Roughly one thousand protesters gathered outside Romulus City Hall this week to voice opposition towards plans for a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center. Among the crowd were concerned residents, public officials, faith leaders, and Michiganders from across the state. 

Melody Karr was one of the many protestors picketing the building. She said she lives just an hour away from the detention facility that opened last year in Baldwin and has been to multiple demonstrations protesting it’s opening.

“We don’t need any more concentration camps in Michigan. Anybody that’s paying attention can see that we’re not concentrating on the worst of the worst, that they’re running rampant over our constitutional rights,” said Karr.

City officials say they oppose the detention center

The demonstration preceded the weekly City Council meeting, where a resolution opposing any detention center within city limits was unanimously passed. 

Following the vote, Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight said he and the city are doing everything they can to stop the development of an ICE detention facility. Citing his letter of opposition sent the previous week to ICE Director Todd Lyons and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, McCraight said a detention center would conflict with current zoning regulations and be too close to residential homes less than a quarter mile away.

McCraight said that, despite not hearing from any officials on the federal level since news broke, he would do what he could to prevent the plans from moving forward.

“While I’m sitting in this position as mayor, we will not issue a permit or certificate of occupancy for this structure unless we’re mandated by a federal judge,” said McCraight.

As the mayor spoke, demonstrators could be heard chanting outside the building. Only 49 of the protestors outside were let into the meeting due to safety codes set by the fire marshal. Those in attendance reiterated their opposition during public comment.

Residents urge more action

Dan Doyle lives less than a mile from the proposed detention center. He urged the city to do more to stop the plans.

“I’m requesting immediate action. Cut the utilities, condemn the building, demo it, take it under eminent domain, whatever you can do. Make it impossible for them to use our neighborhood for these concentration camps,” said Doyle. “This will not be solved by a harshly worded letter or a resolution. We need action.”

Outside in the bitter cold, protestors continued their picket at city hall. Darrin Camilleri, who represents Romulus as a member of the Michigan Senate, was one of many public officials who came to support demonstrators. So far, Camilleri has been one of the only state legislators to reach out to Romulus officials after the plans for a detention center went public. He said he has been working with the city to uncover details about the building purchased by ICE.

“We know that an auto supplier, they put a bid in to buy this building, but ICE came in and outbid the auto supplier. So the Trump administration is literally taking away American jobs from our community that would love an opportunity like that,” said Camilleri. “Now we’re getting stuck with a detention center that no one wants, and it’s down the street from where people live. It’s down the street from where kids go to school.”

The building, located at 7525 Cogswell Street, was previously owned by the real estate investment firm Crestlight Capital. John Coury, managing partner at the firm, said he can’t disclose the selling price or the specific agency the building was sold to due to a signed non-disclosure agreement, according to reporting from Crain’s Detroit Business.

Pattern of quiet-buying

Secrecy surrounding these purchases aren’t unique to Romulus, either. In Social Circle, Georgia, officials were blindsided when they heard of plans to convert a warehouse in the city into a detention center. The previous owner of the warehouse, a commercial real estate firm called PNK Group, said they signed an NDA and couldn’t disclose any information to the city or residents. One month later, a deed for the warehouse was obtained that showed the federal government paid over $100 million more than the most recently assessed price.

When asked by WDET if the Romulus warehouse was purchased for an inflated price compared 2025 assessed value of $6,988,500, Crestlight Capital did not respond for comment.

At the time of writing, the city of Romulus has not received any documents indicating how much the property was purchased for.

Southfield ICE offices

Earlier this month, the city released a statement saying offices in Southfield’s One Towne Square were to be leased by the US General Services Administration (GSA) to “support administrative and legal functions associated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” 

The statement aligns with reporting from last year that showed the GSA was working with ICE to acquire offices across the country to expand it’s operations

Statements from REDICO, the landlord of the office space, said the lease was with the GSA, not ICE, and “the lease explicitly prohibits any law enforcement, detention or similar activities to take place on the premises.” REDICO’s statement prompted the city to remove their statement on the purchase from its website.

When asked about the city’s removed statement, Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver said he has only heard from REDICO, not GSA or ICE, and the city doesn’t have authority to intervene in tenant/landlord issues as long as they are compliant with zoning laws.

Still, residents and lawmakers are on edge amid the confusion. During the Southfield City Council meeting that took place the same time as the Romulus demonstration, residents packed the building to speak out against any potential presence of ICE in the city.

Southfield resident Lauren Fink said the city still needs to do more to address the offices potentially used in association with ICE.

“I’ve seen statements intended to calm our anxieties about this office opening here in our own community, telling us that this office cannot house armed and uniformed agents,” said Fink. “There seems to be this idea that the work being done by people in offices like this is acceptable, but the work being done by the people they enable is not. That kind of attitude is what allows the horrors of an authoritarian regime to continue.”

Southfield City Council unanimously passed a resolution “affirming community safety, civil rights, and local policy” during the meeting. The resolution does not mention the lease with GSA or the planned office.

A call for community action

Following the possible expansion of ICE in the metro Detroit area, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib released a statement condemning the encroachment and urging more collective action from the community.

“Across the country, people are coming together and fighting to prevent this massive expansion of ICE’s network of abuse and cruelty. We must organize and use every tool at our disposal to keep ICE out of our neighborhoods,” said Tlaib.

