Episodios

  • Off Hand: One Michigander's love of "pop" culture
    Oct 10 2025

    For a lot of us, Michigan’s iconic pop brands are tied into special memories from childhood. Maybe your mom would always give you Vernor’s when you had a tummyache. Or you can still remember the Faygo ads that played during your Saturday morning cartoons. Or you have fond memories of the Towne Club pop shop. We talked to one Michigander about the role that pop played in her childhood--and why she still loves those nostalgic flavors today.

    GUEST:

    Bobbie Bain, lifelong metro Detroiter

    Find last week's On Hand episode here.

    Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

    • Online Submission Form

    • Call us: 734-764-7840

    • Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

    If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    5 m
  • Is saying pop passé?
    Oct 3 2025

    Pop has long been the accepted Midwesternism for a sweet carbonated beverage. But could that be changing? On this episode of On Hand, we dig into the history of the pop vs. soda debate—and take a look at Michigan's linguistic preferences today.

    GUESTS:

    • Steve Stamenkovich, national accounts manager for Intrastate Distributors, Inc.
    • Steven Clark, quality assurance manager at the Intrastate Distributors bottling plant
    • Anne Curzan, University of Michigan professor of English and co-host of the That’s What They Say podcast

    Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

    • Online Submission Form

    • Call us: 734-764-7840

    • Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

    If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    18 m
  • Off Hand: A dangerous dune story
    Sep 26 2025

    Matt Parker brings us a summer camp story about a childhood friend's tumble down the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The incident resulted in bloodstained shirts and an ambulance ride.

    • Find last week's episode of On Hand here.
    • Find Ride of Passage, a podcast about Matt Parker's journey across the country on horseback, here.

    Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

    • Online Submission Form

    • Call us: 734-764-7840

    • Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

    If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    9 m
  • Does a Sleeping Bear rescue really cost $3000?
    Sep 19 2025

    We learned what goes into a rescue at the Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, what situations require a rescue, and how to not need one yourself. Plus, a secret hack if you want to experience the "dune drop" in a less intense way.

    • See pictures of the old and new signage here
    • Check out our handy travel map here
    • Learn more about the Pierce-Stocking Scenic Drive (and #9 Overlook) here
    • Learn more about the Dune Climb here

    GUEST: Mike Kohl, preventative search and rescue ranger

    Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

    • Online Submission Form

    • Call us: 734-764-7840

    • Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

    If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    21 m
  • Off Hand: In defense of "Michiganian"
    Sep 12 2025

    Chad Livengood is a Michiganian. Like... he's never going to be a "Michigander". It doesn't ring true to his ear, and his employer, The Detroit News, doesn't recognize "Michigander" in it's style guide - it prefers "Michiganian". And it's this commitment to style that landed Livengood at odds with Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

    Here's Chad's Off Hand story.

    GUEST:

    Chad Livengood, politics editor, The Detroit News

    Now we want to hear from you!

    Do you have a highly specific Michigan story to tell? Tell us about it!

    What questions do you have about Michigan? We'll investigate! Submit them here.

    Or drop us a voicemail, if picking up a phone doesn't freak you out: 734-647-7840

    Like this kind of local content? Support Michigan Public.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    6 m
  • Why do we call ourselves Michiganders?
    Sep 5 2025

    Poll after poll shows folks in Michigan prefer to call themselves "Michiganders" rather than "Michiganian". Why, though? Why did we start calling ourselves something so strange? Are we just a bunch of Michi-geese? It all started with a slave-holding senator, his run for president, and a run-in with Abraham Lincoln.

    We've got the goods answering all your burning Michigan questions, beginning with our statewide identity.

    GUEST: Jamon Jordan, official historian, City of Detroit

    Now we want to hear from you!

    Do you hate being called a Michigander and prefer Michiganian? Tell us about it!

    What questions do you have about Michigan? We'll investigate! Submit them here.

    Or drop us a voicemail, if picking up a phone doesn't freak you out: 734-647-7840

    Like this kind of local content? Support Michigan Public.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    21 m
  • Crash Survivors Push Lawmakers for Insurance Fix
    Mar 3 2022

    More than 1,500 people in Michigan who sustained life-changing injuries in car crashes are losing home care services. That's after the state Legislature passed no-fault auto insurance reforms that allowed insurance companies to cut reimbursements to the agencies providing home care services. On today's episode, we're going to hear about how the effort to lower auto insurance costs in Michigan has had devastating consequences for crash survivors. 

    GUEST: 

    Tracy Samilton, energy and transportation reporter for Michigan Radio

    Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.

    If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

    Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

    Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    14 m
  • What to Know About Ohio's Special Election
    Aug 7 2023

    In Ohio, voters will be asked this week to decide a ballot measure that would substantially raise the bar for future ballot measures. Instead of just getting a majority of voters to approve, future campaigns might need 60%. It has the potential to throw a roadblock in front of one of our region’s hottest topics: access to abortion care. 

    GUEST:

    Karen Kasler, statehouse bureau chief, Ohio Public Radio and TV/ideastream

    ___

    Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.

    If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

    Music from Blue Dot Sessions.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    13 m