Sam Corey
Verified- Producer, WDET-FM (Detroit MI)
- Producer, WDET-FM (Detroit MI)
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Articles by Sam Corey
The Metro: Detroit church leader tells El-Sayed, ‘Do not abandon the message’
After the August primary, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed had momentum. However, his narrow defeat of Haley Stevens made some of his supporters nervous. How was he going to pick up enough voters to win the general election? Some were concerned about his appeal to older Black and Jewish voters. It’s not known how specific racial and ethnic groups voted in this election, but El-Sayed won about 92% of the vote in Detroit.
What the Republican Party could look like without Trump | The Metro
Democrats won huge last night. That was in part because of the populist bent of many Democratic candidates. It was also because Republicans and President Donald Trump, in particular, made decisions — war and tariffs — that have angered voters and led to a higher cost of living. In the meantime, President Trump’s massive wealth has increased exponentially since he’s been back in office. All this has made Trump very unpopular. Still, he made the midterms all about him.
The Metro: Why Democrats are expected to make big gains
After President Trump was elected for a second time, Democrats had been described as “lost in the wilderness.” Today, on Election Day, polling suggests they may have found their way. We won’t know anything until all the ballots are counted. But Democrats are likely to take back power in the House. They could also do something that was unlikely just months ago: They could win a majority of Senate seats. So the question this morning isn’t who wins.
Jewish residents generally vote Democrat. Will this election be different? | The Metro
The midterms are less than a week away. This election cycle, one group of voters has gotten outsized attention. Jewish residents, who’ve long backed Democratic candidates by wide margins, are in the spotlight. That’s because in Michigan’s heated U.S. Senate race, the Jewish Democratic vote isn’t guaranteed for the Democratic candidate, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
The struggle to build trust in local elections is pushing this clerk into retirement | The Metro
Last week, President Donald Trump turned his attention to the Alaska Senate race. There are two men named Dan Sullivan on that ballot, the Republican incumbent and a candidate with no party affiliation whom Republicans call a sham. Trump said he directed the Justice Department to sue, arguing voters may have picked the wrong Sullivan. It also asks Alaska not to certify the race if that costs the incumbent his seat.
How one Michigan farmer is navigating ‘skyrocketing prices’ | The Metro
Farmers growing corn and soybeans are getting more for their crop than they did a year ago, but farm bankruptcies are still up nearly 19%. These workers are spending more on essentials like fertilizer and fuel. The Agriculture Department expects farm income to drop 5.5% once inflation is accounted for, and that’s with $47 billion in government payments holding it up. What does this look like on the ground, in the field, for a Michigan farmer?
The Metro: This local organizer hates Flock cameras. Here’s why.
Flock Safety cameras read license plates. They photograph every car that passes — the plate, the make, the model, even the bumper stickers — and they put it all in a database police can search. Many people nationwide are against this network of cameras. They’re worried about mass surveillance, privacy infringement and how cops might abuse them. Many police and some local leaders say the surveillance technology reduces crime and helps solve investigations. So far, the research on that is mixed.
The Metro: Donavan McKinney hopes to inject more humanity in politics
In August, progressive challengers won Democratic primaries across southeast Michigan. One of the races that drew big national money was the fight for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. That area, which includes parts of Detroit, Downriver and western Wayne County, is where state Representative Donavan McKinney defeated the incumbent Congressman Shri Thanedar 52-48. McKinney, a Democratic Socialist, ran on Medicare for all, universal childcare, and getting money out of politics.
The Metro: Only 1 in 4 of Michigan juniors is ready for college. What’s standing in the way?
The kids are not all right. That seems to be true, at least, when it comes to their education in Michigan. Only one-fourth of high school juniors are college-ready, based on their SAT scores. Younger students are struggling, too. Around 44% of students in third through eighth grades are proficient in reading, and about 35% are proficient in math. Third graders posted the lowest reading scores in the 12-year history of the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, known as the M-STEP.
The Metro: ‘Too many unknowns.’ Why many are against a constitutional convention
Where politics is concerned, many are unhappy. A recent poll found roughly 80% of Americans think the country is in a crisis because we can’t agree with one another. So how do we get out of it? The usual answer is the ballot box. Unfortunately, our elections systems don’t always incentivize change. That’s because America has a first-past-the-post electoral system, which means one winner for each seat. If a candidate comes in second, they get nothing — no share of the power.
