Radio Made in Michigan

Before the assassination of State Senator Warren Hooper in 1945, corruption in Michigan politics was the norm, not the exception. While it remains unsolved,  the Hooper hit, which was widely believed to be the work of Detroit’s infamous Purple Gang, ushered in a crackdown on corruption and altered the political climate in Lansing for good.

Bill Whitbeck, a Michigan Court of Appeals judge and the author of the 2010 novel “To Account for Murder,” which is based on Hooper’s death, recounts the story.

Concerts, Grammys, performing all over the world, opera star Renee Fleming has done just about everything, except for a concert in East Lansing.

Tonight, the soprano can check that off her list as well.

WKAR’s Scott Pohl speaks with Fleming about her latest album, singing for Queen Elizabeth II, and the program she has planned for tonight's performance at MSU’s Wharton Center.

Lansing’s Box 23 has supported the city's fire department for 75 years.  The all-volunteer group provides refreshments and support to firefighters as they battle the worst fires.  The name comes from the firebox used to call in the massive fire at Lansing’s Kerns Hotel in December 1934.

Longtime Box 23 member Dave Rule and Lansing firefighter Steve Babcock share Box 23’s long history and explain what it’s all about.

Democrats in Lansing want to restore the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income residents.

Republicans and Democrats are supporting a bill that says state and local law enforcement in Michigan should not cooperate if federal authorities try to detain someone without a warrant.

Today on Current State: Climate change in Michigan, a tour of the MSU Surplus and Recycling Center; Michigan and the Civil War; Civil Rights era jazz; Spartan basketball in 1979 and now; and the creative process of magazine information graphics.

Today on Current State: A breakdown of both state party conventions; sports with the Detroit Free Press' Joe Rexrode; a look at shifting enrollment trends at Michigan universities; East Lansing schools seek tech upgrades; and MLive's Angela Wittrock sorts out the Lansing metro's "real" GDP.

The state Republican and Democratic parties held conventions this weekend, and news was made at both.

After 18 years, Mark Brewer is out as leader of the Michigan Democratic Party, removing his name from consideration before the party’s chairmanship could go up for a vote. Lon Johnson takes over.

Meanwhile, Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak faced a challenge from Tea Party nominee Todd Courser.        

Detroit Free Press sportswriter Joe Rexrode joins us every Monday and Friday to discuss what's happening in the sports world -- from Michigan State to local prep athletics to the pro leagues. Today, he discusses the MSU men's basketball team's loss to Ohio State and what the ramifications are for post-season play.

A new story from Bridge Magazine poses a provocative question for the parents of Michigan’s high schoolers: “Is a student from China taking my kid’s college slot?”  The story explores recent trends in freshmen enrollment at the state’s public universities. Many have seen dramatic increases in the number of international and out-of-state students. Senior editor  Ron French compiled the story and discusses its findings.