On Saturday, as millions of people protested what they see as President Trump’s federal overreach, an assassin allegedly killed a former Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband. The victims were on a manifesto with about 70 names connected to abortion rights advocates and Democratic officials.

Historian Jeremi Suri says this tension and violence is nothing new, reminiscent of the assassination of Lincoln, the social upheaval of the 1960s, even the January 6th Insurrection and its aftershocks. He joins us on The Metro today to give us more on how history repeats itself, and what this violence means for our democracy.

Come November, Detroit residents will decide who among them will lead the city into its next chapter by taking Mike Duggan’s place as mayor.

Today’s episode of The Metro features Todd Perkins, one of the ten mayoral candidates, as well as an Attorney, Founder and owner of The Perkins Law Group. He speaks with our host Tia Graham about what he thinks makes him the one for the job.

We’re coming off a powerful weekend of action. Millions of people in hundreds of cities were united in “No Kings” protests that swept the country. 

Americans were out to condemn what many see as President Donald Trump’s federal overreach, aggressive anti‑immigrant enforcement, and a military parade that celebrated him and the U.S. Army. 

In Los Angeles, protesters have been out for days and Trump responded with a page from the authoritarian playbook. He deployed thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of active-duty Marines onto the streets of L.A. On Friday, for the first time in recent history, military personnel temporarily detained a civilian.

Here in Detroit, thousands raised their voices at Clark Park, shouting “down with deportations.” Local advocates say ICE agents recently arrested a Venezuelan family in Southwest Detroit moments after their asylum hearing was dismissed. At the McNamara federal courthouse, asylum seekers were detained just as judges ended their proceedings. 

That tactic — attend your immigration hearing and risk arrest — is becoming common.

An almost-graduated Detroit high school student was also detained during a traffic stop on his way to a school field trip. He was deported last week despite many calls from the community urging officials to let him temporarily stay. 

To help us think about this moment, we’re joined by attorney and professor Sabrina Balgamwalla. She’s the director of the Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic at Wayne State University. 

As Detroit’s mayoral race begins to take shape, residents will have to decide which candidates will address the issues most important to them. The candidates have outlined the issues they believe will improve the lives of Detroit residents, but what do residents and community leaders believe needs to be addressed by the next mayor?

Cindy Gamboa is the Executive director of MI Poder- a non profit civic engagement organization that services Michigan’s Latino population- and she’s joined  The Metro today to shed light on the subject.

Throughout its parks and recreation centers, the City of Detroit puts on its annual Senior Olympics, to make sure the city's elders are supported and a part of our community. The competition ends this Saturday and concludes with an Awards Dinner Dance at Northwest Activities Center.

Cary Junior II spoke with Crystal Perkins, Director of the General Services Department, about this year’s event and what he’s most excited for—on today’s episode of The Metro.

Protests against President Donald Trump’s executive order activating more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines in Los Angeles have ignited unrest across the country.

This weekend, “NO KING” protests are scheduled in multiple cities, drawing people from all backgrounds—including faith leaders like Rev. Barry Randolph. A lifelong Detroiter, Rev. Barry recently spoke at a press conference urging peaceful demonstrations and is now joining us on The Metro to share why he’s calling people to the streets this Saturday.

As Detroit continues its fight to stabilize population loss and rebuild its tax base, one mayoral write-in candidate believes the solution lies in physically expanding the city.

Rogelio Landin, 71, a longtime political figure, proposes annexing 28 distressed communities across Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties. His plan, he says, would not only increase Detroit’s population and tax revenue but also help address longstanding issues such as poverty, illiteracy, and failing schools.

“The fact that Detroit has lost 20,000 people annually over the past 50 years is unbelievable,” Landin says. But projections show 650,000 immigrants are expected in the region by 2050, and he believes Detroit must position itself to benefit from that growth.

Landin’s career includes work with the New Detroit coalition formed after the 1967 uprisings, where he focused on economic development, capital access, and minority inclusion. Now, he’s emphasizing community self-determination and inclusive policy as central pillars of his mayoral campaign.

The key to Landin’s platform is securing funding for education reform specifically boosting literacy rates and student proficiency. He also wants to broker deals connecting Detroit entrepreneurs with venture capital funding.

Landin believes Detroit must expand its boundaries to recover economically. “This isn’t just about redrawing lines,” he says. “It’s about making Detroit more inclusive, economically vibrant, and future-ready.”

Whether his bold vision gains traction remains to be seen, but Landin hopes to ignite a new conversation about what it means to grow Detroit.

Since October 7th, the world has felt different for a lot of American Jews and Antisemitism has risen. More recently, two people were shot dead outside a Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. And a man with a flamethrower in Colorado attacked Israeli hostage advocates. 

At the same time, the Jewish-majority country that is Israel has continued its attacks against Hamas in Gaza. On Sunday, 13 Palestinians were killed and over 150 injured after Israeli troops and American contractors opened fire on crowds waiting for food near two aid distribution sites in Gaza. Israel’s months-long food aid blockade has put one in five Palestinians on the brink of starvation. 

There are now 57,000 Palestinians who’ve been killed by Israel’s attacks since October 7th, 2023.  Where has this left Jewish Americans? What does it look like to hold a range of difficult, sometimes opposing, views on a topic that is often a lightning rod in American culture? 

This tension has long shaped American Jewish identity. Today on The Metro we dive into the evolving challenges faced by American Jews, focusing on the rising tide of anti-Semitism and the often-confused distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism—where Zionism represents Jewish nationalism, and anti-Semitism signifies prejudice against Jews. The 1967 Six-Day War marked a turning point, deepening loyalty to Israel among some American Jews while sparking resistance in others, influenced by anti-colonial views during the Vietnam War era. Over the decades, Israel’s role in shaping American Jewish identity has grown increasingly divisive, reflecting a broader shift in how the community relates to the Jewish state.

Julian Levinson is a professor of American Jewish studies at the University of Michigan. And he’s worked in his classes to get students who are often young Jews, to be containers of multiple perspectives. Over the decades, Israel’s role in shaping American Jewish identity has grown increasingly divisive, reflecting a broader shift in how the community relates to the Jewish state.

For many people in Detroit and across the nation, living without stable housing is a daily reality. Keith Famie’s The Razor’s Edge gives us an unfiltered glimpse into that world, capturing the complexity of life without a stable home, and the harsh connection between poverty and food insecurity.

Famie’s Emmy-nominated documentary explores how real change can happen, and underscores why humanizing the problem matters so much. He joined us on the show to talk about the people he's met, the misconceptions he's challenged, and the lives impacted by this film.

A lot has been reported on the struggles of boys and men. College enrollment for men lags behind women, workforce participation is declining, and many report poor mental health.

Some point to a common explanation: the lack of male role models to help guide boys into adulthood. With Father’s Day approaching, we wanted to highlight not just dads, but also the men who serve as father figures across communities.

These are the men who may not be biological fathers, but who show up every day for kids in their neighborhoods. One of them is Marquise Herring, Dean of Students and Athletic Coordinator at Sampson-Webber Academy in Detroit. He also runs “Mentoring through Media,” a male leadership program.

Today on The Metro, Marquise joins us to talk about what it means to be a role model and how he's helping shape the next generation of young men.