The Southfield office and planned detention center in Romulus come as the Trump administration massively increases the budget for ICE and plans on spending $38.3 billion to turn warehouses across the country into detention centers. Both actions have been made possible through last year’s passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which has allocated billions of federal funds for the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda.

For today’s Throwback Thursday, we move across soul, rock, jazz, and global sounds, opening with Jorge Ben Jor and playing selections from Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Gipsy Kings, Death, Crumb, Sylvan Esso, and Kokoroko, along with a few special picks from Bridget Everett. Additional highlights include classics from The Stooges, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Elton John, and Wye Oak, 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 February 26, 2026 

• “O Telefone Tocou Novamente (feat. Trio Mocotó)” – Jorge Ben Jor 

• “All of Your Life” – Shirley Nanette 

• “Betty Lou” – Group Climate 

• “Your Time” – Chiminyo 

• “Stomping Gamay” – Karriem Riggins, Madlib & Jahari Massamba Unit 

• “Politicians In My Eyes” – Death 

• “1969” – The Stooges 

• “Groove” – Beans 

• “Waves” – Ista 

• “Locket” – Crumb 

• “Right Down the Line” – Gerry Rafferty 

• “Tropical Man” – Menahan Street Band & Rogê 

• “Black Crow” – Joni Mitchell 

• “Collage (Greg Foat Remix)” – Lady Blackbird 

• “Not Your Man (feat. Annahstasia)” – A Song For You 

• “Knocks Me Off My Feet (Olivia Dean Cover)” – Stevie Wonder 

• “Chains and Things” – B.B. King 

• “The Thrill is Gone (From Yesterday’s Kiss)” – Aretha Franklin 

• “Burnin’ Coal” – Les McCann 

• “Born to Run” – Bruce Springsteen 

• “Crimson and Clover” – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 

• “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” – Elton John 

• “Three Piece Suit (feat. Azekel” – Kokoroko 

• “Hotel California (Spanish Mix)” – Gipsy Kings 

• “Un Tabaco Para Elegua” – Orquesta Akokán 

• “Coffee” – Sylvan Esso 

• “Logic of Color” – Wye Oak 

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. 

A new affordable housing project celebrated its grand opening this week. The Benjamin O. Davis Veterans Village on Detroit’s eastside holds 50 units designed to help homeless and disabled veterans.

Vouchers from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the Detroit Housing Commission will guarantee rents at 30 percent of the resident’s income. Building amenities include a media room, common dining room and kitchen, exercise room, and an exclusive outdoor dog park.

The complex was named after Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., the Army’s first African American general and a trailblazer who helped lay the foundation for the integration of the U.S. military. 

Additional headlines for Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026

Water bills increase 

Metro Detroiters will pay higher water bills next year. The Great Lakes Water Authority’s board of directors voted to raise rates by an average of almost 6 percent. Customers would pay about 4 percent more on average for wastewater service. The agency says it needs the money to fix aging infrastructure and reduce water main breaks. 

Project Clean Slate earns $200,000 grant 

Detroit’s Project Clean Slate has received a 200-thousand-dollar grant from the Michigan Justice Fund…allowing the program to run for another 2 years. Project clean slate helps Detroiters with legal services for expungement of eligible criminal convictions. The service has expunged more than 19 thousand records. PCS expects the grant to allow for another ten thousand expungements.  

Detroit Women of Comedy Festival searches for acts 

The Detroit Women of Comedy Festival is looking for comedy acts for this year’s show. Organizers are seeking acts of all kinds such as stand up, improv, sketch, and more. The festival is inclusive of all genders and identities.

The mission of the event is to celebrate and elevate women, trans, and non-binary comedy makers in the metro Detroit area. The festival will be held at Planet Ant Theater on May 15 and 16. For more information about submitting an act, email DWCFsubmissions@gmail.com.  

State of Highland Park

The City of Highland Park has announced the date Mayor Glenda McDonald will give the State of the City address. The mayor will give a public update to residents on Wednesday, March 18 from 6-7p.m. New Grace Missionary Baptist Church will host the event at 25 Ford Street. 

Detroit Disability teach in

Detroit Disability Power is hosting a “teach-in” in March, focused on threats to immigrants and people with disabilities. 

Care not Cages: Meeting the Moment with Disabled Detroiters will take place over 2 days – the March 13  event will focus on context; March 20 will be centered around action.

The event is free and dinner is provided.  

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

The Detroit Red Wings are celebrating their 100th anniversary this season. Over the last century the team’s winged wheel logo has become iconic.

But Detroit’s hockey team isn’t the only group using the Red Wing identity. Red Wing Shoes, known for making boots, sports a logo that features similar styling cues.

Scott Deaner, from Petersburg, Michigan, asked CuriosiD if there’s any connection between the two.

“I’ve looked at the Red Wing shoe company logo several times,” says Deaner, “and I’m like, that is very similar to the Red Wings logo. Just add the wheel and it looks very similar.”

The answer to that question is no.

Red Wing Shoes was founded in 1905 in Red Wing, Minnesota. The famous boot maker takes its name from its hometown.

The Detroit Red Wings were founded in 1926, but they weren’t originally from Detroit.

Detroit hockey before the Red Wings name

They were known as the Victoria Cougars. Helene St. James covers the Wings for the Detroit Free Press.  She says the franchise moved to Detroit from British Colombia when the old Western Hockey League fell apart.

The thinking was ‘keep the name the same,” says St. James. “Let them be known as the Detroit Cougars.”

The team played under the Cougars moniker for four seasons with little success.

