The Metro team has been noticing a chilling effect as we dig for answers and information: some sources who used to talk to us are not picking up. Community members, advocates, and elected officials are going quiet. But silence is only one side of the story. The other side is a deliberate wall of noise.

Washington Post reporters obtained thousands of internal Department of Homeland Security messages and found a taxpayer-funded media operation embedded in immigration raids. Producers were told to flag “cinematic scenes” for the camera. When someone arrested had no criminal record — and nearly 74% in ICE detention don’t, according to government data — officials were told to find something else “newsworthy.”

At the same time, DHS has sent hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord demanding the identities of people who criticize ICE online. 

Maria Hinojosa has spent decades fighting against the silence and the noise. The Pulitzer Prize-winning host of Latino USA and founder of Futuro Media joined Robyn Vincent to talk about the federal government’s information war on immigration.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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It’s a tough journey to become a professional athlete nowadays, especially for Hockey players, so athletes pursue training programs at a pretty early age to maximize their potential. Plymouth, Michigan has a premiere facility.

The city is home to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Over the years, players who train there have gone on to represent the U.S. in the Men’s World Championships, the Four Nations Face-off, and the Olympic games. Several alums are suiting up to play in this winter Olympics in Italy this year.

Assistant Executive Director for the development program, Scott Monaghan, joined the show to explain the work it takes to develop young hockey players.

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