Cover Story
Remembering and releasing Aaliyah, 20 years later
On the cover of her 2001 self-titled album, Aaliyah stands in a nearly see-through mesh halter top, her eyes heavy but focused under wispy lashes, her glossy lips parted, ready for song. Here she debuted a new, futuristic logo with her name stylized so that the A’s look like upside-down V’s instead. The back cover…
4 Best Detox Shampoos to Pass Your Hair Follicle Drug Test – Updated for 2024
Need to pass a hair follicle drug test? A hair detox shampoo might be your answer. The common use of drug tests across various industries for different purposes has grown in popularity in recent years. Anything from routine medical examinations to a pre-employment stage could require a hair follicle drug test. While they might not…
Top 8 THC Detox Drinks: Clear Your System & Start Your Detox (2024)
We live in stressful times. Unwinding with marijuana has become standard practice around the world, however, many employers still require a drug test before they hire. If you’ve recently smoked or ingested any weed products, there’s a good chance a drug test will pick up traces of the psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Traces of THC…
SWFest highlights Detroit creatives with inaugural festival
Senate Theater will be transformed into a music and art festival as the inaugural SWFest takes place at the Southwest Detroit theater this weekend. With 32 performances across three different stages, the inaugural festival will showcase local Detroit artists and creatives, including Tiny Jag, Curtis Roach, Uribi and Generacion 3. There will also be a…
Billboard campaign targets Rep. Bergman for spewing lies about widespread election fraud
More than a dozen billboards are being installed in northern Michigan to call out U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman for spreading lies about widespread election fraud. The Watersmeet Republican, who represents the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, was among three Michigan members of Congress who voted against certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory on Jan.…
It’s been 100 days since journalist Danny Fenster was detained in Myanmar and he still hasn’t been charged
On May 24, journalist Danny Fenster was detained by authorities in Yangon, Myanmar, while trying to board a plane to make his way back home to Michigan for a surprise visit to his family — for no reason, apparently, other than he happened to be working as a journalist in a country that had just…
Michigan GOP launches ballot drive to impose voting restrictions
Michigan Republicans plan to launch a petition drive that election officials and voting-rights advocates warn will make it more difficult to vote. The petition from the GOP-driven Secure MI Vote is intended to enable Republican state lawmakers to circumvent a veto from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. A peculiarity in Michigan’s constitution allows the Legislature to bypass…
Hamtramck Labor Day Fest lineup includes Timmy’s Organism, Shadow Show, Craig Brown Band, and more
After being canceled last year due to this fucking pandemic, the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival is back on for Labor Day weekend, and officials have now announced a partial music lineup. “This year’s musical lineup is still in the works as committee members, organizers, and bands scramble to remember how to organize a bunch of…
Michigan prepares for possible partial govt. shutdown on Oct. 1, despite ‘optimism’
After a budget impasse in 2019 between Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the GOP-controlled Legislature that almost resulted in a partial state government shutdown, both sides agreed to get budgets wrapped earlier in the future. Whitmer signed legislation setting a July 1 target date to present budgets to the governor — three months before the start…
Red Hook cafe and bakery opens a third location along Detroit riverfront
Over the weekend, The Red Hook cafe celebrated the opening of its third location with a soft launch. The new bakery and coffee shop, named The Red Hook Greenway, is located at 2761 E. Jefferson Ave. near the Detroit riverfront. Sandi Haeselgrave, the owner of Red Hook, told Model D she had plans to open…
Update: Kiss cancels Detroit gig after Gene Simmons tests positive for COVID-19
Updated 6:08 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 31: Kiss canceled its DTE Energy Music Theatre date after bassist Gene Simmons tested positive for COVID-19. Originally published Tuesday, Aug. 31: As wearers of flame-retardant space armor and clown paint, the members of controversial campy rock band KISS may be many things, but anti-vaxxers they are not. Paul…
MSU employee files lawsuit over university’s vaccine mandate, claims she has natural immunity
A Michigan State University employee is suing the school over its vaccine mandate, arguing she has “robust immunity” after recovering from a COVID-19 infection. In the federal class-action lawsuit filed, Jeanna Norris, a 37-year-old administrative associate and fiscal officer, claims MSU’s vaccine policy is unconstitutional. “The Directive is unmistakably coercive and cannot reasonably be considered…
Rep. Jewell Jones offers to write vaccination exemption letters as delta variant surges in Michigan
