Cover Stories
Musical artists are finding greener ways to tour to help fight climate change
In the current climate of political and corporate greenwashing, it’s hard to gauge the sincerity, let alone feasibility, of the Music Climate Pact. Announced recently with considerable fanfare, the MCP is a declaration of intent by the Big Three major labels (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group) to reach net-zero greenhouse gas…
The Green New Meal: How what you eat today can save our children
The following is excerpted from Michael Betzold’s new book, The Green New Meal: What You Eat Impacts Us All, which is available now. Through most of history, only the wealthiest or the most talented could bequeath to their offspring material or artistic treasures. Because human civilization is now at an unprecedented crossroads, anyone — rich…
How Qonkur built a cannabis marketing empire in Michigan
Mike Berro owns what could be the largest cannabis marketing agency in the Midwest — and he doesn’t even smoke weed. “Growing up in my culture, weed was a big no,” he says. But that didn’t stop him from seeing an opportunity to get in on Michigan’s burgeoning industry. Born and raised in Dearborn, Berro…
‘The Art of Banksy’ is coming to Detroit — from the same producers as the delayed Van Gogh exhibit
An exhibition of art that’s not supported by the original artist, with no set date, at a secret venue? Great — sign us right up on the “hell no, hard pass” list. And no, we aren’t joking or making this up. An exhibit called “The Art of Banksy” is coming to Detroit, with no date…
Sterling Heights councilman launches congressional campaign for battleground district
Democratic Sterling Heights Councilman Henry Yanez is running for Congress in a newly drawn battleground district in suburban Detroit. Yanez, a longtime firefighter who served six years in the state House until he was term-limited in 2018, is vying for the 10th District, which covers Warren, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, and Shelby Township in Macomb…
Great Lakes Coffee workers allege unfair labor practices as strike continues
A local union has filed an unfair labor practices charge against Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co. on behalf of 20 striking baristas and cooks. UNITE HERE Local 24 alleges that the local coffee company failed to recognize and engage in “good faith collective bargaining.” The striking workers are using Local 24 as their designated bargaining…
Whitmer touts more than 750 bipartisan bills signed into law
Governor Gretchen Whitmer is running for reelection. Not that there was really ever any doubt, but Whitmer confirmed it in a post on social media on Monday. “I’m Gretchen Whitmer — a proud mom, lifelong Michigander, and hardworking governor,” Whitmer wrote on Twitter on Monday. “I’m running for re-election in a swing state where special…
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Report: Detroit requires 77 steps to open a restaurant
Even before opening day, red tape wraps up Detroiters trying to start common businesses, according to a new report from the Institute for Justice (IJ) public interest law firm. The report analyzes barriers to work in 20 cities nationwide, describing how excessive regulation curbs entrepreneurs from starting five common business types: a restaurant, bookstore, food…
‘The Batman’ does all the things a Batman movie should do
Veering from the false realism of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and the more earnest fantasias of Zack Snyder’s work, Matt Reeves’s The Batman moves toward a looser and better-humored fantasy space in its treatment of its title figure. With a script that seizes upon even the lowest-hanging sorts of camp morsels — a Catwoman…
FBI arrests Genesee County man accused of assaulting police officers during Jan. 6 insurrection
A Genesee County man who was caught on video wresting a baton from an officer and assaulting police during the siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 faces numerous charges and a detention hearing Monday. Matthew Thomas Krol, 63, of Linden, a self-described executive officer of the Genesee County Volunteer Militia, is at least…
Detroit is the New Black closes store, but you can still buy the fashion brand online
After being a local fashion staple for six years, Detroit is the New Black has closed its brick and mortar shop. The brand’s last day in business at 1430 Woodward Ave. in downtown Detroit was Sunday, Feb. 27. It was one of the few Black-owned and local businesses along the stretch of Woodward Avenue that’s…
Michigan Opera Theatre changes its name to Detroit Opera
