The Metro

Recreational marijuana has been legal in Michigan for nearly six years, and cannabis culture is thriving. Dozens of dispensaries have opened up across the city and metro Detroit more broadly. 

But even as states like Michigan bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue from legalized cannabis, thousands of people are still sitting in state and federal prisons for marijuana offenses. And, as with many issues in the American criminal justice system, racism is central to this issue.

A 2020 report by the ACLU found that more than six million marijuana arrests occurred between 2010 and 2018. And in every state — including those that have legalized marijuana — Black people are still more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people.

The nonprofit Last Prisoner Project is on Capitol Hill this week as part of a larger effort to lobby for justice reform. Founded in 2019, the organization works within the criminal justice system to help individuals who are still incarcerated for cannabis.

Adrian Rocha, director of policy for the project, joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss the group's efforts and the stark racial contrast in incarceration rates.

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

A recent report from the American Lung Association found Detroit’s air quality ranks sixth in the nation for smog and soot exposure. 

To many, this news is not entirely surprising. Wildfire smoke from Canada caused people to stay indoors or wear a mask outside two summers ago. And for people who live near Detroit’s heavily industrialized areas, the air quality is a constant issue. 

This caused Detroit to rank third for asthma last year. 

Today on The Metro, we spoke with two guests about the lasting impacts of this type of environmental exposure to human health.

Community Activist Sam Luqman is a resident of Dearborn’s Southend neighborhood, which is surrounded by industrial plants, like Ford's River Rouge Complex and Cleveland-Cliffs' steel mill. Dr. Garen Wolff, an allergy and immunology physician who works in Detroit, also joined the conversation.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

President Donald Trump was in Michigan on Tuesday, visiting Selfridge Air National Guard Base before speaking at Macomb Community College. The White House says the trip was in celebration of his first 100 days in office.

WDET’s Alex McLenon joined The Metro to discuss Trump’s message to his supporters on Tuesday and the various legal challenges his administration is facing over its handling of deportations and funding cuts.

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

In Detroit, it’s not entirely uncommon to make a wrong turn that leads you toward another country. Some of us have made this mistake… and found ourselves on the Ambassador Bridge to Canada. It’s annoying — and more than a headache. But recently, this wrong turn has been much more impactful for immigrants. 

After making that wrong turn, more than 200 people have recently been detained at the border this year in a facility that is not equipped for detention. Migrants seeking asylum in Canada who’ve been turned back have also been detained, according to an NPR investigation. 

That investigation led to an inquiry by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who held a press conference on the matter last week with staff attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.

Tlaib says the investigation found that 213 people have been detained at the bridge since January, including families with children. At least 90% of the individuals detained were people who made a wrong turn.

Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrants Rights Center, joined The Metro on Tuesday to talk more about the detainments.

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

Arab Detroit is constantly in flux. In the last 10 years, new communities of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Yemen have settled here. And each new community brings with them different perspectives of what it means to make it in America — to be American. 

The backdrop is that many have fled political crises that the U.S. has initiated or intensified. 

But when they arrive in the U.S., some Arabs in metro Detroit learn that speaking up about these conflicts can be a thorny matter. Still, the last 10 years have ushered in a new wave of political representation and engagement led by Arab lawmakers and residents.

The new book, "Beyond Refuge in Arab Detroit," explores how life is changing for Arab Americans in Detroit and what it means to thrive here during a time of intense political turmoil — both here in the U.S. and also in many of the countries Arabs have fled.

It weaves together writings from multiple contributors who delve into politics, environmental justice and sexual stigma and violence — all through the lens of Arabs in metro Detroit.

Sally Howell is one of the editors of the book, and a professor of history and Arab American studies at University of Michigan-Dearborn. She joined The Metro on one of the last days of Arab American Heritage Month to discuss the book.

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

Almost 700 people a week died of gun violence in 2018 across the U.S., and that number has only gone up in recent years — rising to over 900 deaths a week in 2022.

An art installation opening soon at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) makes the case that numbers only tell a fraction of the story.

The Gun Violence Memorial Project, built to honor victims of gun violence, is made up of four homes filled with 700 glass bricks, containing relics of lost loved ones. The purpose of the installation is to serve as a reminder that gun violence statistics are more than numbers — they are people who lived lives and had families and loved ones.

Producer Cary Junior II spoke to designer at MASS Design Group Jha D Amazi and artist Hank Willis Thomas. Amazi and Thomas collaborated on the Gun Violence Memorial Project, which is on display at the MOCAD May 2 through Aug. 29.  

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

Democratic state lawmaker Donavan McKinney announced this week his intentions to run against Congressman Shri Thanedar in the 13th District primary election next year.

McKinney, 32, grew up in the district on Detroit’s east side and is the second person to join the race, alongside former state Rep. Adam Hollier. 

He was first elected to the Michigan House in 2022 as a representative for the state's 14th district. He was reelected in the 11th House District last year, after district lines were redrawn. 

Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with McKinney on the heels of his Congressional bid announcement to discuss his campaign priorities, which include advocating for clean air, clean water, and economic security.

Fact check: During the conversation, McKinney said the 13th District is the second poorest in the country. WDET couldn’t confirm that, but it is among the poorest districts in the nation. The Commercial Driver License law McKinney helped pass will also likely impact about one million Michiganders, not two million as he mentioned. 

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

Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is one of 50 U.S. House Democrats demanding a full explanation of an alleged National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) data breach. 

Whistleblower Daniel Berulis, who did IT work for the NLRB, says a representative from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) did more than search for fraud and waste when it visited the agency last month. 

Berulis says DOGE appears to have uploaded a huge amount of data from NLRB’s computers, erased traces of what it did and then left all of the system’s security features turned off. Then someone with an internet address based in Russia repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, tried to access the NLRB computers. 

DOGE never requested access to their systems and the agency’s own internal investigation found no sign of a computer breach,  a spokesperson for the NLRB said. 

Dingell spoke to WDET Senior News Editor Quinn Klinefelter about her concerns and what DOGE could have done with the data. Klinefelter also joined The Metro on Tuesday to recap their conversation.

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

Detroit youth organization Teen HYPE is celebrating its 21st year supporting local teens.

The youth development program, founded in 2004, aims to help teenagers build healthy habits to chart a better future. Teen HYPE Co-founder and CEO Ambra Redrick says the ultimate goal of the organization was to give young people the respect they deserve while uplifting them to be people who thrive in the world. 

Redrick joined The Metro on Tuesday to discuss Teen HYPE’s work in the community. With a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Wayne State University, Ambra says she understands both clinically and holistically what it takes to care for our young people.

She is also a recent recipient of the 2025 Skillman Visionary Award, which is an award program that recognizes and supports visionary leaders in education. 

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

Good teachers can be hard to find and even harder to keep, especially in districts with limited funding and high needs. 

But a recent report from Detroit PEER researchers at Wayne State University's College of Education found that Detroit Public Schools Community District has a teacher retention rate above the national average. 

To learn more about the report's findings, Metro Producer Cary Junior II spoke to its lead author, Bianca Burch.

Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, also joined The Metro to discuss changes the district is making to retain teachers. She also spoke about the unique and untold challenges teachers currently face.

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