Kresge Foundation moves headquarters to Detroit

The Kresge Foundation announced that it will relocate its headquarters from Troy to the Marygrove campus in northwest Detroit. Along with the move, the foundation says it will invest an additional 180 million dollars in the Liv-Six community over the next five years.

Kresge CEO Rip Rapson says the organization will build a new headquarters on the campus while also strengthening nearby neighborhoods.

“We will, working alongside neighborhood residents and community partners, invest in housing stabilization, home ownership, commercial corridor revitalization, small business support, public spaces enhancements and financial assistance in the Fitzgerald, Bagley, University District and Martin Park neighborhoods,” Rapson said.

The foundation had considered a return to the city for many years, but a renovation of its Troy offices in 2014 delayed those plans. The new headquarters at Marygrove is expected to be completed by 2028.

Apple store opening downtown

Apple will open its downtown Detroit store on September 19 on Woodward just south of John R. The announcement comes the same week the company unveiled its newest devices. Apple also revealed plans for a manufacturing academy in Detroit to complement its developer academy partnership with Michigan State University.

Jeezy concert livestream

Rapper and entrepreneur Jeezy is bringing something special to Detroit. His Friday night concert at the Fox Theatre will feature a live orchestra and will also be livestreamed on his official YouTube channel.

Detroit is one of 23 stops on Jeezy’s tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut album Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, first released in 2005.

Weekend sports

The Detroit Tigers face the Miami Marlins this weekend at Loan Depot Park. First pitch for tonight’s game is at 7:10 p.m.

The Detroit Lions take on the Chicago Bears on Sunday, September 14. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

The Tonight Show heads to Detroit

Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show is coming to Detroit this Sunday, September 14, for an episode that will air September 15 on NBC. The show will be filmed at the Detroit Opera House and will feature special guests Keegan-Michael Key, Detroit Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham, and Grammy-winning rapper and actor Common, who recorded his first album in Detroit.

This is the Tonight Show’s first visit to the city and is being presented in partnership with Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit nbc.com.

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’ve got chances to shop from local makers, see performances by rising musicians and explore artifacts from Techno history. Plus, a celebration of vegan food. Read on to learn more.

Upcoming events

Strange Beautiful Music 18

  Various locations in Detroit

  Thursday, Sep. 11 through Saturday, Sep. 13

  Free, $23–$34

An annual multi-day event celebrating new music in Detroit, spanning a wide range of genres — including jazz, free improvisation, Techno, electronica, Neo-soul, ambient and genre-defiant. Concerts take place at three local venues over three days, including a show at the Detroit Institute of Arts, which is free for residents of Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties, on Friday from 7–8:30 p.m.

Jeff Mills presents Star Chronicle

  Spot Lite in Detroit

  Thursday, Sep. 11 through Saturday, Sep. 13

  Free, $34–$80

A multi-media artist residency curated by Techno pioneer Jeff Mills, featuring film screenings, live music, and an exhibit of personal art and artifacts. Show doors open each night at 9 p.m. and admission is $34 per day or $80 for a three-day pass. The exhibition is free and open to the public 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Fridays at The Station: Charity and DJ BJ

  The Station at Michigan Central in Detroit

  Friday, Sep. 12

  $15

A monthly evening event featuring live performances, food and drinks at Michigan Central. This month’s event features a special performance by singer Charity, joined by DJ BJ. The event goes from 5–10 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m.

The Hawk Makerspace 3rd Anniversary Open House

  The Hawk in Farmington Hills

  Saturday, Sep. 13

  Free

An open house for community members to check out The Hawk Makerspace, a shared technical and creative studio in Farmington Hills. There will be live demonstrations of the studio’s professional-grade equipment, giveaways, refreshments and discounts on studio passes. The event goes from 3–7 p.m.

Common Ground’s 51st Birmingham Street Art Fair

  Downtown Birmingham

  Saturday, Sep. 13 and Sunday, Sep. 14

  Free

A longstanding fine arts fair featuring 90 juried artists along Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham. The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Ypsi Vegan Fest 2025

  Downtown Ypsilanti

  Sunday, Sep. 14

  Free

An event celebrating vegan foods in an effort to make veganism more accessible. There will be local vendors, cooking demonstrations and talks by vegan advocates. The event goes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to all — vegan or not.

Eastern Market After Dark

  Eastern Market Shed 2 in Detroit

  Thursday, Sep. 18

  Free

A district-wide night market featuring galleries, open studios, retailers, brand activations and live music. The market is open from 6–11 p.m.

