Stateside

A new storytelling event in Grand Rapids called Unfiltered aims to bring people together through the sharing of experiences in and around the city. Similar to the format of The Moth, Unfiltered features folks in and around Grand Rapids sharing stories about first loves, scary job interviews, weird interactions in grocery stores, make-or-break moments of adversity, and more. Storytellers are invited to tell a 12-minute story around a common theme. Raul Alvarez, lead organizer for the event, initially pitched this idea to a group of friends with whom he regularly met for drinks. They were all excited to help plan a storytelling event, he said. “They went to work, and we had no clue what to expect,” Alvarez said. “It was kind of a prototype, but all of a sudden it sold out.” While Alvarez said storytelling might be a bit scary at first, because it involves a certain level of vulnerability, the community hasn't backed down. “Now, we have the second sellout, which tells us it is a movement,” Alvarez said. “We want to keep it going, because there's a lot of stories out there. We already have stories that have been submitted for a future [event].” The next Unfiltered is May 2, 2025 at the Four Star Theater, in Grand Rapids. The theme is “You Can’t Make This S*** Up!” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in September 2024, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged seven Pro-Palestinian protesters for allegedly defying orders from University of Michigan public safety officers. The individuals were charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor, and for resisting arrest, a felony. In this episode we break down why the U-M Pro-Palestinian protestors want AG Nessel off the case. GUEST: Beenish Ahmed, journalist at Michigan Public 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 and Audio Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are a time and place in America where more children of Holocaust survivors are with us than survivors themselves. In some ways this is the lens through which many Americans understand how the Nazi regime murdered 6 million Jews in the 1930's and 40's. Sassa Akervall's mother survived the Holocaust. She shared part of her family's story in the book, The Ones Who Remember: Second-Generation Voices of the Holocaust. It was published in 2022 by members of Temple Beth-Emeth in Ann Arbor and contains a collection of essays telling the stories of the children of Holocaust survivors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daria Burke’s life wasn’t easy growing up. Her parents split up, and her mom struggled with grief and addiction, forcing Burke to take on adult responsibilities at a young age. Years later, she became a marketing executive in the beauty industry. Her hunger to understand her own mind led to a season of deep self-investigation, resulting in a new book, Of My Own Making: A Memoir. Burke joined us to talk about the book. She'll be in Detroit May 13 for an event with Fresh Air’s Tonya Mosely at the Detroit Public Library. 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.

Please take a moment to fill out our listener survey. Your feedback helps The Dish team make the show great! The Dish, Stateside's spinoff podcast for Michigan foodies, met up with Eric Kinsler-Holloway, the baker and businessman behind EK's Cheescakes. More than a decade ago, Kinsler-Holloway turned to baking as a way to rebuild his life after several run-ins with the law. He's since turned his life around, and runs a humble but thriving cheesecake bakery based in Milan, Michigan. Read his full story here. Subscribe to The Dish on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen to podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

West Michigan author and preacher Jeff Chu took the long way to the seminary. And once he got there, faith led him farther than he expected back out into the world. It all started with a compost pile on the seminary farm. On this episode, we’ll talk to Chu about his new memoir–titled Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand–which details his journey into community, stewardship, and love of the land. GUEST: Jeff Chu, journalist, preacher and author of Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand 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.

President Donald Trump wants Michigan automobile manufacturers to move entire supply chains to the U.S. And he’s put steep tariffs on the automotive industry in an attempt to spur that change. But many of these manufacturers are taking a wait-and-see approach because of the administration's constantly changing policies, and the cost associated with moving production. After President Donald Trump’s 25% automotive import tariffs went into effect April 3, a report from Reuter estimated auto sales could decline by two million. GUESTS: Dr. Jeff Rightmer, Associate Professor of Teaching in the Department of Global Supply Chain Management, Mike Ilitch School of Business, Wayne State University Kate Magill, lead editor of Manufacturing Dive and Supply Chain Dive See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ecorse, about 15 minutes south of Detroit, is facing major financial challenges. The city could run out of cash by the end of this month. On this episode, we hear how Ecorse ended up here—and its options for digging itself back out. GUEST: Louis Aguilar, Wayne County reporter for the Detroit News 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 city of Dearborn is launching RX Kids, a financial assistance program aimed at providing thousands of dollars for expectant mothers and their newborns. The program first begun in Flint and has expanded to Kalamazoo and several other counties in the Upper Peninsula. GUEST: Abdullah Hammoud is the mayor of the city of Dearborn. He announced the launch of the program in Dearborn during this year's State of the City address. 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.