“They decided in 1930, they were renamed the Falcons,” she says. “But that wasn’t any better.”

The Red Wings didn’t become the “Red Wings” until 1932, after being purchased by Canadian-American businessman James Norris.

Origins of the “winged wheel”

Jeremy Dimick is director of collections and curatorial for the Detroit Historical Society. He put together an exhibit celebrating the Red Wings’ 100th anniversary that’s on display at the Detroit Historical Museum through November.

Dimick says it was Norris who came up with the now famous Winged Wheel. He says the amateur athletic club Norris played hockey for growing up in Montreal had at one point been known for bicycle racing.

“And so their club emblem became this bicycle wheel with wings on it,” says Dimick, “as like a shorthand for speed.”

That imagery stuck with Norris but the Red Wings logo isn’t exactly the same what he wore growing up.

The Montreal Amateur Athletic Associations logo featured two wings oriented vertical against the wheel. The orientation of the wing changed and the bicycle wheel was replaced with one that was a little more representative of the Motor City.

“The wheel that’s chosen is pretty darn close to a Model T wheel,” Dimick says. “And what better car to kind of represent Detroit’s auto industry.”

The color red

As for why red was selected for the Wings, that is believed to have been influenced by Norris’ business interests. Dimick says the color was associated with the Upper Lakes Shipping Company — a fleet of Great Lakes freighters that Norris owned.

“Their kind of club flag that they flew on all their ships and had on the smokestacks of all their ships,” Dimick explains, “was this bright red kind of crimson pennant with a black diamond in the middle. And that red is eerily similar to the red that ends up being the Red Wings’ red.”

Thus, the Detroit Red Wings name and emblem were born. The imagery remains pretty much the same as it is today.

While the Red Wings hockey team and the Red Wing shoe company brands share some styling cues, they arrived independently from one another.

WDET’s CuriosiD series answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Want more stories like this? Sign up for WDET’s weekly newsletter and never miss a curiosity uncovered.

More CuriosiD

What does it take to start over?

For thousands of people leaving Michigan prisons every year, it can come down to one piece of plastic: A photo ID.

This month, the Michigan Department of Corrections hit a milestone, having distributed thirty thousand government-issued IDs to incarcerated people since 2020.

That matters, because without an ID, you can’t get a job, sign a lease, open a bank account — you can’t even prove you’re you.

One in five people who leave Michigan prisons end up going back. The state says that’s the lowest it’s ever been. But what does a second chance actually look like when you walk out the door with so little?

Rick Speck knows this firsthand. He was released in 2014 after 15 years in prison. He didn’t have an ID. Now, he’s the deputy director of Nation Outside — a Michigan reentry nonprofit run by those who were formerly incarcerated.

He spoke with Robyn Vincent about his experiences and what our state and culture would look like if we believed more deeply in second chances.

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

When someone is in distress, who should respond to the call for help? Police officers or social workers?

After the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter Movement, police departments reformed. Throughout the country and around Michigan, police hired mental health professionals — or co-responders — to respond to 911 calls, alone or with cops. 

Now, the question of who should take the lead on distress calls has become all the more pressing. Last month, this query was thrust into the public eye once again. That’s when Ypsilanti residents became upset after a SWAT team had a 30-hour standoff with someone they say was experiencing a mental health crisis. 

Hillary Nusbaum is a co-responder supervisor for the Oakland Community Health Network. Her organization partners with Oakland County police departments by having co-responders work alongside police officers. 

Producer Sam Corey spoke with Nusbaum about what a co-responder does and when they should be called to take action on a 911 call. 

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

February is Black History Month and WDET’s Detroit Evening Report has collected Black history stories from listeners.

We’re sharing the story of Walter Greene Sr., one of the first Black politicians in Detroit and Walter Greene Jr., who was a Buffalo Soldier during World War II.

WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley spoke with Walter Greene III, also known as Trey. He starts by explaining Greene Sr.’s role as a ward constable in the City of Detroit.

The following interview was edited for length and clarity.

Trey Greene: At the time that the state hadn’t figured out some of the relationships between the city and the county and the state. And so it was, in effect, the person who went and served warrants and actually evicted people on behalf of landlords and maintained order for it on behalf of the County, besides what the police department was doing. His ward number was number seven.

One of the interesting things about it was that Black Bottom, at the time he got here, was beginning probably what was it ended up being its most rapid change, and he ran and won in a ward in 1931 that was Jewish predominantly, but that was becoming Black rapidly. And he was light skinned enough that, depending on what kind of photograph you used in the campaign, I’m sure there were many, many Jewish people who thought they were voting for a Jewish guy named Greene to be ward constable. And didn’t have any particular problems that where they’d have to deal with him, where they needed to know the difference and to get involved with it.

So, he ended up being elected seven times. In that sense, I think he’s probably one of Michigan’s most successful Black politicians in history.

Bre’Anna Tinsley: I want to move on to your father, Walter Greene, Jr. So clarify for me, your father was a Buffalo Soldier?

TG: That’s correct, the Buffalo Soldiers were the troops that the United States Army decided they needed to keep in service after the Civil War was over.

During the Civil War, one of the facts that people are not very well aware of is that the number of Negro troops, 180,000 of them for the North in the Civil War, ended up being the thing that turned the war. Abraham Lincoln finally had to concede that that was the case after he had not accepted the advice of Frederick Douglass to do it. But ultimately, when Robert Smalls also said, ‘you need to allow us to help fight this war,’ well, that turned the war around in just, you know, a few months. Then they decided they needed to keep a small number of Negro troops in the army.