The Metro: Why Garlin Gilchrist wants to be secretary of state
Michigan’s secretary of state runs the offices that renew licenses and register cars. The same office also runs elections in the state. Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist is one of two people running for the position. Gilchrist was a software engineer who then ran and lost a bid for Detroit City Clerk in 2017. Since 2018, he’s been lieutenant governor for the state. Now, he’s running for secretary of state after leaving the governor’s race. Why?
The Metro: A tariff is a tax. Who in Michigan is actually paying it?
In July, when Michigan opened a new bridge to Canada, the two countries were supposed to cut the ribbon together. Canada called that off and held its own ceremony on its side, citing the president’s tariff threats. Canada is Michigan’s biggest customer. The cars built here are still assembled on both sides of the Detroit River, where that new bridge stands. And right now the two countries are taxing each other’s goods. At the top of the state, you can already see what that costs.
The Metro: Many Ann Arbor residents want a public utility to replace DTE. Its city council believes that’s reckless.
Costs continue to rise in Michigan for things like gas, groceries and utilities In March, a DTE rate hike increased bills by 4.6% for a typical customer. Two months later, a Consumers Energy rate hike also increased rates by 6.1%, its second electric increase in a year. Recent rate hikes and power outages have spurred a lot of anger and frustration. As some residents in Ann Arbor see it, one solution is to replace DTE with a city-owned utility.
The Metro: Anthony Forlini’s vision for secretary of state
Michigan’s secretary of state oversees license renewals, car registrations and elections — the voter rolls, the rules clerks follow, and the certification of results. Jocelyn Benson is term-limited. Two candidates are running to replace her. Anthony Forlini is the Republican. He’s the Macomb County clerk and register of deeds, and he spent six years in the state House and six as Harrison Township supervisor. This year Forlini has been looking for noncitizens on Michigan’s voter rolls.
The Metro: Dana Nessel defends her record
Many couldn’t tell you what an attorney general does. But in Michigan, a lot of people know the name Dana Nessel. She was the lead lawyer in the Michigan case that helped bring marriage equality to the nation. Then she became this state’s top attorney. For eight years she’s been unabashed about her politics and about who she is. Dana Nessel’s office won convictions against nine clergymen for abuse going back decades. It won more than $1.5 billion from opioid manufacturers.
The Metro: Why Detroit’s mayor’s office is under scrutiny
For about a year, Mayor Mary Sheffield has seemed to be riding high. To get elected, she mounted an impressive campaign, taking 77 % of the vote. Once in office, she hit the ground running. The mayor has created new anti-poverty and community safety departments. Many have commented on her leadership skills, balancing confidence and intellect with openness, and a willingness to listen.
The Metro: Why the economy resembles the Covid era for many small businesses
As the Iran war continues, gas prices hit a weekly average of $4.88 in Metro Detroit. The average price of diesel is $2 more than that. The stock market is strong, but inflation is at least 1% higher than the federal reserve’s target. And the U.S. is in a trade war with Canada. This hasn’t caused a recession. But all of this does make it harder for small businesses to operate, like the corner bar on your street, and the auto repair shop in your suburb.
The Metro: Michigan Republican Tom Barrett disagrees with Trump’s war. Can he keep his seat?
One of the most watched races across the country is in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. That area includes Lansing, East Lansing, and the farm counties and exurbs around them, out to Livingston County and the edge of Oakland County. Republican Congressman Tom Barrett won the seat two years ago by less than four points, and both parties think it could decide who has a majority in the House of Representatives. Barrett’s opponent is progressive Democrat Will Lawrence.
The Metro: ‘The auto industry is in a mess.’ It could get worse.
Chaos. That’s the trend line in the auto sector of our economy. A war in Iran has raised gas prices. A Trump administration antagonistic to electric vehicles has reshaped the auto industry, causing Stellantis, General Motors and Ford to lose a combined $52 billion as they’ve shifted away from their electric investments. And through it all, the Trump administration has enacted tariffs. Recently, they’ve gotten steeper. In August, America enacted new tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel.
