The 2026 general election is shaping up to be a big one.

The federal election could flip the balance of power in Congress.

In Michigan, everything is set to change. Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General are all open.

Earlier this year, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters announced he would not seek reelection.

We’re still 16 months out from the primary, yet candidates are already seeing if they’re viable.

So far, one Democrat thinks they are.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s profile has been on the rise over the past few years. Two years ago, a Republican colleague called her a “groomer” and McMorrow’s speech rebuking the comment went viral.

Last August, using a gigantic copy of the Project 2025 manifesto as a prop, McMorrow spoke at the Democratic National Convention.

In maybe the biggest tell of her national aspirations, she has a book out.

Over the weekend, McMorrow sat down with WDET to discuss her candidacy.

Listen: McMorrow talks US Senate bid, political priorities

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Russ McNamara, WDET News: So when I talked to you at the Democratic National Convention, you were unsure of what your next steps were going to be. When did you reach that clarity?

Sen. Mallory McMorrow: I think Senator Peters surprised a lot of people when he made his decision not to seek reelection. And as I thought about my next step, I was sure almost immediately, this was something I wanted to explore, but it’s a big decision to run statewide, so required a lot of conversations, a lot of reaching out to people all across the state, talking with my family, to make sure this was something we could do, and that we felt like we could be successful.

RM: Yeah, you’ve got a young kid at home. Are you sure you want to go through a full Senate campaign?

MM: She is four. She’s such a trooper. I’ve never seen a kid who loves a parade more than my daughter, and she’s excited. I got a great support system with my husband, who is the world’s best dad, and we’re ready for this.

RM: How comfortable are you in the spotlight?

MM: For me, a spotlight is only as good as what you choose to do with it, and I think it’s a strength of mine to be able to communicate to people’s rightful anger and fear and frustrations and also give voice to how we’re going to fight back and what we’re going to do with it. And that’s why I’m entering this race, to give people an avenue and a new path forward for Michiganders to get us out of all this chaos and out of the wilderness.

RM: What should Democrats be doing to push back against the Trump administration? You told Melissa Burke of the Detroit News that you are kind of unhappy with the leadership of Chuck Schumer. You think that some of the old guard Democrats need to make way for a younger generation.

“This is no longer my father’s Republican Party. This is the MAGA party. This is Donald Trump remaking the Republican Party in his own image as one that quite literally wants to tear the government down piece by piece, and in my mind, that requires leadership who came up in this time, who understands what we’re up against and knows how to fight back…”

–State Sen. Mallory McMorrow

MM: So first of all, this is not a knock on any one person, but it’s a real acknowledgement of the time. This is no longer my father’s Republican Party. This is the MAGA party. This is Donald Trump remaking the Republican Party in his own image as one that quite literally wants to tear the government down piece by piece, and in my mind, that requires leadership who came up in this time, who understands what we’re up against and knows how to fight back and accepts that it’s not enough to just stand behind a podium in front of the Capitol in Washington D.C. and say we’re fighting and we’re winning, and then turning around and asking for contributions or going in interviews and saying that, well, their polling is starting to come down, and they’ll just be more unpopular, and we’ll keep going and we’ll get them in the midterms. People are showing up in my town halls and coffee hours right now, raising their hands saying, ‘Put me in coach. I want to be a part of something. I want to fight back. And we need leaders who understand how to engage with people, not as just a number, not as a voter or a donor, but as part of the team.’

RM: So if part of that change in philosophy is getting younger. Why am I getting text messages from (80-year-old Clinton ally and Democratic strategist) James Carville?

MM: So James Carville and I have become pretty good friends over the last few years, and why I’m really proud of that friendship is there can be old guard leaders who recognize and see talent in new guard leaders and understand that we have to bring up new leadership.

RM: So what specifically separates you policy wise? Would you nuke the filibuster? Would you avoid the Senate parliamentarian like Republicans say they’re going to do — something the Biden administration refused to do — is that an area that you’re willing to explore?

MM: So right now, I think you have to look no further than what Cory Booker did this past week, standing on the (Senate) floor for 25 hours, acknowledging up front that Democrats in Washington may not have the power to move legislation or block bills right now, but that he acknowledged that his constituents wanted him to do more. So he stood there for longer than anybody in United States history, uplifting the voices of his constituents, their fears, their angers, letters from people who had lost their Medicaid and Medicare, and it felt like hope, in a weird way, to give voice to the voiceless and show people that even when Donald Trump wants us to believe we don’t have power, we actually do, and we’re going to do everything we can to use it.

RM: How would you characterize your version of politics. Would you consider yourself a centrist? Would you consider yourself more progressive on certain issues, maybe not so much on others? How would you describe yourself?

MM: I describe myself as pragmatic.

RM: (interrupting) If I hear a Democrat saying they’re being pragmatic, that immediately says they’re centrist, right? When I hear Republicans say they’re being pragmatic, there’s gonna be big cuts to some services. So, I really need you to spell that out for me.

MM: When you look at my policy priorities and how I approach things on certain issues where fundamental rights are at risk, I will be progressive and aggressive about fighting back. I introduced the first version of the Reproductive Health Act in 2019 as a primary bill sponsor, even though I was in a marginal district because protecting our fundamental reproductive rights was important to me. This was the legislation that would have codified Roe v. Wade on the state level, before we had Prop 3, and Republicans refused to take it up.

I’ve been aggressive on legislation for gun violence prevention. I’m somebody who lost the older brother of one of my best friends in the Virginia Tech shooting — it is deeply personal to me, and I will fight hard to make sure that nobody else has to go through what I went through, or what anybody who’s lost a family member to gun violence has to go through. But I’m also the chair of the Senate Economic and Community Development Committee.

