Stateside with Cynthia Canty

  Who might be the Republicans' best hope of winning Michigan's Senate seat?

Republican strategist Dennis Lennox joined us today.

We asked him why a Republican hasn't jumped into the race yet and who their ideal candidate might be.

Listen to the full interview above.

  Detroit automakers stand to lose a stunning $4 billion dollars in Europe this year. On today's show: we'll take a look at how the financial mess in Europe is effecting the domestic automakers. And, then, singer/song-writer Matt Jones stops by the studio to talk about his newest work and overcoming a challenging -year.

And colleges are holding commencement ceremonies right about now.  

What will all those graduates do with their shiny new degrees?

Based on recent surveys something like half of the graduates from our state hit the road seeking greener pastures in other states within a year of graduating. It's the Michigan "Brain Drain."

One state lawmaker wants to help stem the brain drain by offering tax credits on their student loan payments to college grads who stay in Michigan.

Could tax credits help stem the brain drain?  Or is it a band-aid that masks a deeper challenge for college graduates in Michigan?

State Representative Andy Schor joined us today. He's a freshman Democrat from Lansing and the sponsor of House Bill 4182.

 As new grads drift out of Ann Arbor after last weekend's commencement, where will they go?

Degrees in hand, they're on the job search - which doesn't mean they're staying in Michigan.

State Representative Andy Schor, D-Lansing, is the sponsor of House Bill 4182, which would provide tax credits to college graduates of public or private four-year colleges and universities in Michigan.

  If you hear the word Europe, you might find yourself thinking of great places to travel, a rich history, or family roots.

If you're an auto executive and you hear “Europe,” you’ll likely sigh and take a couple of aspirin for your headache.

That's because the Detroit automakers stand to lose $4 billion in Europe this year. And with a collapse in auto sales across the pond, trying to muscle through the kinds of changes that saved the industry here in North America is a totally different challenge in Europe.

Michelle Krebs of Edmunds.com and Michigan Radio’s auto reporter Tracy Samilton discuss the bleak picture in Europe for Detroit automakers.

Listen to the full interview above.

  In rural America of the 1800s, it was common for neighbors to pull together to help each other. Harvest time - barn-raisings - there was a sense of "you help me, I help you."

It's that old-fashioned image of the community barn-raising that comes to mind when you hear about The People's Campaign which launched over the weekend on Detroit's East Side.

The People's Campaign is headed-up by Sharlonda Buckman who is the executive director of the Detroit Parent Network.

She joined us to tell us more.

Listen to the full interview above.

His name is Matt Jones. He's 35 and he's based in Ypsilanti. He's been writing songs and performing around Michigan for the past 15 years. He has growing audience of fans and has received more critical acclaim.

And his story is one of overcoming personal demons and finding salvation in the thing he loves best: making music.

Matt joined us in the studio today to talk about his music.

Click the link above to hear Cyndy's conversation with Matt.

Matt also performed for our "Songs from Studio East" series. You can check out that performance here:

You can check out more of Matt's music here: http://mattjones.bandcamp.com/

  On today's show, we explore the bureaucratic hurdles of the international adoption system, and how it's keeping children trapped in orphanages around the world.

Then we switch gears and discover whether our state symbol, the wolverine, ever lived here.

And Michigan Democratic Congressman Gary Peters has made it official: he will run for the U.S. Senate seat opening up with the retirement of Carl Levin.

The three-term congressman is from Bloomfield Township in Oakland County, an area important to winning a statewide race.

 The GOP has yet to announce who might run for that up-for-grabs Senate seat.

And we turn to the situation in the city of Ecorse. Officials say the financial emergency in the city has been resolved.
 
Ecorse has been under the control of an emergency manager since 2009 – when then-Governor Jennifer Granholm made the appointment.
 
Now, word comes that the city’s budget is balanced and a $20 million deficit has been eliminated.
 
But the announcement doesn't mean elected officials are getting their authority back right away. That’s because Joyce Parker – Ecorse's former emergency manager - has given the city a two-year budget that it must follow.
 
Parker – who we should note is also the emergency manager of Allen Park– joined us today.

  State officials say the financial emergency in the city of Ecorse has been resolved.
 
The city has been under the control of an emergency manager since 2009 – when then-Governor Jennifer Granholm made the appointment.
 
