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How Trump turned possible COVID-19 drug hydroxychloroquine into a political flashpoint in Michigan
If you’ve felt lately that the reality-TV-show presidency of Donald Trump has begun to feel a bit like an infomercial, you’d be forgiven. Trump has increasingly taken airtime to push an antimalarial drug called hydroxychloroquine as a possible, albeit unproven, coronavirus medication. In repeated, cringe-worthy press briefings throughout the crisis, an unofficial slogan for the…
The number of people in the U.S. dead from COVID-19 could fill Michigan Stadium
The number of people in the United States who have died from COVID-19 reached 108,064 on Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To put that in perspective, think of Ann Arbor’s Michigan Stadium, which has an official capacity of 107,601 — making it the largest stadium in the U.S. Stay on…
Detroit Police kneeled for the cameras minutes after arresting about 100 peaceful protesters
On Tuesday, a well-intentioned Black Lives Matter “social media blackout” campaign was criticized for devolving into “performative nonsense” after it clogged feeds with an endless scroll of black squares, and resulted in the mind-bending phenomenon of the Washington Redskins’ account claiming that the team stands against racism. It was also more than a bit strange…
Why Metro Times’s regular astrologer is taking a break from doing horoscopes
Editor’s note: Our beloved astrologer Cal Garrison will be taking a break from doing horoscopes starting this week. She asked that we share this letter with you to explain. In the meantime, we’ll be bringing back Rob Brezsny’s “Free Will Astrology” column, which we ran until we merged with Real Detroit Weekly in 2014, at which…
Bigfoot Wellness in Burton now offers recreational marijuana
In case you missed it, one of the first medical marijuana provisioning centers in the state is now offering adult-use recreational weed. Bigfoot Wellness, which serves Flint, Pontiac, and Grand Blanc, began recreational sales for adults 21 and over out of its Burton storefront during Memorial Day Weekend. Expect a selection of concentrates, flower, edibles,…
Good news, Michigan — bottle return is returning
If empty bottles and cans have taken over your hallways, basement stairs, porches, decks, tiny-ass foyers, car trunks, children’s bedrooms, pantry, and/or bathtubs, you are not alone. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March, it has upended day-to-day life and the mundane normalcy that came with it, including the ability to recycle cans and bottles,…
Bedrock denies claim it boarded up some tenants’ windows and not others amid Black Lives Matter protests
As Black Lives Matter protests grow across the country, some downtown Detroit businesses have started securing their windows, resulting in this dramatic sight: Black-owned fashion boutique Détroit Is The New Black with a sign in its window saying “please don’t loot,” flanked by two other boarded-up businesses. All are tenants of Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock real…
Detroit artist to begin Malice Green mural after exceeding crowdfunding goal: ‘He was a symbol of a piece of justice’
Detroit fine artist Sydney James doesn’t know if she’s completely ready to take on her latest project — a massive mural to honor Malice Green, the 35-year-old Black man beaten to death by Detroit police in 1992 over a crack rock — but she says she has no choice because the reeling Detroit community is…
16-year-old protester helped prevent a potentially violent clash between protesters and Detroit cops
Dozens of Detroit police in riot gear were lined up on Michigan Avenue on Monday night, facing hundreds of protesters who were refusing to budge in defiance of an 8 p.m. curfew. What looked like an inevitable clash between heavily armed cops and peaceful protesters was avoided after 16-year-old Stefan Perez, who was one of…
Michigan’s marijuana dispensaries open for customers again, no appointment necessary starting Thursday
As coronavirus cases subside, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s latest executive order allows Michigan marijuana dispensaries to begin to take customers again for in-person shopping starting on Thursday, June 4. A previous order allowed dispensaries to open for in-person shopping by appointment only. That’s no longer that case, but there will be limits to how many customers…
Why Broad Spectrum Hemp Is the Best of Both Worlds for Seniors
This article was originally published on Blue Ribbon Hemp. To view the original article, click here. By Richard Cowan & Dr. Igor When it comes to cannabis, broad spectrum hemp is one of the best options available for senior citizens. Rather than turn to opioids and other potentially deadly medications, patients can get a safer,…
Detroit police are trying to figure out how to identify reporters so they stop shooting us with tear gas and rubber bullets
