Fall is here, and that means cool nights, crispy leaves and the smell of hot apple cider. But the season won’t last forever, and there is a lot of fun to be had at Michigan’s apple orchards, cider mills and corn mazes.

Laura Herberg, reporter for Bridge Michigan, joined the Metro to share the highlights from her recent story, “Five ways to fall for fall in Michigan.”

What’s on your winter bucket list? Laura Herberg and Bridge Michigan are taking your  suggestions.

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

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

More stories from The Metro

Cracking open a couple of musical time capsules by throwing it back to the releases of Stevie Wonder’s magnum opus “Songs in the Key of Life” as well as a groundbreaking Temptations single.

We also go back 27 years ago to 1998 when A Tribe Called Quest and OutKast both dropped landmark albums on the same day.

Of course, there’s new stuff, too, from Nightbus, Jeff Tweedy, Big Thief, Tortoise 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 September 29, 2025

• “Papa Was a Rolling Stone (Single Version)” – Temptations
• “Psychedelic Reggae (with Tommy McCook & The Supersonics) [with Tommy McCook & The Supersonics]” – Winston Wright
• “Let It Be (with The Dixie Flyers)” – Aretha Franklin
• “Happy With You” – Big Thief
• “KC Rain (No Wonder)” – Jeff Tweedy
• “Banc de poissons” – Vulfmon & Jacob Jeffries
• “Animaru” – Mei Semones
• “Gimme Some More” – Labi Siffre
• “SHELL ( OF A MAN )” – Saya Gray
• “Love Takes Miles” – Cameron Winter
• “Layered Presence” – Tortoise
• “The Field (feat. The Durutti Column, Tariq Al-Sabir, Caroline Polachek & Daniel Caesar)” – Blood Orange
• “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” – Sufjan Stevens
• “A Deeper Life” – Chaos In The CBD & Isaac Aesili
• “Love’s In Need of Love Today” – Stevie Wonder
• “Village Ghetto Land” – Stevie Wonder
• “Silver” – Say She She
• “Riverside” – Oracle Sisters
• “African Skies” – Lars Bartkuhn
• “I Did It For You” – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes
• “Chasing The Drum” – Yussef Dayes
• “Rust (feat. Tom Misch)” – Yussef Dayes
• “Ámame” – Bardo
• “Save Me” – Emma-Jean Thackray
• “See-Line Woman” – Danielle Ponder & Bryce Dessner
• “My Moon My Man” – Feist
• “Africa” – Bill Laurance & Michael League
• “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” – Andrew Bird, Alan Hampton & Ted Poor
• “Garden” – Maria Somerville
• “To Be A Rose” – Jenny Hval
• “Angles Mortz” – Nightbus
• “The Middle (Outro)” – Girls of the Internet & Allysha Joy
• “Back 2 Me (feat. Sadie Walker)” – Girls of the Internet
• “Find A Way” – A Tribe Called Quest
• “Rosa Parks” – OutKast

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.

At the end of August, at least three women in Southeast Michigan were killed by a partner or family member. Those cases prompted questions about protection orders—processes through which victims of domestic abuse can protect themselves.

Do they make a difference, and what more can be done to prevent instances of abuse?

Chéree Thomas is the Co-Executive Director of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. She believes the responsibility to protect victims should not be placed exclusively on the justice system, it should also be placed on the shoulders of the broader community.

She joined the show to discuss how to collectively address and reduce domestic violence. 

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

Over the past month, Southeast Michigan has been shaken by a string of killings. A mother and her 12-year-old son, a woman fleeing an abusive relationship, and a young woman, only 20 years old, were killed with days of each other by a partner or loved one.

These tragic events force us to address hard questions: Where can people living with abuse turn for help? And are the systems that are meant to protect them actually working?

Nushrat Rahman has covering been these instances for the Detroit Free Press. She joined the show to tell us more. 

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

In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, some cool September albums released from 1965-1995. Also, new tunes from Spoon, Trombone Shorty, David Byrne, Fall Out Boy and much more.

