The Metro

The Masonic Temple is a popular a venue on the edge of the Cass Corridor that hosts events and concerts. It opened in 1926 after being designed by architect George Mason. In addition to being a venue, it serves as a meeting space for the Free Mason fraternity. 

Around this time of year, rumors typically begin to spread about the history of the temple, George Mason’s passing and whether the building is haunted. 

Rob Moore, the Executive director of the Detroit Masonic Temple Library, Archive, and Research Center joined the program to set the record straight.

It’s been over five years since the COVID-19 pandemic and local autoworkers are have taken steps to move its employees back into the office.

Ford Motor Company implemented a new policy in September that requires employees to be in office four days a week. General Motors is moving its headquarters to the brand-new Hudson's site downtown. At the same time, co-working spaces continue to be a popular work place option for companies.

The mix between traditional office space, co-working space and hybrid work has us wondering what the future of the workplace could look like.

Melissa Fisher is an anthropologist whose work focuses on workplace culture and design. She joined the The Metro to discuss what employees and managers take into account when determining an ideal work place.

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

One of the biggest issues Detroiters face has to do with their homes. There are a fair number of homes in the city, but over 20,000 of them are in dire need of repairs. That includes leaky roofs, electricity issues, and asbestos in the walls.

The problem is large, but one retired firefighter, Gary Ringer, is trying to chip away at it. He joined The Metro to discuss the challenges he encounters and why he volunteers around the city. 

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

Three teenagers and a four-year-old were killed in a string of deadly shootings in Detroit during the summer. In response, Mayor Duggan and Police Chief Todd Bettison announced plans to ramp up enforcement of the city's curfew policy and more than double the penalty fees.

The city fines parents of teenagers who stay out past curfew hours without adult supervision. Officials say fines will encourage parents to step up and help reduce the violence, but experts argue this approach doesn't work and that it could cause more hardship for families. 

Caitlin Cavanagh is a developmental psychologist who teaches in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. She joined the show to discuss the impact of the fines and potential alternative solutions.

President Donald Trump has been pushing an "American first" foreign policy, one that is stricter on immigration, and tougher on China and our global trading partners. What do people make of this approach?

Rebecca Lissner is a Senior fellow for US foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Brady-Johnson distinguished practitioner in grand strategy and lecturer with the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University. She joined The Metro to discuss. 

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

Arts and culture in Hamtramck are thriving, yet not many know about its community and resources offered to a wide array of people.

Passenger Recovery was founded in 2016 with the goal of helping traveling artists maintain sobriety with tools and resources to allow for safe experiences on the road.  

Now, the artistic and sobriety space, Recovery Community Center, is trying to do even more to foster and protect local and visiting talent, and to expand its programming. They've found they often partner with the Hamtramck Queer Alliance, providing a safe space for many different groups in the area. 

Bryan Wolf is the Director of Passenger Recovery and Passenger Radio, a music and sound professional and educator. Tim Price is the Outreach and Marketing Director of Social Media for Passenger Radio WHCK. He is also the founder and curator of the Christopher Street Gallery in Hamtramck.

Bryan and Tim joined The Metro to talk more about what’s being happening in Hamtramck’s arts and culture scene.

Jova Lynn, co-director of the Museum of Contemporary Arts Detroit, joined The Metro to talk more about renovations, new exhibitions and 20 years of MOCAD. 

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

Detroit was built for cars, but its future depends on people. Public transit in the Motor City has long struggled to keep up with the city’s needs, from unreliable service to missed school days and lost job opportunities. In this episode, we explore what it would take to build a Detroit that truly moves everyone.

Transit advocate Deanne Austin joins Robyn Vincent to talk about how mobility shapes opportunity, what Detroit’s next mayor must prioritize, and how better buses could strengthen education, access, and everyday life.

Poverty is going up in Detroit. So too are the costs of food and housing. All of this means that many are struggling to pay their bills, and homelessness — particularly for kids — is on the rise. 

Anthony Eid, the senior director of public policy for the Community Development Advocates of Detroit, and the policy and advocacy coordinator for COTS, a housing agency in the city, joined The Metro to discuss.

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

Capturing love through photography

Elonte Davis is a Detroit-based photographer and a 2025 Kresge Fellow. His work has been featured in Forbes Magazine, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

For Elonte, photography is a powerful tool to spread love and joy, helping people see themselves differently and with greater appreciation.