The Metro: Does the public benefit from a redeveloped RenCen?
Many have an opinion about Detroit’s Renaissance Center. Some view it as ugly, detached from the city, and with General Motors having moved out, they believe it should be redeveloped. And then there are people who like the RenCen. They see its tallest towers as an emblem of the city. They’re often the same people who argue that pouring public money into its redevelopment will detract from other priorities — things like schools, public transit, and housing that teachers and nurses can afford.
The Metro: The Sunrise Movement co-founder trying to flip Lansing’s House seat
In August, Michigan Democrats picked a Sunrise Movement co-founder over a former ambassador and a former Navy SEAL. Will Lawrence has never held office. Until recently, he was a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Now he’s running in Michigan’s 7th District, which includes Lansing, East Lansing, and the farm counties and exurbs around them, out to Livingston County and the edge of Oakland. Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed him in the race. It is a seat Republican Rep.
The Metro: How America has changed — and hasn’t — 25 years after 9/11
Tomorrow marks 25 years since the twin towers came down. That day, before people mourned, they were in shock. What came next reshaped this country. The Patriot Act. Two wars. Here at home, a registration program fingerprinted, photographed and questioned more than 80,000 men and boys largely from Muslim-majority countries. It didn’t produce a single terrorism conviction. Meanwhile, reported hate crimes against Muslims jumped seventeenfold in one year. They have never returned to where they were.
The Metro: An initiative wants to remove money from Michigan politics. Can it?
Is money corrupting Michigan’s politics? According to a Politico poll, 72% of Americans say there’s too much money in politics. Respondents said special interest spending leads to corruption that should be restricted. In Michigan, a local campaign believes residents can have a stronger, more representative democracy if political spending by some big-time actors is limited.
The Metro: Is Detroit’s police oversight board able to hold cops accountable?
Detroit voters created a board of civilian commissioners in 1974 with the power to investigate their own police department. Eleven members. Its own staff of investigators. Since May, those investigators can no longer pull body camera video themselves. The cops can edit the footage and decide what’s relevant. Victoria Camille represents District Seven on the oversight board. She’s circulating a petition to get that access back.
The Metro: School attendance is improving quickly in Detroit. Here’s why.
Since the pandemic, Michigan schools have faced a persistent problem: Students are not showing up enough to class. In Detroit public schools, the chronic absenteeism rate has been higher than the rest of the state’s. Recently, that number has been decreasing. In just one school year, chronic absenteeism dropped 10 percentage points.
The Metro: Why Michigan’s Senate race reveals gaps between candidates and voters
Michigan is in the national spotlight. That’s in part because of the state’s open U.S. Senate seat. If Democrats lose, their path to a Senate majority all but closes. The race can tell us a lot about the direction of the Democratic Party — what is seen as acceptable to voters, and what appears too extreme.
The Metro: Homicides are down. This former FBI agent credits community leaders.
The FBI put out its 2025 crime numbers this month, and they show the largest year-to-year decline in violent crime rates since estimations began in 1936. Robbery fell 18.5%. Murder dropped by 18 percent — that rate is now tied with 1955 for the lowest ever recorded in this country. Detroit is part of that trend. The city ended last year with the lowest number of homicides since 1965. Carjackings dropped 46 percent. What nobody fully agrees on is why.
The Metro: El-Sayed won Michigan and lost Detroit. Its pastors could shape what comes next
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed ran the health departments of both Detroit and Wayne County. Three weeks ago he won a U.S. Senate primary by roughly 15,000 votes statewide, and lost Detroit by nearly 2-1. Seven miles away in Dearborn and Hamtramck, he took 78 and 82%, respectively. In Detroit, fewer people voted in this primary than in 2016: About 98,000, which is down from 126,000.
The Metro: Why ‘the last vestige of acceptable racism’ is intensifying
A week ago, the Dearborn City Council moved its meeting to the public library because they expected a crowd. Police were outside in riot gear. Wayne County sent officers on horses. By the next morning, 22 people had been arrested from across Michigan, and from as far as New York and Tennessee. Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud told the council his own daughter didn’t go to daycare that day. Some businesses stayed closed. Sports practices were rescheduled.