The Detroit Department of Public Works announced a new effort to keep the city clean with a recycling pilot program at bus stops.

The department also unveiled two electric garbage trucks that will be used to collect recycling.   

The pilot program will place 800 new recycling cans at the bus stops.  

Public Works Deputy Director Sam Krassenstein says bottles and cans are the number one thing people throw away when waiting for the bus.  “And that’s what we’re trying to capitalize on by diverting that to keep that out of the landfill and keep that out of the streets.”  

Krassenstein says the pilot aims to increase recycling rates from 45% to nearly 100%.   

The $500,000 investment was funded by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, DTE, and City Council.   

Additional headlines for Thursday, September 11, 2025

Non profit offers free homecoming dress drawing

High school students in southeastern Michigan could get a free homecoming dress this weekend. 

Alison Vaughn is the CEO of Jackets for Jobs.  

She says her non profit and Comerica bank are hosting a homecoming dress giveaway on the lower level of the Samaritan Center in Detroit this weekend.  

“Homecoming is one of the young girls’ biggest moments of high school, and so we wanted to make them feel like Cinderella and the belle of the ball, if you will, and make them feel good and confident. And we know those events are very costly.”  

Vaughn says anyone can come get a free homecoming dress and accessories from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday or from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Samaritan Center on 5555 Conner Street.  

Corewell terminates gender affirming care for minors

Corewell Health is the latest Michigan hospital to end gender affirming care for minors. The hospital announced it will no longer prescribe puberty blockers or hormone therapy to minors because of “the serious risk of legal and regulatory action.”

That pressure is coming from the Trump Administration. Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan’s hospital system, announced it will also stop gender affirming care last month.  

Corewell Health made a similar announcement in February this year before backtracking due to protest.

Dearborn improving business exteriors with grant funding

The City of Dearborn is celebrating the completion of the first façade improvement project on Warren Avenue at Nadia’s Pharmacy.

The city’s initiative awards up to $200,000 in Community Development Block grant funding, with a 10% business match to improve the exterior of selected businesses.

The goal of the project is to modernize, enhance, and create a cohesive business aesthetic along Warren Avenue between Lonyo Avenue and Greenfield Rd.

Nadia’s Pharmacy is the first to complete repairs. 

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

The Huron-Clinton Metroparks Board of Commissioners voted to authorize its attorneys to enter into the sale of the Flat Rock Dam to the City of Flat Rock for $5, Metroparks officials told The Metro. The offer also includes Metroparks providing $3 Million to the city for an improved fish ladder.

This decision follows months of community engagement and feedback, signaling a victory for organizers who opposed Huron-Clinton Metroparks’ proposal to partially remove the dam.

“It’s a positive sign and appears to have the potential to be something that will be reasonable and fair for everyone. The devil will be in the details,” John Webb, a member of the the Flat Rock Dam Coalition, told The Metro.

The Huron-Clinton Metroparks Board of Commissioners also agreed to delay action on ‘partial removal’ plan, “Alternative 2” in the feasibility study, until its November meeting. 

Three proposals

A two-year feasibility study conducted by Huron-Clinton Metroparks produced three options for the future of the dam.

• Full removal of the dam
• Leave the dam as-is, but improve the fish ladder
• Partial removal of the dam, with construction of rock arches

Metroparks CEO Amy McMillan recommended partial removal, saying it would maintain similar water levels of the impoundment and preserve recreation activities like kayaking and fishing.

But community activists and elected officials were not satisfied with the proposal.

Community opposition

Elected officials joined a chorus of community voices opposed to full or partial dam removal. Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown) wrote a letter to the Metroparks board members urging a no vote on dam removal.

Flat Rock’s mayor, Steve Beller, also both spoke at an August 14 board meeting after its city council unanimously passed a resolution to urge Metroparks not to remove the dam.

Brad Booth, president of the Flat Rock Dam Coalition joined the Metro on Wednesday to discuss his group’s concerns over the Metroparks’ proposal to partially remove the dam and replace it with ‘rock arches.’

When who we are and what we believe in conflicts with the traditions that we’re raised in, life broadly leaves us three choices: we can change who we are to fit the tradition, we can leave the tradition behind, or we can try to change the tradition to fit our ideals.

That last choice requires courage. Change is not easy, and when it comes to a tradition like religion, many become upset when people start tinkering with how things are done. 

