Detroit’s NPR Station. Your connection to news, music, conversation. WDET is Detroit's most active promoter of local music, a significant voice for arts and culture and one of the few remaining providers of local news.
We're a proud affiliate of NPR, airing and contributing to popular national programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered. As a non-profit institution, WDET is committed to enhancing life in Detroit. We share the truth of what our listeners live each day, providing platforms for Detroiters to connect and tell their stories while serving as a megaphone for voices that often go unheard.
We're a proud affiliate of NPR, airing and contributing to popular national programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered. As a non-profit institution, WDET is committed to enhancing life in Detroit. We share the truth of what our listeners live each day, providing platforms for Detroiters to connect and tell their stories while serving as a megaphone for voices that often go unheard.
Operating as usual
Alison Taylor sued the city of Saginaw in a class-action lawsuit claiming that chalking tires to track how long a car has been parked is a violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches.
Alison Taylor says the method of chalking tires to track how long a car has been parked before handing out tickets is a violation of her constitutional rights.
Two local infectious disease experts answer listener questions and dispel some of the myths and misinformation swirling around about COVID-19, vaccines, immunity, masking and more:
Dr. John Mills and Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian dispel some of the persistent falsities that continue to circulate around COVID-19 and the vaccine for the virus.
Kindred The Family Soul is performing at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre tonight. Get to know the husband/wife duo with these five essential tracks:
Listen to 5 essential tracks about love, family and commitment from the husband and wife duo.
Law professors Christina Rodriguez and Ilya Somin talk about the ways in which the nation's founding document could hinder or empower immigration policy reform.
Two constitutional and immigration law experts discuss whether the Constitution has the power to influence U.S. immigration policy.
New data from Michigan’s statewide standardized test last school year suggest students are struggling to make academic progress during the pandemic, but K-12 Alliance of Michigan Executive Director Robert McCann says there's a lot of context missing from this data.
K-12 Alliance Executive Director Robert McCann talks about what dismal testing data say and don't say about pandemic "learning loss."
More than 100 days after his arrest, metro Detroit journalist Danny Fenster remains imprisoned in Myanmar. He was arrested for incitement before boarding a flight back to the U.S. in May amid a crackdown on journalists. If convicted, Fenster could face up to three years in prison.
Bryan Fenster says his brother Danny has been enduring a long process of appearing in court without progress in his case.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is urging the Republican-controlled Legislature to repeal a 90-year-old law that criminalized abortion in Michigan, warning that the U.S. Supreme Court may overturn women’s constitutional right to abortion.
GOP legislative leaders oppose abortion and will not back the governor’s request to repeal a 90-year-old law that criminalized abortion.
Stephen Henderson remembers Greg Mudge, who passed away this weekend at the age of 46:
The owner of Mudgie's Deli passed away suddenly at that age of 46. Detroit Today's Stephen Henderson reflects on the loss.
The proposed Safe Patient Care Act would limit forced overtime for registered nurses, set minimum nurse-to-patient ratios and protect nurses who speak out against health care systems.
The proposed legislation, which addresses nurse-to-patient ratios and forced overtime, was introduced in March in the Michigan Legislature with bipartisan support.
Looking to enjoy some time outside? Visit Belle Isle's new Oudolf Garden.
The garden was designed by famous landscape designer Piet Oudolf, who has designed gardens all over the world including the High Line in New York City and the Toronto Botanical Garden.
Today is the last day to catch the Detroit Jazz Festival on WDET. Tune in from 11:30 a.m. - midnight.
View the full lineup and schedule and tune in on-air or online all weekend long to hear live Jazz Fest performances.
Funny how time flies (when you're having fun):
At the age of 19, Janet Jackson severed ties with her father who was her manager, annulled her marriage to James Debarge and headed to Minneapolis to work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on "Control," an album that changed their lives.
Soak up the last bit of summer checking out murals downtown 🌞
Bike advocate Jason Hall gives riders an up close and personal look at emerging and established artists to check out around Eastern Market and the Dequindre Cut
Many court fines and related fees may disproportionately impact young people and their families, especially low-income families. Now, state officials and advocates are taking a critical look at whether these fees are reasonable and necessary.
Advocates and state officials are evaluating the current status of bail and fees in an effort to ensure youth rights in the state are protected in the criminal justice system.
Have you watched this yet?
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson’s directorial film debut shows the festival as a political statement and the elevation of Black thought and revolution. See the film at Cinema Detroit this weekend.
Was (Not Was) dropped its debut album 40 years ago, but with its timeless rhythm and sound, the album holds up remarkably well today.
Don Was, co-founder and producer of Was (Not Was) and Blue Note Records president, reflects on the making of the record, the downside of their 1987 hit “Walk the Dinosaur” and the lessons learned along the way.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court utilized the “shadow docket” to allow Texas to implement the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. Critics and many legal experts say the Texas law is fundamentally unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Three reproductive health and justice experts say the new Texas abortion law threatens not just reproductive autonomy, but the entire U.S. Constitution.
Join Belle Isle Aquarium LIVE in their recently reopened & upgraded facility for some fun with fish - including Cheeto the Oscar with a big personality!
