Cover Stories
How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Michigan, and other help
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered all Michigan residents to stay home as much as possible to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the novel virus that has spread to all corners of the globe in 2020 and causes the potentially deadly disease COVID-19. While the virus has made it so we can’t be in close…
Metro Detroit hospitals overwhelmed with crush of coronavirus patients, lack of supplies
As the coronavirus quickly spreads across metro Detroit, hospitals are running out of ventilators, intensive-care beds, trained medical staff, and personal protective gear like masks, gloves, and gowns. Hospitals are taking drastic measures and even pleading with the public to donate supplies to prevent the health-care system from becoming overwhelmed. With more than 1,000 new…
In the age of coronavirus, metro Detroit artists, businesses, and DJs are turning to livestreaming — and it’s making us closer than ever
The term FOMO — or fear of missing out — is alleged to have originated in 2000, when marketing strategist Dan Herman wrote a paper on the phenomenon. The term would take a few years to catch on, finding legs on the campus of Harvard Business School in 2004. It wasn’t until 2007 that Businessweek declared…
It’s the end of the world as we know it and I have Netflix (and other streaming services)
Social distancing and self-quarantine. Scary but necessary. Admit it, though: Some of you are kind of excited at having a ready excuse to just stay home and gorge yourself on movies, TV, and beans eaten cold from the can (until you find out your GrubHub guy or gal is no longer delivering; by the way…
845 Michiganders now dead from the coronavirus after largest single-day increase
Michigan’s death toll from the coronavirus climbed to 845, with 115 new fatalities reported Tuesday, the largest one-day increase. It was the second day in a row that the state recorded 100 new deaths in a 24-hour period. The death toll more than doubled over the past five days, as public health officials warn that…
Our annual glossy City Guide is out now
City Guide, one of Metro Times’ annual glossy publications, has hit the streets. Usually, our supplemental publications are available in many of the places where Metro Times can be found. Of course, the coronavirus has caused many of these businesses to temporarily close due to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order to slow the spread of…
Detroit has a higher coronavirus death rate than New York City
The coronavirus is hitting Detroit harder than New York City, the epicenter of the virus in the U.S. In just the past three days, Detroit’s death toll nearly doubled, reaching 221 on Tuesday. During that period, the city averaged more than 3o deaths a day. And public health officials warn that the worst is yet…
The coronavirus has cost Michigan’s art scene more than $850,000 so far, according to survey
The financial impact of the coronavirus for Michigan’s arts community is at least $858,763 to date. That’s according to the latest results of Americans for the Arts’ ongoing survey of artists and arts organizations. So far, 125 organizations have responded to the survey. The survey found that 95% of respondents canceled events, resulting in a…
Hundreds of metro Detroit nurses are sick and lack adequate protections amid coronavirus outbreak
As coronavirus patients flood hospitals in metro Detroit, hundreds of health care workers are getting infected, leading to critical staffing shortages. At Sinai-Grace Hospital, nurses said they were told to leave Sunday night after they staged a protest for what they described as dangerously low staffing levels. “We had six nurses, and they told us…
Marijuana provisioning center New Standard opened in Hazel Park with plans to soon offer delivery
Hazel Park has another marijuana provisioning center. New Standard opened last week at Ten Mile and John R Roads. It’s for medical use only now, so you’ll need a medical marijuana card, though it plans to offer adult-use recreational marijuana sales soon. (For recreational marijuana, you can always check out Breeze, which opened in Hazel…
Detroit Tigers legend and 1968 world champ Al Kaline dead at 85
Baseball Hall of Famer Al Kaline, who patrolled right field for the Detroit Tigers from 1953-1974 and helped lead the team to victory in the 1968 World Series, died Monday afternoon at his home in Bloomfield Hills. He was 85. Born in Baltimore in 1934, Kaline joined the Tigers right out of high school as…
Michigan reports more than 100 new coronavirus deaths, the largest daily increase so far
Michigan reported 101 new deaths from the coronavirus on Monday, the largest daily increase since the state’s first fatality on March 18. The state’s death toll now stands at 727, the third highest in nation, behind New York and New Jersey. Michigan also reported more than 1,500 confirmed infections, bringing the statewide total to 17,221.…
