Wayne State University announced Friday that a WSU alumnus has made a historic $50 million donation to its College of Engineering — the largest single gift made to the university in its 157-year history.

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The donation from alumnus James Anderson and his wife, Patricia, will be used to improve faculty support in the College of Engineering, including doctoral fellowships, undergraduate student experiences and a dean’s fund to improve recruiting efforts for top faculty and Ph.D. students.

School officials are calling the gift “transformative,” allowing the university to “build on more than a century of engineering talent that created a culture of innovation in our city,” said WSU President Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy, in a news release.

The college has been renamed the James and Patricia Anderson College of Engineering in their honor.

James Anderson is the president and CEO of Urban Science, a leading automotive consultancy and technology firm headquartered in Detroit. In 2014, the Andersons established The James and Patricia Anderson Engineering Ventures Institute at WSU’s College of Engineering to help foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among students and faculty.

“Since my time as a student, and later a faculty member at Wayne State University, I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of a quality STEM education in transforming lives, economies and communities,” Anderson said. “My wife, Patricia, and I are humbled and grateful for the opportunity to expand our commitment to this renowned institution.”

Other headlines for Friday, April 4, 2025:

• Bridge Michigan reports that two west Michigan housing projects — one to support those in drug recovery and the other for low-income workers — are in jeopardy because of funding cuts from the Trump administration.
• The Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind & Visually Impaired is hosting its “Life Beyond Sight” 5k Walk on Saturday, April 12, at The Lexus Velodrome in Detroit, in support of the agency’s essential programs.
• Detroit’s 23rd annual Greek Independence Day Parade has a new route due to construction, and will begin at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 6 at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on E. Lafayette Street before turning right on Beaubien Street.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow has become the first major candidate to announce a run for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan being vacated by Sen. Gary Peters.

This week on MichMash, Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben sit down with Politico’s Deputy Editor, Zack Stanton, to discuss McMorrow’s chances of winning the race.

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In this episode:

• McMorrow’s political career so far
• Potential Republican candidates joining the Michigan U.S. Senate race
• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s national profile

McMorrow — a Democrat from Royal Oak — burst onto the state’s political scene in 2018, when as a first time candidate and relatively new Michigan resident, she was one of many people motivated to run for office after President Trump won in 2016.

She ran against a Republican incumbent in an area of Oakland County that never seemed likely to elect a Democrat, Gorchow noted. But, she won nonetheless, knocking out Republican Sen. Marty Knollenberg.

Now considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, McMorrow has proven herself to be a great communicator, and shows great potential in race, Stanton said.

“She is an enormously talented politician, and I think a lot of people in Washington, when they see her, they see a gifted natural athlete — there is something there that isn’t fully learned, it’s just there, it’s it. And she seems to have that,” he said. “The question now I think to a lot of people is ‘what could complicate her path,’ because she seems like far and away the strongest candidate in the field thus far.”

Stanton said that many Democrats are worried about Republicans flipping the seat after Trump won the state in 2024, and several close races in the November election led Republicans to a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

Still, he said, “When you have someone like Mallory McMorrow jumping into the race, she really represents this shift in the Democratic party’s makeup.” 

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel have also expressed a possible interest in entering the race on the Democratic ticket, along with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed — who recently stepped down from his role as Wayne County health director as he considers a run for the seat.

On the Republican side, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers — who narrowly lost the 2024 U.S. Senate race against Democrat Elissa Slotkin, has hinted that he would run. Muskegon County businesswoman and conservative commentator Tudor Dixon has also expressed an interest in running.

–WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

More from WDET:

• Michigan lawmaker Mallory McMorrow announces Democratic bid for US Senate
• Mallory McMorrow on her DNC speech, future priorities for the state
• Mallory McMorrow’s response to accusations of ‘grooming’ children propels state senator to national spotlight

Stock markets worldwide are careening even lower Friday after China matched President Donald Trump’s big raise in tariffs in an escalating trade war.

Not even a better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market, which is usually the economic highlight of each month, was enough to stop the slide.

Trump’s 25% tariff on imported vehicles — which the administration says will help foster domestic manufacturing — is likely to both drive up auto prices and force automakers that rely on global supply chains to rethink what and where vehicles are being made.

Stellantis has already laid off 900 workers at plants in Michigan and Indiana after pausing production at some of its assembly plants in Mexico and Canada.

