Zena Issa
Criminal Justice ReporterZena Issa is Michigan Public’s new Criminal Justice reporter, joining the team after previously working as a newsroom intern and Stateside production assistant. She has contributed to award-winning projects like Voter Voices and What the Vote. A fluent Arabic speaker and experienced multimedia journalist, she has reported for WLNS-TV, WDIV-TV, and WBAL-TV, and brings strong social media storytelling skills to her new role. She's also a graduate of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. (Go Blue!)
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Former residents of Vista Maria, a mental health and social services facility for girls and women in need in Dearborn Heights, are planning a lawsuit. They allege decades of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, with staff failing to intervene. -
Amir Makled recently represented an activist charged by the Michigan Attorney General's office in relation to pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Michigan. Now, the civil rights attorney is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U-M's Board of Regents. -
Dearborn officials announced a drop in reports of violent crime across the city over the last two years. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and Police Chief Issa Shahin credit historic staffing levels and new technology. -
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield signed her first executive order, directing the city’s assessor to adopt national standards and increase transparency to ensure fair and accurate property assessments. -
People returning home after decades of incarceration are forced to navigate a digital world that didn’t exist when they went in. The Michigan nonprofit Nation Outside makes it their goal to teach essential digital skills and help formerly incarcerated individuals survive and adapt to life in a technology-driven society. -
Wayne County prosecutors have filed five new sexual assault cases against former nurse Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios, bringing the total number of cases to eight. -
President Donald Trump says his tariffs are the reason the country's trade deficit has decreased and claims he's revived Detroit's auto industry — though companies have had mixed success recently. -
Detroit leaders say the city closed 2025 with major reductions in violent crimes including homicides, shootings, and carjackings. -
A new bill introduced in the state Senate would require certain Michigan movie theaters to offer captioned screenings during the first three weeks of a film’s release to improve accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. -
Mayor Mary Sheffield was sworn in on January 1, 2026, as Detroit’s 76th mayor, making history as the first woman elected to lead the city.
