole is the chair for the Hamtramck Downtown Development Authority (DDA). He says the partnership will build on the momentum of recent projects such as the Discover Hamtramck social media campaign and Hamtramck Night Bazaars.   

“…I think people recognize that, and it’s wonderful to be connected now with the resources that exist through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.”  

Madole says Hamtramck is attractive to visitors because it’s filled with 1920s historical buildings, cultural attractions and restaurants from every cuisine.  

Additional headlines for Thursday, March  5, 2026

Whitmer campaigns for free student lunches

Governor Gretchen Whitmer served lunch to middle schoolers in Troy yesterday as she seeks support for free meals for K-12 students in Michigan. Whitmer wants to keep funding for universal school breakfast and lunch in her final budget. She also wants lawmakers to keep funding them after she leaves office.  

“We’ve put in the budget the last couple of years. It’s been a game changer, and I love getting the chance to talk to students and all the people here at the school to find out what it’s really meant for kids, and its really remarkable, so I think we need to make this permanent.”   

Republicans want an income test to ensure free school meals go to families that need help. Studies show means testing often leaves more kids hungry. GOP lawmakers also say schools should be allowed to use the money for other purposes.  

-Reporting by Rick Pluta

Free naloxone kits available at local MDHHS offices 

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is providing free naloxone, a medication that reverses overdoses, at MDHHS offices across the state. MDHHS says the funding comes from opioid settlements and as part of prevention, treatment and recovery efforts. 

Michigan is set to receive $1.8 billion from opioid settlements by 2040. Half of that funding is allocated toward the State of Michigan Healing and Recovery Fund while the other half goes to counties, cities and governments across the state.  

People can visit a local MDHHS office to request the free naloxone kits. More than 1.7 million kits have been distributed, with a recorded 34,000 overdose reversals since the program launched in 2020.

Michigan residents can also pick up a kit from harm reducing agencies, vending machines such as ones in Dearborn at the train station, local pharmacies and through mail order. 

Highland Park mayoral candidates

Highland Park Mayor Glenda McDonald will have at least two challengers in this year’s election.

Community activists Shamayim Harris and Joshua Lamere submitted paperwork to the Wayne County Clerk’s office. Candidates have until April 21 to file.

McDonald announced her re-election campaign this week. Voters elected her in 2022. 

-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

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

The playlist includes new music from Mitski’s latest album, along with selections from Mel Tormé, Secret Machines, and New Order. Later in the show, we hear tracks from Thundercat and Jill Scott, while additional highlights include music from Fontaines D.C., The Black Keys, and Tame Impala. 

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 Mar 4, 2026 

• “Over” – Loaded Honey 

• “What It Gave Me” – Jordan Rakei & Jalen Ngonda 

• “Comin’ Home Baby” – Mel Tormé 

• “I’ll Change for You” – Mitski 

• “If I Leave” – Mitski 

• “Witches” – Alice Phoebe Lou 

• “I Wanna Be Adored (Remastered 2009) (Turnstile Cover) – The Stone Roses 

• “Two Weeks Head Over Heels (Grizzly Bear, Tears For Fears)” – Kimbra 

• “Common Blue” – Warpaint 

• “Les Fleurs” – Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band 

• “Wake and Return (Little Dragon Remix)” – OLAN 

• “Khayal” – Kazdoura 

• “The Windmills of Your Mind” – Dorothy Ashby 

• “Woodward Avenue” – Yusef Lateef 

• “Enough” – PVA 

• “Cursive” – Mandy, Indiana 

• “The Perfect Kiss” – New Order 

• “Mind’s a Lie” – High Vis 

• “Favourite” – Fontaines D.C. 

• “Tighten Up” – The Black Keys 

• “Hard Ride” – Glyders 

• “First Wave Intact” – Secret Machines 

• “Let it Happen (Soulwax Remix)” – Tame Impala 

• “Strange (Dan the Automator Remix)” – Foxwarren 

• “She Knows Too Much (feat. Mac Miller)” – Thundercat 

• “Arrow Through Me” – Wings 

• “Them Changes” – Thundercat 

• “The Machine” – Tall Black Guy x Jackson 5 

• “Do You Remember” – Jill Scott 

• “Pressha” – Jill Scott 

• “Plasty” – LL Burns 

• “Floresta Dos Sonhos” – Fabiano do Nascimento & Vittor Santos e Orquestra 

• “Alone Again Or” – Calexico 

• “Kingdom of Rust” – Doves 

• “Sonny The Strong” – Gaz Coombes 

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.