Last weekend, it could at times be difficult for the press to keep an eye on and document the historic clashes between police and Black Lives Matter protesters because we kept getting caught in the melée. Here in the Motor City, an MLive photographer was shot with rubber bullets. An officer swatted a Detroit Free…
Mayor Duggan announces a week of curfews as Detroit braces for more protests
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Monday that he’s imposing another curfew as the city braces for more potentially violent rallies. Duggan said the curfew will begin at 8 p.m. and continue for seven more days. Meanwhile, some businesses downtown have boarded up their windows as police anticipate more unrest and destruction. Police Chief James Craig…
Community pops off on Detroit Popcorn Company owner after racist comments supporting police brutality
The Facebook page for Detroit Popcorn Company, which claims to be the largest popcorn storefront in the Midwest, is currently offline and its Yelp page has been flooded with one-star reviews and comments advocating for a boycott. The 97-year-old popcorn retailer located in Redford is being “canceled” after screenshots surfaced in which Detroit Popcorn Company…
Gov. Whitmer lifts stay-at-home order, allows dine-in restaurants to reopen with restrictions
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is lifting the statewide stay-at-home order Monday and will allow parts of Michigan’s economy to reopen with some restrictions in an effort to continue to “flatten the curve” of coronavirus cases in the state. The order rescinds a previous executive order established on May 22 that extended a previous stay-at-home order through…
The problem with Mayor Duggan’s claim Detroit’s protests are driven by ‘outside agitators’
On Saturday, as Black Lives Matter protests erupted in Detroit and more than 140 cities across the country in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Mayor Mike Duggan called a press conference with several Black community leaders and activists to denounce the violence and call for peace. In…
Detroit police turned violent, firing tear gas and flash grenades into a peaceful crowd on Sunday
A third day of peaceful protests in downtown Detroit turned violent Sunday evening when overzealous police fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and flash grenades at protesters while they scrambled for safety. Several journalists were injured and at least one was arrested for trying to document the protest. An MLive photographer was among at least three…
The Ultimate Guide to CBD and Seniors for Insomnia
This article was originally published on CBD Seniors. To view the original article, click here. Does it seem like it is harder and harder to sleep as you get older? Your insomnia is not in your mind. According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep patterns naturally change as we age. While it may be harder…
Another protest planned for Detroit on Sunday after the last rally turned ugly
Protesters are planning to gather in downtown Detroit for a third straight day to rally against police brutality and the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis cops after a demonstration turned ugly Saturday night. Detroit police used pepper spray on protesters and some journalists on Saturday night after showing restraint for most…
People in states with legal weed think the laws are pretty, pretty good, study finds
This just in: people like weed. OK — so, while that may be true for many, recent polling data reveals that folks who live in a state where recreational marijuana is legalized are pretty satisfied with the laws and consider them to be a success, High Times reports. Of a survey of 32,000 adults, including…
Republican Senate candidate John James says it’s pointless to call out Trump’s racism in leaked audio
Republican candidate for Senate John James privately told Black leaders that he thought there was no point in publicly calling out President Donald Trump’s racist statements — just weeks before he criticized Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for comments he made about Black voters. The comments were made during a video conference with Black leaders…
Woman punched by Washtenaw deputy released after days of protests
The Ypsilanti woman seen in a now-viral video being repeatedly punched in the head by a Washtenaw County deputy that sparked three days of protests in Pittsfield Township has been released, MLive reports. Sha’Teina Grady El was arrested following a Tuesday, May 26 incident in which Grady El and her husband Daniyal refused to clear…
Madonna’s son dances away racism in tribute to George Floyd — and it did not go well