The Michigan Opera Theatre is making a minor change. After 50 years, the theater company will now be known as Detroit Opera. Wayne S. Brown, president and CEO of Detroit Opera, said the name change seemed fitting as the company prepares to enter its next chapter. “As we enter our second half-century, and with all…
Litigation ongoing over Michigan’s new voting-district maps
With new voting-district maps finalized by Michigan’s new independent commission, it’s now on to the litigation phase of redistricting. One lawsuit claims partisan gerrymandering favoring Republicans in the State House maps. Another lawsuit, from Republican lawmakers, challenges the rules the Commission used to draw maps, saying communities of interest should only be counties and municipalities.…
Greg Sestero shares what he learned making ‘The Room,’ the best bad movie ever, at Royal Oak Music Theatre
Twenty years ago, Greg Sestero was a model who had been trying to break into Hollywood when he agreed to help an eccentric entrepreneur he met in an acting class named Tommy Wiseau make an indie feature film. Wiseau would write, produce, executive produce, direct, and star in the movie alongside Sestero, who figured nobody…
A sacred ceremony shut down, a new cannabis lounge, and the closing of Detroit staples: The top ten headlines of the week
This week our readers wanted to know more about Louisiana Creole Gumbo’s forced exit from Eastern Market after 50 years in the location. Our readers were also interested in the shutdown of an Indigenous sugarbush ceremony by Detroit police. The possibility of Hazel Park getting Michigan’s first cannabis consumption lounge also piqued the interest of…
Hazel Park’s Frame is hosting a solidarity dinner for Ukraine and donating the proceeds
The current Russian invasion of Ukraine is not just heartbreaking for Mark Kurlyandchik, editorial director of Hazel Park’s Frame restaurant — it’s personal. “My paternal grandfather was a Jew born in Kremenchuk, a factory town on the banks of the Dnipro River,” he said in a statement on Frame’s website. “My maternal grandmother hailed from…
Macomb County nursing home employee sentenced to jail for forging absentee ballot applications
A Macomb County nursing home employee was sentenced to 45 days in jail and probation for forging signatures on absentee ballot applications. Trenae Myesha Rainey pleaded guilty Wednesday to three misdemeanor counts of making a false statement on an absentee ballot application. Rainey forged the signatures of residents of the Father Murray Nursing Home where…
How TikTok drama made this Michigan bakery known for its ‘cookie cream’ treats go viral
Michigan is entering the spring, and with that comes Fat Tuesday, a celebration of edible excess and the start of Lent. The tradition of eating decadent paczki for Fat Tuesday has been part of Michigan culture for decades, and now the packzi is getting a makeover from Kookys N Cream, a Lapeer cookie shop that…
Michigan woman opens new fitness studio on Detroit’s eastside
We are nearing the point of the year where many people fall off their fitness resolution commitments. For some, it’s a resolution made to springboard their weight loss journey, while for others it’s motivation to make healthier lifestyle adjustments. Fitness and wellness coach Khari Dickey can help with both. “A healthy lifestyle is going to…
Dearborn restaurant Sahara reopens after six month closure
Staple Dearborn Lebanese restaurant Sahara reopened on Wednesday this week after being closed for six months. The restaurant is now offering takeout only until further notice. Sahara has been closed since September 2019 near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-owner Sam Hammoud told the Detroit Free Press that he struggled to keep the restaurant…
They’ve gone over budget and were sued, but Michigan’s redistricting commissioners give themselves a raise anyway
The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, which faces a $1.2 million shortfall and multiple lawsuits, decided it was time to give its 13 members a 7% pay hike, even as their work diminishes. Commissioners, who were previously rebuffed for allegedly violating the Open Meetings Act, voted 8-3 to boost their pay to nearly $60,000, a…
How Mr. and Mrs. Crumbley could spark a movement for gun responsibility
When James and Jennifer Crumbley walked in and out of that Oakland County courtroom Thursday, their chains and shackles clinked and jingled like bells on a horse-drawn sleigh. Perhaps it was appropriate that their entrances and exits evoked the wintry sound of an old-timey Michigan Christmas. Because when Mr. Crumbley bought that gun for his…
121 neighborhoods in Washtenaw County still have racially restrictive covenants. This one did something about it.
