Detroit Youth Assembly encourages civic engagement among Detroit’s youth

The Detroit Youth Assembly is next month. The City is inviting young people from across Detroit to connect with city leadership, share their voices, and take action on the issues that are important to them.

The Detroit Youth Assembly will be on Thursday, November 6, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Northwest Activity Center Theater.

Get your tickets online.

Additional headlines for October 24, 2025

Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park opens on Detroit’s west riverfront

Detroit’s newest park opens this weekend. The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park sits along the west riverfront between downtown and the Ambassador Bridge. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy broke ground on the 22-acre project three years ago.
The park features playgrounds, a water garden, and two indoor basketball courts.
Tomorrow’s grand opening is part of this year’s Detroit Harvest Fest.

Inmates appeal dismissal of lawsuit over recorded strip searches

Lawyers for hundreds of inmates at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility say they’ll appeal a judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit.
The women sued the prison after corrections officers recorded strip searches with body cameras.
The judge ruled Michigan law only allows inmate lawsuits that allege physical harm.

But attorney Todd Flood says the recordings did cause harm, including flashbacks, insomnia, and panic attacks.

“It’s unconscionable to me. At least 80% of the women who are incarcerated have been subject to domestic violence, sexual assault, or some sort of battery,” Flood said.

The Michigan Department of Corrections stopped most strip-search recordings in March. The department agreed with the judge who threw out the lawsuit.

Sports roundup

Rivalry returns: Michigan vs. Michigan State

Tomorrow is the big game that divides our great state — the Michigan Wolverines face off against the Michigan State Spartans.
The Wolverines’ record is 5–2 and the Spartans’ record is 3–4.

The head-to-head matchup takes place at Spartan Stadium and will be covered by NBC. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.

Pistons look to bounce back

The NBA is back and the Detroit Pistons play tonight against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center.

They lost their opening game to the Chicago Bulls but hope to bounce back this weekend. Tipoff for tonight’s game is at 8 p.m. EST.

Then, Cade Cunningham and the crew return home to play the Boston Celtics on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena.

Love Peace and Light Foundation hosts Youth Empowerment Day

Detroit’s Love Peace and Light Foundation is hosting Youth Empowerment Day on November 8.

The group is collecting hygiene products, canned goods, and winter clothing for youth and families. They’re also collecting monetary donations to reach a goal of $5,000.

Get your tickets online. 

The event will be held November 8 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Coleman A. Young Recreation Center.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

A new survey conducted by the University of Michigan and Outlier Media reveals the top concerns Detroiters would like to see the next mayor address.

Crime and Safety topped the list, followed by neighborhood maintenance, access to better paying jobs and affordable housing.

Mara Ostfeld is with the University of Michigan and co-authored the survey. She spoke with WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Mara Ostfeld: If you had to identify your top three major challenges just getting by in life today, what would you say those are? And as you mentioned, the most commonly selected ones were crime or safety, neighborhood conditions  and employment. And I don’t think any of those would jump out as new themes for people who’ve been in Detroit or talking to Detroiters, but I think it was interesting to think when we asked Detroiters who mentioned crime or safety next as a follow up: so what would you want the city to do about this? …A majority of Detroiters mentioned something other than police when they were talking about what would make them feel more safe. A lot of Detroiters mentioned things like better lighting or more gun control or less vacant housing or more support for neighborhood associations. Which highlights something different and something we have seen more in Detroit, but something different than what often comes to mind is the most common response to safety concerns.

There was just a really big push in desire to see the city show respect for people’s neighborhoods in a way that reflected the way a lot of people love their neighborhoods.

MO: It would probably resonate with you and other people who spent a lot of time talking to Detroiters, is that a big theme was just concern about how people’s neighborhoods were being maintained and attended to. And a really strong desire for just better attention for neighborhood upkeep, whether that mentioned just trash pickup or vacant lot maintenance or, you know, people coming to fix lighting or fix trees. There was just a really big push in desire to see the city show respect for people’s neighborhoods in a way that reflected the way a lot of people love their neighborhoods.

Bre’Anna Tinsley: Employment and access to jobs were mentioned in the survey, and when asked what specifically Detroiters would like to see addressed, items like wages and flexible hours were mentioned. Not typically something a mayor can address, does the mayor have any sway over these things?

MO: I mean, I think that’s a really good question, and not all of these are things that the incoming Mayor can directly mandate. But it does speak to you know, we do know that mayors and our legislators do work to create incentives for different types of companies to come to the city. And I think another thing is that we can think about what makes the desire for flexible schedule so prominent. We know a big factor that leads to a desire for more flexible schedules is after school programs, child care, and transportation. All of those things are things that are more directly in the realm of mayoral control and impact.

BT: Schools also fell into that same category. Issues like better teachers, class sizes and more schools were of big concern for Detroiters, but the mayor doesn’t have direct control over that. In what ways could the mayor address these concerns?

MO: There are partnerships that can be incentivized in the city, building more partnerships with teacher training programs. And I am hesitant to say too much. I don’t know all of like, the policy dynamics and politics behind, you know, education policy. But regardless of whether it’s in their direct realm of control, we know there’s a lot of indirect mechanisms in terms of incentivizing certain partnerships or changing the structures around which some of these like things, are enabled for this by the school board. And so I think it’s important for the mayor to know what’s this? Residents, especially people concerned about education, want in that realm so that they can work within what is in their space to incentivize these other changes.

More election coverage

The University of Michigan is ending gender-affirming care for minors, leaving an untold number of families with fewer options and greater uncertainty.

Gender-affirming care for minors is legal in Michigan, and major medical and mental-health associations recognize it as best practice. Research links it to lower depression and suicide risk. 

But a Michigan Medicine spokesperson said in a prepared statement that the risks of offering this care are now too high. This comes after it received a federal subpoena as part of a criminal and civil investigation into gender-affirming care for minors.

“We recognize the gravity and impact of this decision for our patients and our community. We are working closely with all those impacted,” the statement reads.

The announcement represents a profound loss for families. For some young people, it means a place they felt safe and could trust is closing its doors. And the consequences are real: more anxiety, more depression, greater risk of suicide.

Equality Michigan’s Emme Zanotti joined Robyn Vincent to discuss the impacts on Michigan families. Zanotti, a trans woman, also took off her advocate hat to reflect on the personal reverberations she feels at this moment.

Michigan Medicine did not respond to an email request about the number of patients who will be affected and how the hospital plans to assist patients during this transition. 

Editor’s Note: After this conversation aired, Corewell Health, a major healthcare provider in Michigan, also announced the end of its gender-affirming care. 

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Registered voters not casting a vote is a problem in the city, one that seems to be bigger here than in other Midwest cities. 

In Central Ohio’s Franklin County, the 2024 presidential election turnout was 66%. In Milwaukee, it was 85%. In Chicago, it was about 68% — and that’s the lowest it’s been in 80 years. But in Detroit, during the same election year, it was just 47%. 

Mara Ostfeld is the research director at the Center for Racial Justice and a professor at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She joined The Metro on Wednesday to share insights into why some Detroit residents don’t vote, and how to increase voter turnout. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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