Stateside

Today on Stateside, the director of a conservative advocacy group talks about why he opposes Proposal 2, the anti-gerrymandering ballot initiative. Plus, Flint native Jim Abbott was born without a right hand, but he still made it to the major league. We talk to the director of a new documentary about the baseball legend.

Michigan has consistently ranked in the bottom five states and territories when it comes to helping veterans and their families access federal VA benefits. In 2013, Governor Rick Snyder created the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency to address the state's low ranking. 

Yet five years after the governor created the MVAA to address the issue, Michigan still ranks near the bottom in connecting veterans with benefits. We conclude our week-long series on the issue with a conversation with James Redford, director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

Today on Stateside, our education commentator explains why teachers shouldn’t shy away from talking about politics in the classroom. Plus, we hear about allegations against the Detroit Medical Center that claim the hospital fired several doctors after they raised concerns about dirty surgical instruments and other problems.

Listen to the full show or find individual segments below.

Detroit Medical Center under investigation after new allegations of dirty surgical instruments

Michigan has consistently ranked in the bottom five states and territories when it comes to helping veterans and their families access federal VA benefits.

Why are so many Michigan vets not getting the benefits they've earned?

All week, Stateside has been digging into this question. We've talked to veterans from two different generations about their experiences returning home. A county-level veteran services administrator shared his concerns about the lack of staff available to help veterans connect to benefits. We also heard from a state representative about what progress the state has — and has not — made. 

Today on Stateside, will the 44,000 people who were wrongfully accused of unemployment fraud be able to sue the state? Plus, the legacy of the 1920’s African-American Doctor who purchased a home on Detroit's segregated East Side.

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Michigan Supreme Court hears appeal for lawsuit against state for false fraud accusations

Republican State Representative Jason Wentworth serves Michigan's 97th district and is the chair of the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. He served in the United States Army, and before he was elected to the state House, he was a regional coordinator for the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA).

Earlier this year, he worked to get a bill signed into law that will — for the first time — make state funds available for county governments to help veterans apply for federal VA benefits.

Today on Stateside, Democratic nominee Elissa Slotkin on why she's running in Michigan's 8th Congressional District, one of the most expensive races in the country. Plus, Washtenaw County Department of Veterans Affairs director Michael Smith talks about how a shortage of qualified staff makes it harder for Michigan veterans to determine their eligibility for federal VA benefits. 

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

It's a congressional race that political pundits and prognosticators are watching closely, and it just so happens to be in our backyard. 

Michigan's 8th Congressional District represents Livingston and Ingham Counties, as well as parts of Oakland County. Democratic candidate Elissa Slotkin is challenging the incumbent, Representative Mike Bishop (R), who is running for his third term.

All this week on Stateside, we're looking at why more Michigan veterans aren't getting the help they may be entitled to from the VA. The state has consistently ranked in the bottom five states and territories when it comes to helping veterans and their families access federal VA benefits.

Today on Stateside, pollster Richard Czuba on how news consumers should be looking at media coverage of polls in 2018. Plus, Stateside kicks off a week-long series about the challenges Michigan veterans face connecting with VA benefits after returning to civilian life. Two veterans, one who served in Vietnam and one who served in Iraq, discuss their experiences navigating life after returning home from war. 

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

There are about six hundred thousand veterans in Michigan. That's the 11th highest in the nation, according to the U.S. Census. Yet Michigan has consistently ranked in the bottom five states and territories when it comes to helping veterans and their families access federal veteran benefits. These are benefits that could bring much needed assistance with finances, employment, and health care, to name a few.

Between now and November's election, we’re having conversations with statewide candidates about a variety of issues. Today, Stateside spoke with the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, about the state budget and his tax policy platform.

Through her campaign, Democratic candidate Gretchen Whitmer had agreed to join us to discuss her view on taxes and the budget. However, she cancelled.