We suspect Madonna is having a rough morning. First, Lady Gaga’s highly-anticipated record Chromatica dropped at midnight and the album’s closure “Babylon” is curiously close to Madge’s “Vogue,” which might just reignite the material girl’s ongoing feud with mama monster. But now social media is skewering the diva after she posted a video Thursday night,…
Ford-Wyoming Drive-in hit with cease-and-desist by police on reopening night
It’s lights out for the Ford-Wyoming Drive-in, which received a cease-and-desist by Dearborn police hours after it reopened Thursday night to screen its signature double features for the first time since closing in mid-March due to the coronavirus. “During last night’s movies, we were served a cease-and-desist order by law enforcement,” the theater posted on…
Protest over George Floyd’s death planned in Detroit on Friday afternoon
Protesters plan to rally outside of Detroit’s Public Safety Headquarters on Friday afternoon following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The rally against police brutality is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the downtown headquarters at 1301 Third St. “The Latest Murder of George Floyd at the hands of racist police…
Detroit soul spot Flood’s reopens for carry-out after owners’ parents recover from COVID-19
When the coronavirus hit Detroit, Flood’s Bar & Grille was hit especially hard: both of co-owners Stephanie and Cristina Byrd’s parents came down with COVID-19. The sisters were forced to close down the shop to serve as caretakers. After a six-week struggle, both parents have now fully recovered — and the longtime soul food favorite…
Nursing home residents represent nearly one-quarter of coronavirus deaths in Michigan
Far more nursing home residents have died from the coronavirus in Michigan than previously disclosed. At least 23% of the more than 5,300 COVID-19 deaths in Michigan were nursing home residents, according to data released Wednesday to a Senate committee, the Gongwer News Service reports. Of the state’s more than 55,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, about…
Michigan court of appeals orders defiant Owosso barber to shut down
A defiant Owosso barber must shutter his business for the remainder of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s coronavirus lockdown. The Michigan Court of Appeals determined by a 2-1 vote Thursday that Owosso septuagenarian Karl Manke’s business presented an “imminent danger” to public health during the coronavirus pandemic, deciding with the plaintiff, the Michigan Department of Health and…
Dumb Indiana billboards shit on Michigan’s coronavirus response
It’s no secret that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has her fair share of public enemies who criticize her handling of the coronavirus pandemic as being overkill. Whitmer has been called out by POTUS himself, and, well, this human mayonnaise packet militia armed with war weapons, who insist that being asked to wear a face mask and…
Detroit Police Chief condemns killing of George Floyd, issues memo emphasizing de-escalation
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said he supports the Minneapolis Police Department’s firing of four officers involved in the killing of George Floyd, calling the event a “tragic wrongful death.” The death of Floyd, a 46-year old Black man, was caught on a grisly video showing an officer kneeling on his neck as he repeatedly…
Detroit now has a psychiatric urgent care due to the rise in mental health concerns amid coronavirus pandemic
As more than 100,000 Americans have died due to the coronavirus and a record number of 36 million unemployment claims have been filed in the two months since the pandemic began sweeping the country, another crisis looms: mental health. A recent poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly half of Americans have…
Michigan launches free portal to connect businesses with PPE suppliers as state begins to reopen
A new online resource might make it easier for businesses to get their hands on much-needed coronavirus personal protective equipment for their employees. Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order that addressed responsibilities and mandatory safety protocols aimed at businesses as the state slowly begins to reopen its economy amid the coronavirus. Among…
Owner of flooded Michigan dam used it as tax shelter, ignored federal regulators, according to report
Lee Mueller — the owner of the Edenville Dam that flooded last week, causing massive destruction of property in Midland County — was heir to the fortune of the founder of the Boy Scouts of America and purchased the dam as a tax shelter. That’s according to an explosive report from Bridge magazine published Wednesday.…
Why Detroit poet jessica Care moore supports the Metro Times Press Club
When I moved back home to Detroit at the end of 2006, my life had been literally turned upside down. I was nursing my then-10-month old son and all my personal belongings were spread out between storages in Atlanta, my old home and the life I’d left behind, my friend’s garage, and my mom’s house…
