On Hand

Over the past 20 years, roller derby has seen a major revival across the country. The modern derby era – which got rolling around 2000 in Austin, Texas – is a far cry from the ultra-staged smackdowns of the 80s, or the flame-and-fade derby of the 50s. Now, many major cities now boost their own derby leagues--including Detroit.

Stateside intern Ellie Katz headed to one of the Detroit Roller Derby league’s recent bouts to scope out the scene.

GUESTS:

Amelia Greco, Detroit Roller Derby member

Amy Ruby, Detroit Roller Derby member

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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The opportunity for revival of an established Spanish-language paper in Southwest Detroit came up when the paper recently changed hands. Our guests today talk to us about what mainstream news doesn’t get about Spanish-speaking readers and audiences and what they’re doing to shine lights on community news – in both Spanish and English.

GUESTS:

Martina Guzman, founder and director of the Race and Justice Reporting Initiative at the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University

Angela Gallegos, contributing writer to El Central Hispanic News

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Jenn White is the host of the NPR midday news show, 1A. Born and raised in Detroit, White worked in public TV before becoming the local anchor of All Things Considered at Michigan Radio - the very station that brings you this podcast. Today on the podcast, a live conversation with Jenn White about her Michigan roots, covering difficult news, and the importance of treats.

GUEST:

Jenn White, host of 1A

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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President Biden delivered the State of the Union Address last night to an audience of Congress members, some of whom were very vocal throughout the speech. You've likely seen the viral moments of the President going to head-to-head with Republican representatives, but there were some moments of bipartisan unity.

Freshman Rep. Hillary Scholten, a Democrat representing Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, is optimistic about getting key legislation passed in the coming months.

GUEST:

Hillary Scholten, Congresswoman representing MIchigan's 3rd Congressional District

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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About 150 years ago, a young nation fresh off its first Civil War was trying to find itself - amid famine, disease, societal breakdown. Our school books talk about this period as the Reconstruction. Wayne State University scholar Kidada Williams refers to the period in different terms in her new book, I Saw Death Coming: A History of Terror and Survival in the War Against Reconstruction.

GUEST:

Kidada Williams, author

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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Kids and Marvel super fans alike have a new animated television series to look forward to: "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur," which is set to release this week on Disney. The show revolves around Lunella Lafayette, a 13-year-old genius-turned-superhero protecting the Lower East Side of New York with her crime-fighting dinosaur partner. The character is Marvel’s first Black girl superhero to star in her own series. 

Diamond White, a Detroit native, voices Lunella on the show. White shared what her career journey has looked like since leaving Detroit, and what it means to portray a young hero that looks like her. 

GUEST:

Diamond White, singer, actress, voice of Lunella Lafayette in Disney's "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur"

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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Michelin star chef Iliana Regan decided to leave behind the buzzing Chicago culinary scene for a quieter life, she found solace in the woods of the Upper Peninsula. Regan has documented her new, slower-paced life in the book Fieldwork: A Forager’s Memoir.

GUEST:

Iliana Regan, chef and author

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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Today, a charged debate that's gaining more traction in Michigan: are electric vehicle drivers paying their fair share of road use taxes? Plus, a look at how industry giants like Ford are taking financial losses now in hopes of stealing some EV market share from Tesla down the road.

GUESTS:

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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Twelve people have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct by Dr. Zvi Levran, a urologist who provided medical services to a number of high school and youth all-star hockey teams in both Michigan and Minnesota. On this episode, we talked to reporter Katie Strang, with The Athletic, about the allegations against Zvi Levran, and how it ties into other instances of physician misconduct. 

GUEST:

Katie Strang, reporter with The Athletic. You can read her in-depth piece into the allegations against Levran here.

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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The past three years have been a particularly scary time for people of Asian descent. Two University of Michigan researchers have been trying to find out if the rise in anti-Asian sentiment has had other, more hidden economic effects. Ones that you might not see in national headlines, but still damage Asian-American livelihoods. 

GUEST ON TODAY'S SHOW:

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.