This weekend, we’ve got last-chance art exhibits, early holiday shopping and lots of beer.

Plus, 101.9 Day! Read on to learn more.

Sip some brews

This Friday, Oct. 18 is our beer release party with Batch Brewing! Ryan Patrick Hooper (host of In The Groove weekdays noon to 3 p.m.) will be your host for the evening as you get to be the first to try “It’s So Kölsch In The D,” an easy-drinking German-style lager designed to appeal to the masses — just like the programming at WDET. Guests will also enjoy live music from Sugar Tradition, Winestoned Cowboys and the Allen Dennard Trio while cozied up on Batch’s heated patio. Doors open at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $25. For more information, visit our events page.

Related: Winestoned Cowboys perform Live On WDET

Then, keep the brews flowing at the 15th Annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival at Eastern Market on Saturday, Oct. 19. Guests will get to sample Michigan-made beers while listening to a lineup of local musicians between 1-6 p.m. Food from Detroit-area restaurants will also be available for purchase. Tickets are $60 in advance or $70 at the door while supplies last. For more information, visit mibeer.com.

Rep your radio station

Saturday, Oct. 19 is also 101.9 Day, which is the perfect opportunity to join Team DET! Show off your public radio pride with a Team DET t-shirt, baseball hat or zipper tote bag when you make a sustaining gift of $10.19 per month at wdet.org/give. Your gift supports Detroit’s legendary public broadcaster during our 75th year of service to the community.

Start your holiday shopping

On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Michigan Makers Market returns to The Hawk in Farmington Hills. This indoor juried art fair features more than 50 local artists across various disciplines, including painting, sculpture, jewelry and other wearable art, fiber art, ceramics, printmaking, and more. This year’s market features an Oktoberfest feel with live music on The Hawk patio and beer, wine and hot pretzels available to enjoy while shopping. The market goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit their Facebook event.

Explore new music

This week through Saturday, Oct. 19 is Edgefest 28, an annual avant-jazz festival at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor. This exploration of new music — both improvised and composed — features a diverse roster of innovative international and local artists. Day passes are $60 to $80, and packages are available starting at $200. For more information, visit kerrytownconcerthouse.com.

Catch this exhibit

This weekend is your last chance to see Double ID at The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Through the lens of W.E.B. DuBois’ work, Double ID showcases striking contemporary artworks that focus on the inner self, identity and evolving spirt of Black men. The exhibit features works from the CCH Pounder-Koné collection, where artists across the diaspora capture the images of Black men amid a myriad of influences. For more information, visit thewright.org. 

Walk with purpose

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is holding annual community walks across the country this weekend, allowing people to remember loved ones who died by suicide while also working as a community to create more mental health support. The Metro Detroit Out of the Darkness Walk will take place at Cricket Field on Belle Isle this Saturday, Oct. 19. On-site registration starts at 8 a.m. and the program starts at 10 a.m. For more information, visit support.afsp.org.

Related: Out of the Darkness Walk on Belle Isle aims to shine a light on mental health, suicide

If you or someone else needs support, a trained counselor can be reached by calling or texting the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Save the date

Mark your calendars — The Rock & Roll Horror Show is coming back from the dead on Friday, Oct. 25! Now in its second year at the Cadieux Cafe, the show will feature live performances from garage rock royalty, The 3-D Invisibles and Eastside Elvis & the Motor City Mafia, as well as tarot readings from Moon Club (featuring our own Amanda LeClaire), all hosted by Modern Music’s Jon Moshier. Join us for a night of spooks and scares, and wear your best costume to be featured on stage as best dressed! This event is 21+ and tickets are $25. For more information, visit our events page.

London’s Matt Johnson has released records as The The since the early 1980s.

After a 25-year hiatus, he has returned to the studio to produce his first full The The album. Ensoulment sounds as relevant as ever, cinematic, and lyrically in tune.

Johnson joined me on In The Groove during my week as guest host, just as he arrived in Georgia to prepare for the United States’ leg of his current world tour. We discussed the new album, the life-threatening circumstance that led to The The’s first improvised song, “Linoleum Smooth to the Stockinged Foot,” and the meaning behind “Cognitive Dissident” — the first song released from Ensoulment.

We also spoke about the use of his music in films, including “Guardians of the Galaxy” and the new Francis Ford Coppola film, “Megalopolis.” Closing out the conversation is a thoughtful reflection on the role nostalgia plays in moving life forward.

The The will perform two sets at the Masonic Cathedral Theatre in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The first set features the new album, and the second set is a retrospective of songs throughout The The’s discography until now.

Use the media player above to hear my entire conversation with Matt Johnson.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell is running for reelection in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District.

The Democratic incumbent currently serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and House Committee on Natural Resources, and formerly served as a U.S. Representative for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District from 2015-2023. Prior to that, she worked in the auto industry for three decades, and served on the Wayne State University Board of Governors from 2007-2014.

Dingell says as someone who’s been in politics for nearly a decade, she wants to continue bringing diverse perspectives to the table to get things done.

“I want to be out there and listening and hearing what’s on your mind and making sure that your voices are heard,” she said. “I believe in the importance of building coalitions and trying to find the common ground at that table, and I also believe in solving problems.”

