Stateside

A political legal drama is unfolding in Michigan. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed more than a dozen charges against former state House Speaker Lee Chatfield, alleging that he used a non-profit to amass kickbacks and to use a slush fund for personal expenses.

GUEST:

Craig Mauger, state politics reporter for The Detroit News

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For 33 years, the story of Anita Wiley’s disappearance was unresolved. After firefighters found her remains in a vacant house in Detroit that had been set on fire, she was buried in a cemetery for the unidentified, and her case was named “Unknown Woman 1987.” In 2020, through a cemetery DNA program, Anita’s remains were identified and linked to her son, Antonio Wiley, and her sister, Tonya Mosley, who never knew she existed...

The Mackinac Bridge lacks modern protections around its piers in the Straits of Mackinac, making it vulnerable if a freighter veered off course as happened recently in Baltimore.

In response to this question, a representative from the Michigan Department of Transportation sent this statement: "The investigation into the tragedy in Baltimore continues, and appears to be focused on what caused the ship to lose power and veer so far off course...

The NFL Draft is happening in Detroit from April 25-27. With high volume events like this, there's a risk for human trafficking. So how are law enforcement and advocates preparing to protect people this NFL draft and what should you look out for if you attend?

GUEST:

Sarah Rahal, reporter for The Detroit News

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Michigan born author Katie Williams' novel “My Murder” is the next Michigan Public Reads. The premise is a woman murdered by a serial killer and brought back to life as a clone tries to piece together the days and weeks leading up to her murder. 

GUEST:

Katie Williams, writer

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Move over, solar eclipse, there's another stunning and fleeting natural phenomenon in Michigan... Corpsy the Corpse Flower. We get an up-close whiff of a pungent corpse flower grown at home by a Michigander. The endangered species is exceedingly rare, and blooms for about 36 hours, once or twice a decade. 

GUEST:

Kevin Hauser, owner and nurturer of Corpsy the Corpse Flower

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James and Jennifer Crumbley were each sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for negligence that contributed to their teenage son killing four of his peers at Oxford High School. It's the first such conviction of parents of a school shooter. 

GUEST:

Briana Rice, criminal justice reporter, Michigan Public 

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The U.S. Census plans to add a new response option for race/ethnicity: Middle Eastern or North African. It's  something Arab and Muslim communities have sought for years to codify their community presence and hopefully, over the long-term, cement support for community services. 

GUEST:

Germine H...