Cover Stories
Michigan marijuana dispensaries adapt to provide relief for patients and customers amid coronavirus pandemic
You’ve stocked up on the essentials to survive a pandemic: Toilet paper, canned food, hand sanitizer, and masks. But for many of us, you can’t forget marijuana. Cannabis can combat anxiety, pain, illnesses, and yes, boredom. Luckily, in Michigan, dispensaries are still permitted to sell recreational and medical cannabis because the industry has been deemed…
After last year’s vaping scare, Michigan has cracked down. Is it safe to vape THC again?
In the past decade vaping has become popular, touted as a healthier alternative to smoking. By superheating marijuana oil or flower into an aerosol that can be inhaled, people could get the benefits of the plant without harming their lungs with smoke. But an outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries in the past year that left…
You’ve got a friend in weed: How marijuana can help with anxiety
My relationship with weed started, like many, in my teens. I smoked a joint in a basement when I was 16, sucking the smoke through the neon-colored rubber bands of my braces, coughing hysterically before engaging in my first kiss. Later, I would take turns smoking out of pop bottles with my step-sister in our…
Recreational weed sales start at New Standard Hazel Park
Updated: 3:00 p.m., Friday, April 24: According to a press release, New Standard Hazel Park had a delay with their licensing from the state and recreational cannabis will be available Monday, April 27. They offer delivery and curbside pick-up due to the coronavirus. Originally posted 11:53 a.m., Monday, April 20: More recreational weed is headed…
The coronavirus behind bars : A letter from a Michigan jail (Part 2)
Note: Ray Gray, an artist from Detroit, has been behind bars for nearly 50 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit. On April 10, he sent us this dispatch from Muskegon Correctional Facility. Today we share Gray’s latest dispatch from behind bars amid the coronavirus pandemic. On April 8, we received our masks.…
Michigan’s coronavirus deaths surge as older cases are added to tally
Michigan reported 232 new coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, the largest one-day increase since the crisis began, bringing the state’s total to 2,700. Of those, 95 were past cases that had not been processed. That means 137 people died in the past 24 hours, which is higher than the state’s average of 124 over the past…
Electric Forest 2020 officially canceled due to coronavirus
This was an inevitability, but still, tens of thousands of festival-goers were hanging on to hope that somehow, Michigan’s Electric Forest would still be able to happen this year. Alas, it is now officially the latest large-scale festival to pull the plug in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers made the announcement on Tuesday.…
Gov. Whitmer says coronavirus choices have been ‘gut-wrenching’
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been getting a lot of shit from the right during the coronavirus pandemic, which changes depending on which way the political winds blow and the week’s talking points. Early on, critics blamed her for not allowing doctors to use hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug touted by President Donald Trump, to treat COVID-19…
Iggy Pop celebrates 73rd birthday by releasing rare Sly and the Family Stone cover
Though we may have lost our grip on reality and find ourselves questioning what day it is every single day, we absolutely fucking know what Tuesday is: it’s Iggy Pop’s birthday. The Godfather of Punk turned 73, and celebrated by releasing an exclusive cover of Sly & the Family Stone’s “Family Affair” — a song…
Russian breakout ‘Beanpole’ looks and feels like little else
Beanpole is currently streaming online as part of Film Lab’s Virtual Cinema series on VOD. Tickets can be purchased here. With its juiced-up emerald and burnt-red interiors, all captured by a gamboling camera and frequently awash in spotty golden light, last year’s Russian breakout Beanpole looks and feels like little else. Director Kantemir Balagov’s headstrong,…
Former Flint mayor thinks Rick Snyder should go to prison
Former Flint mayor Karen Weaver doubled down on comments she made about her relationship with former governor Rick Snyder in a recent VICE news article, telling WDIV that she believes Snyder should be in prison. “Do I think Rick Snyder should be held accountable for this and go to prison? I think not only Rick…
Beaumont Health is laying off nearly 2,500 employees amid costly coronavirus outbreak