But that’s exactly what Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie has been doing. The rabbi who runs an alternative Jewish synagogue in New York City grew up in Israel under a lineage of orthodox rabbis. But Rabbi Lau-Lavie and his congregation at Lab/Shul don’t practice orthodox Judaism, they’re doing something unique and experimental. 

The new documentary, “Sabbath Queen” explores the life of Rabbi Lau-Lavie and more. Tomorrow, the rabbi will be at an event at the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit. The film will be screening Sunday at the DIA. 

Sandi DuBowski is the filmmaker. He spoke with Cary Junior II.

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, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Michigan mass transit agencies are waiting to find out how much money they will get from the state in 2026.

Lawmakers have until October 1 to approve a budget and send it to Governor Gretchen Whitmer to sign.

Transit proposals are similar

The governor, the state House, and the state Senate have all approved $226 million for local bus operating revenue. The House budget proposal adds $60 million in new revenue for transit systems that serve more than 100,000 people. The Senate plan includes $15 million in new funding.

The Michigan Public Transit Association analyzed all three budget plans. It says bus systems would lose an average of 5 or 6 percent in state funding if the $226 million figure is approved.

SMART, Southeast Michigan’s regional bus service, gets about a quarter of its funding from the state. General Manager Tiffany Gunter says the governor’s proposal would cost SMART about $8.6 million.

“We obviously don’t know where those cuts would come from directly today,” Gunter says. “This would have a horrible effect on the region’s ability to move mobility forward.”

Cuts jeopardize improvements

Gunter, who became SMART’s GM in August, says state budget cuts threaten plans to improve customer service. That includes expanding the Flex program, which lets people in about a dozen communities schedule shuttle rides seven days a week.

“We wouldn’t be able to move forward with those improvements to the service and those enhancements, because we just wouldn’t have the funding to do so,” she says. “We’d be looking at areas where we could pull back service instead.”

While the House proposal is more generous than either Whitmer’s or the Senate’s, Gunter says the devil is in the details. To get a share of the extra $60 million, a transit system must get at least 10% of its revenue from rider fares. Gunter says SMART’s farebox recovery ratio is 4%.

“43% of our riders are either seniors or people with disabilities, and those individuals pay a half fare,” she says.

Most funding comes from regional tax

60% of SMART’s revenue comes from a regional transit millage, which enables the agency to offer fare discounts.

Gunter says her goal is to ensure that SMART buses are safe, convenient, and reliable.

“We’re not just moving people here,” she says. “We know that what we do every day gives people access to opportunity.”

SMART says it carries an average of almost 11 million riders per year.

The main thing on the musical menu today is getting you ready for Sundance, the 3rd edition of Anthony Jasper and Scott Grooves’ end-of-summer dance party at the American Riad happening this Sunday, Sept. 14 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The American Riad is a community space at the corner of Euclid & Oakland in Detroit’s North End neighborhood (you can’t miss it). It’s free, open to the public and an excellent example of dance and music bringing the city together. To preview the event, Anthony Jasper stopped by to chat and I played tracks from Grooves including “E2E4” and “So Glad.”

On top of all that, new music discovery from Deep Sea Diver, JuliaWhy?, spill tab, Cut Copy, Nightbus; a music spotlight on El Michels Affair and their excellent album “24 Hr Sports”; and a track from Andrew Bird’s “The Mysterious Production of Eggs,” which turns 20 this year and will get a special reissue.