Restore 94 is a recent Michigan Department of Transportation project that aims to rebuild nearly 13 miles of I-94.

MDOT’s Media Representative for the Metro Region, Diane Cross, says the project requires tree removal for full reconstruction of the Ecorse interchange. 

Cross explains, “Currently, traffic comes in on the left, which is very unusual and it’s a very old style. We are going to bring that up to current industry standards… That involves rebuilding I-94 through a large, wooded median near Ecorse Road.”

MDOT already owned the patch of land where these trees were located. Cross says their plan for construction is the most time and cost effective. 

There are plans to replant trees around the new roadways once construction is finished, says Cross.  

“Obviously they’re not the same mature age and probably number of what we’re removing—that is a large, wooded area that has not been touched for fifty years or so—but that is now where we’re going to move the freeway through, which will make it much safer for drivers.”

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

Whether you’re a fan of country, EDM or hardcore, we’ve got you covered this week with some of the wildest events the city has to offer, and maybe even a place to improve your wardrobe in preparation.

Upcoming events (Mar. 5 to Mar. 12)

Michigan Sneaker Xchange 

Huntington Place 

Mar. 7 

  $30

I’d say, “run over to Huntington Place,” but we wouldn’t want you to crease your 3’s before this event even begins. The Michigan Sneaker Xchange is back once again with over 150 vendors dealing out everything from daily beaters to your lifelong grails. Buy, sell and trade your way from those dirty air forces to a pair of deadstock purple lobsters; those without a booth are allowed to bring up to 4 pairs. This event runs from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

The Sound of Music 

Fox Theatre 

Mar. 5 – Mar. 8

$38+

The hills are alive and romance has filled the air in Detroit this month. Time travel back to your childhood and embrace the drops of golden sun at the Fox Theatre this weekend for a performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s critically acclaimed The Sound of Music, directed by three-time Tony Awards winner Jack O’Brien. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. 

Classical Roots Concert 

Orchestra Hall

Mar. 6 – Mar. 7 

$26

Swathe your ears in the silk of symphony at the 48th Annual Classic Roots Concerts hosted by the DSO. Since 1978, the DSO has held this event as a spotlight to better appreciate the works of black composers. The event is premiered by Kenneth Tomkins, commemorating the experiences of the enslaved and abolitionists upon the Underground Railroad with his spirited moving concerto. The Friday performance will be at 10:45 a.m., with Saturday night’s performance starting at 7:30 p.m. 

DCFC Kit Unveiling & Afterparty 

Big Pink

Mar. 5

$23

Grab your cleats and head over to the East Side as the Detroit City Football Club gets ready to reveal their new uniforms and make you hit your signature celebration moves on the dance floor. Earlier in the evening, there will be pickup soccer games, food vendors, drinks and more. Later, the kids are gone and the party goes on as DJs Sheefy McFly and JMT juggle the decks…just make sure not to take a dive. 

Midwest Freaks 

Tangent

Mar. 7

$35

Unleash your freak and shake off those conformist notions like a dog in a tick-riddled field this weekend with some of the most debaucherous DJs Detroit has to offer. This is the third city Midwest Freaks has taken on in its crusade to liberate the self-doubting traditionalists of the Rust Belt, although maybe it’s time you hedonists show them a thing or two about the beautiful anomaly we call our city. DJs include Rrose, BMG, Centrific and more. The event starts at 9 p.m. and goes until 6 a.m., so stay hydrated you night owls.  

Cuffing SZN 

Big Pink

Mar. 7

$23

Follow the pink neon glow over to Big Pink this Saturday and make sure to bring your partner or be prepared to find one; DJ MOCHI and Fullbodydurag are spinning R&B tracks until your heart looks like the Grinch’s post-Whoville Christmas carol. The event starts at 10 p.m. and ends at 3 a.m. 

Panda House 

The Sanctuary

Mar. 6

$22

Make sure to keep a piece of bamboo on your person this weekend because Panda House is bringing the zoo to The Sanctuary. The Detroit-based hardcore band is playing a set alongside Hail Your Highness, Brown Maple and Great Planes. The event starts at 7 p.m.  