Listen: U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell on the economy, gun control and election security

Her Republican challenger, retired Ford employee Heather Smiley, says she hopes to bring a fresh perspective to Congress by curbing government spending, protecting voter integrity and preserving the borders.

“I’m not happy with the direction that the country is heading in,” Smiley said. “Our civil rights have been infringed upon. The economy is not doing well, and our national sovereignty is really at risk.”

Smiley says she is a first-generation American from a legal immigrant who was the first to attend college in her family. She says she worked multiple jobs and took out loans to pay for college, including working as a press operator and an automotive parts supplier.

“I can enable the government to function more efficiently, to improve and reduce costs, and I can restore the opportunities that we’ve historically had so that people can truly live the American dream, rather than worry about how they’re going to pay their bills or put food on the table for their family,” she said.

Listen: Republican Heather Smiley on bringing jobs to Michigan, voter integrity

Jobs and the economy

Dingell says the No. 1 issue on people’s minds is the economy, adding that she’s working with Congress to bring down everyday costs for working families.

“People are struggling to make ends meet,” she said. “I’m always at Kroger on Sunday mornings, and people come to meet me there now and they say, ‘Look at my grocery cart. I used to be able to buy a lot more.'”

Smiley says lots of people are losing their jobs, and she wants to prioritize bringing jobs back to Michigan.

“The companies are not willing to invest in their businesses, quite frankly, because a lot of the work is going overseas,” she said. “Mexico now looks like what Michigan used to look like. It’s a mecca for industry, both in terms of the automotive industry [and] all of the suppliers.”

However, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that U.S. employers added an estimated 254,000 jobs in September, and after rising for most of 2024, the unemployment rate dropped for a second straight month from 4.2% in August to 4.1% in September.

She also noted that government spending is on the rise, saying that she’d like to reduce spending using her skills as a Ford employee who managed budgets.

“At Ford Motor Company where I worked, just one example of a project that I initiated and led, I saved the company over $290 million, and year-over-year, I saved the company $10 million just by working smarter,” she said.

Smiley says her experience as someone who has worked her way from the bottom up makes her a better candidate for her district.

“I have a lifetime of experiences working in the proverbial trenches, and I can leverage and apply my common sense and direct knowledge of how things work, both domestically and using my international business experience,” she said.

Gun safety

While school shootings are on the rise in the U.S., Dingell says she believes in gun control laws that protect people.

“I think we need to support and make sure [gun legislation] is being implemented that has comprehensive background checks. People who shouldn’t have guns shouldn’t have access to them,” said Dingell.

Dingell says assault weapons should also be banned, and safe storage of firearms should be mandated.

“Our children need to be able to go to school and not worry if someone is going to shoot them, what would happen to them. We need to be addressing the mental health issues associated with that,” she said.

Dingell says along with the economy, child care and senior care are pressing issues.

Voter integrity

During her campaign, Smiley has alleged that voter integrity in the U.S. is being jeopardized by illegal immigrants who are being encouraged to sign up to vote.

CNN fact-checked this claim, saying that it is unlikely non-citizens are registering to vote.

“The penalties are high, and the payoff is low,” Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the UCLA School of Law, told CNN. “If you aren’t a citizen and you vote, and you’re caught, you can face deportation and criminal penalties. And your chances of affecting an election outcome are small. It’s very unlikely someone would purposely choose to vote as a noncitizen.”

While Dingell says comprehensive immigration is needed, she says numerous studies have debunked the claim that non-citizens are voting.

“We have very strong systems in this country, in each state, to keep non-American citizens from voting, and no one has found [evidence of that],” she said. “[There have been] independent studies on both sides [that show no] problem related to that,” she said.

Dingell also suggested that measures to address border security have been blocked by Republicans.

“Democrats have been pushing for a lot more investment in Homeland Security for hiring additional border patrol agents to investigate and disrupt the transnational criminal organizations and the drug traffickers and Republicans keep blocking it,” she said.

The general election is taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. For the latest election information, visit WDET’s Voter Guide at wdet.org/voterguide.

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a challenge to Michigan’s constitutional ban on direct or indirect public financial support for non-public schools.

The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation represents five families who argued the 1970 ban violates the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause. The parents would like to be able to claim a tax break for private school tuition savings accounts.

A central element of the Mackinac Center’s case was an argument that the amendment is rooted in religious bigotry and animus toward Catholics in particular. That is despite the fact that the amendment is silent on religion.

“The time period that it was passed, 1970,  it was written facially neutral, but the way that it was campaigned upon was very anti-Catholic, and so there is this stigma that has remained with and we were hopeful that the court would recognize that stigma,” said Patrick Wright, the foundation’s legal director.

Lower federal courts held the voter-approved amendment to the state Constitution does not violate religious freedom protections. The Supreme Court refused the appeal without comment.

Douglas Pratt with the Michigan Education Association said that was the right call because, otherwise, the door would be opened to indirect diversions of money from public education.

“Michigan’s Constitution is very clear on public money not going to private schools,” he said. “Voters have stood up against efforts to change that over the years. Taxpayer funds should rightly go to our public schools, where the vast majority of our students attend.”

