Today on Stateside, how the partial government shutdown impacts the 1.2 million Michiganders who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help buy food for their families. Plus, a concerned resident of Cass County explains why he's on a mission to make the public aware of the danger posed by the huge number of dead ash trees in Michigan.
Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.
How the 1.2 million Michiganders with SNAP benefits are impacted by partial shutdown
- As the partial federal government shutdown enters its 25th day, how are the 1.2 million Michigan residents who use SNAP benefits being affected? Gilda Jacobs is President and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. She explains that Michigan residents who recieve SNAP benefits will get their February benefits, even if the shutdown continues into next month. It's not clear what will happen if the government stays closed beyond then.
Partial government shutdown cancels programs, stalls spring planning for Sleeping Bear Dunes
- If you call up staff at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, you’ll hear a pre-recorded message saying this: "Due to a lapse in funding of the federal government budget, I am out of the office." But we were able to track down someone associated with Sleeping Bear who's not out of office — because he's a volunteer.
- Kerry Kelly is the chairman of the Board of the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. He shares how his volunteer group has helped maintain the dunes so far, and how the shutdown will affect the park if it continues into coming months.
UM expert talks about promising fronts in research to combat Alzheimer's disease
- An estimated 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, an estimated 16 million people will be diagnosed with it. Bruno Giordani is the associate director of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center. He breaks down exactly what Alzheimer’s disease is, why it typically takes so long to diagnose, and what researchers have learned about the role that lifestyle plays in the onset of dementia.
- Click here to find Bruno Giordani's presentation on the latest in Alzheimer's disease research.
Theater Talk: A play to “feminize” the world, “The Last Five Years,” and a “Black Comedy”
- We're midway through theater season, and David Kiley of Encore Michigan has the latest on some notable shows currently playing at theaters across the state. They include The House on Poe Street at the Detroit Repertory Theatre, Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years at the Tipping Point Theatre in Northville, and Rent at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.
Dead ash trees can pose deadly risks for drivers, and Michigan has a lot of them
- Since the emerald ash borer was first identified in Southeast Michigan in 2002, the invasive beetle has killed millions and millions of ash trees across North America. After his wife totaled her car by hitting a dead ash tree that had fallen on the road, Ron Goodger of Cass County made it his mission to warn people of the hazard the dead trees pose to drivers. He tells us how to identify dead ash trees, and explains what property owners need to understand about their liability for damages caused by trees on their property.
Rock camp teaches Detroit girls to express themselves in loud, wild ways
- Our Creating Connection series explores the power of art to connect us to ourselves and to each other. In our second installment, we hear from Penny, a camper at Girls Rock Detroit. That's a program where girls ages 8 to 15 form a band, learn how to play an instrument, write a song, and perform it in front of a live audience – all in the course of a week.
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