The state health department says it will not be changing its recommendations for childhood vaccinations – despite an executive order signed by President Trump last week.

Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian says she wants to provide clarity for parents and physicians. Michigan’s Standing Recommendations were issued in 2025 and, the state says, based on rigorous scientific evidence and transparent decision-making.

Bagdasarian urges parents to get children vaccinated as they prepare to return to school, noting vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough are on the rise in Michigan and across the country. 

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026

Source Booksellers organizes trip Alabama legacy sites

Source Booksellers is inviting customers and community to join their Bibliophile’s Journey visiting Alabama Legacy sites this fall. The trip is inspired by the tenth anniversary of the book “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” by Bryan Stevenson—and by the Equal Justice Initiative’s work to end mass incarceration.

Travelers will explore sites in Montgomery and Birmingham, including the Legacy Museum, the Peace and Justice Memorial Center and the Rosa Parks Museum.

The travel package includes hotel, airfare, entrance to legacy sites in Montgomery and more. For more information, contact Source Booksellers at 313-832-1155 or alyson.sourcebooksellers@gmail.com.

Detroit Women’s Commission hosts resource fair

The Detroit Women’s Commission is hosting it’s second (now annual) Resource Fair & Networking Event Saturday Sept. 19. Organizers have billed it as a day for a wholistic approach to total wellness—spiritual, physical, financial and mental.

Register in advance.

Little Liberia launches mid-week events

Little Liberia has new plans to make itself a mid-week hotspot. The eastside restaurant now has happy hour from 4:30-7:30 p.m. every Wednesday, featuring cocktails like its Liberian Girl and Sasstown Margarita.

Its weekly trivia night starts at 6 p.m. and runs til 7:30 p.m. – a family-friendly alternative to bar trivia. Until August 25, artists can also submit to Little Liberia’s rotating art exhibition. Selected work will be featured in the restaurant for 90 days and available to patrons to purchase. 

Detroit joins Bagelfest

Detroit’s Bev’s Bagels will compete at the New York Bagelfest this year. This year’s competitors represent 10 states and five countries. Fewer than 10% of applicants were chosen to compete.

Bagelfest is Nov. 15 at Citifield in New York.

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

The rise in measles across the U.S. coincides with falling vaccination rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed almost 2,500 cases of the disease in 2026, the highest number since the 1990s.

Measles had been virtually eliminated in America by the year 2000. The anti-vaccine movement has gained strength in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health experts say social media has allowed vaccine misinformation to spread. Self-styled wellness “influencers” have built large followings online, pushing unscientific claims and promoting unregulated health products.

Mariah Wellman is studying this trend. She’s an assistant professor of advertising and public relations at Michigan State University. She says many people turn to the internet because they might not have access to health care.

“They may not see their doctor on a consistent basis,” Wellman says. “They may not have a doctor they necessarily trust.”

(Un)healthy skepticism?

Wellman says many people no longer trust the medical establishment. And they feel like they can get answers online faster than they can from a doctor or health care provider. She says wellness gurus take advantage of that.

“Wellness influencers do a great job of building relationships that make the viewer feel like the influencer really sees them, hears them, knows them, and values them,” she says.

Once people accept misinformation as truth, Wellman says it’s difficult to convince them otherwise.

“It’s incredibly hard to change their minds,” she says.

What’s good for the goose…

But some health experts are turning that around. Wellman says many qualified people in their fields are learning how to use social media to turn the tide.

“We’re seeing some evidence that these expert influencers are growing in their popularity online,” she says. “People are reaching out to them, saying, ‘yes, actually this content has changed my mind.'”

Wellman is writing a book on the strategies wellness influencers use to make people believe they’re authority figures. The book comes out in 2027.

Note: The following story mentions suicide. 

The National Poll on Healthy Aging recently surveyed adults 50 and up to find out whether they use the 9-8-8 helpline. 

The survey found 31%of older adults never heard of the mental health crisis helpline.

“Another 38% had not heard of 988, but had heard of other mental health crisis lines, things like the Trevor Project or the Veterans Crisis Line,” says Kevin Saulnier, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor with the University of Michigan.

Saulnier says the survey also found that men were less aware and less likely to use 9-8-8 for mental health crises.

