Created Equal

Today on "Created Equal," host Stephen Henderson is joined by a political historian and an "uncommitted" delegate from Michigan to discuss something that hasn’t happened in a really long time during a presidential campaign – an open political convention.

Almost immediately after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Bethel Park, Pa., on Saturday, speculations quickly spread online about the circumstances behind it. To discuss misinformation and why it thrives after significant events like this, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Barbara McQuade, and media strategist Matt Friedman join the show.

A mass shooting at a block party in Detroit this past weekend has community activists, police and politicians all focused on minimizing neighborhood violence. To discuss the mass shooting incident and the role police play in both responding to and preventing gun violence, BridgeDetroit reporter Malachi Barrett, community organizer Yusef Shakur, and Pastor Daryl Harris join "Created Equal."

Climate change has led to more flooding events in cities like Detroit that have aging stormwater infrastructure. But there’s another hidden contributor to severe flooding in the city: so-called "ghost streams," or waterways and/or wetlands that were either buried underground or filled in to support urban development. Today on "Created Equal," UM-Dearborn professor Jacob Napieralski discusses a recent study he authored about ghost streams and how low-income and minority groups are typically at the greatest risk of severe flooding.

For decades, the doctrine of qualified immunity has protected law enforcement and other government officials from being held accountable when they violate individuals’ constitutional rights. Joanna Schwartz, one of the country’s leading experts on police misconduct litigation, joins "Created Equal" to discuss the problems with qualified immunity and how to address them.

Since the late '90s, doctors have included race in equations used to estimate kidney function. The once widely-used test often overestimated how well Black people's kidneys were functioning — making them appear healthier than they actually were and resulting in delayed diagnoses of organ failure and proper evaluation for transplants. Dr. Neil Powe, chief of medicine at the Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, joins "Created Equal" to discuss the test's bias and changes being made to make the test more equitable.

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, including a recent report highlighted the pattern of neglect by Chicago police when Black families report a loved one missing; a look at Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and more.

Michigan lawmakers approved the state's $82.5 billion budget for the next fiscal year last week. Gongwer News Service reporter Alethia Kasben and Michigan Public Radio Network reporter Colin Jackson join the show to discuss the budget's strengths and downfalls.

Since 2015, Canada has been addressing 94 recommendations intended to right the wrongs done to the Indigenous people of the country. In recognition of Canada Day, University of British Columbia assistant professor Dr. Tricia Logan joins the show to discuss those items and how the U.S. can begin to confront its own history.

A joint report from Invisible Institute and City Bureau highlighted the pattern of neglect by Chicago police when Black families report a loved one missing. The report's authors, Trina Reynolds-Tyler and Sarah Conway, join the show to discuss their findings.