Cover Story
Missing patterns in corporate news: Project Censored’s top 10 underreported stories of 2020
Every year since 1976, Project Censored has performed an invaluable service — shedding light on the most significant news that’s somehow not fit to print. Censorship in an authoritarian society is obvious, from a distance, at least. There is a central agent or agency responsible for it, and the lines are clearly drawn. That’s not…
GRiZMAS will include sets from Zeds Dead, Claude VonStroke, AC Slater, and more
This year’s GRiZMAS, the annual celebration thrown by Michigan-born saxophone-playing electronic music artist GRiZ that helps raise funds for Detroit youth, will go out with a bang. The final night on Wednesday, Dec. 23 will feature eight hours of sets by artists including Zeds Dead, Claude VonStroke, Destructo, AC Slater, Elohim, J.Worra, Bijou, Sunsquabi, ProbCause,…
You can catch virtual sets from Soul Clap, DJ Holographic, FJAAK, Dubfire and more this weekend
All we want for Christmas, Mariah, is to rave from the comfort of our own homes. Well, that and both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine so we can get back to doing what we love: dancing. Thankfully, Movement producers Paxahau are playing Santa by delivering two-days of heart-thumping sets from acclaimed local beatmakers and celebrated…
Zig Zag Claybourne’s near-infinite playlist
Editor’s note: This week’s cover story is about speculative fiction author Zig Zag Claybourne, whose new book Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe comes with a suggested soundtrack. We asked Claybourne to walk us through the tracks. Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe couldn’t come out of Detroit without music as part…
Warren Andiamo loses liquor license and permits after violating COVID-19 epidemic orders
Just days after the owners of Michigan’s Andiamo chain of Italian restaurants said they would back down from rebelling against the state’s COVID-19 epidemic orders, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) ordered the liquor license and permits for its Warren location to be suspended due to violations. The MLCC ordered emergency suspensions of the liquor…
Starters Bar & Grille’s Southfield location is now open
Owned by Ali Saad and founded by his father, Bob Saad, Starters Bar & Grille launched its first location in a restaurant desert on Detroit’s west side in 1977, turning a closed-down bar into a neighborhood staple. They expanded to a location at Dearborn’s Fairlane Mall in 2006, but that location closed this year amid…
One-third of Michigan restaurants won’t survive the COVID-19 pandemic, industry association says
The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA) has released a grim new report about the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. According to them, about 5,600 Michigan restaurant operators, or 33%, say it’s unlikely that their business will still be open six months from now. Additionally, the research found that two-thirds of Michigan hotels report…
Civil rights group sues Michigan prisons for photographing incarcerated Muslim women without hijabs
The Michigan chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) for forcing women to remove their hijab for mugshots. The lawsuit represents more than 15 women who are Muslim or members of the Moorish…
Eastern Market Brewing Co.’s Ferndale Project weathers pandemic with investment campaign, diversifying
It had been a great couple of years for Eastern Market Brewing Co., a brewery founded by Dayne Bartscht and some friends on a lark, initially as a side hustle. With luck, they scored primo real estate in Detroit’s Eastern Market district, and within two years they expanded to take over the Ferndale space formerly…
Most Michigan voters wear masks, plan to get vaccinated, and support Whitmer’s restrictions
A majority of Michigan voters say they’re taking COVID-19 seriously, plan to get a vaccine, always wear masks in public, and believe Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is doing a better job combating the virus than the Republican-led Legislature, according to a new statewide poll. The survey of 600 registered Michigan voters was commissioned by the Detroit…
EXCLUSIVE: AT-HOME HOLIDAY COCKTAILS — A JACK DANIEL’S HOLIDAY COCKTAIL GUIDE
As we all know by now, it’s safe to say we’ve NEVER seen a holiday season like 2020. This is all-the-more reason we’ve been working overtime to create a very special cocktail recipe book, “Home For the Holidays”. No need to head out to the bookstore for this one…we’ve created a beautiful virtual ‘flip book’…
New initiative aims to help Detroit police respond to mental health crises
The city of Detroit launched a new initiative to help police, 911 operators, and housing advocates respond to people struggling with mental illness. The partnership with the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) is designed to de-escalate potential confrontations, identify people with mental health needs, and direct them to support services. As part of the…
Wayne County’s first batch of COVID-19 vaccines could come Wednesday
On Sunday, the first shipments of Pfizer’s recently approved COVID-19 vaccine left by truck from the pharmaceutical giant’s Kalamazoo facility, offering the first sign of hope that this long and dreary pandemic could end. And nearly 2,000 doses are headed to Wayne County and could arrive as soon as Wednesday, according to Dr. Mouhanad Hammami,…
