Daily Detroit

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Why Michigan Needs a Moonshot for Innovation Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

Did you know Metrop Detroit now has five innovation districts?

MICHauto executive director (and new Southwest Detroit pub co‑owner) Glenn Stevens joined us to talk about why Michigan needs a 'moonshot' for innovation.

Plus, we get into why he's personally excited about helping open the Regal Eagle, a soccer bar in the shadow of Michigan Central and the new stadium.

They get into what the next governor's roadmap should look like, how autos, AI, and China are reshaping Michigan's economy, and why places like TechTown, Michigan Central, Black Tech Saturdays, and the Ann Arbor–Detroit innovation corridor matter for founders across the state.

More on MICHAuto: https://michauto.org/

Thanks as always to our members on Patreon for supporting us: https://www.patreon.com/c/DailyDetroit

Inside the New High Société, Atwater Comes Home, and Do We Really Want Better Roads? Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

Busy episode today on your Daily Detroit. Here's your rundown of nine stories we talk about today with timestamps:

0:55 - The new New High Société restaurant in Dearborn

05:08 - Revisiting Republica in Berkley

06:18 - Is there a law of diminishing returns on a burger?

08:04 - Wright & Co in downtown Detroit is part of a big trend of restaurants switching to private event venues

12:11 - Atwater is back under local ownership

15:49 - The popular Midway in Downtown Detroit might return

19:29 - University Boards in Michigan Stay Elected, despite Matt Hall and Gretchen Whitmer agreeing

21:29 - Road funding from marijuana money runs short, this could be a big issue

23:52 - Do Michiganders actually want better roads? Do we want to pay for them or deal with the construction? Or would we really rather have potholes?

Feedback as always - dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or 313-789-3211.

Free Donuts, $300K Missing, and a Case for Whitmer's Data Center Deal Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

Three stories we talk about today on your Daily Detroit, finished as finalist in Hour Detroit's Best of Detroit (thank you!)

Detroit's beloved Dutch Girl Donuts is back in the headlines, and we start today's episode with the sweet news: a free donut sneak peek of their new East Grand Boulevard location this Friday morning. We talk through what the second shop means for the growing Milwaukee Junction / New Center corridor that's picking up steam.

Federal prosecutors allege a former Detroit People Mover procurement director and a contractor steered more than $300,000 to a company for work that was never done, using a string of phony invoices. We dig into what that kind of money could have meant for real projects, why oversight failures keep eroding public trust, and why Detroiters are rightfully tired of people stealing from the city.

And lastly, a response to a listener question about Governor Gretchen Whitmer's support for the massive Stargate AI data center in Saline Township. Instead of another hot take, we lay out a "steel-man" case for why state leaders might say yes: jobs, tax base, Michigan's long-term economic challenges, and the reality that AI isn't going away.

We also get into the other side and wrestle with the environmental concerns, local democracy blowback, township vs. city power, and what it means for a small community that loudly said "no" and was overruled anyway.

Feedback as always - dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or 313-789-3211.

Make sure to follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get shows.

Detroit's First Flock Party (and the Magic of the Birds Over Southeast Michigan) Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

Detroit sits under two major migratory flyways, making it one of the best places in North America to see birds on the move. Gretchen Abrams from the Detroit Bird Alliance joins us to preview the first Pheasant Flock Party coming up this weekend, talk spark birds (the birds that first get you into birding), and share how vacant lots turned meadows are helping wildlife across the city.

Detroit Bird Alliance: https://www.detroitbirdalliance.org

Pheasant Flock Party event listing (Eventbrite): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pheasant-flock-party-tickets-1987392430258

As always, feedback is welcome - dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or 313-789-3211.

Whitmer for VP? RenCen Delays & Universities in Crisis May 29, 2026

Show notes

Daily Detroit is on the porch at the Mackinac Policy Conference, and Jer and Devon have a wide‑ranging conversation about Michigan's political future and Detroit's urgency problem.

From Governor Gretchen Whitmer's emphatic "no" on a presidential run to the very real possibility she ends up as the top choice for vice president, they unpack what her popularity says about the broader electoral landscape and 2024's lessons for Democrats in a swing state.

(That said, after we recorded, she hedged her bets later in the day).

On the island, the 2026 governor's race was present (but not in a debate), and we talk about it.

Then, they zoom in on one of the most revealing moments of the week: A years‑long legislative delay on the RenCen brownfield deal, even with a billion‑dollar offer on the table and no profit motive. What does it say about how Michigan makes decisions, and we talk about why "maybe" is often worse than "no."

The conversation closes with a look at the dysfunction of elected university boards in Michigan in the wake of the resignation of the MSU president, the talent pipeline, and the physical glow‑up on Mackinac Island — from the Grand Hotel to Lake View and Mission Point — as Michigan lives up to its billing as a top national destination.