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 September 10, 2025

• “Skin Is, My” – Andrew Bird
• “Small Stakes” – Spoon
• “Moonshake” – Can
• “Heaven’s Gonna Burn Your Eyes” – Thievery Corporation
• “C.T.F.O” – Jose Junior
• “What Do I Know” – Deep Sea Diver
• “Pale Blue Dot” – JuliaWhy?
• “A Fragile Thing (Mark Saunders Heartbroken Remix)” – The Cure
• “Assis” – spill tab
• “Carry Me Away” – El Michels Affair & Norah Jones
• “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” – El Michels Affair
• “C.R.E.A.M.” – El Michels Affair
• “Once Around the Block” – Badly Drawn Boy
• “Moving Forward (Cosmodelica Remix)” – Bryony Jarman-Pinto
• “How Can We Mend a Broken Heart” – Kahil El’Zabar
• “Step In” – Jeb Loy Nichols & Cold Diamond & Mink
• “5 On A Joyride” – Cody ChesnuTT
• “Cathode Ray” – Folk Bitch Trio
• “Dollar Store (feat. Waxahatchee)” – Ben Kweller
• “Does This Song Sound Familiar? (7″ Version)” – Pearl Charles
• “Afraid” – Flock of Dimes
• “If Only I Could Wait (feat. Danielle Haim)” – Bon Iver
• “Thinkin Bout You” – Frank Ocean
• “All Night” – Romare
• “I’m Doing Fine (feat. Amp Dog Knight)” – Moodymann
• “E2E4” – Scott Grooves
• “So Glad” – Scott Grooves
• “The Ones We Loved” – Georgie Sweet
• “Angles Mortz” – Nightbus
• “Belong To You” – Cut Copy & Kate Bollinger
• “Weak In Your Light” – Nation of Language
• “Evertyhing Is Simple” – Widowspeak
• “Thank You” – Bonnie Raitt
• “I Just Want To Talk To You” – Charles Brown & Sleepy Creek

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.

WDET’s on-air fundraising starts Thursday, September 11.

After a tough summer for public media, we’re working hard to close the gap in our budget and keep your trusted news, music, and conversation strong.

Listener support has already helped us make progress, and now this fundraiser will play a critical role in reaching our fiscal year-end goal.

Now more than ever, members matter. You can make a difference with a one-time gift or by becoming a monthly sustaining member.

Join us on air and streaming as we come together to keep WDET strong.

Perks of being a WDET member

WDET members enjoy benefits throughout the year, including invitations to member-only events, early ticket access, special discounts, and opportunities to take part in unique experiences.

As a way of saying “thank you,” members can choose from exclusive WDET swag. Each time you make a qualifying gift, you’ll have the option to select a thank-you gift. 

Be sure to check out the 101.9 Collection, which features the Everyday Cuff Beanie, Team Scarf, Burgundy Cap, and Zip Tote.

During this fall fundraiser, new members who make their very first gift of $10.19 per month or more will receive the WDET Everyday Beanie from our 101.9 Collection.

The WDET Collection

Your donation could unlock exclusive prizes

During the fall fundraiser, donations made during select shows and times are automatically entered into special prize drawings. Tune in, check your email, follow @wdetdetroit on Instagram, or visit wdet.org to see when your gift could put you in the running.

• Majestic Golden Tickets
• Found Sound package featuring hand-picked albums from Jon Moshier
• $100 gift card to Bowlero
• Bonnie Raitt tickets
• Tickets to see Raphael Saadiq at the Detroit Opera House on 10.11.25
• And so much more!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Detroit City Council’s Historic Designation Advisory board is nominating the Bagley-West Vernor commercial district in Southwest Detroit for the National Register of Historic Places.

The board will present to nomination to the neighborhood on September 11, and answer questions about the benefits of receiving the designation.

A spot on the register could open up many federal dollars for the area to restore and revive many of the buildings in the corridor.

Michael Gutierrez is a resident of the area and a journalist with the El Central Hispanic News. His family also owns Mexican Village Restaurant on Bagley.

“Mexican Village wasn’t just serving food,” Gutierrez said. “Upstairs they were also hosting labor union meetings in the 1950s where Latino workers were fighting for better conditions.”

 Gutierrez says many of the buildings and businesses in the area date back to 1800s. It’s been a cultural, social, and economic hub for the Latino community for a long time and recognition through this designation would provide a sense of validation.

“There’s something to be said, when you’re walking on the streets of your own neighborhood and you know that there’s this is kind of like, not just the beating heart of the Latino part of your city, but that you know that this place has roots, that that really go back for a long time.” Guiterrez said.

If approved, the designation would open the corridor up to financial incentives and tax credits up to 45% for renovations and restoration of the buildings.

It could also attract more visitors to the area, which can provide a boost for small businesses.

The University of Michigan is ending gender-affirming care for minors, leaving an untold number of families with fewer options and greater uncertainty.

Gender-affirming care for minors is legal in Michigan, and major medical and mental-health associations recognize it as best practice. Research links it to lower depression and suicide risk. 

But a Michigan Medicine spokesperson said in a prepared statement that the risks of offering this care are now too high. This comes after it received a federal subpoena as part of a criminal and civil investigation into gender-affirming care for minors.

“We recognize the gravity and impact of this decision for our patients and our community. We are working closely with all those impacted,” the statement reads.