Like many neighborhoods of its time, an Ann Arbor subdivision in the late 1940s enforced a racially restrictive covenant that prohibited “any person other than the Caucasian race” from using or occupying a house except for “domestic servants.” Until recently, that 1947 covenant, while no longer enforced, was still on the books in the Hannah…
Dogs and cats used in experiments would get a happy new home under Michigan legislation
Michigan lawmakers are considering legislation that would give homes to dogs and cats that are used in research. Two bipartisan bills in a state House committee would require that animals used for research be put up for adoption after they outlive their use for research. Under the legislation, animals that are deemed suitable for adoption…
JARS Cannabis and Terrapin offer scholarships to cannabis school for those affected by the war on drugs
Since Michiganders voted to legalize recreational cannabis in 2018, the industry has skyrocketed to new highs. That’s obvious. What isn’t always so obvious is how people who were disproportionately affected by the war on drugs — *cough* minorities and poor people *cough* — can participate in the “new” money-making industry. To help level the playing…
Chefs from Detroit’s destroyed Taqueria El Rey get pop-up residency Batch Brewing Company
Following the fire that left Southwest Detroit’s Taqueria El Rey destroyed last month, Corktown’s Batch Brewing Co. will host the taco spot’s chefs for a recurring pop-up on Mondays and Tuesdays. According to a press release, Batch Brewing Company owner Stephen Roginson reached out to the owners to offer his kitchen so the chefs can…
Metro Detroit restaurants and chefs are all over the 2022 list of James Beard Award semifinalists
The list of 2022 James Beard Award semifinalists confirms what we’ve known all along — the food scene in Metro Detroit has got it going on. Nearly 20 Michigan restaurants and chefs are being considered for the prestigious award, including Baobab Fare’s Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere. Finalists will be announced on March 16, while…
Rep. Tlaib tells striking Great Lakes Coffee workers they deserve better
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib joined more than 200 people who rallied in support of striking Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co. workers in Detroit on Wednesday, telling the baristas and cooks they deserve better pay and work conditions. “None of my residents should have to struggle this much. It shouldn’t be this hard,” Tlaib said outside…
Seasons Market opens new supermarket in Detroit’s Cass Corridor focusing on seasonal produce
Detroit’s Cass Corridor has its fair share of beloved local markets. (Marcus Market anyone? That place is the jam) But there’s a newcomer to the scene that hopes to offer more of a fresh, healthy vibe. Seasons Market opened up shop at 4125 Second Ave. on Feb. 10, and is a cross between a farmer’s…
Canadian report poses alternatives to Line 5 pipelines
New research from Environmental Defence Canada makes the case that there’s a path forward to shutting down the Line 5 dual pipelines, which run under the Straits of Mackinac. The Canadian gas company Enbridge Energy plans to build a tunnel to contain the pipeline, but some engineers think the proposal poses safety risks. Canadian officials…
Democrats are screwed and it’s the left’s fault (allegedly)
The benefit (drawback?) of running your own news organization is that no one’s going to tell you your reporting is lazy and your story reeks of a conclusion in search of evidence. And so we have “Squad politics backfire” by Axios’ Mike Allen, an exercise in Smart Brevity™ that blames the recall of school board…
Inflation explained (by an epidemiologist)
Chances are if you’ve pumped gas, picked up meat at your local grocer, made home improvements, or, God forbid, bought a car — you’ve felt the pinch on your pocketbook. Inflation is one of those big scary words used in economics — something that you see and feel immediately. The median American family of four…
Dua Lipa; Frida; Tyler, the Creator; and more things to do in metro Detroit this week
Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Submit your events to www.metrotimes.com/calendar. Be sure to check venue websites for COVID-19 policies. To Make Is To Stay This group exhibition presented by ARAB: A Real Arab Blueprint, dubbed To Make Is To Say, features more than 70 artworks by six artists: Farah Al Qasimi, Tarek…
Free Will Astrology (Feb. 23-March 1)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it,” wrote author G. K. Chesterton. Amen to that! Please regard his observation as the first part of your horoscope. Here’s the second part: It’s sometimes the right approach to move in harmony with the…
Warren’s Golden Harvest is an old-school Chinese favorite that will make you say ‘qiézi’
As we arrived at Golden Harvest back in November, a young Chinese-American man was picking up a big carry-out order. Asked what it was, he said cheerily, “Ten orders of spicy squid! Got to get ready for Thanksgiving!” Thus are traditions born. Why not? I’m thinking of making it my own favorite new tradition, Chinese…
