Stateside

Today on Stateside, how does the right to free speech apply when it comes to the personal Twitter accounts of elected officials? Plus, we hear about how a nationwide shortage of volunteer firefighters is affecting communities in the state.

Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that President Donald Trump violated the First Amendment by blocking critics on Twitter. 

In Michigan, state politicians are also wrestling with the parameters of free speech online.

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.

Today on Stateside, why West Michigan Congressman Justin Amash made the decision to leave the Republican Party, and what he thinks he'll accomplish as an independent. Plus, what the future of the manufacturing sector in Michigan will look like as technology continues to transform how we make things. 

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.

Hundreds of young men in Michigan say they were sexually assaulted while serving time in adult prisons when they were still teenagers. The state's Department of Corrections, they allege in a class action lawsuit, failed to provide them with adequate protection. 

Last month, the Michigan Supreme Court cleared the legal path for these men to sue the state of Michigan for damages.

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. 

If it seems like the only phone calls you get are robocalls and scams, you're not alone. 

According to Robocall Index, 4.4 billion of these calls were made in the United States in June. That's 6 million calls every hour, 1,700 per second. 

The state of Michigan and the US Air Force have reached an agreement to speed up PFAS contamination cleanup around the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base.

But not everyone in the city of Oscoda is impressed.

Today on Stateside, how new rules from the state are likely to shape the marketplace for recreational marijuana in Michigan. Plus, a new bipartisan proposal in Lansing would overhaul the state’s current emergency manager law. 

West Michigan Congressman Justin Amash is the first and only Republican member of Congress to call for President Trump’s impeachment based on evidence presented in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

On July 4, Amash published an editorial in the Washington Post announcing that he would be leaving the Republican Party. So, what does a newly-independent Amash mean for his district? 

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.

Michiganders will have more days this Fourth of July to use fireworks. Laws passed last December restrict the number of days fireworks can be used around holidays, except for Independence Day.

Today on Stateside, we remember Lee Iacocca, the legendary auto industry executive who died this week at age 94. Plus, a refresher on the state’s firework safety laws ahead of Independence Day.

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

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.  

This rainy spring made it difficult for farmers to plant crops, and that means many farmers are turning to crop insurance.

Matt Thelen, crop insurance specialist for the Michigan Farm Bureau, says about 80% of Michigan farmers have crop insurance.

“When we’re dealing with a spring like this, there's so many farmers that can’t yet get a crop in the ground and that affects their revenue and their livelihood,” Thelen says. “Paying crop insurance thankfully is one of the saving graces so they can have enough to farm the next year.”

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.

The famous pottery, Pewabic, has been doing much the same thing it has done since the very early part of the 20th century, and using some of the same equipment and molds for its tiles and pottery.

"Pewabic was founded in 1903 by Mary Chase Perry (later named Mary Chase Perry Stratton) who was an artist and became really well known as a China painter. She would paint, overglaze enamels on French China and would teach about it and write about it," explained Steve McBride, Executive Director of Pewabic.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday to reject the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census — for now.

The Trump Administration said it wanted to add the question to enforce the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voters' access to the ballot box. Those who opposed the move feared it would discourage the participation of minorities in elections. 

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.