The city of Detroit has officially launched its “Dining with Confidence” ordinance. The measure uses a color-coded system to tell diners how a restaurant has performed when it comes to Michigan’s food safety code.

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

Each color represents the following:

• Green means a restaurant has no serious food safety violations and its food service license is up to date.
• A white card means the establishment has violations it needs to correct. That card will also contain information a prospective diner can use to look up inspection results on the Detroit Health Department’s Open Data Portal.
• A red card means the restaurant has been closed because it doesn’t have a valid food service license, is in the final step of a violation enforcement, or poses a serious safety risk.

Restaurants will eventually receive the cards from the city health department.

More headlines for Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024:

• Michigan’s minimum wage will increase twice next year starting in January
• Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Detroit for campaign visit on Friday
• Henry Ford Health System completes merger with Ascension Michigan
• Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News looking for new offices after Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock declines lease renewal

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

Libbi Urban, a former maintenance electrician, is running as a Democrat for Michigan’s 5th Congressional District. Urban spent 31 years in the steel industry and believes her experience as a union representative qualifies her to bring meaningful change to the district.

“For 15 years, I was an elected official for our United Steelworkers local,” said Urban. “I helped negotiate better pay, healthcare benefits, pension increases, and retiree healthcare for over 100,000 people. If I could represent that many people, I thought I could do that for our district as well.”

Listen: Democrat Libbi Urban aims to flip Michigan’s 5th Congressional District seat

Urban’s platform focuses on addressing the rising cost of living, safeguarding Social Security and Medicare, and protecting healthcare freedoms. She said that these issues resonate deeply with voters.

“The cost of food, gas and housing is a big one,” she said. “We want to cut high prices and corporate greed. People shouldn’t have to decide whether to buy their prescriptions or feed their family.”

Urban also took aim at her opponent — Republican Rep. Tim Wahlberg who currently holds the seat — claiming that while he talks about similar issues, his voting record tells a different story.

“He’s voted against all of these issues at one time or another during his legislative career,” Urban explained. “I listened to the people I represented in the union, and I plan to do the same across this district. I’ll take their concerns to Washington and fight for them.”

Urban also wants to protect family farms, and ensure they stay in the family. It’s an issue that hits close to home for her.

“My grandfather had a couple of farms, and we had to sell them because of inheritance taxes. It was devastating to us,” she said. “I want to make it easier for younger people to afford land and get into farming.”

Despite the 5th Congressional District being heavily Republican, Urban remains confident.

“I would have never put my name on the ballot if I didn’t believe I was going to win,” she said. “The people in the 5th District want change, and I am that change.”

I knew Winestoned Cowboys were a band to watch when they dropped their excellent Live at the Old Miami debut album.

That’s bold to lead with the live product but a smart move I hope more local bands follow. As it stands, most bands struggle to recreate the sound on their album on the stage. And Winestoned Cowboys delivered.

This is cosmic country at its finest — a musical blend of roots, Americana and outlaw country first and foremost, with sarcastic lyrics about loss, drugs, drinking and everything else you’d expect to come out of a dusty old saloon that this band would probably play.

We had to invite Winestoned Cowboys in for a Live on WDET session to see if they could strike magic once again. The seven-piece didn’t disappoint. This is by far one of the best sessions we’ve welcomed — and I’m happy to say Winestoned Cowboys will be performing at WDET’s upcoming event at Batch Brewery on Friday, Oct. 18!

You can grab your tickets at wdet.org/events.

Winestoned Cowboys is:

• Matt Horne – vocals and guitar
• Nick Cicchetti – bass
• Brenda Mahler – vocals
• Elliot Moses – high-strung acoustic guitar
• Bob Monteleone – lead guitar
• Jordan Siden – pedal steel guitar
• John Porter – drums

Listen to In the Groove weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org.

Across the U.S., drinking water and wastewater utilities are losing experienced workers at an escalating rate. It’s part of the “silver tsunami” of baby boomer retirements.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that “silver tsunami” is just beginning to sweep across the nation.

“We’re seeing between 30 and 50% of our water workforce being eligible to retire within the next 5 to 10 years,” said Bruno Pigott, the EPA’s acting assistant administrator of water.

He was quoting from a report released six years ago by the Brookings Institution. While the data are hard to confirm, it appears the country is heading toward that projection.

An analysis by Michigan Public finds automation will replace some workers, but retirements will exceed that and lead to shortages.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a drop in water operator jobs nationwide over the next decade as automated systems take over more tasks. Despite that, an estimated 10,000 positions will need to be filled each year to make up for people who leave these jobs to go to another industry, return to school or retire.

Finding workers interested in working in drinking water, stormwater, or wastewater systems is not always easy. Many public workers are fairly high profile. We often see police, firefighters, and teachers at work.

“But there’s a whole group, and that’s our water and wastewater professionals, that are less well known because as long as we are able to flush our toilet, as long as we’re able to ensure that when we turn on the tap, the water flows freely and is high quality, we don’t think about it,” Pigott said.

But failure to replace water workers is not like the workforce shortages we see in other areas.

“It’s not something that you can just shut off because you have a workforce shortage,” said Barb Martin, director of engineering and technical services at the American Water Works Association. Government and private water utilities are hoping to entice people to train for those jobs.

