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Democrats in control of the state Legislature think they can start to turn the tide of preventable gun death here in Michigan. But the thing about laws, is they have to be enforced to work. And not all county commissions want new laws on the books.   GUEST: Matthew (Matt) Saxton, Michigan Sheriffs’ Association  ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend, UAW members elected the next UAW president: Shawn Fain. And Fain’s taking a strong stance out of the gate – promising a more aggressive approach with automakers. So what does this new era of UAW leadership mean for auto workers, and for the automotive sector at large? GUEST:  Jamie LaReau, reporter 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 from Audio Network and Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wayne County has a juvenile detention crisis. Last week Wayne County Executive Warren Evans declared it public health emergency. GUEST: Christine MacDonald, investigative reporter 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 from Audio Network  and  Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does accountability look like when a mass shooter is a minor?  In the case of the shooting at Oxford High School, the local county prosecutor is taking a unique approach: charging the alleged shooter’s parents. Today, we’ll talk about prosecutors’ strategy in this case, and the legal precedent it could set if it’s successful. GUEST:  Mike Nichols, criminal defense attorney in East Lansing and former adjunct faculty member at WMU Cooley Law School 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.

Today, a studio visit with collage artist Judy Bowman. In less than a decade, Bowman’s bright, textured collages have gained a national audience and collector base. She’s shown her art in New York, at Art Basel Miami, and her first solo exhibition, called “Gratiot Griot,” is currently wrapping up at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. But despite her national fame, Bowman is, admittedly, a homebody. Her home is her studio. She lives and works in Romulus, and her artwork prominently features the scenes and people of her childhood in Detroit’s Black Bottom and Eastside. ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the aftermath of power outages that affected hundreds of thousands of people in February and March this year, many Michiganders are scrutinizing the state’s largest investor-owned utilities: DTE and Consumers Energy. Michigan’s Public Service Commission is holding town halls this week on the outages, and dozens of Michiganders have come forward to share their frustrations. Meanwhile, an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit has long been advocating for a transition to a public-owned electric utility, rather than an investor-owned one.  DTE is a corporate sponsor of Michigan Radio. GUESTS: Nushrat Rahman, Report for America Corps Member, Bridge Detroit and The Detroit Free Press Greg Woodring, president, Ann Arbor for Public Power ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way .If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen an uptick in alcohol related liver disease hospitalizations across the country. In Michigan that number increased by 50% in 2020. We've also seen an increase in younger people needing care. Today, the rising rates of alcohol consumption, the reasons behind it, and what people are doing to make a change. GUESTS: Austin Johnson, Construction inspector and South Lyon resident Dr. Scott Winder, Clinical Associate Professor for the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan Medicine Dr. Anne Fernandez, Director of Clinical Programming at the University of Michigan Addiction Treatment Services Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of a creative project that didn't go as planned, Detroit-based audio storyteller Zak Rosen set out to find the best morsels of advice from folks of all walks of life. Since then, he's compiled the advice of hundreds of family members, acquaintances, and total strangers. Every tidbit is cataloged on his podcast, The Best Advice Show. Today, he shares some of his favorites morsels with Stateside, and solicits some advice from a member of the Stateside team. GUESTS: Zak Rosen, host, The Best Advice Show Laura Weber-Davis, executive producer, Stateside ___ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. The Best Advice Show theme music courtesy of Zak Rosen: "Pizogi" by Guustav "Come Clean" by Gloria Tells Other music from Blue Dot Sessions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Something historic that happened at the Michigan Capitol this week. After more than a decade of starts and stops, lawmakers this week added protections for LGBTQ Michiganders to the state's Elliott Larson Civil Rights Act. We talked with Jay Kaplan, from the ACLU of Michigan, about what this new legislation means for the queer community, and the work that still remains. GUEST:  Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan's LGBTQ+ Project  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.

What if the Midwest's wacky Saint Patty’s Day celebrations reflected Ireland as it actually is? Ann Arbor husband-and-wife duo Kate McCabe and Max Sussman spoke to Stateside about their work educating others on the country they love, including all its nuanced food, culture, and history. They co-founded Bog & Thunder, a culinary-focused Ireland travel company. This Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, they’re hosting an Irish cuisine celebration at Frame in Hazel Park. Chef Kevin Burke is visiting from Dublin to whip up a four-course meal for southeast Michiganders – and it’s not the boiled cabbage fare you might be imagining. GUESTS: Max Sussman, co-founder and culinary director, Bog and Thunder Kate McCabe, co-founder and CEO, Bog and Thunder ___ 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 courtesy of Audio Network: "Carrigdance" written by Mike Stobbie "Freestyle" written by Richard Lacey & Nick Haigh “Celtic Flame” written by Mike Stobbie Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've stayed home sick in the past 20 years, you've probably come across Judge Greg Mathis on your television screen. He's been hosting his eponymous daytime TV court show, Judge Mathis, for more than two decades. The only other television court personality to top that record is Judge Judy. But long before he found himself on the small screen, Mathis was a judge here in his home state of Michigan. Born in Detroit, he was elected to the state's 36th District Court in 1995. After more than two decades the show Judge Mathis is coming to an end, but fans of Mathis will be happy to hear that a new iteration of the show will be coming in fall 2023, after former Detroit resident Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group picked up the show. The new show will be called Mathis Court with Judge Mathis. ___ 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.

