Stateside

Today on Stateside, we talk to Paul Mitchell, who represents Michigan’s 10th District, about his view on the impeachment proceedings against President Trump. Plus, we talk to one of the longest-serving members of the Capitol press corps about his nearly five decades covering Michigan politics.

Today on Stateside, we look at what the resignation of Wayne State University's Board of Governors chairwoman means for the school’s divided leadership. Plus, we wrap up our series on billionaire influence in Michigan with a look at Grand Rapids and a conversation with the author of Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World.

Today on Stateside, Detroit has hired a new director for its Animal Care and Control Department after the fatal mulling of a nine-year-old girl earlier this year. We heard how the department plans to turn things around. Plus, experts estimate that postpartum mood disorders like anxiety and depression impact as many as 1 in 5 mothers, but stigma stops many of them from getting help. We talked to two women trying to change that. 

The birth of a new baby is an exciting time. Family and friends come over to fawn over the new baby. They bring gifts and take turns holding the new addition. But what happens when a mother doesn't feel that same joy—when she feels disconnected from all the excitement around her?

The trial of state Representative Larry Inman ended in a mistrial Tuesday. The lawmaker narrowly avoided a criminal conviction.

Today on Stateside, a new investigative report revealed that top exectutives at a firm contracted by the city of Flint knew there was a problem with lead contamination in the water system, but never alerted the public. Plus, a look at the golden era of downtown department stores in Detroit, and what their eventual demise tells us about how the retail landscape has changed. 

Today on Stateside, we heard about the latest update on a lawsuit filed in 2015 on behalf of the tens of thousands of Michiganders wrongly accused of filing fraudulent unemployment claims. Plus, the new director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency talked about her plan to get more of Michigan's 600,000 vets connected to the benefits they need.

Today on Stateside, a team from Emory University is in Michigan this week to take blood samples from people who were exposed to polybrominated biphenyls—or PBBs—in the 1970s. Plus, is new technology the key to fighting climate change—or is a radical cultural shift needed? 

There is so much to catch your eye: Tiki statues, tiki mugs, tiki décor of every description, and more than a dash of 1960s living room kitsch. Max’s South Seas Hideaway is the newest tiki bar in Grand Rapids and the epitome of a “tiki palace” in Michigan.

Tammy Coxen of Tammy’s Tastings sat down with co-owner Mark Sellers in a cozy little corner filled with tiki art and mid-century suburban furniture to talk to him about the two-story tiki bar and restaurant.

Today on Stateside, an old industrial site contaminated with uranium since the World War II has partially collapsed into the Detroit River. Plus, a group of West Michigan musicians have brought old Michigan folk songs once sung by sailors and lumberjacks back to life.

Today on Stateside, Great Lakes water levels are at record or near-record highs, leading to dramatic shoreline erosion and threatening lakeshore properties. Plus, the Detroit origins of the spiral cut ham, a holiday dinner staple. 

Today on Stateside, there are just a few weeks left in the 2019 legislative session, but Governor Gretchen Whitmer and GOP lawmakers have yet to reach a deal on the state budget. Plus, a group of West Michigan musicians come together on a compilation album to raise money for Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Ralston Bowles, whose wife is battling cancer.

Today on Stateside, we get a preview of State Representative Larry Inman’s upcoming corruption trial in federal court. 

The word “education” doesn’t appear in the United States Constitution, but should students be guaranteed a basic level of literacy in order to fully participate in American democracy? 

Today on Stateside, we hear about the plan for a unique “net-zero” community in Ann Arbor. Plus, dispelling the stereotype that Michigan wine can't compete on the world stage. 

Today on Stateside, the organizer of a recall drive against a Traverse City state representative says Michigan’s recall process stifles citizen voices. Plus, Michigan winemakers are hoping to move the image of the state’s wines beyond “sweet” and “sweeter."

It's that time of year when people are stocking up on wine for festive dinners and holiday parties. Despite a sizable winemaking industry in the state, Michigan wine often is stereotyped as being overly sweet, and not on par with products from other areas of the country.

But winemakers and sommeliers around the state want to break that stereotype, and maybe even convince you to pick up a Michigan-made wine for your holiday table. 

Today on Stateside, a federal judge delivered a setback to Michigan Republicans suing to stop the state from moving forward on a voter-approved redistricting commission. Plus, why the old political belief that urban voters swing Democratic and the suburbs vote Republican is changing.

Today on Stateside, what newly-released emails between state officials reveal about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that allowed federally-protected gray wolves to be killed in the Upper Peninsula. Plus, on the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, a look into the former president's long list of health problems and why they were hidden from public view.

In the past several years, dozens of communities across Michigan have learned their drinking water is contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. This group of chemicals, commonly referred to as PFAS, are “forever chemicals.” They persist in the environment and in the bodies of people regularly exposed to them without breaking down.

Today on Stateside, we recap the Michigan congressional delegation's reactions to the impeachment inquiry. Plus, following the recent settlement of a discrimination lawsuit against Founders Brewing Co., we talk to people of color in Michigan's food and craft beer scene about its lack of diversity.

How do you diagnose death?

For the last several decades, doctors have used brain death, defined as the complete and irreversible absence of all brain function, to determine when someone is legally dead. But in two recent cases in Michigan, both involving children, families have pushed back on doctors' diagnoses of brain death. 

Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Yikes!

So what do you offer your guests to drink?

“You'll see a lot of guides of what wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. And there's no right answer, right? Because the Thanksgiving table is so diverse, there's so many different food items on it, you're never going to have a perfect pairing. So cocktails can be a different way to go,” Tammy Coxen of Tammy’s Tastings said.

Today on Stateside, General Motors is suing rival automaker Fiat Chrysler. We’ll hear about how corruption charges against the UAW and Fiat Chrysler are at the heart of the lawsuit. Plus, a case before a federal appeals court looks at whether some Detroit students’ constitutional rights were violated by subpar learning environments and instruction.

Today on Stateside, fewer people are stepping up to serve as volunteer firefighters. What does that mean for the safety of Michigan communities? Plus, how best to support non-traditional students in their career paths.

Today on Stateside, how anemic state funding and fewer students in the classroom are posing challenges for Michigan’s public universities. Plus, why some physicians choose to practice direct primary care.

Today on Stateside, a reboot of efforts to expand regional transit in Southeast Michigan. Plus, as the state tackles PFAS contamination, we look at the lessons missed in the 1973 PBB crisis in St. Louis, Michigan.