I have been active on reforming our state’s approach to economic development, working across the aisle with my Republican colleagues on investing more in small businesses and entrepreneurs and downtowns and in a way that relies less on heavy corporate tax incentives to try to bring back minimum wage jobs, and more on building our economy from the ground up. So that’s what I mean when I say pragmatic is I look at the needs of my constituents, I look at what is going to be possible to push Michigan forward. And to me, that’s more important than where I fall in the political spectrum.

RM: One thing that’s on the mind to a lot of voters and a lot of people I talk to. I personally have trans friends and family. It seemed like the issue of protections for trans people — Democrats didn’t necessarily run away from it, but they did not necessarily address it in the last voting cycle. You’re protesting today (April 5) in Ferndale, the traditional heart of the LGBTQ community in Michigan, lay out your plan and your vision for LGBTQ people in the state of Michigan from here on out.

MM: So I wholly reject the idea and will never be the type of person who throws somebody under the bus because of polling. I think it’s callous, and I think it’s hurtful. What I know about my LGBTQ friends and neighbors is that just like the rest of us, they want to be left alone. They want to be left alone to live their lives as they wish. And that is why my speech in 2022 I think, resonated the way that it did was because, unlike a lot of other Democrats, I did not accept the fight that Republicans wanted me to have when I was smeared as a groomer, which, let’s be clear, is an attack usually levied on the LGBTQ community, I stood up and spoke about my own life; that I was raised Catholic, what Christian values mean to me, and said very clearly that people who are different are not the reason why your health care costs are too high or why the roads are in disrepair. And that’s what I hope to show through this campaign, is that we can protect our LGBTQ friends and neighbors by talking to the issues that 99% of Michiganders want to hear, which is their housing costs, their health care, their lifestyle, the quality of their schools and not letting anybody be a scapegoat.

RM: Are Democrats making a mistake by running away from some social issues?

MM: What I think Democrats are missing is letting Republicans paint Democrats as who Republicans want Democrats to be. The idea that Democrats spent too much time focused on social issues and culture war issues is not because that’s the Democratic policy platform. That’s because Republicans, namely Donald Trump and Elon Musk, spent millions upon millions of dollars on TV ads to try to define Democrats, and Democrats fell into the trap. So by going on offense instead of constantly being on defense, we can appeal to a majority of people to convince them, yeah, you may not be doing as well as you wanted. You may not be able to afford to buy a house, and it’s not somebody else’s fault. It’s because the system is broken, and we have to fix that system.

U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) will not seek reelection to Congress in 2026, running instead for Michigan governor.

The two-term U.S. House member posted his announcement on social media Monday

“It’s time to get Michigan out of fantasyland and back to common sense,” he said. “President Trump and I have been in each other’s corner through thick and thin for eight years — no reason that will end now.”

In a statement, the Democratic Governors Association took aim at James’ support for Trump.

“John James has spent his time in Congress putting his own extreme partisan politics first, and now he’s running to bring the chaos and dysfunction of D.C. to Michigan,” said the DGA.

The 10th Congressional District encompasses southern Macomb County and Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County. It is a swing district and James’ decision gives Democrats a larger hope of flipping it in November.

James is currently the only Black member of Michigan’s congressional delegation. He previously lost two successive runs for a U.S. Senate seat — the 2020 race by a narrow margin — before running for and winning a U.S. House seat.

State Senate Republican leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) and former U.S. House candidate Anthony Hudson have also announced they are seeking the GOP nomination. Former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has also formed a campaign committee and 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon — who lost by more than 10 points — is considering another run for statewide office.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, cannot run again because of term limits.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson are seeking the Democratic nomination in the August primary. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is also running as an independent. 

Several thousand protesters — unhappy with the Trump administration’s cuts to federal employees, mass deportations, and tariffs — marched down Woodward Avenue from the Detroit Institute of Arts to Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.  

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

More than 1,200 “Hands Off!” demonstrations were planned across the country by more than 150 groups, with thousands gathering at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston and other major cities.

In Michigan, there were protests held across the state, including in Troy, Ferndale, Wyandotte, Dearborn, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Marquette and other communities.  

Protester Aisha Banks, who splits her time between homes in Detroit, Colombia and Panama, says the president’s policies have hurt America’s standing as a global leader. 

“This is the worst thing. It’s disastrous for the country as well as for the world,” she said. “It’s going to affect everyone, not just the United States, but everyone all over the world.”

The protest drew concerned citizens across generations. Patynn Johnson is a 10th grade student from Marygrove High School. She says now is not the time for her young people to be silent.

“My mama taught me, if somebody’s doing this to you, say something back. Speak out. You can’t just be quiet, because nothing’s gonna happen.”

When asked about the demonstrations, the White House said in a statement that Trump will always protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

–Reporting by Russ McNamara, WDET. The Associated Press contributed.

More headlines for Monday, April 7, 2025:

• The Embassy of Bangladesh is hosting a two-day mobile consular service event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 12-13, at the Al Ihsan Islamic Center in Warren, organized by the Bangladesh Society of Michigan. The event will offer services including issuance of the No Visa Required (NVR) seal, biometric enrollments for e-passports, and power of attorney services. No appointments required.
• The city of Detroit Construction and Demolition Department kicked off “Detroit Demo Week” on Monday, with events planned throughout the week aimed at fostering engagement and support for the city’s ongoing efforts to remove blight.
• The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) awarded $8 million to 20 organizations to build Healthy Community Zones in several counties, including in the city of Detroit. The funding — from the Michigan Racial Disparities Task Force — is aimed to encourage community-led solutions for reducing racial disparities in chronic disease awareness and resources.
• The nonprofit Rising Voices is hosting a virtual community briefing from 6 to 7:30 p.m. April 15, to educate people about the “Alien Land Law” bills. The organization says the bills “are rooted in anti-Chinese, anti-Asian, and anti-immigrant sentiments,” which allegedly are being branded as “national security” concerns.