The announcement represents a profound loss for families. For some young people, it means a place they felt safe and could trust is closing its doors. And the consequences are real: more anxiety, more depression, greater risk of suicide.

Equality Michigan’s Emme Zanotti joined Robyn Vincent to discuss the impacts on Michigan families. Zanotti, a trans woman, also took off her advocate hat to reflect on the personal reverberations she feels at this moment.

Michigan Medicine did not respond to an email request about the number of patients who will be affected and how the hospital plans to assist patients during this transition. 

Editor’s Note: After this conversation aired, Corewell Health, a major healthcare provider in Michigan, also announced the end of its gender-affirming care. 

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

In the last episode of CuriosiD, WDET’s Russ McNamara took a look at the history and emergence of the Detroit-specific phrase – “What Up Doe”

That led him to Detroit music producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Filthy Rockwell. He owns the trademark for ‘WHATUPDOE!’.

Rockwell explained why he felt compelled to start his own brand, but not before sharing his own theory about how ‘What Up Doe?’ got popularized.

Rockwell’s theory

Rockwell says he reached out to an unofficial uncle for background—George Clinton. Clinton was no stranger to Detroit, working first as a songwriter at Motown Records and then recording legendary albums here at United Sound Systems.

“I was talking to [Clinton], and I asked him one day…when was the first time he heard ‘What up doe?’ And he said the first time he heard what up though was in the early 70s, and he said he heard it from Amp Fiddler,” Rockwell said.

Fiddler was a legendary Detroit keyboardist who worked with J Dilla, Prince, and Moodyman.

Starting in the mid-1980s, Fiddler toured with Clinton for about a decade.

Fiddler grew up on Detroit’s east side and graduated from Osborne High School. He was an in-demand and working musician up until his untimely death in 2023.

The “What up doe” brand

About that trademark…

“I own the letters W-H-A-T-U-P-D-O-E,” Rockwell said. “If you spell ‘What Up Doe’ like that in any way, put that on anything I own it.”

He says the whole process started out more than a decade ago.

“I didn’t just trademark ‘What Up Doe,’ I turned it into a brand,” Rockwell said. “When I started selling t-shirts and hats and nobody wanted to sell a ‘What Up Doe’ t-shirt or a hat when I started, nobody.”

Rockwell releases some of the gear through his Filthy Americans brand.

He started out selling the clothing at The Jungle Room in Birmingham and Burn Rubber in Royal Oak and Detroit.

Rockwell had a skate shop and event space near West Grand Boulevard and The Lodge, before parking issues and high rent made it difficult to stay open.

Still the popularity of ‘What Up Doe’ endured with a partnership with the Detroit Pistons.

“We just put out the ‘What Up Doe’ hat at the end of last season before the playoffs, and it just went, went really, really crazy,” Rockwell said. “We gonna do more, drop new designs and show more Detroit pride.”

Though he says the meaning behind all of this is much more than merchandising.

“It wasn’t about just throwing something on a t shirt or a hat. It’s not about that. ‘What Up Doe’ means so much more,” Rockwell said. “It’s about ‘What Up Doe’ with love from Detroit.”

Soccer fans know a pitch as the field where the game begins. Now Detroit City Football Club is building a new one in Corktown and they’re also making a pitch to neighbors.

Under Detroit’s Community Benefits Ordinance, big projects like this one must work with residents to address community concerns. 

That’s where the Neighborhood Advisory Council comes in. Nine members — chosen by residents, city council, and developers — will meet with the team over the coming months to hammer out how this project can benefit the neighborhood.

Producer Jack Filbrandt sat down with Detroit Documenters Robert De’Andrea and Noah Kincade to learn more about the Neighborhood Advisory Council and what’s at stake for residents. 

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, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

The future of a nearly 100-year-old dam in Flat Rock, MI will be determined tomorrow. The board of commissioners for Huron-Clinton Metroparks, who owns the dam, will vote on its long-term plans for the structure at 1 p.m. at Willow Metropark. The meeting is open to the public.

Three proposals

A two-year feasibility study conducted by Huron-Clinton Metroparks produced three options for the future of the dam.

• Leave the dam as-is, but improve the fish ladder
• Partial removal of the dam, with construction of rock arches
• Full removal of the dam

The organization’s CEO Amy McMillan recommended partial removal, saying it would maintain similar water levels of the impoundment and preserve recreation activities like kayaking and fishing.

Community members and elected officials oppose all options that remove the dam, urging Metroparks to leave the dam as-is.

