Stateside Staff

Today on Stateside, we grow our understanding of Jewish and Muslim communities in Michigan and learn more about their histories and their futures. Plus, we celebrate Fat Tuesday with paczki! 

Today on Stateside, the legislature revisits Michigan’s high auto insurance rates, but will a decrease in rates only come with less guaranteed medical care? Plus, a study looks at how an all-renewable energy grid would have fared in January’s polar vortex.

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

Body image is something that people can wrestle with their entire lives. Being hypercritical of what you see in the mirror often starts when you’re young, and carries on throughout the rest of your life.

The Better Body Image Conference, taking place Saturday, March 2nd in Grand Rapids, aims to interrupt that self-critical voice about our bodies. 

Today on Stateside, the priest in charge of processing cases of sexual abuse by clergy in the Detroit diocese responds to state Attorney General Dana Nessel’s call for the Catholic church to stop investigating itself. Plus, the legal gray area around growing – and selling – hemp and its products, including CBD oil.    

Michigan's mental health care system isn't getting children the  help they need. 

The causes are varied  –  from a shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists to the social stigma around getting treated for mental illness  – but many providers, parents, and advocates say we're reaching a crisis point. 

Now, some providers are trying to collaborate on solutions. 

Today on Stateside, we talk with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell about the loss of her husband and his  last words to America. Plus, we continue our look into Michigan's mental health services for children, with a conversation about the state's dire shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists. 

Michigan, like most of the country, is in desperate need of more child and adolescent psychiatrists.

A study released in February found that one in seven children in Michigan – more than 100,000 children in total – have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or ADHD, which are the three most common psychiatric disorders in people under the age of 18. 

The state had a total of just 239 psychiatrists trained to treat children and adolescents in 2017, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists. That works out to just 11 psychiatrists for every 100,000 children across the state.

Today on Stateside, we hear from two Catholics who have been pushing for changes in their dioceses in response to the allegations of sexual abuse by priests. Plus, Afrofuturism was spotlighted for an international audience in last year’s wildly successful film Black Panther. But the philosophy and art of Afrofuturism have had a home in Detroit for decades.

Where do you go, to whom do you turn if your child needs mental health care? Child psychiatrists and parents agree: the options in Michigan are too few and far between.

This issue has led to a class action lawsuit against the state's Department of Health and Human Services. It was filed in 2018 against then-Governor Snyder, and it alleges the state has failed to meet its legal obligation under Medicaid to provide adequate services for children who have behavioral and mental health problems.

Today on Stateside, a new plan to boost Detroit says restoring the city's African-American middle class is key to a successful revitalization effort. Plus, we hear about the Anishinaabe Theatre Exchange, a program that draws on indigenous storytelling traditions to talk about current social issues.

Today on Stateside, the EPA on Thursday released a plan to deal with contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – better known as PFAS. U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee says the plan shows the agency is “dragging their feet.” Plus, what it’s like to straddle two worlds as the first person in your family to go to college.

Today on Stateside, we hear reactions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as some Michigan teachers, on the plans Governor Gretchen Whitmer laid out during the State of the State speech. Plus, we talk to two sisters from Rochester Hills who started the nonprofit “Girls of the Crescent” to empower Muslim girls through books and reading. 

From furniture show rooms to television shows like Mad Men, mid-century modern style has seen a renaissance in recent years. But for the people living in the city of Midland, those clean, sleek lines are a part of everyday life.

The city has an unusually large number of mid-century modern structures that include residential homes, doctor's offices, fire stations, churches, and businesses. 

Today on Stateside, Congressman John Dingell passed away Thursday. Two of his longtime friends from across the aisle, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton and Detroit News columnist Nolan Finley, reflect on the legacy of “the Dean.” Plus, Republicans push back against Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s attempts to restructure the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. And we end the week with a cocktail that sounds like spring, but tastes like winter citrus.

A group of Detroit residents suing the city's Water and Sewerage Department may soon have their case heard by the Michigan Supreme Court. The plaintiffs, who allege that the department's drainage rate is an unlawful tax, finished briefing the court this week.   

Today on Stateside, we hear thoughts from both sides of the aisle about the State of Union address last night, and President Trump's contention that: "If there's going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation." Plus, we transport back to 1860s Saginaw, Michigan to learn about the first African-American owned photography studio in the state. 

When you learn how to make art – whether it’s oil painting or playing in a rock band – you develop more than just a talent.

It can also help you learn some pretty important life lessons about things like failure and vulnerability.

When you hit the highway for a road trip, you probably don’t think twice about being able to find somewhere to eat when you get hungry.  

But for African-American families heading South during the Jim Crow era, restaurant options were slim to none. So when they had long train or car trips planned, women of the family would pack lunches into old shoeboxes.

A leading architect and designer from Michigan died this week.

Florence Knoll Bassett was known for changing how we understand office space in the U.S. She was a giant of mid-century modern design, the style people may associate with the Mad Men-era.

Today on Stateside, we check in with a fire department, an animal rescue group, and homeless advocates to see what work is like for them during the record-setting cold weather. We also talk with an artist whose first large-scale museum exhibition was inspired by her time in Flint. 

He was a respectable man. He never brandished a gun with the intention to kill, never spoke profane language, and never used incorrect grammar or slang. He was always mysteriously masked and made a vow to fight injustice. He is famously known as "The Lone Ranger.”

Today on Stateside, we talk to a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about the aftermath of the partial government shutdown. Plus, Rep. Fred Upton, R, explains why the EPA needs to set PFAS standards for drinking water. 

Today on Stateside, we hear from the president of the State Board of Education following an MSU report’s findings that Michigan leads the country in declining school funds. Plus, we talk with the CEO leading the charge on digital license plates in Michigan.

Funding for Michigan's public schools is insufficient to meet rising education standards, according to a recent study by researchers at Michigan State University. 

The MSU researchers said Michigan tightened its total spending on K-12 public education more than any other state over a 20 year period ending in 2015.

Today on Stateside, Michigan's funding for schools has declined more than any other state, according to a new study. We get reaction from the state senator who chairs the committee overseeing K-12 funding. Plus, an exhibit by a new artist-in-residence at the University of Michigan paints an apocalyptic environmental future over nostalgic images of America's past. 

Today on Stateside, new reporting contradicts the city of Detroit’s claim that police response times are going down. Plus, advocates are cheering a law passed during lame duck that makes it easier for people experiencing homelessness to get state ID cards. 

Creating Connection Michigan is a series of intimate, first-person stories about the power of art to change lives. This week, we hear from a Kalamazoo woman whose art-making helped her cope with tragic losses.