Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for nearly half the state this week after widespread flooding devastated communities, caused evacuations, washed out hundreds of roads and put massive pressure on dams across the region.

We break down this week in severe weather with WCMU News Director Rick Brewer.

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Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

Right before a historic blizzard hit northern Michigan in mid-March, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a snowmobiler that was stranded on an ice bridge in the Straits of Mackinac.

Since then, as WCMU's Emma George-Griffin reports, the man has been deported. With little information available to the public, George-Griffin looked deeper into the incident and breaks down what she found with Host Tina Sawyer.

Also on the show, U.S. Rep. Kristin McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, calls on Congress to end its spring recess early to address issues related to the war in Iran.

Like what you hear? Support local journalism by making a gift to WCMU.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

The city of Saginaw is known for many things. It’s the birthplace of Stevie Wonder, home to basketball star Draymond Green and it’s one of the original homes of Michigan’s auto industry.

It’s also unique for something you’ve likely never heard of, it’s the only city in Michigan that limits the amount of property taxes it can collect. WCMU's AJ Jones brings us a story about the movement trying to change that.

Also on the show, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has promised to challenge an executive order signed by President Trump and the U.S. Supreme Court has left standing a decision in a case over Enbridge Energy's oil and gas pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.

Like what you hear? Support local journalism by making a gift to WCMU.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode is edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

As the spring temperatures emerge here in Michigan so do ticks.

And Michigan health officials are reporting that cases of Lyme disease are already showing up.

WCMU's Tina Sawyer recently spoke with Jody Sroka from a local public health department covering parts of northwest Michigan, otherwise known as DHD10, to talk about the uptick in cases and what you can do to stay safe.

And for this week's brain teaser, a Michigan trivia question that will freeze your brain!

Like what you hear? Support local journalism by making a gift to WCMU.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

A major winter storm crushed northern Michigan this week. Areas of the Upper Peninsula reported up to 4 feet of snow, 60 mph winds and impassable roadways.

Further south in communities like Cadillac, Alpena and Roscommon, heavy ice brought down thousands of trees and caused widespread power outages in sub-freezing temperatures. At its peak, over 100,000 utility customers were in the dark for days.

Host Tina Sawyer speaks with WCMU's Emma George-Griffin who was on the ground to survey some of the damage in Roscommon County, one of the most impacted parts of the region.

And this week's brain teaser question isn't "watered" down, but it may make your brain go topsy turvy.

Like what you hear? Support local journalism by making a gift to WCMU.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

In her recent State of the State address, Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposed a $625 million investment in literacy as part of her new budget proposal, the largest in state history.

The goal is to put money towards programs that connect parents with extra help when kids don't meet their reading milestones. One such non-profit offering that help is Reach Out and Read Michigan.

WCMU's Tina Sawyer recently spoke with Dr. Tiffany Munzer, a developmental pediatrician at the University of Michigan and Reach Out and Read's medical director to learn more about how they're trying to help families.

Also on the show, the FBI says Thursday's attack on a metro Detroit synagogue was a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community." Officials say it could have been much worse.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced this week that she was able to secure federal aid for northern Michigan to help recover from last year's ice storm and the Michigan Supreme Court weighed in on arguments over the future of the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.

This week's brain teaser features a Kellogg, but it has nothing to do with cereal.

Like what you hear? Support local journalism by making a gift to WCMU.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

Residents from across northern Michigan recently gathered at Treetops resort in Gaylord to share their personal experiences from the 2025 ice storm. The event was hosted by six different environmental organizations and focused on how climate change is affecting Michigan communities. WCMU’s Emma George-Griffin was there and brings us some of their stories.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted this week on a resolution to limit President Trump's military campaign in Iran. U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, spoke with WCMU shortly after her yes vote to explain her position on the conflict in the Middle East.

Also on the show, signatures are now in to propose a Michigan constitutional amendment requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and scientists are finding tiny pieces of plastic in more and more places around the Great Lakes. New research suggests algae could be part of the solution.