Brad Booth, president of the Flat Rock Dam Coalition, says ‘similar’ is not firm enough. His group wants a commitment from Huron-Clinton Metroparks to alleviate fears of a significant decrease in water level.

Booth told The Metro that in addition to recreational activities, his group is also concerned about property values and changes to flora and fauna.

Aging infrastructure

The aging dam is in fair condition but is classified as a “high hazard potential” by Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). That designation is an assessment of risk, meaning dam failure may cause serious environmental and infrastructure damage, or even loss of life.

A 2020 high-profile dam failure in Mid-Michigan led to severe flooding in Midland, MI, and Sanford Lake was emptied out, wiping out property values and recreation for lakefront homes there.

Elected officials weigh in

Elected officials have joined the chorus of community voices opposed to full or partial dam removal. Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown) wrote a letter to the Metroparks board members urging a no vote on dam removal.

Flat Rock’s mayor, Steve Beller, also both spoke at an August 14 board meeting after its city council unanimously passed a resolution to urge Metroparks not to remove the dam.

Environmental impact

Dam removal is growing more common statewide and nationally. Earlier this year, EGLE announced nearly $15 Million dollars in funding for dam removals across the state. 

Proponents of dam removals point to improved river health and biodiversity. They also mitigate the risk of catastrophic dam failures.

In the case of Flat Rock Dam, the Metroparks feasibility study for this project notes improved fish passage for sturgeon, walleye, and salmon to travel up the Huron River to spawn.

Brad Booth, president of the Flat Rock Dam Coalition, joined The Metro to discuss why his organization opposes partial or full removal of the Flat Rock dam.

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

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

More stories from The Metro

Former Detroit mayoral candidate Saunteel Jenkins is endorsing Mary Sheffield for the job. 

She expressed her support for Sheffield this morning during an event at Cody High School on the city’s west side, saying they have shared priorities. 

“It’s about kids all over the city of Detroit who deserve to live in a city free of gun violence.  It’s about all the kids who deserve to grow and reach their full potential.”

Jenkins has an understanding of City Council president Sheffield’s qualifications to become mayor.  Jenkins served as the president of Detroit City Council before stepping down in 2014. 

Sheffield faces Pastor Solomon Kinloch in the November 4^th general election. 

Additional headlines for Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Hollier for Secretary of State

Detroit Democrat Adam Hollier has announced that he’s running to become Michigan’s next Secretary of State.  

Current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is term-limited.  She’s running for governor in 2026 instead. 

Hollier served two terms in the Michigan State Senate and later served as Director of Michigan’s Veterans Affairs Agency.  He had two unsuccessful runs for Congress in 2022 and 2024, with last year’s run scuttled by problems with petition signatures. 

Hollier had originally announced plans to run again next year in the 13^th Congressional District, but has now changed course. 

Casino revenue updates

Detroit’s three casinos brought in 106.9 million dollars in revenue last month.  That’s down 4.6 percent from August 2024. 

MGM Grand continues to hold the largest share of the city’s casino market at 48 percent.  Motor City had 29 percent.  And Hollywood Casino at Greektown captured 21 percent of the market.  Together, the three casinos paid 12.6 million dollars in taxes and wagering agreement payments to the City of Detroit last month.  They paid another 8.6 million dollars in taxes to the State of Michigan. 

Slotkin at Levin Center 

U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin is scheduled to speak at Wayne State University’s Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy this weekend to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Slotkin will deliver the keynote address.  The event takes place on Saturday. 

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens in recovery

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens is recovering from prostate cancer surgery.  He underwent a procedure on Tuesday to deal with the problem. 

In a statement on YouTube, Dilkens urges men to talk to their doctors about prostate health. 

“I’m grateful for the early detection and I look forward to making a full and complete recovery.  Now let’s face it.  Men of a certain age can be stubborn when it comes to their health care needs – and even more so when it comes to talking about prostate issues.  Had it not been for my family history and my family doctor’s great advice, I would never have even known that I had cancer.” 

Dilkens says he has been monitoring his prostate health in the past few years because of his family history.  A biopsy this summer confirmed he had prostate cancer. 

Dilkens has served as Windsor’s mayor since 2014. 

If there’s something in your neighborhood you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org.  You know how much we love hearing about Detroit. 

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

The thriving Detroit film scene continues to produce fan favorite shows and movies, which can often be found on Tubi and Youtube. The local artists and creators in Detroit continue to do what they can with what they have.