Today on Stateside, a conversation with Mexican journliast Emilio Gutierrez-Soto who sought asylum in the US in 2008. He is currently a Knight-Wallace Fellow, but may face deportation under the Trump Administration. Plus, a political-round up, a conversation with a MacArthur genius fellow, and interview with Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Schuette (R).

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

Today on Stateside, Michigan's opioid overdoses are at an all-time high. What are we doing wrong in the fight against addiction? Plus, as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we take a look into the work the Michigan History Center is doing to represent a larger group of Michiganders.

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Overdose deaths continue to rise despite state efforts on opioid crisis

Today on Stateside, what does Governor Rick Snyder's agreement with Enbridge Energy actually mean for the future of the Line 5 pipeline? Plus, a conversation with the author of a new book on First Lady Betty Ford's legacy.

Over the past two years, Michiganders across the state have become aware of the chemicals known as PFAS. They first made news when elevated levels were found in more than 20 private water wells in Oscoda. Now, there are 35 known contamination sites around the state.

Today on Stateside, a conversation about the dismal state of special education in Michigan in light of a recent report that names it as the only state in need of federal intervention to help improve special education curriculum. Plus, an environmental health expert talks about the potential health risks associated with PFAS exposure. 

Today on Stateside, why the auto industry is breathing "a sigh of relief" after President Trump announced the trilateral trade deal that will replace NAFTA. Plus, an Oscoda resident shares his experience of being affected by PFAS contamination, kicking off Michigan Radio's week-long series on contamination by the chemicals across the state.    

Today on Stateside, our political analysts weigh in on a study that suggests Michigan is unprepared for another recession. Then, we talk to a member of a grassroots, campus-based organization working to bridge the American political divide. Plus, the future of plant-based plastics.

Today on Stateside, we hear from Michigan voters who express which issues are most important to them in the upcoming election season. Plus, two University of Michigan professors discuss their efforts to bring sustainable energy to Puerto Rico. 

Today on Stateside, we hear from a Michigan soybean farmer on how President Trump's escalating trade war with China is projected to affect the state's agriculture producers. Plus, Stateside's education commentator Matinga Ragatz weighs in on the teacher shortage crisis facing Michigan schools. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency held its second of three public listening sessions Tuesday, this one in Dearborn, on its proposal to freeze increases in fuel economy standards after 2020.

But even automakers that don't support the current standards say a freeze is going too far, as David Shepardson of Reuters reports.

Today on Stateside, a former Environmental Protection Agency advisor, along with hundreds of of other former EPA employees, are speaking out against the Trump administration's plan to weaken national fuel economy standards. Plus, Detroit Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charlie LeDuff on his new book Sh*tshow: The Country's Collapsing... and the Ratings are Great. 

Today on Stateside, a Michigan official responds to the controversy surrounding Wisconsin’s quiet approval of a 2010 request to divert nearly 11 million gallons of Great Lakes water per day. Plus, a comic book that explores the repatriation of Native American remains and the relationship between indigenous tribes and museums.

Today on Stateside, why a large diversion of Lake Michigan water approved by the state of Wisconsin in 2010 is drawing new scrutiny. Plus, ringing in the first weekend of fall with a Michigan version of a tropical cocktail.  

When Peter Annin, director of the Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College, was completing research for an updated version of his book The Great Lakes Water Wars, he discovered a detail about Great Lakes water diversions that had gone unnoticed for 8 years.

According to his findings, the state of Wisconsin never announced that in 2010, it approved the village of Pleasant Prairie's request to extract seven million gallons of water per day from Lake Michigan, the largest water diversion in the state.

Michigan Radio’s Stateside colleagues April Van Buren and Mercedes Mejia challenged the Cheers! team to make a pina colada using paw paw.

The Cheers! drink expert, Tammy Coxen of Tammy’s Tastings, loved the idea.

Today on Stateside, Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee discusses what he is doing to prevent the deportation of a 48-year-old man from Nigeria who is deaf and has cognitive disabilities. Plus, University of Michigan Professor Daniel Raimi breaks down the risks, myths, and benefits of fracking.