“The workforce of now, and really looking at the workforce of the future, needs to be well-skilled in digital technologies because that does seem to be the direction that the industry is heading,” Martin said, although not every position will need high tech skills.

Many water workers are on the streets, repairing water lines. In systems that still have the position, some workers read meters. Others could be billing customers or ordering chemicals to clean water or disinfect it.

In a 2024 report by the American Water Works Association, worker shortages is one of the top 10 concerns among leaders in the industry. The top concern is protecting water sources.

The water works association trains workers who have some experience already, including high-level courses for the next generation of water utility leaders. They not only have to manage the utility, but they also have to solve community problems and manage the cultural shifts that encourage community building, according to a brochure on the association’s Transformative Water Leadership Academy.

The Michigan Section of the association also regularly holds training sessions for current waterworks employees around the state to help them maintain certification or advance their skills for that next promotion.

But association members also know entry level positions need to be filled.

The Brookings report said 53% of water workers have a high school diploma or less. So they can get their foot in the door. But they’ll need on-the-job training, learning a variety of tools and technology.

There are training programs for people with no experience in waterworks.

Grand Rapids Community College won a $1 million grant from the EPA to work with the city of Grand Rapids to attract and train people. Often, they’re recruiting students from disadvantaged communities who typically are unaware of job opportunities in municipal waterworks.

The sound of hammers and drills echoed in a GRCC construction lab recently. Student carpenters and electricians were practicing on mock housing sections. But there is no waterworks lab.

“Our people are actually on site on our internship with the city of Grand Rapids and the drinking water or the wastewater treatment facilities,” said John VanElst, interim dean of the college’s School of Workforce Training.

He said a unique part of the Water Career Program is a year-long internship with a mentor on the job. Students are paired with a city employee at one of the Grand Rapids municipal plants.

VanElst said it only made sense to work with the city.

“We decided three years ago, let’s look at a grant with the EPA that just came out and write for this together with the City of Grand Rapids to see if we can help them with this retirement that they’re going to be facing and are facing right now.”

There are other elements. A student study course is provided by Bay College in Escanaba. Those online courses are needed to pass state certification tests.

VanElst said the combination of online work and on-the-job work gives students a real-world look at different kinds of jobs.

“It’s nice because they get a good idea of what they want to do right and maybe what they don’t want to do. And the best part, too, is that they have mentors along the way.”

He added they hope to soon help surrounding cities such as Wyoming, Holland, Muskegon, and others build up their water workforces.

One thing that should be noted about these jobs in the water workforce is that the jobs pay better than average. That’s especially true among the positions lower on the pay scale, according to the Brookings Institution report.

Star Trek star William Shatner will be at the Fisher Theatre on Wednesday to present a special screening of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”

The award-winning actor — known to Trekkies as James T. Kirk — will be taking the stage after the film to share behind-the-scenes insights and answer audience questions, moderated by WDET’s own Ryan Patrick Hooper.

I spoke with Shatner ahead of his Detroit appearance to discuss his connection and introduction to the iconic series and its important place in film and TV history.

Listen: William Shatner shares Star Trek insights ahead of ‘Wrath of Khan’ screening

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Ann Delisi: What did you think the first time you saw the first script for Star Trek?

William Shatner: I was in New York. The phone rang, and it was [Star Trek creator] Gene Roddenberry, who said, “We’ve made a pilot, an hour show called Star Trek, with an actor called Jeffrey Hunter — who was a well known and very good looking guy — and we presented it to NBC, and NBC said, ‘We don’t like it but we like this idea.’ And they said we’d like to make another pilot, and spend millions of dollars on it. They want me to recast it and do a whole new pilot.” So they called me and said, “Would you be interested in playing the captain?” And I went back to Los Angeles to look at the pilot that they had made with Jeffrey Hunter. And I thought, my gosh, it’s really interesting. It’s a little pedantic, a little serious; maybe they could lighten it up a little — I made that suggestion — and we made this pilot, and it sold.

AD: So there was not necessarily a playbook for you to go by, because you were creating a character from the future. So what was your thought process when creating that character based on just this pilot that you saw in the script, and nobody really knew what the future of Star Trek was going to be at that time?

WS: The influential factor in Star Trek was a series of books called “Captain Horatio Hornblower.” The writer had written this group of people on a sailing ship going around the coast of America, which wasn’t plotted, so it was unknown. And so here was this captain and his crew sailing the unknown who just happened to be on Earth, but what was over the horizon was unknown. So this character was brave, loved his men, but was so curious about what was coming up that it overcame fear. And I thought that’s a great way to play this character, because you’re in the middle of finding these weird creatures who may or may not be friendly, but isn’t this interesting? Isn’t it curious? Isn’t it actually amazing? And that’s the way I played Kirk, mostly. A source of wow, awe and wonder.

AD: The series, of course, didn’t last very long, but the staying power of its message and its characters did. And then along come the films. Were you surprised that these films came along? Did you, in your mind, sort of write Star Trek off in terms of something that you would work on again?