Stephen Wilson Jr. 

The Fillmore

Mar. 11

$53+

Envelop yourself in Americana next Wednesday with a performance by emerging country/rock sensation Stephen Wilson Jr. The Indiana native is hitting our city as part of his Gary the Torch Tour and believe me, you’re not going to want to miss this baseball-capped guitarist’s rise to fame. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. 

WDET 101.9 FM presents the 2026 Spring Fundraiser

Thursday, March 5 – Sunday, March 15

Detroit’s Public Radio station, WDET 101.9 FM, is a member funded nonprofit radio station in the heart of Midtown Detroit. Deeply rooted in the city for more than 75 years, WDET relies on the support of members and sponsoring businesses to power its commitment to providing an authentic voice for Detroit.

With the official termination of federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting this year, WDET is now a truly independent, listener supported station. Last year, listeners stepped up during a challenging moment, helping WDET close the 2025 fiscal year in the black. The goal is to do it again for the 2026 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2025.

During the Spring Fundraiser, listeners who donate will be entered into a daily drawing for the Spring Bounty Bundle, a package of local experiences valued at more than $1,500.

The Spring Bounty Bundle includes:

• 4 tickets to WDET’s Soul & Bowl event at Bowlero, April 26
• 1 season pass to the Wednesday Jazzy Nights at The Aretha
• 1 pair of tickets to an upcoming show at the Crofoot
• 1 pair of tickets to the Ford Piquette Plant Museum

Gift cards from the following WDET supporters:

• City Bird
• Arab American National Museum
• Pewabic Pottery

Membership has its perks

Members who choose to power WDET receive benefits throughout the year, including invitations to members-only events and offers such as pre-sale tickets, discounts, and opportunities to attend special events.

One of the ways we say “thank you” when you become a member is exclusive WDET swag and experiences. You can select a thank you gift each time you make a qualifying gift of support.

Exclusive for new members:

New members who make their first gift to WDET during the Spring On-Air Fundraiser will receive the brand new WDET keychain with charms.

Thank you sponsors

The war in Iran — and the regional fallout — is continuing. 

Without Congressional authorization, President Donald Trump and Israel launched strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, and other military leaders of the current regime. And now, over a thousand people have died in this war.  

Iran has retaliated, launching military strikes across the region.

There is no clear path to peace. Neither Israel nor America have signaled that either have much interest in creating stability or democracy in Iran. 

Yesterday, we spoke with a Middle East scholar about what’s happening in Iran, and some of the different perspectives of the 92 million people living there. But there are a lot more voices to consider. What do folks from the diaspora who live in our region make of the situation? 

Layla Saatchi is an assistant Professor of Teaching at Wayne State University. She spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

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

Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter will deliver the 2026 State of the County address at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5.

The annual address will highlight the county’s priorities, accomplishments and plans for the year ahead, offering a look at how county leaders plan to address economic development, public services and regional challenges.

WDET will be preempting its regular programming beginning at 7 p.m. to carry special coverage of Coulter’s speech.

Tune in at 101.9 FM, stream it live via the WDET app or wdet.org, or watch the County’s livestream below.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled against the Trump Administration’s tariff policy. But there are still unresolved challenges out there.

That includes one filled by Michigan-based auto parts company, Detroit Axle. It filed a case against the Trump Administration’s tariff policy last spring.

Detroit Axle CEO Mike Musheinesh says their case was put on stay until the one the Supreme Court recently ruled on concluded.

“So now we’re going back to the court of international trade and saying ‘okay here we are again. They won, so did we win?’ And if we win, we’re able to keep reducing the price for the consumer,” says Musheinesh.

Detroit Axle’s case takes aim at Trump’s elimination of the so-called “de minimis exemption.” That rule had allowed small packages valued at less than $800 to avoid tariffs.

Musheinesh says revenue was up 35% last year, compared to 2024. But profitability was down more than 80%.

“During the first Trump Administration, we used to pay the government $25,000 in tariffs for a million-dollars-worth of products imported,” says Musheinesh. “Now for that same million-dollars-worth of products imported, we pay the government $725,000.”

Musheinesh adds that tariffs have forced him to raise prices on consumers.

Metro Detroiters are paying much more for gasoline than they did a few days ago.  The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in metro Detroit is $3.19 today—that’s up 6 cents from Tuesday, and 21 cents from a week ago.  