Patrick Anderson, CEO of East Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group, told WDET that he thinks Trump’s tariffs will cause Michigan’s economy to tank. 

“For the lowest tariff cost vehicles we expect prices to go up somewhere between $2,500 and $5,000 per car,” Anderson said. “For a lot of mid-priced cars (it will go up) $5,000, $8,000, $10,000.”

Anderson said Michigan’s close ties to the auto industry are a good thing. However, it also makes us more vulnerable to recessions.

“Also, in this case, (more vulnerable to) a huge U-turn in terms of trade policy,” he added. “(Now) that’s being undertaken by the Trump administration, which has very negative effects on our ability to build cars and sell cars here in Michigan and in other states.”

As long as the tariffs are in place, he says it’s not likely to get better.

“I don’t see any upside to higher tariffs for states like Michigan any time in the next…year,” Anderson said. “You might get some production to move to some plants, but you’re already seeing — and this is just in days — reductions in employment.”

The cratering stock market — in addition to the tariffs — feeds into itself and makes things even worse.

“You’re seeing a huge toll on people’s retirement savings that affects whether or not they’re going to buy cars,” Anderson said.

And if higher prices lead to a drop in sales and manufacturing, the state and region will drop into an avoidable collapse, he said.

“Because you can’t take this much of a, really a baseball bat to auto sales, if that’s your leading industry, and not expect there to be employment losses.”

Auto companies are also navigating the reversal of fuel economy standards, dialed down greenhouse gas emission standards and a host of electric vehicle policy rollbacks.

Associated Press writers Stan Choe, Alexa St. John and Paul Wiseman contributed to this report.

Environmental groups and tribal nations are asking the Michigan Supreme Court to put the brakes on a Canadian company’s plans to bury an oil and gas pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, a waterway that connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

The appeal filed Thursday asks the Supreme Court to reverse a decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals and a determination by the Michigan Public Service Commission to allow Enbridge to move ahead with the Great Lakes Tunnel project, which would encase the company’s Line 5 oil and gas pipeline. The plaintiffs claim the public service commission failed to perform a thorough review before giving its permission.

“These failures jeopardize the sanctity of the Great Lakes and the Tribal economic and cultural interests and treaty-protected rights, which are inherent rights, including ‘the usual privileges of occupancy’ — such as the rights to fish, hunt, and gather, in perpetuity,” the complaint said. “They also threaten to harm everyone who depends on the Great Lakes for drinking water, recreation, or economic benefit because all likely effects of the proposed project, including oil spills, have not been considered.”

The tribes argue the commission’s review failed to fully consider the consequences of leaks or a spill in a waterway that could lead to widespread contamination of the Great Lakes.

“If you take a step back and you do that holistic review and analysis, I think people would understand that there are alternatives that could lead to a decommissioning of Line 5 and wouldn’t have to construct this one-off tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac,” said David Gover, a senior attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, which represents the Bay Mills Indian Community.

Gover told the Michigan Public Radio Network the tunnel’s location also violates long-standing treaty rights and disrespects “a sacred place” for tribes.

“So, any proposed tunneling and running of a pipeline through that area is a desecration of that sacred place,” he said. “It would like be putting an oil and gas pipeline under the Vatican or through the Garden of Eden.”

Enbridge spokeperson Ryan Duffy said in a statement e-mailed to MPRN that the Michigan Public Service Commission and the appeals court got it right.

“The February decision from the Michigan Court of Appeals correctly affirmed the comprehensive and detailed work of the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to approve the application for the Great Lakes Tunnel Project,” he said. “The Michigan Court of Appeals concluded that the MPSC appropriately examined the location of the Line 5 replacement segment within the Great Lakes Tunnel, consistent with Michigan law.”

He said the tunnel will make “what has always been a safe pipeline even safer.”

Enbridge faces other legal and procedural hurdles, including state and federal permits and other lawsuits. The protective tunnel was part of a agreement between Enbridge and the then-Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration. That was following revelations of known gaps in the existing line’s protective coating and an anchor strike in 2018 that damaged the line.

Michigan lawmakers are debating the best way to increase funding to maintain the state’s roads, but a new report from the Citizens Research Council argues that there are ways to make better use of the money the state already has available. 