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

Eyes are glued to the NCAA’s March Madness, but there’s a different kind of March Madness going on in local government across Wayne County.  

Cities are wrapping up budget sessions and preparing for fiscal year 2025-26. 

Outlier Media, Bridge Detroit and Detroit Documenters have teamed up to cover all of the city’s 46 budget sessions in Detroit.  

Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt spoke with Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade and BridgeDetroit Reporter Kayleigh Lickliter.  

City budgets are the first glimpse at how officials are responding to residents’ concerns and the year ahead, Lichliter said.  A big part of budget session conversations this year is uncertainty surrounding federal funding going to cities. 

“I think for most cities, including Detroit, what they are looking to do is kind of reducing the reliance on federal funding.” Lichliter said. “And so fortunately, Detroit has a pretty stocked up rainy day fund.”

The last day for Detroit city council to vote on the budget is April 7 and it could be approved on April 15. 

The Detroit Documenters train and pay residents to cover local government meetings in southeast Michigan. You can hear conversations with the Detroit Documenters every Monday on The Metro. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a rising star in the Democratic Party, announced her bid Wednesday for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, becoming the first well-known candidate to officially enter the race for what will undoubtedly be one of 2026’s most competitive and expensive contests.

McMorrow, 38, has distanced herself from national Democrats in a battleground state Trump won, saying a new generation of leaders is needed to block President Donald Trump’s overhaul of the federal government and deliver a compelling message to win back Trump voters.

“I have been so frustrated seeing really a lack of a plan and a lack of a response coming from our current party leadership,” the Democrat said in an interview with The Associated Press.

She said voters are tired of Democrats’ “gimmicks” and was critical of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who reluctantly voted in favor of Republicans’ spending bill last month.

“It’s so lacking the urgency of this moment,” said McMorrow, a second-term state lawmaker who got a speaking role at last year’s Democratic National Convention.

Democrats are desperate to hold onto the Michigan seat next year, while Republicans see an opportunity to expand their 53-47 majority in the Senate.

McMorrow quickly emerged as a possible contender for Democrats after Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, announced in January that he would not seek reelection. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens is also considering a run for the Democratic ticket and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has not ruled it out either.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently said he was no longer exploring a bid for the Senate seat, as did Democratic U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, a Democrat, announced he is running for governor in 2026, as second-term Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited.

On the Republican side, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the state’s 2024 Senate race, is expected to run again.

First elected to the state legislature in 2018, McMorrow went viral in 2022 after giving a fiery floor speech criticizing a Republican lawmaker who attacked her in a campaign fundraising email over her support for LGBTQ+ rights and falsely accused her of wanting to “groom” children.

“I am a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom” who wants “every kid to feel seen, heard and supported — not marginalized and targeted because they are not straight, white and Christian,” McMorrow said in the speech.

The lawmaker, who represents a Detroit suburban area and serves in caucus leadership, has sponsored Democratic legislation on gun control and reproductive rights.

–Reporting by Isabella Volmert, Associated Press

The city of Detroit is inviting residents to take part in a series of “policy workshops” this month as part of its master plan for the future.

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

Plan Detroit is three-phase planning process informed by resident feedback that is expected to conclude with implementation of the new collaborative policies by 2026.

According to the city, the Michigan planning enabling act (MPEA) recommends cities update their master plans every 10 years, and Detroit’s master plan has not been comprehensively updated since 2009.

The upcoming events are intended to provide an “interactive” opportunity to work with city planners to create practical policies that address real concerns for Detroiters.

Sessions will take place at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, and at 5:30 p.m. April 14-16.  All sessions will be held at the Joseph Walker Williams Community Center at 8431 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit. Topics will include Neighborhoods & Housing, Open Space & Environment, Arts & Culture; and Mobility & Jobs.

For more information and to register to attend, visit plandetroit.com. 

Other headlines for Tuesday, April 1, 2025:

• Detroit firefighters are trying to find out what caused an apartment building on the city’s west side to explode. The Detroit Fire Department is also apologizing for an emergency alert that went out to cellphones throughout metro Detroit around 6 a.m. Monday morning notifying people about the blast. 
• American Forests says its urban tree planting partnership in Detroit has helped add more than 25,000 trees to the city since 2021.
• Billionaire Dan Gilbert’s real estate empire is growing. Rocket Companies has acquired competitor Mr. Cooper Group Inc. in an all-stock deal worth about $9.5 billion. Last week, Rocket bought another competitor, Redfin, for roughly $1.7 billion.
• Gas prices rose sharply overnight, with AAA Michigan reporting drivers paid an average of $3.25 a gallon for regular unleaded — 10 cents more than yesterday.

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

A few hundred people rallied outside a veterans hospital in Ann Arbor this weekend to protest federal cuts to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

President Donald Trump has announced plans to lay off staff, tried to void some federal union contracts, and is calling telehealth workers back into offices that may not have space for them.

State Representative Joe Tate (D-Detroit), a marine corps veteran, said he attended Saturday’s protest as someone who has relied on the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System himself. Tate said it makes him “sick” to see resources scaled back, warning that could bring dire consequences.

“You have these effects where you’re going to put people in the ground, veterans in the ground, if some of these veterans don’t get the services they need,” Tate said.

Read more: 10 year Marine Corps veteran terminated from Veterans Affairs in Ann Arbor

Tate and others at the protest frequently brought up threats to funding for the 2022 PACT Act, which aims to help veterans exposed to toxic chemicals via risks like burn pits or Agent Orange, as a top concern.

Earlier this month, Trump signed a spending bill that cuts money for the Act as part of a plan to avoid a government shutdown that some Senate Democrats also eventually backed.

Army veteran Justin Coates attended Saturday’s rally carrying an American flag and a megaphone. He said he slept next to a burn pit during his first tour of duty.