The war in Iran has dramatically pushed up the price of crude oil in the days since the U.S. and Israel first bombed Iran on Saturday.  And when the price of crude oil rises, the price of gasoline—which is made from crude oil—also rises.  Gas stations are also starting their annual change to the summer blend of fuel, which is more expensive. 

To save a little extra gas, remember to make sure your tires are at the proper air pressure, accelerate smoothly and avoid jack-rabbit starts and stops.  Take that extra junk out of your trunk so you’re not carrying excess weight and don’t buy premium gasoline unless your vehicle’s manufacturer requires it. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Whitsett not running for re-election 

State Representative Karen Whitsett says she’s not running for re-election this year.  The Detroit Democrat tells Gongwer News Service that her decision was based on her faith.  

Whitsett has missed several months of service in the State House.  She lost a primary for Detroit City Council last August.  Whitsett had caused political controversy during her term in office, often supporting Republican legislation.  

She says she will not run for any other political office in the future. 

Heidelberg Archives to be stored at Reuther Library 

The Heidelberg Project says it has begun a partnership with the Walter Reuther Library to store its archives.  

A news release says the collection includes planning files, photographs and organizational records among other material.  All of it will be permanently stored at the library, which is located on Wayne State University’s campus.  

The internationally-recognized art installation was founded in Detroit’s McDougall-Hunt neighborhood in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton. 

Cade Cunningham named Player of the Month 

Detroit Piston Cade Cunningham has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month for February.   Cunningham averaged 25.4 points and 9.9 assists per game.  He was the top pick in the 2021 NBA draft. 

Knuckles traded to Houston 

The Detroit Lions traded running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.  

Montgomery became a fan favorite—nicknamed Knuckles—after joining the Lions as a free agent in 2023.  He and Jahmyr Gibbs formed one of the best running back duos in the NFL.  But Montgomery’s productivity dipped last year as Gibbs got more opportunities to run the ball.  

As a result of the trade, Detroit received offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick from Houston.  The Lions also freed up more than $3 million in salary cap space. 

The team missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2022.  They finished with a record of nine wins and eight losses. 

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

Performer and pianist Steve Okonski joined In The Groove to talk about the improvisation, groove, and approachability that define his trio’s music. 

Okonski first gained attention as the pianist for Durand Jones & the Indications before launching his own project, “Entrance Music” last year on Colemine Records. The album was recorded spontaneously with Aaron Frazer on drums, Michael “Ish” Montgomery on bass, and Terry Cole producing. “We’d come in with no ideas and just play… Out of that half-hour of music that became the album, I sifted through hours of recordings to make it,” Okonski explains. 

His newest track, “Easy,” mixes that same improvisation with modern sound. “You can hear the flow and motifs from 90s hip hop and instrumental music,” Okonski says, “but it also has this jazz sensibility—it’s accessible and something anyone can get into.” 

Okonski sees his music as a gentle introduction to jazz for listeners new and old. “People tell me they don’t like jazz, but when they hear our albums or “Easy,” they really connect. It’s a way for people to start exploring jazz on their own,” he says. Tracks like “October,” the opener from “Entrance Music,” capture the trio’s sound, emotional without being heavy. In Okonski’s words, “Music can be gentle without being weak. The music speaks for itself.” 

The war in Iran is contributing to higher fuel prices in the United States.

GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick DeHaan, says prices were already going up before the U.S. and Israel started bombing Iran. He says the prospect of war added to the increases.

“The president had alluded to potentially dealing with Iran before the attacks,” DeHaan says. “So, oil prices had already been working on pricing in the risk of said attack.”

But war was not the only factor.

“Much of the country has already started to transition back toward cleaner, more expensive summer gasoline,” DeHaan says. “Refineries are starting maintenance before the summer driving season.”

He also says demand us rising as students hit the road for spring break and warmer temperatures return.

GasBuddy’s daily price index shows the average price in Michigan before the war was a bit less than $3 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas. By March 4, it had risen to $3.21. 

Michigan prices work differently

DeHaan says daily prices in Michigan don’t go up or down based solely on market factors.

“What happens in Michigan is prices usually make a big jump, then trickle down for a matter of several days until stations have no more room to lower prices,” he says. “Then they jump back up again.”

