Detroit Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero hopes to ban or limit Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE agents access in the city. This follows an incident in Minneapolis in which an ICE agent fatally shot a legal observer. Renee Good was a 37-year old mother of three.

Bridge Detroit reports Santiago-Romero sent the council’s Legislative Policy Division a memo during a committee hearing yesterday to define the city’s ability to keep agents out of clinics, schools, and places of worship or city property.

Santiago-Romero said, “We need to ensure that does not happen here in Detroit.” She says there have been recent reports of people getting picked up by ICE agents during school pick ups and entering mosques.

She further inquired about the Detroit Police Departments relation to the federal agency. As of now, Mayor Mary Sheffield says she does not support the police department’s resources being allocated to immigration efforts.

A report by The Trace says ICE has been responsible for 59 shootings and 23 deaths between 2015-2021. None of the agents were charged.

Tonight there will be a vigil and rally at Clark Park in Detroit at 6 p.m.

Bikes 4 Kidz Detroit is giving out free bikes this weekend. The event takes place Saturday, Jan. 10 from 6-9 p.m. at the FB4K Warehouse. That’s located at 4015 Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI.

Sign up for the event in advance.

The City of Hamtramck is naming a street sign after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. She served three terms.

The honorary street name will be given to Carpenter Street between Jos. Campau and Conant. Carpenter also borders Detroit where the “Bangladesh: Coming to America” mural is painted on a school building, honoring the Bangladeshi community.

Hamtramck is home to a significant population of Bangladeshis in Michigan. Khaleda Zia passed away on Dec. 30 from health complications. She was 80 years old.

A 30-year-old man with autism from Dearborn Heights, Yousif Hassan went missing Wednesday, prompting a city wide and multi-jurisdiction search in the city with 200 volunteers. His body was found yesterday in the Rouge River near Hines Park.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said in a statement: "Despite the incredible outpouring of help and the rapid response from police and fire, the outcome was not what we prayed for.”

The Dearborn Heights Police Department hasn’t formally identified they body; however, they say it matches Hassan’s description. All search efforts have been called off while they await a confirmation from the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office. The investigation is ongoing.

Metro Food Rescue is piloting a new program to bring food directly to those in need with a community fridge in apartment complexes. The goal is to eliminate transportation and time obstacles for older people trying to get access to groceries.

The mini food pantries will be located in affordable housing complexes for seniors, starting with the Gratiot Woods Co-op on Detroit’s east side. The fridges will be stocked weekly with fruit, vegetables, bread and other essentials.

The pilot program is funded for two years by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has expanded its On-the-Go pop-up food distribution with a new location in Taylor. The pantry offers fresh produce, grains and protein. Halal and Kosher friendly options are available where the community needs it.

The mobile pantry is offered on a monthly basis by appointment in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties. To date, the department has served nearly 550 families and distributed more than 11 tons of groceries.

Individuals in Southeast Michigan in need of food must make an appointment by emailing MDHHS-FH-WC-Taylor@michigan.gov to help minimize wait times and ensure adequate food supplies. 

The Detroit Board of Ethics published a public admonishment of City Assessor and Deputy CFO Alvin Horhn earlier this week. Horhn violated state law when he added more than 13,000 properties to the tax roll late, and without any late fees.

Between 2014 and 2020 the Detroit Land Bank promised buyers they would file property transfer affidavits on their behalf and never did. Horhn says if he had added the properties to the tax roll based on date of transfer, thousands of residents would have received penalties for an issue that should have never occurred.

The Board of Ethics said though his intent was good, it is not an excuse to violate state law. City council members sided with Horhn on the matter. So far, Horhn has not been punished for his actions.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield’s public investiture is tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Detroit Opera House. It’s the swearing in ceremony of Detroit’s first female mayor, though the official swearing in happened on Jan. 1.

The event will also include the swearing in of city council members, board of police commissioners, and the city clerk. It will be live streamed on Detroit’s social media sites.

