Detroiters had to deal with a messy commute this morning – as snow overnight turned to rain, making a slushy mess on area roads and sidewalks.  While northern suburbs received as much as five inches of snow, the city got about two inches before rain moved in. 

The National Weather Service says the rain is expected to turn back into snow this evening.  Temperatures will drop through the day as a cold front moves into town.  Make sure to shovel your sidewalks or driveways today, because any slush will freeze tonight, with lows dropping to around 19 degrees.  Highs for the rest of the week will only be in the 20s.   

The Detroit Public Schools Community District closed today because of the weather.  Students, teachers and staff got to stay home and all district buildings remained closed.  Hundreds of other schools in metro Detroit were also closed today. 

With temperatures expected to fall into the 20s over the next few days, the City of Detroit has put out a list of places where residents can warm up.  The city’s 13 recreation centers will be available.  Some will be open until 7 p.m.; others until 9 p.m.  Detroit Public Library branches are also places where you can go to warm up. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Detroit casino earnings rise slightly 

Detroit casinos brought in just over $108 million in revenue last month.  That’s up one-tenth of a percentage point from November 2024. 

MGM Grand retained the top spot in Detroit with 47% of the market share.  Motor City had 30%.  Hollywood Casino at Greektown controlled 23% of the market. 

The three casinos paid $13.2 million in taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit last month.  They paid another $8.6 million in taxes to the State of Michigan.  

Kilpatrick wants restitution cut 

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick wants to have a federal judge reduce his restitution payments. 

Kilpatrick appeared on WJR saying assets previously seized and restitution already paid should cover the remainder of what he owes the city. 

The Detroit News reports Kilpatrick owed the city hundreds of thousands of dollars last year at this time.  He was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison on racketeering conspiracy and other charges, but President Trump commuted his sentence in 2021.   

Court refuses to block marijuana tax 

A Michigan Court of Claims judge has declined to block a 24% wholesale tax on marijuana in the state less than a month before it’s scheduled to go into effect.

However, Judge Sima Patel allowed the challenge to the tax to proceed.

The Michigan Cannabis Industry Association claims the new tax is unconstitutional because it improperly alters a 2018 ballot measure that legalized the drug. Patel disagreed, writing that the new law was “another tax,” not an amendment to the ballot measure.  

Detroit celebrates free “Rides to Care” 

The City of Detroit is celebrating its “Rides to Care” program.  Over the past year, the service has provided more than 20,000 free roundtrip rides for pregnant women and caregivers of babies up to a year old to get to medical appointments. 

The goal of the program is to make it easier for those women to get to important prenatal and early childhood medical care. 

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

Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens introduced articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday.

“Enough is enough. We cannot allow a public official to weaponize misinformation while cutting the very research that saves lives. It’s time today to impeach RFK Jr.,” says Stevens. 

She initially stated her intention to file articles of impeachment against the Make America Healthy Again Secretary in September.

Like many other Democrats, Stevens says Kennedy’s attempts to delegitimize vaccinations and promotion of pseudo-science makes him unqualified for the job.

Kennedy Jr. has taken heat from epidemiologists for turning anti-vaccination misinformation into policy, disregarding decades of research that points to the effectiveness of vaccines. Public health officials also condemn his promotion of conspiracy theories around autism.

Rep. Stevens says he has violated his oath, citing how how cuts implemented and supported by Kennedy Jr. have made insurance less accessible and hurt research institutions, like those at Michigan universities. “I’ve heard from Republican doctors in Michigan who’ve been calling me to thank me for standing up for science,” says Stevens.

Kennedy Jr. oversaw the firing of thousands of public health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health.

Stevens’ impeachment attempt likely won’t go far in the Republican-controlled U.S. House. It’s unclear whether the move is backed by Democratic leadership.

When asked if House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries backed the impeachment bid, Stevens said she’d let Jeffries speak for himself.

What should teachers focus on when exploring sexual health with students? How should they broach sensitive subjects? What does it mean to have healthy relationships with others, and to monitor our own emotional wellbeing?

These are some of the questions that the Michigan State Board of Education tackled last month. That’s because the board changed its standards guidelines for the first time since 2007. Those changes include explaining and exploring things like gender identity, gender expression, healthy romantic relationships, and understanding one’s own emotions in the classroom. 

