stateside from michigan radio

Today on Stateside, Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee talks about COVID-19 aid and his top priorities for future stimulus bills. Plus, how a recent presidential immigration order affects those seeking green cards. And, Michigan author Jeni McFarland shares her take on small-town life in her debut novel The House of Deep Water.

Today on Stateside, we take a look at the toll the coronavirus pandemic is having on farmers and farm markets. Plus, we hear from the team at Planet Money about the economics of ventilator production in America.

Today on Stateside, the Michigan Legislature convened in Lansing today, but some lawmakers question the safety of meeting in person. We hear from one of them, and talk about what lawmaking looks like in the middle of a pandemic. Plus, how plasma donated by people who have recovered from COVID-19 could protect health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

Today on Stateside, the Big Three auto companies have wound down production at their plants over worries about the spread of the novel coronavirus. Plus, how Michigan musicians are dealing with canceled concerts and connecting with their fans in the age of social distancing. 

Today on Stateside, a federal judge has invalidated Michigan's Medicaid work requirements. Republican leaders in the state Legislature are already pushing back. What does this mean for the more than 200,000 people in the state subject to those requirements? Plus, we'll talk about how the Democratic candidates for president stack up when it comes to addressing the concerns of black voters.

Today on Stateside, as President Trump pardons a slew of white-collar criminals, some Detroiters are asking for consideration for Kwame Kilpatrick. The former Detroit mayor is serving a lengthy sentence on corruption charges. What would a commutation do for Trump's standing in metro Detroit? Also, a new documentary tells the story of how a lakeside town in West Michigan became contaminated with PFAS.

Today on Stateside, the coronavirus outbreak in China is beginning to have an effect on Michigan manufacturers. We hear from an executive at a west Michigan auto parts supplier about how the virus is affecting their business. Plus, we'll learn about Michigan's first African American settlers, as well as Enbridge's plan to replace a section of Line 5 under the St. Clair River.

Today on Stateside, we step back in time to the summer of 1963, to hear how Martin Luther King Junior set the stage in Detroit for the March on Washington later that year. Plus, we go over this year's list of Michigan Notable Books, which includes everything from new fiction to gripping history.

Today on Stateside, we take a deeper look at how property tax foreclosures in Detroit created a pileup of city-owned properties, and left residents to care for the most desolate blocks. Plus, a Michigan photographer captures a whole year of sunrises in the Upper Peninsula. 

Today on Stateside, we welcome new host April Baer. She jumps right into things by chatting with Senator Gary Peters, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, about the current situation developing in Iran and whether or not there is an "imminent threat" to American lives, as the Trump administration has claimed. Plus, it appears to be the Dark Ages of Detroit sports. What will it take to turn them around? 

Today on Stateside, we talk to Paul Mitchell, who represents Michigan’s 10th District, about his view on the impeachment proceedings against President Trump. Plus, we talk to one of the longest-serving members of the Capitol press corps about his nearly five decades covering Michigan politics.

Today on Stateside, we heard about the latest update on a lawsuit filed in 2015 on behalf of the tens of thousands of Michiganders wrongly accused of submitting fraudulent unemployment claims. Plus, the new director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency talked about her plan to get more of Michigan's 600,000 veterans connected to the benefits they need. 

Today on Stateside, a team from Emory University is in Michigan this week to take blood samples from people who were exposed to polybrominated biphenyls—or PBBs—in the 1970s. Plus, is new technology the key to fighting climate change—or is a radical cultural shift needed? 

Today on Stateside, Great Lakes water levels are at record or near-record highs, leading to dramatic shoreline erosion and threatening lakeshore properties. Plus, the Detroit origins of the spiral cut ham, a holiday dinner staple. 

Today on Stateside, we hear about the plan for a unique “net-zero” community in Ann Arbor. Plus, dispelling the stereotype that Michigan wine can't compete on the world stage. 

Today on Stateside, General Motors is suing rival automaker Fiat Chrysler. We’ll hear about how corruption charges against the UAW and Fiat Chrysler are at the heart of the lawsuit. Plus, a case before a federal appeals court looks at whether some Detroit students’ constitutional rights were violated by subpar learning environments and instruction.

We know that burning fossil fuels releases a lot of greenhouse gases. But there are other human-caused sources that contribute to climate change. As Lester Graham with the Environment Report found, one of them is how farmers plant crops.

Today on Stateside, Rachael Denhollander, one of the hundreds of women and girls abused by disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar, joined us to talk about her new memoir What Is A Girl Worth? Plus, the legacy of former U.S. Representative John Conyers, who died Sunday, in Detroit and beyond.

Today on Stateside, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol is forcing Michigan ports to make expensive changes, even though ports nearby, including one in Toledo, don't have to do the same. Plus, the long and gruesome history of the invasive sea lamprey’s presence in the Great Lakes.

Today on Stateside, Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently used a rare budget maneuver to shift funds around within state agencies. We take a look at the winners and losers of those shifts. Plus, a conversation about the economic potential of industrial hemp after the first legal harvest of the crop since 1937.    

Today on Stateside, the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a lower court's ruling that ordered Michigan to redraw its congressional and state legislative district lines before the 2020 election. Plus, we talk to the reporter who helped solve the mysterious disappearance of a young Michigan man and FBI informant.

Today on Stateside, after 31 days on the picket line, the UAW and General Motors came to a tentative contract agreement. We hear about the details and what comes next. Plus, Michigan farmers face record low production of corn and soybeans  after a cold, wet spring. 

Today on Stateside, the state budget needs to be approved by Governor Gretchen Whitmer tonight to avoid a partial government shutdown. But the governor has been vocal about her displeasure with the bills sent to her by the state Legislature. So what are her options? Plus, how can Michigan do more to recruit and retain a diverse teaching staff? 

Today on Stateside, as a federal corruption probe into the United Auto Workers union focuses on UAW president Gary Jones, some in the union are reportedly questioning his future there. Plus, a doctor warns caution in the new era of legal cannabis.

Today on Stateside, what you need to know about the outbreak of a deadly mosquito-borne virus in Michigan. Plus, the growing number of cities in Michigan designating themselves "promise zones" and offering tuition assistance to their high school graduates.