The Detroit Evening Report

The Detroit City Council voted in new leaders Monday. 

WDET'S Bre'Anna Tinsley was there. 

James Tate was voted President 5-4. He served as President Pro Tem under now mayor Mary Sheffield. He says he wants to strengthen how the council operates.

 "For years, I have pushed for a legislative agenda, and while we have not fully realized that goal, I did help usher into our rules, a process that can move us there. That matters because it increases transparency, accountability, and it also provides the public a way to see our priorities and measure our progress."

Coleman Young II was voted Pro Tem, defeating Mary Waters.

Independent gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan says he's bringing a message of unity to the state—the kind he says helped him bridge divides as mayor of Detroit. 

As an independent Duggan won't get any visibility from the party primary process. He says instead he’s visiting with small groups of voters across Michigan and finding many of them concerned about the same issues like affordable housing and job training opportunities. 

Duggan says Republicans and Democrats are more interested in beating each other than working together to solve problems. "I have never seen a state more evenly divided than Michigan today. And people more fed up. I don't think the climate's ever been more fertile...to have a third option."

Duggan claims rural voters in particular find they have more in common than they thought with the urban electorate that placed him at the top of Detroit's city government. (Quinn Klinefelter) 

The Brightmoor Artisan Collective is getting ready to launch a program for folks who want to start a food business.

Applications for the Retail Food Business Cohort are set to go live in a few weeks. Participants will be able to access free food safety certification, business plan development, networking events and a one year membership in the collective. 

For more information visit brightmoorartisans.org. 

The Detroit Parks and Rec Department is launching a slew of sports programs for kids this and next month. Offerings include tennis, baseball, volleyball, basketball, flag football, soccer and “sports movement.” 

Programs will be offered at recreation and community centers throughout the city.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield took office on New Year's Day. But she's celebrating her achievement with a public swearing-in ceremony this week.

Detroit City Council members, police commissioners and the City Clerk will also take part. The ceremony at the Detroit Opera House features poetry and music performances as well.

Sheffield is the first woman ever elected mayor of Detroit. She says her team is developing an action plan for her first 100 days with input from the community. But she's also retaining several key officials from the past mayoral administration including the corporation counsel—the city's top lawyer—and Detroit's fire commissioner.

Sheffield also announced today that the city will join a program that gives financial support to pregnant women and infants. The city has already raised 9 million dollars to participate in RX Kids. It's looking for $2 million to fund the program for 3 years.

Sheffield says she hopes to secure the funding to launch the program within her first 100 days.

DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, and other regulated utilities in Michigan must do more to inform customers about potential rate hikes. This is because of a new order by state utility regulators.

The Michigan Public Service Commission wants to increase customer participation in utility issues, including cases that set new rates. After March, regulated electric utilities must inform customers when they asked for higher rates, and how much their bills would go up if that amount is approved.

There’s concern that this could confuse people, since rarely do utilities get their full requested amount. But supporters of the change say advance notice will let more people find out about and comment on potential rate hikes before the cases are resolved.

Michigan gas prices have dropped 11 cents since last week. According to the auto group AAA, you can get regular unleaded for $2.70. This new price is 18 cents less than a month ago and 44 cents less than this time last year, making this new price the lowest since February of 2021.

The US strikes in Venezuela this weekend don’t seem to have impacted oil prices just yet, according to AAA. The organization also says Venezuela crude oil exports have been limited due to the sanctions in the last couple of years.

NFL

The Lions beat the Chicago Bears 19-16 yesterday with a walk off field goal kick from Jake Bates, ending the season with a winning record. Now all eyes are on the off season, the NFL draft and seeing how they will bounce back for the 2026 season.

NBA

The Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday 114-110 and remain on top of the Eastern Conference. Their next game is today at Little Caesars against the New York Knicks and again at Little Caesars on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.

Tip off for both is at 7:00 p.m.

NHL

The Red Wings play against the Ottawa Senators tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Red Wings are currently third in the Atlantic Division.

And R&B singer Carl Thomas known for his smash 2000 hit “I Wish” will be performing at Sound Board on Sunday Jan. 11, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

The artist from Illinois hit the Billboard Top Hot 100 and peaked at 20. And this year marks the 26th anniversary of his debut studio album "Emotional."

To hear Thomas live, go to soundboarddetroit.com for tickets and more information.

Over the holidays, we’re sharing some of the stories Detroit Evening Report hosts produced for the radio this year. Today we hear a story from Nargis Rahman.   

Journalist Martina Guzman has created an AI-powered tool to monitor disinformation aimed at Spanish speakers via radio. 

More: VERDAD disinformation monitoring AI tool receives grant to expand services

The project is a part of Guzman’s work for the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University’s Law School. They recently received a $350,000 grant to expand VERDAD which stands for Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse. 