Eric Paul Dennis, a research associate of infrastructure policy at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, says the biggest road block the state faces in distributing funds effectively for roads is Public Act 51.

“It was supposed to be a 15-year-long construction program. It was scheduled to sunset originally in 1967,” Dennis said. “And the idea was once we used these construction dollars to build out a road network, that law would be sunset and it would be replaced with something more appropriate for ongoing maintenance.”

However, instead of replacing the law with a more sustainable road funding approach, lawmakers have repeatedly amended it.

“I believe it’s now been amended over 300 times,” he said.

Dennis said one of the main criticisms of the current system is the outdated methodology used to distribute funding. He added that the state has better equipment and technology to assess the condition of roads, and can make better decisions on allocating funds based on that.

“We can automate data collection now, computers do everything. We send that data to a mapping server or something, and that can give us much more precise, much more usable information about what our road network looks like,” Dennis said.

A significant portion of that funding has been directed toward expanding highway capacity rather than maintenance.

“The money that we are getting, we’re spending a decent part of that putting down more and more pavement,” he said.

But Dennis said adding more roads will only increase spending in the long run.

“When you do that, you’re imposing long-term maintenance liabilities. Thinking about things like that, I think, would go a long way in assuring that we can get to a financially stable situation in our road funding,” he added.

Detroit attorney Todd Perkins announced his bid for mayor this week, making him the eighth candidate to enter the race to succeed Mike Duggan.

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The North End resident vowed to cut the city’s property and income taxes. Perkins says lower taxes will send a positive message about Detroit’s future.

“I think that the idea of reducing taxes, starting off with a reduction, would be a sea change, and would be into the idea of spurring growth, not only bringing people back to the city, but also bringing companies back to the city,” he said during a press event on Wednesday.

Perkins’ campaign also includes a promise to add 8,000 new homes to the city and rehabilitate 2,000 existing vacant properties.

“I want to put people in homes. My preference is, is people want that white picket fence with the plot of land? But the reality is, getting people into quality housing is the most important thing,” he said.

He also intends to conduct a comprehensive audit of the city’s finances to ensure fair assessment and spending.

“I want to study those issues, and I want to make sure that people who are being taxed, are being taxed fairly, because I don’t want to run people out of the city.”

Perkins also vowed to improve public safety by putting more closed-circuit TV cameras in the most crime-ridden areas.

Running on the campaign slogan “Better Days Ahead,” Perkins believes his experience as a lawyer and his deep connections with residents of the city makes him the perfect candidate for mayor.

“I’m excited for what’s to come,” he said.  “I’m excited about leading, and working as a partner with other cities, as the mayor, as a servant to the citizens of (the) city of Detroit, and I just believe better days are ahead with the right leadership.”

–Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley, WDET News

Other headlines for Thursday, April 3, 2025:

• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has recognized April as Arab American Heritage Month to celebrate the contributions of Arab Americans in various sectors. 
• The city of Detroit is hosting a Public Health Week next week, April 8-12, with free health screenings, wellness resources and activities, Narcan distribution, immunizations and more.
• The city of Detroit on Thursday unveiled $700,000 worth of improvements to Milan Park, including new trees, a second playground, fitness equipment and a renovated soccer field.
• The city of Detroit, block clubs and community groups are joining forces to clean up neighborhoods next month as part of the annual citywide clean-up and beautification initiative, Motor City Makeover 365.
• The MENA Chamber of Commerce is hosting its first MENA Heritage Night with the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, April 9.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

DETROIT (AP) — The odor of marijuana alone isn’t a sufficient reason for police to search a car without a warrant, the Michigan Supreme Court said Wednesday.

In a 5-1 opinion, the court threw out gun charges against a man whose car was searched in Detroit in 2020.

Michigan voters in 2018 legalized the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana by people who are at least 21 years old, though it cannot be used inside a vehicle.

“The smell of marijuana might just as likely indicate that the person is in possession of a legal amount of marijuana, recently used marijuana legally, or was simply in the presence of someone else who used marijuana,” said Justice Megan Cavanagh, writing for the majority.

The smell “no longer constitutes probable cause sufficient to support a search for contraband,” Cavanagh wrote.

Two lower courts had reached the same conclusion.

Elsewhere, the Illinois Supreme Court made a similar ruling last September. That state legalized the possession of marijuana in 2019.