The Michigan lottery raised nearly $1.2 billion for the state's school aid fund in 2025. It marks the seventh consecutive year the lotto brought in more than a billion dollars for education.

Michigan retailers also cashed in on the drawings last year. They brought in around $300 million in commission from lotto ticket sales.

Flu cases are on the rise across Michigan. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control say the state has a “very high” level of doctors’ visits for respiratory illnesses. That’s the top category in the country.

Doctors recommend children and adults over 65 get a flu vaccine to prevent serious illness and limit the risk of hospitalization. Officials say only about a quarter of Michigan residents have received a flu vaccine this season.

The state says 8% of emergency room visits last week were because of flu-related illnesses.

The number of homicides in Detroit continues to fall.

The city had 165 murders last year. That’s the lowest number since 1964.

The police department says other crimes, such as non-fatal shootings and carjackings also fell last year.

DTE Energy will soon begin charging a fee for customers who pay their bills by credit or debit card. That’s according to the Detroit Free Press. Residential customers will pay $2.99 per transaction. Business customers will be charged $9.99 per transaction when they pay by debit or credit. The Detroit utility says the fee will go directly to third party vendors who process those payments. The change is set to take effect on March 2nd.

Gas prices have risen slightly in metro Detroit over the past week, but they remain below $3 per gallon. Triple A Michigan says the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded is $2.83. That’s up about five cents from a week ago. Last year at this time, Detroiters were paying an average of $3.!0 per gallon.

Detroiters can expect a bit of a weather warm-up in the next couple of days. The National Weather Service says temperatures will rise into the upper 40s tomorrow and we might even break a record with a high forecast to be in the upper 50s on Friday.

The reality of winter returns on Sunday and Monday though, with highs in the 30s.

The Detroit Lions have fired offensive coordinator John Morton after a disappointing season. The team failed to make the playoffs this year with a record of nine wins and eight losses.

Morton called plays for the offense in the first 10 games of the year, but head coach Dan Campbell was not pleased with the team’s inconsistent performance. Campbell took over offensive play-calling duties in game 11.

Morton became offensive coordinator last year after the departure of Ben Johnson, who left the Lions to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Chicago won the NFC north division this season and is headed to the playoffs. The Lions finished last in the division this season.

The Detroit City Council voted in new leaders Monday.

WDET'S Bre'Anna Tinsley was there.

James Tate was voted President 5-4. He served as President Pro Tem under now mayor Mary Sheffield. He says he wants to strengthen how the council operates.

 "For years, I have pushed for a legislative agenda, and while we have not fully realized that goal, I did help usher into our rules, a process that can move us there. That matters because it increases transparency, accountability, and it also provides the public a way to see our priorities and measure our progress."

Coleman Young II was voted Pro Tem, defeating Mary Waters.

Independent gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan says he's bringing a message of unity to the state—the kind he says helped him bridge divides as mayor of Detroit.

As an independent Duggan won't get any visibility from the party primary process. He says instead he’s visiting with small groups of voters across Michigan and finding many of them concerned about the same issues like affordable housing and job training opportunities.

Duggan says Republicans and Democrats are more interested in beating each other than working together to solve problems. "I have never seen a state more evenly divided than Michigan today. And people more fed up. I don't think the climate's ever been more fertile...to have a third option."

Duggan claims rural voters in particular find they have more in common than they thought with the urban electorate that placed him at the top of Detroit's city government. (Quinn Klinefelter)

The Brightmoor Artisan Collective is getting ready to launch a program for folks who want to start a food business.

Applications for the Retail Food Business Cohort are set to go live in a few weeks. Participants will be able to access free food safety certification, business plan development, networking events and a one year membership in the collective.

For more information visit brightmoorartisans.org.

The Detroit Parks and Rec Department is launching a slew of sports programs for kids this and next month. Offerings include tennis, baseball, volleyball, basketball, flag football, soccer and “sports movement.”

