On this Stateside podcast, we hear from Michigan State University mathematician, Albert Cohen, on how we can use statistics to fill out our March Madness brackets.  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 ..read more

On this Stateside podcast, Michigan Public's political director gets context and details about Michigan's new minimum wage and sick leave rules from Sean Egan. He oversees the State's Bureau of Employment Relations and the Wage and House Divisions, also know as LEO. 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 ..read more

Mary Frances Phillips' "Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins” is a biography of the party's longest serving woman.   GUEST: Mary Frances Phillips, author of Black Panther Woman and associate professor of African American Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign 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 ..read more

President Donald Trump nominated Dearborn Heights mayor Bill Bazzi as his ambassador to Tunisia. He’s also selected Hamtramck mayor Amer Ghalib as his ambassador to Kuwait. Both men have been at the center of contentious conversations about local policies and culture.  A reporter who's been covering their careers joined us to provide some context.  Find Niraj Warikoo's coverage here. GUEST: Niraj Warikoo, reporter for 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 ..read more

With just a few weeks' worth of data available, it's hard to say how immigration enforcement under the current Trump administration compares to that of previous years. Michigan Public's data reporter helps us understand what we can determine from the available data, and what to be mindful of as we see other numbers cited on social media and in the news.  Find Adam's FAQ page on immigration data below: Here’s what we know about immigrants, visas, DACA, ICE and more in Michigan   GUEST: Adam Yahya Rayes, data reporter, Michigan Public Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Righ ..read more

Michigan’s marijuana enthusiasts pay a small price – the lowest price per ounce of marijuana in the country. But Whitmer recently proposed a 32% tax hike on wholesale marijuana products as part of her “Mi Road Plan” to help fund roads. The 32% tax would be atop the current 10% excise tax and the 6% sales tax on marijuana products. This added cost would be passed to consumers, which would drive these record-low prices even lower, and Michigan marijuana businesses worry this will shut down already struggling doors. In the past year, adult-use marijuana costs have dropped nearly 30%, from a littl ..read more

A resolution in the state House is aimed at discouraging cities and universities from having policies that limit their interactions with federal immigration officials. We talked about what the new rule means, and how one city is thinking about the impact to its bottom line.  GUESTS: Michelle Jokisch Polo, Stateside producer  Milinda Ysasi, Grand Rapids city commissioner  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 priv ..read more

Yumna Jawad, known across social media Feel Good Foodie, shared the Ramadan meals that make her excited about the holiday season. 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 ..read more

Thousands of federal workers have been laid off in recent weeks. In Michigan that includes employees from the VA hospital, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Forest Service. These layoffs are a result of President Trump’s initiative to cut federal spending. Emily Davies, a reporter for the Washington Post has been covering the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency—commonly referred to as DOGE—on federal agencies. In her latest article, Davies tells the story of Riley Cooper, a Trump supporter from Baldwin, MI who was laid off from the U.S. Forest Serv ..read more

The 25% tariffs issued against all Mexican and Canadian imports are cause for major concern for the auto industry, according to Jamie Butters, executive editor of Automotive 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 ..read more