Today on Stateside, we discussed the top issue that drove voters to the polls this election: affordability and the economy. The stock market has been up and down this week, with an election-driven surge of investor confidence, followed by losses for stocks tied to the buildout of AI data centers.
So what now? We heard from Betsey Stevenson, University of Michigan's Professor of Public Policy and Economics, on how newly-elected candidates can fulfill voters' wishes for economic relief.
Then, Democrat Anna Aho Rink told us how she managed to flip an Upper Peninsula state House seat this election by focusing on health care issues. Rink is a physician assistant who once worked at the now shuttered Planned Parenthood location in Marquette.
Plus, how the Michigan National Guard is preparing to test aerial combat drones in parts of Michigan's Camp Grayling, which stretches across Crawford, Kalkaska, and Otsego Counties. WCMU's News Director Rick Brewer told us more of the concerns residents have about the plans.
You can read Brewer's investigation here: Camp Grayling to test combat drones. Towns, hunters fear impact on area
And, what role did the Latino community play in the state's midterm elections? Eric Gonzalez Juenke, Michigan State University's Professor in the Department of Political Science, told us why the Holland area became something of a bellwether on election night — offering an early indication of how other Michiganders might vote.
Finally, a story from Harvest Public Media's Emma George-Griffin on how the the Trump Administration is trying to help some ranchers in the Upper Peninsula by taking gray wolves off the endangered species list, despite advice from some experts.
You can read George-Griffin's story here: Trump plan would allow ranchers to kill wolves, but experts warn it may do more harm than good
GUESTS ON TODAY'S SHOW:
- Betsey Stevenson, Professor of Public Police and Economics at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
- Anna Aho Rink, Democrat elected to the 109th state House district in the Upper Peninsula
- Rick Brewer, new director at WCMU Public Radio
- Eric Gonzalez Juenke, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University
- Emma George-Griffin, rural life and agriculture reporter at Harvest Public Media
