At 19, Michigan writer Lauren Roberts self-published her debut YA novel Powerless. Now, a few years later, Roberts is one of romantasy's biggest stars. We talked to Roberts about how she turned her passion for reading romantasy into a full-fledged literary career writing it.

GUEST:

Lauren Roberts, author of the Powerless series. The third and final installment in the series--titled Fearless--hit shelves April 8. 

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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

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President Donald Trump recently described tariffs as a bitter medicine that, the president says, will lead to fairer trade between the U.S. and other countries. But for Michigan’s auto industry, the poison might be in the dose. On this episode, why the impact of global tariffs is likely to hit Michigan automakers particularly hard. 

GUEST: 

Glenn Stevens, executive director of MichAuto

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The University of Michigan recently announced it would be rolling back its DEI programs on campus. The move has been met with pushback from staff and students, but its not the first time the university's policies on race and equity have been met with ire. On today's episode, we talk with one historian about UM’s confrontation with issues of race and equity on campus over the decades, including as the poster child of affirmative action policies, and as the center of two losses before the U.S. Supreme Court over those policies.  

GUEST: 

Matthew Johnson, associate professor of history at Washington and Jefferson College and author of Undermining Racial Justice: How One University Embraced Inclusion and Inequality

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A conversation with Patrick Lyoya's father. The younger Lyoya was killed three years ago by a Grand Rapids police officer during a traffic stop. Lyoya was unarmed, and the officer is awaiting trial for Patrick's murder.

GUEST:

Peter Lyoya, Patrick's father

Thomas Lyoya, Patrick's brother and the translator for his father, who speaks Swahili, during this conversation

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The Trump administration is slashing funding for all sorts of programs and departments - funding that was guaranteed to many departments, institutions, and individuals. Today we hear about the cuts that are being felt, and the legal battle to preserve the funding streams.

GUESTS:

Kate Wells, Michigan Public

Izzy Ross Interlochen Public Radio

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Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a special exhibition honoring the life and work of Dr. Charles Harold Wright himself. Kevin Davidson, the museum's Director of Design and Fabrication, was hired by Wright. He joined us for an inside look at the exhibition. 

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A Canada-based reporter joins us for a deep dive on the history of the trade and manufacturing relationship between Windsor and Detroit. We also discussed why the new tariffs being rolled out this week feel, to some Canadians, "like your best friend sucker punched you."

GUEST:

Trevor Wilhelm, reporter, The Windsor Star

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A program that provided millions of dollars worth of donated foods to Michigan food banks has been cut by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We talked to the head of one West Michigan food bank about what this means for their operations.

GUEST: 

Ken Estelle, president and chief executive officer of Feeding America West Michigan

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From the start of the pandemic through March 2024, more than 44-thousand [ 44,728] Michiganders died after contracting COVID-19. These losses left many surviving family members drifting, as the rest of the world seemed to pick up and move on. We tap into our nation's long history with family and community collapse, and think about addressing grief head-on.

 

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Five years ago, the COVID-19 Pandemic shut doors and changed lives faster than we could learn its name. And amid uncertainty, people looked for answers, even if their searching brought consequences as serious as the virus itself. On this episode of Revival, we delve into the uncertainty that fueled the formulation of conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequences of misinformation.

GUESTS: 

Amy Simon, an associate professor of Holocaust studies and European Jewish history at Michigan State University

Melissa May Borja, associate professor of American culture at the University of Michigan and founder of the Virulent Hate Project

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