When the Civil War was over, those ultimately came became two infantry regiments and two cavalry regiments, and they mostly served out west to engage in oppressing the Indigenous people. Which is a whole ironic, weird thing that nobody ever talks about in this country. But the way, of course, we treated the people who were here first has been and continues to be unfair. And in the way America works, you get the Black folks to do the dirtiest of the work one way or another.

BT: Did your father share any of the stories of what led to his promotion to Second Lieutenant?

TG: Well, one of the things that had to happen was he had to go to Fort Custer first, to be trained as a soldier at all. Then later after that, to be sent down to what was called Fort Benning in Georgia, to Officer Candidate School. One of the signal things of that is being on the train from Detroit on your way to the South, and the train stops in Cincinnati, so that before you go across the river, everybody black who might be sitting in any car that they could afford to pay for on the train has to move to a black car to drive over into Kentucky.

And because he had not grown up with Jim Crow at all, that was some of the first of his exposure to American Jim Crow. And then he got down to Georgia, and he managed to get through Officer Candidate School.

But from then on, through the rest of the war, he was in trouble all the time, because so much of the stuff that is involved with Jim Crow is so backward, so awkward, so stupid, so nonsensical, that if you’re not skilled at it, quote-unquote, you’re going to be making little mistakes. And he was the kind of guy making mistakes all the time and being accused of being a troublemaker.

BT: I have the book that you left for me earlier with your father and your grandfather on the cover of it. Actually, can you talk a little bit about that particular book and how that photo came to be on that cover?

TG: Yes, it’s a wonderful book. It’s published by the Johns Hopkins University, and it we have it because a guy named Robert Jefferson, who’s a very senior member of the history faculty out at the University of New Mexico and now was hired at Wayne State as he finished his doctorate at Michigan. And I happened to be in a position to have seen his paperwork before being hired here at Wayne and to call the History Department to tell the guy to come see me, since his book was about my dad’s unit during World War II, that I’d like to meet him and welcome him to Detroit.

And he finished his dissertation and finished everything that went into the creation of that book, and used the photo on the cover of our family in 1943 when my dad was home, before he went to Arizona, before he went to the South Pacific for the war.

BT: Was there specific mentions of your father in the book?

TG: No, the book is really about the things going on at home, including, for instance, my mom having to go out to Arizona and California to be with her husband before he went overseas during the war, and lots and lots of disruptions like that. But I recommend that book to everybody, Professor Robert Jefferson, and the title of the book is “Fighting for Hope: [African American Troops of] the 93rd Division in World War II [and Postwar America].”

President Trump lashed out at the U.S. Supreme Court after it ruled his use of certain tariffs was illegal.

Trump noted he had other options, including blocking all trade with other nations.

“I can destroy the trade. I can destroy the country,” the president said. “I’m even allowed to impose a foreign country-destroying embargo. I can embargo. I can do anything I want. But I can’t charge $1.”

Trump later said he would impose a new global 15% tariff, though it initially began at 10%.

Congress would have to extend the tariff in about five months. The president could potentially get around that provision by announcing a new round of levies at that time.

Many businesses are weighing the impact of the tariff upheaval, including Detroit’s Big 3 automakers.

The head of the trade association MichAuto, Glenn Stevens, Jr., says car companies had anticipated the High Court’s decision.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length. 

Glenn Stevens, Jr.: It was pretty much assumed that the justices would rule this way based on some of the preliminary arguments. We also felt that there would be a response from the administration that they might use additional or new tools if the Supreme Court ruled this way. And we have seen the president state that. I think it does reaffirm the power of Congress according to the U.S. Constitution, in the case of this particular act. But it leaves a lot of uncertainty with our industries and in our economy.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: The High Court ruled on the reciprocal tariffs on other countries. But they’re still allowing levies imposed ostensibly to protect national security. The 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts still stands, except for imports covered under the North American trade deal. So, how do you see the Supreme Court decision affecting the auto industry in particular?

GS: It affects a portion of it. But not by any stretch all of the tariffs and trade deals that have been put in place since Jan. 20 of last year when the America First Trade Policy Act was issued. Yes, the national security tariffs remain in place. The unfair trade practice tariffs remain in place. Those are very tied heavily to China. Those are significant. But anything that did deal with this Emergency Powers Act has been struck down now.

What happens from here, we don’t know. There will be court challenges. The question of whether companies will be able to get a rebate, so to speak, on what they paid, there was no direction from the court on that. So, again, we have a lot of uncertainty moving forward. And then we have a new wild card, which we anticipated, where the president said that he’d use fair trade and anti-dumping subsidy tariffs. And there’s a whole process for that.

QK: And how would that affect the auto industry?

GS: It’s such a complex supply chain. It depends on where the vehicles are assembled. It depends on what is the country of origin where the components come from. For example, a lot of the parts and the components are still exempt on this continent under the current USMCA agreement. But if you’re importing parts from other countries outside of that agreement, it does impact you, the 25% on imported vehicles does apply. So it’s actually quite complex and has been for some time. And this may muddle it up a little bit more.

QK: The trade deal between the US, Mexico, and Canada was coming up for review this year. It’s vital for automakers in particular, considering the cross-pollination of parts and vehicles between the three countries. But with this new Supreme Court decision, do you think the president may have a lot less leverage to push for a new USMCA deal that he would like?