Saulnier says many adults 50 and up depend on other sources of assistance.

“So the majority of people said that in the case of a mental health crisis, they would reach out to family or friends, with 83% of people. Saying that they would be likely to take that approach, 82% said they would be likely to contact their regular healthcare provider,” he shares.

Another 73% say they would reach out to a mental health care professional directly, rather than using the helpline.

Saulnier says the helpline can fill a gap in service by providing counselors on call 24/7, all year long.

While the helpline can be an effective resource for people going through a mental health crisis, people can face barriers to access.

“Barriers to 988 awareness and 988 use might be greater in places with less access to mental health professionals, or limited internet, transportation challenges, or fewer trusted points of access to care,” says Saulnier.

According to Saulnier, the free confidential helpline works with trained mental health professionals to provide mostly talk therapy. However, they do work with crisis intervention teams or emergency responders in the case of suicide or serious concerns.

He also says people can call anonymously for themselves or others by calling or texting 9-8-8 or using the chat feature on the website 988lifeline.org.

The city of Detroit and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation celebrated the third Green Grocer ribbon cutting in the Motor City. This is part of the effort to have more fresh and healthy food available at retail food locations in the city. 

The Counter Detroit is a 400-square-foot grocery store anchoring community marketplace, Shops on Six, in the Bagley neighborhood. 

Owner Karlyta Williams says that her store is meant to bring people together and to represent the diversity of the neighborhood. “That is what the Counter stands for. It is for every neighbor. Every piece that goes onto their shelves, every neighbor is thought of. There is something magical that happens when the business that shows up in your neighborhood feed you.” 

Mayor Sheffield says that the goal is to have six Green Grocer stores by the end of the year. 

Additional headlines for Friday, Aug. 7, 2026

Gas prices on the rise 

As the summer comes to close…are you trying to go on a last-minute summer trip? 

Well if you plan on going on one this week, you might need to budget some more for gas. According to AAA gas prices in Michigan have risen to 13 cents from a week ago. Michigan drivers are now paying an average $4.36 per gallon for regular unleaded gas.  

Fuel prices have increased in large part due to the continuing war in Iran that has caused the blocking of about 20% of the world’s supply of oil and gas from the Stait of Hormuz. Another reason is that gas prices typically peak during the late spring/early summer when refineries switch to a more expensive summer blend of gasoline. 

AAA says while the market conditions remain unpredictable, drivers may continue to see the prices go up and down.  

Sports

MLB

The Tigers laid a beat down against the Seattle Mariners yesterday with the score of 11-0. They now face the San Francisco Giants this weekend as they continue to claw and climb from the bottom of the American League Central division. 

First pitch for today’s game is at 10:15 p.m. EST. 

Soccer 

Detroit City FC faces off against FC Tulsa tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. at the Tulsa Drillers Baseball Team Stadium in Tulsa Oklahoma.  

Football 

And with the Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs agree to 3-year, $67.5 million extension. The three-time Pro Bowler is now the highest-paid running back in NFL history. The record deal surpasses the extension Bijan Robinson signed with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this week—which is a reminder that anything can happen in football.  

Cyclosporiasis cases slow

The state health department says the number of new cyclosporiasis infections is slowing down, and fewer people are showing up at the hospital with diarrhea-related emergencies.

The agency is lifting its recommendation to avoid bagged salad mixes, one of the possible sources of the outbreak. It says people may also resume their usual food handling practices, but should still avoid recalled lettuce.

Michigan has had more than 12,000 confirmed and suspected cases of cyclosporiasis since late June. So far, 279 people reported going to the hospital. Two people with significant health problems died after getting the disease. 

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

Since the pandemic, overdose deaths are continuing to decline in Michigan. The number is dropping quickly in Metro Detroit. 

There are a lot of possible explanations for the decline. Narcan is more readily available, the state has turned toward a harm-reduction approach, and the pandemic, when people were cooped up inside, is further in the rearview mirror. 

Peer recovery coaches are also a big reason for the reduction. That work received significantly more money from the state in recent years.

What does it look like to create intimacy with someone struggling with addiction, and to help them recover?