State Rep. Jewell Jones (D-Inkster) took to his social media over the weekend to offer to write letters of support for anyone seeking vaccination exemptions. On Aug. 28, Jones shared to his followers that he was willing to write letters to support those filling out vaccination exemption forms for work or school. He captioned the…
Grey Ghost owners to develop a third restaurant near Little Caesars Arena
Four Man Ladder, the team that operates Midtown restaurants Grey Ghost and Second Best, has partnered with Olympia Development for a new establishment at the site of the former Hotel Eddystone. “On the heels of the fifth anniversary of our flagship restaurant Grey Ghost, we are extremely excited to embark on our third venture and…
Michigan youth groups urge inclusive sex-ed curricula
Youth advocates for comprehensive sexual education are urging school districts to adopt curricula that use inclusive and anatomically-correct language. In Michigan, sex education is not required – although HIV/AIDS education is – and when it is taught, it’s supposed to stress abstinence. Gracia Perala is a member of the MY Access Youth Advisory Council, part…
Warren city councilman arrested for hawking Trump-related merchandise
Warren City Councilman Eddie Kabacinski was arrested over the weekend for selling Trump-related merchandise in Utica. He was cited Saturday for operating without a peddlers permit, police said Monday. Utica police said they will release more information later in the day. This wasn’t the first time Kabacinski’s zeal for former President Donald Trump got him…
Crowdfunding campaign launched to help former Detroit boxing champ Ray Gray after 48 years in prison
On May 25, Ray Gray — a former Golden Gloves boxing champ and artist from Detroit who was the subject of a 2020 Metro Times cover story after being incarcerated for nearly 50 years for a crime he maintains he did not commit — was released from a state prison in Muskegon. The state of…
Hey, you — Metro Times is seeking fall digital and editorial interns
Looking for an opportunity to build your writing portfolio while getting college credit? Then look no further, because Metro Times is currently seeking 2021 digital and editorial interns. As an editorial intern, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your writing skills while gaining newsroom experience. Do you want to pursue music journalism? Investigative reporting? Maybe…
FBI raids, proof of vaccinations, and remembering Baby Girl: The top 10 Detroit Metro Times headlines this week
It seems that our readers are still interested in what happened at the Birmingham Board of Education meeting last week, as a lot of you are still clicking to find out the identity of the man who flashed a Nazi salute during the meeting over mask mandates for student and staff. A few readers are…
Wayne County issues mask mandate for schools, daycare centers as COVID-19 risk remains high
The Wayne County Public Health Department on Friday announced a mask mandate for schools and daycare providers. The mandate requires students, faculty, staff, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks in schools and during school-sponsored indoor events. Some of the county’s school districts have already issued mask mandates, including Detroit and Dearborn. School…
A new e-scooter company launched in Detroit with a ‘community-first’ mission
Yet another e-scooter company has entered the Detroit market — but this one says it’s a little different than the others. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company Superpedestrian launched its LINK service in Detroit on Friday, with 300 neon yellow scooters deployed at city-designated parking locations throughout the city. According to the company, its service is different because…
Probationary Detroit cop resigns after video showed him in a brawl in Greektown
A probationary Detroit cop who was caught on video in a brawl in Greektown over the weekend has resigned less than a week after he graduated from the police academy. The recent graduate, whose identity was not released, may still be charged with a crime after cell phone video showed him in street clothes punching…
Korean fried chicken chain Bonchon plans to open new locations in metro Detroit
Bonchon, a Korean restaurant chain, is expanding into the Midwest with new stores planned for both Michigan and Ohio. While the chain is most known for its Korean fried chicken, it also offers other Korean fusion foods such as tacos and sliders and traditional Asian favorites such as potstickers, pork buns, and Udon noodle soup.…
Now GRiZ has launched his own cannabis brands, too
GRiZ is the latest Detroit-area icon to enter the cannabis industry, joining the likes of rapper Tee Grizzley and White Boy Rick. It likely comes as no surprise that Grant Kwiecinski, better known as GRiZ —the Southfield native, DJ, electronic music producer, and multi-instrumentalist — partakes in the marijuana arts. Not only has he been…
Campaign aims to end decades-long ‘painful experiments’ on dogs at Detroit’s Wayne State University
A group of physicians and state lawmakers are calling on Wayne State University to stop what they say are inhumane experiments in which dogs are forced to undergo painful and invasive surgeries intended to cause heart failure. As part of the campaign, which coincides with National Dog Day on Thursday, a national nonprofit called the…
Alice Cooper announces first Detroit-area record signing in more than a decade
