General Motors says it’s laying off more than a thousand workers at its Detroit-Hamtramck electric vehicle plant due to weak demand.
The Detroit News reports GM is cutting production at Factory Zero to a single shift. It’s also cutting hundreds of jobs at EV battery plants in Ohio and Tennessee.
The layoffs follow the expiration of federal tax credits for EV buyers and pressure from the Trump administration to build more gasoline-powered cars and trucks.
Additional headlines from Thursday, October 30, 2025
Detroit settles lawsuit over pedestrian death
The city of Detroit has agreed to pay nearly $6 million to settle a lawsuit over the death of a pedestrian who was struck by a bus. It was the second fatality involving the same driver since 2015.
A Wayne County judge signed off on the deal last week. Janice Bauer, 67, was hit by a city bus while walking in a downtown crosswalk in 2023. The driver, Geraldine Johnson, was sentenced to six months in jail a year ago after pleading no contest to a moving violation causing death.
DTE Energy is reporting net profits of $419 million in the third quarter of this year. The earnings, not including non-recurring costs, hit $2.25 per share. That beat Wall Street analysts’ expectations. The company says it has invested $3 billion this year to improve electric and natural gas infrastructure.
Short-term rental tax
A state House bill would let local governments ask voters to approve taxes on short-term rentals.
Republican Representative Mark Tisdel is one of the sponsors. He says communities are incurring costs that exceed existing tax revenue from rentals.
“If you’re renting that out to different short-term renters all summer long, that’s their week on the beach to howl. And it creates a problem for the houses on either side, which creates a problem for the police. Those expenses have to be covered.”
The Michigan Association of Realtors says it wants lawmakers to include limits on local regulations meant to shut out short term rentals.
Honorary street signs
Detroit City Council approved several honorary street signs for local leaders and influencers, including Imam Abdullah El-Amin. El-Amin was a prominent faith leader in Detroit and co-founder of the Muslim Center of Detroit.
Among other recipients are Reverend JoAnn Watson, Mudgie’s Deli founder Gregory Mudge, and Viola Liuzzo.
Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Your spooky soundtrack to Halloween is returning to the WDET airwaves at 6 p.m. Friday, October 31.
Jon Moshier, host of Modern Music on WDET, produces his annual Halloween special with an ear for the classic and the offbeat.
This year’s blood-curdling setlist includes tracks from Bert Convy, Vincent Price & The Young Spirits, and Detroit’s own The Incurables. The radio special combines novelty music with radio theatre into a perfect radio companion for handing out candy to trick or treaters.
Jon Moshier spoke with The Metro’s David Leins about how he makes his selections, the pinnacle of spooky soundtrack LP’s and what to expect in this year’s special.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
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In Michigan, roughly 1.4 million residents rely on those benefits to stretch their grocery budgets. The federal pause means November’s payments could be delayed — a disruption that would ripple through the entire food system. Families will face the prospect of empty dinner tables, while local grocers, food co-ops, and urban farms brace for reduced spending.
In Detroit, one person working to keep the city’s food systems healthy amid the uncertainty is Amanda Brezzell, co-founder and creative director of Fennigan’s Farms, an urban agriculture and community design studio devoted to food access, sustainability, and resilience.
Brezzell joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to describe what she’s hearing from residents and what advocates are doing in real time.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
On Nov. 4, Dearborn residents will vote for mayor of the city. Current mayor Abdullah Hammoud is running for a second term against political newcomer, independent Nagi Almudhegi.
Dearborn voters elected the city’s first Arab American Muslim mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, in 2021.
“It’s my hope that we’ve demonstrated that we have been able to make progress over these last four years, and we’re running for another term to continue on that progress,” he says.
Hammoud says during his nearly four years in office, crime has dropped significantly, and he’s helped bring in $100 million in grants to improve the city.
During his campaign in 2021, he organized volunteers to clean homes devastated by catastrophic floods. He says residents are still concerned about flooding.
“Each and every single time it rains, if it’s a heavy rain event, people are texting anxiously, asking what has been done to help prevent flooding and back up into people’s basements,” he says.
The city has invested $25 million in capturing rainwater in short-term projects, hoping to attract another $400 million for long-term projects.
Machhadie Assi is a community organizer and political strategist. She says flooding caused by poor infrastructure concerns her.
“The Mayor and his team, they’ve been working tirelessly on improving it and developing it. I’m sure we’re not at a point where it’s perfect, but there’s definitely progress,” she shares.
Machhadie Assi at the ArabCon in Dearborn.