Co-Vice President for the State Board of Education Tiffany Tilley joined The Metro to discuss what the changes might mean for schools and students across the state.

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 Health and Human Services is urging people who can get this season’s flu shot to do so.

So far, the agency says about 20% of those eligible to receive the vaccine have been immunized.

New strain appears in the UK

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian is the state’s chief medical executive. She says a new variant of H3N2 influenza is causing severe cases of flu in England.

“What’s happening in Europe and England is sometimes a harbinger of what’s to come in places like Michigan,” she says. “And what we’ve been seeing [there] is an early flu season and a more severe flu season.”

Early studies have shown that this season’s flu vaccine offers some protection against the new variant.

“In England, they’ve seen that in folks under 18, the vaccine is about 75% protective in terms of keeping them out of the emergency department and the hospital,” Bagdasarian says. “It’s about 40% effective in those over 18.”

While the vaccine does not prevent all cases, Bagdasarian says it does reduce one’s chances of getting really sick.

“What we’re trying to do here is not stop all cases of the flu, but we want to keep people out of the hospital, the ICU, and stop them from dying,” she says.

Vaccinations have been declining since COVID

As for the low vaccination rate this season, Bagdasarian says it’s a trend. Fewer people have been getting annual flu shots since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. She worries that an outbreak of severe flu might overwhelm Michigan’s hospitals.

“When our health systems are full of people with influenza, that means there’s less care to go around,” she says. “None of us want to see a health system that’s overwhelmed with flu cases.”

Bagdasarian says fewer children are receiving routine vaccinations for other diseases such as measles and polio. She fears that recent developments at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could make that worse.

Skeptics turn health policy on its head

For example, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently recommended that children should only receive the hepatitis B vaccine if their mothers have tested positive or their status is unknown. Decades of research have shown that immunizing newborns against the virus is safe and has drastically reduced childhood cases of hepatitis B and other liver disease.

Bagdasarian attended the ACIP meeting virtually. She questions the qualifications of many who spoke.

“There were not enough scientists,” she says. “There were not enough health professionals, pediatricians, physicians.”

Instead, Bagdasarian notes that some of the presenters had non-medical backgrounds and don’t understand health care. She says that jeopardizes America’s health policies.

“The recommendations they voted on are liable to cause increased confusion and hesitancy and maybe put obstacles in people’s place when they’re trying to get vaccines,” she says.

Bagdasarian’s specialty is infectious disease. She says she’s treated patients with end stage liver disease, measles, and other preventable illnesses. She does not want the U.S. to go back to the time when these things were common.

“Many of these vaccines are things that we took when we were kids,” she says. “To deprive our own children of these life-saving benefits is sad.”

This week on MI Local, we ran through some of the latest releases by artists based all around metro Detroit and southeast Michigan, including the dream-pop duo, Bluhm, and the garage-goth six-piece known as Mirror Mask!

We also caught back up with the latest from singer/songwriter Corazon Szell, an Ann Arbor-based artist who was recently featured at WDET’s Sounds Like Detroit Showcase in August, at Batch Brewing! The aforementioned Mirror Mask has a show coming up next week at the Magic Stick with Protomartyr, and we also looked around to other notable shows happening, including one at the Ghost Light with the alt-folk indie-rock group Burning Ponies.

Our in-studio guests this week included singer-songwriter and poet Drew Bardo, who recently released the blues-funk fusion track “Wicker Boa.” Bardo has been around the music scene for a couple decades, with a range of previous projects and collaborations, but his recent release marks a return from a roughly five-year long hiatus!

While in the studio, Bardo talked about the latest album he’s been working on, an upcoming single that and music video that he’s dropping this Friday. We wrapped up our segment with Bardo performing another new song, “A Fool’s Dream,” live with Ella Kulik on violin and backing vocals.

My other in-studio guest this week was Stacey MacLeod, one-half of the “punk”-rock duo known as Dear Darkness!  I put punk in quotes because that subject comes up during our interview. This dynamic duo of musicians, singers and visual artists have a new album, “Gold, Guns, and More”, out this weekend, with a release party on Friday night at the High Dive in Hamtramck.

While drummer and vocalist Michelle Thibodeau couldn’t make it in, MacLeod and I chatted about the group’s origin, their unique sound, and we checked out the title track from the album, which was inspired by strip malls. After that, MacLeod treated us to a special live performance of her original Christmas song, “At The Mall.”