Resources and access to them are limited, but the City of Detroit wants to make a change.

The city is offering a new initiative to support local film creators called Film Detroit. They want to attract actors, production assistants, directors and more while providing them the chance to connect and learn about what the city has to offer.

This Wednesday September 10th, the city is hosting its first Film Detroit outreach session which will include food, music and networking. 

Chantal Cook is the program coordinator for Film Detroit. She joins The Metro to speak more about Detroit’s film community.

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

This week, I had two in-studio guests for MI Local, starting with a brief visit from Detroit-based soul/R&B balladeer Drey Skonie, leader of the Klouds band. The group treated WDET listeners to an exclusive preview of their new single, out this Friday, “Like A Train,” which you can hear about five minutes in to the show! 

We got started with brand new tracks from Tiffadelic and Fizzy Fresh, and then segued into an interview with the aforementioned Drey Skonie.

The aforementioned Tiffadelic, with her signature blend of darkwave, synth and goth-electronica, will be  having a release party for her album “Retrosynthesis Vol. 1 at The Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale on September 26.

Fizzy Fresh are a new electro-pop duo that you can catch next weekend, at the D.I.Y. Street Fair in Ferndale, Sunday, September 21, at 4:00 pm, on Troy St. at Woodward Ave., next to the W.A.B.

Speaking of plans for live music, my second in-studio guest was the accomplished pianist and local music collective facilitator Justin Snyder from New Music Detroit, discussing this weekend’s Strange Beautiful Music 18.

Snyder’s bonafides include two master’s degrees in Collaborative Piano, one from the University of Michigan and one from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

New Music Detroit is a collective of musicians dedicated to performing groundbreaking musical works from the late-20th century to the present day.

They’re behind the annual multi-day new music marathon concert Strange Beautiful Music which runs the gamut of new music – from contemporary classical and world music to experimental “out” jazz, free improvisation, techno, electronica, neo-soul, ambient, and music that defies genre! Find info and tickets here.

Along with my conversations with Justin Snyder (NMD) and Drey Skonie and the Klouds, I also featured new music from indie-rockers MAS, who have an album release party on September 20 at the Lexington, along with a new song by Mountain Club (MTN. Club) ahead their album release party at the Lager House this Friday!

Two guests in one hour, plus a handful of local music premieres… what a night! 

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

• “I Try” – Tiffadelic
• “Missing Piece” – Fizzy Fresh
• “Like A Train” – Drey Skonie & the Klouds
• “Beisbol Cats” – Mountain Club
• “This Is Over!” – MAS!
• “Ex-Lion Tamer” – Ryan Allen
• “Paranoid” – Idiot Kids
• “Beautiful ((Spaced Out))” – La Cecille (supercoolwicked)
• “San Trou Ni Fin” – Joo Won Park
• “Forest Clearing” – Alex Koi & Kirin McElwain
• “The Middle” – Na Bonsai 

The Detroit Regional Chamber is urging voters not to sign a petition that would tax the wealthy to help pay for schools. The chamber argues some small businesses file their taxes using individual income tax.

But Jess Newman from the Invest in MI Kids initiative says the language of the petition and the individual income limits affects only about 12,000 to 18,000 high income individuals in the whole state.

“We’re talking about a very targeted tax to folks that make a ton of money. They do not as an effective rate pay their fair share. We’re also looking at folks that just got a huge tax break on the income taxes from the federal government.”

The Invest in MI Kids ballot initiative would add a 4% tax hike on individual income over $500,000 to fund public education.

Both petition organizers and the chamber urge voters to read the language of the petition.

Additional headlines for Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Wayne renames Dearborn street in honor of Osama Siblani

Wayne County is honoring longtime journalist and founder and publisher of Arab American News, Osama Siblani by naming a stretch of Dearborn’s commercial corridor after him. 

Siblani established the publication back in the 1980’s, and 40 years later it has become the longest running bilingual Arab weekly publication in the nation.

According to officials, Warren Avenue is believed to be the first street in Dearborn to have a sign in honor of an Arab American advocate.

Ford issues rear view camera recall

Ford is recalling almost 1.5 million vehicles in U.S. because of a rear view camera issue. The recall involves vehicles from model years 2015 to 2019.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the image on the center of the display screen has been reported to go black or get a distorted image which may result in a potential crash.

