The 2024 Mackinac Policy Conference became all about how to increase Michigan’s population.

After that conference, politicians, demographers and economists were theorizing about how to increase the state population. Last December, newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that Michigan increased its population by about 57,000. And last month, we got word that Detroit also increased its population by 6,800 residents. 

What should we make of these numbers? Are they too small to celebrate? Or, is the state and its largest city on a path to continue the trend?

Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with Citizens Research Council President Eric Lupher at the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference last week to learn more.

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Michigan U.S. Sen. Gary Peters is preparing to retire after a decades-long career in politics and public service. 

Peters has championed Michigan’s Great Lakes, leading efforts that brought nearly a billion dollars in restoration funds to the state. He’s passed legislation to protect the mental health of veterans. And he’s fought for critical infrastructure — securing funding for the Soo Locks, a lifeline for Michigan industries.

As he steps away from Washington, Peters joined The Metro during the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference to help us to reflect on this work and what the next person elected to his seat must do as Democrats face historically low approval ratings.

Peters says he’s ready to pass the torch to the next generations of lawmakers.

“I just think it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I do believe that we’ve gotta have new energy all the time, refresh itself, Congress has to represent the energy and the future of our country, and that means a broad cross section of people who are serving — including folks who are younger.”

–WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

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In 2016, many liberals didn’t take Donald Trump seriously. They thought that he was wacky, ridiculous, offensive, and not a serious candidate for president. 

But during that time, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell thought differently. She was speaking with her constituents Downriver, and it was prior to President Trump’s first term that she realized he was well-liked, that he had a good chance at becoming the most powerful person in America. 

Almost a decade later, Trump has become central to the Republican Party and our politics writ large. Democrats have spent a lot of that time becoming the “anti-Trump” party. But after losing the 2024 election, many Democrats believe that position is not enough. They need to stand for something. 

So, what do Democrats stand for? What should they stand for? And what do they need to do to win back the country — specifically the low-income and marginalized people they claim to champion?

Dingell joined The Metro live from the Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss how she stays connected to her constituents.

“Every weekend I try to be at a couple farmers markets…I try to be in a union hall, I try to be in a veterans hall, I go to special events, I go to the grocery store — where real people are,” Dingell said. “And I don’t go with anybody, I go with no entourage, I don’t have any staff, I go me, and people talk to me and they tell me what’s on their minds, and a lot more Democrats need to do that.”

WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

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News media has changed a lot. In just the last decade, people have more access to information than they have in human history. 

That’s changed the state of journalism. And in the last eight years, some journalists and scholars say news outlets — like CNN, the New York Times and NPR member stations like WDET — are under attack. President Donald Trump has labeled the press the enemy of the people and has been attempting to discredit the things we say — making it harder to tell truths that are inconvenient to those in power. 

Devin Scillian shares these concerns. He’s best known for being an anchor at WDIV-TV. He held that position for nearly three decades, retiring last December. Before that time, he won multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards. And this month, he received a “lifetime achievement award” from the Society of Professional Journalists. 

He joined The Metro live from the Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss where the media is at now, the ways it’s been under attack, and what journalists need to do to meet viewers where they’re at.

“In the same way that voting is a responsibility for being an American, I happen to believe that being informed is a responsibility of living in a Democratic society,” Scillian said. “Information is the most precious resource in the world. You can have all the petroleum, diamonds, gold, silver, copper…if I can have information. I just think it’s the most vital resource that courses through the veins of the world.”

Scillian also touched on the importance of consuming news responsibly by maintaining a well-balanced media diet and avoiding echo chambers.

“We can live in a silo if we want to, but it’s the equivalent of sitting down and just eating caramel corn for every meal — I’m not sure it’s a great idea,” he said. “Everybody should be availing themselves of a lot of different news sources every day.”

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The Detroit Lions had an outstanding 2024, breaking several franchise records. 

The Lions ended the season with 15 wins and 2 losses. The team’s Super Bowl dreams ended in a loss to the Washington Commanders during the playoffs.  Last week, the team’s 2025 schedule was released. They’ll start the season in Green Bay against the Packers. 

Editor in chief of the “Pride of Detroit” news publication Jeremy Reisman joined The Metro to take a closer look at the recent NFL Draft and upcoming season.

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Last weekend, the Trump administration reduced tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%

James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, thinks tariffs are a bad idea because they make both trade partners worse off. 

Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with Hohman this week about tariffs and whether there are any instances in which they can be useful.

“Protectionist policies have proven to be ineffective time and time again,” Hohman said. “…the only way to ensure a mature, thriving and growing industry is by staying on the competitive edge, and protections pull you away from the competitive edge.”

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If you haven’t heard yet, the Catholic church has a new leader. 

Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, was elected on Thursday to lead 1.4 billion Roman Catholics around the world. Interestingly, he’s from Chicago, which marks the first time the world has a pope from the United States. 

In the 1970s, he attended a now-closed catholic high school in Southwest Michigan. On Saturday, he said he wants to focus on “loving care for the least and the rejected.”

Reverend Tim Wezner of the Archdiocese of Detroit joined The Metro to talk about the significance of an American pope and the pope’s influence beyond the Roman Catholic Church.  

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No matter who you are, being a parent is a tough job. There’s no one definitive playbook for how to best love and guide your kids. 

And mothers are frequently the ones to care and nurture us, to keep us in line when it matters and to expose us to different people and places. 

The former U.S. Surgeon General said last year that parental stress is a significant public health issue. But we know that, in addition to the challenges, there are a lot of joys that come with motherhood. 

There are opportunities for creating stronger connections, for providing and maybe sometimes receiving care and for expanding love. 

And as Mother’s Day is coming up, we’re looking at what a day in the life of a mom is like. Today on The Metro, two mothers from different places in our region share their perspective on motherhood and what it means to them.

Ambra Redrick runs the nonprofit Teen Hype in Detroit. She has two biological daughters and her husband has two children that she helps raise as well. Lori Goldman is a mom of four.

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Democratic state lawmaker Donavan McKinney announced this week his intentions to run against Congressman Shri Thanedar in the 13th District primary election next year.

McKinney, 32, grew up in the district on Detroit’s east side and is the second person to join the race, alongside former state Rep. Adam Hollier. 

He was first elected to the Michigan House in 2022 as a representative for the state’s 14th district. He was reelected in the 11th House District last year, after district lines were redrawn. 

Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with McKinney on the heels of his Congressional bid announcement to discuss his campaign priorities, which include advocating for clean air, clean water, and economic security.

Fact check: During the conversation, McKinney said the 13th District is the second poorest in the country. WDET couldn’t confirm that, but it is among the poorest districts in the nation. The Commercial Driver License law McKinney helped pass will also likely impact about one million Michiganders, not two million as he mentioned. 

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