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

• “Slow Rewind” – Bluhm
• “Anymore” – Mirror Mask
• “Don’t Make Me Cry” – Barelyon
• “Meet Me On Mars” – North Ingalls & Corazon Szell
• “Good Friends” – The Burning Ponies
• “Wicker Boa” – Drew Bardo
• “A Fool’s Dream” – Drew Bardo & Ella Kulik, live in WDET Studios
• “Gold, Guns, & More” – Dear Darkness
• “At The Mall” – Stacey MacLeod (Dear Darkness), live in WDET Studios

The city of Trenton is hosting its first ever Noel Nights. The three-week event aims to bolster its local businesses and highlight extracurricular activities.

This is the first year Trenton has a Downtown Development Authority Director.  Angelia Pusino is a lifelong resident of Trenton and the city’s first Director of Downtown Development Authority.

The Metro’s Tia Graham spoke with Angelia about the three week long event, family friendly activities and what makes Trenton a tight-knit community. 

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

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gave his exit interview at the Detroit Economic Club Monday.

He says he doesn’t plan to align himself with either party’s congressional races during his campaign for governor in 2026. Duggan was a lifelong Democrat until he decided to run for Whitmer’s seat. He says he’s not worried about how Michiganders vote in the U.S. House races.

“I am going to work with the people in both parties to get results that won’t get reversed every two years as the state flips back and forth. I’m going to try to do what I did in Detroit, convince people that actually solving problems is better politics than tearing each other down.”

Duggan says he plans to run his campaign for governor just like he ran his campaign for mayor—by meeting with voters directly.

His term as mayor ends in January. 

Additional headlines from Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Mayor-elect Sheffield gets married

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield got married over the weekend. Her transition team confirmed social media chatter, saying she and Ricke Jackson, Jr. tied the knot in a private ceremony at The Godfrey Hotel on Sunday.

Jackson works for the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. He runs a youth sports program. 

Menorah in the D

Hanukkah starts Sunday and that means Menorah in the D! This will be the 15^th annual lighting of the 26 foot menorah. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. with the menorah lighting at 5:30 p.m.

There will be musical performances, strolling street performers, the Detroit Pistons Extreme Team, a chance to take photos with the Chanukah Mensch and Dreidel Man & the dancing Dreidels, and free soup and hot chocolate.

Pontiac welcomes new businesses

The City of Pontiac will celebrate several new additions to its downtown business community tomorrow with a “mass ribbon cutting.”

Eight new businesses will be welcomed to North Saginaw Street with ceremonies starting between noon and 4:00 p.m. Several of the new offices are opening in the building at 91 North Saginaw Street, including an emergency health training services organization, a salon, and a multicultural community center.

At 4:30 p.m. there will be a celebration of the one year anniversary of interior design firm Designed Mindfully. 

Free admission to history museums

Admission to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and the Detroit Historical Museum is free Sunday, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21 this month.

The Dossin on Belle Isle highlights the maritime history of Michigan and the U.S. The Detroit Historical Museum is focused on the comprehensive history of Detroit.

You can find information about exhibits at both museums at detroithistorical.org.

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

Celebrating the birthday of Detroit jazz legend Dr. Donald Byrd, plus the 60th anniversary of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which gave us the greatest Christmas music of all time via Vince Guaraldi Trio (really loved this article giving background to how this special came together, thanks to Cola-Cola and sparse jazz). On top of all that, new music from Momoko Gill, Georgie Sweet, Gerald Clayton, Adrian Sherwood, SOYUZ and more.

