Conversations that matter to Michigan. Each weekday, host April Baer will bring you stories from people across the state—from policymakers in Lansing, to entrepreneurs in Detroit, to artists in Grand Rapids.
To access full episodes and individual story segments, please visit michiganpublic.org.
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganradio.org/podfund
The Stateside Podcast is taking a summer break as producers prepare a new podcast project that's all about Michigan. You can download or stream the new Stateside On Air podcast, which is the full daily show broadcast on Michigan Public. Stay subscribed here for our relaunch at the end of summer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There is something special about strawberry season in Michigan: that brief moment of the year when we trade the pale gigantic plastic clamshell berries for the sweet, deep red jewels of in-season strawberries. On this episode, Chef Abra Berens is back with a recipe that gives those summer strawberries the respect they deserve. GUEST: Abra Berens, cookbook author and culinary director at Granor Farm Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the ...
Whitefish populations in the lower Great Lakes have been declining for decades. Bridge Michigan environment reporter Kelly House joined Stateside to discuss what’s threatening the iconic fish, and what could be done to save them. GUEST: Kelly House, Environment Reporter at Bridge Michigan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This summer, the Scripps Howard Fund gave Detroit Free Press reporter M.L. Elrick an award for his column “ On Guard ”, in which he publishes all manner of exposes, in the muckraking tradition. Back in 2009, Elrick and his colleague Jim Schaefer shared a Pulitzer prize for covering corruption in the administration of then-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Elrick is also the creator of a student journalism project called Eye on Michigan at MSU. GUEST: M.L. Elrick, journalist, Detroit Free Press See...
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For a pilot, ejecting mid-flight is always a bad scenario. Lt. Kegan "Smurf" Gill narrowly escaped from a fighter jet traveling 695 miles per hour, approaching the speed of sound. It’s the fastest survived ejection in naval aviation history. “I have a very clear linear memory, right up to the point where I pulled the ejection handle, and after that I have no linear memory,” he said about the experience. “But over the course of the years, I'd gotten a lot back in flashbacks, which were often nigh...
Everything you hear on Stateside is made possible by listener support. Please become a member today and help keep Michigan Public strong. In the wake of the U.S. military airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, an Iranian-American scholar at the University of Michigan-Dearborn reflects on how public perception of Iranians has evolved alongside U.S. relations with the country over the years. GUEST: Camron Amin , professor of Middle East Studies and Iranian Diaspora Studies at the University of ...
As the weather heats up in Michigan, so does the excitement of the Ann Arbor District Library's 15th annual Summer Game. We talked to AADL library director Eli Neiburger about the origins of the beloved tradition and how it's changed through the years. If you're already a Summer Game fan, we've got a treat for you! Enter the word 'STATESIDE' as a summer game code to earn 500 points. You can also text the code to (734) 327- 4200 to be signed up for the game and start earning points. GUEST: Eli Ne...
The Detroit Tigers are the best in baseball right now. Yes, that's right. GUEST: Rogelio Castillo, Tigers beat writer and podcaster See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Movement, Detroit’s long-running techno music festival made its way back to the city last month. Dynamic sounds and energetic tempos could be felt miles away from Hart Plaza as massive crowds danced their way through Memorial Day Weekend. Headlining this year’s festival was Carl Craig, a Detroit music producer, DJ, and founder of the record label Planet E Communications. Last year, a documentary film that chronicles the artist's life, Desire: The Carl Craig Story , premiered at the Tribeca Film ...
This year Mackinac Island celebrates a big milestone; it's been 150 years since it was named a National Park. It was only the second space given that designation in the nation, behind Yellowstone. Mackinac Island is a State Park these days, and it enjoys a rich and intriguing history that creates a sense of timelessness. Today we explore some of the chronology that take the island from Anishinaabe fishing community, to Revolutionary War outpost, to the carless, fudge-filled spot it is today. GUE...
The Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969 brought attention to the harassment and violence that LGBTQ+ people faced in America. But it wasn't just America that was paying attention. We talked to an assistant professor at Michigan State University about how Pride celebrations have evolved in Mexico—which saw its first Pride celebration in 1979. GUEST: Alejandra Márquez, assistant professor of Spanish at Michigan State University Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . ...
Immigrant advocates in Grand Rapids say ICE tried detaining people at routine check-ins. Now, immigrants face a difficult choice: show up and risk arrest, or stay home and break the law. GUEST: Gema Lowe , volunteer organizer with the immigrant rights group Movimiento Cosecha GR Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...
You may be wondering why you haven’t seen swarms of mayflies yet. Cold water temperatures have delayed their arrival—but don’t worry, they’re on their way. Experts predict the mayflies will begin hatching in Michigan over the next couple of weeks. GUEST: Richard Merritt , former entomology professor at Michigan State University Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Ses...