Pepper Catt is a peer recovery coach with the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities. That’s a Troy nonprofit. She spoke about all this with The Metro’s Sam Corey. 

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

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Overdose deaths in Michigan have been declining since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic brought on concerning increase in drug-related fatalities. But, Wayne County’s numbers stayed high until 2024 when it saw overdose deaths decrease by 42%.

Wayne County still leads the state in overdose deaths. Black Michiganders are disproportionately affected, with an overdose rate nearly double that of all other residents.

Accessibility to life-saving Naloxone (aka Narcan) and peer recovery coaches have been cited as a few reasons behind the decreases.

However, experts say keeping people from becoming addicted to opioids has gotten tougher.  

Avani Sheth, the chief medical officer for Wayne County, says drugs like carfentanil pose a challenge for continued overdose prevention.

“The drug supply continues to change and evolve in increasingly dangerous ways.”  

Carfentanil, used to tranquilize large animals like elephants, is 100 times stronger than fentanyl and even small amounts of the drug can be deadly. 

Sheth spoke to The Metro’s Sam Corey about why certain communities experience more deaths, what helps patients navigate recovery, and how expanding resources can help local communities.

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

More stories from The Metro

If you’ve spent a bad week this summer wondering what you ate, you’re not alone.

Michigan seems to be at the epicenter of a fast-growing cyclospora outbreak. The state is reporting far more cases than any other — over 9,000 Michiganders have gotten sick from the parasite. 

That is the story in front of us. Behind it is a harder one.

A year ago, about three-quarters of Americans said they trusted the CDC’s health advice. Today, it is half. 

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, fired the entire committee that advises the CDC on vaccines and replaced it with his own picks. A federal court blocked those changes, though the administration is appealing. 

Meanwhile, many pediatricians did something they had never done. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued its own vaccine schedule rather than following the government’s. 

So when health officials tell you how to keep your family safe from a parasite in the lettuce, there is a question underneath it now: Do you still believe them?

Dr. Céline Gounder is an infectious disease specialist, epidemiologist, and public health correspondent for CBS News and KFF Health News. She hosts the podcasts Epidemic and American Diagnosis. 

Gounder worked on the ground during the Ebola epidemic in Guinea and spent years studying tuberculosis and HIV across southern Africa. She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss the erosion of America’s public health apparatus and how it’s affecting the cyclospora outbreak and public health more broadly.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

More stories from The Metro

Eleven Detroit city parks are receiving nearly $20 million in updates and beautification projects this year. 

All upgrades were ideas suggested by residents and block clubs in the neighborhoods near the parks. 

City Councilman Scott Benson was a persistent advocate for park improvements across the city. 

“Recreation is not just a luxury; it is a vital urban asset, and it’s a competitive edge for strong, thriving cities,” says Benson. “And this is what you see here today. Vibrant parks attract families, improve mental and physical well-being.” 

New amenities at the parks include an inclusive play area at Eliza Howell Park, the city’s first BMX bike track at Dorais Park and a multi-sport court at Jane-Lasky Park. 

Additional headlines from Thursday, July 23, 2026

Loud cars driving people away from Woodward?

Cruising Woodward is a summer tradition. But many residents near the avenue say vehicles are too loud. That is why legislators hope to crack down on modified vehicles.

Natalie Price is a Democratic state Representative from Berkley. She told WDET’s The Metro on Wednesday that some people are moving away from the Woodward corridor because the noise keeps them up at night. 

“We see property values being impacted by this noise. In November, I talked to a constituent [who] did that from out of state not realizing, and now has decided that they can’t live in the area due to this excessive noise.”

Price is proposing drivers receive ‘fix-it tickets’ instead of fines for driving excessively loud vehicles. She says that would prevent people from paying a financial penalty for driving noisy cars. 

West Nile Virus in Wayne County

Wayne County Public Health has confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus this summer season. The virus has only been detected in mosquito samples; no human cases have been reported in 2026.

Officials say the best way to protect yourself is to prevent bites. West Nile Virus cannot be spread person to person and most people do not see symptoms, however 1 in 5 may experience fever, headaches, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash 2-14 days after a mosquito bite.

To stay safe, limit outdoor activity at dawn and dusk, use an EPA-registered insect repellent, and empty standing water at least once a week to reduce mosquito breeding sites. 