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

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for December 9, 2025

• “2close2farr” – Momoko Gill
• “All That We Were” – Georgie Sweet
• “Into Harmony (feat. Julia Biel)” – Hector Plimmer
• “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” – Vince Guaraldi Trio
• “Linus and Lucy” – Vince Guaraldi Trio
• “Cinnamon Sugar” – Gerald Clayton
• “Garden of Inspiration” – Adrian Sherwood, African Head Charge & Speakers Corner Quartet
• “Coltrane (Crooked Man Remix)” – Cymande
• “Not Dead Yet” – Lord Huron
• “I’d Have To Be Crazy” – Willie Nelson
• “A Bowl And A Pudding” – Wilco
• “Across The Universe” – Fiona Apple
• “Foolish Fool” – Dee Dee Warrick
• “Tomorrow (feat. Raheem DeVaughn)” – The Roots
• “17 Days (Piano & a Microphone 1983 Version)” – Prince
• “Alien (Hold On to Your Dreams)” – Gil Scott Heron
• “Billy Jack” – Curtis Mayfield
• “Someone I Know” – Margo Guryan
• “So Nice (Summer Samba) [Azari & III Remix]” – Astrud Gilberto & Walter Wanderley Trio
• “Roller Coaster” – Brijean
• “Closer” – Maria Chiara Argirò
• “Road To Self (KO)” – Kamasi Washington
• “Cristo Redentor” – Donald Byrd
• “Wind Parade” – Donald Byrd
• “Black Byrd” – Donald Byrd
• “P7 Blues” – SOYUZ
• “Plasty” – LL Burns
• “Canopy” – Resavoir & Matt Gold
• “I Couldn’t Love You More (Jam Master’s Deep Rework)” – Sade
• “Rush” – Gerald Clayton
• “Xoxoxo” – corto.alto
• “My Little Drum” – Vince Guaraldi Trio
• “Skating” – Vince Guaraldi Trio

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.

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

For years, Detroit students have borne the weight of decisions made far from their classrooms.

They’ve studied in buildings neglected through decades of disinvestment, crossed dangerous neighborhoods reshaped by school closures, and grown up in a district that spent years under state control. This trauma came from policy decisions that left Detroit students with less than their peers across Michigan.

Now, a new ballot initiative, Invest in MI Kids, argues it can help repair that history. The campaign proposes a 5% surtax on only the very highest incomes, with the money flowing into Michigan’s public schools. 

That surtax would apply to income above $500,000 for single filers and above $1 million for joint filers. All revenue would be deposited into the Michigan School Aid Fund, where it would be legally restricted to classroom and student supports. The money could go toward things like smaller class sizes, educator pay, mental health staff, and career and technical education.

Funds would then be distributed through the state’s existing school-funding formula, meaning every public district would receive additional dollars. Higher-need districts, such as Detroit, would see greater impact if the state administers funds equitably.

Imani Foster with 482 Forward is organizing families and young people around this campaign. She joined Robyn Vincent to discuss what Detroit kids and students across Michigan stand to gain.

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

As Detroit has been changing over the last decade, one word has come up again and again to describe the city: Gentrification. 

Generally, when people think of the word, they consider people who are white and relatively well off moving into a poor, nonwhite community. At worst, it signals feelings of inequality and unfairness. At best, it’s seen as a sign of development. 

But what actually is gentrification? And, what does it look like in Detroit’s neighborhoods where gentrification doesn’t lead to development?

Sharon Cornelissen is the author of “The Last House on the Block: Black Homeowners, White Homesteaders, and Failed Gentrification in Detroit.” She says that while American cities pay a lot of attention to gentrification, they should focus more on population decline and disinvestment.

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

Seeking mental health care is complicated for many American Muslims due to cultural expectations and stigma. Oftentimes, Muslims believe troubling issues should be resolved within the family or through an imam.

Mosques around the U.S. are working toward destigmatizing therapy in Muslim communities to make it more accessible.

Danish Hasan, health director at the MY Mental Wellness Clinic in Detroit, says part of that work requires overcoming barriers to access.

“We have a little bit more stigma than some of the other communities,” he says.

When praying isn’t enough

Sabrina Ali is a stay-at-home mother and former teacher who grew up in a South Asian home in Canton, a multicultural suburb of Detroit.

She learned from a young age that she couldn’t talk about all her problems with her immigrant parents.

“It was like they just came from a totally different world… and for them it was like, ‘Well, what do you have to be depressed about? Like, you’re 13, you have a good home, you have a good family, like you have food on the table,’” she says.

Ali says her parents meant well, and suggested she pray more to resolve her internal struggles, “to be more religious, essentially, quote, unquote, whatever, whatever that meant to them,” she shares.

Ali says over the years when she felt distressed, she would pray. But one day, she realized she needed to go to therapy after having recurring nightmares.

So she started going to a free counseling program at the University of Michigan, Dearborn – the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), which offers free counseling services for full-time students. Ali says she learned about the program through her work with student groups on campus.