“We used to throw like lithium batteries into it and trash and human waste and stuff like that. I slept next to it night, and we used to joke about how we were all going to die of cancer in a few years. So, when the PACT Act was passed, that was great. We were all excited about that. I was able to get on the registry. I told all my friends about it, all the guys in my squad,” Coates said.

He worries what he and his fellow veterans went through will be forgotten. He said he’s lost more friends to suicide than combat.

“Hearing about the cuts to the veteran crisis line, hearing about veteran crisis-line operators having to operate from their cars or in open air cubicles or what have you, just seeing the absolute lack of care for veterans under the guise of increasing efficiency, it’s frankly insulting to everyone’s intelligence,” Coates said.

Read more: How will cuts to the VA and its services impact veterans?

Leadership at the VA, however, has vehemently denied the changes made will translate to cuts to veterans services. In a video response to concerns posted on February 13, VA Secretary Doug Collins dismissed stories about veterans benefits being cut as “hypotheticals” being circulated in the media.

“Reality is, veterans benefits aren’t getting cut,” Collins said. “In fact, we’re actually giving and improving services.”

Collins said the department is running more efficiently and clearing cases sooner.

Since posting that video, Collins has defended reported plans to let go 80,000 staff from the VA. That’s as the department works with billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Governmental Efficiency, or D.O.G.E.

A handful of union leaders and elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, and U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI 12) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI 6) criticized the Trump Administrations’ decisions at Saturday’s rally.

Dingell said she fears veterans are getting caught up in a “meat cleaver” being taken to several departments. She said she worried about losing progress, noting both Democratic and Republican administrations have struggled to take care of soldiers after they serve.

“We have to honor our commitment and keep working to go forward. And when you see this many people understanding that we’ve got a moral responsibility (to those) who fought to keep us free, that’s what they’re out here for, fighting for those veterans,” Dingell said.

Michigan has around 479,000 veterans, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

It’s been more than 100 days since Michigan’s 35th district has had representation. When will there be a special election to fill the seat? This week on MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Alethia Kasben sat down with Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. She discusses the significance of that seat, the current status of the state legislature, road funding and her plans for the future. 

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

In this episode:

• The status of the open Senate seat in Michigan’s 35th district
• Brinks on how well the legislature has been working with each other
• Brinks’ plans after the end of her term

Brinks shared that the 2025 legislature has shown potential for bipartisanship despite the unprecedented occurrences these last couple of months.

“In terms of the entire legislature being able to work together across the aisle — I think we’ve proven it’s possible,” she said. “Still some potential for improvement there.”

The Senate majority leader also acknowledged that things are a bit “antagonistic” in the state House. 

The 35th Senate district seat is still vacant, and despite Senate Democrats handling constituent work in that area, Brinks believes when the time comes the state Democrats will produce a candidate to cover the seat.  

“It’s going to be critical that we maintain that seat so that we can maintain the majority,” she said. “We stand in an incredibly positive position when it comes to our chances of maintaining it.”

Brinks shared examples like in Pennsylvania, where a state Democrat won in a race that went for Trump by nearly 15 points. It is up to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to call for a special election.  

More from WDET:

• MichMash: The road ahead with incoming Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks
• Republicans urge road funding revision as Legislature resumes lame duck session this week
• MichMash: Michigan AG discusses legal challenges to Trump, open US Senate seat

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced Thursday that over 90 percent of the families displaced by the water main break and subsequent flooding in Southwest Detroit have returned to their homes.

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

The city has replaced 125 furnaces and 126 hot water heaters in affected homes, with just a few left that need replacing.

Resident Deanna Dooley has lived on Rowan Street for 20 years. She says she was impressed with the response from the city.

“When we woke up in the middle of the night, none of us knew what we were going to do,” she said. “But within 24 hours, at least we all felt safe again. We weren’t whole, but we were safe.”

Dooley says her furnace, hot water heater and all the electrical wiring in her basement were replaced and her family is back in their home.

Homeowners who still need to make a claim have until Thursday, April 3 to file. Duggan says the emergency hotline for repairs will be discontinued on Sunday. Anyone who still needs help can call 877-311-3664. The Notice of Claim form can be found in English and Spanish at detroitmi.gov. 

Other headlines for Thursday, March 27, 2025:

• President Donald Trump announced yesterday  25 percent tariffs on cars and light duty trucks imported into the US. That will have an impact on Detroit’s Big Three automakers. Ford Motor Company has three plants in Mexico, and reportedly sent roughly 176,000 cars from there to the US just in the first half of 2024. General Motors imported about 750,000 vehicles into the US from Canada or Mexico last year. Stellantis also has assembly plants in Mexico and Canada. Congresswoman Debbie Dingle supports the tariffs, but says car companies and suppliers need time to adjust to them. She says while the tariffs could bring companies back to the US, it won’t happen overnight.
• Detroit City Councilmember Fred Durhal is hosting a career support and opportunities event for returning citizens. The Dress for Success resource fair will provide professional support and other help to returning citizens in Detroit. Residents can pick up donated business casual attire, receive help writing resumes and get interview etiquette training. The event will be Friday, March 28 from 2–4 p.m. at Covenant Community Care on 17625 Joy Road. To register and learn more, visit @freddurhal3 on Instagram.
• Signup for the Plan Detroit Policy Workshops is now open. The workshops allow Detroit residents to sound off on decisions that will affect Detroit neighborhoods, environment, culture, transportation and economy. Participants will sit in on guided discussions, collaborate with residents and work directly with city planners to develop policy recommendations. Workshops begin on Saturday, April 12 at the Joseph Walker Williams Community Center. To register, visit plandetroit.com.

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

Using hostages as bargaining chips remains a favorite tactic of some nations and terrorist groups.

Negotiating their release is often tricky.

It took seven countries cooperating last summer for the U.S. and Russia to complete the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War.

Among those exchanged was 55-year-old former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.