The administration said they are aware of 18 accidents and no injuries related to the rear camera issue. The agency said that vehicle owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their cars to their respective dealers to solve the issue. There will be no charge for the service.

ModPods to help Lansing homeless

To combat homelessness in the state, Michigan plans to create mini housing pods.

The city of Lansing approved the purchase and storage of 50 modular housing units called ModPods. City officials in Lansing are considering various locations to plant the pods.

If successful, the approach would make Lansing the first city in Michigan to utilize the 8-by-8 housing units which have been used in other states across the country.

If there’s something in your neighborhood you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org.

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

Welcoming back the Detroit techno pioneer Jeff Mills back to the show ahead of his Star Chronicle artist residency at Spot Lite, plus a selection of rockin’ Motown covers from Rod Stewart, The Band and Fanny, and lots 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 September 9, 2025

• “SHELL ( OF A MAN )” – Saya Gray
• “Girl I Love You” – Massive Attack
• “Diego” – Gotts Street Park
• “Drifting” – Omar Apollo
• “Sick Of The Blues” – Porridge Radio
• “DNM” – Mk.gee
• “Yep (Remix)” – Catpack, DJ Harrison
• “Better Days” – Tom Misch
• “Gravity Rides Everything” – Modest Mouse
• “7/4 (Shoreline)” – Broken Social Scene
• “Speak In The Dark” – Tara Lily
• “Neverender (Kaytranada Remix)” – Justice, Tame Impala & KAYTRANADA
• “BE YOUR GIRL (KAYTRANADA REMIX)” – Teedra Moses
• “The Only Way Out Is Through” – Hannah Williams & The Affirmations
• “Find A Way” – Say She She
• “It’s All Around You” – Tortoise
• “Gotta Get Up (Another Day) [Minnie Version]” – Jill Scott
• “Jump Into The Fire” – Harry Nilsson
• “(I Know) I’m Losing You” – Rod Stewart
• “Ain’t That Peculiar” – Fanny
• “Don’t Do It (Concert Version)” – The Band
• “Catamaran” – Allah-Lahs
• “Veni Vidi Vici” – The Black Lips
• “Say I Wanna Know” – Nick Waterhouse
• “For the Time Being” – Erlend Øye & La Comitiva
• “Hammers” – Kessoncoda
• “Don’t Get Me Started” – The Smile
• “False Street Dub” – Kings Of High Speed & JKriv
• “The Happening (Radio Mix)” – Tomorrow Comes The Harvest
• “Conceptions” – Optic Nerve
• “Direct Drive” – Terrence Dixon
• “Methane Bubbles” – Jeff Mills
• “Inner City Blues (In The Groove Iso Vocal Edit)” – Marvin Gaye
• “Dark Moon” – Okonski

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.

It has been almost two years since Hamas attacked Israeli civilians on October 7. Since then, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. 

Israeli forces have destroyed schools, hospitals, mosques, and entire neighborhoods, turning daily life into rubble.

The United Nations warns that nearly 640,000 people are now facing famine. 

In the West Bank, armed Israeli settlers have stepped up violent attacks against Palestinians, while the Israeli government has carried out demolitions at some of the fastest rates in decades. At the same time, about 48 Israeli hostages remain trapped inside Gaza.

Israel’s leaders have approved a plan to seize Gaza City, and a leaked U.S.-linked proposal imagines putting Gaza under American trusteeship and paying Palestinians to leave — an idea many experts call forced transfer.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to supply Israel with weapons, as pro-Palestinian students face expulsions and immigrants are detained here at home. 

The crisis is drawing global attention. On Sept. 9, organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian mission that includes Greta Thunberg, said one of their boats in Tunisia was damaged by a drone strike. All crew members survived, but Tunisian officials deny a strike occurred, blaming a fire on life jackets.

As flotilla missions face fire abroad, longtime organizers like Huwaida Arraf are pressing for a bold global strategy.

Earlier this month, Arraf spoke at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, where she called to “globalize the intifada” as a worldwide movement for justice. The Arabic word intifada literally means “shaking off.” In Palestinian history, it refers to popular uprisings against Israeli occupation. 

Arraf, a Detroit-born civil rights attorney and Palestinian-American activist, co-founded the International Solidarity Movement and has helped lead several of the Gaza Freedom Flotillas — boats attempting to sail toward Gaza, break Israel’s naval blockade, and deliver humanitarian aid.

Arraf spoke with Robyn Vincent about why she has dedicated her life to nonviolent resistance.

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