After 16 months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Belle Isle Conservancy is thrilled to reopen the Belle Isle Aquarium to the public.
Get a sneak peek inside and behind-the-scenes as aquarists from Belle Isle share the transformational progress made while they were closed, including historic preservation to the 116 year old facility (the oldest aquarium in the nation!), modernization of the infrastructure, and upgrades to tank exhibits.
Join us for our watch party - and see aquarists and the fish LIVE and ask them your questions!
Our partners Belle Isle Conservancy and WDET 101.9FM's Annamarie Sysling join Great Lakes Now Program Director Sandra Svoboda, as we watch and discuss "Aquariums Re-Open: Did the fish miss us?" from our latest episode - and then join the Belle Isle Aquarium LIVE in their recently reopened facility for some fun with fish - including Cheeto the Oscar!
Upon its completion in 1968, the Kerner Commission report famously stated that America was, “moving towards two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal.” More than 50 years later, Jelani Cobb says this warning is just as relevant today.
Author and Columbia University Professor Jelani Cobb says the Kerner Commission Report's warning that America was moving toward two separate and unequal societies is just as relevant today.
The Detroit Jazz Festival kicks off tonight! You can hear live performances on WDET all weekend long. Check out the full schedule:
View the full lineup and schedule and tune in on-air or online all weekend long to hear live Jazz Fest performances.
After more than a year, the Belle Isle Aquarium has reopened its doors to the public. The island attraction has several new features and improvements for visitors including new exhibit signage, saltwater tanks and new species including garden eels, lionfish and scorpionfish.
Aquarium curator Dr. Paul Shuert says updates like new signage, resealed tanks and saltwater species offer new highlights for visitors.
Did you miss The Roots at the Russell Industrial Center last night? Check out 5 essential tracks that define their indelible impact on hip-hop:
Listen to five essential tracks from the collective of top-tier musicians known for their incredible live shows and prolific musical output.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she will veto any legislation that aims to limit unilateral action by local officials, but she reiterated she is not going to issue any statewide mandates.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she will veto any legislation that aims to limit unilateral action by local officials, but she reiterated she is not going to issue any statewide mandates.
In the latest episode of Science of Grief, out now, Alex Nitsche navigates gender dysphoria, transitioning and working through challenges with his parents.
Alex Nitsche tells the story of experiencing gender dysphoria, and later transitioning in high school. Then, social worker Bonnie Wheeler discusses acceptance, forgiveness, and the grief that family members often feel with gender transitions.
Even with vaccines, scientific evidence around the efficacy of masking and physical distancing, there is still so much we don’t understand about COVID-19 and the variants that have swept through the population since last year.
Two writers for The Atlantic take stock of where we're at in the pandemic and what we can learn from COVID-19 variants as we look forward.
There is a wide expectation that the government cannot intrude into our private lives. But the word “privacy” never actually appears in the U.S. Constitution, raising the questions of where does that expectation comes from and how equality fits into that notion.
Legal scholars and privacy experts weigh in on the privacy protections granted to all Americans through constitutional provisions and federal statutes.
We’re seeing the very first political maps coming out of the work being done by the new Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and they're raising some eyebrows (although it's too early to come to any conclusions about what the final districts will look like).
Lines are being drawn for the first time since the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission began its work over a year ago.
Due to the rapid spread of the highly contagious delta variant, the Michigan State Medical Society says it’s time for people to return to masking up indoors, regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The recommendation from the doctors’ organization comes amid fights over whether schools should be allowed to adopt COVID-related requirements and restrictions.
President Biden addresses the nation after the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war. Watch live on wdet.org this afternoon.
President Biden addresses the nation after the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America's longest war.
President Biden’s role in Afghanistan and his handling of the pandemic are both factors that are impacting Americans’ opinions about Biden’s performance as president thus far.
America's approval rating of President Biden is hovering just above 40%, according to a new batch of polls. But, political writer Russell Berman, notes this isn't unusual around this time in past presidential terms.
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to set up a process for becoming a citizen. Though the requirements and restrictions have changed over the decades, millions of immigrants have taken advantage of that opportunity.
Many people come to the land of opportunities for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. For about 800,000 people a year, that means applying to become a U.S. citizen.
Since last Thursday, U.S. forces have carried out two drone strikes against ISIS-K, one against militants thought to be involved in Thursday’s bombing and another meant to prevent another terror attack. Today, there are reports that 10 civilians, including several small children, were killed by the U.S. drone strike in Kabul on Sunday.
Two local experts discuss last week's terror attack that killed more than 150 Afghan civilians and at least 13 U.S. service members.
In light of the latest COVID-19 surge, the Detroit Jazz Festival has decided to switch to a remote format. You can hear full coverage on WDET from September 3 to September 6.
WDET will carry Jazz Fest performances live all Labor Day weekend starting at 7 p.m. Friday through Monday.
"Blue" digs into issues of police brutality and race, shining a light on some of the hardest conversations we’re having as a society in contemporary America. The Michigan Opera Theatre - Detroit Opera House is staging the opera work September 11-12.
The director and artistic director of police brutality family-centered opera "Blue" talk about bringing the experience to Detroit audiences.
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