Skymint’s Flint marijuana dispensary is now open for adult-use customers
Homegrown cannabis company Skymint’s Flint location is now open for adult-use customers, anyone age 21 or older with a valid government ID. To celebrate, the store has a grand opening party on Tuesday, Dec. 15 with deals and coffee and snacks from Fireside Coffee and Crust Bakery. The first 100 customers get a free “swag…
Report highlights pain points for Michigan kids during pandemic
New data reveals what many policy experts have feared for months: the pandemic has taken a serious toll on the well-being of Michigan’s children. Using data from weekly U.S. census surveys, a report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows in Michigan, 15% of parents are struggling to put food on the table, and 15%…
Michigan’s U.S. Rep. Mitchell quits Republican Party over baseless election fraud claims
U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell of Michigan is leaving the Republican Party and switching his affiliation to independent, saying the GOP’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud pose “long-term harm to our democracy.” Mitchell, a second-term congressman who did not run for re-election in 2020, announced his plans Monday in a letter to Republican National Committee…
Electoral College casts Michigan’s 16 votes for Biden, making his victory official in the state
Michigan’s electors made it official Monday, casting the state’s 16 electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. “This was truly a historic election,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told electors. “Michigan has chosen a clear winner of the office of president of the United States. The people have spoken. Ours was a safe,…
Curbside cannabis pick-up could stick around in Michigan even after pandemic subsides
When the coronavirus pandemic hit Michigan, the state’s cannabis market quickly pivoted to offering curbside pick-up service so the “essential” industry could continue to serve medical and recreational marijuana customers. But the innovation could remain in place even after the pandemic subsides, according to statements from the state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency director Andrew Brisbo reported…
GOP leader Chatfield says state’s Electoral College must vote for Biden or ‘we would lose our country forever’
Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican, warned Monday of “mutually assured destruction” if the state’s electors cast a vote in favor of President Donald Trump. The Electoral College meets at 2 p.m. Monday and is expected to vote for President-elect Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in Michigan by more than 154,000 votes. “I can’t…
Dear Amazon, before you bulldoze more than 80 years of Detroit music history, please read this
Today I drove past the old State Fairgrounds in Detroit. I realized that the old bandshell would likely not be spared from the wrecking ball following news that the city of Detroit sold the property to Amazon for a new distribution center, so I snapped a photo of it. I recall my mother in law…
Michigan GOP lawmaker disciplined after warning of ominous ‘historic event’ as Electoral College cast votes
Michigan Rep. Gary Eisen hinted of a sinister plot to undermine or disrupt the Electoral College meeting Monday, calling it a “historic event” that “will be all over the news later on.” In a bizarre radio interview on WPHM-AM on Monday morning, the St. Clair Township Republican did not elaborate but said he could not…
Michigan Capitol closed Monday due to ‘credible threats of violence’ during Electoral College vote
Threats of violence have prompted Michigan officials to close legislative offices in Lansing on Monday as electors plan to meet in the Senate chamber to cast their votes for president. “The decision was not made because of anticipated protests but was made based on credible threats of violence,” Amber McCann, spokeswoman for Republican Senate Majority…
Motown legend Smokey Robinson wildly mispronounces ‘Chanukah’ in Cameo video
Smokey Robinson might know a thing or two about “One Heartbeat,” but the Motown legend has no clue about eight days celebrating the Festival of Lights, at least according to a charming and totally adorable video Robinson sent to a fan via Cameo. For the uninitiated, Cameo is a service that connects fans with celebrities…
Looks like Detroit’s TCF Center is being renamed again
The venue known as TCF Center and formerly known as Cobo Center will be renamed… again. On Sunday, Detroit-based TCF Financial Corp. announced a $22 billion all-stock merger with Columbus-based Huntington Bancshares Inc., The Detroit News reports. Once the merger is complete, the TCF brand will be replaced with Huntington, TCF executive chairman Gary Torgow…
Alice Cooper covered Detroit band Outrageous Cherry’s ‘Our Love Will Change The World’
Well, this sure is… weird. Alice Cooper, the “The Godfather of Shock Rock,” released a cover of “Our Love Will Change The World” — an offbeat yet sunny, jangly slice of bubblegum psych-pop from Detroit rock ‘n’ roll band Outrageous Cherry. In a press release, Cooper admits the choice to cover the 2005 song was…
Detroit Foundation Hotel gets creative with indoor dining (kinda)
