Today on Stateside, Ann Arbor officials announced last week that trace amounts of a chemical known as 1,4-dioxane had been found in the city's drinking water for the first time. So, what does that mean for residents? Plus, if you feel like popular songs aren't as happy as they used to be, a new study says you're right.
Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.
What you should know about the trace amounts of dioxane found in Ann Arbor’s drinking water
- Last week, Ann Arbor city officials sent out a letter to residents telling them that trace amounts of the chemical 1,4-dioxane had been detected in the city’s drinking water. Reporter Ryan Stanton has been covering this story for MLive. He gives some background on the city's decades-long problem with dioxane contamination, breaks down the health risks of long-term exposure, and tells us whether or not there are plans for additional remediation.
Popular songs are sadder, angrier these days, and the data proves it
- Are we getting sadder? Angrier? An intriguing analysis of popular music since the mid-20th century indicates that we are. Lior Shamir of Lawrence Technological University in Southfield joined us to talk about the study, which analyzed and scored the lyrics of the most popular songs from 1951 to 2016 based on the amount of joy, anger, or fear they expressed.
Howes: Michigan’s “consistently inconsistent” politics give businesses mixed messages
- On Tuesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her first budget proposal. We talk to Detroit News business columnist Daniel Howes about his take on how the governor's tax plan compares to prior administrations, and whether there is room for real middle ground on the state's economic issues.
Working class roots inspired UM senior to create nation’s first degree program in social class
- When you come from a working-class background and wind up on a college campus where many students come from wealth and privilege, what do you do? Lauren Schandevel, a senior at the University of Michigan, responded to that experience by co-founding a first-of-its-kind minor in Social Class and Inequality Studies. Schandevel tells us what kind of impact she hopes the program, which will be offerd starting this fall, has on students before and after graduation.
Every month, thousands of migrant children turn up at the United States' southern border seeking asylum. Those who arrive without family, or who are separated from adult caretakers, are sent to emergency intake shelters. Dona Abbott, branch director of refugee services at Bethany Christian Services in Grand Rapids, says there’s a better option: foster homes. We talk to Abbott about the actions she wants to see Congress take to protect vulnerable migrant youth.
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