Assi is raising her three kids in Dearborn. She says she’s voting for Hammoud.
“They’ve been always transparent on what they’re doing and what they’re working on and what’s in progress,” she says.
Assi says it’s a way to keep the administration accountable.
Resident Maryam Hoballah says she appreciates Hammoud’s focus on creating more green spaces in the city.
“I have two young kids, and I just love that he’s renovating the parks, and he’s making it a safe environment for kids too,” she says.
Hammoud says building parks and green spaces is a priority for him as a father. He says the city invested $30 million in parks and green spaces.
Back to the basics
Abdulnaser Alnajjar has been living in Dearborn for 17 years. He says the city has shifted away from helping residents with their basic needs.
He says the city needs a new leader, “someone who cares actually to fix their real problem, not just bragging about grants and some parks that I personally don’t care about.”
Alnajjar says the next mayor should focus on different issues like tax increases, garbage collection, traffic, and public safety.
He says the city also feels divided.
“I do a lot of door knocking and the west side, and then they feel like that they’re not welcomed, they’ve been pushed [out] by the city and when you come to the East Side, the East Side, feel like the West Side is getting all the good services, and we just get the leftover[s].”
Alnajjar believes mayoral challenger Nagi Almudhegi brings a fresh perspective to city politics.
A fresh perspective
Nagi Almudhegi has been working as an IT professional for 20 years. He says he’s running for Dearborn mayor as an independent candidate to bring change to the city.
He’s also Arab American.
“These last few years is I see the direction of Dearborn deteriorating. We’re more divided than ever before,” he says.
For example, Almudhegi says more could have been done sooner to resolve the flooding in the city.
“What I would have done exactly within the first six months of getting into office, I would have issued a report,” he says.
If elected, Almudhegi says he wants to build a $1 million internship program for youth.
Nagi Almudhegi is a candidate in Dearborn’s 2025 mayoral race.
He also wants to attract more businesses.
“I want Dearborn to be known as the entrepreneurial hub and innovation hub of America, and we have the talent to do it,” he says.
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud says the city invested a $25 million federal grant to improve Warren Avenue and launched the Night of Innovation to provide monetary prizes to businesses during a pitch competition.
“We are at over 100 ribbon cuttings this year,” he shares.
Recently, Hammoud has come under fire for telling resident Ted Barham he’s not welcome in Dearborn in response to a comment against a street sign bearing the name of Arab American newspaper publisher Osama Siblani. The sign was put up by Wayne County.
Nagi Almudhegi says he would have handled things differently by staying silent.
“As politicians, we can come up with statements that will try to defuse the situation,” he says.
Hammoud issued a response to the criticism at a city council meeting, saying everyone is welcome.
“Those who call Dearborn home know who we are, a city that welcomes and embraces everyone. It is our hope that one day, the unity you actually find in Dearborn, amongst its residents, is the same unity and coexistence that you see across our entire nation,” he says.
Representation for Arab Americans
Ali Baleed Almaklani at Arab Con
Ali Baleed Almaklani, Executive Director of the Yemen American Benevolent Association, has been living in Dearborn for more than 50 years. He says Dearborn has more Arab American representation in public office than it did prior.
“Listen, long time ago, we didn’t have nobody in the city council. We used to wish to have an Arab American, Muslim American, whatever, to be even in the city council,” he says.
Dearborn residents will have to decide whether they want to give Abdullah Hammoud another four years in office or want a new leader to bring a different viewpoint to the city.
Election day is Tuesday, November 4th.
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On Nov. 4, Dearborn residents will vote for mayor of the city. Current mayor Abdullah Hammoud is running for a second term against political newcomer, independent Nagi Almudhegi.
The federal shutdown has migrated from Washington to the dinner tables of Michigan families.
The federal shutdown began October 1, after Congress failed to pass a new budget to fund government operations. The stalemate centers on disputes over spending levels and policy riders, including aid to Ukraine and domestic program cuts. In the meantime, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has warned states that November SNAP benefits may be delayed. If nothing changes, families could find no new funds on their EBT cards when the month begins.
In Lansing, Democrats are drafting a short-term plan: one option would front limited state dollars to keep benefits flowing or to bolster food banks until Congress and the White House break the stalemate.
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks is at the center of that push, pressing federal officials to move faster even as the USDA says it won’t tap contingency funds for November.
She is pointing blame at Republicans because they control Congress, calling this impending crisis “a weaponization of hunger.”
In a conversation with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent, Brinks discussed Michigan’s next steps, and the need for federal action to keep dinner on the table.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
Next week, the Hamtramck will residents will elect a new mayor.
