Cover Story
Is the Motor City ready to say goodbye to the automobile?
Our ride has arrived — a squat, blue vehicle that looks more like an appliance than an automobile. A large door slides open and we step inside. It’s called the Arma, a fully electric and autonomous shuttle developed by a French startup called Navya. Today is the Arma’s maiden voyage in North America, and Navya…
Common Pub replaces Lefty’s in Detroit’s Cass Corridor
When one bar door closes in Detroit’s Cass Corridor, another one is sure to open. Lefty’s Lounge closed its door this past August without much fanfare, taking its 2.4 star Yelp review to the grave with it. The replacement is the new Common Pub, which opened to the public Thursday after four months of renovations.…
Fake news alert: Corktown is not getting a Trader Joe’s
OK, so it’s not the kind of fake news that helped get Trump elected, but an amusing hoax has metro Detroiters excited for a Trader Joe’s that is definitely not coming to Corktown’s CPA building. On Tuesday, noted local prankster Matthew Naimi (of Recycle Here! notoriety) posted a photo of the CPA Building with a…
20 things to do in metro Detroit this week
Wednesday, 1/18 Shane Mauss @ Comedy Castle Mauss has a resume similar to many comedians these days — he won some stand-up comedy show, he’s performed any number of times on late night talk shows, he has a Comedy Central special, and a show on Netflix. All that’s great but it’s like, how does that…
Snyder’s State of the State: Flint gets less time than cows and hogs
Governor Rick Snyder struck a markedly more upbeat tone in this year’s State of the State address than he did in 2016, when he devoted the bulk of the annual speech to addressing the lead problems in Flint. This year’s address was actually so light-hearted at times that there was even room for a cow…
Detroit police chief suspends race committee amid backlash over finding of race problems
Detroit Police Chief James Craig says he plans to temporarily put “on hold” a committee that found the department suffers from a growing race problem following calls from union officials to disband the group. But, the chief says the department will continue to “move forward” with what the Committee on Race and Equality “represents.” He…
Flint Eastwood debut feisty new track ‘Queen’ and we are loving it
Detroit’s Flint Eastwood, aka singer-songwriter Jax Anderson, recently signed with Neon Gold Records and has released her first single under the new label. The song, appropriately called “Queen,” is feisty, fresh, and everything we’ve ever wanted from a new Flint Eastwood song. “’Queen’ was written about the first time I was asked what it was…
Short film explores why Betsy DeVos would make a terrible education secretary
Betsy DeVos’ senate hearing is today. At 5 p.m., to be exact. It was supposed to take place last week, but was postponed. She’ll testify in front of lawmakers about her ability to be an effective secretary of education and she will no doubt invoke her experience as an education reformer, you know all that…
Just announced: Dave Matthews plays DTE with Tim Reynolds in June
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds will kick off a U.S. tour in May, bringing it to the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston on June 13. Since the Dave Matthews Band is not touring this summer (having played at the DTE last year as part of their 25th anniversary tour), the two musicians and longtime friends are…
How you can watch Betsy DeVos’ senate hearing today
After Betsy DeVos’ senate confirmation hearing was postponed due to serious concerns over conflicts of interests, the pick for Secretary of Education will finally have her hearing with US senators today. Her nomination for Secretary of Education has been one of Donald Trump’s most bizarre and controversial cabinet picks given DeVos’ history of undermining public…
Whoa: Look at all these U.S. jobs Trump brought back just by tweeting
On Tuesday, General Motors announced a $1 billion investment in its U.S. plants, a move it says will create or retain 1,500 jobs. The company will also bring axle production for its next generation full-size pickup trucks to Michigan from Mexico, creating 450 jobs. What great news! The announcement comes a mere week after President-elect Donald Trump…
Michael Moore’s predictions for Trump’s presidency: take the man seriously