DDOT seeks council members

The Detroit Department of Transportation is seeking residents to serve on its Local Advisory Council. DDOT is recruiting people  who live in Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and an at-large member.

The Council will help plan services for senior adults and people with disabilities.

Applications can be submitted by contacting DDOT’s ADA Coordinator at 313-316-2793. 

Hotter Than July kicks off

LGBT Detroit’s Annual Hotter Than July Festival is back and starts today. It’s the city’s longest running Black LGBT Pride event. The event kicks off with a candlelight vigil in Palmer Park by the Blue Spruce Tree at 5:30 PM.

The festival includes a bar crawl mixer tonight at 9 p.m. on the Avenue of Fashion, an Art and Film Festival honoring Duane Belin on Friday, the Palmer Park Picinic on Saturday, strolling brunch on Sunday and more! The festival will also feature a star search competition looking for Detroit’s next Drag Star.

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

Dr. Amy Shah is a double board-certified MD and nutrition expert. She recently wrote the book “Hormone Havoc” about how to eat, sleep, and think better for perimenopause and menopause.

She says perimenopause can be a confusing time for people and doctors, who aren’t trained to treat it. 

“Most doctors don’t even know perimenopause exists. So I felt like there was a need to clarify what is happening during that time, and the simple things that are science-backed that we could be doing during that time,” she says.

Shah says prior to the 1990s, women were largely left out of medical studies.

She says more conversations are happening about the topics due to increased awareness through social media.

“The social circle conversations were all done in silos, but now the social conversation happens in these formats, where you can see, oh my god, everyone around the world, women are all experiencing this, and I think that’s really kind of driven more requests for content, requests for medical advice, requests for research on this topic,” she says.

Some common symptoms include feeling tired, and things like itchy skin, carpal tunnel syndrome or frozen shoulder. 

“Estrogen receptors are present in our body, and so when there’s shifts in the estrogen, there’s going to be symptoms that sound like they have completely nothing to do with menopause, but they are related,” she explains.

30-30-3

To help women during perimenopause and menopause, Shah developed the 30-30-3 framework. 

“I thought, let me take all the research that we have in nutrition and for women in perimenopause and try to dilute it down to the very simple basics, and what I realized that is that there’s a three step protocol,” she expresses. “It’s 30 grams of protein in your first meal, 30 grams of fiber throughout the day, and three servings of probiotic foods every single day.”

She says incorporating these changes can help with the gut-hormone-brain-immune connection, which connects the digestive system and central nervous system and impacts one’s health.

Another big indicator of health during perimenopause is sleep.

“We’re finding out more and more that women may be even more susceptible to circadian rhythm disruptions… 70% of people in that perimenopause, menopause transition have disturbances in sleep,” she shares.

Breaking barriers and stigma on perimenopause

Shah, who is Indian American, says South Asians are more susceptible to insulin resistance than the general population. But talking about perimenopause, menopause, and symptoms is often a taboo subject, preventing women from getting adequate care.

“I think that there’s like real barriers there from in that culture about talking about it with your doctor, about actually getting help for it, and even, you know, speaking about it in the community, because there’s just so much kind of taboo around it,” she explains.

But Shah says it’s important to speak up about women’s health.

“Pregnancy is celebrated. There’s lots of conversation about that, but puberty and menopause, there’s like almost no conversation, because it’s very taboo in those cultures. And so I keep a very open dialogue with both my kids, my daughter and my son,” she says.

Shah says people have more control than they think they do.

“A lot of people treat this time of life as downhill or something that they should be worried about or stressed about, that now everything is going to be worse in their life… I tell everyone that you know your 40s, 50s, and beyond can be the best years, and it can be the years that you can actually find your gifts,” she says.

Shah is also the author of the books, “I’m So Effing Hungry” and “I’m So Effing Tired.” You can find her on Instagram here.

The cyclospora outbreak has highlighted just how hard it is to trace a bag of lettuce through a supply chain that can stretch thousands of miles. Here’s a smaller question: what if your lettuce came from down the block?

Amanda Brezzell grows food on Detroit’s west side, on land where houses used to stand. They co-founded a farm and design studio called Fennigan’s, where fresh veggies and fruit sit on a folding table under a sign that reads “Free Produce.” 