Expect less people, more restrictions as metro Detroit malls plot unconventional reopening
After closing due to the coronavirus, metro Detroit’s malls are back — but the shopping experience will look a bit different. Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order that relaxed restrictions for retailers, allowing select services, like shopping, to be available by appointment only. “The congregation of people inside is what’s so dangerous…
Michigan’s marijuana dispensaries can now take customers inside by appointment only
As with Michigan’s other retail services, marijuana dispensaries are now opening back up for customers again. Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order opening some retail services for in-person shopping. Though deemed an “essential service” amid the coronavirus, marijuana stores had been allowed to only service customers by curbside-pickup. That’s no longer the…
Video of white Washtenaw cop punching Black woman incites public outrage and an internal investigation
As racial tensions rise throughout the country following the recent video-recorded deaths of Black men like Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia — and George Floyd in Minneapolis, whose death at the hands of police has incited community outrage and protests — yet another violent video has gone viral, this time in Washtenaw County. An internal investigation…
HopCat Royal Oak closes due to landlord dispute
Yet another Royal Oak restaurant has closed. Craft beer bar HopCat announced on Wednesday that its Royal Oak location had permanently shuttered, though the company says it plans to relocate somewhere else in the city. According to a post on the company’s Facebook page, the closure is due to a dispute with the building’s landlord,…
Detroit mourns the loss of restaurateur and ‘spark’ of the city, Johnny Lopez
Tributes and memories are pouring in as Detroit mourns the loss of beloved restaurateur Johnny “JLo” Lopez, who died Monday of unknown causes. Lopez, who was most notably a former partner in Midtown’s restaurant and bar Union Street, where he originally worked as a teenager, was also behind now-shuttered eateries Agave, Atlas Bistro, as well…
Macomb County will now test sewage for coronavirus
While Detroit has launched a groundbreaking study of the drug hydoxychloroquine to treat the coronavirus, Macomb County is getting down and dirty with research of their own. The county announced a new program to test sewage for the virus to locate local hotspots. The study, a partnership with Oakland University and Michigan State University, will…
Ford-Wyoming Drive-In to reopen this week because we need something to believe in
The 70-year-old Ford-Wyoming Drive-in theater is pushing play after suspending operations in mid-March due to coronavirus — but there will be some changes. The Dearborn-based theater posted on its Facebook page that it would resume its double feature programming Thursday when the box office opens at 10 p.m. for late-night showings of Sonic The Hedgehog,…
Media got it wrong. Kwame won’t be released from prison early, feds say.
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick won’t be released early from prison after all, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons. “On Tuesday, May 26, 2020, the Federal Bureau of Prisons reviewed and denied inmate Kwame Kilpatrick for home confinement,” the bureau wrote in a statement. “Mr. Kilpatrick remains incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in…
Grand Rapids-area High Profile marijuana dispensary is now open in Grant
A High Profile marijuana dispensary is now open in Grant, about 30 minutes north of Grand Rapids. The store is open for medical and recreational sales. The store is located at 262 South Maple St., Grant. It’s the third of C3 Industries’ High Profile-branded stores slated to open in the coming months. “West Michigan has…
Our long, hot, stupid summer
Last week, we discussed “Obamagate,” a QAnon thread that found life in a presidential hydroxychloroquine hallucination. To recap: Barack Obama and Joe Biden supposedly engineered a corrupt FBI/deep state conspiracy to ensnare Donald Trump’s campaign in a Russia-collusion hoax, but — because they’re very devious — they didn’t employ this scheme to stop Trump from…
Savage Love: Quickies
I don’t want to become one of those people who write to you complaining about how I married someone I wasn’t sexually compatible with 10 years ago and now my sex life still sucks. I already know I need to break up with my boyfriend, and I was about to do it when he got…
Horoscopes (May 27-June 2)
ARIES | March 21 – April 20: You just woke up to the fact that it’s time to dig a little deeper. The idea that you had it all figured out has gone up in smoke. Along with it, the feelings you’ve been nursing for people you thought would be the answer to your prayers…
