The Metro

A new report from the Costs of War project at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs is calling Gaza a “news graveyard."

At least 232 journalists and media workers have been killed since the war in Gaza began. Some appear to have been targeted by the Israeli army, while others were killed alongside civilians. 

“The war in Gaza has, since October 2023, killed more journalists than the U.S. Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War (including the conflicts in Cambodia and Laos), the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s and 2000s, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan, combined,” the report read.

On Sunday, the number of journalist fatalities grew when an Israeli airstrike hit a tent camp in a hospital complex in southern Gaza. 

Journalist Helmi al-Faqawi was among the 10 killed. At least nine other journalists were severely injured when the encampment caught fire. 

It has been said — about journalists in Gaza and in many other places — that you can kill a journalist, but you can’t kill the story. 

This unflinching spirit of the press — to seek out the truth and report it at any cost — is central to The Gaza Project. It is a collaboration among more than 40 journalists across a dozen news organizations. Forbidden Stories is coordinating the project. The nonprofit works "to continue and publish the work of other journalists facing threats, prison, or murder."

Hoda Osman is the executive editor at Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, among the news organizations working on The Gaza Project. She joined The Metro to discuss the findings thus far from The Gaza Project and some of the journalists who have been killed.

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

The Rackham Choir has been a vital part of Detroit's rich musical tapestry for more than 75 years.

Founded in 1949, Rackham is Detroit's oldest choir, and throughout its long history has collaborated with several Detroit arts institutions like the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Michigan Opera Theatre, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, and the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble. 

In February, Rackham named vocal music teacher and choral conductor Julian Goods as the choir's new artistic director. The move comes after the chorus' previous director, Dr. Brandon Waddles, accepted a leadership position with a national tour of "The Wiz."

Goods made his official debut with Rackham this past Sunday at their spring concert, "A Celebration of Love and Joy," at Hartford Memorial Church in Detroit.

He joined The Metro on Tuesday to share more about the performance, Rackham Choir and Detroit's influence on music history.

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

Diversity, equity and inclusion is going away. It’s been the story for businesses and colleges in America over the last month. 

With pressure from the Trump administration and from the U.S. Department of Education, the University of Michigan and a number of other universities have removed their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices. 

But it’s not just the White House that doesn’t like DEI. It’s been criticized by some professors, students and public commentators as well.

Metro Producer Sam Corey sat down with two professors to understand how DEI programs work and what could happen as they go away. Robert Sellers is a professor of psychology and education, and the first chief diversity officer at the University of Michigan. Stacy Hawkins is a Rutgers professor, diversity consultant and DEI expert. 

The Metro has reached out to several University of Michigan regents who helped usher in the end of DEI practices and programming. We are still waiting to hear back from those state-wide elected officials. 

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

Huge numbers of Americans took to the streets over the weekend for so-called “Hands Off” protests. People were condemning the Trump administration and many of its policies, including cuts to the National Park Service and other public lands. 

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has reduced staff that oversees public lands by hundreds of people. A judge ordered those positions to be reinstated, but it’s unclear how many people have actually returned to work. The White House has vowed to fight those rulings. 

Advocates, meanwhile, are bracing for additional cuts. This upheaval has raised concerns about the health and survival of America’s public lands, from popular national parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone to national lakeshores like Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes. 

Tom Ulrich was the deputy superintendent for Sleeping Bear Dunes for more than two decades before retiring in 2023. Ulrich joined The Metro to discuss the current challenges facing America’s public lands. 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued an order last week, directing national parks to “remain open and accessible.” Burgum says that means there will be proper staffing, but not everyone is convinced this will happen. 

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

For some of us, we have accumulated a lot of STUFF – items we’ve collected throughout our lives. For some reason, we can’t overcome the urge to buy new things. 

Our thirst for stuff is a result of decisions made by early humans, according to anthropologist Chip Colwell. In his book titled “So Much Stuff,” he writes that when humans made the first tools, it sparked millions of years of possibilities that led us to where we are today. And it’s in understanding this history we can learn to buy less.

Colwell joined The Metro on Monday to help us understand our relationship with items and why we have to have so much of it. He is also the founder of the anthropology publication “Sapiens.” 

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

With President Donald Trump back in office and Republicans in the majority in all branches of the federal government, many are wondering what the role of Democrats is in this moment.

Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow believes she has some of the answers. She recently wrote the book, “Hate Won't Win,” which helped launch her campaign to run for U.S. Senate. 

She announced her candidacy last week and Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with McMorrow about why she’s running. She hopes to fill the seat that Democratic Sen. Gary Peters will be vacating at the end of 2026. 

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

This week on The Metro, we’re recapping some of our favorite conversations. The next mayor of Detroit has a big job to do: they could build on Detroit’s growing momentum or they stifle it. We’ll untangle the roots of mayoral history in Detroit and what the crowded field of candidates looks like today.

Plus, many of us have memories tied to the Detroit Tigers. We play ball and also discuss your favorite Detroit baseball moments.

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

This week on The Metro, we’re recapping some of our favorite conversations.

We’ll learn about why the cannabis industry has been slowing down in Michigan. We’ll also look at what one local group is doing to try to put our energy in the hands of the consumer instead of a corporation. And finally, we’ll hear about why energy is getting more expensive, and why the Michigan Public Service Commission continues to allow that to happen. 

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

Today on The Metro, we continue to look back on past conversations from the show. We begin with a discussion about the detainment of Columbian University student Mahmoud Khalil, and whether people should be worried about creeping authoritarianism in the U.S.

We also hear from the attorney who’s representing University of Michigan students protesting for Palestinians who have been charged by the state of Michigan for defying orders from law enforcement. And we dive into the perspective of a longtime Democrat turned Republican, and what she makes of the current administration she voted for. 

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

Michigan’s most vulnerable students are often taught by inexperienced teachers. Today on The Metro, we revisit a conversation about the problem and discuss some solutions.

Also, we look back on a conversation about Detroit's impact on gospel music with Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard, host of “Sunday Morning Inspiration” on Mix 92.3 and professor emeritus of English Literature at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

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