Cover Stories
The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on Detroit’s hospitality and entertainment — and a federal bailout isn’t helping
A year ago, when the city of Detroit started a massive construction project on Livernois Avenue, former Detroit Lions cornerback Ron Bartell decided he would take the opportunity to invest in his popular Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles restaurant. The $17 million project reduced traffic and parking spots along the historic Avenue of Fashion, so Bartell…
Michigan expands coronavirus testing criteria amid loosened social-distancing measures
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expanded the criteria for coronavirus testing Tuesday as more people come into contact with each other under loosened social-distancing measures. Whitmer’s latest executive order makes testing available to people who have mild symptoms, have been exposed to a person with COVID-19, have been working outside their home for at least 10 days,…
Flint-area Bloom City Club is now open for adult-use marijuana sales
Bloom City Club in Burton, outside of Flint, is now open for adult-use marijuana sales. The store opened for medical sales on May 11, and started offering recreational weed sales on May 23. “Within hours of our location being open for business, we received many inquiries about the addition of adult-use products to our menu,”…
Michigan artificially inflated its coronavirus testing numbers
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer repeatedly boasted in May that the state is dramatically increasing the number of daily coronavirus tests, a key metric to reopening the economy. “Widespread testing will give us the confidence that we know where COVID-19 is and that we’re able to prevent more community spread,” Whitmer said at a May 15 news…
No, Eminem didn’t give out his phone number — but he is hosting a listening session and live chat for true stans
Eminem won’t text us back. What gives? This weekend, Eminem joined the hordes of celebrities, musicians, and influencers who have recently — and oh so casually — posted what appears to be their phone number online, urging fans to send them a text, suggesting they’ll respond to them. Well, the reason the rapper hasn’t responded…
This Whitmer boating controversy is dumb
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is catching heat after her husband allegedly asked the owner of a Northern Michigan dock company to get his boat in the water before the Memorial Day weekend — just days after Whitmer discouraged Michiganders not to travel there so as not to spread the coronavirus. The story made the rounds in…
Why Did We Create Blue Ribbon Hemp?
This article was originally published on Blue Ribbon Hemp. To view the original article, click here. By Richard Cowan Why did we create Blue Ribbon Hemp for seniors as a new product? Reason one, is that the senior market is not being adequately addressed. This is something, of course, that I have a personal interest…
Detroiters disproportionately impacted by coronavirus job losses, U-M survey finds
Since the coronavirus pandemic began in March, 43% of Detroiters have lost their jobs — driving up the city’s unemployment rate to nearly 50%, more than three times higher than the U.S. unemployment rate, according to a new University of Michigan survey. The coronavirus shutdowns have upended the lives of tens of thousands of residents…
The Ultimate Guide to CBD And Seniors for Weight Loss
By Dr. Igor Bussel This article was originally published on CBD Seniors. To view the original article click here. With each passing birthday, it feels like your jeans are suddenly a bit tighter. No matter what you try to do, it seems impossible to combat age-related weight gain. Whether you are in your 50s or…
White Boy Rick set to be released from a Florida prison in July
Richard “White Boy Rick” Wershe Jr. may finally see freedom this summer after spending his entire adult life in prison. Wershe, who was sentenced to life in prison for selling cocaine in 1988, is scheduled to be released from a Florida prison on July 20, two days after his 51st birthday, according to the Florida…
Gov. Whitmer extends stay-at-home order for another 3 weeks as coronavirus cases decline
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended her stay-at-home order for another three weeks as the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths continue to plummet in the state. “While the data shows that we are making progress, we are not out of the woods yet,” Whitmer said in a news release early Friday evening. “If we’re going…
Mayor Duggan offers Kwame Kilpatrick ‘a fresh start’ if he’s released early from prison
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan spoke highly of Kwame Kilpatrick on Friday and offered to help the former mayor get “a fresh start,” if news of Kilpatrick’s prison release is true. Duggan has deep ties with the Kilpatrick family, having worked with Kilpatrick’s father, Bernard Kilpatrick, who was the chief of staff for former Wayne County…
Bills aim to OK cocktails to-go, create ‘social districts’ outside to help Michigan bars and restaurants