But since returning home, the Michigan native says he’s still felt trapped.

Only this time it’s in a web of governmental bureaucracy.

The long-delayed return 

Concerns about resuming life in the U.S. seemed very far away for Paul Whelan last August, when a swarm of media trained their cameras on the small plane delivering him home.

It had just touched down at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. amid a small crowd where some had waited years for this moment.

Whelan was the first to emerge from the aircraft. Tall, light-haired, wearing glasses and the dirty clothing he had on when Russia first detained him years ago, which guards had stored away until now.

He steadied himself on the hand railings of the steps leading from the plane, weak from malnourishment after years in a Russian labor camp.

Then he snapped-off a crisp salute to the figure waiting for him.

It was then-President Joe Biden, who embraced Whelan. After several conversations between the two, in an impromptu moment, Biden removed his American flag lapel pin and handed it to the former U.S. Marine.

Announcers on CNN noted that Whelan waved to the crowd on the tarmac. And, they said, “America waved back.”

Imprisoned by the system

Whelan now says, in some ways, it was a wave goodbye.

“What we found is that once your home, you’re actually on your own. The attention turns on the next guy that’s still locked-up somewhere abroad,” he said.

Whelan had returned from a Russian labor camp, wrongfully detained for five years, seven months and five days on false espionage charges.

The government spent a few weeks checking his medical and psychological condition, then released him.

Whelan says he was not in great physical shape.

His former employer, BorgWarner, had dropped him as its director of global security after the first year he was detained by Russia.

That also meant losing his medical insurance at a crucial time for Whelan in the prison camp.

“I had a hernia that needed surgery and then I was unemployed. I didn’t have the means to pay for a private operation,” Whelan said, adding that Russia wouldn’t act until his case was dire. “I basically had to wait until I had to have emergency surgery.”

Back home in Michigan, Whelan needed some kind of immediate income.

But he found that since he had not had a job in Michigan recently, he did not qualify for unemployment.

“Because the laws were written so specifically, my situation falls outside the cookie cutter. I was working but I was working in a Russian labor camp. And apparently that doesn’t count,” he said.

A member of Congress had to contact Michigan’s Secretary of State just for Whelan to get a driver’s license and identification.

And being convicted of a crime in Russia, even a crime the U.S. government declared was bogus, created problems.

“When I applied for a renewal of my global entry card, which comes from Customs and Border patrol, I had a hard time with them,” Whelan said. “Because they kept focusing on the fact that, ‘You were arrested and you were imprisoned overseas.’ And I said, ‘Yeah and look at the pictures of the president meeting me at Andrews Air Force Base when I came back.

Strangest of all, he says, was when he tried to get full Medicaid coverage through the state.

“I had a letter back that said I didn’t qualify because I wasn’t a U.S. citizen. It makes you scratch your head, to be quite honest. How could somebody have sent that to me? But they did. And I said ‘You can just Google my name right now.’”

Whelan is actually a citizen of four countries.

He was born in Canada to parents who hailed from the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. He moved to the U.S. as a child.

A law without funding

It’s not supposed to be that difficult for returning hostages.

Congress created the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act specifically to provide medical and other help to them and their families for five years after their release.

But it’s never been funded.

Michigan U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens says there’s a bipartisan effort to add that appropriation.

“We need to do that. That’s next phase. Someone like Paul Whelan, five and a half years taken from him, if he was wrongfully imprisoned in the United States he’d arguably get compensation. Paul Whelan right now is living off of a GoFundMe. And it’s unacceptable. And it’s wrong,” she said.

Stevens says the latest Defense reauthorization bill did include money to strengthen sanctions against countries who take hostages and help families who lobby for a loved one’s release.

Whelan helped lobby for those changes.

He says he’s also pressing for the Social Security Administration to cover retirement payments hostages lost while detained.

He’s talked with various government entities about the need for better communication among agencies dealing with wrongfully detained Americans.

Ironically, for someone falsely painted as an espionage agent, Whelan has even been a featured guest at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

He discussed his firsthand experience of dealing with Russian security forces and Moscow’s prison system.

Putting the puzzle pieces together

Paul Whelan scraped the last of his soup from a bowl on a modest table in the Manchester Diner, named for the small Michigan village about 60 miles away from Detroit.

Whelan lives there now with his elderly parents.

The former Marine said he’s contacted several organizations that help veterans.

But except for a bit of assistance from a Boston group affiliated with Harvard, the rest have turned him down because his captivity as a hostage was not related to his military service.

So Whelan said he is literally depending on the kindness of strangers in his community.

Auto dealers from the area offered him a leased vehicle.

Private practitioners have provided him with some medical and dental help.

Even the Manchester Diner’s owner, Leslie Kirkland, stopped by his table with a job tip, saying that one of her regular customers runs a cyber security company that might fit Whelan’s employment expertise.

“I’ll try to talk to him this weekend, I know he’ll come in for chicken waffles. I can see if he’s got something for you or he can put you in the right direction for something,” she said.

Whelan smiled and thanked her, then glanced at his phone, receiving a message from another former hostage, Mark Swidan, who was recently released by China.

He’s one of several detainees who Whelan says regularly text each other, seeking advice and encouragement.

“It’s a small community but we keep in touch,” he said. “Sort of like a group of misfit toys. Ha!”

Whelan said he’s also remained in contact with some still incarcerated at the Russian labor camp where he was held.

The prisoners use the kind of burner phones Whelan did when he talked surreptitiously with U.S. government officials, he said, though the phones aren’t technically allowed at the prison.

But, Whelan says, they are still easy to obtain with a cigarette slipped to the right guard or warden.

“We practice English. And I have family and friends in other countries that are helping to send over-the-counter medications and things into Russia to go to my friends in the camps. That’s helping keep them healthy,” he said.

Whelan is also keenly aware of his own physical, financial and emotional health.