WS: Well, we were canceled after three years. So there’s 79 hours of Star Trek that I did, and then it was canceled, and that was it, that was the end of the job and everybody went on to other things. Six years later, they decide, for a number of reasons, to make a film, and the film was not that successful — especially at first. It subsequently has made money, but not the kind of money the people at Paramount were anticipating. So they decided. They went through a lot of decisions about making another film, and then they made another film much more cheaply, and harkening back to what Star Trek used to be. And that’s the film I’m going to be showing at the Fisher Theatre. This iconic film, “Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan” and its importance in our film history is that if it hadn’t been as successful as it became, there’d be no Star Trek.

AD: When you see old episodes pop up or you see the film, the films get they get shown, especially the ones that you were in. Do you stop and watch them?

WS: Not at all, exactly the opposite. When a 50-year younger you is on the screen, you’re looking at it thinking my I disparaged the way I looked, I look pretty good there. I wish I felt about myself then the way I feel about that now.

AD: It was so apropos and so poetic that you would end up in space yourself back in 2021. What was it like to be in space?

WS: It was awesome. For me, it became overwhelmingly sad. I’ve been an ecologist for the longest time, pontificating on global warming 50-60 years ago. And now that it’s upon us, while I was up there I saw more acutely than ever the sadness of what we’re doing, and how little time we have left to correct. And that was my overwhelming feeling.

Use the media player above to hear the full interview with William Shatner. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit broadwayindetroit.com/events.

Listen to Ann Delisi’s Essential Music Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET and Sundays 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

The Michigan Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing in Detroit Wednesday night to hear public comments on DTE Energy’s pending application to raise its rates. 

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

The utility is requesting to increase electric rates by $456 million to improve the infrastructure and service for customers — less than a year after the commission voted unanimously to approve a $368 million rate increase for DTE.

The event on Wednesday will give residents a chance to weigh-in on DTE’s request, which was made in March. If approved, residents could see an average increase on their bills of about $11 per month.

Many customers have complained in recent months about frequent, long-lasting power outages. However, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has said the proposed rate hike is “excessive and unnecessary.”

The MPSC hearing will take place from 6-8 p.m. at Mumford High School, 17525 Wyoming St., Detroit. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024:

• The United Auto Workers union says it’s prepared to take action against Stellantis in the coming days.
• The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency is inviting Vietnam-era veterans to a ceremony at the Soul Harvest Cathedral in Highland Park on Thursday to recognize them with a special lapel pin.
• Eastern Market has launched a $15 million fundraising campaign to improve its facilities and offer more services.
• The Detroit Tigers are working hard to make the Major League Baseball playoffs.  The team is on a three-game winning streak and has won 8 of its last 10 games.  They play the Royals tonight in Kansas City.   

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

The landscape of voting in Michigan has evolved significantly, with expanded early in-person voting, enhanced absentee ballot tracking, and permanent absentee ballot registration now available.

As voters prepare to head to the polls again in November, a new monument in Detroit commemorates the long journey toward voting rights for all.

The dedication ceremony for the Civil Rights Monument took place at Viola Liuzzo Playground, located at the corner of Winthrop and Trojan on Detroit’s west side. The monument honors Viola Liuzzo, a Detroit woman inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who traveled to Alabama to participate in the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. Tragically, Liuzzo was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in Lowndes County. Before her departure, she asked her friend, Sarah Evans, to care for her five children if anything happened to her—a promise that Evans kept.

The monument features images of Liuzzo and Evans with the inscription “Sisters in life…Sisters in struggle,” and on the opposite side, it lists the names of Detroiters who answered Dr. King’s call to support the Selma marches, including notable figures like Rosa Parks and John Lewis.

Dorothy Dewberry Aldridge, a civil rights activist and historian, described the monument as a “teaching monument,” intended to educate the public about the events of 1965.

Collette Mezza, also a member of the Viola Liuzzo Park Association, emphasized the significance of each name on the monument.

“They each have their own remarkable story, and what inspired them to go down to Selma in 1965, and many of them are still alive and many of them continue their activism like Dorothy,” Mezza said.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who attended the ceremony, said everyone today has an opportunity to continue the fight for voting rights.

“Let us all recommit to continuing on that legacy as a new generation of foot soldiers who are marching forward for democracy teaching about the past and being clear-eyed about the present challenges and the work we must do to preserve that sacred promise of democracy for everyone.”

The event concluded with a ceremonial march around the park, echoing the marches of 1965 and honoring those who fought for voting rights.

The Sept. 9 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. It’s not far from Independence Hall, where the first Constitutional Convention delegates signed the document on Sept. 17, 1787.

The United States observes Constitution Day every Sept. 17. To mark the occasion, WDET hosts and reporters read two key parts of the Constitution — the Preamble and the Bill of Rights. Some also shared what certain amendments mean to them.

As the 2024 election approaches, we hope this will spark your interest in American history and the democratic process.

Preamble

Read by Pat Batcheller, host of Morning Edition; senior news editor

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Amendment I

Read by Tristan McFolley, WDET intern

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

What Tristan said about it:

“The First Amendment is a cornerstone of democracy. The right to freely express oneself is how diverse societies are nurtured. Progressive ideas develop more rapidly when people may publicly represent their beliefs and cultures. The First Amendment —and ideas similar to it — are all crucial principles in moving the world forward.”

Amendment II

Read by Alex McLenon, reporter

A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.