In a lengthy interview with Variety, Michael Moore has made it pretty clear about what he thinks will happen when Donald Trump takes office: all the promises he made will come true. Moore told the magazine that he has always taken Trump seriously since he announced his candidacy. “You do have to take Trump at…
Mudgie’s lands on list of 33 best sandwich shops in America
It’s not like Mudgie’s needs any more recognition since everyone in Detroit is obsessed with the sandwich shop, but the extra praise from the ultimate listicle website Thrillist sure won’t hurt. The website released their 33 best sandwich shops in all of America, and our beloved Mudgie’s made the cut alongside some pretty notable and…
Fouts denies it’s him saying n-word, invokes MLK
In a lengthy Facebook post on Monday, Warren mayor Jim Fouts denied that he was the person caught on leaked recordings saying the n-word and the c-word and comparing African-Americans to chimpanzees. Characterizing the recordings as a “transparent attempt at character assassination,” Fouts accused Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel of releasing the “phony” tapes in retaliation over…
10 things Warren mayor Jim Fouts looks like
Audio recordings of Warren mayor Jim Fouts allegedly using the n-word, c-word, and saying “blacks do look like chimpanzees” were released today by the lovely Motor City Muckracker. Obviously, Jim Fouts is saying that these leaked recordings are not him, but it still didn’t stop us (and the Internet) from thinking of things that Jim Fouts looks like. Enjoy! 1. Mr.…
Here’s leaked audio of Warren mayor Jim Fouts allegedly saying n-word, c-word
While Warren Mayor Jim Fouts prepared for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration Monday, Motor City Muckraker posted leaked audio files of Fouts allegedly saying the n-word, the c-word, and all sorts of other unsavory comments. In the recordings, which are posted at Muckraker and embedded below, Fouts says things like “blacks do look like chimpanzees.” Regarding women, Fouts says,…
Steve Harvey says Trump has an inner city plan that will target Detroit
On Friday, a couple of days after the U.S. Senate held hearings on whether to let accused racist Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions head the Justice Department, Steve Harvey found himself facing the cameras in the lobby of Trump Tower to explain what the hell he was doing there. Apparently, the former Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama…
Local blight fighter’s ‘camera crusade’ aids cops in busting illegal dumper
Jonathan Pommerville has made it his mission to clean up his neighborhood of Brightmoor — or at least to spend a few hours every week patrolling its streets looking for dumpers, hookers, and scrappers. He calls himself a “camera crusader,” and we covered his work extensively in this feature by Michael Jackman that appeared on…
Eastern Market’s La Rondinella to shutter
Sometimes you just don’t want to believe the gossip. After just about a year in service and several more years in the making, fine dining eatery La Rondinella will serve its last meal Saturday. The Freep confirmed that the spot, owned and operated by Dave Mancini, will instead make way for extended service for his more profitable…
Hoarded Ypsilanti cats need homes
Twenty-one cats have been recovered from a garage in Ypsilanti Township, according to a press released from Ann Arbor’s Humane Society of Huron Valley. The HSHV got an anonymous tip that cats were being hoarded. On Tuesday, they found the cats locked in individual small wire trap cages stacked on top of each other in an…
Nat Geo names Detroit among top ‘unexpected’ cities for food lovers
In a sea of listicle-style pieces of “journalism,” it can sometimes be difficult to separate the bullshit clickbait from the legit, trusted news source. If there’s at least one source we have come to trust over the years, it’s National Geographic. So when they turn out a “best of” list, we tend to give it more weight than, say, a…
Bernie Sanders visits Macomb County in bid to save health care law
Thousands of people braved freezing temperatures in Warren on Sunday to rally to keep congressional Republicans from repealing the Affordable Care Act as part of a national day of action led by Democrats. Dozens of “Save Health Care” events were held across the country, with the rally at Macomb Community College garnering significant attention for…
California Democrat: Move party HQ to Detroit