“The reality is that when you get off the plane, you find that your former life isn’t there. The homes that we’ve left are not the homes that we come back to. It’s a process of putting puzzle pieces together yourself.”

–Paul Whelan

He remembers hearing that returning from a hostage situation is akin to having held your breath underwater, then suddenly rising to the surface and gasping for air.

“The reality is that when you get off the plane, you find that your former life isn’t there,” Whelan said. “The homes that we’ve left are not the homes that we come back to. It’s a process of putting puzzle pieces together yourself.”

Whelan wants to help the government develop new methods to support the next returning hostages.

Then, he says, maybe his over half-a-decade in the darkest corners of the Russian prison system will count for more than just time taken away from him.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan delivered his final State of the City address Tuesday night, speaking to an invitation-only crowd at the new Hudson’s development in downtown Detroit.

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

Duggan spent much of the speech reviewing the city’s successes over the past decade, and focused on some highlights of the past year — such as the lowest homicide rate since 1965 and growth in Detroit’s population for the first time since 1957.   

One of the big challenges for the Duggan administration was the need to eliminate abandoned homes.  There were 47,000 at the start of his tenure.  Last night, he predicted that by the end of the year there would only be 1,000 abandoned homes left in Detroit. 

“Detroit’s biggest battle for the last 12 years has been the neighborhoods, and the 47,000 abandoned houses. I thought we could bring every neighborhood back, and we started by demolishing at rates faster than anybody in the country. But to me the real test wasn’t how many we could knock down…but how many we could save,” he said.

Duggan credited much of the city’s turnaround to the ability of city leaders to work together, instead of fighting and blaming each other for existing problems. Duggan announced late last year that he would not seek a fourth term as mayor of Detroit.

In January, he declared his intentions to run for governor of Michigan – not as a democrat or a Republican – but as an independent. He’s been making stops in different corners of the state since then. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, March 26, 2025: 

• Detroit attorney Todd Perkins has sent out information saying he’ll formally announce the beginning of his campaign for mayor next week.
• Gas prices remain steady in metro Detroit, with AAA Michigan reporting the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded is $3.10 — the same as it was a week ago. Prices did jump over the past couple of weeks.  Industry analysts say that price increase was due to higher gasoline demand as Americans travel for spring break.
• March Madness continues to capture the attention of metro Detroiters — especially with the state’s two largest universities — University of Michigan and Michigan State — still in contention for a national championship.

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

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan will give his final State of the City address on Tuesday from inside the new development at Hudson’s Detroit.

Duggan will not be seeking reelection as mayor of Detroit in 2025. Instead, the longtime Democrat is making a bid for Michigan’s next governor in 2026, running as an independent.

The State of the City address will begin at 7 p.m. Watch the livestream below or tune in to 101.9 FM WDET.

A group of Republican state lawmakers is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to clear the way for them to challenge two voter-approved amendments to the Michigan Constitution. This is a last-ditch effort by the GOP legislators to pursue their challenge without the full backing of a politically divided House and Senate.

The legislators are asking the high court to accept the case and rule that state lawmakers have individual standing to file the challenge and do not have to wait on formal action by the GOP-controlled House and the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.

“Unless you have an agreement of both chambers of the Legislature, there’s no way to get an answer to this question except by going through individual legislators,” said Sen. Jim Runestad, who is also the Michigan Republican Party chair. “The only hope we have of a good clear look at the legality of this is the U.S. Supreme Court.”

The underlying controversy is the fate of two ballot proposals adopted by voters in 2018 and 2022. The voting rights proposals include provisions that include making it easier to register to vote, to vote absentee and to use early voting options. The Republican lawmakers say those ballot questions usurp their constitutional authority of the Legislature to set “the time, place and manner” of federal elections.

University of Michigan constitutional law professor Leah Litman said the legislators can’t show an individual harm that would give them standing to pursue a federal lawsuit.

“That injury is to the institution, not to the individual legislators, and for that reason, the institution has to be the one who is the plaintiff because the Legislature, the institution, is the one that is injured,” Litman told Michigan Public Radio.

The lawsuit names Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Bureau of Elections Director Jonathan Brater in their official capacities. Benson said in a statement released by her office that she will defend the ability of voters to amend the Michigan Constitution through ballot initiatives.

“Michigan voters have a right to enact laws that reflect their values, and politicians have a duty to stand by the will of the voters,” she said. “The idea that the time, place and manner of federal elections law-making is beyond the right of voters to self-determine is anti-democratic, and already multiple courts have reaffirmed this under law.”

Most appeals are turned away as the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear just a fraction of the requests that are filed.

This week on MichMash, gubernatorial candidate and Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson sat down with Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben to share why he’s running and what he believes the Democratic Party needs moving forward.

Plus, Gorchow and Kasben analyze the recent collaboration — and conflicts — between Michigan’s Democratic-led Senate and Republican-led House.

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

In this episode:

• Quick update on Michigan’s 2025 legislative session
• How Michigan’s gubernatorial race is heating up
• Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson on what motivated him to run

Gorchow and Kasben quickly recapped the first few months of the 2025 legislative session and what issues have garnered bipartisan support and which have led Democratic and Republican lawmakers to butt heads.

“We are currently living through a time where the Senate is suing the House for not presenting bills to the governor for signature,” Kasben noted. “These are nine bills left over from last term, when Democrats did control the House, and the Republicans in the House are sending Senate Democrats items that are mostly just nonstarters, or at the very least, not really being negotiated with the Democrats.”

Sheriff Swanson — who was elected sheriff of Michigan’s fifth-largest county in 2020 — announced his bid for governor in February, joining a growing field of several other prominent candidates, including fellow Democrat and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan — who is running for governor as an independent. More recently, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist launched his Democratic bid, while on the Republican side, State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt also announced his candidacy, with U.S. Rep. John James also considered a possible contender.