Brezzell came to that table by an unusual route: before growing sunflowers and tomatoes, they studied dangerous pathogens and emerging disease at Georgetown, so Brezzell can speak to the parasite and the pea patch in the same breath. 

Brezzell joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what it means to support local produce, especially as supply chains and food safety come under scrutiny.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

More stories from The Metro

In America, the “amber waves of grain” have come to represent the strength of American agriculture. But not all Americans are included in this idyllic picture. Those same waves of grain contain wheat, a crop that can pose serious health risks for people with celiac disease.  

Raleigh Minning, a cancer survivor, is the owner of a gluten-free bakery: Made With Love Donuts. Through her work, she said she has come to understand some of the harmful symptoms her customers experience.  

“Some people have rashes, they’ll get indigestion issues, all of these things, and I think that the community that is not celiac, or maybe they just want a couple of dollars out of it, don’t understand how serious it is,” Minning said.  

Minning’s son was diagnosed with celiac seven years ago, and she wasn’t happy with how most restaurants handled his food.  

“They would just push things to the side, or we would notice that they weren’t changing gloves, they weren’t using different utensils, and that made a mama bear very nervous,” Minning said.  

Celiac causes servere reactions to gluten

Lana Scales is a clinical dietician who also has celiac disease. She explained that gluten is a protein that comes from wheat, a grain that can be found in bread, pasta and pastries. Even ordinary items like some brands of lip balm have trace amounts of gluten. 

“When you eat gluten and your body considers it an invader, an enemy, and when it attacks it, it elicits this huge immune response that can cause a myriad of conditions,” Scales said.  

Celiac disease is different than gluten intolerance, Scales said. The biggest difference between the two is that celiac is an autoimmune condition, while gluten intolerance creates a less impactful inflammatory response.  

Amy Rosenberg, an optician with celiac, understands this all too well. 

“My doctor told me I was going to get cancer, and at some point, die,” Rosenberg said. “So I think it flipped a switch in my head, and I was like, I should probably do something about this.” 

Eating with Celiac poses obstacles

Rosenberg has been on a gluten-free diet for 31 years. Along the way, she found friends who faced the same challenges as she did. I joined her, Kaylene Whitaker and Margaret Clegg at a restaurant in Novi that offered a variety of gluten-free options.  

Whitaker, who had intense symptoms for two years before her diagnosis, struggled with being understood.  

“It’s frustrating when people just assume it’s something I choose, and they think I’m being picky,” Whitaker said. “We get to have food preferences just like everybody else, on top of also having to accommodate for celiac.” 

Rosenberg agreed, adding that even family members have a hard time understanding her dietary needs.  

“A lot of people were like, ‘oh, I’m sorry,’ but I’ve been gluten-free for 31 years, so it’s what I know. But I do have some family members that are still confused by it, and it’s kind of offensive,” Rosenberg said.  

After the food arrived, Clegg brought out her phone to take photos for her blog, MI Gluten-Free Gal. She was working on a post about the restaurant’s gluten-free items. 

She talked about how her father’s celiac journey led her to helping people across Michigan find safe, reliable restaurants to enjoy.  

“I have a whole blog post on my website telling the story about me and my dad, and all of that, and how after I was diagnosed, that helped him to pay attention to the diet and do what he needed to do to make himself better,” Clegg said. 

Gluten-free restaurants can minimize risk, create comfort

One restaurant Clegg highlights on her blog is Tru Pizza Co. in Wyandotte. They have a completely gluten-free menu, and Anthony Cipolla is the owner. He said he was inspired to join the business because his wife has celiac. 

From there, he made it his mission to be a place that truly has food for everyone.   

However, Cipolla said he sees a stigma surrounding a completely gluten-free restaurant. He points towards celebrities glamorizing the diet and comedians making it the butt of their jokes.  

“When I was a kid, peanut allergies were so much more common,” Cipolla said. “That was the only allergy that anyone really cared about in the field. If everybody treated every allergy like that, it would make this a lot easier.”  

Scales, the dietician, spoke about the dangers of cross contamination that can result from restaurants not taking proper precautions.  

