In this episode, Donna and Sam recap some of the top headlines from the weekend’s Michigan Democratic Party Convention!

Many celebrated over the weekend as Michigan progressives scored key victories. Michigan Democrats say they are closer together ahead of the midterm elections, despite the existing divisions within the party over foreign wars and corporate power.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Washtenaw County prosecutor Eli Savit secured nominations for Secretary of State and Attorney General at the endorsement convention.

However, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and Jordan Acker were booed by party delegates on Sunday. The outbursts illustrated the major divide between Democrats as leaders attempt to unite ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Acker was ultimately ousted by civil rights attorney Amir Makled as nominee for the University of Michigan Board of Regents while Stevens will face Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate Primary in August.

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The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network Presents... Amplify Outside!

Welcome to the Amplify Outside podcast, a show with a mission of amplifying nuanced approaches to Intersectional Environmentalism centered in no other than Detroit, Michigan.

For our first episode we meet host Ian John Solomon and speak with the City of Detroit’s Director of Sustainability Tepfirah Rushdan about what makes Detroit green.

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In this episode, Donna and Sam welcome the Deputy Director for Prosperity for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) to discuss her work guiding and building support for efforts to boost the economic security of Michigan citizens.

As Deputy Director for Prosperity for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, (LEO), Kim Trent is charged with guiding and building support for efforts to boost the economic security of Michigan citizens through policy, strategic initiatives, programs and partnerships. Her leadership duties at LEO include serving as the key staffer to the Michigan Poverty Task Force. She leads the department’s prosperity division, which includes the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office, Office of Global Michigan, Michigan Women’s Commission, Michigan Community Service Commission, MI-STEM Council, and Black Leadership Advisory Council. She also serves as LEO’s Equity and Inclusion Officer.

A native Detroiter with Michigan roots that stretch back to the 1830s, Trent holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wayne State University. She also completed graduate studies at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa. She has completed fellowships with the American Political Science Association in Washington D.C. and the Michigan Political Leadership Program at Michigan State University and is a graduate of the Detroit Regional Chamber's Leadership Detroit program.

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DETROIT BY THE NUMBERS WITH ALEX B. HILL:

• 2,000

• • Tree plantings planned by City of Detroit this spring (GSD)

• 25

• • ICE arrests in the last week of March that local groups have responded to, if that is a weekly standard that is close to 100 Detroiters a month (Peoples Assembly Detroit)

• $3 billion

• • Balanced budget proposal presented by Mayor Sheffield

• 65%

• • Detroit landlords have a Detroit address (not sure if that is just the LLC though?) 93% own 1 or 2 properties, 62% are not associated with bad actor or speculator behavior

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