Swanson says he considers the other candidates as simply alternative options, rather than his opponents.

“When I was working with the Biden administration and then I worked with the DNC and the Kamala Harris campaign, I saw the need of what Democrats are looking for…this community of Democrats, these voters, are looking for something completely different. I bring a completely different option. I bring a unique energy,” he said.

The race to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is term limited, is expected to spark competitive primaries.

More from WDET:

• Garlin Gilchrist announces bid for governor, saying he’s a ‘problem solver’
• MichMash: Looking back on the state’s top political stories of 2024
• MichMash: State lawmakers return to Michigan Capitol for first day of new session

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

Arab Americans have long been an integral part of the cultural and political fabric of metro Detroit, contributing to the region’s identity and shaping local elections.

From Dearborn to the heart of Detroit, the Arab American community has influenced Michigan’s growth and political dynamics. However, as the political landscape evolves, a key question arises: Is there a solid political home for Arab Americans? And if so, where do they fit in today’s polarized environment?

For decades, Arab Americans have been a reliable voting bloc for the Democratic Party, especially in areas like Dearborn. However, in recent years, many have begun to question their loyalty to the Democrats. The catalyst for this shift has been growing dissatisfaction with the party’s stance on key issues, particularly its support of Israel’s actions in Gaza. This evolving political identity is creating uncertainty about the future of Arab American influence in Michigan’s elections.

Today on The Metro, we explored the political future of Arab Americans in Michigan and across the country. Are they finding common ground with the Republican Party, or do their political views span beyond the traditional party lines? The shifts in the community’s political engagement could significantly affect Michigan’s elections in the coming years.

As national and local elections approach, the political leanings of Arab Americans will play a crucial role in shaping Michigan’s political future. Their evolving political identity is fluid, shaped by a range of factors, but one thing is clear: their impact on the state’s political landscape will only grow stronger.

Guests:

• Hassan Nehme:  Organizer for Michigan’s Republican Party.
• James Zogby: President and co-founder of the Arab American Institute. Longtime leader of the Democratic Party 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on March 20, 2025 : 

• Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s decision to file criminal charges against 11 pro-Palestinian demonstrators on University of Michigan’s campus has angered some of her supporters, with critics calling it an infringement on free speech. Amir Makled, one of the attorneys representing the demonstrators pro bono, joined the show to share the latest developments in the case.

• Many American Jews feel deeply uncomfortable criticizing Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. American Jewish author and liberal journalist Peter Beinart says that’s because Jewish identity is tied to uncritical support of Israel. He hopes to change that in his new book, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza.” Beinart spoke with WDET All Things Considered Host and reporter Russ McNamara about this and more.

• Detroit author Donald Goines penned 16 books before being mysteriously killed alongside his wife in their Highland Park apartment, and their murders remain unsolved. Now, a new documentary is exploring Goines’ life, death and cultural impact. Executive Producer Craig Gore, and King Tape Productions Founder Robert “Tape” Bailey both joined the show to talk about the film’s progress and Goines’ impact on their work.

• The Detroit Tigers Opening Day is on Friday, April 4, but the team has been getting ready at their spring training home in Lakeland, Florida. The Tigers have an 89-year history with the Florida city — the longest of any team in Major League Baseball. To discuss this long standing connection, Florida history professor James Michael Denham joined the show.

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

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday calling for the dismantling of the Department of Education.

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

Eliminating the department altogether would be a hard task, and will likely require an act of Congress. Trump has already cut the department’s staff in half since returning to office. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has already cut dozens of contracts and has gutted the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.

We reported on Feb. 21’s Detroit Evening Report that Michigan could face major challenges if the federal department is cut. Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during a virtual budget meeting with more than 1,000 attendees that the elimination of the department could lead to many things, such as less monitoring around discrimination claims.

The superintendent noted that the effects could be catastrophic to the largest district in the state.

President Trump has said that low test scores nationwide is part of the reason for making this order, but hasn’t explained how moving federal responsibilities to the state will help increase scores.

Other headlines for Friday, March 21, 2025:

• The city of Dearborn will hold a small business pitch competition in May. The city’s Economic Development Department is encouraging start-ups and established businesses to join. Eligible innovators are U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, with a brick-and-mortar business located in Dearborn. Food and beverage-based businesses are not eligible to participate. The first place winner will earn $25,000. Second place is $10,000 and third is $5,000. The competition will be held at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center on May 13.
• Applications for vendor spots at the Dearborn Summer Market are now open. The market will be located at Peace Park West and will run through July and August on the second Friday of each month. Those interested in reserving a vendor spot are required to apply online by March 31.
• March Madness is upon us and the No. 2 seed Michigan State Spartans makes its 27th straight NCAA Tournament appearance on Friday when it takes on the No. 15 seed Bryant Bulldogs in a first-round matchup in the South region. Michigan State’s streak of 27-straight NCAA Tournaments is not only a Big Ten record, it’s also the third-longest in NCAA history and is officially recognized by the NCAA as the longest active streak. This is the 38th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time for MSU. The game airs at 10 p.m. Friday on TBS.
• The 14th-ranked and No. 5-seeded University of Michigan men’s basketball team squeaked out a three-point victory, defeating No. 12-seeded UC San Diego, 68-65, on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. A pair of late Vladislav Goldin free throws helped the Wolverines advance to the second round. Their next game is at 5:15 p.m. on March 22, on CBS.

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

Saturday is the 11-year wedding anniversary for more than 300 gay and lesbian couples who were married in Michigan following a landmark court decision.

The evening before, in 2014, a federal judge in Detroit ruled Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban violated equal protection and due process rights in the U.S. Constitution. U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman’s decision went into effect immediately, which sent hundreds of couples dashing to clergy and courthouses to get married while they could.

The first documented wedding took place at 8:05 a.m. at the Ingham County Courthouse in Mason.

