The Metro

The Renaissance Center plan sat stalled for more than a year. This week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a law doubling a state tax break for big development projects, and it's moving again. Two towers come down. Three stay — apartments, a hotel, an observation deck, and a new park along the river. Bedrock puts up about $1 billion, GM $250 million, and the public covers the rest. Michael Griffie of AECOM makes the case for it to Robyn Vincent. State Rep. Dylan Wegela, who voted no, makes the case against. 

For well over 100 years, Detroit has been the main hub for the auto industry in America.

The industry brings a lot of jobs with it  One of the most prestigious positions is to be the person who designs how the car looks — but not many get that chance.

Those who work in design studios will tell you that there are fewer auto designers in the country than there are pro athletes in any sport. The industry is also known to be as grueling as it is glamorous.

Raphael Zammit has spent his career in the field. He is now a professor of transportation design and is chair of the graduate transportation design program at the College for Creative Studies.

He discussed the field with Alex McLenon on The Metro. 

Ppl Movin is a social media talk show that brings people to Detroit's under utilized public transit, Detroit People Mover. The show is co-hosted by Layla McMurtrie and Deonte Bell. 

Their show brings strangers, artists and changemakers onto the Detroit People Mover and asks two simple questions: What’s moving you and what’s your next stop? 

Their storytelling brings a new, younger perspective to the changing landscape of Detroit. 

McMurtrie and Bell joined The Metro to talk more about Ppl Movin and an upcoming event.

Last week, Michigan gave Enbridge permission to build a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac and run the Line 5 oil pipeline through it. The permit concedes the project will likely destroy historic and cultural resources, including the remains of tribal ancestors.

All 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan have passed resolutions calling for Line 5 to be shut down, including the Bay Mills Indian Community. The Straits are where the Bay Mills creation story begins, and among the most productive fishing grounds protected by a treaty signed in 1836 — a year before Michigan was a state.

Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community and a federal Indian law attorney, joins Robyn Vincent. Have thoughts? Email the show at [email protected].

The sound of music and engines is synonymous with summer in Metro Detroit. But that noise, specifically the kind generated by modified cars, has been aggravating some people. Residents near Woodward have been complaining about cars being too loud, which has prompted legislators to push for a crackdown on motorists. What’s in their legislation? And could it hurt car culture in the Motor City? Natalie Price is a Democratic state Representative. Her district includes Berkley, Huntington Woods and Birmingham. She spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent. 

Arts funding has been on and off the chopping block. Many art and culture organizations are currently facing financial and political pressure from the Trump administration.

Funding for the National Endowment for the Arts held steady this year at $207 million. This comes after the administration threatened to eliminate the agency altogether. 

Mary Anne Carter is the Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts. It’s the second time she’s been in this role both serving under President Donald Trump.

Carter joined The Metro to talk about her time in Michigan as part of the America 250 tour.

Christopher Nolan’s film “The Odyssey” brings one of the most famous stories in literature to the big screen. Homer’s epic follows Odysseus on his journey home after the Trojan War.

Facing mythical creatures and the gods along the way, a series of challenges keeps him from returning to his family.

John Monaghan and Harry Campeon spent two decades teaching advanced English. This summer, they’re hosting a discussion and lecture series about “The Odyssey” at local libraries.

They spoke about the film and why Homer’s epic still remains relevant even after 3,000 years.

Wildfire smoke at times last week made Detroit’s air quality the worst in the world — that's in a place that consistently gets terrible grades for heavy pollution. How is our health impacted by poor air quality? Dr. Garen Wolff is an allergy and immunology physician at the Detroit Medical Center. She spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent about the health consequences of breathing smoke-filled air. Have thoughts? Email the show at [email protected]

Detroit recorded some of the worst air quality of any city in the world last week. The smoke came from Ontario — and from northern Minnesota, where lightning on July 7 lit fires that closed the Boundary Waters. One of those fires burned across the border into Canada.

Bobbie Scopa fought wildfire for 45 years. She started as a seasonal firefighter in 1974 and retired as an operations section chief — the person on a major fire who decides where the crews go, and where nobody goes at all. She joins Robyn Vincent to explain what's burning, why fire seasons are months longer than they were in the 1970s, and what Michigan should stop expecting. Have thoughts? Email the show at [email protected]

The Walter P. Reuther Library acquired a collection on Casey Kasem known as the host of American Top 40 and the voice of Shaggy from Scooby Doo.

Kasem was not a stranger to Detroit, as he grew up around the city and even graduated from Wayne State University. 

Sarah Lebovitz is a Wayne State University archivist at Walter P. Reuther Library. She joined The Metro to discuss why researchers should preserve these histories during the 250 year anniversary of America.