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for September 6, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “Guess I’m Fallin’ In Love” – Spoon
• “Soak Up The Sun” – Sheryl Crow w/Surf Mesa
• “The Power” – Curtis Harding
• “What Is The Reason For It” – David Byrne w/Hayley Williams
  
• “Say Yes” – Apropos
  
• “Respect” – Otis Redding (released September 1965)
• “Part Time Lover” – Stevie Wonder (released September 1985)
• “Lakeside Park” – Rush (released September 1975)
• “Asshole” – The Lumineers
• “Believe” – Kashus Culpepper
• “Another Life” – Alabama Shakes
• “FLA” – Kathleen Edwards
• “Ben Franklin’s Song” – The Decemberists
  

• “Meeting Across The River” – Bruce Springsteen
• “Born In The U.S.A. (Electric Nebraska)” – Bruce Springsteen
• “Rock The Boat” – Trombone Shorty
• “Rock The Boat” – Aaliyah
• “Wild And Clear And Blue” – I’m With Her (Acoustic Cafe preview)
  
• “I Hate U” – Prince (released September 1995)
• “Oh Sheila” – Ready For The World (released September 1985)
• “Tracks Of My Tears” – Linda Ronstadt (released September 1975)
• “Ho Hey” – The Lumineers
• “Start Today” – Fall Out Boy
• “Horses Through A Rainstorm” – Graham Nash
• “Live Life” – Terry Reid (RIP, 8/4/25)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

Apple lovers will have plenty to pick this fall. 

The Michigan Apple Committee estimates growers will harvest about 30 million bushels of fruit in 2025. That’s about 1.2 billion pounds. 

Good weather helps

The committee’s executive director, Diane Smith, says the weather has been perfect for growing apples.

“We’ve had a little hail here and there, but generally that stays localized and doesn’t affect the overall crop,” she says. 

Michigan has more than 850 family-owned apple farms and over 17 million trees covering 38,000 acres. 

Smith says new farming methods have yielded several bumper crops.

“We’ve gone to more high-density planting,” she says. “So instead of having 250 trees to an acre, you can have up to 2,000 trees per acre.”

The future could look different

While the weather has been ideal, Smith says climate change could eventually affect the industry.

“As temperatures continue to rise, we’re seeing less rain at different times during the summer,” she says. “In 10 or 15 years, there could be a shift in some of the varieties that we grow.”

Michigan is one of the top three apple producing states, behind Washington. It competes with New York for second place. 

Smith says the industry also competes with other fruits, and that could take a bite out of sales.

“People aren’t eating as many apples as maybe they used to,” she says. “You go into the grocery store, and you can get different products year-round that maybe before you couldn’t get.”

Labor is another challenge

Smith says most Michigan apple farms rely on migrant workers to pick the fruit in the fall. She says that’s costly, but necessary.

“We just don’t have enough domestic workers that want to do the harvest,” she says. “Not many people just want a job for six weeks.”

Smith says she is not aware of any immigration raids at Michigan apple farms this summer. She also says tariffs have had little impact, though some producers face higher prices for imported chemicals to spray their crops. But she says most growers utilize organic methods.

“They don’t want to spray unless they absolutely have to,” she says.

In this episode of The Detroit Evening Report, we highlight a community sailing center that’s looking for help. Plus, a preview of this weekend’s sports and more.

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

Sailing center seeks assistance

The Detroit Community Sailing Center is looking for support for its youth programs. The center’s mission is to spread the joy of sailing to communities who otherwise may not have the opportunity.

For years, the Challenge the Wind youth sailing program has taught hundreds of youth to sail. Staff say increased rent at the Belle Isle Boathouse, hikes in insurance premiums and increased boat maintenance costs have created financial challenges for such programs. To help them continue these efforts, visit sailingdetroit.org.

Arab and Chaldean Festival returns

This weekend, the 52nd Arab and Chaldean Festival is taking place at Hart Plaza in Detroit. On Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 from noon to midnight, the public is invited to a free, family-friendly event that features a variety of ethnic foods, a cultural gallery and impressive Middle Eastern live performances. There will also be folk dancers, kid-focused activities and a fashion show. This is the largest Arab and Chaldean-American cultural event in North America. To learn more, visit arabandchaldeanfestival.com.