There will be (or should be) plenty of soul-searching this weekend as the Democratic National Committee meets in Phoenix. It’s the first in a series of forums leading up to the election of the party’s new leaders next month. It will likely be an interesting marketing exercise, as party members cast about for new leaders…
Introducing Halal Mexican food at El Asador
El Asador chef-owner Luis Garza is making a slight, but significant adjustment in his kitchen that, given our region’s huge Muslim population, seems just fit: he’s going halal. Starting Jan. 31, the southwest Detroit Mexican steakhouse menu will offer most of its signature dishes in the traditional method, which means abstaining from the use of alcohol, pork, or meat that’s not…
Flint residents deserve unfiltered truth
Once broken, trust can be almost impossible to repair. This maxim is more than evident in Flint, where residents were repeatedly given false assurances that their water was safe for 18 months following the disastrous switch in April 2014 to the Flint River as the city’s water source. Who can blame these same residents for…
The Taco Bell fried chicken taco shell is the answer to our junk food prayers
Because you’ve sufficiently recovered from your holiday season food coma. And, you were never really planning to stick to your New Year’s resolution of eating a healthier diet. USA Today says that Taco Bell has announced it will nationally release (including in, duh, metro Detroit) its Naked Chicken Chalupa, a monstrosity made with… wait for it……
Fred Thomas’ groovy new solo album is streaming just for you
You may have heard that the Canadian-by-way-of-Ypsilanti/A2-based producer, musician, and singer-songwriter Fred Thomas has a new album about to be released. The album is called Changer. It features a youthful image of his wife Emily Roll (from Haunted, the Vitas, and more) on the swell cover image, and it is available for pre-order here. We…
Exclusive: Two new hip-hop tracks from Sheefy McFly
In the past few years, Sheefy McFly has taken a hiatus from his monthly prolific hip-hop showcase “The Air Up There” to focus on his first love (the visual arts — we trust you’ve seen his show at UFO Factory?) as well as learn about Detroit techno. Within that time frame, he has been a…
Exercise your mind and body at MLK Unity March in Hamtramck
Since most of us will have the day off this coming Monday to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day, why not actually get out in the community to reflect on the importance of the day? There are a ton of events happening in and around the city, but this one in Hamtramck will exercise your…
Detroit Cycle Boat coming to metro Detroit
Last spring Nick and Jody Blaszczyk weren’t yet married, but the young couple decided to take a chance and go into business together. Their brilliant plan? To own and operate a cycle pub in Detroit. A nebulous law threatened to encumbered their success, but they took the leap anyway. Now, the partners in business and…
‘You Say it How in Michigan?’ is the pronunciation guide we needed
Gratiot? Ypsilanti? Hamtramck? Lahser? Ishpeming? Michigan places have some funny-sounding names, thanks to our blend of cultural influences — and our insistance over the years to just go ahead and pronounce them our own way. (Let’s be honest, we’re not pronouncing “Detroit” the French way.) A new online directory “You Say it How in Michigan?”(michigan.gov/howtosayit) offers a definitive audio pronunciation…
Racial committee co-chair blasts Detroit Police chief for undermining reports of bias
Detroit Police Chief James Craig is undermining the findings of a committee he set up last year to look into racial issues in the department following a racially-insensitive social media post by a white officer. The department, according to Craig, does not suffer from a growing race problem, despite the determination of an internal report by…
Iggy Pop shares snarly new song ‘Gold’ that is a must-listen
We think it’s safe to say you never know what you’re going to get when it comes to Iggy Pop. Some days it’s delicious punk, while other days (like today) are a slow-burning western song for a new flick. Pop teamed up with producer Danger Mouse for “Gold,” the title song to the new Matthew…
Jennifer Granholm on Trump: ‘We should all be alarmed if there is no transparency’
