Jack Filbrandt

Detroit, Michigan

Reporter from (269) in (313) // Making radio on The Metro @WDET// Documenter @DetDocumenters// Assistant to my cat// Past: @TheSouthEndWSU and The Battering Ram

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Articles

Some residents express concerns over security changes at Detroit transit centers

4 days ago | wdet.org | Jack Filbrandt

The city of Detroit launched new safety measures at the Rosa Parks and Jason Hargrove transit centers last month, including the installation of metal detectors and an increased police presence. Many residents have since expressed concerns about the security enhancements, saying they’re no longer allowed to wait inside the transit centers. Detroit City Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee held a meeting this week to discuss the issue.
Closing the accessibility gap for metro Detroit voters

4 days ago | wdet.org | Lauren Myers |Sam Corey |Jack Filbrandt

Some Michiganders will begin casting ballots in the state’s Aug. 4 primary election as early as next week, with absentee voting beginning Thursday, June 26. Federal and state laws require equal access to voting for people with disabilities. But for many, voting in person remains a challenge. According to a May report from Detroit Disability Power, only 13% of nearly 300 metro Detroit polling locations that the organization surveyed in 2024 were found to be accessible to people with disabilities.
The Metro: Detroit vs Speculators: The lawsuit that never was - WDET 101.9 FM

2 weeks ago | wdet.org | Lauren Myers |Sam Corey |Jack Filbrandt

For a long time, one of Detroit’s biggest challenges was blight. Generational disinvestment and residential flight left about 80,000 homes blighted by 2014. Since then, the city has removed or rehabbed thousands of properties. But blight and disinvestment have given way to a different problem: housing speculation. To make quick profits, speculators, often from outside Detroit, buy homes cheaply, rent them out, and invest little to nothing in upkeep.
Documenters on how federal cuts to disaster preparedness programs would put Detroiters at risk

1 month ago | wdet.org | Tia Graham |Jack Filbrandt

The Detroit Documenters covered the Detroit Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for the first time last week. The committee meets quarterly to discuss issues related to hazardous materials reporting and planning for emergencies.
Archdiocese of Detroit discusses Pope Leo XIV’s election

1 month ago | wdet.org | Sam Corey |Jack Filbrandt

If you haven’t heard yet, the Catholic church has a new leader. Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, was elected on Thursday to lead 1.4 billion Roman Catholics around the world. Interestingly, he’s from Chicago, which marks the first time the world has a pope from the United States. In the 1970s, he attended a now-closed catholic high school in Southwest Michigan.
A closer look at Detroit’s Board of Police Commissioners - WDET 101.9 FM

1 month ago | wdet.org | Lauren Myers |Jack Filbrandt

The Detroit Documenters attend a range of public meetings and document what leaders and community members are saying. Their work helps us understand how government agencies, boards and commissions work — including Detroit’s Board of Police Commissioners. It oversees the Detroit Police Department for the community. It’s also in charge of approving promotions. Earlier this month, two commissioners voted against the promotion of an officer. It’s something that rarely happens.
Detroit's Solar Neighborhood Initiative facing pushback from property owners

1 month ago | wdet.org | Jack Filbrandt

At a recent Detroit City Council meeting, a number of people spoke during public comment period about Detroit’s Solar Neighborhood Initiative. People are making allegations that blight tickets are being used by the city to take property in the name of solar developments. While residents say they’re not opposed to renewable energy, some are questioning the city’s process for constructing solar neighborhood arrays.
Nonprofit Detroit Hives turning vacant lots into oasis for pollinators, residents

1 month ago | wdet.org | Jack Filbrandt

Bees’ pollinating presence helps to ensure the vitality of our food systems. The work of bees isn’t just happening in fields of wildflowers or quiet suburban gardens. Bees in urban neighborhoods also have an important role to play. The nonprofit Detroit Hives has turned vacant lots into thriving pollinator habitats and community green spaces. That work includes planting pollinator-friendly trees in neighborhoods that need canopy, beauty and biodiversity.
The Metro: Detroit Reparations Task Force seeking input from residents for next report

1 month ago | wdet.org | Jack Filbrandt

The Detroit Reparations Task Force is looking for input from residents as they’re preparing its June report for city council. Formed in 2023 to explore how Detroit can address “historical discrimination” and harm it has caused Black residents, the group is tasked with putting forth recommendations for potential housing and economic development programs that help address past injustices.
Nonprofit aims to conserve bird habitats in metro Detroit

2 months ago | wdet.org | Jack Filbrandt |Tia Graham |Robyn Vincent

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts. Global warming and climate change poses a significant threat to two-thirds of North American bird species, according to the National Audubon Society. These impacts are causing many birds to leave their homes and relocate to places more favorable for their species, including in southeast Michigan.