GS: I’m not so sure about the less leverage. What I do know is our organization and many others that are related to the industry, we remain steadfast that we need to get to a renewed and strengthened USMCA agreement. We are stronger together with Canada and Mexico in the current supply chain.

Are modifications and some things needed to be adjusted? Yes. Where that goes, we’re not sure. Discussions are at a bit of a stalemate. But we have quite a bit of runway yet up to July 1st with regards to that.

QK: Canada reached a deal recently with China to sell some Chinese vehicles in that country. The Ford Motor Company has talked about perhaps trying to set up their own deal with Chinese automakers. General Motors has said they did not want that type of a thing. In light of what’s happened with tariffs now, how do you think all that might play out?

GS: Let’s look at the Canada situation first. Prime Minister Carney has a tentative agreement with China to import a small quantity, a very controlled number, of electric vehicles. That was a significant development that has drawn some criticism from the White House. It may complicate things. Again, I underscore that it’s tentative. There are a lot of other things going on with regards to trade and we’re not really certain where this is going right now.

QK: Some automotive analysts have forecast that the impact of tariffs would force car companies to raise prices on new vehicles this year. Now we have this Supreme Court decision. Even if it only affects the auto industry to an extent, as you said, it does not totally rid it of any of the difficulties companies might suffer from having tariffs. So where do you see it going now in terms of potential price increases?

GS: That’s hard to say. It’s probably not going to impact things too directly. At this point, most of the companies have absorbed as much of the increases they can within their supply chains. Affordability of vehicles is an issue. The average in our country is about $50,000 for a new vehicle. That’s a high number. Anyone who sells, distributes, or makes vehicles in this country is very hesitant to raise those prices any further. We have seen some creep.

We’ve seen some certain charges increase, like destination charges on the delivery of a vehicle, and that’s been one way the extra cost has been passed through. But there haven’t been significant increases. Most of the time in any type of consumer product, when prices go up, they don’t tend to come down too quickly. So that’s not good for the consumer.

QK: One of the things you’ve mentioned several times is the uncertainty of the situation. I’ve heard many business executives over the last year or so complain that one of the hardest things about tariffs is the uncertainty they create for people trying to make a business plan. Now we also have this Supreme Court ruling. In your view, is this making it even more uncertain now?

GS: It could, yes. The key words the in last year have been instability and uncertainty. If you apply those two words to just about anything, they’re not good. Especially if you apply them to the automotive industry. It is a long lead time, complex supply chain business that requires stability and certainty to make capital decisions, to look at its workforce, to look at supply chains. We do have new tariffs now. That doesn’t give stability and certainty.

Whether you’re a gearhead, political advocate, artist or house-head, we’ve got you covered this week with the finest club experiences and family functions the city has to offer. Put on your Saturday night best and try to keep it clean for Sunday morning, Detroit!

Upcoming events (Feb. 26 to Mar. 5)

Autorama 

Huntington Place 

Feb. 27-Mar. 1 

  General Admission: $30, Kids 6-12: $10, Kids 5 & Under: Free 

Come down to Huntington Place to experience Detroit’s 73rd Autorama! Check out over 800 unique works of art encapsulating hot-rods, muscle cars, trucks and motorbikes. The event will feature live music, celebrity appearances, famous movie cars, a pin-up contest, and more. The event will run from Friday to Sunday. 

Ground Zero 

TV Lounge 

Feb. 28

$35

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up this weekend. TV Lounge is hosting Ground Zero with performances from DJ Dextro, Redax and Lofila, spinning techno until your heart gives out and legs collapse. Dextro, known for his work on Missile, CLR and Mutual Rhythm, is sure to make this Saturday night one to remember…or not. The event will begin at 9 and go until “late.” 

Art March 

215 W Nine Mile, Ferndale, MI 

Mar. 1-Mar. 31 

Free

Celebrate and connect with Ferndale artists for the second annual Art March! Meet with gallery owners, local businesses and more as you enjoy live music, food vendors and a cash bar. There will be a wide variety of events available throughout March, but the opening takes place on the 1st from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

State of the Mama 

Jam Handy

Mar. 5

Free

Come down to Jam Handy next Thursday for the Mothering Justice Action Fund’s State of the Mama. This year’s theme is “Rooted in Resistance: Mamas Decide,” honoring generations of Black resistance while advocating for mothers to make their voices heard to contribute to Michigan’s political future. There will be a panel discussion with State and Federal candidates as well as Michigan advocates, including Abdul El-Sayed, Mallory McMorrow, Eboni Taylor, Nyah Phillips and more. The event will begin at 5 p.m. and go until 8 p.m.  

Dilla World 

Lincoln Factory

Feb. 28

$23

It’s been 20 years since J. Dilla passed and Detroit remains hungry for donuts. Dance your way down to Lincoln Factory for the 5th annual celebration of Dilla’s life and legacy with artists Blaaqgold, Meftah, Big Tone and more. Best to start this set with a pre-function coffee because this event starts at 10 p.m. and goes until 5 a.m. 

Donovan Glover & Jeanine Styles 

Big Pink

Feb. 27

$23

Warehouse raves made Detroit notorious for its nightlife in the 90’s and 2000’s, and today’s no different…well, perhaps it’s a bit more up to “legal standards” now, but you get the gist. Join DJs Donovan Glover and Jeanine Styles for an evening of high BPM house and dance music over on the east side. The event starts at 10 p.m. and goes until 2 a.m. 

