The Week in News: New House Speaker, Ballot Proposal Rejections, and a Lions Shake Up

This week David Shepardson, Washington DC Bureau Chief for the Detroit News, joins Stephen on Detroit Today at the NPR Studios to take a look back at the biggest stories of the past few days (and has some news of his own!) They discuss Representative Paul Ryan’s new role as Speaker of the House; a new highway funding bill; and, a shakeup with the Lions. 

• Blight: The funding to fight blight that Detroit has received in recent years has been helpful, but comes a bit late, in Shepardson’s opinion. “Detroit never has gotten the level of attention that say New Orleans got after Katrina,” Shepardson says.
• Ben Carson: Stephen was perplexed that Ben Carson would tell supporters about a violent incident from his childhood. “Here’s a guy with a wonderful story, who became the preeminent neurosurgeon in the country. Why add to that [story] with a stabbing?” Henderson asks.
• Roads Bill: While a bill to fix Michigan’s roads passed this week, Michiganders likely won’t feel its effects until years from now. “The new revenue [for roads] kicks in…late 2017, and the cuts that go along with it don’t start until the beginning of the next decade,” Henderson says.

To hear more of Stephen’s conversation with Shepardson, click the link above.