Little Caesars to donate one million pizzas to coronavirus frontline workers, launches ‘pie it forward’ program
Michigan-born chain and home of the Hot-N-Ready $5 pizza Little Caesars is joining the coronavirus crisis relief efforts by feeding those working on the frontlines of the pandemic. Starting Tuesday, Little Caesars will begin donating 1 million pizzas to hospital workers and first responders across the country in the coming weeks, which, according to a…
Beloved metro Detroit educator and poet Brenda Perryman dies of coronavirus
Tributes from community leaders and former mentees have been pouring in since Sunday’s news that Southfield educator, poet, and public access talk show host Brenda Perryman died on Sunday due to coronavirus complications. Perryman, a retired speech and drama at Southfield High School, was also a celebrated poet who authored of Mood Swings and Magic…
Detroit’s 2020 Grand Prix on Belle Isle canceled due to coronavirus
For years, the months-long construction for Belle Isle’s annual Grand Prix IndyCar Series race has been a point of contention for many Detroiters, who want to just be able to use the State Park for what it was intended for — you know, like, enjoying nature and shit. Well, it looks like that group got…
Detroit Zoo ramps up precautionary measures for its big cats after Bronx Zoo tiger diagnosed with coronavirus
Animal care workers at the Detroit Zoo are taking extra precautions after a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, last week. Communications officials at the Detroit Zoo, which is home to three Amur tigers, say that none of its animals, nor those at…
Gov. Whitmer plans to extend stay-at-home order as coronavirus continues to rapidly spread
As the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday she expects to extend her stay-at-home beyond the initial April 14 expiration date. Whitmer said hospitals are overwhelmed, and there’s no sign that the rate of infections is slowing down. “We know that the most effective tool that we have as…
Michigan nurse demonstrates coronavirus cross-contamination in viral video
Saginaw clinician Molly Lixey took to Facebook for what she called a “Molly rant” to demonstrate the dangers of cross-contamination while wearing gloves by using house paint and a scenario millions of Americans are now concerned with: grocery shopping during the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m seeing a lot of people out in public wearing gloves right…
Think tank offers guidance to keep Michigan strong amid coronavirus crisis
As state leaders assess the evolving challenges created by the COVID-19 outbreak, some policy analysts want to do their part to help keep Michigan residents healthy and financially stable. Gilda Jacobs, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, says the coronavirus pandemic has brought to light issues such as the need for…
2 more TSA screeners at Detroit Metro Airport test positive for coronavirus
Two more Transportation Security Administration screeners at Detroit Metro Airport have tested positive for the coronavirus. Both screening officers were working in late March before they realized they were sick. The TSA took several days to disclose the positive cases. On March 24, TSA announced that a screening officer and baggage officer were the first…
Dr. El-Sayed on possible coronavirus drug: ‘Let’s not give people false hope’
Detroit’s former public health director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed weighed in on the debate around hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug that has been touted as a potential cure for coronavirus patients by President Donald Trump in recent weeks. El-Sayed cautioned that despite the drug’s promise, the science just isn’t there to back it up yet. “The President’s…
Coronavirus claims 617 lives in Michigan, showing no signs of slowing down
The highly-contagious coronavirus shows no signs of slowing down in Michigan, which reported 77 new deaths on Sunday, bringing its total to 617. The state has averaged 71 deaths a day for the past week. Only New York and New Jersey have a higher death toll than Michigan, with 3,500 deaths and 847 deaths, respectively. Michigan now…
Detroit reports deadliest day yet for coronavirus on Sunday, with 167 deaths so far
Detroit reported 38 deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday — the largest daily spike so far — bringing the city’s death toll to 167. The second-highest number of deaths in a day was 21 on March 31. The total number of confirmed infections in the city rose to 4,557, with nearly 600 new cases. The…
Detroit culture creators, you can now submit your livestream events to Metro Times’ online calendar!
