After much discussion, and pandemic delay, the Tokyo Olympics begin this month. It’s an exciting moment for both athletes and viewers. While the Olympics can be really fun to watch, they’re also a stage in which the discrepancies between global haves and have nots is in plain sight. And the politics of who gets to host the games can tell a story, too. Today, we’ll dig into Detroit’s multiple bids to host the Summer Games, and whether those bids could have changed the course of history for the city. 

GUEST: Dr. Stefan Szymanski, professor of sport management at the University of Michigan

NOTES:

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“Songs from the Trail” broadcasts on low-watt community radio on Beaver Island in the middle of Lake Michigan straight off shore from Charlevoix. Jackson Smith and Steve Girbach turned their neighborly conversations about music made in Michigan and local artists into a show.

 

GUESTS: 

Steve Girbach, co-host "Songs from the Trail"

Jackson Smith, co-host "Songs from the Trail"

 

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Once upon a time, in America, the words “Critical Race Theory” would have been something you’d encounter in a coffeehouse conversation. But this year, Michigan lawmakers have recently introduced bills to ban it in k-12 schools. Today, we get clear on what the controversy around CRT is in Michigan, and how it looks for two educators’ classrooms in very different districts. 

GUESTS:

Lily Altavena, educational equity reporter, Detroit Free Press

Klaudia Burton, life sciences teacher at East Lansing High School 

Matt Hamilton, history teacher at Washtenaw International High School 

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In May of 2019, Governor Whitmer signed into law historic auto insurance reforms meant to lower the state’s highest-in-the-nation rates. They’d do that by allowing people to opt out of unlimited medical coverage in their plans. And, starting tomorrow, the laws also put caps on payouts for crash victims' medical expenses. On today’s pod, we’ll talk to a critic of the changes who says that this new model could be devastating for folks with serious injuries and their care providers.

GUEST:

Tom Judd, president of the Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council

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The good news is Michigan’s COVID-19 infection rates and hospitalizations are down, compared to where they were at this time in March. The bad news. So are vaccination rates. 

Today, we check in with two health officials in very different Michigan communities that are tackling the same problems -- misinformation and distrust.

We talk with Detroit’s chief public health official about the challenges in the state’s biggest city. And we check in with one of the state’s more rural areas where there’s still a lot of people who need convincing. 

 

GUESTS: 

Rebecca Burns, health officer for the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency 

Denise Fair, chief public health officer for the Detroit Health Department 

 

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Heavy rain this past weekend led to massive flooding in Southeast Michigan. For some Metro Detroiters, this weekend wasn’t just a mess. It was also an unpleasant moment of déjà vu, calling back to a similarly devastating flood in 2014. Today on the pod, we’ll talk about what’s behind the region’s increasingly frequent flood events, and what a fix might look like.

You can find photos and stories from Michigan Radio about this weekend’s floods here. Find tips about how to stay safe in flooded areas here.

GUESTS:

Karyn Brown, resident of Detroit’s Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood on the city’s east side

Nick Schroeck, associate professor of law at Detroit Mercy School of Law

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Ready to go camping, but not sure what to bring to eat? We got you covered. Today, we're sharing some tips, gear and recipe ideas for cooking while camping.  

GUESTS:

Alex Beggs, BA senior staff writer

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A small, boarded up house in Detroit was recently named one of the 11 most endangered historic sites in the U.S. by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was the home of Sarah Elizabeth Ray, a black woman who many say should be just as well known as Rosa Parks. Today, we’ll talk about efforts to preserve the memory of the now demolished community center next door, Action House, which Ray and her husband founded to support neighborhood youth.

GUESTS:

Des Cooper, author and speaker 

Angela Wilson, deputy director of programs at Eastside Community Network

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A group of State Senate Republicans released their final report today on the supposition of voter fraud in 2020. The long-awaited conclusion? There wasn't any fraud. The report even suggested that the state’s attorney general investigate individuals or groups that pushed a conspiracy theory about fraud in Antrim County for their own gain. Today on the pod, we’ll dig into what the report had to say about the claims of election irregularities, and why some Michigan Trump supporters aren't ready to concede.

GUESTS:

Zoe Clark, programming director at Michigan Radio

Craig Mauger, reporter with the Detroit News

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After a year of protests calling on local governments to defund the police, most large cities in Michigan are actually spending more on police, not less. The new fiscal year is about to begin for many cities across the state. July 1st marks the starting point of the new spending cycle for most cities. As those budget plans get finalized, the Michigan Radio newsroom has been digging into how the state’s 20 largest cities are handling  the calls to defund police departments. The analysis was done using Minutes, a tool that keeps track of local government meetings in Michigan.

GUESTS:  

Nisa Khan, data reporter

Dustin Dwyer, West Michigan reporter 

NOTES: 

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