Michigan's House Is On Fire. How Do We Fix It? (w/ Sandy Baruah, Detroit Regional Chamber) May 28, 2026

Show notes

Today we talk about how Michigan slipped from a top‑tier state into the bottom 10 on key measures like education, income and population — and why acknowledging the crisis is the first step to fixing it.

Today's conversation is with Detroit Regional Chamber president and CEO Sandy Baruah gets into this year's urgent theme at the Mackinac Policy Conference: "The house is on fire."

Sandy explains why he thinks more common ground between business and policymakers, and between Democrats and Republicans, is the only way to reverse those long‑term trends.

We get into how constant partisan whiplash on policy, from electric vehicles to economic development, makes it nearly impossible for Michigan's signature industries to plan long term.

They close on what success at Mackinac would look like over the next one to five years — from educating a whole new wave of elected officials to locking in 70‑percent solutions instead of all‑or‑nothing showdowns.

And, despite the alarms, Sandy lays out why Michigan's quality of life, workforce, and higher‑ed system still give the state a real chance to win.

Feedback as always, dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or leave a voicemail, 313-789-3211.

Follow Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or wherever you get shows.

Wayne County's High‑Stakes Transit Vote May 27, 2026

Show notes

Transit in Metro Detroit is at an inflection point.

We talk with Transportation Riders United executive director Megan Owens about the new Wayne County‑wide transit millage, what an extra eight bucks a month could unlock, and how our region invests less in buses than almost any big metro in America.

The vote is crucial for the future of transit as it would finally opt-in all communites in Wayne County to transit, similar to how most places nationall work. If it fails, we could lose what service we do have.

They dig into Lansing's latest budget "switcheroo," how Oakland County's all‑in vote reshaped service, and TRU's upcoming Round‑the‑Mitten tour to prove you really can ride public transit from Detroit to Marquette.

Mallory McMorrow on Keeping Young People and Jobs in Michigan May 26, 2026

Show notes

On today's Daily Detroit, we start the week with a conversation with State Senator — and Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful — Mallory McMorrow.

It's the third in our series of Democratic Senate candidate interviews, and we're focused squarely on what federal power could actually mean for Detroit, Metro Detroit, and Michigan.

McMorrow talks about why she first Googled "how to run for office" after the 2016 election, and why she frames governing as a design challenge to build policy that improves people's lives.

She talked about an approach to ieconomic development that feels less like "Lucy and the football" and more like real, ground‑up regional growth — including transit as economic development, and keeping young people from leaving the state.

From there, the conversation moves to the auto industry and EVs, competition from China, and why she wants incentives that grow talent and clusters of jobs instead of focusing on chasing megaprojects.

We also touch on affordability: gas prices, housing, childcare, and McMorrow's push to scale ideas like universal pre‑K, free school meals, more housing production, paid leave, and cracking down on scammy online ads.

You'll also hear her vision on healthcare access, expanding Michigan's red flag law approach to the federal level, and supporting Detroit‑grown community violence intervention.

And because this is Daily Detroit, they close with some city love — from classic Michigan license plates helping fix roads to her favorite spots around town.

We'll be at the Mackinac Policy Conference all week, so be sure to check your podcast feeds and inboxes for updates.

Constructive feedback as always: 313-789-3211 or dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com. And make sure to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get shows.

Duggan Drops Out: What's Next for Michigan Politics in 2026? May 21, 2026

Show notes

Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has abruptly ended his independent run for governor, blowing up Michigan's 2026 race less than six months before voters head to the polls.

In this emergency episode of Daily Detroit, Jer, Devon and Norris break down why Duggan says "the numbers just aren't there," how national headwinds shifted after Trump's second-term agenda, and why independents are stampeding away from the GOP this cycle.

We get into what Duggan's exit means for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's path to the governor's office, the clown car situation on the Republican side, and how this all reshapes the map heading into the Mackinac Policy Conference.

We also kick around some speculation on Duggan's next move — including strong rumors about the presidency of the University of Michigan — and why his "fixer" skill set might be headed from city hall to collegiate head.

As always, be sure to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to shows.

Teen Takeovers, How Detroit's Food Scene Really Works, and Pistons Pain May 20, 2026

Show notes

The Pistons' playoff run ends in heartbreak. A teen takeover shooting in downtown Detroit forces hard conversations about blame and perspective — as well as holding multiple thngs to be true at the same time. Plus, the Business of Food Summit reveals how Metro Detroit's food scene really works.

And we ask the question - what counts as metro Detroit? When it comes to dining out, in reality, it's a really big map.

Feedback on the podcast as always - dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot com or leave a voicemail, 313-789-3211. And follow the show on Apple Podcasts to wherever you get shows!

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