That’s because the outgoing mayor, Amer Ghalib was picked to be the Kuwait ambassador. His Senate confirmation is stalling because of a positive remark he made about Saddam Hussein, liking a social media post comparing Jews to monkeys, and for his refusal to condemn Hamas’ attacks on Israeli civilians.
Still, in Hamtramck, residents have a choice of who they want to be the next mayor. Those candidates include Adam Alharbi, Hamtramck City Council Member Muhith Mahmood, and write-in candidate Lynn Blasey.
WDET reporter Nargis Rahman reported on the race, and joined The Metro to discuss.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
Harris says winning would fulfill a dream he’s had since a city councilman came to his elementary school and spoke to his fifth grade class.
“He made us feel like our voice counted,” Harris says. “And I said one day I want to serve the citizens in that capacity.
Harris is the only at-large candidate without council experience. He says that’s not necessarily a disadvantage.
“The majority of people say we need some fresh blood in there,” he says. “The city always needs to change.”
One change Harris says he wants is to make it easier for new businesses to start up in Detroit. He says it’s frustrating for many entrepreneurs to cut through red tape.
“I’d make it a simple one-stop shop,” he says. “You get your certificates, you get all your compliance done, bam! You’re ready to go.”
Public safety matters
Harris has been a Detroit firefighter for 28 years. He says that experience is something his opponents do not have. He also says public safety starts with the citizens.
“You can’t have a police officer on every corner, every block, every house, but you do have citizens,” Harris says. “When you build that bridge with the citizens, with community violence intervention, it works.”
Harris says he does not want to see the National Guard policing the city.
“We have one of the best police departments in the world,” he says. “Our police officers, our citizens, our block clubs have a relationship.”
His vision: an affordable, walkable city
Harris says one way to increase affordable housing in Detroit is to lower property taxes. Another is to keep building housing projects that working class people can buy. He also wants to make Detroit more walkable. Harris says people should be able to walk to work, school, church, and recreation centers safely.
“I will work with the eight other council members to see what we could do to have more walkable communities.”
Election Day is Nov. 4, 2025.
WDET interviews with other candidates in this race
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
On Nov. 4, Dearborn residents will vote for mayor of the city. Current mayor Abdullah Hammoud is running for a second term against political newcomer, independent Nagi Almudhegi.
Happy Halloweekend! Below are four free celebrations happening around the city this week, from public trunk-or-treating to EDM dance parties. Plus, new exhibitions highlighting world-renowned artists and niche local legends. Read on to learn more.
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn
Sunday, Oct. 26 through May 2026
$25.50–$34 (free for museum members and children 4 and under)
A detailed exploration of Leonardo da Vinci’s discoveries in art, engineering, science, flight and more. The 7,500-square-foot exhibition features 65 full-scale models of his inventions, 20 fine art studies of his masterpieces like “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper,” in-depth explanations of his discoveries, interactive machines, and multimedia materials that illuminate his creative and scientific processes. The exhibition is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is included in museum admission.
Let WDET be the soundtrack to all your Halloween festivities this year. You can listen to special episodes of The Detroit Move (aired Oct. 28), Alternate Take (aired Oct. 30) and more on-demand using the WDET mobile app. Plus, tune in live on Oct. 31 from 6–8 p.m. to hear an encore broadcast of Jon Moshier’s award-winning Halloween Radio Special on 101.9 FM.
An outdoor Halloween celebration featuring trunk-or-treating, spooky science demonstrations, arts and craft stations, photo booths, and cider and donuts. Complimentary parking is available in the Bagley Mobility Hub and the event is free and open to the public. Festivities are rain or shine and go from 5–9 p.m.
An indoor Halloween-themed edition of Fridays at the Station, curated by DJ Dez Andrés, featuring live performances by Gabriel Duran Band, DJ Cisco, Motor City Street Dance Academy and painter demaciiio. Costumes are encouraged, but masks are not permitted inside The Station. Space is limited so admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Festivities go from 5–10 p.m.
A celebration blending Halloween with Day of the Dead, featuring a dance party and DJ sets from Filipino EDM artist With Love, Harlow and Erika.Irie. This joyful event is a time to hold space for ancestors and lost loved ones while enjoying music and community. Festivities go from 2–5 p.m.
