On today's Daily Detroit, I'm joined by Planet Detroit founder Nina Ignaczak and managing editor Dustin Blitchok to talk about the environmental stories shaping our region and their nonpartisan voter guide.

We get into data centers and electricity costs, Metro Detroit's air quality, and drinking water concerns, including PFAS and lead service lines. We also talk about how decisions in Washington and Lansing connect to what we experience at home.

Then we dig into Planet Detroit's voter guide: candidate responses, environmental voting records, and campaign contributions from utilities. Nina shares what they heard when they asked readers for questions, including concerns about electricity costs and protecting our water.

Plus, if you're not familiar with the publication... how Planet Detroit got started, why local environmental reporting matters, and how they're taking some of that work beyond the screen with community walks.

Check out the voter guide: https://voterguide.planetdetroit.org

Read Planet Detroit: https://planetdetroit.org

Local media needs local support. Become a Daily Detroit member: https://patreon.com/dailydetroit

Feedback? Email [email protected] or call 313-789-3211.

What do Detroit's young people actually want from their city?

That's what we're talking about on your Daily Detroit for Wednesday October 21st 2026.

We're gonna step away from the usual adult-led debates on youth spaces, teen takeovers, and recreation. Let's listen to the people who live it.

Joining Norris Howard and myself is Jaedun Ward. He's a Cass Tech High School student, entrepreneur, and host of the talk show 'Things, Things, Things.'

Jaedun breaks down why today's youth aren't just looking for places to hang out. They want more, and what I like about this conversation is he gets specific, and shared what he learned from talking to others.

I'll note this conversation was conducted with Jaedun's parents permission, and his dad was in-studio with us while we recorded.

Feedback as always - [email protected] or 313-789-3211.

Make sure to support our work on Patreon! Local work needs local support to survive and thrive.

In episode 1976 of the podcast, we are breaking down the growing backlash in Detroit's West Village after District 5 City Councilmember Renata Miller requested administrative reviews into popular local spots along Kercheval, including Two Birds and Barkside dog run — as well as some that aren't open yet, like Grandma Bob's Detroit-style pizza or Bar IX, focused on women's athletics.

Coming on the heels of a scuttled affordable housing project near the Butzel Rec Center, the inquiry has sparked intense debate over neighborhood density, small business support, and who gets to shape the future of Detroit's commercial corridors.

Thank you for the many messages on this one, we moved it to the front because we can tell from listeners it struck a chord.

A public council hearing with the Planning and Development Committee, for either in-person or virtual attendance, is on Thursday at 10am in the Committee of the Whole room at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, or online.

Dan Gilbert just made a massive $1 billion announcement about the future of the Renaissance Center, giving $1 billion to convert and run the massive RenCen redevelopment through a 501(c)(4) non-profit.

That means no tax write-off for the owner of Rocket and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but a huge shift in how this cornerstone project will be developed and funded over the next 30 years — and maybe, perceptions of it.

In this special edition of Daily Detroit, we break down what this non-profit model actually might mean for the city.

We talk about:

Public Money vs. Private Donation: Why Brownfield tax credits and City Council approval are still on the table despite the $1B gift

The Shift Away from Corporate Space: How converting the RenCen into public space, residential units, and hotels opens up the riverfront for the broader community

The Income Tax Reality: Why Detroit's development strategy is doubling down on job creation and income tax over property tax

Billionaire Philanthropy & Legacy: Is this Gilbert's version of a Carnegie move, and does it set a new precedent for major urban developments?

Got thoughts on the RenCen plans? Let us know for our upcoming mailbag episode! Email us at [email protected] or call 313-789-3211.

The Rundown:

01:21 – Dan Gilbert's $1 Billion RenCen Non-Profit Announcement

03:58 – Nonprofit makes sense, considering the financials

05:12 – Community inclusion & Civic leadership reactions

07:26 – Shifting needs from offices pace to housing

09:40 – How affordable housing regulations work & Metro area metrics

10:18 – Role of 501(c)(4) Non-Profits in advocacy

11:15 – Billionaire Philanthropic Models & Legacy Building

15:23 – Economic Projections of Jobs, Visitor Spending & Growth

17:15 – Preserving History vs. Embracing Detroit's Urban Progress

19:13 – Tax Base Comparisons & Long-Term Community Impact

22:04 – Looking Ahead to 2036 & Episode Wrap-Up

Devon O'Reilly joins me over a listener's gift of Eastern Kille bourbon to talk about all things Metro Detroit.

A big topic we hit, especially in the shadow of all the RenCen news: Why Detroit's soon to be nearly vacant Penobscot Building deserves more attention, and why that could be a huge opportunity.

I also checked out National Coney Island's refreshed Royal Oak location, and we talk about Westland Mall for sale at a reduced price, plus Devon's childhood belief that its Santa was the real deal.

Plus, Devon explains why this election season's political ads finally pushed him to turn off local TV news.

Feedback as always - [email protected] or 313-789-3211.

Norris Howard and I are back at the studio breaking down where key Michigan races and statewide ballot proposals stand as we head into the home stretch of the 2026 election season. We took into account your feedback to cover some more topics.

What We Cover in This Episode:

The U.S. Senate Race: We dive into the latest polling averages from Decision Desk HQ showing Abdul El-Sayed building a lead over Mike Rogers, the fallout from debate no-shows, and what major late-stage endorsements (including Barack Obama and Kamala Harris) mean for voters in Michigan.