Alice Cooper, the Godfather of Shock Rock, stage demon, and devoted Christian, is giving metro Detroit a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the 73-year-old guillotine lover for the first time in more than a decade. The “School’s Out” rocker is teaming up with earMUSIC and 94.7 WCSX to host an exclusive…
Harry Styles to require masks and proof of vaccination or negative test for Detroit performance
You’re going to have to lower your mask if you want to enjoy some “Watermelon Sugar,” and, yes, we know that’s a euphemism. Grammy award-winning pop star, former One Direction member, and overall “Sweet Creature” Harry Styles has announced some of the strictest COVID-19 safety protocols of any touring artist so far. Styles, 27, was…
Michigan restaurant requires patrons to show proof of vaccination
A Northern Michigan restaurant will now require all customers to provide proof of vaccination in order to be seated for dining inside. Martha’s Leelanau Table in Suttons Bay began checking for proof of vaccination beginning on Aug. 16, per an announcement the restaurant made on social media earlier this week. According to the post, the…
Michigan health department urges schools to require masks as COVID-19 surges
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is recommending that schools require masks as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state continues to rise, but fell short of calling for a mandate of its own. “Several local health departments and many school districts have already moved forward to require masks in schools; we…
El Club is giving away free tickets to the newly vaccinated
Last week El Club announced that it would be requiring its patrons and staff to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test beginning Wednesday, Sept. 1. The all ages venue is upping the ante by giving away free tickets to people who can show they were vaccinated between the dates of Sept. 1…
‘White Boy Rick’ is launching his own cannabis brand
At 17 years old, Richard Wershe Jr., aka “White Boy Rick,” was sentenced to prison in 1987 for possessing cocaine — after the FBI had been using him as an informant to infiltrate drug gangs since he was only 14. Last year, Wershe was released for good behavior after more than three decades behind bars,…
Taylor cop charged with assault, misconduct in office for repeatedly punching suspect
A Taylor police officer was charged with assault and misconduct in office on Wednesday after prosecutors say he pointed a gun at a suspect and repeatedly punched him following a traffic stop in April 2020. Officer Tyler Peake, 23, faces up to five years in prison on a felony count of misconduct in office. He…
FBI raids homes, offices of two Detroit council members as corruption probe widens
The FBI raided the homes of two Detroit city council members and the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Wednesday morning as federal agents ramp up an investigation into corruption at city hall. The targets of the raids are council members Janeé Ayers and Scott Benson, both of whom are running for reelection in November.…
ICYMI: Trump booed for telling supporters to get COVID-19 vaccine, Proud Boys leader arrested, and more
Former President Donald Trump found himself doing what he does best: pissing off his own base while cosplaying as the current Commander in Chief. Trump was lightly booed at an Alabama rally this weekend after he encouraged the crowd to get the COVID-19 vaccine. “You know what? I believe totally in your freedoms,” Trump told…
The COVID-19 booster: The science is there … but so is the opportunity for Big Pharma to make billions
“Public” is the operative term in public health — it’s what we do collectively to assure conditions for people to be healthy. “Public” implies collective action: we, as a society, doing what we could not do alone. The principal agent of the public in a democratic society is our government, chosen by the people for…
How to lose a war in the graveyard of empires
On Nov. 2, 2001, The New York Times’s Thomas Friedman, one of the world’s most influential columnists, wrote, “A month into the war in Afghanistan, the hand-wringing has already begun over how long this might last. Let’s all take a deep breath and repeat after me: Give war a chance.” We gave war a chance…
BBQ Central masters Detroit-style rib tips
Despite the many grills filled with ribs, chicken wings, and other meats puffing throughout Detroit in mom-and-pop restaurants, backyards, and on street corners, the city isn’t famous for its barbecue in the way that St. Louis or Texas is. Perhaps that’s partly because Detroiters trade in a range of styles, and historically there hasn’t been…
‘The Night House’ exposes the horrors of not knowing your romantic partner
Ignore the repeated staccato piano key and overcast sky, and the first scene of David Bruckner’s The Night House could inspire considerable envy. Within a lakefront residence screaming minimalist chic meets bucolic escapism, a series of shots set the stage for what will soon reveal itself to be one part ghost story, one part psychological…
Free Will Astrology (Aug. 25-31)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19: Aries mythologist Joseph Campbell advised us to love our fate. He said we should tell ourselves, “Whatever my fate is, this is what I need.” Even if an event seems inconvenient or disruptive, we treat it as an opportunity, as an interesting challenge. “If you bring love to that…