Guzmán told Nargis Rahman the tool will now expand to all 50 states, into multiple languages and also globally. 

The ladies come to hockey town tomorrow as the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) returns to Little Caesars Arena for their Takeover Tour. The Vancouver Goldeneyes play the Boston Fleet Saturday at 7 p.m.

Detroit audiences have broken PWHL attendance records at previous games. 

The league will play in Detroit again March 28 when the New York Sirens and Montreal Victoire play.

The league expanded last year from 6 teams to 8 – adding Vancouver and Seattle. No Detroit team has been announced yet. 

The Euphoria Flow Sisters will host a Fullmoon Party Saturday evening at the Congregation. The event offers a chance to de-stress, release negative energy and shove in some self-care after the holidays.

It is free and will include an “ecstatic dance.”

Start the new year with appreciation for our international border and a psychic reading. GQ Tarot and Celestial Spirit Tarot are hosting Beyond Resolutions! New Year Psychic Readings at Celeste’s Café in Windsor starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The event is scheduled to fall on the Full Wolf Supermoon – a time for emotional release and profound clarity.

Celeste’s Café is at 1295 Ottawa Street in Windsor. Pre-booking is strongly encouraged. Call 519-256-9859.  

Over the holidays…the Detroit Evening Report team is sharing some of the stories we produced for the radio this year. Today, we hear a story from WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley.

A survey by the Entertainment Software Association found that 86% of veterans turn to gaming to reduce stress and anxiety. Bre’Anna Tinsley spoke to Stephen Machuga, who founded a nonprofit that supports mental health for veterans through gaming. Before creating Stack Up, Machuga spent eight years in the army.

That’s just part of Bre’Anna Tinsley’s interview with Stephen Machuga who founded the veteran support nonprofit Stack Up. You can hear the full story at wdet.org.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is encouraging Michiganders to spend the first day of 2026 outdoors. The “First Day Hike” is an option for state and national parks. The Friends of Maybury State Park host a New Year’s Day hike every year. Recreation passes are required for vehicles entering state parks. You can find Michigan trails close by or across the state at michigan.gov/dnrtrails.

Decked Out Detroit’s “Create” program is offering a holiday crafting workshop tomorrow (Thurs). The Shadow Boxing New Year's Wishes Workshop is a chance to make a shadow box and fill it with wishes for 2026. The workshop is from 1 to 3 p.m. at 1413 Woodward Avenue. Search for “create by decked out Detroit” on Eventbrite to register.

Shopping at the Downtown Detroit Markets and warm drinks at the Cadillac Lodge at Cadillac Square are also available New Year’s Day and through January. For more information, visit downtowndetroit.org.

The Pistons host the Miami Heat at Little Caesars Arena New Year’s Day. The game starts at 7 p.m.

And of course, there will be plenty of New Year’s Eve celebrations tonight.  Make sure to select a designated driver if you plan to drink. 

If you’re staying home tonight, Motown legend Diana Ross will headline Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve.  The live New York based show featuring several artists starts at 8 p.m. on ABC television.

The Detroit Evening Report will take a break for the holiday, but we’ll be back on Friday – ready to bring you all things Detroit in 2026. 

From all of us here at WDET, Happy New Year!

Over the holidays, we’re sharing some of the stories Detroit Evening Report hosts produced for the radio this year. Today…we hear a story from Jerome Vaughn.   

October 2025 marked the 20th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ death. She was 92 when she died in her Detroit home in 2005. WDET’s Jerome Vaughn covered the story at the time and WDET aired that story this fall to commemorate Parks’ life and passing. 

This is just part of Jerome Vaughn’s story commemorating the life and passing of Rosa Parks. You can hear the full story at wdet.org. 

Adults have a lot of options for ringing in the New Year. But we have some events to help little ones get in on the fun.

The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Legoland in Auburn Hills and United Skates in Lincoln Park are just some places with Noon Year’s Eve festivities for the whole family offered mid-day on Wednesday.

Find a link to Little Guide Detroit’s roundup of kid-friendly parties at littleguidedetroit.com. (https://littleguidedetroit.com/kid-friendly-new-years-eve-events-in-metro-detroit-2025/)  

The Detroit Film Theatre will screen three documentary shorts about Anishinaabe Food Sovereignty on Saturday, Jan. 3. The films will explore modern and historic gardening practices, an effort to restore the whitefish population and one woman’s journey to reconnect with her own heritage through the experience of harvesting wild rice.

The screening is at 2 p.m. on Jan. 3 and is scheduled as the DIA’s exhibit, Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation, is on display until April 5th. The film and exhibit are free to residents of Wayne… Oakland and Macomb Counties – or free with museum admission. For more information, visit dia.org/events. 

Over the holidays, we’re sharing some of the stories Detroit Evening Report hosts produced for the radio this year. Today we hear a story from Sascha Raiyn.  