The Governor's Race: Norris and I look at Jocelyn Benson's strong polling lead over John James and break down where the James campaign lost momentum along the way.

Downballot Deep Dive: You asked for more coverage on downballot races, so we're giving proper airtime to the quiet contests for Secretary of State (Garlin Gilchrist vs. Anthony Forlini) and Attorney General (Eli Savit vs. Doug Lloyd).

Proposal 1 (Constitutional Convention): Why this question pops up on our ballot automatically, what a "yes" vote actually means for rewriting the state constitution, and why both Norris and I have serious reservations about opening that door.

Proposal 2 (Michigan Money Out of Politics): What this ballot initiative would mean for restricting campaign contributions from regulated monopolies like DTE and Consumers Energy, expanding ad disclosures, and the potential legal battles ahead.

Support the Podcast! If you appreciate our independent local coverage, consider supporting Daily Detroit on Patreon! Members get access to our subscriber-only Discord, exclusive newsletter updates, sticker packs, and more.

Food and fun today on your Daily Detroit!

Norris tried the new brick and mortar Waka in Eastern Market; Jer stopped by Cafe Noir's second location that's new in downtown Detroit by the Huntington Place convention center. Plus, Little Ghost is opening a second spot in the Pointes, plus we get into some other favs of ours.

Plus, Detroit City won their final home game while a man down, bringing a playoff match to Detroit. Norris talks about the Black Arrow winner (MVP) and why he likely got the nod.

The rundown:

01:47 – Waka & East African Eats in Eastern Market

04:10 – Cafe Noir's New Location & Downtown Coffee Spots

06:55 – Local Restaurant Expansion: Little Ghost

08:52 – Blasphemous Food Hot Take

11:00 – Patreon Member Thanks

12:15 – Detroit City FC Home Finale & USL Power Rankings

16:30 – Why Haruki Yamazaki won the Black Arrow MVP

Feedback as always, dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot -com or 313-789-3211.

With less than a month to go before Election Day, the Daily Detroit panel dives into Michigan's key debate matchups and the changing political dynamics across the state.

Jer, Norris, and Devon break down the first head-to-head general election debates for Michigan Governor and U.S. Senate hosted in Grand Rapids.

The crew discusses the contrast in styles, the lack of concrete policy proposals on big-picture challenges on one side, and whether progressive messaging is reshaping the state's traditional political coalitions.

Plus, a look at shifting voting demographics in Metro Detroit and why local media coverage of policy issues continues to miss the mark.

Show Chapters:

01:57 – Debate Takes: Jocelyn Benson vs. John James

11:57 – Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike Rogers

18:13 – Is the Democratic Coalition Remade If Abdul El-Sayed Wins?

20:50 – Shifting Latino / Hispanic Votes & Wrap-Up

Daily Detroit is an independent, community-supported news project. Help us keep going as we approach 2,000 episodes by supporting our Patreon at patreon.com/dailydetroit.

What do you think? Hit us up, [email protected] or 313-789-3211.

Jer is alive after judging a Malört cocktail contest at the Old Miami. Norris joins in, and on the heels of Grandma Bob's opening a West Village location... says that Detroit is the Pizza Capitol of America.

The Rundown:

00:58 - Malort Madness: The Best Malort Cocktail In Michigan, as tasted at the Old Miami

06:19 - MoveDetroit makes grants to support growing the city's population, and claims early successes

10:11 - Detroit is the capital of Pizza in the United States, and Grandma Bob's is opening in the West Village neighborhood

What do you think? Hit us up, [email protected] or 313-789-3211. Thanks for your support on Patreon!

The Rundown:

01:04 - Favorite Halloween costumes

03:54 - The Lions were bad, the Wings feel dead, but there is a second-place Detroit sports team to get on the bandwagon for

09:00 - It's Michigan Debate Week: Governor, Senate candidates square off Tuesday, Thursday

20:31 - New Affordable Housing project near Eastern Market

23:44 - A little Old Miami love.. and yes, I'm gonna drink Malort

Feedback as always: [email protected] or 313-789-3211. Thanks for your support on Patreon!

On today's episode, fall is in the air! From where to go to the news you need to know, we have you covered.

The Rundown:

Fall Outings in Metro Detroit - Devon makes the case for why you should take your family to the Heritage Park Petting Farm in Taylor, and Jer talks about his sneek peek of Elmwood Alight, a sensory light-mapping and art installation inside Detroit's historic Elmwood Cemetery.

Senate Passes the 'Protect College Sports Act' - We discuss what's in the bill, what's maybe good, what's maybe bad. But bottom line, do we trust Washington to actually fix the system? Or will it just make for a whole 'nother set of unintended consequences with major college teams and conferences leaving the NCAA altogether?

Data center debate - The Wayne County Commission voted unanimously to override Executive Warren Evans's veto of $125 million in tax breaks for Google's proposed 1-gigawatt data center, "Project Cannoli," in Van Buren Township. We talk about the public pushback against data centers, local municipal moratoriums (including on Devon voted for in Dearborn), and the widening disconnect between elected officials, technology leaders, and the community.

What do you think? Hit us up, [email protected] or 313-789-3211. Thanks for your support on Patreon!