Shinedown to perform at LCA

Multi-platinum rock band Shinedown is stopping by the Motor City today with a performance at Little Caesars Arena. They are celebrating their album, Dance, Kid, Dance, that debuted earlier this year. English rock band BUSH and singer-songwriter Morgan Wade will open up the show. For more information, go to visitdetroit.com.

Tigers v. Blue Jays

The Detroit Tigers continue to face the Toronto Blue Jays tonight at Comerica Park as part of a four-game weekend affair. The Tigers lost to the Blue Jays 11-4 in a tough match up where the Jays turned up and didn’t look back in the 6th inning. The Tigers are still on top of the American Central Division with 60 wins and 44 losses. The Blue Jays are on top of the American Central East with 61 wins and 42 losses. First pitch for today’s game is at 7:20 p.m.

DCFC v. Westchester

The Detroit City Football Club faces the Westchester Soccer Club as a part of the USL Cup at Keyworth Stadium on Saturday, July 26. They are currently ranked third in Group D with two wins and one loss. The game starts at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN 2. For more information, visit detroitcityfc.com.

Public media loses federal funding

Government funding for public media has been eliminated. That means WDET will lose $500,000 in cash and in-kind support for 2026. If you believe in fact-based journalism, community voices and music with depth — now’s the time to stand up for it.

Become one of the 1,000 additional members we need to close the gap. You’ll be supporting programs like The Detroit Evening Report. Give now at wdet.org/support.

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

Judge blocks Real Token from collecting rent on blighted Detroit properties

A Wayne County Circuit Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order against real estate investment firm Real Token, blocking them from collecting rent on hundreds of Detroit homes until the properties meet city codes.

The order is tied to the city’s largest public nuisance lawsuit in history. Detroit filed the suit earlier this month, citing blight violations at more than 400 residential properties owned by Real Token.

Detroit Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett says tenants will soon be instructed to pay rent into an escrow account starting in August.

“We will be doing direct door-to-door outreach, and will have specific direction for the tenants as to where their rent money should go in the next seven days,” Mallett said.

Paying into the escrow, he says, will protect tenants from eviction due to nonpayment.

The restraining order also blocks Real Token from pursuing evictions at any property without a certificate of compliance. The company was ordered to secure 58 vacant blighted homes and correct all code violations within 90 days.

Company owners Remy and Jean-Marc Jacobson released a statement blaming property managers for the conditions of the homes. Mallett dismissed that claim.

“These properties are in such a degraded state that there is no way that interested owners, no matter whom they farmed out the responsibility to, would not know that their tenants are living in substandard housing.”

Since filing the suit, the city has identified an additional 130 Real Token properties that also lack certificates of compliance.

Uber launches women-only ride option in Detroit

Uber is piloting a new feature in select cities, including Detroit, that allows women to match only with female drivers. Riders will be able to select the option when scheduling or ordering a ride on demand. Female drivers can also choose to accept only ride requests from women.

The change comes in response to Uber’s most recent safety report, which cited more than 2,500 cases of sexual assault and misconduct between 2021 and 2022.

Dearborn opens applications for women’s career program

Dearborn is now accepting applications for the second round of its WORKS program—short for Women’s Opportunity to Realize their Knowledge and Skills. The program is designed to help women gain employment and advance their careers.

Participants will receive financial literacy training, attend professional development workshops, and take part in an eight-week business boot camp. Applications are open through August 15, with the program launching in September. More information is available at dearborn.gov/BusinessResources.

People Mover station renamed as downtown redevelopment continues

The Detroit People Mover station once known for serving Joe Louis Arena is getting a new name: Water Square Station.

City officials say the name reflects the nearby development of hotels and luxury residences rising on the former arena site. The station will also provide access to the future Ralph C. Wilson Park, previously known as West Riverfront Park. Construction on the park is expected to wrap up later this year.