Allowing residents to legally drink alcohol outside in designated areas is one issue on which many in the divided Michigan legislature agrees. Democrat Sens. Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor and Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak introduced legislation to designate public alcohol consumption areas and allow bars and restaurants to deliver alcohol. Irwin sponsored Senate Bill…
New study finds cannabis could reduce chances of COVID-19 infection
While it’s proven that cannabis can be effective in treating things like cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, as well as making watching the Cats movie more bearable, researchers are toying with another use for the Devil’s lettuce: defeating COVID-19. Well, almost. As reported by Interest Engineering, researchers at the University of Lethbridge in Canada…
Is Kwame Kilpatrick getting released early from prison? Social media abuzz amid reports
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been granted early release from federal prison — or has he? The Ebony Foundation, which has been calling on President Donald Trump to grant clemency for the 49-year-old disgraced former mayor, announced in a news release that Kilpatrick will be released early from a federal prison in Oakdale, Louisiana,…
Michigan breathalyzer technicians charged with falsifying documents
Two technicians accused of falsifying documents that certified the accuracy of breathalyzer devices in Michigan were charged with multiple felony counts on Thursday. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel alleges Andrew Clark and David John, of Intoximeter Inc., created fictitious documents to falsely suggest they tested and repaired two Datamaster DMT breathalyzers to ensure they were…
Metro Times wins Society of Professional Journalism awards
We’re pleased to report that your local alt-weekly was once again honored among the Motor City’s finest journalists by the Society of Professional Journalists Detroit chapter, taking home several awards in the Class C category. Steve Neavling and Lee DeVito won 1st Place General News Reporting for a cover story on how Michigan’s war on…
Trump refuses to wear mask, praises anti-Semite Henry Ford’s ‘bloodline,’ says Ford cars are too expensive while at campaign rally in Ypsilanti
Don’t worry Michiganders, President Donald Trump tested “very positively” for the coronavirus Thursday morning, ahead of his highly publicized campaign event at a Ford plant in Ypsilanti, where he stood like a normal person, refused to wear a mask so as to not give the “press the pleasure” of seeing him obey Michigan law, and…
Pincanna opens medical and adult-use cannabis store in Kalkaska
A new vertically-integrated cannabis company is set to open its doors in Kalkaska. Pincanna will open at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 29 at 786 S. Cedar Street. It’s Kalkaska’s first cannabis store, offering both medical and adult-use. “We’ve been enthusiastically welcomed by local civic and business leaders throughout the process and we’re excited to…
CBD Topicals – Salves, Creams and Balms
This article was originally published on Blue Ribbon Hemp. To view the original article, click here. Topicals, generally, are a separate category (when it comes to CBD) for a variety of reasons. First off, for skin irritation, nerve pain, or something that is relatively localized near the surface, people want a topical that does not…
Trump makes wild, unfounded claim of ‘tremendous fraud’ in Michigan’s upcoming presidential election
President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that Michigan’s no-excuse absentee voting will produce “tremendous fraud” and said he’s still considering withholding federal money from Michigan because the state is mailing every resident an application to vote by mail. “Obviously there is going to be fraud. We’re not babies,” Trump said at a news conference at…
Hamtramck Labor Day Festival canceled due to coronavirus
Just before Memorial Day weekend, a beloved local Labor Day tradition has pulled the plug on its 2020 festivities. This year’s Hamtramck Labor Day Festival is officially off the books, as organizers err on the side of caution amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We hate to have to say it, but the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival…
Faster Horses Country Music Festival officially postponed to 2021 with original lineup
Well, folks, Michigan’s Faster Horses Country Music Festival is being put out to pasture, at least until next year, anyway. The festival, which attracts upwards of 40,000 country music-lovers, is officially off. The cancellation comes after MLive published an email exchange with a Faster Horses ticket-holder and a Live Nation representative earlier this month, in…
Whitmer lifts ban on gatherings of 10 people or fewer, eases other restrictions
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday immediately lifted the ban on gatherings of 10 people or fewer, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. Whitmer also announced that she’s allowing retail businesses and auto dealerships to reopen by appointment beginning Tuesday. And on May 29, health care providers can resume nonessential medical, dental, and veterinary procedures.…