“The amount of gluten that can fit on the head of a writing pen; you might not be able to see that, but it’s enough to cause a reaction,” Scales said.  

But at places like Tru Pizza or Minning’s bakery, the fear of cross contamination is nearly eliminated. Minning said she finds fulfillment in being able to give back to her community and hopes to see more gluten-free establishments in the future.  

“I love the people who come in here, the stories that we’re able to share,” Minning said, “we’re able to hug, cry, laugh, smile, all of the things that I definitely don’t think that I would be getting out of it if I was doing regular food.”   

Minning said she understands why most restaurants don’t take the risk of trying to accommodate celiac, but she sees a huge reward in it for those who do.  

Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey is pushing back against the Trump administration’s decision to send Justice Department operatives to monitor the August primary election. The DOJ says it will be watching the voting in Detroit, Lansing, and East Lansing, which are Democratic strongholds. Trump has falsely claimed that fraud in Detroit cost him the 2020 election. Justice officials say they’re worried about compliance with election law and long lines at polling places. Winfrey says no such delays happened in 2024 because the state had adopted early voting.

-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

Additional headlines for Thursday, July 9, 2026

Growing Cyclosporiasis cases

The state health department says an outbreak of a parasitic infection has grown to almost 1 thousand cases. Cyclosporiasis causes severe diarrhea and other symptoms. Investigators have not found the cause of the outbreak, but people usually get it by eating contaminated fresh produce.

Health experts advise washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly and seeking medical attention if symptoms persist. They can last for weeks without treatment.

Money for new mothers

Republican House Speaker Matt Hall says he doesn’t want a state program that pays new mothers to get the 20 million dollars it is expecting from the new state budget. R-X Kids gives women 15 hundred dollars during pregnancy and 500 dollars a month for the first six months of a newborn’s life. Studies show it has reduced infant mortality in Flint, where it began. Republican Speaker Matt Hall says more traditional social safety net programs with tougher eligibility requirements should get the money.

“I’m hopeful that we’ll have a WIC program, that our child protective services will be well funded, that the cash assistance program will be well funded.”

R-X kids serves all eligible mothers in designated coverage areas regardless of individual family need.

Reporting by Michigan Public Radio Network’s Colin Jackson

Rental housing gridlock

Efforts to reform Detroit’s rental housing remain stalled… and advocates blame the city’s largest court for some of the gridlock. A lawsuit by the Detroit Tenants Union accuses 36th District Court’s Chief Judge of failing his legal duty by allowing landlords without a certificate of compliance to continue collecting rent.

Right now, only 14 percent of Detroit landlords are compliant with city safety inspections. Donovan McCarty represents the union.

“If landlords can keep going in to collect rent that’s not lawfully collected, then they have no incentive to actually come into compliance, and that I4 percent number will not grow to where we need it to be.”

The 36th District Court didn’t reply to a request for comment.

You can hear the full conversation at WDET.org or on The Metro podcast.

Grow Detroit Young Talent

City officials kicked off the 12th annual Grow Detroit’s Young Talent
Summer Employment Program Wednesday.

The program will provide over eight thousand summer jobs for kids in the city. It’s Mary Sheffield’s first year leading the effort as Mayor. Over 90 thousand positions have been extended to Detroit’s young people since the program began in 2014.

A parasite called cyclospora is spreading through Michigan, and health officials still haven’t found the source.

In a normal year, the state sees about 50 cases; in the last two weeks, it has counted 700 infections among people aged 8 to 84, according to Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical officer for the state of Michigan.

It usually rides in on fresh produce — berries, herbs, leafy greens — but so far, no food has been named. Oakland County health officer Kate Guzman, a nurse by training, joins host Robyn Vincent to explain how investigators hunt for an invisible source, one interview at a time — and what it means that, a year ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped requiring states to report this exact parasite to one of its main early warning systems.

Editor’s note: This conversation was recorded before the latest case counts were released. The story has been updated to reflect the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ latest infection count. The outbreak is ongoing and the number continues to rise.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield issued an executive order today that maps out guidelines for city departments to prioritize protecting residents and workers during the heatwave. 