And this week's brain teaser features a special delivery you'd never expect.

Like what you hear? Support local journalism by making a gift to WCMU.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her eighth and final State of the State address Wednesday evening. She worked to sell a divided Legislature on a 2026 agenda that will help set her legacy and the stage for elections that will determine Michigan’s next political chapter.

Also on the show, the U.S. Supreme Court heard two cases from central and northern Michigan this week. One on the tax foreclosure of an Isabella County home and the other on the controversial Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.

And this week's brain teaser is a riddle to help keep you sharp going into the weekend.

Like what you hear? Support local journalism by making a gift to WCMU.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

Automated license plate readers have been popping up on roadsides across Michigan. They can record vital details about a vehicle to help police investigations.

Proponents of the technology say the cameras have helped bring crime rates down. But some Michiganders are concerned about what this means for their civil liberties.

Also on the show, Bay City commissioners opted to delay a vote on whether local law enforcement officers should collaborate with ICE. And two Michigan congresswomen visited the state’s largest immigrant detention center in northern Michigan this week, calling for stronger oversight of the Department of Homeland Security.

And this week's brain teaser talks about cars, cats and lights. No animals were harmed in the making of this segment.

Like what you hear? Support local journalism by making a gift to WCMU.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

House electronic music began in the Chicago underground club scene in the late 1970's. DJs would spin the four-on-the-floor beat, altering disco songs to give them a more mechanical sound for club goers to dance to. And one of those early DJs in Chicago was Val Harmon of Onekema, just north of Manistee.

Host Tina Sawyer recently talked with DJ Val about her five decades in the music business and how it kept her going in the face of numerous health challenges.

Also on the show, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she’s still open to working with President Donald Trump after he threatened to take over the midterm elections, cell phones are banned in public school classrooms and two northern Michigan women are set to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympic games in Milan, Italy.

Like what you hear? Support local journalism by making a gift to WCMU.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This podcast is produced in part by the members of NABET Local 412. This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

The state House clawed back $645 million in spending in an unprecedented move in December. One of the line items in that budget was $1.6 million for Bay City. WCMU's AJ Jones breaks down what it means for Bay City's infrastructure and controversial toll bridges.

Also on the show, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is calling on lawmakers of all stripes to speak out against President Trump's comments on the federal government taking over elections. State Attorney General Dana Nessel is telling Michiganders to know their rights when dealing with ICE. And voters in Midland, Bay and Saginaw counties selected their nominees in a pair of primary elections this week to fill an open state Senate seat. The outcome of the May special election could have major consequences in Lansing.

And this week's brain teaser talks about wind, but it has nothing to do with the weather.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

This episode of edited and mixed by Rick Brewer. Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

On this bonus episode, WCMU News Director Rick Brewer joined the It's Just Politics podcast to walk listeners through the results of Tuesday’s primary election in mid-Michigan’s 35th Senate District, where voters are closer to filling the seat left vacant when Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet headed to Washington.

The outcome of the May general election will determine whether Democrats hold control of the upper chamber or Republicans gain a 19-19 tie. The race offers an early glimpse of the issues - and campaign tactics - likely to define Michigan politics in 2026.

Want an email version of this podcast? Subscribe to the Between the Lakes newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning at 6 a.m.

Read stories from WCMU on our website, and while you're there, find out how to listen to your local WCMU radio station.

Our theme music comes from Gabe Schall. Mike Horace is our executive producer.

Coming soon from WCMU Public Media: Between the Lakes.

This new weekly podcast brings you the most important stories shaping life in central and northern Michigan—clear, contextual, and grounded in local reporting. In under 15 minutes, host Tina Sawyer takes you beyond the headlines, connecting regional news to the bigger forces at work, from public policy and the environment to the courts and the economy.

This short trailer offers a preview of what’s ahead—and why local journalism matters now more than ever. The first full episode of Between the Lakes drops February 7. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.