Terees Western is an artisan perfumer and owner of the business FragranTed. Sascha Raiyn spoke to her about her work and about one title she uses, "scent docent."

Western says she explains the experience of scent the way a docent at the DIA might explain a work of art. 

More: Scent docent brings the smell of the season to you

Detroit Public Library branches are hosting holiday break events throughout this week.

Offerings include card-making and Kwanzaa craft sessions, video and board gaming and storytimes. The Sherwood Forest Branch will host a family New Year’s Party Tuesday from 4-5pm at 7117 West Seven Mile Road.

Find Detroit Public Library events at detroitpubliclibrary.org/events. 

Come Play Detroit is bringing Broomball to Downtown Detroit in early January and tomorrow is the last day to register to play.

The co-ed league hits the ice at Campus Martius Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Teams can register for $1100 dollars with a $100 deposit. Individuals can play for $120. The Broomball leagues runs through January and February. For more information visit comeplaydetroit.com. 

Over the holidays…we’re sharing some of the stories Detroit Evening Report hosts produced for the radio. Today…we hear a story from Nargis Rahman.

The state health department hoped to register 500 doulas in its doula registry by 2028. This fall, it had more than a thousand. That includes doulas across the state with various specialties and most are able to accept payment through Medicaid.

Nargis spoke to Dawn Shanafelt the Director of Maternal and Infant Health for the Department of Health and Human Services about the registry and efforts to export birthing assistance services in Michigan.

Outro: This is just part of Nargis Rahman’s interview with Dawn Shanafelt from the Department of Health and Human Services. You can her the full story at wdet.org.

The city’s 30 foot tall Kwanzaa Kinara join Detroit’s official Hannukah Menorah and Christmas tree in Campus Martius Friday, Dec. 26. This first day of Kwanzaa celebrates the principle Umoja or Unity.

If you missed the City’s Kinara lighting, there are Kwanzaa celebrations throughout the city until the holiday ends on New Year’s Day. The Redford Branch of the Detroit Public Library has festivities tomorrow, including arts & crafts and African dance and drumming.

For more information visit detroitpubliclibrary.org/events.

The Charles H Wright Museum of African American History will host Kwanzaa events through Monday. Festivities include performances, speakers, family-friendly activities, a vendor marketplace and candle lightings.

Each day’s schedule is a little different. Visit thewright.com/events/kwanzaa for more information.

Source Booksellers is hosting a virtual celebration of cooperative economics on the 29th with author Ben Passmore, who will talk about his book “Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance.”

The event is at 5pm. To register look for Source Booksellers on Eventbrite.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says the city generated a $105 million budget surplus in the last fiscal year. 

He credits strategic decisions by city staffers for the savings.  It’s the 11th annual budget surplus in a row.  The mayor says the city now has a rainy-day fund of more than half a billion dollars. 

The announcement was part of Duggan’s last news conference as mayor of Detroit.  He is now running as an independent to become Michigan’s next governor. 

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield has announced that she’ll have a public swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 9.  The celebration will give Detroiters a chance to watch the proceedings in person or online. 

Sheffield and members of Detroit City Council will officially be sworn into office on New Year’s Day.  The Jan. 9 event will take place at the Detroit Opera House.  It’s free and open to the public.  

Christmas Day is a federal and state holiday, meaning government offices will be closed Thursday.  That includes the post office – so there will be no mail delivery.  Detroit government offices will also be closed Thursday. 

Most private businesses will be closed for the holiday as well. 

Expect malls and shopping centers to be very busy tonight as consumers rush to pick up a few last-minute gifts before Christmas. 

Don’t wait too late, though.  Several retailers will close early tonight – and won’t be open at all on Thursday.  That includes the region’s major grocery stores. 

CVS will be open on Christmas Day, but hours may vary by location. 

If you’re on the road over the holidays, there’s good news for you.  Gas prices have been falling.  In metro Detroit, a gallon of self-serve regular now averages $2.84.  That’s roughly where it was a week ago, but that price is 21 cents cheaper than last month at this time. 

The NFL has suspended Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf for two games following an altercation with a fan during the team’s game in Detroit last Sunday.  

Metcalf will miss this weekend’s game in Cleveland and the regular-season finale against Baltimore. CBS-TV cameras captured the confrontation between Metcalf and a fan during the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s 29-24 win over Detroit.

The fan leaned over the railing and exchanged words with Metcalf before the Steeler ended the confrontation by swinging his arm at the fan’s face. (AP) 

And the Detroit Lions play their next to last game of the regular season on Christmas Day.  The team travels to Minneapolis to play the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC North battle. 

The Lions’ playoff hopes are holding on by a slim thread after their loss to Pittsburgh. 

Detroit now has a record of 8 wins and 7 losses. The Vikings have seven wins and 8 losses.  

Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday.  The game will be televised on CBS 62. 

