On Hand

COVID cases are finally falling this week in Michigan, after months of surges and spikes during Delta and then Omicron variants. But the spread of COVID still continues unabated in parts of the state, and hospitals are paying the price. 

GUESTS:

Kate Wells, reporter, Michigan Radio

Dustin Dwyer, reporter, Michigan Radio 

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

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In her fourth State of the State speech, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer focused on policy goals with some bipartisan support. But how much comradery will Democrats and Republicans be able to find in an election year? On today's episode, we'll break down what Whitmer said and how likely it is she'll get movement on her policy priorities. Plus, we dig in on one particular focus for the governor: boosting the earned income tax credit (EITC) for lower-income workers. 

GUESTS: 

Zoe Clark, Michigan Radio program director 

Laura Weber Davis, executive producer of Stateside 

Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

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In 2020, for the first time on record, Michigan saw more deaths than births. And while COVID-19 certainly added to the death numbers, it wasn't the only reason for the disparity. As a state, we've been dealing with much slower growth than other parts of the country. On today's episode, we'll talk to a demographer and an economist about how that might impact the way our state--and its economy--looks in the future. 

GUESTS: 

Kurt Metzger, director emeritus at Data Driven Detroit 

Charley Ballard, economics professor at Michigan State University

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

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"Let's see how grand your rapids are," was a playful challenge from RuPaul herself to Grand Rapids area native and drag queen, Orion Story. Otherwise known as Chace Lambert, Story became the first queen to represent Michigan on RuPaul’s Drag Race, which is currently on its 14th season. Today, we talk with Lambert about drag in Michigan and on the show. 

GUEST: 

Chance Lambert, West Michigan drag queen and RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 contestant

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

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Simone Biles' withdrawal from the 2021 Olympic finals showed us how difficult, yet important it can be to prioritize self care as a star athlete. And the issue definitely hits home here in Michigan. Today, a former Michigan State runner reckons with the prevalence of eating disorders within the running world.

GUEST: 

Maggie Farrell, former Michigan State University cross country runner, grad student and dietetic intern at Texas State University

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

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Like many Michigan grandparents, piping plovers have flown south for the winter. But the endangered bird makes its summer home along the shores of the Great Lakes. And in Chicago, they eagerly await the return of a sort of piping plover celebrity couple: Monty and Rose. The pair has many fans in the city, a beer named in their honor, and a documentary about their journey. On today's episode, we talk to the film's director about Monty and Rose's epic story of love and conservation. 

GUEST: 

Bob Dolgan, filmmaker behind the documentary Monty and Rose 2: The World of Monty and Rose.

The film is streaming through the Thunder Bay International Virtual Film Festival from Wed, Jan 26, 2022 to Mon, Feb 7, 2022. You can find out how to watch here.

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

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New political maps, the retirement of Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib announcing she’ll move to a new neighboring district have left Detroit with a rare opportunity: a wide open congressional seat. We talked to two Detroit politicos about who is in the running for the 13th District, and how race and class might play a role in the upcoming election. 

GUESTS: 

Greg Bowens, longtime political strategist and public relations specialist

Branden Snyder, a grassroots political organizer in Detroit and co-executive director of Detroit Action 

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

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The University of Michigan has reached a settlement with survivors of Dr. Robert Anderson, a physician who worked in sports medicine and the University health system for 37 years and is accused of sexually abusing more than a thousand students. We talked to a reporter and a lawyer representing some of the survivors about the details. 

GUESTS: 

Kim Kozlowski, higher education reporter for the Detroit News. You can read her coverage of the Anderson settlement here. 

Mick Grewal, attorney representing many of the Anderson survivors in settlement negotiations 

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

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This past weekend, after a closed-door meeting, the University of Michigan’s board of regents fired President Mark Schlissel for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a university employee. We talked to a Title IX attorney about what this says about the school's approach to sexual harassment cases—and what it might mean for the future.  

GUEST: 

Sarah Prescott, attorney specializing in Title IX sexual harassment cases for the law firm of Salvatore, Prescott, Porter, and Porter

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

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COVID has posed a grave threat to our elders these last two years. Even if your family has been lucky enough to dodge the worst, you're probably finding moments with the grandparents in your life that much sweeter. Two Michigan photographers travelled across the country to find some of those moments, taking portraits of grandmothers and archiving their wisdom in the new book, Grandmothers of America.

GUESTS: 

John Hanson, photographer based in Detroit.

Joey Schultz, photographer based in Traverse City.

Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.