Cover Stories
Project Censored’s top 10 stories show old patterns alive and well
Project Censored’s co-directors, Mickey Huff and Andy Lee Roth, title their introduction to this year’s edition of State of the Free Press, “A Return to News Normalcy?” drawing a direct parallel between our world today to that of post-World War I America, “When the United States faced another raging pandemic and economic recession,” with other…
Project Censored to release ‘State of the Free Press 2022’
“Project Censored” has been a tough sell since its inception in 1976. Identifying the most important stories of each year on the basis of the exposure that was denied to them by forces beyond the first amendment is a pretty reliable recipe for disillusionment. Nonetheless, the doomy gloom that seeps into my mood when Project…
Electric Forest announces 2022 lineup with GRiZ, Disclosure, Big Gigantic, Toro y Moi, and more
Michigan’s Electric Forest music festival is celebrating its belated 10th anniversary — and its return after a two-year hiatus — in 2022. The festival announced a lineup on Tuesday that includes the String Cheese Incident, GRiZ, Porter Robinson, Louis The Child, Disclosure, The Disco Biscuits, Big Gigantic, SLANDER, Fisher, and Sylvan Esso. Additional acts include…
Union workers ‘overwhelmingly’ reject latest Kellogg deal
The nine week-long workers’ strike against cereal giant Kellogg is set to continue, following a weekend vote in which 1,400 Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) employees “overwhelmingly” rejected the company’s latest proposal. That tentative deal reached on Wednesday had proposed 3% raises, enhanced benefits and an “accelerated” path for new…
The Statler Bistro and Market opens in Detroit’s City Club Apartments
An upscale French-American restaurant opens Thursday at the site of Detroit’s former historic Statler Hotel. The Statler Bistro and Market is located at the corner of Washington Blvd. and W. Grand River Ave., at 313 Park Ave., Detroit, on the ground floor of the new City Club Apartments. The spot includes a 165-seat high-end restaurant…
Conservative Livingston County Facebook group hit with restrictions, leader threatened school board members
Facebook imposed restrictions and fact-check monitoring on another Michigan-based Moms for Liberty group, and one of its leaders threatened school board members in Brighton. The Moms for Liberty Livingston County Facebook page routinely spreads conspiracy theories and false information about COVID-19. The group has claimed that vaccines cause people to “shed” the virus and infect…
Michigan hospitals face daunting winter with unvaccinated patients, omicron and flu, officials say
Soaring COVID-19 hospitalization rates combined with the emergence of the omicron variant and the resurgence of the flu could force Michigan hospitals to further cut back on elective surgeries and other procedures during a second winter dominated by the pandemic, according to officials at the Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System. “Our numbers of inpatients right…
Atlantic Records announces deal with Detroit’s Assemble Sound
Major label Atlantic Records has announced an official partnership with Assemble Sound, an indie music company that operates out of a formerly abandoned 200-year-old church in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. The joint venture will give “Atlantic ears on the ground in one of the world’s most influential and historic music cities,” according to a press release.…
Michigan AG Nessel ‘disappointed’ Oxford school officials rejected her offer of independent review
Oxford school officials rejected Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s offer to review last week’s shooting that killed four students and injured seven other people, she announced late Monday. Nessel made the offer Sunday, saying her department was the “perfect agency” to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting at Oxford High School. The idea was to…
Detroit woman celebrates culture and community with custom Kwanzaa kits
The history of Kwanzaa is a relatively new one. It was created 55 years ago by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a then-professor at California State University. Inspired by harvest celebrations of several African tribes including the Ashanti and Zulu, Karenga used the traditions of those African celebrations to create a new weeklong celebration. It’s that celebration…
Protesters rally against World Economic Forum in downtown Detroit
Protesters converged in downtown Detroit to rally against the World Economic Forum, saying the not-for-profit group of global elites is not welcome in a city where capitalism has left hundreds of thousands of residents living in poverty. The World Economic Forum advocates for public-private partnerships that take scarce tax resources from residents to subsidize billionaire…
Claim of fentanyl-laced weed in Michigan doesn’t pass the smell test
Last week, Michigan officials issued a statement regarding a possible “emerging public health threat,” warning that marijuana products could be laced with fentanyl, a powerful opioid that can be deadly. According to the statement, issued Friday by the Michigan Poison & Drug Information Center at Wayne State University, there have been several reports of patients…
Ferndale’s Public House reopens with new vegan menu and patio
Ferndale’s Public House is reopening under new ownership as Public House & Garden, featuring a new vegan menu and a lush patio garden. The restaurant is now under Ferndale-based Hometown Restaurant Group, according to a press release. The restaurant is expected to open the week of Dec. 21. The new owners say they have retooled…
State awarded $22K in fees for ‘Kraken’ attorney sanctions
The state of Michigan has been awarded nearly $22,000 as part of previously-granted sanctions against the so-called “Kraken” attorneys, who brought frivolous, misinformation-laden claims before Michigan courts last year in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election for former President Donald Trump. “The awarding of fees further holds accountable the attorneys who worked to…