“By the authority invested in me by the great state of Michigan, I pronounce you married,” declared a teary-eyed Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum to newlyweds Glenna DeJong and Marsha Caspar.

Byrum was one of four county clerks who opened their doors that Saturday to issue licenses and perform same-sex weddings. Clergy also showed up at courthouses to officiate ceremonies and some newlyweds spent their wedding day acting as witnesses for other same-sex couples.

The weddings continued as then-Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican who’d made opposition to same-sex marriage a centerpiece of his political career, went immediately to the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, seeking a stay. The appeals court granted the request later that day.

That then presented a question on the status of the already-officiated marriages and rights that go along with being married.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the federal government would recognize those first same-sex marriages, while then-Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder tried to thread the needle, saying the marriages were legal but nevertheless not recognized by the state.

“It does create more complexity in the matter,” said Snyder, but said he arrived at the conclusion that while the marriages were legal, “there was no other option other than to say we have to suspend the benefits.”

That led to a second case against the state to have those marriages fully recognized by the state.

“The couples married on March 22 are caught in a paradox,” said Caspar. “We’re married and we’re not.”

A little more than a year later, in the summer of 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court settled the matter when it held in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex marriage is legal across the land.

It was a dramatic reversal in the status of marriage rights in Michigan, where voters in 2004 adopted an amendment to the state constitution that held only marriages between a man and a woman would be recognized.

Two decades later, attitudes about same-sex marriage have shifted, said pollster Richard Czuba of the Glengariff Group.

“The country was being told that if you allow same-sex marriage, marriage will collapse in this country,” he told Michigan Public Radio. “Ten years on, I don’t think anyone can credibly make the case that that has happened as a result of same-sex marriage.”

But just weeks ago, state Representative Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) and a handful of other GOP lawmakers sponsored a non-binding resolution calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse Obergefell. 

“This decision has defaced the definition of marriage, undermined our God-given rights, increased persecution of Christians and confused the American family structure,” said Schriver.

The House Republican leadership dismissed the resolution as an unwelcome distraction and assigned it to a graveyard committee to languish.

But LGBTQ rights activists say they are nevertheless concerned because the dormant language of the same-sex marriage ban remains in the Michigan Constitution as well as in statute.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who was one of the lawyers to challenge the same-sex marriage ban, said she would like to see it formally repealed by voters.

“I think it has to be and the reason I say that is because I think the Obergefell decision is in real jeopardy,” said Nessel.

She said resolutions like Schriver’s are being sponsored in legislatures across the country and are designed to invite new legal challenges to same-sex marriage rights.

“We know a resolution can’t overturn a Supreme Court decision,” said Nessel, “but there can be other cases that are litigated that wind up later being argued before the United States Supreme Court, and I really believe they have a majority on that court that would overturn that decision.”

Nessel said a Supreme Court majority displayed a willingness in 2022 to topple what appears to be settled law when it reversed long-standing abortion rights protections. She noted the Obergefell decision was decided by a slim 5-to-4 majority.

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin said it’s no secret Democrats don’t have their strategy figured out, but insists the “yelling” coming from some progressive Democrats has not stopped President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Slotkin was responding to a constituent who asked the freshman senator what Democrats can do besides reiterating they are against the administration while at a town hall Wednesday in Flint. The exchange highlights ongoing division in the party on how to play defense with the administration when Democrats are out of power in both chambers of Congress.

“I get it that it makes people feel good to see people yelling,” Slotkin said. “But not one of those words is stopping the actual things that Donald Trump is doing.”

A constituent, Kristin Fellows, 62, had asked Slotkin and Democratic U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet what they would do to stand up to Trump like progressive Democrats Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“We know that you are against these current awful happenings going on in the world, but it is simply not enough for you to repeatedly tell us that you are,” Fellows said.

Her question, posed at a gathering to address cuts to federal agencies made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and concerns about social services like Medicaid, was met with applause, the first of any questions asked of the congresswomen.

Slotkin responded by saying she also serves Michigan residents who voted for Trump and that she is responding to the needs of residents who are impacted by changes at the federal level and executive orders from Trump.

Sanders has gone on a national tour to rally against Trump. Ocasio-Cortez, a longtime Sanders ally, said she would join him on the road in the coming weeks.

“My job is to be more than just an activist,” Slotkin said. “It is to answer the call when there’s an immigration raid and we need to figure out where our people are. All of those things require me to be more than just an AOC.”

Slotkin’s firm response was also met with applause from the audience. Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Slotkin delivered the Democratic response to Trump’s address to Congress earlier this month. Both she and McDonald Rivet delivered key wins for the party in a battleground state that elected Trump in the November election.

They have both been looked to as potential models of the Democratic Party’s future that is closer to the center than the progressive wing.

Slotkin acknowledged to the town hall that Democrats are not united on how to handle the Republican control of Congress and Trump himself, pointing to a split vote in the U.S. Senate to foreword the GOP’s funding bill last week. Slotkin did not elect to advance the bill to a final vote while 10 other Democrats including Leader Chuck Schumer did.

When asked by The Associated Press if Schumer should retain his leadership position, Slotkin said, “Sen. Schumer is our leader, it’s a tough job.”

–Reporting by Isabella Volmert, Associated Press

Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter will be delivering his 2025 State of the County address at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 19.

Coulter has served in the county executive role since August 2019. The Oakland Press reports that he’ll focus on tech innovations, education and affordable housing in his speech, which will take place at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield.

WDET will be preempting its regular programming beginning at 7 p.m. to carry special coverage of Coulter’s speech.

Tune in at 101.9 FM, stream it live via the WDET app or wdet.org, or watch the County’s livestream below.

Read more:

• First Michigan measles case of 2025 confirmed in Oakland County
• Oakland County’s new approach to supporting people with drug addiction
• Trump talks law enforcement, economic growth during Oakland County roundtable