The Metro

Detroit is full of hidden stories, inside jokes, and places that mean more than they seem.

Two local puzzle makers captured that spirit in a new book of Detroit-themed crosswords. They join Cary Junior II to talk about friendship, creativity, and the joy of solving a city, square by square. 

Evidence of colonization in the United States is stored in filing cabinets and archives of bureaucracy, and is still evident in the U.S. government today.

Maggie Blackhawk, a scholar of colonialism, imperialism, and American Indian history joined The Metro to discuss what we can learn from the bureaucratic records of the past to better understand colonialism in the U.S. and Michigan.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Controversy among local leaders in Oakland County is brewing.

A Detroit Free Press investigation uncovered gaps in the county's laws that allowed multiple officials to engage in conduct that experts say is a conflict of interest. Commissioners in Oakland County voted on contracts for organizations where they were also employed.

Detroit Free Press investigative reporter Dave Boucher joined the show to explain why those gaps exist and how to close them.  

Detroit has changed a lot in the last two decades. There’s more investment in the downtown and midtown areas. There are more people milling about the city. The parks and public areas have improved. Stephen McGee witnessed those changes up close.

The photographer and award-winning filmmaker came to Detroit decades ago and began photographing the city for the Detroit Free Press. He aggregated a lot of that work into his documentary, "Resurgo." He spoke about his film with Cary Junior II. 

As aviation faces turbulence, from safety lapses to strained oversight, a veteran insider challenges the government’s math and the stories we tell about air safety.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Last week, Democrats across the country ran on alleviating the issue of affordability. 

Those people spreading the message were often young, 30-somethings. That was true in New York City, where Zohran Mamdani became mayor-elect. And it was true in Detroit, where Mary Sheffield won as well. The voters who brought those people to victory — particularly in the New York mayoral race and the Virginia governor’s race — were young voters.

Amanda Litman is the co-founder and president of Run For Something. She joined Robyn Vincent to discuss why tackling affordability has become a rallying cry for liberal politicians across the country. 

Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield ran on several promises: creating job opportunities for young people, improving schools, and investing in neighborhoods.

How are residents reacting to Sheffield's victory? And, what kinds of organizing and coalition building will the new mayor have to do to live up to her promises?

Donna Givens Davidson, the president of the Eastside Community Network and a co-host of the Authentically Detroit podcast, joined Robyn Vincent to discuss. 

Health care costs are rising again as federal subsidies that kept insurance premiums affordable under the Affordable Care Act near their end. In Detroit, one doctor is testing a different approach — a monthly subscription that connects patients directly with their physicians and removes insurance from primary care.

The Metro host Robyn Vincent speaks with Dr. Paul Thomas about the direct primary care model and what he noticed after bringing it into his pratice. 

The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a tragedy that is remembered with reverence and intrigue across the Great Lakes every year.

Twenty-nine sailors lost their lives on November 10, 1975, and the exact cause of the sinking remains a mystery. Gordon Lightfoot's epic retelling, "The Wreckage of the Edmund Fitzgerald," firmly placed the story of the Fitz's in the national public consciousness.

But, the Edmund Fitzgerald—the largest freighter on the Great Lakes at the time— was always part of Detroit history. It was built, christened, and launched in the Detroit River. It carried record-breaking loads of iron ore and was known as a workhorse in Great Lakes shipping. It's intended stop before sinking was Zug Island.

This year marks 50 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, and the ship's Detroit connection took center stage at several events over the weekend.

Victoria Stewart is Assistant Director of the Humanities Center at Wayne State University.

She created a pop-up exhibition “The Gales of November, Remembered: Detroit and the Edmund Fitzgerald." It was on display at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and Mariners’ Church in Downtown Detroit to commemorate 50 years since the ship sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975.

Stewart spoke to The Metro about the ship's Detroit connections and the timelessness of it's story.

The Huron River is one of the most prominent in our state, and 650,000 people live in the watershed. But you can’t eat fish from the Huron River. After years of unregulated industry, dumping and pollution, PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals’ are part of the Huron.

There’s also a toxic Dioxane bloom moving through groundwater towards the Huron River — the source of drinking water for Ann Arbor.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Awareness about PFAS is increasing, and so are the solutions that can improve river health. Some are policies being introduced at the state level, like so-called “Polluter Pay Laws” introduced by Michigan Democrats and supported by environmental organizations.

On Wednesday, November 12, the Huron River Watershed Council will host a one-day conference, “State of the Huron” to discuss the health of the Huron River and chart its next chapter.

Rebecca Esselman, Executive Director of the Huron River Watershed Council, joined the Metro to talk about the present and future health of the Huron River.