The Metro: Jewish Democrats are divided on El-Sayed’s victory. Andy Levin says they shouldn’t be
This has been a hard moment for many Jewish people. Antisemitism has been on the rise, and Americans’ views of Israel are now mostly negative. Those are big changes. And they’re translating into political shifts. It’s unknown how a majority of liberal Jewish residents voted during the Democratic Senate Primary. But a lot of older Jews are unsure of how to vote now that Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee. Do they support him or do they vote for Republican Mike Rogers?
The Metro: Jay Inslee on where the climate movement should go next
What should we make of the climate movement’s accomplishments over the last decade? On one side, the Inflation Reduction Act and Chips and Science Act helped distribute clean energy across the country. Those policies dropped solar prices — 90% over the last decade. Battery storage costs fell by the same amount from 2010 to 2020. But the Green New Deal never passed, and many Republicans in Michigan and across the U.S. are against a clean energy transition.
The Metro: How this Democratic Socialist plans to govern Ann Arbor
In November, Ann Arbor voters will decide whether their city should build its own electric utility and stop buying power from DTE. A group funded by DTE is suing to stop the vote. The man likely to be Ann Arbor’s next mayor wants the city to take over. Yousef Rabhi is a Democratic Socialist. He beat 12-year incumbent Chris Taylor by 10 points — over the endorsements of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin — in a primary that was part of a bigger progressive wave.
The Metro: After anti-Muslim protest, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud on belonging in America
“Terrorist.” “Trojan horse.” “Terrorist sympathizer.” These are the words top Republican officials have used to describe Muslim Americans in public office since Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary two weeks ago. That’s following specific instructions from President Donald Trump about what Republicans should say to win the midterms. Ku Klux Klan supporter at Jake Lang Protest in Dearborn, Mich.
The Metro: How does a new, gigantic bridge affect people living nearby?
The Gordie Howe International Bridge includes a mile and a half of cable and steel stretching across the Detroit River. The architect calls it a work of public art. It can be seen from around the city. On the American side sits Delray and parts of Southwest Detroit — neighborhoods that have long sat in the shadow of heavy industry. The bridge was constructed in Delray for a reason: The area had a lot of vacant, publicly owned land available at low prices. Many residents didn’t want it there.
The Metro: He came to WDET as an intern. He leaves as its news director
In 2001, Detroit opened its polls with a big question on the ballot. Twenty-one people were running for mayor. Dennis Archer was stepping aside after two terms, and Detroit was about to pick somebody new. But that wasn’t the focus for long. Because the day was Tuesday, Sept. 11, and the twin towers came down that morning.
The Metro: What Republican candidates need to do to win Michigan
It’s said that all politics is local. But these days, that doesn’t appear to be so true. Instead, a lot of it is national because that’s where the drama is — much of it at the hands of President Donald Trump. The Republicans who disagree with the president are more likely to lose during an election year. That’s why Trump’s endorsements for U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and gubernatorial candidate John James matter so much. But who are these candidates outside of Trump’s endorsement?
The Metro: Detroit expands public transit, one millage at a time
Wayne County residents overwhelmingly approved a millage that ensures everyone pays into the suburban public transit system, known as SMART. One of the people who led the effort to pass the millage is Megan Owens. She’s the director of Transit Riders United. That organization has been advocating for public transit expansion in Metro Detroit for 25 years.
The Metro: Has economic populism come to Michigan?
Ever since President Donald Trump won a second term, Democrats have been arguing with each other about the same two questions: What is this party for, and who gets to lead it? The insurgents have been winning across the country. But the big question is whether economic populist candidates, who run on platforms aimed at minimizing the influence of big money, can win in Michigan.
Metro: Progressives win up and down ballot
Michigan primaries usually come and go with most people not voting. They’re low-profile elections in August, and turnout tends to land somewhere around a quarter of registered voters. Last night was different. Over 1.5 million ballots were counted in the Democratic Senate primary alone. That’s more than any non-presidential Democratic primary in this state going back to at least 1998.
The Metro: Michigan’s lesser-known strategy for fighting addiction
Since the pandemic, overdose deaths are continuing to decline in Michigan. The number is dropping quickly in Metro Detroit. There are a lot of possible explanations for the decline. Narcan is more readily available, the state has turned toward a harm-reduction approach, and the pandemic, when people were cooped up inside, is further in the rearview mirror. Peer recovery coaches are also a big reason for the reduction. That work received significantly more money from the state in recent years.