$8–$12 (free on Thursdays and for children 12 and under)
An exhibition highlighting the wide-ranging works of Ann Arbor-based artist collective Destroy All Monsters, formed by Cary Loren, Mike Kelley, Jim Shaw and Niagara in 1974. The collective served as an outlet for young creatives to explore rebellious interests in the post-hippie, pre-punk era. The exhibit features iconic posters, zines, photographs, collages, films, drawings and banners selected from the DAM archive. The exhibition is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (8 p.m. on Thursdays) and is included in museum admission.
$8–$12 (free on Thursdays and for children 12 and under)
The first mid-career survey for artistic duo and twin brothers Nikolai and Simon Haas, whose work combines art, craft, design and technology. The exhibition includes examples of their artistic journey over the last 15 years, exploring themes related to nature, fantasy, the subconscious and the human experience. The exhibition is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (8 p.m. on Thursdays) and is included in museum admission.
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New music from Joanne Robertson, Big Thief, Eliza McLamb, Neko Case, and more! Plus reflecting on the genius of legendary drummer and bandleader Jack DeJohnette who left us this week.
Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.
In The Groove playlist for October 28, 2025
“In the City” – Anika
“Works and Days” – Tortoise
“What’s Up Front That-Counts” (2023 Remastered) – The Counts
“Solitude Standing” – Suzanne Vega
“Keep Me in the Dark” – Flock of Dimes
“Afterlife” – Alex G
“Gown” – Joanne Robertson & Oliver Coates
“Sweet Revenge” – John Prine
“Neon Grey Midnight Green”– Neko Case
“Candy” – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” – Toots & The Maytals
“Lowdown” (2006 Remastered Version) – Wire
“Disarray” – Preoccupations
“East of What” – Charif Megarbane
“Fazed Out” – El Michels Affair
“The Battle” – Weval
“I’m So Tired” – Deserta
“Epilog” – Jack DeJohnette
“John McLaughlin” – Miles Davis (feat. Wayne Shorter, Bennie Maupin, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, John McLaughlin)
“Peace” – Cass McCombs
“The Brute Choir” – Palace Music
“Town of the Castle” – John Southworth
“Aquarius” – Boards of Canada
“Line of Fire” – Junip
“Grandmother” – Big Thief (feat. Laraaji)
“Like the Boys” – Eliza McLamb
“Where Did Our Love Go?” – Soft Cell
“On a Better Day I’m Dreaming” (Tall Black Guy Remix) – Colman Brothers
“Scorpio” – Dennis Coffey
“Nubian Lady” – Don Was
“Affection” – Bullion
“Cool Ghoul” – The 3-D Invisibles
“Bela Lugosi’s Dead” – Bauhaus
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.
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Detroit is preparing for a mayoral election filled with “firsts.”
For the first time in a dozen years voters will elect a new leader to guide the Motor City, as Hizzoner Mike Duggan leaves to make an independent bid for governor.
And the next mayor will become either the first woman or, as far as city historians can tell, the first clergyman to ever sit atop Detroit’s government.
Blazing a political trail
History was on display at a recent news conference in Detroit’s Dexter-Linwood neighborhood.
Detroit City Council President and mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield stood in front of a historic-but-abandoned apartment building.
The structure is on a fast-track for development because of a program Sheffield helped create to address the city’s lack of affordable housing. She called it one of many initiatives she pursued during her dozen years on Council.
But Sheffield is also fully aware that she herself is at the precipice of Detroit history.
Mary Sheffield announcing her mayoral bid at a union hall in Detroit.
Sheffield is the first woman in more than 30 years to make it to the general election for mayor.
“I have thought about it,” she said. “I definitely lead with the fact that I’m the most experienced candidate, I just happen to be a woman. But I do think it sends a powerful message that we are ready for women leadership in Detroit. Most importantly it shows our next generation of women that they can be anything they put their mind to.”
Sheffield says she believes Detroiters are finally prepared to send a woman to the mayor’s office.
“That’s what I’ve heard. I’ve been campaigning for a year now and there’s a lot of excitement. In 324 years we’ve never had a woman lead. We’ve had 75 mayors in Detroit. Not one has been a woman. We’ve seen women lead in other cities, so it’s not new.”
Tough enough to be mayor
Many women have chaired Detroit’s City Council.
But some who sought the mayor’s job, like former Council Member Saunteel Jenkins, say they ran into gender-based roadblocks.
“There is still a real power base and a voting base that, for whatever reason, doesn’t believe women should be leading,” Jenkins said.
She came up just short of being one of the top two finalists in this year’s mayoral race.
But Jenkins is a veteran campaigner for political office.
And she says women candidates deal with a level of scrutiny their male counterparts do not.