The Planet D Nonet 

Cliff Bells

Feb. 26-Mar.1

$25

If you’re not a fan or tired of Detroit’s electronic side, perhaps you’ll be better off getting acquainted with its older-spirited cousin. Hop, skip and jump over to Cliff Bells between Thursday and Sunday to witness The Planet D Nonent perform their acclaimed album, “Echoes of Harlem: A Salute to Duke Ellington, Vol. 2.” Doors open at 5 p.m. for dinner and 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. for show seating.  

Peter McPoland & Girl Tones 

The Shelter

Mar. 3

$35+

Peter McPoland takes on The Shelter with Girl Tones in tow this upcoming Tuesday. Vermont clashes with Kentucky on stage as these two budding alternative rock powerhouses visit our not-so-little city as part of McPoland’s Big Lucky Tour that began earlier this month. The event begins at 7 p.m. 

FRAMEWORK 

Northern Lights Lounge

Feb. 28

$23+

Now, if you’re saying to yourself, “Come on Owen, I know you’ve got to include a bit of variety, but I was hoping for a bit more EDM,” I’ve got you covered. Pop out to New Center for some more electronic-fueled, intimate debauchery with DJ sets by Detroit’s own Rick Wade, Shigeto, Ryan Spencer and Todd Modes. The event begins at 9 p.m. and goes until 3 a.m. 

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this post was published without mentioning State Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s attendance of the State of the Mama event. We have amended this omission to better be in accordance with our value of fair coverage.

The Detroit Red Wings haven’t qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2016. It’s the longest postseason drought in franchise history. 

But they’re on the verge of snapping that streak. 

The Wings stand in third place in the NHL’s Atlantic Division as they enter the final 24 games of the regular season. 

The golden boy returns

The last time they reached the playoffs, Dylan Larkin was a rookie. Today, he’s the team captain. He’s also an Olympic champion.

The U.S. men’s national hockey team beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the gold medal game of the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. Larkin was on the ice when teammate Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal.

Detroit Free Press hockey writer Helene St. James spoke with Larkin after the emotional contest.

“It was probably a good 45 minutes after the game ended,” she says. “He was still in his skates, still had is medal around his neck, and he’s like, ‘I’m not taking either off.'”

Larkin scored two goals in six Olympic games and won the most face-offs of any player. St. James says the emotional lift of winning gold could carry him and the Wings through the final third of the season.

“I know how excited he is, ” she says. “He just wants to lead the Wings into a playoff spot and end that nearly 10-year playoff drought.”

Raymond shines for Sweden

Larkin wasn’t the only Red Wing at the Olympics. Lucas Raymond played for Sweden. Moritz Seider competed for Germany. Neither team made it past the quarterfinals. Lucas was the third-leading scorer at the games with one goal and eight assists.

Because their Olympics ended early, St. James says Raymond and Seider should have some extra rest before the season resumes.

How far they go depends on their health. 

“This is when the games get really tough,” she says. “There’s no leeway to take anything easy.”

The Red Wings might not be the only ones who get a golden bounce. Many of the players on the U.S. team came up through the national development program in Plymouth. That includes Jack Hughes and goalie Connor Hellebuyck. St. James says Hellebuyck deserves as much credit for beating Canada as anyone.

“He singlehandedly kept his teammates in it in the second and third periods when the shot disparity was so much in the Canadians’ favor,” she says.

Hellebuyck stopped 41 shots against Canada. President Donald Trump hailed the Commerce Township native as a hero during his State of the Union speech. Trump also said he planned to award Hellebuyck the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Generation inspiration

St. James says winning gold is good press for the national development team and youth hockey in general, both boys and girls. The U.S. also beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the women’s gold medal game. Farmington Hills native Megan Keller scored the game winning goal. 

The American women dominated the Olympics, outscoring their opponents 33-2. 

“I don’t know how both games cannot inspire young children to want to take up the game,” St. James says.

Wayne State University has a new president.  The school’s Board of Governors elected Richard Bierschbach as the 14^th president of the university at a special meeting Tuesday.  

Bierschbach has served as Wayne State’s interim president since the departure of Kimberly Andrews Espy last September.  Before becoming interim president, he was the dean of Wayne State’s law school.  While there, Bierschbach helped the law school rise from a national ranking of 100^th in 2017 to 55^th best in the U.S. now. 

Additional headlines for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026

Tlaib heckles Trump during State of the Union 

Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib heckled President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address Tuesday night.  The Detroit Democrat called the president a liar during his remarks.  She wore an anti-ICE button, as well.

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also jeered at Trump during the event.  Trump responded by saying the Democrats should be ashamed of themselves. 

Whitmer to deliver State of the State tonight 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivers her final State of the State address Wednesday.  She’s expected to tout her accomplishments over the past year and lay out her vision for the future of Michigan.  

Whitmer is expected to spend a portion of her speech talking about the importance of creating more affordable housing options for Michiganders. That includes plans for a new affordable housing tax credit.

You can hear the State of the State tonight at 7 p.m. on 101.9 WDET FM or at WDET.org. 

Flags lowered to half-staff to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson 

U.S. and Michigan flags across the state will fly at half-staff Thursday and Friday.  Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered the action in honor of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.  

Jackson died last week at age 84.  In a statement, Whitmer says, “Rev. Jackson had a special connection to Michigan and especially the city of Detroit.”  