Former Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm was on CNN correspondent Van Jones’ show “The Messy Truth” Wednesday evening to discuss a slew of topics ranging from gun violence in Chicago to Obama’s legacy. One topic however struck a cord with us in the newsroom: the role of the media during the Trump administration. A guest…
It’s time we get real about who wins in Detroit’s new food revival
Central among the questions that renowned chef Tunde Wey, food justice warrior Devita Davison, and I will be tackling in a panel discussion Jan. 16 (MLK Day of Service) is who benefits from Detroit’s new food movement. It’s a topic that many of us whose careers revolve around the dining scene ponder, mostly privately, amongst…
Meet the 22-year-old woman running for mayor of Detroit
Myya D. Jones has overcome a great number of obstacles in her 22 years of life. She helped raise her five siblings after her mother, who has bipolar disorder, fell into a deep depression when Jones was in fifth grade. Before that, she was sexually abused. When she was in ninth grade Jones discovered that…
Little Miss Flint needs your help to get to Washington D.C. for the Women’s March
After the town hall meeting on Wednesday in Flint revealed that the water crisis is far from over, it is more important than ever to raise awareness of the situation in the town. One person who has been doing that for the city is Little Miss Flint, aka Amariyanna “Mari” Copney, and she needs your…
Aaliyah’s music inexplicably surfaced on Apple’s music services last night
For years, much of the late Detroit pop star Aaliyah’s best music has been noticeably absent from digital download and music streaming services. But as Fader reports, Aaliyah’s posthumous 2005 greatest hits comp Ultimate Aaliyah unceremoniously surfaced on iTunes and Apple Music Wednesday night. The comp features some of Aaliyah’s best songs, many of which are not…
Detroit Public Schools are back in the hands of an elected board
Seven members of Detroit’s now fully-empowered school board were sworn in Wednesday night in a ceremony marking a fresh start for the district. The elected Detroit Public Schools Community District board members approved temporary bylaws, set a meeting schedule, and elected officers. They also approved several contracts. The significance of the occasion was not lost…
Sky’s the limit for Mic Phelps and djkage
Both Mic Phelps and djkage were very productive in 2016. Phelps released the highly lyrical The Wave, while djkage continued to promote singles from 2015’s D-Imports Vol.2 (while producing the viral cut “Titties In Detroit). Metro Times caught up with both of them to discuss their new collaborative project, The Grand Design 2. Metro Times:…
Eat and drink to help fight poverty and homelessness in Detroit
Yes, it’s ironic — but in the deeply divided world of Detroit today, what isn’t? In some ways, a glitzy gala event to help raise funds to fight poverty and homelessness shouldn’t be cause for a double-take. In fact, it’s not a contradiction, it’s a tradition. This will be the 18th annual Soup City event,…
Officials: More than 30 months into Flint crisis, water still unsafe to drink
On Wednesday, officials held a town hall meeting in Flint to deliver some good news and some bad news about the city’s water crisis. The good: Flint’s water quality is improving. The bad: The crisis isn’t over. Officials are still urging Flint residents to use bottled water and filters on their home faucets. They said…
‘Hummus Heartland’ exhibition to feature stories surrounding region’s iconic food staple
Middle Eastern cuisine – specifically dishes like hummus – is about as quintessential to our local food culture as the Coney. And it’s the stories of the people behind its culinary traditions that prominent photographer Marvin Shaouni and radio producer Zak Rosen wanted to explore as part of an upcoming audio and photo exhibition debuting next week. The duo’s…
‘Hunter Gatherer’ at Cinema Detroit caps a great year for black film
Was it just us, or did black film in 2016 look way, way more interesting than it has in recent years? Of course, a lot of what came out was to be expected, including this year’s “Madea movie” (Boo! A Madea Halloween) as well as other box-office hits, such as Ride Along 2 and Central…
Grosse Ile teens get probation for torturing and killing guinea pig
Last April, two Grosse Ile teenagers tortured and killed a guinea pig before a lacrosse game. Today, the teenagers received probation after pleading guilty. (A third defendant, age 16, is being charged as a juvenile in pending case.) The teenagers — Tanner Coolsaet, 19, and Michael Roth, 18 — faced a maximum of four years in prison, but…