“Things as little as the height of the heels you wear or if you have on heels at all,” Jenkins said. “I was talking to someone just recently about when Jennifer Granholm ran the first time for governor in Michigan and how much time they spent even on her hair color. Because people would judge her based on how blonde she was or was not.”
Jenkins had navigated political gauntlets before.
Yet despite having served as City Council president and the CEO of a non profit, Jenkins says it was clear a different standard applied to being the executive officer of Detroit’s government.
“There were people who said, ‘Leading Council, that’s amazing. But the mayor’s office? You sure you want to do that? That’s a tough job.’ As if women would not be tough enough to do that. And that was a question I was asked often, are you tough enough for this job? It’s not something that people would ask a man.”
Mixing ministry with the mayor’s office
The candidate vying with Sheffield to be Detroit’s next mayor has faced his own questions — because he is a man of the cloth.
The Rev. Solomon Kinloch, Jr. spent his primary election night victory speech hammering Sheffield. Not for her gender, but for what he alleged is her neglect of neighborhoods where a majority of children still live in poverty.
“Where do we go from here? Detroit deserves results,” Kinloch told the crowd of supporters. “We deserve more than you just talking the talk. We deserve you stepping up and standing up and walking the walk.”
Russ McNamara interviews Rev. Solomon Kinloch in the WDET studio ahead of Detroit’s mayoral election.
Kinloch has said he’ll continue pastoring his Triumph Church if he’s elected mayor. He calls his campaign an extension of his ministry.
“This gives an opportunity to see the preacher in a different role. To know that all of us got a responsibility, not to just do something from a spiritual perspective, but to do something social and political. That’s my rearing and my raising. And if I don’t do nothing else, I believe that this is a great opportunity to inspire an entire city that ordinary people can do some extraordinary things.”
The bully political pulpit
But other pastors in the Motor City say mixing politics and the pulpit often means walking a treacherous moral tightrope.
The Rev. Nicholas Hood III was a Detroit City Council member in the early 2000’s and twice made unsuccessful bids for the mayor’s office.
Hood says while on Council he had to serve both the public and his own conscience.
“It’s one thing to take a position on any issue from the perspective of political expediency. But then to add the burden of deciding if this is morally right. Does this position jive with my faith and what I think God would expect of me?”
Hood says running for office was not exactly what some of his congregation expected. Or approved of.
“My church members always raised an eyebrow. They were proud of me. I think they still are. But people would say, ‘I don’t want you to be corrupted. Politics is corrupt.’ I would always counter, ‘But that’s all the more reason why you need people like me to get engaged.’ ” Detroit’s churches do have a history of being politically active.
Sheffield noted that fact during a recent and contentious televised mayoral debate with Kinloch.
She said, “We have a pastor here who has not developed one unit of housing. But we have a lot of your peers who’ve joined in our faith-based initiative, where we’re gonna be supporting our faith-based institutions to spur economic development and build housing here in the city of Detroit.”
Kinloch’s response was one of many testy exchanges between the two mayoral contenders.
“Mary, it’s disingenuous for you to assault me and my church for all of the work that you know we’ve done in this community. Triumph Church and Solomon Kinloch have done more for this community than anybody you know.”
Detroiter Ronald Ferguson, for one, says he’s seen broken streetlights come on and blighted buildings come down in his neighborhood.
But Ferguson questions how much Sheffield had to do with that.
He says Kinloch’s message of reducing poverty resonates with him.
“I feel he’s for the people. And I think he’ll do a better job than what we’ve seen over the past 6-10 years from his opponent,” Ferguson said. “She’s been Council President for so long. Yet where’s all the results from her efforts? So I’m ready to try something different to see if I can get a different result.”
But there’s a different vibe at a watch party where Detroiters viewed this month’s acrimonious televised debate.
Voters there, like Arlyssa Heard, had few concerns about Sheffield’s record.
Heard says she values both Sheffield’s service and the historic nature of the Council President’s run for mayor.
“I think it’s important,” Heard said. “I think it also is a statement that as long as you’re qualified, whether you are a woman or a man, it means something. But I think it would be great to see a woman lead this town. I don’t know if that’s gonna have anything to do with my decision. But I think it would make for some good things to talk about the next morning over coffee.”
When that sun rises after Election Day it will mark a new dawn for Detroit politics, whether it’s a woman or a minister set to occupy the mayor’s chair.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
On Nov. 4, Dearborn residents will vote for mayor of the city. Current mayor Abdullah Hammoud is running for a second term against political newcomer, independent Nagi Almudhegi.