“There are now a myriad of situations where cannabis can be used and possessed, and the smell resulting from that legal use and possession is not indicative of the commission of a criminal offense,” Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. said.

In the Michigan case, the lone dissenter, Justice Brian Zahra, said he favored returning it to a Detroit-area court to determine whether any other evidence supported a search of the car by police.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has deployed the Michigan National Guard to help with ice storm recovery.

Two specialized teams were deployed Wednesday to help clear debris on roadways.

“These are engineers with chainsaws and other equipment working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Public Safety Communications System,” said Michigan national Guard spokesman David Kennedy.

The National Guard is also responding to a request from the MyMichigan Medical Center in Alpena to set up a temporary shelter.

Kennedy confirmed servicemen have set up medical tents outside the hospital to support emergency room overflow.

Warming centers are open across the region for people who have no power or heat.

“We are continuing our all-hands-on-deck approach to help families and communities impacted by the storms in Northern Michigan,”  Whitmer said in a news release. “Power restoration is a top priority, and I’m grateful to our utility partners for positioning hundreds of utility workers to help get power back online as fast as possible.”

Due to lost power at gas stations, a lack of fuel has been among the main concerns in the region. Whitmer also said she would temporarily lift restrictions on weight and commercial driver hours to allow energy supplies to move quickly to northern Michigan.

Great Lakes Energy said in a Monday night statement that it “advises members to prepare for a five-day to multi-week outage event.”

OUTAGE INFO

• Consumers Energy
• Great Lakes Energy
• Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op

The governor’s latest orders also added Alcona and Antrim counties to an earlier state of emergency declaration.

“The declaration authorizes the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) to coordinate state efforts above and beyond what MSP/EMHSD has already been doing in conjunction with local agencies,” said a news release from the governor’s office.

The state of emergency declaration now applies to Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac, Alpena, Alcona, and Antrim counties.

“Our Soldiers and Airmen train to be ready to support communities across Michigan when facing natural disasters,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “Our focus will be to assist state and local agencies as we clear roadways overcome by debris.”

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Interlochen Public Radio on April 2, 2025.

More than 250 felons sent to prison for life with no chance of parole for crimes committed when they were 18 years old must have their sentences reviewed under a decision released Wednesday by the Michigan Supreme Court.

The unanimous 6-0 decision expands an earlier ruling that lifers convicted of first degree- or felony murder when they were younger than 18 are entitled to resentencing hearings. (Justice Kimberly Thomas recused herself from the case because she was involved in it before joining the Supreme Court in January.) “

The same will now apply to 18-year-olds.

“And at that resentencing, they’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate to the circuit court that they are rehabilitated and capable of rejoining society,” said attorney Maya Menlo with the State Appellate Defender Office.

She told the Michigan Public Radio Network that life without parole still remains an option.

“The prosecuting attorneys in each county will review the cases and will decide whether they want to pursue a sentence of life without parole, but we expect that that sentence will be extremely rare.”

Special Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Timothy Baughman said now prosecutors have to make some decisions on these cases.

“Prosecutors are going to have to look at them and determine, are we just going to accede to a resentencing to a term of years or is this one of the cases that we want to have a hearing on and argue that the defendant should still get life without parole? So there’s a lot of decisions that are going to have to be made by prosecutors,” he said.

The defendant is John Antonio Poole, who was 18 years old in 2002 when his uncle paid him $300 to shoot a man because his girlfriend owed him money. Poole is now 42 and being held at the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia.

In a related case, the state Supreme Court will rule soon on whether to expand the ruling to include lifers sentenced for crimes committed as 19- and 20-year-olds.

This week, we’ve got Tigers tailgates, cultural parades, celebrated comedians and events selling so fast we couldn’t wait another week to post.

Plus, a David Lynch tribute party featuring dream interpretations and a costume contest. Read on to learn more.

Detroit Opening Day

The Detroit Tigers take on the Chicago White Sox in their first home game of the season on Friday, April 4 at 1:10 p.m. To celebrate, the Downtown Detroit Partnership is hosting a free Opening Day Tailgate Party at Grand Circus Park that day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be music from DJ Invisible, a variety of food trucks, a Miller Lite beer tent, Tigers swag giveaways and plenty of places to watch the game. For more information, visit downtowndetroit.org.

