The unintended consequences of consumer reviews

The internet can be both a useful tool for connection and simultaneously amplify some of the more unsettling parts of society.  This plays out with consumer reviews. They are both a useful way to find out the quality and value of an item or service, but there can be unintended consequences to these platforms. Some issues stem from walking the tightrope between serving customers and businesses. It's also hard to be truly representative when not everyone decides to leave reviews.  Michael Luca is a professor at Johns Hopkins whose work focuses on the design of online platforms. He joined the show to provide some perspective on how the platform and technology works.

While much of the media’s attention on November’s elections has been on Detroit’s mayoral race, there are many other political contests happening outside the city.  One of them is in Madison Heights. That’s where a one-term city council member is running for mayor against the current Eastpointe police chief.  If elected, the council member would be the city’s first Black mayor. But what’s also interesting about this race is that he — not the police chief — won the endorsement of the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police. How did City Councilor Quinn Wright do it? And why does he want to be mayor?  Last week, Producer Sam Corey spoke with Wright about that and more.  The Metro reached out multiple times to Wright’s opponent, Chief Corey Haines. We still have not heard back from him. Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Even though violent crime has been falling fast in Detroit over the last decade, the city still has a crime rate that’s one of the highest in the nation.   Every year, police recover about 6,000 illegal guns in Detroit. Yet legal gun ownership is also common in the city, a reflection of how deeply concerns about safety and self-protection run through daily life. To try to prevent crime before it happens, Detroit police end up stopping people for nonviolent offenses. A Detroit Free Press investigation found that about 20% of those stops ended in foot chases and police shootings.  Those findings stress the question: what is the police’s obligation to stop crime before it happens in a place where many don’t feel safe and guns are plentiful? To explore this, investigative Detroit Free Press reporter Violet Ikonomova spoke with Robyn Vincent about her recent reporting on police shootings that began with stops for nonviolent offenses.

Voter turnout in Detroit is low. Only a fraction of registered voters cast a ballot when election day comes. But there are people and organizations that want more people to be heard.  Lift Every Voice and Vote is a non-profit that aims to educate citizens about the election process. The organization is partnering with the Black church community to help mobilize more people.  Al Williams is a business owner who's active in local politics. He also coordinates the ground efforts for the non-profit. He joined the show to discuss how their efforts educating members of Detroit churches about the benefits of voting can shift how they understand voting, share that knowledge, and hopefully improve turnout. 

Cemeteries are the last place one might look for things to do over the weekend. But, if you appreciate reflection and history over busy bars and music, 'Elmwood Alight' at the historic Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit might be the thing for you. The immersive tours take place October 17-18. Tickets are $40. Amy Elliott Bragg is director of the Historic Elmwood Foundation. She joined Cary Junior II on The Metro to discuss the two-night event.

Southeast Michigan’s streams and rivers are studded by shadows of our industrial past. Henry Ford brought mass production of vehicles to the world, and he needed energy to power his industry.  Old hydroelectric dams are still installed along the Rouge and Huron Rivers, but they’re crumbling and it’s time to repair them, or remove them.  In Michigan, the fate of these aging dams is still hotly debated in town halls and city council meetings. One of those place is Flat Rock, MI, where residents and local officials urged Huron-Clinton Metroparks not to remove the dam. LISTEN: Metroparks to vote on future of Flat Rock Dam While the fate of Flat Rock Dam is still uncertain, 120 dams have been removed in Michigan, according to a database published by American Rivers, a river restoration nonprofit. And dam removal brings a number of benefits for the waterway and surrounding areas, including: biodiversity and fish passage, water quality, and mitigation of catastrophic flooding in the case of dam failure. So, what’s next for Michigan’s dams and rivers? What options do residents and lawmakers have? And, what opportunities are ahead for the Great Lakes state? Elizabeth Riggs, the Great Lakes Regional Director for American Rivers, joined Robyn Vincent on the Metro to discuss. Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Sam Tallent is an entertainer who has spent two decades on the stage as a musician and comedian. Sam, like many comics, has told jokes that didn't land with the crowd, so he pivoted in real time. He turned those moments into lessons that refined his craft. It's a relentless grind that he illustrates best through the perspective of a fictional comedian in his recent novel “Running the Light.” He joined the show ahead of his run of stand-up shows October 16-18 at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak to discuss his process, his inspirations, and his new book. 

Fall is here, and that means cool nights, crispy leaves and the smell of hot apple cider. But the season won’t last forever, and there is a lot of fun to be had at Michigan's apple orchards, cider mills and corn mazes. Laura Herberg, reporter for Bridge Michigan, joined the Metro to share the highlights from her recent story, "Five ways to fall for fall in Michigan." What's on your winter bucket list? Laura Herberg and Bridge Michigan are taking your  suggestions.

James Boggs has the Detroit story. He was born into a sharecropping family in Junction, Alabama. He moved to the city and worked in the auto industry for over 20 years. His wife Grace was a Chinese American philosopher who was born in Rhode Island and lived in New York. James and Grace Lee Boggs would go on to lead a movement of self-resiliency and working together as a community. They were instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement through the 60s and 70s and further into the eras with the Black Panther Party.  The two remained married for 40 years, until James’ death in 1993.  Grace Lee Boggs carried their legacy and continued their work until her death in 2015 at the age of 100. She was an author, feminist, philosopher and social activist who inspired and changed the minds of so many, and made sure Detroit thrived with love and community.  This month, The James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation is celebrating with a 10 year memorial of her death. The gathering will honor the life and legacy of the civil rights activist and take a look at how to move forward in this moment in time we’re in today. Donald Boggs, son of James Boggs and Alice Jennings J.D. joined Metro host Tia Graham to talk more about the 10-year memorial honoring the life of Grace Lee Boggs. 

The attorneys representing young people in Detroit’s courts say their pay hasn’t kept pace with their purpose. They haven’t received a raise in more than three decades. Wayne County juvenile attorneys handle neglect and delinquency cases. They represent kids and families in crisis, but unlike public defenders, they are independent contractors who receive a set fee per hearing and no benefits. Juvenile attorney Marc Shreeman says the pay is about $500 for a preliminary hearing and pretrial appearance, roughly half of what similar attorneys earn in nearby Oakland County.  Shreeman says low pay, coupled with rising caseloads, is having an impact. In 2019, roughly 120 attorneys were taking juvenile cases in Wayne County; now, there are fewer than 60.  The dwindling number of juvenile attorneys and stagnant pay come as Detroit faces a rise in youth violence compared with last year, and a higher number of teens being caught with firearms. City officials have responded by strengthening curfew enforcement and raising fines for parents of minors found out after hours.  WDET contacted multiple county officials for comment. The Wayne County Executive’s Office did not respond. A representative for the Wayne County Court Administration, which distributes pay to juvenile attorneys, said in an earlier statement that the department is “working closely with Wayne County to address potential funding options” and that staff have met with the Ways and Means Committee to discuss the issue. WDET also contacted Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch, who chairs that committee, but did not receive a response. Juvenile attorney Shreeman joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss the work of public defenders in a time when young people are facing more danger. Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.