The executive order instructs the water department not to shut off water service unless directed by the customer or to fix a broken main. The Building Safety, Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) must expedite all temperature-related requests at all cooling centers. Other departments are also ordered to prioritize protecting seniors and the unhoused or those living in unsafe conditions. 

Additional headlines for Thursday, July 2, 2026

Dearborn police on the lookout for illegal fireworks, curfew in place

Dearborn Police Department announced that there will be a zero-tolerance policy in place for using fireworks illegally.  Residents are allowed to use fireworks on their own properties through fifth of July and before 11:45 p.m. but no debris can land outside of property lines.  

Police Chief Issa Shahin says those caught breaking the law could be fined up to $500. “This isn’t about punishment, it’s about prevention, and I want everyone to enjoy and celebrate this holiday season, but to be able to do it safely.” 

A curfew is also in place for minors ages 17 and younger unless accompanied by an adult on July 3 and 4 from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m.   Chief Shahin says there have been no tips of a teen takeover happening this holiday, but the police department will be prepared. 

Wayne County disease outbreak

The Wayne County health department says it’s investigating 17 suspected cases of cyclosporiasis. 

It’s a gastrointestinal disease caused by parasites. The most common symptom is severe diarrhea. And people usually get it by eating food contaminated with feces. 

Wayne State’s Dr. Teena Chopra says patients can start to feel better, but that doesn’t mean the infection is gone. 

“This particular parasite, if it is not treated, it can continue to infect new intestinal cells, and that’s why there can be ongoing relapsing diarrhea, so it’s important to seek treatment.”

She says antibiotics work well, but the disease can damage the small intestine of it’s not treated. The state health department has confirmed more than 170 cases of cyclosporiasis in southeast Michigan since June 22 but has not found the source of the outbreak.   

AAPAC endorses ending SMART opt-out

The Arab American Political Action Committee has endorsed the Wayne County Public Transportation Millage, a ballot proposal that would end opt-out of SMART’s bus system in Wayne County.

Committee officials say the millage would connect Detroit residents to more jobs and schools in the suburbs.

AAPAC president Osama Siblani said in a statement, “Too many residents face barriers to employment, education and essential services simply because transportation options are limited. Wayne County Transit for All represents an investment in people – creating stronger connections between neighborhoods workplaces and community resources.” 

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Nearly all of Michigan is under an extreme heat warning or advisory as we approach Independence Day weekend, with the heat index — what it actually feels like outside— exceeding 105 degrees Fahrenheit in many places. 

In a heat wave with high humidity, like this one, babies, children and the elderly are at a higher risk of heat-related illness. Knowing the right precautions to take can save lives.

Dr. Phillip Levy is an emergency physician and professor at Wayne State University’s School of Medicine. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to explain how the body cools itself and describe essential preventative measures to take during a heatwave. 

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

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More stories from The Metro

The tuition at Wayne State University is rising by 4% for its undergraduate and graduate students. This comes after a unanimous decision from the university’s board of governors. 

How will this affect the university students? Well, undergraduate students can see a tuition increase of about $250 and graduate students will see an increase of $33 dollars per credit. 

The university increased their tuition last year by 4.5%. According to the school’s officials the 2026-2027 housing rates will not increase. 

This rate increase is following a trend occurring in 4-year public and private universities and colleges across the country––tuition increases due to inflation, a drop off in enrollment post pandemic or uncertainty around state funding. WDET is licensed to Wayne State University.  

Additional headlines for Friday, June 26, 2026

Community Health Assessment shows positive results

This week, the city of Detroit released a Community Health Assessment that revealed that community improvements positively affect the health of residents. 

The report was an assessment of about 6,000 residents, some commuity organizations, public health experts and local data. 

During a press conference about the assessment, Mayor Sheffield expanded the idea of what health means. “Health is much more than what happens inside of a doctor’s office. It is also about prevention. Health is about whether a mother has access to prenatal care. It is about whether a child has healthy food nearby and it is about clean air, safe housing, transportation and whether families can access the care that they need when they need it.”  

Sports 

FIFA

The U.S. had their first loss of the 2026 World Cup to the already eliminated country of Turkey. Turkey kicked a last minute goal to win the match. The U.S. also had mostly reserves playing in the second half of the game to ready the team for their next game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That game is Wednesday, July 1.  