What Alex said about it:

“Possibly the most talked about amendment in popular culture, the Second Amendment grants U.S. citizens the constitutional right to purchase and own firearms. It justifies private gun ownership by stating that a “well-regulated militia” is a necessary part of protecting the fundamental freedoms granted in the First Amendment.  The wording stems from the days of the Revolutionary War, when citizen armies – known as “militias” – were formed to fight the British. Those militia groups were the basis for what would eventually become the organized United States Armed Forces that we know today. Therefore, legal experts say the amendment does not allow for modern-day militant groups — with rules against the formation of such outfits now baked into most state constitutions. Nevertheless, the amendment continues to function today on the weight of the latter part of its text — ‘the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.’ Modern day debates over gun control center around how far that protection should go.”

Amendment III

Read by Nargis Rahman, civic reporter

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

Read by Annelle Scott, WDET intern

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

Read by Cary Junior II, producer of Created Equal

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

Read by Karen Brundidge, WDET intern

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

What Karen said about it:

“It is imperative that we have due process, including the right to counsel, an impartial jury, and so forth. There should be checks on the power of the government and a fair procedure for handling criminal cases in this country. In times where some — especially African Americans or low-income people — have had issues with their rights being violated or have had to contend with inequities in the criminal justice system, adhering to the stated terms of the sixth amendment is crucial to uphold the liberty and future of all people.”

Amendment VII

Read by Amanda LeClaire, reporter and CuriosiD producer

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Read by Sydney Waelchli, WDET intern

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.

What Sydney said about it:

“While the United States criminal justice system still needs a lot of improvements, the Eighth Amendment keeps me hopeful that fair and equal punishments are enacted. To me, the Eighth Amendment brings me peace of mind that individuals who have acted wrongfully or made unlawful mistakes are treated with a degree of respect in the system.”

Amendment IX

Read by Jack Filbrandt, assistant producer of The Metro

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

Read by Bre’Anna Tinsley, reporter

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Use the featured media player above to hear the full Preamble and Bill of Rights read together.

Read more:

• The right to vote wasn’t included in the Constitution. Why not?
• The man who lived according to the constitution — literally
• Our immigration system is broken. What does the Constitution say about it? 
• Two new Americans reflect on immigration stories on Constitution Day 

An increase in Michigan’s minimum wage and required sick leave is set to take effect in February. This week on MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow sit down with Chris White, Michigan director of the Restaurant Opportunities Center; and Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association; to share their positions on the new law.

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

In this episode:

• How the new minimum wage law will affect employees and businesses
• How 9/11 influenced the Restaurant Opportunities Center
• Concerns the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association has with the rate of increase

Following the recent Michigan Supreme Court ruling connected to the state’s new minimum wage and sick leave laws, the legislation is slated to take effect early next year.

Michigan’s $10.33 minimum wage will climb above $12 by February 2025 — and to $15 an hour by 2029. Additionally, the law will require all Michigan employers to offer up to 72 hours of paid sick leave per year to their employees, and end the tip credit system.

White says the law changes are necessary for progress.

“They don’t make enough money. They are essential workers. The cost of living is going up, so wages should go up with that cost of living,” he said.

However, not all Michigan residents and business owners agree that the changes will be beneficial to the state, and especially for small businesses.

“I think the rate and the speed by which we increase the minimum wage is important to the industry, like it would be any small business operator,” Winslow said. “But for the restaurant industry specifically, the tip credit really means life or death for a lot of folks; service, restaurants, dine-in restaurants.”  

Stakeholders are now urging the Legislature to amend the laws set to take effect in February.

More from WDET:

• How Michigan Supreme Court’s ruling on minimum wage, sick leave will affect workers and businesses
• 2024 bringing boost in state minimum wage to $10.35
• Michigan appeals court ruling reverses minimum wage increase, paid sick leave revision

More from Gongwer:

• Groups push to preserve tipped wage; Singh hopeful for deal

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed a last-ditch federal lawsuit Thursday in an effort to get his name off Michigan’s presidential ballot. That’s as local clerks are already finalizing ballots for printing.

Kennedy exhausted his appeals in Michigan courts before turning now to federal courts — even though the state’s legal deadline to get ballots to printers is passed. Angela Benander, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, told the Michigan Public Radio Network the filing will not change current plans.

“Clerks are currently in the process of printing ballots to ensure absentee ballots will be delivered to voters by the federal deadlines,” said Benander. She said those deadlines ensure absentee ballots are in the mail to overseas and military voters in time for them to be returned and counted.

The Michigan Supreme Court on Monday held Kennedy’s name would remain on the ballot, which settled the matter in state courts.

Kennedy has had mixed results in having his name stricken from ballots in states where he has already qualified. He suspended his campaign last month and endorsed former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.

Michigan Secretary of State said Kennedy waited until it was too late to withdraw as the nominee of the Natural Law Party of Michigan. Kennedy sought and accepted the minor party nomination as a way to get on the Michigan ballot. Withdrawing now would leave the party without a presidential candidate.

But in the lawsuit filed Monday with the U.S. District Court for Michigan’s eastern district, Kennedy argued the state is violating his constitutional freedom of speech and freedom of association rights.

