Stateside Staff

Today on Stateside, we talk to Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) about what she’s seen during a trip to the U.S.—Mexico border. Plus, a look at what it takes to turn a petition drive into a question on the ballot in Michigan. 

A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives on Friday visited sites along the U.S. Mexico border. Among them was Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, who represents Michigan’s 8th district. Slotkin says her goal for this trip was to “understand the stress on the situation” at the border, and to try to find bipartisan agreement on how to fix what she describes as a broken system. 

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People calls itself the “oldest and the boldest” civil rights organization. But some question whether the NAACP is as bold as it could be.

While Black Lives Matter activists are fighting police brutality in the city streets of America, the NAACP is better known for working within the system. But does that strategy resonate with a younger generation of civil rights activists?  

Today on Stateside, Republican state legislators are considering ways to pay for road repairs, including one proposal that would allow counties and cities to levy their own local gas tax. Plus, Jerry Linenger was just 14-years-old when he watched the moon landing on a small black-and-white television screen. That moment would inspire him to pursue a career as an astronaut for NASA, where he manned three missions and traveled some 54 million miles in space. 

Fifty years ago this week, America crowded around television sets to watch Neil Armstrong take man's first step onto the moon. Among the viewers was a kid from East Detroit named Jerry Linenger.

That moon walk inspired the then 14-year-old to become a NASA astronaut. Linenger went on to man missions aboard two U.S. space shuttles and the Russian space station Mir, and travel some 54 million miles in space.

Today on Stateside, another attempt by the RTA to bring coordinated mass transit to Southeast Michigan. Plus, the Detroit Police Department’s attempts to fund facial recognition surveillance sparks criticism. 

Volunteer firefighting has been on a decline across the nation since the 1980s. Michigan is also experiencing a shortage of volunteer firefighters.

Since 1984, the amount of people volunteering at fire departments nationally has fallen more than five percent, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council. But it also says emergency calls have tripled in the last 30 years.

Listen above to hear Stateside's full conversation with Lieutenant Michael McLeieer about the impact of the volunteer firefighter shortage. 

Kalamazoo County is taking a new approach to address domestic violence.

The county unveiled its plan for a "trauma court" on Monday. It's a program that would consider the past trauma and abuse that perpetrators of domestic violence have experienced in their lives, operating under the idea that "hurt people hurt people." 

Today on Stateside, we discuss how the Trump administration could still limit non-citizen participation in the 2020 Census, even after dropping its pursuit of a citizenship question. Plus, how the opioid crisis is putting a strain on the resources of county morgues.

A majority of Americans see manufacturing as vital to the country's economy, but much fewer are confident about its future. That's according to a new survey from the Brookings Institute. 

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (Grand Rapids) declared his independence from the Republican Party on Independence Day, and since then has been using his platform to raise awareness on a current issue in the United States: the two-party system.

Today on Stateside, an overview of the Michigan state legislature's most recent budget proposal, which would fund roads by borrowing against the state's teacher pension plan. Plus, a new study from the University of Michigan could help policymakers target resources to the Michigan counties hit hardest by the opioid crisis.

Today on Stateside, we hear from two men who say they were sexually assaulted after being placed in adult prisons as teenagers. A class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of hundreds of other men with similar claims  is finally going to court after years of state opposition. Plus, if you're sick of robocalls (we sure are), we've got some bad news: They aren't stopping anytime soon. 

Ever since Michigan voters approved recreational marijuana, the question has been: where and when will it be for sale? The answers to those questions are becoming less hazy now that the state of Michigan has released rules governing retail sales of recreational marijuana.

MLive reporter Amy Biolchini breaks down how soon adults over the age of 21 will be able to legally purchase marijuana products, and why opening a recreational marijuana business will likely be easier than opening a medical marijuana provisioning center.

As more states climb aboard the legal weed train, there are voices from the medical community urging caution ─ especially when it comes to teens. They warn that adolescent brains are exposed to a much more potent form of cannabis than the pot of days gone by.

Stateside for Friday, June 28, 2019

Today on Stateside, we're featuring an episode from our friends at the Mismatch podcast, as well as a few of our favorite segments from the past year.

It was a tense and emotional visit for Democratic lawmakers at Border Patrol facilities in Texas where migrant families are being detained. 

Today on Stateside, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib recounts the tour of migrant detention facilities in Texas. Plus, Michiganders crossing the border with Canada to buy affordable insulin.

Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below. 

Today on Stateside, school budgets are due today, but they'll be educated guesses until the legislature and governor pass a new budget. Plus, a London police officer has a new memoir about the 15 years he spent observing the Detroit Police Department. 

Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.  

Today on Stateside, a Republican proposal to fix Michigan’s roads is circulating in Lansing that wouldn't raise taxes. Plus a look at avian botulism, a disease that’s killing waterfowl across the Great Lakes.

Today on Stateside, how two new major US Supreme Court decisions will impact Michigan. Plus, with the anniversary of the Stonewall riots this Friday, we look at the history of the gay rights movement in Michigan.

Today on Stateside, a public policy and economics professor at Hillsdale College weighs in on the free college tuition proposals that are bound to arise in this week's Democratic debates. Plus, some species of native freshwater mussels are under threat and we look at how their decline could change the Great Lakes.

Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.  

This weekend is the Rocket Mortgage Classic, a PGA golf tournament taking place at the Detroit Golf Club. This will be the first time the PGA has come to Detroit, and the first time in Michigan since 2009.

The PGA is coordinating with several nonprofits, including The First Tee of Greater Detroit. This group works to improve access to golf among young people in lower-income communities.

Today on Stateside, we talk to a business leader who wants legal protections for LGBTQ people, and a gay politician who says they are not needed. Plus, an updated system for driverless cars is being tested on the streets of Detroit. Are people ready for them?

In Michigan, you can be fired because you are gay. You can be denied housing in some instances. You can be denied service at a restaurant, a bar, a wedding cake baker. But that might be changing.

There's a bill in the state Legislature that would extend protections for LGBTQ folks under what's known as the Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act.

Carnival is a vibrant, musically-rich celebration that happens before the start of Lent. It’s celebrated across the globe, bringing out the most unique aspects of many cultures and traditions.

Jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles, who teaches at Michigan State University, celebrates the festival in a new album titled Carnival: The Sound of a People. Charles says this album gave him the opportunity to explore the history of Carnival in his native Trinidad.

Balloons are a part of many American traditions: birthdays, graduations, retirements, weddings. It’s easy to forget these balloons once they float away, but what goes up, must come down. And pieces of balloon waste are coming down all around the Great Lakes.