What actually constitutes indoor dining is a question that restaurants around the country and definitely here in Michigan are struggling to define. Completely enclosed structures equipped with heat are cropping up all over the metro Detroit area as restrictions against indoor dining put in place by the Michigan health department are still in effect for…
The worst people of 2020 (who aren’t Trumps)
We’re riding up hard on the ass end of this shit year, which can mean only one thing: listicle season — that glorious time when columnists the world ’round pre-write retrospectives for the final weeks of December and spend the holidays on the sofa chugging whiskey. Since 2020 has been a parade of horribles, I…
Longtime Detroit food distributor will match $100k if people order carryout from their favorite local spots
One of Metro Detroit’s oldest food distributors is stepping up to help restaurants by matching customer receipts with supplies up to $100,000 in total. As Michigan’s COVID-19 restrictions continue, Atlas Wholesale Food Company hopes to help support locally owned restaurants by further encouraging metro Detroit residents to order carry-out and delivery. Customers just have to…
Michigan Senate passes sweeping criminal justice reform bills
The Michigan Senate passed bipartisan criminal justice reform bills that aim to protect public safety, keep nonviolent offenders out of jail, and make it easier for people to get jobs. House Bills 5844 and 5854-5857 aim to reform a wide range of mandatory minimum sentences to allow judges discretion in sentencing nonviolent, minor crimes to…
Wayne County offers $500 one-time cash cards for eligible workers impacted by COVID-19
With the holidays just around the corner and thousands of Michigan residents out of work due to the pandemic, $500 won’t exactly make up for months of lost wages — but it might offer some much-needed aid to eligible displaced Wayne County workers. At least that’s the hope with Wayne County’s new one-time cash-card payment…
Kevin Saunderson and Idris Elba debut new video with Detroit Will Breathe activists center stage
The latest collaboration from Detroit techno great Kevin Saunderson is not a protest anthem as much as it is a heart-pumping celebration of the Black Lives Matter Movement, activism, unity, and a dogged Detroit-based activist group. The video for “We All Move Together,” which debuted on Friday, features spoken word-style vocals by actor Idris Elba…
Kid Rock sports Waffle House face mask, says Michael Jackson was ‘ahead of his time’ for mask-wearing
You can label Joe Dirt star Kid Rock many things — the musical equivalent of a DUI with all the charm of a human cigarette, a mega MAGA supporter, and the type of guy who calls Joy Behar a bitch on Fox & Friends while swigging whiskey at 8 a.m. — but an anti-masker, he is…
More Michigan farmers stand up to climate-change threats
With farms and ranches on the front lines of climate change, there’s a new effort to keep their lands resilient. The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance includes forest owners, food producers, state governments, and conservation groups. Madu Anderson, director of governmental relations for The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, explained the warming climate is a real…
Gov. Whitmer says removing Rep. Johnson from committees ‘too far’
It’s been two months and a day since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s last executive order, issued on Oct. 9, but the governor on Thursday signed Executive Order 2020-193. In remarks to the press, the governor also addressed the recent controversy swirling around Michigan State Rep. Cynthia Johnson, D-Detroit. On Wednesday, Johnson released a video on social…
Michiganders miss dining out more than anyone else, according to Twitter data
Well, apparently there’s data to confirm what we all have been thinking: Michiganders miss going out to eat more than residents of any other state. That’s according to geotagged Twitter data over the last three months. The data tracked tweets and keyword phrases about how people miss dining out amid the COVID-19 pandemic, either by…
Pfizer plans to distribute 84k doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Michigan hours after FDA approval
One day after the U.S. reported a record number of more than 3,140 COVID-19 deaths, with 75 of those deaths in Michigan, state officials announced a prospective distribution plan of approximately 84,825 doses of the Pfizer vaccine within the first shipment, The Detroit Free Press reports. When Michigan might see the first round of vaccines…
Best Female Enhancement Pills: Top Libido Boosters For Women
Many women experience decreased libido at some point during their lives. Women’s hormone levels fluctuate with age, after a pregnancy, due to poor diet, and during menopause. As a result, libido can suffer tremendously. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder is a reality for many women—but thankfully, female enhancement pills can help. Female libido boosters contain natural,…
Taylor Swift gifts $13k to unemployed Michigan mother of four facing eviction
Taylor Swift must be concealing a halo under those impossibly curly bangs and angel wings underneath her “Cardigan,” because not only has she gifted us more albums in 2020 than the government has stimulus checks, but she also swooped with $13,000 to help a Michigan mother in need, MLive reports. Macomb County’s Shelbie Selewski, a…
Acidaburn Reviews: Real Fat Burning Weight Loss Ingredients?