“Keeping Mr. Kennedy off the ballot will also cause no harm to the public,” said Kennedy’s filing. “Conversely, leaving Mr. Kennedy’s name will serve only to mislead voters, upend election and ballot integrity…”

In the filing, Kennedy also complained that he is being held to a different standard than President Joe Biden, who exited the presidential race on July 21 and cleared the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to be nominated.

But there is a critical distinction. Biden was in the race and the presumptive nominee prior to stepping aside. But he was never formally nominated and, thus, never accepted the nomination.

Harris was waiting in the wings when Biden withdrew his name from consideration following a disastrous debate performance against Trump. She was formally nominated by the Democratic National Convention on August 6th, which placed her on Michigan’s ballot.

The state will now have an opportunity to respond to Kennedy’s lawsuit and motion to remove his name. But the court does not have to accept the case or take any other action.

Yet again giving our flowers to a talent we lost, a major one for Detroit, because I can’t think of an artist who wasn’t from here that was so beloved, adopted and adored by the Motor City.

Yes, I’m talking about Frankie Beverly, who died Tuesday at the age of 77. It was Marvin Gaye who took Beverly under his wing and helped him sign a deal with Capitol Records in 1977. I played some of that early material when it was Frankie Beverly’s Raw Soul (of course it became Frankie Beverly & Maze, which was Marvin Gaye’s suggestion). A true giant, who provided the ultimate summer soundtrack to cruising on Jefferson Avenue and a whole bunch of Belle Isle bangers. Rest in rhythm forever, Frankie!

On top of that, I continue my obsession with Tall Black Guy and his wonderful world of edits, new music from Bilal, Buddy, Demuja 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 Sept. 11, 2024

• “Sunshine” – Bilal
• “Misdemeanor” – Tall Black Guy x Sylver Ahmed
• “I Love Luv You More” – Tall Black Guy x Sade x Donny Hathaway
• “Crown Love” – Tall Black Guy x Kendrick Lamar
• “Joy and Pain” – Frankie Beverly & Maze
• “Piano Joint” – Conor Albert
• “Ezekiel’s Wheel” – Erick the Architect & George Clinton
• “Like This” – Buddy
• “Burn” – Afriqua
• “Dis & Dissolve” – Molinaro
• “levels (IZCO & Reek0 Remix)” – oreglo
• “The Difference” – Logic
• “All I Need” – Kaidi Tatham
• “We Chillin’ Out (feat. The Easy Access Orchestra)” – Kaidi Tatham
• “Before I Let Go” – Frankie Beverly & Maze
• “Diets” – Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn
• “Don’t Get Me Started” – The Smile
• “High Speed Dubbin’” – Kings Of High Speed & JKriv
• “I Get Down” – At One & Atjazz
• “Morning Clouds” – Demuja
• “Closer” – Maria Chiara Argirò
• “Beating (TONE Remix)” – Tirzah
• “Sun Is Shining (Yes King Remix)” – Bob Marley & The Wailers
• “Dub Je Je” – Antibalas
• “Right On for the Darkness” – Curtis Mayfield
• “We Are One” – Frankie Beverly & Maze
• “Superwoman” – Tall Black Guy x Donny Hathaway
• “Take Five” – Dave Brubeck Quartet
• “Take It Higher” – Ashley Henry
• “Summer In The City” – Quincy Jones
• “Passin’ Me By” – Pharcyde
• “What Color” – Frankie Beverly’s Raw Soul

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.

Thank you to everyone that called the station to say they love Antibalas as much as me. They are true Afrobeat kings keeping the spirit of Fela Kuti and Tony Allen alive.

A random thread of today’s show is Panda Bear of Animal Collective and his many gigs lending a voice to other peoples projects like Sonic Boom and Bullion, who released the excellent album Affection earlier this year on Michigan-grown label Ghostly International. Plus, I serve up a stunning cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” by Lauren Auder & Wendy & Lisa for a new project from Red Hot Org celebrating the trans experience through music.

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 Sept. 5, 2024

• “17 Days (Zach Witness Remix)” – Prince
• “I Would Die 4 U” – Lauren Auder & Wendy & Lisa
• “Self” – Cleo Sol
• “Likufanele” – Zero 7
• “Common Blue” – Warpaint
• “And They Called Her California” – Ray LaMontagne
• “All Comes Down to This” – A Certain Ratio
• “Straight to the Morning (feat. Jarvis Cocker) [Myd Remix]” – Hot Chip
• “Spare Me the Decision (Cutouts Remix)” – Nation of Language
• “In Person” – Low Island
• “Life Is” – Jessica Pratt
• “Futile Devices (Shigeto Remix)” – Sufjan Stevens
• “Stretch (You Are All Right)” – Tortoise
• “Fragile Eyes” – Raquel Martins
• “Difficulties” – Forest Law
• “Edge of the Edge” – Panda Bear & Sonic Boom
• “Caroline, No” – Beach Boys
• “World_Train” – Bullion & Charlotte Adigéry
• “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)” – Talking Heads
• “Ride out the Storm (feat. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly)” – Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21
• “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” – Seu Jorge & Almaz
• “In My Craft (feat. Miryam Solomon)” – Huw Marc Bennett
• “Dub Je Je” – Antibalas
• “Ice Cream (feat. Matias Aguayo)” – Battles
• “Dirty Money” – Antibalas
• “Tears can be so soft” – Christine and the Queens
• “Strangers” – Portishead
• “My Baby’s Got It Out For Me” – a.s.o.
• “Army Of Me” – Julia Jacklin & RVG
• “King Of Sweden” – Future Islands
• “A City’s Never” – Bullion & Panda Bear
• “Silver Soul” – Beach House
• “Many Times” – Dijon
• “Are You Looking Up” – Mk.gee
• “Whole Wide World” – Wreckless Eric
• “Walking Wires” – High Vis
• “Love Like Blood” – Killing Joke

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

Those planning to vote in-person during the general election this fall may be presented with a unique variety of “I Voted” sticker designs created by Michiganders.

