Stateside Staff

Today on Stateside, protesters once again gathered at Michigan's Capitol to protest Governor Whitmer's stay at home order while lawmakers and the governor clashed over her emergency powers. Plus, one Detroit business owner talks about the challenges of making a federal small business loan work for her 100-plus employee bakery. 

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.

Michigan Congressman Justin Amash has decided to explore a run for a higher office: President of the United States.

On Twitter Tuesday night, Amash announced he’s formed an exploratory committee to run for the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination.

Physical distancing is essential to slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus. But in prison, it's nearly impossible. That's left inmates like Efren Paredes Jr. afraid for their health and safety. Paredes is one of nearly 1,400 men incarcerated at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater. More than half of them have tested positive for COVID-19. 

Today on Stateside, Michigan's counties are playing a critical role in the public health response to COVID-19, but the costs of the outbreak are straining already tight county budgets. Plus, we’ll hear from a man serving time at a state correctional facility in Coldwater about what it’s like to watch the outbreak unfold from inside the prison's walls.

Today on Stateside, we talk to Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin about the future of emergency funds for businesses impacted by COVID-19 . Plus, what a federal appeals court decision in the so-called “right to read” lawsuit means for students in Detroit.

Today on Stateside, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has extended the stay at home order, but a loosening of certain restrictions will allow some businesses to reopen. We'll get an analysis of the latest development in the state leadership’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, the owner of a Grand Rapids juice bar talks about the hard pivot to home delivery, and the networks that might help black-owned business survive the shutdown. 

Today on Stateside, we check in with local businesses on how they’re dealing with the COVID-19 shutdown. Also, a look at how Muslims in Michigan are celebrating Ramadan during a markedly not-festive time. 

Tonight is the first night of Ramadan, a month where Muslims around the world fast from sunrise to sunset. Normally, people would gather with friends and extended family to break the fast at an evening meal known as the iftar.

The stay at home order means Muslims in Michigan are having to limit their festivities to immediate family. But that isn't stopping people in Dearborn from spreading a little light during the holy month. We talked to documentary filmmaker Razi Jafri about a contest to find the best Ramadan light displays in the city. 

Despite being more digitally connected than ever before, the COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings have still left many of us feeling isolated. To counter the radical separation we’re all contending with right now, a group of artists and curators in Detroit created a web project called "Six Feet of Distance: Meditations and Resources on Art and Social Practice."

Today on Stateside, a new test for COVID-19 gives results quickly, but those results aren't always accurate. Plus, it's Earth Day and we spoke with a congressman about how the COVID crisis could serve as an opportunity to rethink how we treat the earth.

Grappling with a surge in critically ill patients, the lives of healthcare professionals in Michigan look very different than they did a few weeks ago. Detroit continues to be one of the nation's hotspots for COVID-19 cases and deaths, and Michigan has the third highest number of infections among all states.

While Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has indicated that her administration is working on guidelines for a partial restart of the state’s economy as soon as May 1, Michigan’s Republican leaders have presented their own set of suggestions for what reopening sectors of the state’s economy could look like.

Michigan House speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican representing District 107, weighed in on the Republican leadership’s proposal and how it would approach reopening the economy on a county-by-county basis.

Today on Stateside, State House Speaker Lee Chatfield talks about the Republican plan to slowly reopen some sectors of the state economy. Plus, the wierd logic of grocery store shortages. 

Thousands of Michigan students have been cut adrift from their school communities as the coronavirus pandemic has shuttered school buildings. Their academic paths suddenly depend on their family’s ability to obtain electronic devices or pay for internet service. But teachers are working to find new ways to stay connected with their students—like virtual bedtime stories. 

Today on Stateside, we talk to a Detroit elementary school teacher who has been getting online every night for story time with her students. Plus, a funeral director tells us what’s changed and what hasn’t about the work of helping with life’s final transition during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today on Stateside, we talk with small business owners about what they're doing to stay afloat and survive the COVID-19 shutdown. Also, a conversation with Ojibwe writer, artist, and activist Lois Beardslee about her latest poetry collection.

As Michigan's stay at home order stretches into its fourth week, many small businesses around the state are working hard to stay afloat. They are having to quickly pivot how they do business while also trying to figure out what kind of loans and grants may be available to help them through the shutdown. 

Today on Stateside, a protest over Governor Whitmer’s stay at home order leads to gridlock in Michigan’s Capitol. Plus, we explore the life and legacy of Michigander Elly Peterson, one of the most influential women in Republican politics during the 1960s and 70s.

As hard as this time is, some have found the experience of physical distancing offers unexpected opportunities. Detroit writer Desiree Cooper is riding out the virus as the full-time caregiver for two parents with dementia in Virginia Beach. She recently wrote an essay about what slowing down and staying home has meant for her. 

You’ve probably seen at least one or two homemade loaves of bread on your social media feeds as most of us are stuck at home in quarantine. Maybe you’ve even tried making a loaf of sourdough or challah yourself. So, why are so many people turning to bread baking in these uncertain times? We posed that question to expert baker Sara Molinaro. 

Several thousand cars surrounded the Michigan Capitol grounds for blocks as far as the eye could see Wednesday in a display so densely packed, one ambulance slowed to a crawl to get through. Some drivers laid on their horns, while some spilled out onto the sidewalks. At least 200 people left their cars and clustered at the front of the Capitol, not observing social distancing or wearing masks.  

Today on Stateside, we check in on Michigan’s farm scene and see how food producers are doing amid the pandemic. Plus, how the state unemployment office is handling a huge surge in the number of people applying for benefits.

Michigan's food producers are in a bind right now. So many customers, so few ways to reach them. Most of the products we buy in grocery stores are still available, but COVID-19 has sparked some subtle disruptions that go beyond the point of sale. One sector dealing with a disrupted supply chain is the state’s dairy industry.

Four weeks into Michigan’s stay at home order, communities all over the state have been in a holding pattern. Essential workers are making sure we stay fed and healthy, some businesses are allowing people to work from home, and others are at a crippling standstill.

Today on Stateside, we talk to a Republican state senator who says that Governor Whitmer’s extension of the emergency stay at home order goes too far. Plus, how students with disabilities who rely on schools for important services are faring at home. 

Public health experts say in order to slow the spread of COVID-19, it's essential for people to stay home and stay healthy. But for those living with an abusive partner or family member, the danger inside the home may be as threatening as the risk outside of it.

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.

The news these days is filled with some pretty heavy stuff. One of the horrible ironies of this time is that, in a moment when we could all desperately use some humor, social distancing has made funny harder to find. The bars and venues are all shut down, but Michigan comics are finding new ways to reach their audience while figuring out what funny looks like during a global health crisis.

Today on Stateside, Michigan's local governments are moving public meetings online. Hackers took notice and are heckling and streaming inappropriate content on the calls. Plus, we talk with two comedians about finding humor in uncertain times.