Commuters aren’t the only ones paying more. Diesel fuel prices are up, too. DeHaan says a drone attack on a large diesel refinery in Saudi Arabia could cause prices to rise more dramatically than that of gasoline.

“It may climb another $0.40 to $0.80 a gallon over the next several weeks,” he says. “That will impact truckers very quickly as stations start to adjust their prices.”

Dire straits? Not yet

DeHaan is also watching the situation in the Persian Gulf, where Iran has threatened attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

“That’s extremely problematic because 20% to 25% of the world’s daily oil supply needs to flow through the strait,” he says. “Until that is solved, oil prices may continue to move higher, along with gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other prices.”

But DeHaan says consumers should not panic. He does not expect historic oil or gasoline prices.

“Americans have seen far more significant spikes and far higher prices before,” he says.

GasBuddy tracks prices at more than 1,700 gas stations in metro Detroit and updates them in real time every five minutes.

After warnings about “exploding trees” went viral this winter, a local arborist says he did not hear any reports of it occurring.

“I have not heard or seen of any explosions happening in the woods,” arborist Luke Brunner says. He works with the Davey Tree Company.

“I think there was a lot of concern behind it….I had multiple phone calls asking about it,” Brunner continues.

However, he says if anyone did hear unusual sounds coming from a nearby tree trunk, it was likely frost cracking, a common occurrence during winter. Frost cracking occurs when sunlight warms the interior of a tree during the day, and temperatures then drop sharply at night, leading to water inside the trunk freezing and expanding, resulting in a popping sound.

Brunner says ice and snow pose a greater risk to trees. Heavy accumulation can weigh down branches, especially those with dead wood or structural weaknesses, increasing the likelihood of limbs breaking and falling.

The Hamtramck Blowout is a local music institution. It happens every year, (usually), on the first full weekend of March. It’s overwhelming and chaotic, makes you grin and go all wild-eyed; it’s fast, though not really that furious per se, and you have to make peace with the fact that you are not going to see every band that you want to—unless you believe in miracles.

Above all, the Blowout is vital. It nourishes the local music scene, it opens it up to newcomers in a stylishly slapdash way, and it gives everyone a chance to appraise the wide breadth of talent and variety of genres that are consistently percolating across practice spaces and dive bars in this region week to week. It’s had four slightly-to-moderately different iterations over nearly 30 years, but it keeps on going.

Wanna meet the local music ecosystem and dive right in? Blowout is your best opportunity! All that being said, this week on MI Local, I was joined in-studio by the dynamic hip-hop duo known as Passalacqua, comprised of emcees Blaksmith and Mister, who fatefully formed their ongoing project during a live performance at the 2010 Blowout.

On the show, Blaksmith (Brent Smith) and Mister (Bryan Lackner), talked about their interesting origin story, some of the nostalgia they have around their formative years together as collaborative artists, and then teased a bit about their upcoming set this Friday night at Blowout, where they’ll debut some new songs!

Singer-songwriter Michelle Held also joined me in-studio. Held has been on stages before, with a background in theater. She started writing poetry at a young age, inspired by so many verbose musical bards and troubadours such as Bob Dylan, but she actually started playing guitar at a later age—an anecdote she expounds upon during the interview.

You can hear it, and I certainly saw it firsthand, Held is an incredible guitar player, employing the intricate finger-picking style, and you can hear her perform two songs on the show this week, with her accompanying guitarist Mikey Abbasspour. Her voice is aching with emotion, it hits a heartbreaking vibrato, and her words poignantly pluck the heartstrings. Held performed her latest single, “Another Jane,” inspired by Jane Goodall, and an unreleased song, “Unresolved.”

In the third segment, I was joined by the prog-rock duo known as The Last War, with Drew Moore on guitar/vocals and Mile Pardo on drums/percussion, discussing their new EP, Smile, which came out last week. You can see them live, next weekend, at Small’s in Hamtramck.

Drew told us about his relocation from California to Detroit in 2023, where he fatefully met Miles and attained almost instantaneous musical and creative chemistry.

The Last War have released several singles over the last few years, including a slew of covers re-imagining some classics, but “Smile” is essentially their solid debut! Their repartee, on mic, is notably charming, so listen until the end. Plus they performed a live song from the new album, “The Kids,” complete with Pardo on bongos!

Listen to the full episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.