Beaumont Health is temporarily laying off nearly 2,500 employees and permanently eliminating about 450 positions because of the financial strain from the coronavirus outbreak. The state’s largest hospital system halted nearly all surgeries and other medical services unrelated to COVID-19 to focus on the unprecedented influx of patients during the coronavirus outbreak that began five…
Whitmer defends stay-at-home order as coronavirus deaths continue to decline in Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday that her stay-at-home order is working as the number of new coronavirus deaths continues to decline. Michigan reported 77 new deaths on Monday, the lowest one-day increase since April 5. The average number of casualties in April is 110. For three straight days, Michigan reported fewer than 85 new deaths.…
Lower your pitchforks, metro Detroit — Ticketmaster will offer refunds for postponed events, but there may be a catch
The people have spoken — and Ticketmaster is making an effort to not be the bad guy by unveiling its plan to refund ticket-holders whose events have been postponed due to the coronavirus. Last week, Ticketmaster found itself in hot water after the company quietly amended its refund policy to no longer offer full refunds…
Video shows Detroiters disregarding stay-at-home order, watching car stunts
Video from this weekend shows Detroiters congregating on a sunny day, flouting Michigan’s stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus crisis. The video was captured by Tay Crispyy, a 26-year-old DIY news anchor who runs his own Instagram news channel, @taycrispyy. It shows a scene from “Sunday Funday,” a weekly gathering where people watch cars do stunts.…
Some Michiganders need to take action to receive stimulus money
The federal government is starting to dole out some financial relief to Michiganders during the COVID-19 pandemic through stimulus checks. However, some people need to take action to ensure they receive a payment. Households without a federal tax filing requirement will not automatically receive the payment unless they file a 2018 or 2019 tax return.…
Fewer vaping injuries reported in states with legal weed, according to study
States with legal recreational marijuana had fewer cases of vaping-related lung injuries than other states, according to a study published earlier this month by JAMA Network Open. No surprise here: earlier research found that the culprit behind the injuries was likely vitamin E acetate, a substance used in black-market marijuana vaping products. If people could…
Michigan reports 134 new coronavirus deaths as positive cases top 30,000
Michigan reported 134 new coronavirus deaths on Friday, the lowest one-day increase in four days, bringing the state’s total to 2,227. The state now has more than 30,000 positive cases, up 760 in the past 24 hours. Although the numbers remain high, they appear to be flattening out. Hospitals admission rates are declining, and fewer…
Detroit’s 2020 ‘Hair Wars’ has been canceled due to the coronavirus
Hair Wars, Detroit’s annual hair show, has been canceled. Yes, due to the coronavirus. The event was going to be held on Sunday, May 17 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. This year’s event was going to be car-themed. Full refunds have been issued. Event organizer Hump the Grinder (aka David Humphries, a…
Officials deny statute of limitations is running out for Flint water crisis criminal charges
On Thursday, VICE published a bombshell report that suggested, among many explosive allegations, former Gov. Rick Snyder knew of the Flint water crisis long before he said he did in a Congressional testimony. The report comes nearly six years since the disastrous decision to switch the city’s water source was made, which set the crisis…
Trump calls for… something… with dangerous ‘LIBERATE MICHIGAN!’ tweet
President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Friday with a two-word message that could have a dangerous interpretation: “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” LIBERATE MICHIGAN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 Trump also tweeted “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” and “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” The states have all seen protests in…
Royal Oak Mayor asks Commissioner Kim Gibbs to resign after she was spotted walking around at Operation Gridlock
Royal Oak Mayor Michael Fournier has asked City Commissioner Kim Gibbs to step down after she was spotted disobeying social distancing guidelines at “Operation Gridlock,” a massive right-wing protest on Wednesday in Lansing against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s coronavirus stay-at-home order. Originally conceived as a “drive-through” protest in opposition to Whitmer’s expanded executive order, which critics…
Could Michigan’s economy start re-opening in May? Gov. Whitmer sends conflicting messages
On Wednesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the protest earlier that day against her coronavirus stay-at-home order — in which people gathered in Lansing, many not wearing face masks, and many disobeying social distancing guidelines by standing close together and touching each other — “may have just created a need to lengthen it” by possibly spreading…
Detroit battles coronavirus crisis in nursing homes with rapid testing
The highly contagious coronavirus has taken root in all 27 nursing homes in Detroit, where elderly residents with underlying health conditions live in close proximity to each other. As of Monday, 26 nursing home residents in Detroit have died from the coronavirus, and hundreds more are likely infected. “We have a crisis in our nursing…
Michigan surpasses 2,000 coronavirus deaths and 29,000 positive cases
Michigan reported 173 new coronavirus deaths on Thursday, the second largest one-day increase, bringing the state’s total to 2,093. Nearly 70 of the deaths came in Detroit. “COVID-19 is real. This is not a game,” Denise Fair, the city’s chief public health officer, said at a news conference Thursday. “COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate. It has impacted…
These four Michigan Sheriffs oppose Gov. Whitmer, pledge to not strictly enforce executive order
Four Northern Michigan Sheriffs have come together to echo the sentiments shared by thousands of protesters who descended upon Michigan’s capital on Wednesday in a dangerous stunt known as “Operation Gridlock.” The protest, which ultimately created a traffic jam surrounding the capital, was an act of retaliation against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home executive order, which…
Coffeehaus launches fundraiser to help Detroit restaurants closed due to the coronavirus
Coffee roaster Coffeehaus launched a fundraiser to help Detroit restaurants that have closed or were otherwise harmed due to the coronavirus. The Hospitality Support Blend program partners with 40 local restaurants and small businesses. When you buy a bag of beans, 50% goes to the business printed on the bag. Participating businesses include Detroit Institute…
Whitmer partners with Midwestern governors to coordinate reopening regional economy following coronavirus outbreak
So far, President Donald Trump’s plan to reopen the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic has included forming an advisory team that includes his daughter and son-in-law (naturally) and, umm, WWE’s Vince McMahon. And while many business leaders and experts think Trump’s stated goal of opening the economy back up on May 1 is impossible without…
Officials predict Michigan’s unemployment funds could run out by July
Since the coronavirus arrived in Michigan last month, the state has become one of the nation’s deadliest hotspots for the virus, and in Detroit, the coronavirus has claimed more lives than in two years of homicides. Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended her stay-at-home order through April, which closes all but “essential” businesses to slow…
Rick Snyder knew about Flint water crisis earlier than he testified under oath, according to new report
To paraphrase the famous Watergate question, what did former Gov. Rick Snyder know about the Flint water crisis, and when did he know it? According to a bombshell report published on Thursday by VICE, much more than he previously acknowledged — and long before he did. Reporters Jordan Chariton and Jenn Dize spent more than…
More Detroiters have died from coronavirus than have been killed in two years of homicides
More Detroiters have died from the coronavirus in one month than have been killed in two years of city homicides. The city reported 69 coronavirus deaths on Thursday — the largest one-day increase since the outbreak began last month — bringing the total to 538. Between 2018 and 2019, 534 people were killed in homicides,…
Electronic musician Squarepusher, who was supposed to perform in Detroit today, releases video filmed on an empty People Mover
On a day that should have boasted a performance by Squarepusher at Detroit’s Majestic Theatre, the English electronic producer instead dropped visuals for “Detroit People Mover” — a love letter to an empty city. Tom Jenkinson, who performs as Squarepusher, released “Detroit People Mover” on Thursday, a track from his Lamental EP, released last week…
You can now get house-roasted coffee via Detroit’s yet-to-open Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts
A new coffee and doughnut cafe was set to open in a former Krispy Krunchy Chicken restaurant located in Detroit’s Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood last month, but due to state-wide closures in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, those plans were halted. Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts has been in the works since October…