She says that although Muslims may feel “God is testing them” with a struggle, challenge, or test, it’s also important to take action.

“Maybe God is testing is me, but even my decision, the path towards making the decision to seek professional help, I think, in a way, was also a test, you know, because what is the saying, ‘trust in God, but tie your camel’, right?”

For many young Muslims, accessing CAPS is a private entryway to seek counseling services without having to tell your parents.

Destigmatizing therapy

Many American Muslims have grown up learning going to therapy is shameful and problems should be kept private. When there is conflict, they usually go to an imam first for advice.

Imam Mohamed Maged, resident scholar of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, also known as the ADAMS Center, says he realized 25 years ago some people needed more support.

“Sometimes they ask for us to pray for them, and we do provide that spiritual support, but I realized that some of them really might be suffering from mental health issues and they need somebody to help them,” he says.

To bridge this gap, ADAMS Center opened a Mental Health Program about 13 years ago. The program offers some mental health services inside the mosque, but also contracts to 17 providers through subsided services for 12 sessions.

They also serve the community at large.

Magid says showing people that imams and therapists are working together goes a long way.

“When you tell them this is a partnership between me and a mental health provider, both of us who can help you, they feel relief,” he says.

In partnership with existing community

In California, there are similar services provided at the Maristan clinic. It’s a holistic mental health clinic that is a part of The Muslim Community Center- East Bay, a faith based organization and mosque.

Founder Rania Awaad, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, School of Medicine, says mosques are community gathering spaces.

“To have the mental health services is a major pro. It’s built in. It’s within the same institution that they’re already attending and that they trust,” she says.

Awaad says her research shows that many American Muslims want mosques to have mental health centers, while others want counseling services in a stand alone space for more privacy.1

Along with therapy provided by a Muslim therapist, in some cases people can request Islamic psychology, or the integration of faith into therapy.

Religion can provide structure for mental well being

For example, a patient who has obsessive-compulsive disorder exploring an Islamic psychology session might include learning about Islamic regulations for wudu or ablutions as a way to cope with religious compulsions.

“How much time, and how many limits of how much to wash, how many times to pray or redo your prayers,” Awaad explains.

Providers can point to a hadith, or a teaching of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to draw the point home.

“Bringing in, well here’s the Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu Salam, that says no more than three washings in wudu,” she says.

This concept of having therapists placed inside the mosque is gaining traction.

MY Mental Wellness Clinic

Last year, the Islamic Center of Detroit began offering mental health services through the new program called the MY Mental Wellness Clinic, a youth-led initiative that began in 2016 through psychoeducation workshops.

Last year Hasan welcomed a crowd of state dignitaries and community members during the opening ceremony.

“We’re gathered here today to celebrate a vital initiative that has the power to transform lives in our community, the launch of our new mental health clinic,” he says.

Hasan says the clinic hopes to remove barriers and normalize taking care of ones’ wellbeing. He says the clinic began through youth initiatives to tackle mental health. Now, about half of the patients are the youth.

“The idea with this project is to be visible, to be present, to be accessible in an affordable for those that we serve,” he shares.

The clinic offers free mental health services to area residents, mosque attendees and has branched out to work with local institutions.

Similar clinics can be found around the U.S.

As more people seek therapy, Muslim providers are finding new ways to meet people where they’re at.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services plans to invest $38 million in housing support for Michigan residents recovering from substance abuse disorder. The funding is a part of the allocated Substance Abuse Disorder prevention measures for harm reduction, treatment and recovery services.

The state recently found about 7,500 people left treatment without stable housing. The funding will support about 3,400 recovery housing beds by 2028—a 40% increase.

Michigan will receive $1.8 billion from opioid settlements by the year 2040. Half of the funding will be distributed to the State of Michigan Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund while the other half will be distributed to county, city and township governments.  

The Michigan Association of Recovery Residencies survey found that providing recovery housing assistance helped people get and keep a job as part of their road to recovery.  

Additional headlines from Monday, December 8, 2025

Health insurance

There’s about a month left to apply for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is reminding Michigan residents to purchase health insurance by Dec. 15 to have coverage by Jan. 1. People who apply after that by Jan. 15 will not get coverage until Feb. 1.

DIFS Director Anita Fox says people should shop around for the most cost-effective plan with the best coverage. People can visit healthcare.gov or call 800-318-2596 for assistance.  