There are just a few days left until Detroit’s municipal elections take place. Early voting began last Saturday.
The two candidates for mayor, City Council President Mary Sheffield and Pastor Solomon Kinloch, are scheduled to take part in a forum Thursday at the Detroit Economic Club. That’s expected to be their last meeting before next week’s election. Each candidate will take the stage alone to answer a series of questions about their vision for the city.
This event is not a debate.
Additional headlines from Wednesday, October 29, 2025
SNAP benefits
Food banks and pantries are preparing for a surge in demand if federal food aid is paused this weekend from the government shutdown.
The outlets were already struggling after federal program cuts this year. Now, SNAP benefits are set to pause Nov. 1. It’s the latest in a string of hardships placed on charitable food services. Food banks and pantries across the country are concerned about meeting the growing need left in the wake of that pause.
Some states are trying to fill the gap, but others lack resources to help. (AP)
Ghalib Senate
Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib is seeing some Senate opposition to his nomination to become U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait.
President Trump nominated Ghalib earlier this year, but the discovery of social media posts criticizing Israel have pushed some Republican Senators to say they will not back his nomination in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Ghalib says he will not withdraw his name from consideration for the position.
Arthur Murray Event
City officials gathered on Detroit’s east side Wednesday to break ground on a new housing development.
The project, called “The Arthur Murray”, will renovate a historic building in the East Warren-Cadieux area. The long vacant building will be turned into affordable housing and commercial space.
The renovated structure will include 32 apartments.
Gas prices
Detroiters are continuing to get a break at the gas pump. The average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded is $2.99 today. That’s down a penny from last week and is 12 cents cheaper than last month at this time.
Analysts say the annual switch to winter blends of gasoline is helping to lower prices, as is reduced demand for gas as we approach the colder weather months.
Hutchinson extension
ESPN is reporting that the Detroit Lions have agreed to a huge contract extension with defensive end Aiden Hutchinson.
The network’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the four-year deal is worth $180 million per season. That’s one of the most lucrative contracts ever in the NFL for a non-quarterback position. Hutchinson has six sacks in seven games this season after missing most of the 2024 season with a broken leg. He’s considered one of the best pass rushers in the league.
Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
There’s a new park on the riverfront in downtown Detroit, and you can’t miss it.
The 22-acre Ralph C Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park is located along Detroit’s riverfront between the Ambassador Bridge and the Renaissance Center. It features a whimsical playground and splash pad, two covered basketball courts, hundreds of newly-planted trees and a water garden.
The park’s opening is the result of 8 years of outreach, planning and design. The seed funding was provided by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the project was led by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
Cassie Brenske, spokesperson for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, told WDET’s Alex McLenon that a community advisory team of 22 Detroit residents were part of the planning process early on.
Listen: Residents’ involvement in new park design
“We took them across the country to New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, and gave them the opportunity to see what other parks across the country looked like and what we might want to see here in Detroit.”
Jim Boyle, Vice President of Programs and Strategy at the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation told The Metro the new park connects neighborhoods that border downtown via the Joe Louis Greenway and the Riverwalk.
“It’s a regional asset that’s an economic driver for talent, and a major place where people want to be. But, it’s also a neighborhood amenity that makes living in those neighborhoods that much better.”
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Centennial Park is now open to the public on Detroit’s Riverfront.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
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The Masonic Temple is a popular a venue on the edge of the Cass Corridor that hosts events and concerts. It opened in 1926 after being designed by architect George Mason. In addition to being a venue, it serves as a meeting space for the Free Mason fraternity.
Around this time of year, rumors typically begin to spread about the history of the temple, George Mason’s passing and whether the building is haunted.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
Support local journalism.
WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
It’s been over five years since the COVID-19 pandemic and local autoworkers are have taken steps to move its employees back into the office.
Ford Motor Company implemented a new policy in September that requires employees to be in office four days a week. General Motors is moving its headquarters to the brand-new Hudson’s site downtown. At the same time, co-working spaces continue to be a popular work place option for companies.
The mix between traditional office space, co-working space and hybrid work has us wondering what the future of the workplace could look like.
Melissa Fisher is an anthropologist whose work focuses on workplace culture and design. She joined the The Metro to discuss what employees and managers take into account when determining an ideal work place.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
One of the biggest issues Detroiters face has to do with their homes. There are a fair number of homes in the city, but over 20,000 of them are in dire need of repairs. That includes leaky roofs, electricity issues, and asbestos in the walls.