Republican Senate hopeful John James is consistently inconsistent when it comes to Trump
If President Donald Trump and elusive Republican Senate hopeful John James had a relationship status, it would undoubtedly be “it’s complicated.” Or at least that’s what James’ recent statements, past actions, and even a recent Zoom background seem to suggest. As Trump’s support wanes across the country in the wake of his mishandling of the…
AG Nessel warns Trump he has ‘a legal responsibility’ to wear mask during Thursday’s visit to Ypsilanti
Attorney General Dana Nessel is urging President Trump to wear a mask while visiting a Ford ventilator assembly plant in Ypsilanti on Thursday, saying he has “a legal responsibility” under state law to cover his face. Trump, who has been in contact with people who have been infected with COVID-19, has been observed not wearing…
Proposed RESTAURANTS Act could help Detroit’s dining scene weather the coronavirus
In this week’s issue, we talked to Detroit restaurant and bar owners who said that the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program loans were particularly ill-suited for them. The loans’ requirement to retain full staff for eight weeks doesn’t make much sense when the coronavirus has forced all dine-in restaurants to close — and even when…
Controversial group to host ‘Freedom Festival’ in Newaygo in defiance of Michigan’s stay-at-home order
A controversial activist group is hosting a rally dubbed “Freedom Festival” on Thursday afternoon in Newaygo in defiance of Michigan’s stay-at-home order. Stand Up Michigan, which hosted a protest in Lansing last week, said it’s expecting a large crowd to gather at a park in downtown Newaygo in western Michigan, which has seen a disproportionate…
Detroit’s annual fireworks show won’t be canceled after all
Not even the coronavirus can stop Detroit’s annual fireworks show. The Parade Company, which has put on the fireworks display for more than 35 years, has postponed the show until Aug. 22. The three-hour show will be televised, and crowds will be prohibited from gathering at Hart Plaza and other downtown locations to watch the…
Michigan’s marijuana businesses will soon be more affordable for those with weed-related convictions
A marijuana-related conviction will no longer keep you from getting in on Michigan’s marijuana industry — in fact, it might help. Starting June 1, people impacted by the War on Drugs may become eligible for discounted application and licensing fees. As part of its Social Equity Program, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency announced that it would…
Kroger tells employees to return extra COVID-19 emergency pay — then retracts demand
In the ongoing saga of Kroger and how it’s paying its employees — deemed essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis — comes a new chapter. In a widely shared letter posted on social media, the Kroger Payroll Department asked an employee to pay them back $461.60 of “overpaid” COVID-19 Emergency Pay. The emergency pay is…
Owners of dam flooding Midland ignored federal regulators for years
As if things weren’t already bad enough in Michigan, on Tuesday, dams in Edenville and Sanford flooded. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in Midland County and ordered all residents to evacuate the area immediately. “If you have not evacuated the area, do so now and get somewhere safe,” Whitmer said in a…
Trump threatens to withhold funding to Michigan over false claim about absentee ballots
President Trump on Wednesday falsely claimed Michigan is illegally sending absentee ballots to all 7.7 million residents and threatened to withhold federal funding to the state. Trump was referring to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s announcement Tuesday that she was mailing absentee ballot applications — not the actual ballots — to all 7.7 million…
Coogan and Brydon’s final ‘Trip’ is a worthwhile sojourn
In The Odyssey, Odysseus takes 10 years to return home from the Trojan Wars. Though no one would argue that director Michael Winterbottom’s Trip series is on the same aesthetic level as Homer’s epic Greek poem, it has also taken his protagonists — slightly fictionalized versions of the actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon —…
Horoscopes (May 20-26)
ARIES | March 21 – April 20: So much hinges on the need to lose your fixed ideas about what needs to happen next. All of your pictures are based on notions that come from past life experiences of having everything work out like a fairy tale. It’s not what you need this time. Notice…
Unmasking ‘Obamagate,’ 2020’s version of birtherism-meets-Hillary’s-emails
Michael Flynn is neither the hero nor the victim in this story. Rather, like so many in President Donald Trump’s orbit, he’s a means to an end — in this case, the White House’s attempt to rewrite its history of failure. Flynn was Trump’s first national security adviser for 24 days before being fired. He…