Loneliness on the rise for adults

A recent study by the American Association of Retired Persons or AARP found loneliness among adults 45 years and older increased to about 40%. That’s a 5% increase since 2018.  

Heather Nawrocki is the Vice President of Fun and Fulfillment for AARP. She says people have fewer friends and their social networks are smaller than they used to be. She says men have higher rates of loneliness compared to women. 

“They’re just not getting out of the house as much. They don’t have as many close friends and they’re not joining community organizations, clubs or pursuing interests with others the same way as perhaps they did before.”  

Nawrocki says the study also found people are volunteering less frequently, leading to less social interaction. 

She says it’s important to check on friends and loved ones to rekindle relationships for social health which also impacts health, happiness, and longevity. 

Film Detroit event

Film Detroit is hosting a free film experience this month.

Attendees will learn how to build video production skills, including how to create trailers and teasers. People will also be able to sing karaoke with the Karaoke Kingz.

They will have access to onsite film resources and permit support. The event takes place Dec. 22 from 5-8 p.m. at the Northwest Activities Center located at 18100 Meyers Rd.

Visit detroitmi.gov/filmdetroit for more information.  

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

This week we are locking in with UK singer, songwriter and guitarist Lianne La Havas, who has carved out her own lane in alternative soul and folk, drawing on influences that range from Nina Simone to Lauryn Hill.

She first turned heads in the early 2010s with a mostly acoustic, intimate blend of folk and soul. Now she returns after a five year break with a single that puts everything back in focus. This track is built on sparse, airy guitar and that unmistakable voice, delivering emotional weight without a lot of extra production. It is stripped down, honest and vulnerable in a way that feels almost conversational.

Here is Lianne La Havas with “Disarray” and it is my Pick of the Week.

That was Lianne La Havas with “Disarray,” her first new material in five years and an early signal of what is coming on her next album.

If you are into raw, acoustic soul like this, tune in to The Progressive Underground every Saturday at 6 p.m. on 101.9 WDET and online at wdet.org. 

More from The Progressive Underground

Is everyone getting charged the same in Michigan’s courts? This is the question causing members of the Michigan Judicial Council to create a proposal to take the pressure off judges to generate revenue and make the state a more balanced funding partner. The proposal also aims to make sure people are not given debts that they can’t pay.

In this episode of MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben discuss the ins and outs of this proposal with former judge and State Court Administrator Tom Boyd.

Why propose a change?

The council’s proposal seeks to change how the state court is funded. Boyd says it’s not just a matter of different courts charging different amounts for the same infractions, but it can also depend on the individual person.

“Unfortunately, today, that tax is often determined by how the person presents himself in court. Well, that’s not a fair — or honestly legal under the current system — way of doing things,” Boyd says.

He stresses that uniform practices are needed to stay consistent with the law.

Detroit rapper Big Sean and music legend Usher are partnering to invest in a new $1 million entertainment production facility for Detroit youth. It will be called the Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator and will be located inside the new Boys and Girls Club at Michigan Central.

The program will give young people from the ages of 14 to 24 access to a virtual production studio, special effects lab, creators lounge and more.

Both artists grew up going to Boys and Girls Clubs and are looking to give back with this effort. The new Boys and Girls Club location is slated to officially open with a ribbon cutting ceremony in February according to a statement from representatives.

Additional headlines from Friday, December 5, 2025

Respite centers

As the weather drops, the city is reminding Detroiters in need that there are respite centers available. Recreation centers and public libraries serve as respite centers during their regular operating hours.

Some of the locations open this weekend include the Coleman A young Recreation Center at 2751 Robert Bradby, the Kemeny Recreation Center at 2260 S. Fort and the Bowen Branch of the Detroit Public Library at 3648 Vernor Hwy.

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

City seeks sculptor

The city of Detroit is looking for someone to sculpt a second statue of Joe Louis that honors his achievements outside the boxing ring.

Officials already unveiled the first statue celebrating the Brown Bomber’s contributions to golf. He was the first amateur Black golfer to play in a PGA-sanctioned event.

The new statue will pay tribute to his impact on equestrian sports. Louis bought a horse farm in Shelby Township in 1939 and created the nation’s first horse show featuring Black riders and trainers.

