Tomorrow we'll know who plans to really run for governor, Congress, and the Legislature in Michigan this year. Petition signatures for candidates are due, and for some candidates and causes those signatures come with a big price tag.

GUESTS:

Yue Stella Yu, reporter, Bridge Michigan

Rick Pluta, Capitol Bureau Chief, Michigan Public Radio Network

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Today, one Grand Rapids City commissioner talks about next steps after the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old Congolese refugee. He was killed after a traffic stop in Grand Rapids on April 4. It’s a story that’s rocked the community - especially since Grand Rapids Police Department released video of the incident. As much as police reform has been a topic in Grand Rapids for years, the shock, and the horror are not going away anytime soon. 

GUEST:

Senita Lenear, Third Ward City Commissioner 

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A Grand Rapids police officer shot and killed a Black man named Patrick Lyoya in a routine traffic stop. The Grand Rapids police chief says to his knowledge, the only weapons recovered at the scene were the officer's taser and firearm. Officials have released footage of the killing, but not the name of the police officer who pulled the trigger.

GUESTS:

Dustin Dwyer, reporter, Michigan Radio

Bryce Huffman, reporter, Bridge Detroit

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Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their home country after U.S. troops withdrew and Taliban forces seized control of the government last summer. Among them are around 1,400 unaccompanied minors, some of whom have ended up in refugee youth shelters here in Michigan. Today on the pod, we talked to two reporters about the experience of these young people--and what their future might hold. 

GUESTS: 

Anna Clark, reporter with ProPublica  

Melissa Sanchez, reporter with ProPublica

You can read Clark and Sanchez's reporting on the young Afghan refugees here.

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At county conventions all over Michigan on Monday, local Republican party members met to lay groundwork for nominating candidates, and to settle some scores between hardcore supporters of former President Donald Trump and their opponents. This is obviously a big midterm election year for a lot of statewide races and congressional races. Today, we talk with two reporters who covered different county party conventions last night. 

GUESTS:

Clara Hendrickson, Report for American fellow at the Detroit Free Press 

Craig Mauger, Detroit News politics reporter 

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The Big Lie. That’s what some have taken to calling former President Donald Trump’s false assertions that the 2020 election was stolen and that there was widespread voter fraud. 

But if you thought that all the investigations, reporting, and debunking meant that Trump loyalists had moved on, you’d be sorely mistaken. Today on the pod, journalist Byard Duncan talks about his deep dive for Reveal into how the Big Lie is shaping Michigan's next election: the 2022 midterm. 

GUEST: 

Byard Duncan, engagement reporter at ProPublica. You can find his reporting for Reveal here.

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Miz Korona is part of a generation of MCs that carved out Detroit’s hip hop scene as one of originality, grit, and fun in equal measure. Her artistry extends from before her scene in 8 Mile through almost three decades of international touring, teaching, photography, and fashion design. Today, Miz Korona is on stage again, getting ready to release a new EP: The Healer and the Heartbreaker.

GUEST: 

Paula "Miz Korona" Smiley, hip hop artist, music producer, photographer, educator, fashion designer

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Two separate lawsuits seeking to protect abortion rights were filed in Michigan courts — one by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the other by Planned Parenthood. On today's pod episode, what this could mean for Michigan.

GUESTS:

Rick Pluta, Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network

Deborah LaBelle, lead counsel for Planned Parenthood of Michigan in the lawsuit 

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This week, longtime congressman, Fred Upton, took the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and announced his retirement. Having represented Southwest Michigan since 1987, he's the longest serving member of Michigan's congressional delegation. Today, we’ll reflect on what it means to lose Fred Upton as a steadfast moderate in Congress. And we’ll listen back to bits of our conversations with him over the years. 

GUEST:
Andrea Bitely, senior director at Truscott Rossman

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As of now -- April 5 at noon -- jurors are still deliberating the fate of four men accused of plotting to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Defense lawyers presented closing statements on Friday, and now jurors have a web-like narrative to interpret. We will have updates on the verdict as soon as it comes in. But today on the pod, we go over what we know so far. 

GUEST: 

Ken Kolker, reporter, WOOD TV

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