Infertility treatments can be an incredibly lonely and long journey for folks hoping to have a child. Slate podcast producer Cheyna Roth wanted to find a community she could share her own struggles with. And so, she created a podcast about her family's struggle to conceive via IVF. We talked to Cheyna about her story and the community she found by sharing it.  GUEST:  Cheyna Roth, podcast producer at Slate You can listen to Cheyna's podcast episode on her journey with infertility 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 Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruth Carter took home the Oscar on Sunday for Best Costume Design in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." It’s the only Oscar the film was awarded, despite being nominated in multiple categories. But it doesn’t take the Academy’s votes to see that the Black Panther films were a global phenomenon.  Hannah Beachler is the production designer who worked with director Ryan Coogler in imagining and crafting the world of Wakand. She came to the University of Michigan’s Institute for the Humanities as a guest speaker earlier this year. She shared what it took to design the landscapes, government, and rituals of Wakanda, and the weight that this imagined universe carries for Black audiences around the world.  GUEST:  Hannah Beachler, production designer for both "Black Panther" films ___ 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.

Chopped is a competition cooking show in which a constellation of totally weird ingredients are set before three hardworking chefs to see what they can make. Chef Mamba Hamissi, co-owner of Baobab Fare with his wife Nadia, recently competed on the show. Given an ingredients basket filled with fried gluten, leeks, scallops, and chai tea, Mamba made a sweet and spicy taco so delectable and complex that it helped him win $10,000. On today's pod, Chef Mamba on why being who you are, and knowing what you know, is sometimes the key to getting you through a completely unfamiliar situation. GUEST:  Chef Mamba Hamissi, co-owner of Baobab Fare in Detroit  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.

Democrats in Lansing have been busy lately: they’ve passed civil rights protections for the LGBT+ community, quashed the state’s 1931 ban on abortion, and repealed Michigan’s decade-old right-to-work law. Today, lawmakers were urged to make another change: gun safety legislation. Krista Grettenberger, whose son Troy Forbush was shot and wounded in the MSU shooting, spoke about her experience before the House Judiciary Committee. Shortly after, the Michigan House passed a universal background check bill. On today’s podcast, we hear tape from Grettenberger’s moving testimony. Plus, we talk with Dr. Thomas Veverka, a Midland trauma surgeon specializing in gunshot wounds, who also spoke at the capitol earlier today. Dr. Veverka, along with a group of other doctors, traveled to Lansing to urge lawmakers to act on gun safety legislation. [Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify today.] GUESTS: Dr. Thomas Veverka, critical care surgery specialist, MyMichigan General Surgery — Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week we got some really hard news about a UP institution. Finlandia University is shutting down operations, after 126 years in operation. Founded as the Suomi College and Theological Seminary, it’s kept Finnish culture alive Up North, in ways that have affected thousands of peoples’ lives over the years.  GUEST: Timothy Pinnow, President of Finlandia University — Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lorri Thomas, aka Lady L, is a tattoo artist in Detroit. After years of sexual harassment and frustration with lack of representation in the industry, Thomas founded Ladies of Ink in 2015, a collective for Black women tattoo artists. They tour the country uniting and connecting with other women artists. GUEST: Lori Thomas, founder of the Ladies of Ink tour — Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grand Rapids native Annie Rauwerda was finding a lot of strange and charming articles on Wikipedia. So she made started posting her findings to social media. Her project has not amassed 1.2 million followers on Instagram. GUEST: Annie Rauwerda, creator of the Depths of Wikipedia — Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is a non-profit project started by this third-generation tree nursery owner as a way to preserve species now in terrifying decline due to climate change and habitat destruction. They take cuttings from the biggest, strongest, oldest tree species on several continents, coax the cuttings to sprout roots, and nurture them until they can be replanted. We talked to the team at Archangel about what they do and what role ancient trees could play in the fight against climate change. GUESTS:  David Milarch, founder of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive  Jared Milarch, owner of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive  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 new investigation from the New York Times offered a deeply disturbing picture of children, mostly teens, working hazardous jobs all across the U.S. Reporter Hannah Dreier outlined how young migrants – many as young as 13 who entered the country unaccompanied – are working long, dangerous hours in places like food packing facilities, construction sites, and poultry processing plants. Child labor laws, in theory, protect kids from unsafe and exploitative working conditions. But Ana Raquel Devereaux, managing attorney at Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), told us many young migrant children slip through the cracks. GUEST: Ana Raquel Devereaux, managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center [Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify today.] — Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.