Acidaburn is advertised as a clinically proven dietary supplement designed to trigger consistent weight loss within a matter of 10 consecutive weeks. As per the claims made, the weight loss benefits are due to a handful of natural ingredients that may help promote healthy digestion, increased energy levels, and mental clarity. All-in-all, individuals can think…
Duggan seeks third term in 2021 with an endorsement from an unlikely place
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is officially seeking re-election in 2021 for a third term — and got an endorsement from a progressive leader who he previously had a huge public falling out with. Duggan announced his re-election campaign via livestream Wednesday evening, which included an endorsement from Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the city’s former health office…
Michigan Republicans came down harder on Detroit lawmaker for making ‘threats’ than they have on Trump
It’s time for Michigan’s Republican leaders to take a long look in the mirror. On Wednesday, GOP leaders of the Michigan House of Representatives — House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, and Speaker-elect Jason Wentworth, R-Clare — removed Rep. Cynthia Johnson, D-Detroit, from her committee assignments following a video Johnson posted to her Facebook on Tuesday.…
Mayor Duggan unveils Detroit recreational weed program details, urges ‘legacy’ applicants to start process
Detroiters interested in getting in on the city’s long-awaited recreational marijuana business program were given the green light on Wednesday when Mayor Mike Duggan unveiled the application process and timeline, as well as some additional resources for those eager to launch their canna-businesses. That includes granting Detroiters massive discounts on purchasing city-owned land for their…
Warren opts out of rec weed in the most confusing way possible
Michigan’s third-largest city is opting out of allowing recreational cannabis sales, for now — and they did it in the most confusing way possible. Seriously… are we high? We’re talking about Warren, where City Council considered a deal on Tuesday that would settle more than a dozen lawsuits and allow for 28 recreational marijuana dispensaries…
Menorah in the D will illuminate Campus Martius for 10th year, but asks people to watch from home
We’ve got two words for 2020: oy vey. Though Detroit will, once again, honor the start of Hanukkah by lighting a massive one-of-a-kind menorah in Campus Martius Park as part of its annual Menorah in the D festivities, organizers are asking people to participate in the ceremony from the comfort of their homes. (Due to…
Obama took office with the wind at his back. Biden won’t.
Like most Progressives of a Certain Age, I’ve spent the last few weeks slogging through volume one of Barack Obama’s presidential memoir, A Promised Land, which is very long, occasionally revealing, and most insightful when Obama tiptoes toward self-interrogation — pondering decisions he made and deals he cut and whether he should have spoken his…
Savage Love: The casserole
Something is bothering me and I don’t know where else to turn. I’m a bisexual man. I’ve been married to a great guy for the past six years. Despite COVID, we gathered safely for an outdoors Thanksgiving dinner with my family. My mom, my brother and sister-in-law, and my adult nieces and nephews and their…
Free Will Astrology (Dec. 9-15)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19: According to Taoist scholar Chad Hansen, “Western philosophers have endlessly analyzed and dissected a cluster of terms thought to be central to our thinking,” such as truth, beauty, reason, knowledge, belief, mind, and goodness. But he reports that they’ve never turned their attention to a central concept of Chinese…