The Statler French American Bistro is also hosting an Opening Day Tailgate Patio Party on Friday, April 4, located just feet from Comerica Park. Starting at 10 a.m., they’ll have $2 draft beers, game day food specials, music, giveaways and the Tigers on TV. After the game, their regular Friday happy hour specials will be available inside the restaurant. For more information, visit statlerdetroit.com.

Greek Independence Day

The 23rd Annual Detroit Greek Independence Day Parade kicks off on Sunday, April 6 at 3 p.m. This family-friendly event is one of the largest Greek parades in the U.S., drawing in thousands of Hellenes from metro Detroit, Ohio and Canadian communities. There will be traditional Greek Evzones, dancers and musicians, local community groups, mascots and entertainment from the Detroit sports teams, and more. The parade route starts in front of the cathedral on East Lafayette Street and proceeds down Lafayette and Beaubien Boulevard, ending south of Macomb Street. For more information, visit greekparades.com.

Comedy

On Tuesday, April 8, celebrated humorist and author David Sedaris is bringing his sardonic wit and incisive social critiques to Detroit’s Fisher Theatre. Join us for an evening of all-new readings, Q&A and book signing as Sedaris slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness with great skill. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets range from $65 to $90 including fees. For more information, visit wdet.org/events.

Music

“Così fan tutte” opens at the Detroit Opera House on Saturday, April 5. This brand-new production by Detroit Opera Artistic Director Yuval Sharon offers a fresh take on Mozart’s controversial comedy, asking what it means to be human by reimagining the “lovers” role as artificial intelligence robots in a journey of jealousy and deceit. Shows are scheduled for April 5 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 13 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $30 to $145. For more information, visit detroitopera.org.

On Friday, April 4, Moon Club (co-founded by WDET’s own Amanda LeClaire) is hosting a David Lynch tribute party at Ghost Light in Hamtramck. In celebration of the late director’s unique style, there will be live musical performances, poetry readings and dream interpretations. Fresh coffee and donuts will be available for purchase and Lynchian costumes are highly encouraged. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $10 online or $15 at the door. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page. 

On Thursday, April 10, head to Spot Lite Detroit for “Living Room Sessions,” a night of records, conversation and half-price wine. Starting at 8 p.m., DJ Jesse Cory will be spinning tracks and owner Roula David is hosting. The event will also be streamed live on Twitch. Admission is free and open to ages 21+. For more information, visit their Facebook event page.

Up next

Vinyl Tasting’s next music-inspired fine-dining experience is set for Saturday, April 19, and tickets are going fast. This month’s menu is inspired by hip-hop icon 2Pac and his highly acclaimed fourth album, ‘All Eyez On Me,’ featuring dishes like “Heaven Ain’t Hard To Food” (a rice cloud topped with sweet crab, yuzu mayo, tomato pearls and chives) and “Thug Passion” (a champagne-caramel pound cake with passionfruit mascarpone and candied orange). Seatings start at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and tickets range from $100 to $145. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page.

Michigan’s largest women’s empowerment conference, empowHER, is coming to Detroit for the first time on Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13. This “ultimate girls day out” aims to uplift, motivate and empower women of all ages and all backgrounds. This year’s conference features over 50 women-owned businesses, keynote speakers from across the country, and dozens of collaborations with women-founded brands. The event will be held at Huntington Place, and admission ranges from $175 to $250. For more information, visit empow-her.org.

Detroiters are bracing themselves for another round of storms on Wednesday night.

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Area residents dealt with sleet and rain during their morning commutes as scattered thunderstorms moved through the region. The National Weather Service has placed most of metro Detroit under a Flood Watch from 8 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday morning, with risk of high winds, heavy rain, and the possibility of hail or an isolated tornado.

The heaviest rainfall is expected to develop overnight, with NWS estimating up to two inches of rain. That could lead to rising water levels in creeks and streams. Low-lying areas could be affected as well, and residents who have experienced flooding during past heavy rain events are encouraged to check their basements through the evening to make sure water isn’t backing up.

Temperatures will rise into the 60s during the evening hours.  

