We talk with Suzanne Mettler, political scientist and author of "Rural Versus Urban."

Native American boarding schools have a long history of physical and sexual abuse, but there is no accounting of how many children were taken from their homes and brought to these boarding schools and how many died while they were there. There were five official boarding schools in Michigan, with many more unofficial schools. The boarding school in Harbor Springs didn't close until 1983.

Soon after the state attorney general's office decided not to publish a report on Native American boarding schools in Michigan, they opened up their own investigation. IPR's Austin Rowlader sat down with Bridge Michigan's Ron French to learn more about the buried report and what the AG's office hopes to find in their investigation.

Then, scientists want to know how thick the ice on the great lakes is this winter. Climate solutions reporter Vivian La profiles the citizen scientists that will be measuring the ice thickness.

2000 people gathered in downtown Traverse City on Sunday to protest the killing of 37 year old Alex Pretti by federal agents. IPR's Maxwell Howard was there.

Also, the Northern Michigan Policy Conference attracted top names in the states' 2026 gubernatorial race. IPR's Claire Keenan-Kurgan sat down LIVE in-studio with guest host Dan Wanschura to talk about the candidates' opening moves as they jockey for position ahead of the 2026 election season.

Vivian La covers climate solutions for IPR and Grist, and she recently sat down with Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson. They talked about large-scale renewable energy projects and the future of data centers in Michigan, among other things.

We also hear from IPR's Claire Keenan-Kurgan with a short preview of the Northern Michigan Policy Conference — an annual gathering of community leaders who talk about the region's economy and future. (She'll be back on the Lowdown Monday to discuss what actually happened.)

A task force looking at homelessness issues in Traverse City is considering the possibility of combining the area's two big overnight shelters. What would that actually look like? IPR's Maxwell Howard details the possibilities.

And our music director, Amanda Sewell, has an invitation for those of you love concerts but don't want to go it alone. Our Concertino Club might be just the spot for you.

In the late 1990s, nearly half of Michiganders who had been in prison reoffended after their release. Today that number has fallen to a historic low … about a fifth of people now return to incarceration.

Still, people leaving prison or jail face steep hurdles rebuilding their lives — from finding housing and work to overcoming stigma. In this episode, we hear from someone trying to start over and the people working to help.

There have been reported sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents throughout northern Michigan. This place, like many in the country, is watching Minneapolis and wondering whether similar scenes could play out here.

There are a few places in northern Michigan where you can spot Confederate flags flying in windows, or posted up on fences. Ahead of her Traverse City visit on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we ask the Detroit Poet Laureate jessica Care moore what she makes of that.

Today, we talk about changes to hunting regulations and coyote management. And we hear about some budget numbers that made our reporter's jaw drop.

Northern Michigan's ice storm in March 2025 caused staggering damage to forests. Getting federal aid to make up for the losses has been a waiting game for many here. Now, things are starting to move forward — but not soon enough for many.