Judge strikes down part of massive marijuana recall in Michigan
A Michigan Court of Claims judge temporary halted part of a massive recall of marijuana that left more than 400 dispensaries with the choice of destroying their cannabis products or getting them retested. Chief Judge Christopher Murray on Friday limited the recall to one of the company’s two labs – Viridis Laboratories in Lansing. The…
Detroit’s Dally in the Alley teases 2022 return
Dally in the Alley, the Cass Corridor’s long-running block party, is plotting a comeback. “9/10/22,” organizers posted in a Facebook message on Sunday. That was all that really needed to be said. The beer-soaked festival was canceled for the first time in its 40-plus year history in 2020 due to the pandemic. Organizers canceled the…
Sparrow, union caregivers reach tentative contract deal
A tentative agreement has been reached between Lansing-based Sparrow Hospital and contract negotiations with its 2,300 Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital (PECSH) caregivers, averting a possible strike that had been authorized last month. Bargainers at PESCH, a local subset of the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA), said Friday that they met with the Sparrow administration…
Nessel interview: GOP is in the ‘extreme minority’ on gun laws, abortion bans
The fate of Roe v. Wade has never hung more precariously in the balance as the 6-3 conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments Wednesday over a Mississippi abortion law that may spell the end of Roe v. Wade. Just one day before, a 15-year-old at Oakland County’s Oxford High School allegedly opened fire,…
Oxford is far from Detroit, but shooter suspect’s parents show how the two are connected
On Tuesday, as news of the deadly school shooting at Oxford High made headlines, where a 15-year-old sophomore killed at least four fellow students, some objected to the national media’s characterization of the incident as happening near Detroit. “Completely lazy to put Detroit in this headline since you know folks love to try to pin…
Birmingham’s Big Rock Chop House changes closing date
Birmingham’s Big Rock Chophouse will close its doors for good earlier than previously reported. According to the restaurant, the last day will be Saturday, Dec. 18. Previously, the restaurant said it would close at the end of the year. “We were originally planning on staying open through the end of the year, however the way…
Oxford shooter suspect’s parents charged, anti-vax Republican dies of COVID, Winter Blast canceled: the top 10 Detroit Metro Times headlines this week
Michigan once again earned the dubious distinction of making national headlines, this time for the deadly school shooting at Oxford High, in which 15-year-old suspect Ethan Crumbley killed at least four students. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald made headlines for her swift and severe punishment for the crimes, including charging Ethan Crumbley as an adult,…
Michigan House votes to allocate $50 million for more police in schools following Oxford shooting
Could increasing police presence throughout Michigan’s public schools keep students and staff safe from attacks similar to the one that took place at Oxford High School this week, when a 15-year-old sophomore opened fire on his peers, killing four and injuring seven others? The Michigan House thinks so, which is why it approved plans to…
Cult luxury lingerie brand The Great Eros opens in metro Detroit, its first location outside of New York City
Something sexy this way comes … or rather, has come. Cult favorite luxury lingerie, loungewear and intimate brand The Great Eros has spread to metro Detroit after five years as an exclusive Brooklyn, New York, staple. The brand, which offers minimalist and ethically-made intimates from Italy, with family-owned factories and studios in China, Japan, Peru,…
Parents of 15-year-old Oxford shooter suspect charged after ignoring son’s disturbing behavior
The parents of Ethan Crumbley, the 15-year-old accused of firing a gun at Oxford High on Tuesday, have been charged for their role in the deadly school shooting that killed at least four and injured seven. James and Jennifer Crumbley were each charged with four counts of homicide involuntary manslaughter after ignoring the school’s concerns…
‘My beloved community’: How Arabs are creating space in Detroit’s art scene
Nour Ballout wants everyone to feel at home. Their unassuming duplex stands down the street from the Motown Museum, a row of houses that Black business mogul Berry Gordy retrofitted to mold revolutionary music icons from Marvin Gay to Dianna Ross. In 2017, Ballout transformed their own home into Habibi House, an engagement space and…
Motown legend Martha Reeves to perform benefit concert for victims of Oxford shooting
Among the planned tributes and memorial services for the victims and families of the shooting that took place at Oxford High School this week, which took the lives of four students, a Motown legend is lending her voice to support those impacted by the tragedy. The 80-year-old “Nowhere To Run” singer Martha Reeves will perform…
Cop scared Oxford students by saying ‘bro,’ causing them to flee for their lives
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard shed light on a viral video that surfaced following a shooting that took place Tuesday at Oxford High School, where 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley opened fire, killing four students and injuring seven others. The video, which has been uploaded to TikTok and has amassed millions of views across social media, shows…
Michigan brings back retro ‘Water-Winter Wonderland’ license plate
Michigan drivers can now once again rock those old-school license plates that celebrate our “Water-Winter Wonderland.” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced the return of the plates, which feature yellow characters on dark blue and were first issued in 1965, when the National Voting Rights Act became law. “I am proud to give Michiganders back…
