Stateside

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 School. He's also a professor of philosophy at the 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 Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 isn’t strictly necessary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ot 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/listener for privacy information.

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 hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 while its maker says the product can be used safely as directed. Today, we’ll be talking with Keith about Michigan’s most popular farm herbicide, it's health risks, and how it’s regulated. Background reading: Conflict Over a Blockbuster Farm Chemical RFK Jr. tells farmers, GOPT not to worry about his report targeting pesticides See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 this episode by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, Also heard on this episode: Mid-Michigan dam restorations are picking back up, with residents to pay nearly $218M See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. GUESTS: John Aerni-FlessnerKidada WilliamsHerb Boyd, 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.

When Rachel Blistein couldn't find hair products that worked for her curly texture, she took matters into her own hands. Mixing formulas in her kitchen, she launched Original Moxie. It’s a hair care company rooted in Ypsilanti, Michigan, focused on sustainability while celebrating diverse hair types. In addition to the non-toxic and environmentally friendly ingredients, Blisten decided to ditch the plastic containers. That was right before the COVID pandemic. She described her research into sustainable alternatives as "falling down a rabbit hole." “It was just really a personal desire to shift to a more sustainable solution. I wasn't thinking about increasing our profits,” Blisten said. “I was just hoping we'd break even, in the transition.” Listen to the interview to hear more about the ups and downs of growing a values-driven beauty brand rooted in Michigan. You can learn more about Original Moxie here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you have little kids under ten who tune to PBS on a regular basis – its likely you know about Wimee’s Words. The PBS children’s show that reaches 30 million homes around the country is originally from Grand Rapids. It features Wimee the Robot, an animated puppet, who teaches kids about science, technology, engineering, art and math. GUESTS: Michael Hyacinthe, creator, Wimee's Words Wimee, robot star of Wimee's Words Want to support shows like Wimee's Words and Stateside? Sign this petition at Protect My Public Media or you can donate to Michigan Public or your local PBS! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Prevost in the southside of Chicago. He also attended high school at a catholic seminary in West Michigan. Here's what we know so far about Pope Leo's roots and his surprising election as the first American Pope. GUEST: Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five Black and Latino teenagers were wrongfully convicted of raping and brutally assaulting a white woman in 1989. The boys’ legal case gripped and divided the nation, and symbolized systemic injustices within the legal system for communities of color. All five men were exonerated over a decade later. Detroit Opera brings the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera The Central Park Five to audiences on May 16 and 18. Award-winning director Nataki Garrett talked about bringing this powerful piece to the stage, and why it’s so relevant for audiences right now. “I love that we're doing this opera in Detroit, which has a significant black population, because there are parts of this story that are a part of our collective consciousness, both through memory but also through experience,” Garrett told Stateside. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey Seller is one of the biggest Broadway producers. Beyond ‘Hamilton’ and ‘Rent,’ Seller’s work has grossed billions of dollars. The 60-year-old Tony award winner is nothing short of a living Broadway legend. But before the spotlight, Seller was another Michigan theatre kid – an outsider everywhere but school play rehearsals. Seller's new memoir, Theater Kid: a Broadway Memoir, explores the path that took him to Broadway. GUEST: Jeffrey Seller, Broadway producer and author of Theater Kid See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever feel the need to get away? Perhaps, to a galaxy far, far away? Michiganders did just this past May the 4th. Every year for two weekends a warehouse in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood gets converted into a Star Wars universe. A small army of do-it-yourself artists, makers, and fun-seekers transform a half-block of space into, well, outerspace. The detail is otherworldly – streetscapes closely resembling Tatooine (otherwise known as Luke Skywalker’s home planet), stucco storefronts, dust-covered tents, and cosplay Mandalorians decked with helmets, breastplates, and blaster pistols. Space Dive takes place atTangent Gallery, generally around May 4. There are still tickets available for this weekend’s events. Star Wars attire is mandatory, as declared by the Empire. GUESTS: John DunivantDaniel LandEric Heerspink Check out photos from the event here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mistrial was declared when a jury in Grand Rapids failed to reach consensus on the conviction or acquittal of Christopher Schurr, the police officer who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya. GUESTS: Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Public Michelle Jokisch Polo, Michigan Public To listen to full episodes of Stateside, head over here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ann Arbor Writer Michelle Yang came to the states as a child, after growing up in a Chinese family in South Korea. Her debut Memoir, Phoenix Girl: How a Fat Asian with Bipolar Found Love, is a warm, engrossing story of becoming unmoored, and finding connection and community, even as she’s fighting with fierce cultural pressures about her own body image and identity as a woman. GUESTS: Michelle Yang: author, Phoenix Girl: How a Fat Asian with Bipolar Found Love 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.

Students at East Kentwood High School interviewed their family members about their immigration stories in a project marking the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. They will be sharing those stories this week at events celebrating West Michigan's Vietnamese American community. GUESTS: EVENT DETAILS: GR Stories: This is our home now, 50 years of building community after Saigon 50 Years After Saigon: Vietnamese Stories of a New Home See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.