Royal Oak City Commissioner Kim Gibbs spotted walking around at Operation Gridlock
Royal Oak City Commissioner Kim Gibbs attended “Operation Gridlock,” Wednesday’s shitshow of a protest in Lansing where people rebelled against the “tyranny” of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s expanded coronavirus stay-at-home order by blocking traffic, brandishing guns, and waving Confederate flags. Or something. Operation Gridlock organizers told protesters to stay in their cars to adhere to the…
Gov. Whitmer chides protesters for defying social-distancing measures, possibly spreading the coronavirus
Protesters who swarmed the state’s Capitol on Wednesday to rally against Michigan’s stay-at-home order “may have just created a need to lengthen it,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. “They were in close proximity. They were touching each other,” Whitmer said at a press conference late Wednesday afternoon. “That’s how the virus is spread.” Whitmer has drawn…
Michigan’s coronavirus death toll nears 2,000, with more than 27,000 positive cases
Michigan’s coronavirus death toll rose by 153 on Wednesday, bringing the total to nearly 2,000. The state now has more more than 27,000 infections, up 1,366 over the past 24 hours. Michigan ranks third in the number of positive cases and deaths nationwide, behind New York and New Jersey. In Wayne County, where the coronavirus…
There’s been a spike in people dying at home in cities like Detroit. That suggests coronavirus deaths are higher than reported.
In recent weeks, residents outside Boston have died at home much more often than usual. In Detroit, authorities are responding to nearly four times the number of reports of dead bodies. And in New York, city officials are recording more than 200 home deaths per day — a nearly sixfold increase from recent years. As…
Detroit techno legend Kevin Saunderson is recovering from COVID-19
Detroit techno great Kevin Saunderson took to Facebook to update fans on his COVID-19 status. “As you can see I am up and I am about,” Saunderson said in a video posted Tuesday from his car. “I am fantastic. I feel like I am 100%.” The 55-year-old beatmaker first alerted fans of his status on…
Oakland County deploys mobile morgues as coronavirus strains hospitals
Oakland County has set up two mobile morgues as hospitals begin to run out of space to store bodies. At least one hospital is already storing bodies in one of two refrigerated units behind the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office in Pontiac. “We drafted a plan (to store bodies) hoping we never would have to…
People protest Whitmer’s stay-at-home order by creating traffic gridlock, not adhering to social distancing
Folks, “Operation Gridlock” is in full effect, and by all accounts it looks dumb as hell. Protesters descended upon Lansing on Wednesday, arguing that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order is excessive. The protesters say Whitmer’s expanded executive order, which has shut much of the economy down through April in order to stop the spread of…
Cinema Detroit receives $10,000 grant from filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s nonprofit
The show will go on for one independent movie house in Detroit, thanks to Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and activist Ava DuVernay. Midtown’s nonprofit Cinema Detroit has been awarded a $10,000 grant through DeVernay’s Array Alliance foundation, part of its inaugural $250,000 initiative to support arts organizations that serve and foster diverse and underrepresented film communities that…
Savage Love: The grass is greener
I am a super queer presenting female who recently accepted that I have desires for men. My partner of two years is bisexual and understands the desires, but has personally dealt with those desires via masturbation while my desires include acting. Her perspective is that the grass is greener where you water it and that…
Horoscopes (April 15-21)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20: Try to keep it simple. What’s up right now will be easier to handle if you can follow that line. You’re bound to run into others who throw a monkey wrench into the works and complicate things enough to drive you crazy. Some of them are too emotionally involved…
Check out our 4/20 issue
You can check out our 4/20 issue here.
Joe Biden views himself as a bridge. To where, exactly?
On January 20, 2021, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. will be 78 years and 61 days old. If he wins in November, he’ll not only be the oldest man ever to take the oath of office, he’ll also be the oldest man ever to be president. Ronald Reagan completed his second term just before his 78th…
