Today on Stateside, Michigan lawmakers are considering legislation that would ease penalties on Concealed Pistol License holders that are charged with carrying their weapons in gun-free zones like schools or stadiums. Plus, the upcoming exhibit "Halal Metropolis" series highlights the cultural contributions of Muslims in southeast Michigan.
Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.
Bipartisan state lawmakers consider bills easing penalties for carrying legal firearms in gun-free zones
- A bipartisan group of state lawmakers are considering a package of bills that would ease penalties on Concealed Pistol License holders caught carrying in gun-free zones. State Representative Beau LaFave (R-Iron Mountain) chairs the Military, Veterans, and Homeland Security Committee, which oversaw the bills. He breaks down how this reshaped legislation differs from the original version, and what he believes is the best option for protecting the public from gun violence.
Howes: Corruption scandal looms over Fiat-Chrysler and UAW bargaining
- There’s just about a month to go before Detroit’s automakers begin national contract talks with the UAW. But ongoing corruption investigations into Fiat Chrysler and the UAW will be casting a long shadow over the bargaining table. Daniel Howes is a business columnist for The Detroit News. He explains what the two-year federal prosecution of automotive industry figures has revealed so far, and how it might impact negotiations between Fiat Chrysler and union leaders.
What goes up must come down: balloon waste on Great Lakes shorelines
- When balloons float up to the sky, their inevitable descent back down to earth is polluting our environment and killing animals. Keith Matheny covers the environment for the Detroit Free Press, and Lara O’Brien is a graduate student at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, where she does research on balloon waste. They tell us about the volume of balloon waste showing up on the shores of the Great Lakes, the impact that may have on the environment, and alternatives to balloon releases for your next celebration.
Jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles explores the ritual, celebration of Carnival in his native Trinidad
- Carnival is a vibrant celebration that happens days before the start of Lent, and many countries infuse their celebrations with their own unique music and rituals. Etienne Charles is an associate professor of jazz trumpet at Michigan State University. He explores the music and celebration of Carnival in his homeland of Trinidad in a new album titled Carnival: The Sound of the People. Stateside’s Mercedes Mejia sat down with Charles to talk about what inspired this project.
- Etienne Charles will be performing on Friday, June 21 at the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival in East Lansing.
- Support for arts and culture coverage comes in part from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
Volunteers count frogs for annual DNR survey
- Frogs and toads are highly sensitive to habitat degradation, which makes them a good barometer of environmental health. Each year, volunteers throughout Michigan do a listening survey to find out which species of frogs and toads are present and how abundant they are. Cheryl Bartz of Red Pine Radio rode along with volunteer Kathy Gray on Old Mission Peninsula to find out more about that effort.
“Halal Metropolis” exhibit showcases Muslim contributions to art, music, and culture in Michigan
- “Halal Metropolis” is a new project that explores the cultural visibility of Muslims in Southeast Michigan. The exhibition, which opens Friday in Detroit, is a project of the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Arab-American Studies.
- Razi Jafri is one of the three creators of Halal Metropolis, and Tazeen Ayub is a featured artist, as well as the founder of the Detroit chapter of the Gathering All Muslim Artists (GAMA) collective. They tell us about what makes Southeast Michigan a "halal metropolis," and why art is an effective tool for building understanding across communities.
(Subscribe to Stateside on iTunes, Google Play, or with this RSS link)