Other headlines for Wednesday, April 2, 2025:

• The city of Highland Park issued a boil water advisory for residents this week after receiving complaints about low water pressure over the weekend. Officials say they’ve been working to modernize the city’s system by replacing water mains and installing master meters in different parts of Highland Park.
• Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed is stepping down to “consider a future opportunity in Michigan,” after serving in the position for two years, County Executive Warren Evans announced in a news release Wednesday.
• State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) announced Wednesday that she is running for the U.S Senate seat that will be left open by outgoing Sen. Gary Peters.
• Detroiters are waiting to hear details about tariffs that President Donald Trump says he will implement Wednesday, on what he calls “Liberation Day.” Trump is expected to deliver late afternoon remarks about the subject in the White House Rose Garden. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

American Forests, the nation’s oldest conservation nonprofit, says Detroit has planted 25,000 trees since launching a local tree equity partnership in 2021 —part of a broader plan to plant 75,000 by 2027.

Benita Hussein, chief program officer of American Forests’ Tree Equity Program, says the initiative targets neighborhoods with fewer trees and higher exposure to extreme heat and respiratory illness.

“We’re talking about planting and maintaining trees in places where they historically have not existed,” Hussein said.

The program has been supported by federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act, which directed $1.5 billion to urban forestry initiatives nationwide. American Forests received $50 million of that funding, which Hussein says is being deployed in cities across the Midwest, including Detroit.

However, recent changes by the Trump administration have led to the cancellation of several federal environmental justice grants, including those increasing urban forestry in the U.S.

Hussein acknowledged the “turbulence” coming from the federal level but said the organization remains committed to its work.

“We are certainly keeping an eye on all of the different sort of guidance and turbulence… and we’re in it with all of our partners,” she said.

The Detroit partnership includes local conservation groups like the Greening of Detroit. Hussein says the effort also includes training 500 Detroiters in tree care and maintenance to ensure the long-term health of the city’s growing canopy.

Lots of throwbacks today led by birthday candles for Gil Scott Heron and Marvin Gaye, alongside Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, a fond farewell for Chicago guitarist George Freeman, Bob Marley and more… enjoy!

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 April 2, 2025

• “We Almost Lost Detroit” – Gil Scott Heron
• “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” – Marvin Gaye
• “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” – Marvin Gaye
• “Puaj” – Salin
• “Traveling With (LIVE ON WDET session)” – Daniel Villarreal (hear the full session here)
• “Sunset Cliffs (LIVE ON WDET session)” – Daniel Villarreal (hear the full session here)
• “Bumpin’” – Wes Montgomery
• “Be Honest (feat. Madison McFerrin)” – A Song For You
• “Supernatural (Extended Mix)” – We Are KING
• “Ode To The Year 9125” – Tall Black Guy
• “Award Tour (feat. Trugoy the Dove)” – A Tribe Called Quest
• “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” – Digable Planets
• “Eye Know (feat. Otis Redding)” – De La Soul
• “Castles Made of Sand” – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• “Confirmed Truth” – George Freeman
• “High Tide or Low Tide (B is for Bob Mix)” – Bob Marley & the Wailers
• “Tom Drunk (feat. U-Roy)” – Hopeton Lewis
• “Lady Day and John Coltrane” – Gil Scott Heron
• “Home Is Where the Hatred Is” – Gil Scott Heron
• “Hot Sun” – Wilco
• “Midnight Sun” – Nilüfer Yanya
• “! MAVIS BEACON” – Saya Gray
• “Motorcycle” – Remi Wolf
• “Future Lover” – Thee Sacred Souls
• “I Want You (John Morales M+M Pianopella Mix)” – Marvin Gaye
• “Ha Ya! (Eternal Life) [feat. Natalie Greffel]” – musclecars
• “Patience (Maurice Fulton Remix)” – Tame Impala
• “Do Yourself A Favor” – Stevie Wonder
• “BACK ON” – SBTRKT
• “Just Can’t Get Enough” – Channel Tres

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.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a rising star in the Democratic Party, announced her bid Wednesday for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, becoming the first well-known candidate to officially enter the race for what will undoubtedly be one of 2026’s most competitive and expensive contests.

McMorrow, 38, has distanced herself from national Democrats in a battleground state Trump won, saying a new generation of leaders is needed to block President Donald Trump’s overhaul of the federal government and deliver a compelling message to win back Trump voters.

“I have been so frustrated seeing really a lack of a plan and a lack of a response coming from our current party leadership,” the Democrat said in an interview with The Associated Press.

She said voters are tired of Democrats’ “gimmicks” and was critical of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who reluctantly voted in favor of Republicans’ spending bill last month.

