Yumna Jawad, known across social media Feel Good Foodie, shared the Ramadan meals that make her excited about the holiday season.

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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Thousands of federal workers have been laid off in recent weeks. In Michigan that includes employees from the VA hospital, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Forest Service. These layoffs are a result of President Trump’s initiative to cut federal spending.

Emily Davies, a reporter for the Washington Post has been covering the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency—commonly referred to as DOGE—on federal agencies. In her latest article, Davies tells the story of Riley Cooper, a Trump supporter from Baldwin, MI who was laid off from the U.S. Forest Service.

In Cadillac, Marie Richards was laid off in mid-February from her job as a tribal relations specialist with the Huron-Manistee National Forests.

Richards, a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, worked as its historic preservation and repatriation specialist before taking the Forest Service job in December of 2023. She was one of thousands of probationary U.S. Forest Service workers laid off as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to cut costs and reduce the size of the federal government.

That story came from Interlochen Public Radio climate reporter Izzy Ross. 

Background reading:

She hoped Trump’s victory would change her life, but not like this

U.S. Forest Service firings decimate already understaffed agency: ‘It’s catastrophic’

 

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The 25% tariffs issued against all Mexican and Canadian imports are cause for major concern for the auto industry, according to Jamie Butters, executive editor of Automotive News.

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A very rare sighting in the thumb region of Michigan this winter: an orange snowy owl. But how did it get that way?

GUEST: 

Sheri McWhirter, climate and environment reporter for MLive

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You've probably been hearing a lot of a particular term in the news and social media in the past few weeks: constitutional crisis. There are many people who believe the first few weeks of President Donald Trump's second-term administration have brought the United States dangerously close to one. We talked to Richard Primus, a constitutional law expert at the University of Michigan, about how to tell if you're in a constitutional crisis, and how the country has navigated them in years past. 

GUEST: 

Richard Primus, law professor at the University of Michigan

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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Singer Isis Damil is young, but she's spent her lifetime crafting her uniquely Detroit sound. Now she's the new voice of WDIV's iconic "Go 4 It" theme song, and she's building her catalogue with her band.

GUEST:

Isis Damil, singer

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The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment saw an irregular drop in February. And economist joined us to break down the numbers, and put them into context.

GUEST:

Joanne Hsu, economist; director of the Survey of Consumers at the University of Michigan

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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When we tell stories, we have the opportunity to connect across generations. And sometimes, those connections can become catalysts that shift the course of our lives. Michigan Public’s Christopher Johnson introduces us to Detroit storyteller, Dwight Stackhouse, whose journey led him from the pulpit to the stage to James Baldwin—and beyond. 

GUEST:

Dwight Stackhouse, writer and storyteller

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The Great Lakes are renowned for both its commercial and sport fishing industries.

Long before that, the gifts of the inland seas provided both sustenance and economic trading power to the Indigenous peoples who lived in the region. But, there was a time, not long ago, where the fisheries of the Great Lakes were almost left for dead.

A new documentary, narrated by actor J.K. Simmons, explores the decades-long hunt to identify and subdue one of the biggest threats to Great Lakes fisheries: the sea lamprey.

The film, The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery, was commissioned to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the agency tasked with controlling sea lamprey.

On this episode, we’ll be exploring how 19th and 20th century shipping opened the door for new vessels - and new threats to Great Lakes wildlife. 

GUESTS:

• Lindsey Haskin, director of The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery

• Mike Siefkes, director of sea lamprey control with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission

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Michigan is in the midst of one of the worst flu seasons in years. There have already been more than 10,000 flu-related hospitalizations in the state this flu season, and outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms are the highest they have been in 15 years. We talked to Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive, about flu season and the best ways to protect yourself. 

GUEST: 

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the state of Michigan 

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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