The Metro: Wayne County finally sees drop in overdose deaths, but new drugs spark concern
Overdose deaths in Michigan have been declining since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic brought on concerning increase in drug-related fatalities. But, Wayne County’s numbers stayed high until 2024 when it saw overdose deaths decrease by 42%. Wayne County still leads the state in overdose deaths. Black Michiganders are disproportionately affected, with an overdose rate nearly double that of all other residents.
The Metro: A tale of two towers. The case for and against the RenCen deal
This week, Governor Whitmer signed a law that doubles the cap on a state tax break for big development projects — from $1.6 billion to $3.2 billion. The Renaissance Center plan had been stuck for more than a year waiting on it, because the program was nearly tapped out. Now the math works. Dan Gilbert’s company puts in about a billion dollars. General Motors puts in 250 million. The public covers the rest.
The Metro: The push to quiet cars in the Motor City
The sound of music and engines is synonymous with summer in metro Detroit. But that noise, specifically the kind generated by modified cars, has been aggravating some people. Residents near Woodward have been complaining about cars being too loud, which has prompted legislators to push for a crackdown on motorists. So, what’s in their legislation? And, could it hurt car culture in the Motor City? Natalie Price is a Democratic state representative.
The Metro: Air quality in Detroit is better. A local physician is still concerned.
Wildfire smoke at times last week made Detroit’s air quality the worst in the world — that’s in a place that consistently gets terrible grades for heavy pollution. So, how is our health impacted by poor air quality? Dr. Garen Wolff is an allergy and immunology physician at the Detroit Medical Center. She says people with asthma are having to use inhalers too often.
The Metro: How Michiganders are adapting to extreme weather
Over the past four months, northern Michigan has experienced a series of extreme weather events. In March, an ice storm caused tens of thousands of utility customers to lose power. In April, record-breaking precipitation caused rivers and lakes to flood, ripping apart roads. Now, smoke from Canadian and Minnesota wildfires has been creating air quality alerts. Before the smoke blew to metro Detroit, it hit northern Michigan first, choking that part of the state with a blanket of smoke.
The Metro: State regulator says DTE restoration timelines ‘weren’t what they needed to be’
Many Michiganders feel powerless over their own electrical power. That’s because, despite approved rate hikes, when a storm hits the power can be out for days before utility companies like Consumers Energy and DTE Energy are able to restore it. But while many are disappointed with the performance of Michigan’s utility companies, some regulators point to progress as outage time has decreased by about 23% since 2019. How are Michigan’s utility companies held accountable for their actions?
The Metro: The Republican gubernatorial campaigns — and the shifts they signal about the party
After President Donald Trump took the country to war and raised costs, many Republicans are finding it difficult to campaign in this election season. While the sitting president’s party often performs poorly in midterm elections, the trend seems likely to continue this year. In general-election polls, Democrat Jocelyn Benson holds the lead. But in politics, anything can happen.
The Metro: Why partisan politics makes it harder to keep the lights on in Michigan
Hundreds of thousands of Michiganders lost power over theweekend of July Fourth, prompting a conversation about the fragility of the electrical grid in the face of climate change. Regulators have approved rate hikes to facilitate infrastructure updates, but modernization of the scale needed will take years. Despite the fact that consumers won’t reap the benefits immediately, residents are having to pay for the upgrades now.
The Metro: Learning can be hard, but healthy relationships make it easier
Learning has become harder for many students as fewer people are reading due to the distractions of new technologies. While artificial intelligence spreads information quickly, it doesn’t necessarily offer the depth of traditional teaching. So, how does one teach deep learning when most Michigan fourth graders aren’t reading proficiently? Erik Meerschaert is a special education teacher at Lake Orion High School.
The Metro: From demand letter to lawsuit — why the Detroit Tenant Union is suing a local court to protect renters
While Detroit law says a landlord cannot rent a home until it’s been deemed livable by city inspectors, 86% of Detroit’s landlords are operating illegally as they have failed to secure Certificates of Compliance for their properties.
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