The problem is large, but one retired firefighter, Gary Ringer, is trying to chip away at it. The Detroiter, who mostly helps people on the West Side, has been spending a lot of his time going to peoples’ homes, and assisting them with repairs.
What inspires Gary’s volunteerism? What are the repairs people need? And, with the mayoral election next week, what kinds of investments does he think the next mayor should make to facilitate more home repairs?
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit voters will choose a new mayor Tuesday in the city’s first open-seat mayoral race in a dozen years.
City Council President Mary Sheffield and Triumph Church pastor Solomon Kinloch, both Democrats, will face off for the city’s top job after placing first and second in the Aug. 5 nonpartisan primary. The winner will replace outgoing three-term Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running for governor of Michigan as an independent.
The city faces a vastly different situation than it did when Duggan was first elected in 2013. In July of that year, it became the largest U.S. city ever to file for bankruptcy. The city now has a budget surplus, 12 years of balanced budgets and projected economic growth for the next five years. Homicides and violent crimes are down, while the city’s population has increased for the second consecutive year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Still, the next mayor will face numerous challenges, including a shortage of affordable housing and vast economic disparities along racial lines.
Sheffield has led the field in fundraising throughout the campaign. As of the August primary, her campaign fund more than doubled that of her eight competitors combined.
In the general election, she has far outraised and outspent Kinloch. As of Oct. 19, her campaign had spent more than $1.8 million on her campaign and had roughly $772,000 in the bank. By that same point, Kinloch had spent about $160,000 on the race and had less than $11,000 remaining in the bank.
Since receiving more than 50% of the vote in the August primary, Sheffield has picked up key endorsements from Duggan, as well as from two of her former primary opponents, former city council president Saunteel Jenkins and city council member Fred Durhal. Jenkins received 16% of the primary vote, narrowly losing a spot on the general election ballot to Kinloch, who received about 17%. Durhal received about 3% of the vote.
Soloman Kinloch (left) and Mary Sheffield (right) face off in the race for Detroit’s next mayor this November
The Detroit electorate is overwhelmingly Democratic. In the 2024 presidential election, voters in the city supported Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump by about a 9-1 ratio.
At a September rally in Howell, Michigan, Vice President JD Vance sent a public message to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that the administration is “happy” to send the National Guard to Detroit. “All you gotta do is ask,” he said.
The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Michigan’s mandatory recount law does not apply to Detroit’s mayoral race. Instead, candidates may request and pay for a recount, with the payment refunded if the recount changes the outcome. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
What to expect on Tuesday:
How late are polls open?
Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.
What’s on the ballot?
The AP will provide vote results and declare the winner in Detroit’s mayoral race.
Who gets to vote?
Any voter registered in Detroit may participate in the mayoral general election.
What do turnout and advance vote look like?
There were more than 518,000 registered voters in Detroit as of the August mayoral primary.
Turnout in that primary was about 17% of registered voters. About 32% of mayoral primary voters cast their ballots in person, while the remaining 68% voted early in person or by absentee ballot.
Turnout in the 2021 mayoral general election was about 19% of registered voters, with about 67% of voters casting early or absentee ballots.
As of Monday, nearly 45,000 ballots had been cast in Detroit before Election Day.
How long does vote counting usually take?
In the August primary, the AP first reported results at 8:32 p.m. ET, or 32 minutes after polls closed. The vote tabulation ended for the night at 4:30 a.m. ET, with 100% of votes counted.
Are we there yet?
As of Tuesday, there will be 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.
Once again, here on MI Local, we have three in-studio guests hanging out for the entire hour, each of them discussing new and upcoming projects and performances. At the same time, I premiere some of their latest tracks and they treat WDET listeners to exclusive live, in-studio performances of acoustic versions of their recent songs.
When you stream the show up top, you’ll start off with brand new music from the Americana-folk-rock duo The Whiskey Charmers, with singer-guitarist Carrie Shepard and guitarist Lawrence Daversa hanging out to chat about their new single, “Day Is Long,” followed by a live performance of their song, “Full Moon,” from their 2017 album, “The Valley.” For any of our listeners on the west coast of the state, The Whiskey Charmers are coming your way in November!
After that, the garage-pop duo known as CHECKER came to the mics to talk about their brand new song, “Aerosol,” that comes out this Friday. Better yet, the duo, Cinquex (on guitar and vocals) and McKenna Fain (on drums and vocals), performed an acoustic version of that song during the segment! An accompanying music video will drop the same day as the song. CHECKER also has a new album coming out in mid-winter 2026!