The Michigan Department of State announced Wednesday it has selected nine winning designs from the state’s first ever “I Voted” sticker design contest, which will be made available for clerks to hand out to voters at the polls on Nov. 5.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson congratulated contest winners in a news release issued Wednesday, adding that she was “overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and creativity from the people of our great state.”

“Now,” she says, “let’s use the same energy in casting a vote this November. I encourage every eligible voter to make a plan now to have your voice heard – vote with an absentee ballot, at an early voting site, or on Election Day – and feel proud to wear a sticker designed by a fellow Michigander.” 

More than 480 designs were submitted during the contest, which launched in May, and over 57,700 public votes were cast for the winners, according to the state.

Three winning designs were selected from three separate categories: elementary/middle school (grades K-8), high school (grades 9-12), and general entry — open to Michigan residents of all ages.

Submissions received were narrowed down to 25 semifinalists from each category by the Michigan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force before the contest opened up for a public vote.  

Check out the winning designs from each category in the photo gallery below.

For more information about voting and elections in Michigan, visit michigan.gov/vote. 

As polls and political pundits work to predict the still evolving presidential race, an expert in Michigan says if the vote is close, one group “could potentially decide the state.”

Erick Gonzalez Jeunke is a political analyst specializing in Latinx politics at Michigan State University. In an interview with the Michigan Public Radio Network, he said the state’s 400,000 eligible Latinos voters could hold the key to winning in Michigan, if the campaigns reach out to them.

Listen: Political analyst says Michigan Latino voters ‘could potentially decide the state’

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michelle Jokisch Polo, WKAR News: In 2020 Joe Biden won the presidential election in Michigan by fewer than 200,000 votes. With more than 300,000 eligible Latino voters in Michigan, this group could prove vital in the state. How are parties engaging this voting bloc?

Erick Gonzalez Jeunke: I haven’t seen a lot of engagement for specifically this voting block. What that means is what they should have been doing and what I haven’t seen a lot of, but a lot of this happens behind the scenes, obviously, are registration drives. One of the gaps for Latino voters nationally, and then of course here in Michigan, is not just turning out to vote, but being registered to vote. A large part of that gap — about 70% of eligible voters — are even registered to vote. And so that’s part of the big gap. I mean, this is one of the lingering things, if you account for that, once you just look at registered voters, Latinos turn out at about the same rates as other groups, but the gap is really in getting individuals registered to vote. So that requires a lot of work, that requires the parties caring about these voters. Now when we get into this part of the season, a lot of the parties both nationally and here in Michigan, either leave that up to other groups, or they say, ‘look, we have limited resources. We can’t go out and mobilize people who aren’t registered.’ So a lot of that work takes place in the years and months that lead up to these elections.

MJP: This time around, it seems that there may have been fewer young democrats showing up to vote like they did in 2020, in the state primary election. Why do you think this is and tell us about the young Latino vote in November?

EGJ: I think it’s probably due to a not very competitive set of federal races, and then earlier in the year, a not very competitive presidential primary. But it’s also just an enthusiasm gap. We’re right in the middle of seeing this change with the change at the top of the ticket from Biden to Harris. I was just looking at some national polling data today, and what’s happening here in the Midwest and in Michigan is that Harris has seemed to have activated — particularly younger voters’ — enthusiasm about this race. So paying attention, getting excited, and that excitement turns into actual voting. It can turn into knocking on doors. It can turn into working for the campaign. So it’s still a little bit early to see what the overall effect of this is, but the early signs indicate that a change at the top of the ticket may reverse some of this lack of enthusiasm that we saw in the primaries, and particularly for younger Latinos.

MJP: How important do you think the Latino voting bloc is for the state’s general election?

EGJ: It depends how close the race is. It could potentially decide the state, and yet that depends on if the parties do the work to mobilize and get Latinos who aren’t registered, registered to get folks to turn out. So unfortunately, we won’t know until after the election. And it comes down to how close is Michigan actually going to be? It’s looking a lot less close than it did a month ago. But things could change, and we could go back to a really close race, if I had to put money on it right now, that it’s probably not going to be as close as we thought it was a month ago. But if it’s close, the Latino vote could be really, really important, and the Democratic and  Republican parties could say, ‘boy, we really should have done more work to mobilize Latino voters in Michigan, because we could have taken it.’ And I think both parties would say the same thing about Pennsylvania andWisconsin.

Use the media player above to hear the full interview with Erick Gonzalez Jeunke, political analyst specializing in Latinx politics at Michigan State University.