Now, word comes that the city’s budget is balanced and a $20 million deficit has been eliminated.
 
But the announcement doesn't mean elected officials are getting their authority back right away. That’s because Joyce Parker – Ecorse's former emergency manager - has given the city a two-year budget that it must follow.
 
Parker – who we should note is also the emergency manager of Allen Park– joined us today.

Listen to the full interview above.

We've got the nickname "The Wolverine State," and of course, the University of Michigan and the Wolverines are forever linked.

But the wolverine never called Michigan home.

The wolverine population in the United States is anything but big. An estimated 250-300 wolverines live in the lower 48 states.

One of the experts who devotes herself to protecting the wolverine is, in fact, a "Wolverine."

Bridget Fahey is a 1997 graduate of U-M's School of Natural Resources and Environment.

These days, Fahey is the Endangered Species Chief with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the mountain prairie region.

She joined us today to talk about wolverines.

Listen to the full interview above.

There's a special  screening tonight at the AMC Livonia 20 of the documentary "Stuck." It was an Audience Choice Winner at the Heartland Film Festival.

The film focuses on the process of international adoption and the  children and prospective parents who get "Stuck" in that process.

"Stuck" tells the story of four children and the families who want to adopt them following the children and families as they try to negotiate the bureaucratic ins and outs of the international adoption system.

Film producer Craig Juntunen joined us today along with Kendra Pinkelman. Pinkelman and her husband are trying to adopt a boy from Russia.

That adoption process came to a grinding halt when Russia banned U.S. adoptions last December.

And the Director of the Eastern Michigan Office of Adoption Associates, one of Michigan's leading agencies for international and domestic adoptions, Paula Springer also joined us. She has worked in the adoption field for some 30 years.

Listen to the full discussion above.

Ethan Shirley and Alex Carney both hail from the University of Michigan and are co founders of the Pantanal Music Exchange.

Shirley founded the Pantanal Center for Education and Research is a non profit organization that focuses on science, technology and sustainable community development.

Last summer, Shirley and Carney were setting up some science and technology workshops at the Nazaré orphanage in rural Brazil when the director of the orphanage mentioned in passing that there was a room full of unused instruments.

The SS Badger has been making the four-hour run from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin since 1953. It's the last coal-fired ferry in the United States and annually attracts some 100,000 passengers.

The ferry is an important aspect of life in Ludington. It brings tourists, which means jobs and income for the small town.

However, there are growing concerns among environmental groups. Now, the Badger can potentially dump up to four tons of coal ash slurry directly into Lake Michigan on its route. This is legal due to an EPA permit that allows the Badger to continue this practice, but that permit is now under review. If the permit is cut, the Badger's days are coming to an end.

Lots of attention gets paid to helping students navigate what comes after their formal education, but on today's show we talked to one columnist who wonders if we're doing a disservice to our kids by steering them into today's jobs - jobs that might not be available in the future.

And, engineering students at the University of Michigan get real-world experience by designing apps and video games that help autistic children.

Also, we talk with an Ann Arbor musician who was inspired by poetry and art. And we talk about how to improve voter turnout in elections.

First up, we talk with U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI 14) about easing trade restrictions with foreign nations.

On the surface, it sounds like easing trade restrictions could present new opportunities and more business for American companies such as the Detroit Three automakers, but Peters is speaking out about his deep concerns about ongoing negotiations on a new multi-lateral trade agreement.

It's called the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Congressman Peters believes letting Japan into the "Trans-Pacific Partnership" is courting real danger for U.S. auto companies.

On the surface, it sounds like easing trade restrictions with foreign nations could present new opportunities and more business for American companies like the Detroit Three automakers.

But, is there a deeper danger to American jobs in these overseas trade agreements?

Michigan Democratic Congressman Gary Peters voiced his concerns about a new multi-lateral trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Here's a question to consider: are we doing the students of Michigan a disservice by steering them to the jobs that businesses are demanding in today's world?

It's certainly a big push for Governor Rick Snyder.

But MLive columnist Rick Haglund has some misgivings about this growing push to match courses with what businesses want in Michigan grads.

He joined us today from Birmingham, and we asked him why he thinks this approach could backfire in the long run.

Listen to the full interview above.