Kind Beast on MI Local Oct. 28, 2025
Winding out the show was singer-songwriter Sean Madigan Hoen, lead singer and guitarist from the band Kind Beast, which formed several years ago, leaning in to a cinematic-tinged indie-rock vibe, with anthemic vocals and catchy, hard-hitting hooks. The band has released two EPs and two full-length albums, with their third coming up in early November—there’s a release party on Saturday, Nov. 8 at The Lexington, with Gusher, Dyzioek, and Cult Therapy.
Hoen has been in previous groups like the post-hardcore punk outfit Thoughts of Ionesco, and published a memoir several years ago, “Songs Only You Know.” Kind Beast’s next album is titled “Familiars From Another Life,” out next weekend on Don Giovanni Records. While he was in-studio, Hoen let WDET give a sneak preview of Kind Beast’s new single, “Down For Life,” which is officially out this Friday, and followed that up with a live, in-studio performance of the group’s most recent single, “In It To Win It.”
Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.
“The Day Is Long” – The Whiskey Charmers
“Full Moon” – The Whiskey Charmers, live in WDET Studios
“Vampire” – The Whiskey Charmers
“Hot Damn” – CHECKER
“Aerosol” – CHECKER, live in WDET Studios
“If Only The One Thing I Got You” – CHECKER
“Cry Without Shame” – Kind Beast
“Down For Life” – Kind Beast
“In It To Win It” – Kind Beast, live in WDET Studios
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The federal government shutdown nearing the one-month marker. Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill remain locked in a standoff over a new budget.
As a result, funding on hand to support certain government programs is running out. That includes SNAP benefits — the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirms that it will not be able to provide food stamps to low-income families beginning in November.
Listen: Alex Hill talks about the impact of pausing food stamps on Detroiters
Alex Hill is project director of the Detroit Food Map Initiative, which surveys neighborhoods on grocery access. He says parts of Detroit will be especially hard hit.
“The estimated household income of houses that rely on SNAP is about $29 thousand,” says Hill, “so any household in that range is going to be having a really difficult time.”
He adds that SNAP households will feel a wide range of effects.
“People aren’t going to be able to work as well as they want to,” says Hill. “Kids aren’t going to be able to learn as well as they should. Folks who are reliant on taking medications on a regular basis — you have to take food when you take medicine.”
Hill says pausing SNAP benefits is likely to have a negative impact on grocery stores in low-income areas, that rely on customers using food stamps to shop. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services say pausing the food stamps program is likely to impact about 13% of Michigan households, with 1.4 million residents relying on the service.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
Exploring new music from Florence + the Machine, who have a new album coming out and a big tour date at Little Caesars Arena on April 13, 2026 (add it to your calendar and tell ‘em you heard about it on this show!). Plus, new music discovery from Celeste, Hayley Williams, Olivia Dean 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 October 28, 2025
“One of the Greats” – Florence + the Machine
“Seventeen (feat. Norah Jones)” – Sharon Van Etten
“The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs” – Wye Oak
“It’s All Around You” – Tortoise
“Never Be Another You” – Lee Fields & the Expressions
“Good Ol’ Days” – Hayley Williams
“A Couple Minutes (A Colors Show)” – Olivia Dean
“Woman of Faces” – Celeste
“Kaikoura” – Girls in Airports
“Tourist Mind” – Miss Grit
“Five Seconds” – Twin Shadow
“Ramble On” – Led Zeppelin
“White Winter Hymnal” – Fleet Foxes
“So Says I” – The Shins
“Favourite” – Fontaines D.C.
“Everything & Nothing” – SOFT PLAY
“I Will Dare” – The Replacements
“I Don’t Want To Get Over You” – Magnetic Fields
“Way We Won’t” – Grandaddy
“Alien” – Beach House
“Is She Weird” – Pixies
“False Prophet” – Nightbus
“Teen Age Riot” – Sonic Youth
“Age of Consent” – New Order
“Coffee” – Yuna
“Distance” – Yebba
“A Long Walk” – Jill Scott
“Dreamin’” – Common & Pete Rock
“She Raised Us In Sunset Park” – musclecars
“Sun (Jitwam & EJT Remix)” – Emma Jean Thackray
“Thrown Around” – James Blake
“Taurus” – DJ Holographic
“Casanova” – Bryan Ferry
“To Ardent (Grovesnor Remix)” – Black Devil Disco Club
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.
Support the shows you love.
WDET’s unique music programs are dedicated to exploring the music and culture of our region and the world. Keep the music going. Please make a gift today. Give now »
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