Since Michigan legalized marijuana more than five years ago, cannabis has become pretty visible in everyday life. Dispensaries are everywhere, you can get marijuana in the form of candy and baked goods, and the industry is generating billions of dollars every year. But there’s also growing concern about how that normalization is affecting kids. A record number of Michigan kids were hospitalized last year for cannabis, according to the state’s poison control center. In the last five years, they received about 1,500 reports of kids under the age of six being exposed to or ingesting CBD, THC, or other cannabis products. We’re talking with Michigan Public reporters Kate Wells and Adam Yahya Rayes. They’ve been digging into what the numbers tell us, talking to parents, doctors, and people in the cannabis industry about why this is happening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With vaccine hesitancy and measles infections rising among children in the state — some parents are concerned. Here's what you should know about the virus and how to protect against it. GUEST: Dr. Rebecca Schein, a pediatrician specializing in infectious disease and a Michigan State University assistant professor, is paying close attention to the measles cases in the state. 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.

Singer-songwriter May Erlewine’s new album offers a different side of an artist known for warm, intimate lyrics and bespoke acoustic arrangements. But the qualities that draw fans into May Erlewine’s music are still here, just with a less-compliant exterior. What It Takes is the second album she’s made with friend and producer Theo Katzman, of the post-funk band Vulfpeck. Erlewine has been thinking about the chaos of the moment and the moral choices she feels compelled to make. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaden Jefferson is 17-years-old and a senior in high school in Toledo. He's also a seasoned reporter, who has interviewed big name politicians like Elizabeth Warren and Tim Walz. Jefferson recently talked to Stateside about how he started his journey as a journalist at just 11-years-old, and what he has learned as the youngest reporter in the room. GUEST: Jaden Jefferson, Toledo-based journalist and host of the Behind the Byline podcast from the Toledo Free Press. You can find him on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms. 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 Michigan Supreme Court is considering who has the rights of a frozen embryo created using in-vitro fertilization after a couple gets divorced. The case involves Sarah and David Markiewicz who turned to egg donation and IVF to have children. Since 2019, the couple has been at odds on what would happen to their remaining embryo and after five years of legal battles the state's highest court is deciding on the matter. GUESTS: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some public finance experts worry that the unpredictability of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy will dampen consumer spending, putting state revenue generated by sales tax at risk. With consumer sentiment on the decline, some wonder if Michigander will continue to support state and local budgets through spending. GUEST: Kevin Bain, See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study from the University of Michigan suggests that rethinking how lithium ion batteries are manufactured could fix some of the key concerns keeping potential electric vehicle buyers on the sidelines. GUEST: Neil DasguptaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administation has revoked visas of hundreds of international students across the nation. An unspecified number of students at Michigan State University and Central Michigan University have had their visas revoked. Two students at Grand Valley State University, four at Wayne State, one at Eastern Michigan University, and twelve enrolled students and ten graduates of the University of Michigan have also been affected. The reasons are not clear. The Trump administration says it’s focused on students who are – in the words of Secretary Marco Rubio — “Hamas supporters." Today we’re going to talk about the crackdown on campus speech, and other ways the Trump administration has silenced voices of dissent opposing the war in Gaza. GUEST: Huwaida Arraf See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 19, Michigan writer Lauren Roberts self-published her debut YA novel Powerless. Now, a few years later, Roberts is one of romantasy's biggest stars. We talked to Roberts about how she turned her passion for reading romantasy into a full-fledged literary career writing it. GUEST: Lauren Roberts, author of the Powerless series. The third and final installment in the series--titled Fearless--hit shelves April 8. 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.

President Donald Trump recently described tariffs as a bitter medicine that, the president says, will lead to fairer trade between the U.S. and other countries. But for Michigan’s auto industry, the poison might be in the dose. On this episode, why the impact of global tariffs is likely to hit Michigan automakers particularly hard. GUEST: Glenn Stevens, executive director of MichAuto 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 University of Michigan recently announced it would be rolling back its DEI programs on campus. The move has been met with pushback from staff and students, but its not the first time the university's policies on race and equity have been met with ire. On today's episode, we talk with one historian about UM’s confrontation with issues of race and equity on campus over the decades, including as the poster child of affirmative action policies, and as the center of two losses before the U.S. Supreme Court over those policies. GUEST: Matthew Johnson, associate professor of history at Washington and Jefferson College and author of Undermining Racial Justice: How One University Embraced Inclusion and Inequality 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.