Mahmood sues to count disqualified Hamtramck ballots

In Hamtramck mayoral candidate Adam Alharbi was deemed the winner by 11 votes after a recount this week. But the race may not be over yet. Alharbi’s opponent Muith Mahmood filed a lawsuit arguing that the city should count all 37 votes that were disqualified.

The ballots were found improperly stored in the City Clerk’s office and were excluded from the final count after the Wayne County Board of Canvassers deadlocked on the issue.

Former Michigan state elections director Chris Thomas says although there is a security concern about how the ballots were handled Hamtramck residents should not be penalized. “Apparently these envelopes were received, their date, time and date stamped. The signatures were compared and found to be valid. So these voters have been disenfranchised, so there’s no question about that. And the question before the court is, what are you going to do for these voters?”

Another hearing is scheduled to settle the issue.

Sports

NFL

The Lions bounce back from their Thanksgiving loss with a win against the Dallas Cowboys last night with the score of 44-30. The Lions haven’t had back-to-back losses since the 2022 season and now tie the all-time NFL record with 15 Straight wins after a loss.

They look to continue their playoff hopes as they face the Rams on Sunday December 14th.

NBA

The Pistons have back to back matchups as they face the Portland Trail Blazers today at 7:30pm and the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be at Little Caesars Arena.

NHL

And the Red Wings fell to The Columbus Blue Jackets last night with a 6-5 loss. They hope to bounce back against the Seattle Krakens tomorrow at Climate Pledge Arena. Game starts at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Merry Midtown

Tomorrow the city will be merry with the first ever Merry Midtown event. There will be dining and shopping experiences, Santa sightings, Christmas music, a roaming photo booth and more.

For more information go to citybirddetroit.com.

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State energy regulators heard from people last night who oppose a large data center project near Saline. The Michigan Public Service Commission held a virtual hearing on DTE Energy’s request to fast-track contracts with the project’s developers.  

The data center would require DTE Energy to substantially increase its peak electrical load. The company says that won’t raise customer’s rate.  

Cadillac resident Cody Gilbert spoke at the hearing. Gilbert is concerned about how the data center would affect that state’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2050.  

“A project that uses thousands of gallons of water and tons of electricity, enough for thousands of home is not advancing that goal.” 

Opponents say the facility would draw almost as much power as the city of Detroit.  

Protestors rallied Wednesday in Beacon Park near DTE Headquarters.  

Elijah Williams lives in Detroit but is originally from Mississippi. 

He says he feels his home state and Michigan are attractive to data companies because they have access to the large amounts of water needed to cool a data center. 

“The access to the Great Lakes… they’re definitely taking advantage of whatever God-given resource in order to just implement whatever quantum…. whatever new level of science and technology that they haven’t got consent from the people on if they even want it in the first place.” 

Sarah Brabbs is from York Township, next to Saline. While she is not totally opposed to the data center, she says she isn’t a fan of DTE trying to keep the public out of the process.  

“Putting rate payers in a situation that you know we will be paying for…probably on multiple levels…is disingenuous, dysfunctional…and unacceptable.” 

DTE said the data center’s operators would pay for the energy they use, almost 1.5 gigawatts. 

Additional headlines from Thursday, December 4, 2025

VERDAD tool

Wayne State’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights received a $350 thousand grant for its AI powered tool “VERDAD”, which stands for Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse.” 

VERDAD founder and journalist Martina Guzman says the tool started monitoring ethnic radio stations for disinformation in Latino communities.  

“The tool records 24 hours a day… And once it hears misinformation… And it hears it based on hundreds and hundreds of disinformation keywords that we’ve uploaded into its system… once it hears one of those words, it begins to really focus and it has an analysis component.” 

Since VERDAD launched last year, more than 320 academics and journalists have registered to use the free tool. It will expand to all 50 states in multiple languages, including Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese.  

Robocop statue

A long awaited 11-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Robocop has finally taken its permanent place in Eastern Market. The statue is located at 3434 Russell St.  

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

Wayne State University Law School’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights received a $350,000 grant to expand a disinformation tool, “VERDAD: Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse.”

The AI-powered tool monitors U.S.-based ethnic radio stations for disinformation in Latino media.

VERDAD Founder and journalist Martina Guzmán says the tool will expand to all 50 states in multiple languages and also globally.