Study lists top Mich. towns to raise a family (Madonna would not approve)
Personal finance website WalletHub has analyzed the best cities in Michigan to raise a family, comparing 104 cities in the state across 21 key metrics including median family income, school-system quality, housing affordability, and number of playgrounds. Let’s just cut right to it: 1. Rochester 2. East Grand Rapids 3. Beverly Hills 4. Novi 5. South…
Savage Love: Clubbing
Q: My partner and I have been playing with male chastity devices. We’ve been considering going to a strip club while his cock is caged up and getting him lap dances. Is there some etiquette for this with the dancers? Do we let the dancer know before she is on his lap? Or do we…
The gritty optimism of artist Emily Jane Wood
Chances are if you have been to Hamtramck, you have witnessed our trash. It blows down the street, collects in our gutters, and builds up in the empty tree grates, which once contained somewhat majestic locust trees but now are simply open holes for fast-food wrappers. You have seen how we save our parking spots…
University of Michigan publishes a reflection on Detroit’s infamous People Mover
After more than seven years of living in Detroit, showing visitors around the city remains one of my favorite pastimes. Detroit is an endlessly nuanced and multi-layered place; in a sense, everyone who spends a significant amount of time here has their own version of the city. But no matter how short a given visit,…
Feedback (Jan 4-10)
In response to our coverage of President elect Donald Trump, reader Setha Kaleen had this to say. Please stop saying that it is the working class that voted for Trump and put him in office. It was also the highly educated white male. Anyone who stayed home or voted for Trump or a third party…
Horoscopes (Jan 11-17)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): So much good stuff is right here in front of you. Don’t give in to the thought that it’s anything but perfect. You can’t let tunnel vision keep you from seeing that this can go any way you choose. The idea that you have to stay put is insane. Opportunities…
Nolan the Ninja on his new project ‘Lo-Fi Flips’
As we all know, Detroit teems with talented lyricists and producers. But few can do both at such an elite level as Nolan the Ninja. In the tradition of J. Dilla and Madlib (really), Nolan continues to produce creative beat mixes that stand separate from his other lyrics-based work. Metro Times caught up with the…
Dennis Coffey, Lyman Woodard, and Melvin Davis in 1968
These days, legendary soul guitarist and Motown studio musician/Funk Brother Dennis Coffey plays Northern Lights Lounge every Tuesday. But back in 1968, Baker’s was the name of the game — and we’re not talking about the Keyboard Lounge. This Baker’s is Morey Baker’s Showplace Lounge, the setting for Coffey’s latest: the previously unreleased live album…
Politics & Prejudices: Prison and the mentally ill
Milton Mack, who for many years was the chief probate judge in Wayne County, told me a terrible story about a man who was responsible for a major arson fire a few years ago. This guy was clearly mentally ill, and belonged in treatment, but he told the court, “Oh, no, I’m guilty, I belong…
Review: Suburban health food store Café Succo delights taste buds
Ready for some mid-winter asceticism to counteract the gluttony of the holiday weeks? I didn’t even take a break from overeating between Nov. 25 and mid-December, steadily plowing through oversized restaurant meals in the service of my readers. January is when gym memberships blossom and we’re ready for some healthful options. At least for a…
Side Dish: MyThy Huynh is mighty in the Mitten
Social media has given home cooks a platform to test out their recipes and showcase their creations, all while an audience provides an instant critique of the culinary treats they’ve shared with the world. Take MyThy Huynh, for example. Full time, she works as an ER nurse in the ER at Beaumont Hospital in Royal…
Stir It Up: Dearborn gets funky
I spent a lot of my formative years hanging out in the old Cass Corridor where the concentration of artists, musicians, writers, dancers, and more pretty much made it the coolest place in the world. And if you asked me at the time what places just weren’t cool at all, well, Dearborn could easily have…