The Detroit Evening Report will take a break for Christmas Day – then we’ll have a week of special stories for the holidays. 

From all of us here at WDET – merry Christmas and happy holidays!

The Great Lakes Water Authority says a new tunnel will divert excess stormwater from a sewer line along the Rouge River to an under-used wastewater treatment plant in southwest Detroit. The $87 million project is expected to take at least two years to complete. 

More: GLWA takes steps to reduce sewage backups in southwest Detroit

The agency expects the new tunnel will reduce the risk of flooding and sewage backups during heavy rains. State and federal grants are paying for the project, along with sewer rate revenue. 

A voter-approved initiative that helped fund an expedited blight removal program in 2020 will end next year. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gave his final update on the program Monday. 

Duggan announced there are fewer than 1,000 abandoned homes left. That's down from 47,000 in 2014. Of those remaining, 240 are scheduled to be demolished with the other 702 in the pipeline to be sold. 

Duggan says the final steps will focus on addressing contaminated soil from sites where contractors used polluted backfill. He says there is still a $15 million reserve to address backfill contaminated sites. 

Demolition work has begun on the old Southwest Detroit Hospital which has been abandoned since the early 90s. The site along Michigan Avenue is being cleared to make way for a new 15,000 seat soccer stadium where Detroit City Football Club will play its home games. 

AlumniFi Field, as the stadium will be known, is expected to host its first match in 2027. 

Detroit Downtown Development Authority has approved up to $5 million in cash toward the cost of renovations at the Little Caesars Arena for Detroit's incoming WNBA team. 

Renovations include a new locker room, modifications of game officials’ locker rooms and visitor space. Work is expected to start in 2028. 

Detroit’s WNBA franchise will be the fifth professional team to play downtown – joining the city’s NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB teams. 

Detroit Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield has named David Bowser as her Chief of Staff.

Bowser was her senior policy advisor during her campaign and is the director of her transition team. 

Bowser served as deputy director of the Housing and Revitalization Department, deputy director of the Community Health Corps and director of Human Services in the for Mayor Mike Duggan. 

Dearborn’s Department of Public Health has been awarded a $101,000 grant to advance firearm safety. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services funding supports collaborative efforts to educate gun owners on safe handling and storage. 

Dearborn Mayor Abdulllah Hammoud says firearm injury prevention is a public health and safety priority. 

The city’s health department will distribute firearm safety kits, including gun locks, lockboxes, and educational materials.  Dearborn Chief Public Health Officer Ali Abazeed says the grant supports evidence-based education and access to safety tools. 

Michigan Chief Medical Executive makes Standing Recommendation regarding children’s vaccines 

Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, made a Standing Recommendation to continue issuing vaccinations on schedule based on recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). 

Bagdasarian shared that public health experts are not in agreement with new federal vaccine recommendations, prompting the announcement. One of the recent changes was dropping the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth and removing the COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for healthy children and pregnant women. 

Bagdasarian’s Standing Recommendation was made with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Immunization. 

She says the recommendation does not supersede clinical judgment. She also asks health care providers to make vaccines accessible by removing barriers for patients. 

EGLE renews license for hazardous waste facility 

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has renewed the license for a hazardous waste treatment and storage facility in Detroit for the next 10 years.

Hazardous Waste Management Facility Operating License to EQ Detroit Inc., which does business as US Ecology Detroit South, was issued the license after regulatory review and a public comment process. Several people strongly opposed the facility because it emits strong odors leading to health concerns like asthma. The facility also has a history of clean air violations. 

EGLE renewed the license, adding new requirements, such as expanding air and groundwater monitoring. The facility must replace six tanks beginning in January 2026 and install odor control equipment by the end of Dec 2027.

Tunnel in southwest Detroit 

The Great Lakes Water Authority has started building a sewage relief system near the Rouge River in Southwest Detroit. Crews will spend at least two years digging a tunnel to carry excess stormwater to an underused retention and treatment center. Chief Operating Officer Navid Mehram says the $87 million project should reduce the risk of flooding and sewage backups during heavy rain. 

"So this is an example where we’re making an investment in our existing system by rerouting some flows, so that we can leverage an existing facility that wasn’t receiving all the flow it can treat.”

Mehram says the project will not increase customers' sewage bills. He says state and federal funding will help pay for the tunnel. 

New tech firm in town 

Detroit is getting a new high-tech security and AI solution firm Eccalon. The defense tech company will create 800 new jobs ranging from $25-100 per hour. 

The facility will have manufacturing operations, training programs and an innovation center. 

The company’s headquarters is moving from Maryland to become a part of the tech innovation in Detroit. Eccalon will be located at the Bedrock-owned Icon building at 200 Walker Street. 

Eccalon Chairman and CEO André Gudger says the new headquarters will develop cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing and automation. 

The company hopes to open early next year.