Most everyone wants students to have good teachers. But how do we adequately prepare educators, and keep them in the profession? Ten years ago, only a handful of Michigan school districts reported permanent teaching vacancies. Today, that number has exploded: More than 150 districts now have jobs they can’t fill.

Some in the state are trying to fix this. Jack Elsey leads the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative. His nonprofit is launching a collaboration with some public universities in the state to change the way teachers are trained, and to keep them in the field. He spoke with Robyn Vincent.

Detroit has a lot of needs, including things like bus transit, policing and security, and trash pickup. Those things cost money — money that can be difficult to come up with in a city of relative poverty. But with more people spending time in Detroit, and even moving to the city, it also has more opportunity to raise revenue.

The Citizens Research Council investigated whether a sales tax could benefit residents by generating $72 million a year. Madhu Anderson is the council's senior research associate for local government affairs. She believes a sales tax isn't a great idea, but offered other possible ways Detroit could raise revenue. Anderson spoke with The Metro's Sam Corey.

Ismael Ahmed’s life was rooted in community and guided by the belief that people are stronger when brought together. Born in 1947 to a working-class Arab immigrant family, he grew up in Dearborn’s South End, shaped by factory work, public education, and a commitment to justice that defined his life’s work.

He co-founded the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), helped establish the Arab American National Museum, and later served as Michigan’s first Arab American cabinet member. Music was central to his activism. Through founding the Concert of Colors and hosting This Island Earth on WDET, Ahmed used music to break down barriers and connect people across cultures.

Ismael Ahmed died January 31, 2026. He was 78 years old.

Transit agencies across Southeast Michigan say the system has stabilized after years of disruption. Host Robyn Vincent speaks with Noah Kincade of Detroit Documenters about how recovery is being defined, what riders are experiencing, and why documenting public meetings matters as transit enters its next phase.

Since 1941, the Wayne State University Press has published over 2,000 titles that explore a number of topics from literature, to history to politics.

Senior Director Stephanie Williams joined the program to discuss its offerings this season.

To counter President Donald Trump's agenda, liberals aren't discussing democracy. They're talking about the issue of affordability.

In November, Democrats ran across the country — and won — on reducing the cost of living. Last month, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer unveiled a plan to make America more affordable.

But what, exactly, is an affordability agenda? And how are politicians trying to resolve the affordability crisis?

EJ Dionne is a New York Times opinion writer, a professor at Georgetown University, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He joined Robyn Vincent to discuss.

Affordability. That’s the word that’s been buzzing around politics. In November, Democrats across the country won on the promise of reducing the cost of living. But it’s not just liberals that are embracing an “affordability agenda.” Conservatives and libertarians are latching on as well.

Jarrett Skorup is the vice president of marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which appreciates the free market and criticizes government regulation. In this conversation, The Metro's Sam Corey spoke with him about why he thinks unregulated capitalism can help free people from the burden of rising costs.

The McDougall-Hunt Neighborhood on Detroit's east side has been home to the Heidelberg Project since 1986, when artist Tyree Guyton came back to the neighborhood he was raised in and began turning empty lots and abandoned houses into works of art.

The installation celebrates 40 years this year, preserving the history of the space and while reimaging the neighborhood where three generations of his family lived. 

Tyree Guyton is a life-long Detroiter, a painter and visionary place maker and this year's Kresge Eminent Artist. At 70 years old, he's being honored for his life’s work improving community through the arts. 

Guyton and the former manager of The Heidelberg Project Jeanne Whitefield joined The Metro to talk about life, legacy and the future of Detroit Heidelberg Project. 

Many have been actively engaging and organizing against federal immigration enforcement and the killings of Americans at the hands of immigration agents. It’s been true in Minneapolis, where thousands have taken to the streets. And it’s spread from there to Detroit and many other places across the nation. All these actions have us wondering: What has been the efficacy of these protests against ICE thus far? And, when, exactly, is a protest successful?

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is a professor of constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She’s also the author of “A Protest History of the United States.” She joined Robyn Vincent to discuss.

Of all the architects in Detroit, one of the best known may be Albert Kahn. He designed some of the city’s most treasured buildings, including the Belle Isle Conservancy, the Fisher Building, and the Detroit Athletic Club.

 Even still, a lot of people don’t know that much about Kahn. They don’t know how or why his work changed architecture in Detroit, or any of his design preferences.

Chris Meister is the author of the new book, “Albert Kahn's Daylight: An Architect Reconsidered.” He spoke with The Metro’s Sam Corey about why much of Kahn’s work prioritized natural light.