Programs will be offered at recreation and community centers throughout the city.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield took office on New Year's Day. But she's celebrating her achievement with a public swearing-in ceremony this week.

Detroit City Council members, police commissioners and the City Clerk will also take part. The ceremony at the Detroit Opera House features poetry and music performances as well.

Sheffield is the first woman ever elected mayor of Detroit. She says her team is developing an action plan for her first 100 days with input from the community. But she's also retaining several key officials from the past mayoral administration including the corporation counsel—the city's top lawyer—and Detroit's fire commissioner.

Sheffield also announced today that the city will join a program that gives financial support to pregnant women and infants. The city has already raised 9 million dollars to participate in RX Kids. It's looking for $2 million to fund the program for 3 years.

Sheffield says she hopes to secure the funding to launch the program within her first 100 days.

DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, and other regulated utilities in Michigan must do more to inform customers about potential rate hikes. This is because of a new order by state utility regulators.

The Michigan Public Service Commission wants to increase customer participation in utility issues, including cases that set new rates. After March, regulated electric utilities must inform customers when they asked for higher rates, and how much their bills would go up if that amount is approved.

There’s concern that this could confuse people, since rarely do utilities get their full requested amount. But supporters of the change say advance notice will let more people find out about and comment on potential rate hikes before the cases are resolved.

Michigan gas prices have dropped 11 cents since last week. According to the auto group, AAA, you can get regular unleaded for $2.70 cents. This new price is 18 cents less than a month ago and 44 cents less than this time last year, making this new price the lowest since February of 2021 according to the group.

The US strikes in Venezuela this weekend don’t seem to have impacted oil prices just yet, according to AAA. The organization also says Venezuela crude oil exports have been limited due to the sanctions in the last couple of years.

NFL

The Lions beat the Chicago Bears 19-16 yesterday with a walk off field goal kick from Jake Bates, ending the season with a winning record. Now all eyes are on the off season, the NFL draft and seeing how they will bounce back for the 2026 season.

NBA

The Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday 114-110 and remain on top of the Eastern Conference. Their next game is today at Little Caesars against the New York Knicks and again at Little Caesars on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.

Tip off for both is at 7:00 p.m.

NHL

The Red Wings play against the Ottawa Senators tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Red Wings are currently third in the Atlantic Division.

And R&B singer Carl Thomas known for his smash 2000 hit “I Wish” will be performing at Sound Board on Sunday Jan. 11, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

The artist from Illinois hit the Billboard Top Hot 100 and peaked at 20. And this year marks the 26th anniversary of his debut studio album "Emotional."

To hear Thomas live, go to soundboarddetroit.com for tickets and more information.

Over the holidays, we’re sharing some of the stories Detroit Evening Report hosts produced for the radio this year. Today we hear a story from Nargis Rahman.

Journalist Martina Guzman has created an AI-powered tool to monitor disinformation aimed at Spanish speakers via radio.

More: VERDAD disinformation monitoring AI tool receives grant to expand services

The project is a part of Guzman’s work for the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University’s Law School. They recently received a $350,000 grant to expand VERDAD which stands for Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse.

Guzmán told Nargis Rahman the tool will now expand to all 50 states, into multiple languages and also globally.

The ladies come to hockey town tomorrow as the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) returns to Little Caesars Arena for their Takeover Tour. The Vancouver Goldeneyes play the Boston Fleet Saturday at 7 p.m.

Detroit audiences have broken PWHL attendance records at previous games.

The league will play in Detroit again March 28 when the New York Sirens and Montreal Victoire play.

The league expanded last year from 6 teams to 8 – adding Vancouver and Seattle. No Detroit team has been announced yet.

The Euphoria Flow Sisters will host a Fullmoon Party Saturday evening at the Congregation. The event offers a chance to de-stress, release negative energy and shove in some self-care after the holidays.

It is free and will include an “ecstatic dance.”