BET reports Jackson will lie in state at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago tomorrow and Friday.  A private homegoing service will take place on March 7.  That event will be livestreamed. 

Ford recalls more than 400,000 SUVs 

Ford is recalling almost 414,000 Explorer SUVs because of possible steering problems.  

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says certain vehicles from the 2013 through 2017 model years could have faulty rear suspension toe links that could break.  The problem could make it hard to steer the vehicle.  

Affected owners will be notified by mail.  Repairs will be made at no cost to consumers. 

First place Pistons face Oklahoma City 

The Detroit Pistons play the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight in a battle of NBA first place teams.  The Pistons are first in the Eastern Conference with a record of 42 wins and 14 losses.  The Thunder hold the top spot in the Western Conference with 45 wins and 14 losses. 

Game time at Little Caesars Arena is 7:30 p.m. tonight. 

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

Young people’s brains are changing.

Research shows social media activates the same dopamine-driven reward pathways in the brain as addictive substances. The scroll, the like, the notification — each one is a quick hit of pleasure that keeps you coming back.

The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that teens who use social media for more than three hours a day face double the risk of depression and anxiety, and the vast majority of American teenagers use social media. More than a third say they use it “almost constantly.” 

The platforms keep us sucked in so long that we now have new terms for our interactions with these devices, like “doomscrolling” and “brain rot.”

Now, the courts are getting involved. In Los Angeles, a jury is hearing claims that Meta and YouTube deliberately designed their platforms to get children addicted. In New Mexico, the state attorney general is suing Meta for allegedly failing to protect minors from sexual exploitation. 

In Michigan, legislators are cracking down on phones in schools. This month, Michigan banned smartphones in the classroom, affecting students in the fall. 

State Representative Mark Tisdel, a Republican representing Rochester Hills, sponsored the cell phone ban. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how he believes lawmakers should stand up to Big Tech.

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

Today we dig into a time capsule with introspective tracks from Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, and Modest Mouse, featuring Friko’s cover of Radiohead’s Weird Fishes/Arpeggi. We also bring energetic sounds from Die Spitz, alongside tracks from Richard Swift, Pixies, Baby Rose & BADBADNOTGOOD, Arthur Russell, Porji, Outkast, Karen Dalton, J.J. Cale, Antena, 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 February 25, 2026 

• “Figure Skating” – Porji 

• “My Favorite Things” – Outkast 

• “In My Own Dream” – Karen Dalton 

• “Cherry” – J.J. Cale  

• “Camino Del Sol (Todd Terje Remix)” – Antena 

• “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face” – Arthur Russell 

• “Broken Finger Blues” – Richard Swift 

• “It’s Alright” – Baby Rose & BADBADNOTGOOD 

• “Back 2 Me” – Girls of the Internet & Sadie Walker 

• “It’s Time to Wake Up 2023” – La femme 

• “Midnight Mischief (Tom Misch Remix) – Jordan Rakei & Tom Misch 

• “Cactus (2007 Remaster)” – Pixies 

• “Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy)” – Devo 

• “Pyramid of Health” – Viagra Boys 

• “Punishers” – Die Spitz 

• “Out of the Clear” – Bethany Curve 

• “Endsong (Orbital Remix) – The Cure & Orbital 

• “The Killing Moon (feat. Mélanie Pain)” – Nouvelle Vague 

• “Pink Moon” – Nick Drake 

• “Gravity Rides Everything” – Modest Mouse 

• “Coast to Coast” – Elliott Smith 

• “Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi” – Friko 

• “Figs and Gorgonzola” – Papooz 

• “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” – Paul Simon 

• “Yttling Jazz #2 (Flox St.)” – Yttling Jazz 

• “Chantized” – Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller And Yusef Lateef 

• “2close2farr” – Momoko Gill 

• “One Thing” – Lola Young 

• “Market” – Chronixx 

• “The Payback” – James Brown 

• “Golden Lady” – José Feliciano 

• “All I Do” – Stevie Wonder 

• “In My Life” – Doug Riley 

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. 

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development may add six new plant species to the state’s list of invasive plants. This list could include Callery pear, Japanese barberry, and two aquatic plants.

If approved, water hyacinth and water lettuce would be considered illegal to sell or transport 30 days after they are officially listed. The Callery pear, common buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, and Japanese barberry would become restricted starting January 1, 2028. These regulations would prevent the sale or purchase of these plants but would not impact property owners who already possess them.

Officials state that these plants can pose risks to Michigan’s environment, economy, and public health. They have the potential to displace native species, damage infrastructure, and in some cases, host ticks that carry diseases.

In her final State of the State address, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will discuss the next phase of her administration’s agenda, reflecting on progress made over the past seven years and describing what comes next. Her focus will include strengthening employment opportunities, easing financial pressures for residents, maintaining strong support for education and literacy, expanding housing development, and pursuing additional priorities moving forward.

Watch live at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25

About a thousand protesters showed up to city hall in Romulus to protest a planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in the city. 

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, who is hoping to win the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State was also there. “I make sure that people have the power to vote against those who would want to sign off on a budget that would approve these kind of expenditures… that would approve this kind of ICE personnel deployment,” said Gilchrist. “That is unacceptable, and we need ICE out of Michigan.” 

Romulus City Council voted unanimously to condemn the proposed detention center, but admitted they still have not received formal confirmation of the building’s sale to the federal government.

-Reporting by Russ McNamara 

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026

Whitmer will use State of the State to talk affordable housing

Governor Gretchen Whitmer will use her State of the State address Wednesday to call for more programs to address a shortage of affordable housing in Michigan.