“It’s so lacking the urgency of this moment,” said McMorrow, a second-term state lawmaker who got a speaking role at last year’s Democratic National Convention.

Democrats are desperate to hold onto the Michigan seat next year, while Republicans see an opportunity to expand their 53-47 majority in the Senate.

McMorrow quickly emerged as a possible contender for Democrats after Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, announced in January that he would not seek reelection. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens is also considering a run for the Democratic ticket and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has not ruled it out either.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently said he was no longer exploring a bid for the Senate seat, as did Democratic U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, a Democrat, announced he is running for governor in 2026, as second-term Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited.

On the Republican side, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the state’s 2024 Senate race, is expected to run again.

First elected to the state legislature in 2018, McMorrow went viral in 2022 after giving a fiery floor speech criticizing a Republican lawmaker who attacked her in a campaign fundraising email over her support for LGBTQ+ rights and falsely accused her of wanting to “groom” children.

“I am a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom” who wants “every kid to feel seen, heard and supported — not marginalized and targeted because they are not straight, white and Christian,” McMorrow said in the speech.

The lawmaker, who represents a Detroit suburban area and serves in caucus leadership, has sponsored Democratic legislation on gun control and reproductive rights.

–Reporting by Isabella Volmert, Associated Press

President Donald Trump is attacking unions at the federal level in a way not seen since the Reagan administration.

Claiming it was in the interest of national security, Trump banned collective bargaining for employees at 18 federal agencies in an executive order issued last week. The move comes as Trump has cut pro-worker members of the National Labor Relations Board and replaced them with pro-business, anti-union lobbyists.

So what does all this mean for workers in the state of Michigan?

Ron Bieber is the president of the Michigan AFL-CIO. He told WDET that he’s seen this anti-union playbook before.

“If you remember, after 2010 the Republicans took total control of state government. They went after seniors and instituted a pension tax. They went after kids and attacked public education. They went after the working poor and gutted the Earned Income Tax Credit; went after workers and unions and passed Right to Work; and they did all that so they could give business and corporations and their wealthy friends a huge tax cut,” he said. “Working folks organized. We had each other’s back. We stood together and fought back together. We clawed our way back together, and then finally, in the last legislative session, we restored those workers rights.”

However, all that took time. Michigan Democrats didn’t have full control over the state legislature until after the 2022 election. So fighting back can take a while.

On whether Democrats are doing enough to push back against the Trump agenda:

“They’re pushing back. I mean, they’re in the minority,” he said. “…There’s only so many tools you can use when you’re in the minority.”

On whether he agrees with the United Auto Workers that tariffs on the auto industry are a good thing:

“(UAW President Shawn Fain) is fighting to bring back manufacturing and auto manufacturing back into the U.S. And I think that he’s on a good path, and that he’s going to push this through the end, and wherever he goes, trust me, we will have his back, and we will follow his lead, and we’ll support the way he wants to support, auto manufacturing.”

Bieber says the AFL-CIO has been out to several anti-Trump protests already — including a recent one at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs medical center.

More protests are planned for this Saturday, April 5 and on May 1.

Soon all U.S. airlines will require REAL ID-compliant ID to board a domestic flight.

Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Jessica Mayle the requirement starts May 7. “Every air traveler 18 years of age and older must have a REAL ID-compliant ID. TSA is working to avoid checkpoint delays by encouraging all travelers to get their Real IDs now,” said Mayle.

Travelers without one could be delayed.

The federal REAL ID Act of 2005, passed in response to the Sept. 11 terror attacks, requires higher standards for identification starting this year. The requirements apply to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.

Upgrading a standard license or ID to a REAL ID is free in Michigan if done during the normal renewal period. Otherwise, a card correction fee of $9 for a driver’s license or $10 for an ID is charged.

When applying for a REAL ID, you will need to bring:

• Your driver’s license or ID
• Your Social Security Number
• Your certified birth certificate
• Your valid, U.S. passport (or an approved citizenship or legal presence document)

Because it can take weeks to receive it in the mail, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson encouraged those needing a REAL ID to apply soon.

Circle with star design: Standard REAL ID-compliant licenses and IDs will display a star in a gold circle in the upper right corner.

Michigan silhouette with star design: Standard REAL ID-compliant licenses and IDs will display a star in a silhouette of Michigan in the upper right corner.