Start the new year with appreciation for our international border and a psychic reading. GQ Tarot and Celestial Spirit Tarot are hosting Beyond Resolutions! New Year Psychic Readings at Celeste’s Café in Windsor starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The event is scheduled to fall on the Full Wolf Supermoon – a time for emotional release and profound clarity.

Celeste’s Café is at 1295 Ottawa Street in Windsor. Pre-booking is strongly encouraged. Call 519-256-9859.

Over the holidays…the Detroit Evening Report team is sharing some of the stories we produced for the radio this year. Today, we hear a story from WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley.

A survey by the Entertainment Software Association found that 86% of veterans turn to gaming to reduce stress and anxiety. Bre’Anna Tinsley spoke to Stephen Machuga, who founded a nonprofit that supports mental health for veterans through gaming. Before creating Stack Up, Machuga spent eight years in the army.

That’s just part of Bre’Anna Tinsley’s interview with Stephen Machuga who founded the veteran support nonprofit Stack Up. You can hear the full story at wdet.org.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is encouraging Michiganders to spend the first day of 2026 outdoors. The “First Day Hike” is an option for state and national parks. The Friends of Maybury State Park host a New Year’s Day hike every year. Recreation passes are required for vehicles entering state parks. You can find Michigan trails close by or across the state at michigan.gov/dnrtrails.

Decked Out Detroit’s “Create” program is offering a holiday crafting workshop tomorrow (Thurs). The Shadow Boxing New Year's Wishes Workshop is a chance to make a shadow box and fill it with wishes for 2026. The workshop is from 1 to 3 p.m. at 1413 Woodward Avenue. Search for “create by decked out Detroit” on Eventbrite to register.

Shopping at the Downtown Detroit Markets and warm drinks at the Cadillac Lodge at Cadillac Square are also available New Year’s Day and through January. For more information, visit downtowndetroit.org.

The Pistons host the Miami Heat at Little Caesars Arena New Year’s Day. The game starts at 7 p.m.

And of course, there will be plenty of New Year’s Eve celebrations tonight. Make sure to select a designated driver if you plan to drink.

If you’re staying home tonight, Motown legend Diana Ross will headline Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve. The live New York based show featuring several artists starts at 8 p.m. on ABC television.

The Detroit Evening Report will take a break for the holiday, but we’ll be back on Friday – ready to bring you all things Detroit in 2026.

From all of us here at WDET, Happy New Year!

Over the holidays, we’re sharing some of the stories Detroit Evening Report hosts produced for the radio this year. Today…we hear a story from Jerome Vaughn.

October 2025 marked the 20th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ death. She was 92 when she died in her Detroit home in 2005. WDET’s Jerome Vaughn covered the story at the time and WDET aired that story this fall to commemorate Parks’ life and passing.

This is just part of Jerome Vaughn’s story commemorating the life and passing of Rosa Parks. You can hear the full story at wdet.org.

Adults have a lot of options for ringing in the New Year. But we have some events to help little ones get in on the fun.

The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Legoland in Auburn Hills and United Skates in Lincoln Park are just some places with Noon Year’s Eve festivities for the whole family offered mid-day on Wednesday.

Find a link to Little Guide Detroit’s roundup of kid-friendly parties at littleguidedetroit.com. (https://littleguidedetroit.com/kid-friendly-new-years-eve-events-in-metro-detroit-2025/)

The Detroit Film Theatre will screen three documentary shorts about Anishinaabe Food Sovereignty on Saturday, Jan. 3. The films will explore modern and historic gardening practices, an effort to restore the whitefish population and one woman’s journey to reconnect with her own heritage through the experience of harvesting wild rice.

The screening is at 2 p.m. on Jan. 3 and is scheduled as the DIA’s exhibit, Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation, is on display until April 5th. The film and exhibit are free to residents of Wayne… Oakland and Macomb Counties – or free with museum admission. For more information, visit dia.org/events.