Her plans include an affordable housing tax credit to spur development, cuts to regulations and faster approval of building permits. The governor has expressed concerns that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs will add thousands of dollars to the costs of home-building materials. The governor delivers her State of the State address the evening following the president’s State of the Union address tonight. (MPRN) 

New office of Community Safety

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has established a new office of Neighborhood and Community Safety. Its goal is to help prevent domestic violence and promote conflict resolution.

Teferi Brent will lead the office. He says domestic abuse is a major source of violence that the city needs to address. Brent says that effort would further lower the number of homicides, which hit a 60-year low in 2025. 

-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

Detroit Historical Society celebrates Women’s History Month

The Detroit Historical Society is kicking off Women’s History Month with ‘Love and Flowers: A tribute to Detroit’s Black Matriarchs’ Sunday. 

 The event is a celebration of caregivers past and present and an opportunity to reflect on the question of what it looks like to honor the Black women who “built… nurtured and fought for a better Detroit.”

Registration is through the Black Bottom Archives as a part of its Bottom Up series of community programs exploring memory, storytelling and Black Detroit’s living history.

A museum membership is required for admission, but the Detroit Historical Museum offers a free membership to Detroiters and individual memberships starting at $60 on its website.

Literacy fundraiser

The Flint Unity Farming Project is having a popcorn fundraiser to support is literacy and learning programs.

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

Today’s show moves from classics to deep cuts and new releases. We spin favorites from Tears for Fears, Dr. Dog, and The Strokes, plus tracks from Jessie Ware, Beach House, Flying Lotus, Madlib, and Four Tet. We also highlight Okonski, including his upcoming track “Easy,” alongside music from Meshell Ndegeocello, Donald Byrd, 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 February 24, 2026

•  “Midnight (Acoustic)” – Jessie Ware
• “Count To Five” – Rhye
• “Ive Brussel (JKriv Rework)” – Jkriv
• “Who” – David Byrne & St. Vincent
• “California Dreamin’ (Live) – Bobby Womack
• “Easy” – Okonski
• “We Will Not Make It (Not Without You)” – Twin Peaks
• “Where’d All the Time Go?” – Dr. Dog
• “Take It or Leave It” – The Strokes
• “Believer” – Annahstasia
• “Goodbye Horses” – Q Lazzarus
• “Gap in the Clouds” – Yellow Days
• “Balloon” – Crumb
• “S.N.C” – DARKSIDE
• “PUDDLE ( OF ME ) – Saya Gray
• “ASR (feat. Jeff Parker) – Meshell Ndegeocello
• “Norway” – Beach House
• “A Gente Acaba (Vento Em Rosa) – Alabaster DePlume
• “Cristo Redentor” – Donald Byrd
• “How Can We Mend a Broken Heart” – Kahil El’Zabar
• “Dark Moon” – Okonski
• “Spooky” – Dusty Springfield
• “Summer Madness S.A.” – Karriem Riggins
• “Hey (Extended Mix)” – We Are KING
• “20 Feet Tall (Remix) [feat. Erykah Badu & Rapsody]” – 9th Wonder
• “Everybody Wants To Rule the World” – Tears for Fears
• “I Don’t See It That Way” – Spoek Mathambo
• “Tea Leaf Dancers” – Flying Lotus
• “Jasmine (Demo)” – Jai Paul
• “Road of the Lonely Ones” – Madlib
• “You Are Mine” – Jay Robinson
• “Say I Wanna Know” – Nick Waterhouse
• “Ansumana” – Suss
• “Locked” – Four Tet

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.

Grocery stores offer colorful produce aisles, where pyramid-shaped mounds of apples, oranges and lemons sit waiting for your inspection.

In that moment, you might wonder — how did the prices on those apples and oranges and lemons come to be? Who decided on that particular number?

Food prices are influenced by many factors. And in recent years, the numbers have been going up.

In 2022, food prices increased by almost 10% — the largest increase since 1979. And while they haven’t increased as much since then, fruits and vegetables are still becoming pricier. Lettuce, for example, is up over 7% since last year. Why? And how much have prices changed because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and immigration policies?

Bill Loupée is the COO of Ben B. Schwartz & Sons wholesaler, which operates out of Detroit. He spoke with Robyn Vincent. .

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

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

More stories from The Metro

Sixty years after voters narrowly approved the first millage to establish Oakland County Parks, officials say the system is undergoing a fundamental shift. 

County officials recently unveiled a plan to revamp and grow its parks system. It’s called Mission 26 and it aims to help the county’s residents easily access the outdoors, especially in urban areas.

The focus on reshaping the county’s parks is funded by a public millage passed in 2024.

Oakland County Parks Director Chris Ward says it’s a green vision for the county’s future. “We know people are struggling financially, but the fact that they, you know, demonstrated such overwhelming support for that proposal shows how deeply people in this county value recreation and the outdoors,” Ward says. 

The county is expanding urban partnerships, including at Pontiac Oaks County Park, and plans to open Oak Park Woods at Sheppard Park and convert a Southfield golf course into a nature preserve. 

The county also launched the Co-Creation Lab to allow residents to help guide the future of the parks system through a new online portal, 

If parks are considered part of the county’s preventive health and wellness infrastructure, Ward says their success must be measured by how actively they are used.

“Empty parking lots represent a missed opportunity to reach people,” Ward says.

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