The Metro

Michiganders are broadly against data centers, especially when they’re proposed near their residence. Their concerns about electricity and water use are compounded by a general feeling that large tech companies control too much of their lives. At this point, 52 localities in Michigan have passed data center moratoriums.

But are concerns about hyper-scale data centers overblown? And, are there more benefits that townships aren’t fully appreciating?

Eric Paul Dennis is the infrastructure research associate for the Citizens Research Council. A new report he did on data centers says their benefits often actually outweigh the costs. He spoke with The Metro's Sam Corey.

The Detroit Kite Festival returns to Belle Isle for an eighth year at Cricket Field, near the James Scott Memorial Fountain, on Sunday, July 12. 

Besides an entry fee to the island, the venue will be free. Some activities include book nooks, music, bubble therapy as well as tents for cooling off and making a kite. 

The Mint Artists Guild will be celebrating a ten year anniversary by hosting a Joy and Faces booth for complimentary face painting and crafts. They spent the last decade training and paying young Detroit artists.

Lex Draper Garcia Bey, a fourth-generation Detroiter, describes how she became the director of the festival.  “Margot, the founder of the kite festival, needed to step away," Draper Garcia Bey said, “I couldn’t stand the thought of me going to my absolute favorite festival and it feeling boring to me.”

She joins The Metro to chat about her experience with whimsy as she supports the event alongside volunteers. 

This Saturday is the Fourth of July — and it’s a big one. Two hundred and fifty years since the Declaration of Independence. A new Gallup poll finds American pride at its lowest in 25 years. Only a third of Americans say they’re “extremely proud” to be American. And the partisan split is stark: 70% of Republicans, versus 14% of Democrats.

Michael Taylor is the mayor of Sterling Heights. He spoke with The Metro's Robyn about why it's more important now than ever to unite to rediscover our pride in this country. 

New rules for the Huntington Woods Fourth of July parade would limit signs to a group's name and logo — no message. A University of Michigan law clinic calls the rules unconstitutional and says the city tied them to the local Peace Group’s signs calling for a ceasefire in Gaza; the city didn't respond to The Metro’s request for comment.

Suhair Ghannam, who came to the U.S. from Nazareth at 20 and calls free speech the thing she treasures most about this country, joins Robyn Vincent to explain why the fight feels personal. 

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Though Clark Park became famous for hosting ice hockey during the winter, they are teaming up alongside Chandler Park with Motown Lacrosse to teach children box lacrosse this summer.

Especially when the United States will be celebrating a 250th birthday, these practices serve as a secret history lesson, as lacrosse began on Native American soil before the country was founded.

Liam McElroy, or Coach Mac, is the founder of Motown Lacrosse leading the next generation through the sport. He joins The Metro to discuss the dynamics of box lacrosse from cost to the indigenous roots behind the game.

Amherstburg, Ontario was a critical destination for freedom seekers fleeing slavery in the U.S. It's also where freed African Canadians lived.

Lorene Brigden-Lennie is the board director of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society. She joined The Metro to discuss the ways that Canada observes Canada Day and Emancipation Day through the lens of freed slaves.

It's Canada Day — and Canadians are marking it under a strange cloud. A year of U.S. tariffs, talk from President Trump of making Canada the "51st state," and a brand-new Detroit-Windsor bridge finished but sitting empty. And today, of all days, the trade deal between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico comes up for review.

Historian Craig Baird, host of Canadian History Ehx, tells host Robyn Vincent we've been here before — back in the 1890s, when the U.S. tried to squeeze Canada with tariffs and it backfired, fueling a wave of Canadian pride. He explains what that history rhymes with now, and where the comparison breaks down.

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Canadians don’t feel so hot toward the U.S. right now. Thirty-seven percent view the country favorably, and most think even less of President Donald Trump. That’s in part because of a 25% tax the president issued on steel and aluminum, which has cost thousands of jobs for people in Windsor alone. Most of those folks work for auto suppliers.

Today is not only Canada Day, it’s also the day that talks are set to begin to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement. The Metro’s Sam Corey spoke with Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association President Flavio Volpe about why America’s aggressions toward Canada have led to losses for everyone.

The Michigan House proposed a complete elimination of funding for the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC). If the MACC becomes disenfranchised, then museums, historic sites, and other cultural organizations will lose out on $11 million. 

MACC gives grants to creative projects across the state. They stand for economic development, education, and engagement, while they also form strategies for leadership, research, and most of all, money with arts and culture. 

Executive Director of the Michigan Museums Association Lisa Craig Brisson and Arts Education Program Manager Chad Swan-Badgero join The Metro to discuss the history of funding from MACC being threatened despite the impact they have on museums and other public spaces where arts and culture flourish.

Nearly all of Michigan is under an extreme heat warning or advisory as we approach Independence Day weekend, with the heat index — what it actually feels like outside— exceeding 105 degrees Fahrenheit in many places. Babies, children and the elderly are at a higher risk of heat-related illness.

Knowing the right precautions to take can save lives. Dr. Phillip Levy is an emergency physician and professor at Wayne State University’s School of Medicine. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to explain how the body cools itself and describe essential preventative measures to take during a heatwave.