Kellogg’s offers 3% raise for striking workers under tentative agreement
About 1,400 Kellogg’s workers in Battle Creek and beyond have been on strike for nearly two months, demanding better wages and benefits. The strike could soon come to an end, if members of its union agree to a new offer put forth by the cereal company. Under the new agreement, Kellogg’s is offering all workers…
Ferndale’s latest recreational dispensary, Crucial, celebrates grand opening with rapper Tee Grizzley
Ferndale is quickly becoming metro Detroit’s adult-use cannabis provisioning center haven, and there’s a new dispensary on the block. Crucial, located at 642 E. Nine Mile Rd., is the work of Michigan-based entrepreneur Ryan Jundt, who says he’s “thrilled” to join Ferndale’s growing cannabis community, according to a press release. To celebrate its grand opening…
Groups: Gun-violence prevention overdue after Oxford school shooting
Michiganders are mourning the loss of four students after this week’s school shooting at Oxford High School, and advocates say measures to tackle the epidemic of gun violence are long overdue. The Oakland County prosecutor announced Wednesday the accused gunman, a 15-year-old student, will be charged with first-degree murder and terrorism. In addition to the…
Oxford High shooter Ethan Crumbley, 15, charged as an adult
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced charges against 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, who is accused of opening fire at Oxford High School on Tuesday, killing four students and injuring seven others. The teenager, who was officially identified by officials for the first time on Wednesday, will be charged as an adult due to the seriousness of…
New policy allows Michigan prisoners to view virtual funerals of immediate family members
This week, a new policy went into effect which now allows Michigan’s incarcerated individuals to submit a request to view funerals of immediate family members virtually regardless of their security risk designation. “Any death is tragic and a cause of great sadness that only compounds when you are not able to pay your final respects…
Detroit’s Winter Blast 2022 canceled
Downtown Detroit’s annual Winter Blast will not return in 2022, organizers announced Wednesday — but it’s not just because of the ongoing pandemic. According to the organizers, Winter Blast was canceled “due to funding challenges.” “We are grateful for the support of the City of Detroit and all of our past sponsors and partners who…
Anti-vax Republican who refused to certify Detroit’s election died of COVID-19
A Michigan Republican who made national headlines for refusing to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election — and was a vocal anti-vaxxer who downplayed COVID-19 — died after getting the virus. William Hartmann, the former Vice Chairman of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, died on Tuesday, according to a Facebook post from…
‘This is an unimaginable tragedy’: Whitmer, Biden, react to Oxford High School shooting
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lowered American flags across the state as communities reel in the wake of a shooting that took place Tuesday at Oxford High School, where a 15-year-old opened fire, killing three students and injuring eight others. “My heart breaks for the students, teachers, staff, and families of Oxford High School,” Whitmer wrote in…
The Omicron variant is our own fault
On Friday, the Dow collapsed by 2.5%, its worst post-Thanksgiving performance since 1931. The culprit wasn’t inflation, but rather the uncertainty sparked by the Omicron variant — which sounds like the title of a bargain-bin sci-fi novel — a new strain of the coronavirus that produced an “exponential rise” in COVID cases in South Africa.…
How to choose a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot
It’s been a little over six months since I got my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, and a phone call from my state health department over the weekend reminded me that I am eligible for a booster. But do I really need to get a third COVID-19…
ICYMI: Anti-vax Republican in ICU with COVID, man charged in murder of Detroit DJ, Electric Forest 2022, and more
A Trump-adoring Wayne County Republican who spread misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccine has been hospitalized in intensive care after contracting the virus. William Hartmann, former vice-chairman of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, has been on a ventilator since about Nov. 6, according to his sister Elizabeth Hartmann. Two sources confirmed to Metro Times that…
12 Days of GRiZMAS, Detroit Urban Craft Fair, David Sedaris, 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. 12 Days of GRiZMAS Wed 12/1-Sun 12/12: There’s the holidays and then there’s the holidaze, which is how Detroit blazes, er, celebrates the most wonderful, blaze-tastic time of the year. ‘Tis the season for the 12 Days of GRiZMAS, an annual festival…
When the past comes back to bite you in the ass
So, my husband (42-year-old straight male) and I (38-year-old bi female) have had a closed relationship so far, but we have an active fantasy life. We’ve been together for about four years, and we both had our fair share of partners (casual and serious) before that. We like to talk about fantasies involving other people…
Free Will Astrology (Dec. 1-7)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): It’s a favorable time to get excited about your long-range future — and to entertain possibilities that have previously been on the edges of your awareness. I’d love to see you open your heart to the sweet dark feelings you’ve been sensing, and open your mind to the disruptive but nourishing…
In praise of Detroit taco truck Antojitos Southwest’s birria
Detroit and the world are full of dishes worthy of a positive review, that warrant the attention of food writers and the public, and the birria quesadillas with consommé served out of the Antojitos Southwest food truck fit in with that group. But it should be noted straightaway that the dish is much more than…