The coronavirus pandemic and a ban on large gatherings has put Detroit’s concerts, dance nights, art gallery openings, comedy sets, and other cultural events on hold, but local creatives aren’t letting that stop them. Many are using technology and turning to livestreaming to perform for their followers to watch safely on their phones or computers…
Detroiters appear to defy Whitmer’s stay-at-home order in social media video
A video circulating on social media in recent days shows a large group of Detroiters congregating — flouting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order calling on all Michigan residents to stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The video shows a large group partying at a gas station. “If any of these fools worked…
Detroit’s Anna Burch delivers a patient plea for rest on ‘If You’re Dreaming’
Anna Burch appears to have gotten her wish. “Do we have to go?/ Could we just stay home?/ ‘Cause I’m so tired/ I’m so tired,” Burch pleads on “Party’s Over,” the second single from her latest record, If You’re Dreaming, out now on Polyvinyl. Where Burch’s 2018 debut Quit the Curse presented a shimmering lo-fi landscape of romantic…
Michigan reports 62 new coronavirus deaths and nearly 2,000 more confirmed infections
Michigan reported 62 new deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the state total to 479. With deaths more than doubling every four days, Michigan ranks third in the number of deaths in the U.S., behind New York and New Jersey. Top federal government officials estimated this week that between 1,000 and 4,500 Michigan residents…
Whitmer order prohibits employers from disciplining employees for staying home if exposed to coronavirus
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order that prohibits employers from firing or retaliating against an employee for staying home from work if they or someone close to them tests positive for COVID-19 or exhibits its symptoms. The order tightens the stay-at-home rule by requiring all residents who test positive, show symptoms, or come in…
Detroit reports 19 new coronavirus deaths and more than 700 new confirmed infections
Detroit reported 19 new deaths from the coronavirus on Friday, bringing the total to 116. The death toll doubled in the past four days. The total number of confirmed infections in the city rose to 3,572, with 712 new cases, as the city dramatically increases its testing capacity. With 6.7% of the state’s population, Detroit…
We’re drinking more during coronavirus, a lot more — but our immune systems are at risk, Michigan officials warn
We totally get it. Times are bleak. Life is grim. Nearly two weeks into Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s statewide stay-at-home order, and Michiganders are already feeling like Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas or, like, Nicolas Cage in real life singing post-divorce Prince karaoke — and they’re drinking like him, too. With liquor stores deemed essential…
Uh, guys — ‘Zoombombing’ could result in criminal charges, Michigan AG says
In the age of coronavirus, working from home is no longer a once-in-a-while luxury — for many of us, it’s our new normal. And with that comes, well, a lot of distractions, which include those that can occur during a meeting while using popular video conferencing apps like Zoom. In some cases, you might get…
‘This coronavirus shit is for real’: Detroit bus driver posted this video before he died
A Detroit bus driver who posted a viral, profanity-laced video complaining about working conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic died, officials said Thursday. Jason Hargrove, 50, reportedly became sick days after posting the video on Facebook, in which he went off on an older woman who was coughing on his bus without covering her mouth. “This…
Violating Michigan’s stay-at-home order is now a $1,000 fine
Michigan is serious about stopping the spread of the coronavirus: violating Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order could now result in a $1,000 fine. Previously, violations of Whitmer’s executive order — which called on all Michigan residents to stay at home for three weeks, except to conduct “essential” business — was a misdemeanor punishable by $500…
Gov. Whitmer says she sees ‘great potential’ with coronovirus drug hydroxychloroquine; Detroit is now leading the nation’s first large-scale study
After being accused of “banning” the use of a potential coronavirus drug, Michigan is now leading the nation’s largest study on whether hydroxychloroquine can be used to treat COVID-19. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was asked about the new study of the drug, announced by Henry Ford Health System on Thursday, during a coronavirus town hall with…
Black people make up 12% of Michigan’s population — and at least 40% of its coronavirus deaths
The coronavirus is infecting and killing an alarming proportion of Black residents in Michigan. Black people make up 12% of Michigan’s population. But of the state’s 417 coronavirus deaths, 40% are Black, 26% are white, 30% are unknown, and 4% are mixed race or other, according to data released Thursday by the Michigan Department of…
Coronavirus deaths top 400 in Michigan, with nearly 11,000 confirmed cases
Michigan reported 80 more coronavirus deaths on Thursday – the highest single-day increase – bringing the total to 417. The number of confirmed infections also rose higher than any previous day, increasing from 9,334 to 10,791. With deaths more than doubling every three days, Michigan has the third-highest number of coronavirus-related fatalities in the U.S.,…
Coronavirus death toll nears 100 in Detroit, with 14 new fatalities reported
The coronavirus death toll in Detroit rose to 97 on Thursday, with 14 new deaths reported over the past 24 hours. The city also reported nearly 400 new positive cases, bringing the citywide total to 2,860. Detroit’s dramatically rising fatalities have raised concerns that the city is on the verge of following in the deadly…
