Stateside

After 14 years of organizing and building, the Detroit People’s Food Co-op will open its doors on Wednesday, May 1st, with a grand opening celebration to follow on Saturday, May 18th. The co-op was fathered by the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network. Malik Yakini, who co-founded the group, currently serves as its executive director. "Part of what we're working on is really not just addressing access, but addressing the questions of who shapes the food system, who owns it, who benefits from it,” Yakini said. “And really, we're trying to make a shift in power from the corporate side of things, controlling things to actually having a food system that is shaped by control by and serves people.” GUESTS: Akil TalleyMalik Yakini___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many years, Michigan was considered a national political bellwether. There are so many factors in play this year. We’ve talked in recent days about how the arrival of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the Michigan ballot last week as a candidate with the Natural Law Party might shift primary results. So, is Michigan going to be any kind of predictor of trends in national election results in 2024? In this episode, Michigan State University political science professor Matt Grossman helped us look ahead to what will matter this November. GUEST: Matt Grossman, professor of political science, Michigan State University Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would you do if your tap water turned brown? If it gave your children a rash every time they took a bath? Or worse, what if it made them sick? We're revisiting Michigan Public's audio documentary from 2015 about the Flint Water Crisis. Plus we'll hear from the reporter about the making of Not Safe to Drink. GUEST: Lindsey Smith ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 100 people who were abused by former Michigan State University and U.S. Olympic gymnastics doctor Nassar have finally reached a $138.7 million settlement with the Department of Justice. The FBI failed to properly investigate complaints about Nassar, which allowed Nassar to continue abusing patients and athletes in Michigan for another year. GUEST: Kate Wells, reporter for Michigan Public ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ten years ago today a devastating water crisis began in the city of Flint, Michigan. Its water was tainted with lead, threatening tens of thousands of people. Suddenly the spotlight swung onto Michigan and on the quality of the nation’s drinking water. Today, we’re looking at what happened, what’s changed, and how people are thinking about the crisis ten years later. GUESTS: Steve Carmody, reporter for Michigan Public Sheldon Neeley, Flint Mayor ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be on the presidential ballot in Michigan, as the nominee for the Natural Law Party. Will his run from the outside is a swipe at the binary choice of Joe Biden or Donald Trump, but the odds are stacked against him. GUESTS: Tyler Scott, reporter for Michigan Public Jonathan Hanson, political science expert from University of Michigan __ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kalamazoo-born artist Titus Kaphar's work is displayed in some of the premiere art museums, like MoMA, the Whitney, and the Met. But you can also find his work in a different kind of institution. One of his pieces features in his series "From a Tropical Place" is currently displayed at Grosse Pointe North High School. The painting is causing quite a stir. On this episode, we’re talking to Titus Kaphar about this particular piece, his process, and some new projects he has in the pipeline. GUEST: Titus Kaphar, artist ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When changes to auto-no fault insurance in Michigan passed in 2019, lawmakers hailed it as a bipartisan win. But for many catastrophically injured survivors of auto accidents, it meant losing the care they’ve depended on for years. On this episode, we hear about the attempts to increase the caps on in-home nursing care for catastrophically injured crash survivors--and why proposed reforms are stalling. GUEST: Tracy Samilton, energy and transportation reporter for Michigan Public Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A political legal drama is unfolding in Michigan. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed more than a dozen charges against former state House Speaker Lee Chatfield, alleging that he used a non-profit to amass kickbacks and to use a slush fund for personal expenses. GUEST: Craig Mauger, state politics reporter for The Detroit News ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For 33 years, the story of Anita Wiley’s disappearance was unresolved. After firefighters found her remains in a vacant house in Detroit that had been set on fire, she was buried in a cemetery for the unidentified, and her case was named “Unknown Woman 1987.” In 2020, through a cemetery DNA program, Anita’s remains were identified and linked to her son, Antonio Wiley, and her sister, Tonya Mosley, who never knew she existed. Together, Antonio and Tonya have produced a new podcast series, She Has a Name, that aims to tell Anita’s story with attention to not only grief and trauma, but to beauty and joy. GUESTS: Tonya Mosley, Emmy award-winning journalist; cohost of Fresh Air; founder of TMI Productions Antonio Wiley, executive producer of She Has A Name ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mackinac Bridge lacks modern protections around its piers in the Straits of Mackinac, making it vulnerable if a freighter veered off course as happened recently in Baltimore. In response to this question, a representative from the Michigan Department of Transportation sent this statement: "The investigation into the tragedy in Baltimore continues, and appears to be focused on what caused the ship to lose power and veer so far off course. For now, our interest is concentrated on the findings of that investigation, what steps are being taken by the maritime shipping industry and safety agencies to reduce shipping hazards to bridges, including the Mackinac, and guidance for what mitigations are possible." GUESTS: Louis Mleczko, former Detroit News reporter Venkatesh Kodur, professor of civil and environmental engineering, Michigan State University ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NFL Draft is happening in Detroit from April 25-27. With high volume events like this, there's a risk for human trafficking. So how are law enforcement and advocates preparing to protect people this NFL draft and what should you look out for if you attend? GUEST: Sarah Rahal, reporter for The Detroit News ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan born author Katie Williams' novel “My Murder” is the next Michigan Public Reads. The premise is a woman murdered by a serial killer and brought back to life as a clone tries to piece together the days and weeks leading up to her murder. GUEST: Katie Williams, writer ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Move over, solar eclipse, there's another stunning and fleeting natural phenomenon in Michigan... Corpsy the Corpse Flower. We get an up-close whiff of a pungent corpse flower grown at home by a Michigander. The endangered species is exceedingly rare, and blooms for about 36 hours, once or twice a decade. GUEST: Kevin Hauser, owner and nurturer of Corpsy the Corpse Flower ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James and Jennifer Crumbley were each sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for negligence that contributed to their teenage son killing four of his peers at Oxford High School. It's the first such conviction of parents of a school shooter. GUEST: Briana Rice, criminal justice reporter, Michigan Public ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. Census plans to add a new response option for race/ethnicity: Middle Eastern or North African. It's something Arab and Muslim communities have sought for years to codify their community presence and hopefully, over the long-term, cement support for community services. GUEST: Germine H. Awad, professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Athletic Trainers Association recently came out with a bulletin on how to manage sports related concussions. On this episode, we’re talking about new concussion treatments, the impact of sports, and the mental health side effects. GUEST: Steven Broglio, director of the Michigan Concussion Center and professor at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations' recently published report documents a surge in discrimination against Muslims in the U.S. GUEST: Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robin Michigiizhigookwe Clark is the first Anishinaabe woman to serve on the Michigan’s Natural Resource Commission. GUEST: Robin Michigiizhigookwe Clark, Michigan National Resources Commission appointee and Natural Resources Division Director for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Writer A.H. Kim's newest book "Relative Strangers" loosely follows the story of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility," telling the tale of two sisters in transition. Kim joins us for a conversation about writing for entertainment, looking in from the outside, and life after cancer. GUEST: A.H. Kim, writer ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.