Up North Lowdown

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.

Grand Traverse County is getting millions of dollars from opioid lawsuit settlements. County officials want your help figuring out how best to spend that money. Plus, Arsenic and Old Lace and a whole bunch of yarn, in Manistee.

A new season of "Pints North" trivia is coming up, so "Points North" host Dan Wanschura tests our mettle. Also, why the wild swings in the weather? A battle of the air masses, says a local meteorologist.

In the first winter after Traverse City's ‘no camping’ ordinance, people endure winter out of view. IPR looks at where they're ending up — from shelters to shacks. Homelessness in Traverse City hasn't gone away. It's just become less visible.

The Up North Lowdown returns Jan. 12 as a daily podcast. New episodes Monday through Friday.

Over the last few months, we’ve been thinking a lot about how we serve you, our audience, and pouring a lot of energy into some new ideas. That’s taken a lot of our focus and attention. And so we took a pause here. But we'll be back!