Best Payout Online Casinos — Highest Paying Casino Sites (2026 Update)
Winning at casino games comes down to luck, but your chances of winning big are higher with the best payout online casinos. These casino sites boost your odds with high RTP games and welcome bonuses that give you a head start as a new player. After thorough testing and blasting our way through RTP rates,…
Best Online Slots (2025) – Top Real Money Slot Sites with Free Spins & High RTPs
Is your bankroll still feeling dry even after hitting two “epic wins” in a row? We know the feeling – and we also know the solution. In this guide, we will highlight the 10 best real money online slots with high RTPs and bonus rounds that won’t leave you dry. Our list starts with the…
Ma Rainey isn’t the only one showing her Black bottom at the Detroit Rep
If you’ve never read August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, the title could fool you into thinking that Ma Rainey is the star of this show. You’d be wrong. Wilson’s writing puts Ma Rainey’s band as the characters that we spend the most time with, but the Detroit Repertory Theatre’s production allows each actor to…
Downtown Detroit’s Checker Bar damaged in fire, explosion reported
A fire tore through the basement and first floor of the Checker Bar in downtown Detroit early this morning, fire officials say. The damage “unfortunately sounds fairly significant,” Corey McIsaac, a spokesperson for the Detroit Fire Department, tells Metro Times. No injuries were reported. Firefighters were on the scene less than five minutes after a…
The Dual Role of Technology: Empowerment and Responsibility
Technology is a force that shapes the modern world, influencing how we connect, work, and solve problems. From groundbreaking innovations to everyday conveniences, its empowering potential is undeniable. Yet, with great power comes great responsibility, as the tools we create hold the capacity for misuse, raising both ethical and societal concerns. ExpressVPN found that as…
Tipped wages to be phased out in Michigan next month, not without a fight
Michigan’s tipped wage system is on the brink of extinction, with changes set to take effect next month after a state Supreme Court ruling last year mandated higher wages for tip-reliant workers. The ruling will eliminate tipped wages below minimum wage and raise the state’s minimum wage to more than $12 per hour. Justin Winslow,…
Michigan ranks near the bottom for racial integration and progress, study finds
Michigan ranks near the bottom in a recent study measuring racial integration and progress across the U.S., highlighting significant disparities between Black and white residents. The state ranks 46th in racial integration and 39th in racial progress, according to the study released Tuesday by WalletHub. In the employment and wealth category, Michigan stands at 46th…
Congressmembers Can Fight Rising Energy Bills and Worsening Water Pollution in Michigan
Michigan’s children are depending on Congress to make sure they have clean water and warm places to sleep. You may not know that Michigan ranks among the top 10 states with the most lead pipes for our drinking water, and even low levels of lead in children can result in behavior and learning problems, lower…
Michigan recreational cannabis market hits $3B milestone as growth slows, prices drop
Michigan’s cannabis market capped off 2024 with another record-breaking milestone, as recreational sales surpassed $3 billion for the first time. But as the state’s market matures, its rapid growth is finally slowing. Licensed retailers brought in $3.27 billion in recreational cannabis sales in 2024, a 9.9% increase from the $2.98 billion recorded in 2023, according…
Detroit comedy scene mourns death of local comic Jaded Jaden
Jonathan Nokielski, a beloved local comedian known by his stage name as Jaded Jaden, has unexpectedly died, leaving fans and fellow performers in shock. He was 43. Nokielski, who was named best local comedian in the Metro Times Best of Detroit 2024 reader poll, started as a standup comic and made crowds laugh with his…
Metro Detroit salon dyes Lions fans’ hair Honolulu Blue for a good cause
It’s a great time to be a Detroit Lions fan. Our long-suffering team has been on a tear this season, leading a new era for the major sports franchises in the Motor City. This week, it was announced the Lions will host the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the Super Bowl tournament this…
Lapointe: Goff and Lions spark a Motor City sports revival
At Pistons’ basketball games, even over the television, you can clearly hear the chant of “Jar-ed GOFF!” At Red Wings’ hockey games in the same Little Caesars Arena, the fans repeat the name of the Lions’ quarterback: “Jar-ed GOFF!! Jar-ed GOFF!!” When the Tigers open baseball spring training next month — right after the Super…
Beloved Detroit musician Mark Paul dead at 45
Longtime Detroit musician Mark Paul, known throughout the land and over the seven seas as Captain Don River, has sailed into the mystic. The Captain set sail unexpectedly January 4 from Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital as a result of complications from esophageal cancer. He was 45. A native of Lincoln Park, Paul made his mark…
The definitive guide to Michigan’s top cannabis strains for every mood in 2025
Welcome to The Straight Dope, our weekly series that explores the best cannabis products in Michigan. Michigan’s cannabis industry is booming, with new cultivators, strains, and innovations cropping up every day. But with all this growth comes a question: What separates the good weed from the truly exceptional? Last year, I embarked on a mission…
Rapper Lou Gram launches Fly Shifter Cannabis on Eight Mile
Detroit’s vibrant cannabis scene is getting another boost with the opening of Fly Shifter Cannabis, a new dispensary spearheaded by Lou Gram — an eastside rapper, entrepreneur, and community advocate known by his stage name Big Shifter. The grand opening is set for Saturday at 6220 Eight Mile Rd. and promises to be more than…
When Motown Records collaborated with Martin Luther King Jr.
In the 1960s, Motown founder Berry Gordy reached out to Martin Luther King Jr. to see if the record label could help the civil rights leader in his cause for equality. “I saw Motown much like the world he was fighting for — people of all races and religions, working together harmoniously for a common…
Insane Clown Posse is playing Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo is about to get drenched in Faygo. Detroit rap crew Insane Clown Posse has been tapped for Tennessee’s massive music festival, appearing toward the top of the bill alongside diverse acts like country singer Luke Combs, pop star Olivia Rodrigo, EDM duo Justice, and many more. Not too bad for a scrappy group from…
Tickets now on sale for United We Brunch 2025 in Detroit
Save the date: United We Brunch returns this spring. Metro Times’s tasting event is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 22 at The Norwood in Detroit. The annual event features bites from a variety of local restaurants, bloody Marys and mimosas, music, and more. Expect more details to be announced soon, including a list…
Hamtramck bar The High Dive has reopened under new owners
Hamtramck’s High Dive bar quietly reopened under new ownership after changing hands in September. General manager Leonard Lopp says he and owner Dwayne Wickersham wanted to start things slow when they reopened in October instead of making a big splash. “It was just me behind the bar. I didn’t really have a staff or anything…
Free Will Astrology (Jan. 8-14)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries poet Charles Baudelaire said that if you want to fully activate your personal genius, you will reclaim and restore the intelligence you had as a child. You will empower it anew with all the capacities you’ve developed as an adult. I believe this is sensational advice for you in 2025,…
Cracker’s alternative history
Winston Churchill is credited with saying that history is written by the victors. And in the world of major record labels, these corporate entities have a long history of emerging as top dogs, for example, by controlling artists’ musical output and negotiating contracts that give acts the short end of the stick. David Lowery and…