Enhanced licenses and IDs are automatically REAL ID-compliant, regardless of whether they display the star.

Michiganders in need of a REAL ID can obtain one by going to Michigan.gov/REALID to schedule an appointment. The system will guide them through documents required.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said more than 73% of people with a Michigan driver’s license or ID have already upgraded to a REAL ID.

The new state law that lifts Michigan’s 38-year-old ban on paid surrogate pregnancy contracts took effect Monday.

Michigan banned the practice after a Dearborn attorney gained nationwide notoriety in the 1980s for arranging surrogate contracts.

Surrogate parenting was new, controversial and misunderstood when it first became an option, said Stephanie Jones with the Michigan Fertility Alliance.

“And I really think people have changed their outlook on this significantly since then and it’s just become more of a norm,” she told Michigan Public Radio. “People have become more aware of infertility and the need for assisted reproduction to grow your family. So, I think it’s just become more palatable over the years and we, of course, want to be able to support people who need this to grow their families.”

The newly effective laws outline the legal rights and obligations of all parties to a surrogate arrangement. That includes automatic parental rights for couples without having to adopt after a child is born.

Advocates say that makes the arrangements enforceable and predictable. But some conservatives and faith groups say the development is not a welcome one.

Michigan Catholic Conference Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy Tom Hickson said the church believes infertile couples should consider foster parenting or adoption. He said allowing surrogates to be paid will lead to exploiting vulnerable young women.

“That was the No. 1 amendment that we tried to get in was to strike the compensation aspect of this,” he said. “I mean that just really minimizes the dignity of motherhood and childbirth into a sale and delivery mechanism.”

Michigan joins the vast majority of U.S. states in allowing compensated surrogacy contracts.

David Lynch is one of my favorite filmmakers of all time, and I know I’m not alone in that regard. In fact, WDET’s own Amanda LeClaire joined me in studio, along with musician/artist Renee Willoughby to discuss the late director whose name has been adapted into its own aesthetic adjective, because they’ve organized a multifaceted tribute show, happening at The Ghost Light in Hamtramck this Friday night!

• “In Your Life” – Same Eyes
• “I Cry” – Johnstonsons
• “West Branch” – Strange Witch
• “Powerstation” – Jonathan Weier
• “It’s My Day” – The Goings Gone
• “Collecting” – Spencer LaJoye
• “Knots” – Kyle Joe
• “Zopilote” – Marbrisa
• “Cloud Platform 8” – Deastro
• “Prime” – Mike List
• “Chance Encounter” – Magdalene
• “The Theme” – Justin Walter
• “On Train, On High” – The Glass Path
• “Grief” – Renee Willoughby
• “Mind of the Ocean” – Gwendolyn Dot

The city of Detroit is inviting residents to take part in a series of “policy workshops” this month as part of its master plan for the future.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Plan Detroit is three-phase planning process informed by resident feedback that is expected to conclude with implementation of the new collaborative policies by 2026.

According to the city, the Michigan planning enabling act (MPEA) recommends cities update their master plans every 10 years, and Detroit’s master plan has not been comprehensively updated since 2009.

The upcoming events are intended to provide an “interactive” opportunity to work with city planners to create practical policies that address real concerns for Detroiters.

Sessions will take place at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, and at 5:30 p.m. April 14-16.  All sessions will be held at the Joseph Walker Williams Community Center at 8431 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit. Topics will include Neighborhoods & Housing, Open Space & Environment, Arts & Culture; and Mobility & Jobs.

For more information and to register to attend, visit plandetroit.com. 

Other headlines for Tuesday, April 1, 2025:

• Detroit firefighters are trying to find out what caused an apartment building on the city’s west side to explode. The Detroit Fire Department is also apologizing for an emergency alert that went out to cellphones throughout metro Detroit around 6 a.m. Monday morning notifying people about the blast. 
• American Forests says its urban tree planting partnership in Detroit has helped add more than 25,000 trees to the city since 2021.
• Billionaire Dan Gilbert’s real estate empire is growing. Rocket Companies has acquired competitor Mr. Cooper Group Inc. in an all-stock deal worth about $9.5 billion. Last week, Rocket bought another competitor, Redfin, for roughly $1.7 billion.
• Gas prices rose sharply overnight, with AAA Michigan reporting drivers paid an average of $3.25 a gallon for regular unleaded — 10 cents more than yesterday.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.