Detroit native Lily Tomlin donates to aid Michigan service-industry workers impacted by coronavirus
For those who are nearing three weeks of coronavirus-inflicted quarantine, you may find yourself posing impossible existential questions, not unlike those posed in the 2004 ensemble indie flick I Heart Huckabees, starring Detroit’s own Lily Tomlin. “How am I not myself? How am not myself?” While we try and crack the case on our own…
Introducing Good To-Go Detroit, a database of local restaurants with carry-out and delivery during the coronavirus pandemic
A leisurely night out at our favorite restaurants is sadly not something any of us is going to be doing for a while, but all is not lost. Dozens of amazing places have transitioned to takeout, delivery, and curb-side pickup services to weather the coronavirus pandemic. Detroit Metro Times is now offering Good To-Go Detroit…
First Oakland County dispensary to deliver marijuana begins service Friday
Lume Cannabis Co. in Walled Lake will become the first dispensary in Oakland County to offer home delivery of marijuana products to patients and recreational customers. Beginning Friday, the dispensary will begin delivering flower, edibles, concentrates, and vape cartridges to many communities in Oakland and Wayne counties. Another Walled Lake dispensary, The Greenhouse, plans to…
Michigan marijuana sales level out after coronavirus outbreak stockpiling
Marijuana sales surged more than $1 million to $5.8 million the week before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a three-week stay-at-home order on March 24 to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But sales went down more than $1.2 million to $4.6 million in the following week, March 23-29, according to data from the Marijuana Regulatory…
Michigan now ranks third in coronavirus deaths in U.S. as fatalities double every 2 days
Michigan reported 78 new deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday — the most in a single day — bringing the state total to 337. Michigan now ranks third in the number of deaths in the U.S., behind New York and New Jersey. The deaths in Michigan are doubling every two days. At this time last…
Kroger announces a ‘Hero Bonus’ for hourly frontline workers
Cincinnati-based mega grocery chain Kroger announced on March 31 that they are giving bonuses to all hourly frontline grocery, supply chain, manufacturing, pharmacy and call center associates. The “Hero Bonus” will provide an additional $2 per hour to employees’ wages from March 29 to April 18. “Our associates have displayed the true actions of a…
Roll the credits: AMC Star Southfield has closed permanently
It’s the end of an era for some metro Detroiters as the final act has come for a local cultural icon. A sign taped to the doors of the AMC Star Southfield at 12 Mile and Northwestern Highway reveals that the multiplex has permanently closed. “Theatre closed. AMC Southfield 20 has permanently closed,” the sign…
Joe Biden is considering Gov. Whitmer as his running mate. Here’s why she shouldn’t do it.
In a March Democratic debate, former Vice President Joe Biden made headlines when he promised that his running mate would be a woman. Which woman? He didn’t say. But we now know that he has been strongly considering the person who President Trump recently dismissed as “the woman in Michigan” — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Biden…
Sorry, metro Detroit ticket holders, StubHub will no longer offer refunds for canceled or postponed events
As the great Cat Stevens once wrote, “the first cut is the deepest.” For many, the first cut suffered may have been the ongoing wave of concert and event postponements and cancellations across the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic, forcing the event industry at large to press pause indefinitely. Last month, promoter giants Live…
Trump takes heat for dialing back fuel-economy standards
The Trump administration is taking heat for dialing back vehicle-emission standards when a public health crisis already is threatening lives and the economy. The final “Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient” (SAFE) Vehicles Rule requires automakers to raise the fuel economy of passenger cars by 1.5% annually, overriding 2012 standards that required 5% increases each year. Detroit-area mom…
1 in 3 metro Michigan restaurants could close due to coronavirus
The coronavirus could be a near-extinction level event for Michigan’s bars and restaurants. That’s according to the results of a survey by the National Restaurant Association in conjunction with the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA), which represents more than 5,000 businesses in the state. According to the study, Michigan hospitality businesses lost $491 million…
Horoscopes (April 1-7)
ARIES | March 21 – April 20: You’re holding steady under a raft of considerations that keep you awake at night. On the one hand, you’re pretty strong, but when you look at what’s right in front of your nose, it’s a good thing that part of your being knows enough to soft-pedal the truth…
Readers call us out for using photo of blight in story about coronavirus in Detroit
We received lots of criticism on Instagram in response to Lee DeVito’s March 26 blog post titled “Report: Detroit’s coronavirus infection rate among the nation’s highest,” which featured a photo of two seemingly abandoned houses. @beautybandit_ashley: will you please explain the correlation between reporting COVID-19 stats in Detroit and this picture of 2 abandoned houses?…
What stage of capitalism is this?
The day we learned the American job market had lost 3.3 million jobs in a week, the Dow gained 1,300 points on news that the Senate had reached a deal on a $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package. Sure, the stock market isn’t the economy. But the dissonance is jarring. As large as it is, the…