NFL 
The Lions’ defensive back Terrion Arnold was arrested this week in Tampa, Fla. on alleged felony charges of robbery and kidnapping. 

Six other individuals were arrested, but according to police Arnold was the one coordinating and directing the codefendants. Arnold is from Tallahasse, Fla., which is about 4 hours away from Tampa.  

The Lions said in a statement that they are aware of the news but are not commenting “out of respect of the ongoing legal process.” 

MLB 
The Tigers loss to the Astros yesterday in the score of 4-1. Next game is today at Comerica Park. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m.  

Burger Battle

And this weekend get ready for what organizers are calling the biggest burger battle in the Midwest. This weekend the 10 year anniversary of Detroit Burger Battle is going down in the Motor City.

Fifteen of metro Detroit’s top restaurants will bang burgers and chef it up for the crown. Participants of the battle get a single voting card to pick their top 3 burgers. Whoever gets the most votes wins.

This is all going down on Sunday, June 28 from 1-4 p.m. at Shed 5 of the Eastern Market.

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For years, many of us accepted the stigma and avoided therapy. But things are changing. These days, people are seeking therapy more than medication, and the shift is generational — younger people, Gen Z especially, have made therapy ordinary in a way their parents and grandparents never did.

But how do you pay for it?

Therapists across the country say private equity’s move into health care is making it harder for them to care for their patients.

Earlier this month, a local insurer may have made things harder still. If you see a counselor in private practice through Blue Cross, your therapist could be dropped from your plan in March.

What does that mean for our access to mental health care?

David Sniderman, a counselor and art therapist with the Willows Edge Counseling and Healing Arts Center, says the change will hit people’s access hard — especially rural and low-income Michiganders.

Sniderman joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to break down how insurance shapes therapy, and to make the case that what heals people most isn’t the method — it’s the trust between a therapist and client.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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More stories from The Metro

Southgate’s Pride celebration is back on thanks to The Library Network, a library cooperative based in Novi. The celebration was canceled after Southgate city officials decided not to pay for a vendor at the event, stating the city should not be used to pay for social or political advocacy activities.  So, the Library Network offered to pay the vendor instead. 

The event is scheduled for 2-3 p.m. on Saturday at Southgate’ s Veterans Memorial Library, located at 14680 Dix Toledo Road.

Southgate’s event comes about a week after Madison Heights City Council reversed its decision to cancel its Drag Queen Storytime event during its Pride Week celebrations.  

Additional headlines from Friday, June 12, 2026

Cooling centers open

Cooling Centers are opening across Detroit to give residents a break from the heat.  

High temperatures are known to pose health risks. Chief Public Health Officer and Director Ali Abazeed says these centers are an effective solution to keep at-risk residents healthy. 

“Folks in Detroit, especially our vulnerable populations…. if they don’t have access to some of the critical infrastructure that we know is helpful in keeping and preventing extreme heat related health outcomes, then we want folks to know that these cooling centers are available. They’re open and we want our residents to take advantage of them.” 

Detroit’s cooling centers are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. on weekends. They are open to anyone. 

Healthy Home Resource Day

Detroit’s Healthy Home Resource Day – HOPE event is coming earlier this year.

On Saturday, qualified residents can apply for Homeowners Property Exemption program to receive up to 100% property tax exemption. The exemption is given based on the homeowner’s income. 

Those who make an appointment can get a free ride to and from any HOPE event. The next event is Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Samaritan Center on 5555 Connor Ave. 

Infill development conference

The Detroit Land Bank is hosting the first-ever Developers Conference focused on infill development opportunities.

Infill development is the process of building on vacant lots in established neighborhoods. The Detroit Land Bank currently owns 56,000 parcels of vacant land and is working to return them to productive use. 

Attendees will learn about development opportunities, financing resources, permitting processes and more. The event is June 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Occupy the Summer program starts

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield launches a new summer recreation program for kids today. It’s part of her response to recent teen takeovers downtown, and it’s supposed to give them something creative to do.

More than 1,500 young people have registered for the Occupy The Summer activities, which include late night basketball games and longer hours at nine recreation centers. The city will give away 700 bicycles this afternoon. 

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