Scholar and poet Shonda Buchanan grew up in Kalamazoo with a deep love for Nina Simone. Her new book, The Lost Songs of Nina Simone , captures the singer's spirit in a unique blend of poetry, memoir, and historical reflection. Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
A UM student who has been active in the pro-Palestinian protest movement on campus, says he was followed by apparent plainclothes private surveillance teams contracted by the university. And he has video to prove it. GUEST: Josiah Walker , UM student Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Maykol Bogoya-Duarte is a Detroit high school student, who was just 3.5 credits away from earning his diploma when he was pulled over by Rockwood police for alleged tailgating. Bogoya-Duarte, who was already under an active deportation order and planning to fly back to Colombia with his mother, was detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement during the May 20 traffic stop. He had hoped to finish his high school diploma by the end of this year, but now faces imminent deportation. We talked t...
How Lansing native Terk Brunk, aka Sabu, changed wrestling and became a global sports hero for Arab Americans GUESTS: Shaffee Abraham, former radio host and ring manger for Sabu Khalil AlHajal , Deputy Opinion Editor at the Detroit Free Press Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
The Senate may soon vote on a federal budget packed with President Trump’s priorities. The bill passed the house last month with major changes to Medicaid. Michigan’s Republican representatives argue these aren’t “ cuts ” – they say that they’re “ protecting ” Medicaid by removing “ waste, fraud and abuse .” These changes, whatever you call them, could result in millions losing Medicaid coverage by 2027, according to estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office . Nearly two million M...
Alex B. Hill is the principal of DETROITography , an organization that provides data resources for city residents. "You know, I have Detroit maps in the back of my head. I've made so many of them. And the Great Lakes, I've lived here forever, but I hadn't ever really made a map of the region," Hill said. As a cartographer and information designer, Hill focuses on Michigan locations, offering new perspectives for understanding these areas. His new book, "Great Lakes in 50 Maps," explores our fres...
The regents of University of Florida had already offered Ono the gig, and he had accepted. But the larger governing body - the Board of Governors - rejected that plan as pressure mounted from Republican lawmakers and influential voices decried Ono as too liberal. At the meeting on June 3, 2025, the members of the Board of Governors peppered Ono with questions about his record of support of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. DEI programs have become a target of the Republican Party under ...
The mistrial in the criminal case against former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr, who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya, has left the Lyoya family vowing to continue seeking justice through civil court. Some legal experts argue that police training and the difficulty of convicting officers played a key role in the hung jury decision. GUEST: Ekow Yankah , Associate Dean for Faculty and Research and holds the title of Thomas M. Cooley Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law S...
Abra Berens, cookbook author and culinary director at Granor Farm in Three Oaks, offered a risotto recipe that works as the perfect catchall for your farmers market finds this spring. After you hear her tips, find the full recipe below: Spring Risotto This risotto can absorb any random spring vegetables like asparagus or ramps even baby carrots or radish. I just slice them thinly or into a small dice and then add in place of the peas. The broth is a great way to use up old parmesan rinds, but is...
The City of Dearborn is buying or parcels of land along an industrial stretch on the south end of town. The idea is to turn this strip into a green park buffer between industry and residential, in order to tamp down pollution of all sorts. GUEST: Ali Abazeed , public health director, City of Dearborn Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/li...
Detroit artist Akea Brionne uses a digital loom to create painterly tapestries rooted in the Black experience. Her fresh approach to an age old craft recently earned Brionne accolades, and a $50,000 prize, from the Knight Foundation. We sat down with the Louisiana-born artist to talk about how she blends history and technology–and the stories she’s telling in her work. GUEST: Akea Brionne, Detroit-based artist Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you ...
For decades, many Michigan farmers have relied on the herbicide Roundup for weed control. But the federal government has two conflicting policies that may affect whether they can continue to use this highly effective - and dangerous - product. At issue is Roundup’s active ingredient – glyphosate. Environmental Reporter Keith Schneider is senior editor and chief correspondent at Circle of Blue. He recently wrote about the long history of research on this product’s carcinogenic properties, all the...
A deep dive into the history of contamination by the Gelman plume in Ann Arbor. We hear about how it started, its impacts to water and human health, and what's being done about it today. Michigan Public's Elinor Epperson dug deep into the history of the Gelman plume. Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
It's festival season! As Detroiters prepare for Movement this weekend, we revisit a conversation with the festival's founder, DJ Carl Craig . Read the original story here. Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Carl Craig. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Planned Parenthood of Michigan closed four clinics this year. Kate Wells , health reporter for Michigan Public, explained why operational costs and the loss of Title X funding may be the biggest threat to abortion access. She also discussed the role telehealth services have played in changing the reproductive care landscape, particularly in rural areas. Looking for more conversations from Stateside ? Right this way . If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in th...
Malcolm X would have turned 100 years old today. We revisit a series of conversations about why Americans so often overlook Malcolm X when it comes to Black History Month celebrations and formal education spaces. GUEST: Ven Johnson, the attorney representing flood victims in Gladwin, Midland, and Saginaw counties, is involved in a lawsuit accusing the state of intentionally delaying the legal process and avoiding accountability. Also heard on this episode: Mid-Michigan dam restorations are picki...