“Oftentimes, people think there’s going to be like, this commercial that’s complete disinformation. And what happens is on Latino radio stations, on ethnic radio stations, people have talk shows. And on those talk shows, it is often those people that host the talk shows that are spreading disinformation,” she says. 

Guzmán says the tool began monitoring Latino radio stations in battleground states ahead of the 2024 election.

“We felt that the election would be won or lost in those states at the time. And that was the capacity we had that we could do these eight battleground states and maybe a few more,” she says. 

The grant was awarded to the Wayne State University Law School’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to expand its reach of languages and locations.

Guzmán says the tool works as a civil rights safeguard to empower voters.

“The tool records 24 hours a day, and once it hears misinformation, right? And it hears it based on hundreds and hundreds of disinformation keywords that we’ve uploaded into its system. And once it hears one of those words, it begins to really focus… it has an analysis component,” she says.

Since the VERDAD tool’s inception last year, more than 320 academics and journalists have registered to use the free tool on Verdad.app to write articles and research trends of LatinX voters.

The tool will add several languages, including Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese to inform voters.

Hunkering down at home is tempting as temperatures drop and snow falls, but there are experiences worth braving the weather—at least for a moment.

Keep out the chill with moving musical performances, comedy, and more in metro Detroit.

Upcoming events

Holiday Cabaret

Detroit Public Theatre

  Thursday, Dec. 4 through Sunday, Dec. 21

  $52 

A holiday season celebration crafted with wit and rowdy charm! An ongoing tradition, the Detroit Public Theatre’s Holiday Cabaret features talented vocalists and adult humor. This weekend, Dec. 4-7 is the time to catch the preview shows and the premiere. 

Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village

Greenfield Village

  Thursday, Dec. 4 through Sunday, Dec. 28

  $36-44

Take a walk through time and enjoy festivities at Greenfield Village. Carols, roasted chestnuts, artisan crafts, ice skating and Model-T rides will get the whole family in the holiday spirit while immersing them in history.

Paradise Jazz: Malcolm X Jazz Suite

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

  Friday, Dec. 5

  $21+

Terence Blanchard and his band The E-Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet reprise his Malcom X Jazz Suite. The initial suite modified Blanchard’s compositions for the 1992 film Malcom X, directed by Spike Lee, for live performance. After its evolutions over the years, Blanchard’s latest version offers audiences a new stirring experience. Performance begins at 8 p.m.

Variety Show

The Congregation Detroit

  Friday, Dec. 5

  $20 online (with fees), $25 at the door

A two-hour blend of burlesque, drag, comedy, and improv sure to entertain and delight! This event is hosted by Sarah Lynn and presented by Best Case Scenario Comedy. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show starting at 7:30 p.m. Bring cash for tipping performers. This event is 18 and up.

Killers, Freaks, and Radicals

Senate Theater in Detroit

  Friday, Dec. 5

  $12

Attend the Detroit premiere of a locally-produced true crime documentary on the Michigan Co-Ed Killer. The show opens with an organ overture, and Director Andrew Templeton will be present to discuss the film following the showing. 

Merry Midtown

Midtown Detroit

  Saturday, Dec. 6

  Free

In place of Noel Night, over 50 local businesses have organized a night to shop, dine and explore midtown. From 5-9 p.m., people of all ages are welcome to enjoy ice carving demonstration, live performances, photo booths and more

East Meets West: Christmas in the Holy Land

Music Hall Detroit

  Saturday, Dec. 6

  $67+

Explore another side of Christmas with National Arab Orchestra through a cultural blend of holiday music. The show starts at 8 p.m.

Joe Reilly and the All Nations Dancers: Welcome Winter

Detroit Institute of Arts

  Saturday, Dec. 6

  Free with general admission

The All Nations Dancers, representing the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes, celebrate winter and Mother Earth with songs performed by singer-songwriter Joe Reilly. The performance starts at 2 p.m. in the Riviera Court. While at the museum, check out the current exhibit Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation until April 5, 2026. 

Detroit Urban Craft Fair

Masonic Temple

  Saturday, Dec. 6 through Sunday, Dec. 7

  $5

Shop for a variety of artisan and homemade goods from over 100 artists, including crocheted items, decor, soaps, journals, jewelry and more. Meet the makers and find presents for yourself and others from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Children 12 and under get free entry both days after 1 p.m.