Current State

Editor’s Note: This story originally aired on the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014. On June 6, 1944, more than 160, 000 Allied forces traversed the English Channel to land on the beaches of Normandy in France. Operation Overlord, commonly known as "D-Day," was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The offensive marked the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe. WKAR is proud to honor the sacrifice of all veterans, living and dead, who gave of themselves to restore freedom and hope to a war-torn world.

The Michigan State men’s basketball team is headed to the Final Four at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota next weekend, thanks to a one-point victory over Duke on Sunday in Washington, D.C. in the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight. WKAR's Scott Pohl talks with Current Sports host Al Martin about advancing to the Final Four.

When the Wharton announced that Hamilton was coming to East Lansing about a year and a half ago, the anticipation started to build. The biggest hit musical in a generation will be in town for three weeks, starting May 14 th , and on Saturday, individual ticket sales begin. They’re sure to go fast, so WKAR’s Scott Pohl brought Bob Hoffman in from the Wharton Center to get the lowdown on how you can get tickets to see Hamilton.

The south side of Lansing experienced a power failure for a while on Monday, and the outage left about 40 schoolkids facing a day without lunch. The owner of the restaurant where those meals were coming from wasn’t about to let that happen. WKAR's Scott Pohl has the story.

A Lansing-area musical duo has been named the grand prize winner for folk music in the John Lennon International Songwriting Contest. Westrin and Mowry now move on, along with winners in 23 other catagories, in vying for the competition’s Song of the Year honors.

The 2019 season of WKAR-TV’s Backstage Pass program begins taping on Friday night with the five-piece Illinois band The Way Down Wanderers. On March 19 th , you can see the Nashville-based band with Michigan roots, The Outer Vibe. WKAR’s Scott Pohl talked with the members of The Outer Vibe via Facetime to find out what they’ve been up to, and what they’re planning for Backstage Pass .

It’s been 65 years since WKAR-TV went on the air as Michigan’s first non-commercial, or as it was known at the time, educational, television station. The January-February issue of Michigan History magazine includes a story about WKAR-TV’s earliest days.

In 1979, the MSU basketball team led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson won the national championship. On Saturday, that team will be reunited to celebrate the 40 years that have passed since winning that title. While you probably remember that team, you might not remember another MSU national championship squad from that year. The Spartan cheerleaders also were the best in the country. They, too, will get back together on Saturday.

A chat with the new Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice; A look back at lame duck sessions; Why pregnancies are problematic for many black women; Michigan leading the way in new DNA software; East Lansing mayor Mark Meadows and new music from MSU graduate & 'The Voice' finalist Joshua Davis.

We're getting better at detecting trace amounts of DNA. How to analyze that DNA? That's where things get more complicated. Michigan is among the leaders in using new DNA analysis software in the courts. Taylor Dunivin reports that this software is increasingly being used by police and prosecutors around the state.

In the wake of this week’s resignation of interim MSU President John Engler, there’s an editorial in today’s Detroit Free Press called “In Engler, panicked MSU Trustees got what they paid for.” WKAR’s Scott Pohl talks with Brian Dickerson, Editorial Page Editor of the Free Press, about the editorial. He says the MSU-Engler saga is “more complicated than it’s been made out to be.”

Alongside the cars and trucks on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this year, you’ll find offroad vehicles from a company based in India called Mahindra. They’re built in Michigan, and you can see them at the show when it opens on Saturday. WKAR’s Scott Pohl talks with Dan Proffer, Marketing Manager with Roxor Offroad.

Yesterday, board chairperson Dianne Byrum informed MSU Interim President Engler that the board would vote to fire him at a special meeting this morning if he did not resign. He did so last night in an 11-page letter, in which he said his last day would be next Wednesday, January 23 rd .

When you go to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, you expect to see cars and trucks. This year’s show will also include a hybrid electric helicopter.

On Monday, auto industry journalists from around the world got their first look at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Paul Eisenstein of TheDetroitBureau.com has attended auto shows in Detroit for 40 years. WKAR’s Scott Pohl talks with Eisenstein about what’s in store.

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit kicked off today with the announcement of Car, Truck and Utility Vehicles of the Year.

This week on Current State: MSU Trustees changes; Simon effect on MSU; Flint Registry Goes Online; Comparing the lame duck to years past; Romanian Symphony at Wharton; Previewing PBS Kids Day; Brad Salem Gets New Role at MSU and Michiganders react to R. Kelly Docuseries.

A new era for Lansing & Washington; learn how the federal government shutdown is affecting Michiganders; new revelations in the Larry Nassar investigation; police step up efforts to catch drug-impaired drivers; should MSU coach Dave Warner get all the blame for the Spartans' bowl loss? And the 90.5 Classical New Release of the month.

One of the newcomers heading to Lansing in January is Senator-elect Mallory McMorrow. A Democrat, McMorrow won her first-ever bid for office, unseating Republican Marty Knollenberg in Oakland County’s 13 th district.

Some late breaking MSU & Statehouse news. Plus a look back at some of our more memorable stories from 2018.