Cover Story
Sober dance meetups emphasize consent and free movement ‘without judgment’ in Detroit and Ann Arbor
I leap across the floor, launching off one foot and landing on the other as I roll myself into a ball, withdrawing inward. I haven’t done ballet since I was a child, and this feels like a stage of a different name where I’m playing my inner child instead of a written character. Moving without…
16 Michigan Republicans charged with felonies in 2020 fake elector scheme
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has charged 16 residents in the state in the investigation into a false electors scheme following the 2020 presidential election, including Michigan GOP National Committeewoman Kathy Berden and former Michigan GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock. It is believed that these 16 individuals from all over the state met in the basement…
Traveling Nelson Mandela exhibit to make Michigan debut at Henry Ford Museum
Come October, we’ll get to see how Nelson Mandela lived as one of the world’s most prolific political leaders and freedom fighters. Mandela: The Official Exhibition is coming to Dearborn’s Henry Ford Museum from October 21 to January 15, 2024. The traveling exhibit features previously unseen footage and photos of Mandela along with over 150…
Local Buzz: Detroit’s Dames Brown release ‘Glory’ from upcoming debut
Got a Detroit music tip? Send it it music@metrotimes.com. Toughie is coming for your heartstrings: Detroit-based indie band Toughie just dropped its debut EP mirror room in March, and they recently followed it up late last month with a new track “preheaven.” They’re playing their only show of the summer this Saturday, July 22 at…
Detroit drivers among the worst in the world, according to study
Despite that “Motor City” moniker, it seems like Detroiters aren’t actually very good at driving after all. That’s according to a recent study by the customer review platform ConsumerAffairs, which ranked Detroit drivers at No. 7 in its list of the 20 U.S. cities with the worst drivers. The study analyzed a range of data…
Love it or hate it, Black Cherry Vernors is coming back this summer
Last year, for the first time in 50 years, Vernors released a new flavor — “Black Cherry Ginger Soda.” At the time, the company said it would be a limited-edition product, but come July 24, Vernors Black Cherry will make the rounds in Michigan and the Toledo area once again. Market development manager for Keurig…
Michigan’s cannabis legalization strikes a blow to underground market
Editor’s note: The names in this story have been changed to protect confidentiality. For most of his adult life, Marcus slung bags of high-quality marijuana to a discreet clientele in Detroit. The money was good, and the job was easy. The 31-year-old says he made more than $1,000 a week, enough to pay the bills…
Warren City Council finally adopts anti-discrimination ordinance
Warren’s City Council has adopted its first-ever anti-discrimination ordinance, bringing Macomb County’s largest city in line with others across the state, and following an ugly fight with a Bangladeshi cultural group. “I commend my colleagues for joining me to swiftly pass this long-overdue legislation that brings Warren into the 21 st century,” Council President Patrick…
Detroit once again has some of the worst air quality in the world
Detroit’s relief from the smoky skies and dense air flowing in from Canadian wildfires last month was short-lived. The city has once again landed in the top 10 cities with the worst air quality in the world. Detroit ranks ninth on the World Air Quality Index with an AQI rating of 119 via IQAir as…
Detroit named 11th greatest music city in the world
In news that should come as no real surprise, Detroit has been deemed a global hotspot for music fans. According to a new study by live events ticketing company SeatPick, Detroit ranked at No. 11 in a list of Best Cities for Music Lovers. “Scoring 8.28 out of 10 and the eleventh-best music hotspot is…
Juicing helped heal her son. Now, Kiara Smith is opening her first juice bar.
When Kiara Smith’s son was two years old, he developed microbiome deficiency which caused him excruciating stomach pain and constipation. “It was a really awful experience, a little two year old in the back seat bent over screaming ‘My stomach hurts!’ every single day,” she remembers. “As a mom, I wanted to resolve that, like…
10th annual Raise the Flag fest celebrates Detroit’s awesome music scene
An apparently unpopular opinion: Detroit has the best city flag ever. We love how it incorporates imagery from the different nations it has passed hands through over the ages: fleur-de-lis for France, lions for Great Britain, and stars and stripes for the U.S.A. Plus, who else is tough enough to dare to depict their entire…
Watch for harmful algal blooms in Michigan’s recreational waters
Michigan residents are being warned to be prepared for another season of harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is advising people on what to do if they encounter the algae. One environmental group is convinced it’s being caused by thermal discharge from nuclear plants. Jesse…
Lapointe: How the ‘NYT’ expanded — then disbanded — its sports section
The year 2009 was my 20th and final as a reporter in the sports department of the New York Times and it came with a back-channel warning from a trusted editor. He told me the newspaper’s top brass had recently held a major meeting with a significant agenda. One of their radical ideas, he said,…
Royal Oak Pride returns for second year with ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ stars
Following its 2022 comeback, Royal Oak Pride will return in August to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. The festival will run from 5-11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 4 and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug.5, offering performances, vendors, and food right in the center of Downtown Royal Oak on Washington Avenue. RuPaul’s Drag Race stars will…
Detroit’s new Riverfront Music Festival brings R&B to Hart Plaza
While hip-hop has evolved into the biggest commercial genre of music, R&B has been criticized for losing its way. Mix 92.3 seeks to disprove that with its inaugural Riverfront Music Festival. Headlining the event are R&B divas Ashanti and Monica, who have sold over 20 million albums combined; the completely R&B line-up also includes local…
With a first-rate Tom Cruise battling an A.I. villain, the new ‘Mission: Impossible’ continues a legacy of excellence
When it comes to big-budget American action films, the Mission: Impossible franchise has been the gold standard for almost a decade and a half. Earlier entries have their admirable qualities — iconic set pieces, stunning camera work, Philip Seymour Hoffman — but Ghost Protocol (2009) ignited a new era of formal virtuosity and “how-did-they-do-that” audacity…
Saffron De Twah chef will compete on Food Network’s ‘Chopped’
Saffron De Twah chef Omar Anani is adding “reality TV star” to his list of accomplishments. The Detroit chef will compete on Chopped: All American Showdown on Tuesday, July 18. Anani has been nominated for a James Beard Award twice for his Moroccan fusion cuisine. He’s not the first Detroit-area chef to appear on the…
Hamtramck mayor describes group that flew LGBTQ+ Pride flag as a ‘militia’
The day after a vote by the Hamtramck City Council to remove two officials who flew a Pride flag on city property, the city’s mayor alleged that Attorney General Dana Nessel was part of an intimidation campaign by the LGBTQ+ community. On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously voted to remove Russ Gordon and Cathy Stackpoole…
Ann Arbor to pilot guaranteed income program to support low-income entrepreneurs
While much of Ann Arbor is wealthy, there are many residents living on the streets, living paycheck to paycheck, or living with the general stress of having to work extra to meet their basic needs. Soon, the city will be the first in Michigan to pilot a guaranteed income program, of which there have only…
Darius Baber’s Motown portraits light up Detroit’s East Riverfront
Next time you’re heading to the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre (though it’s still Chene Park in our minds), take the scenic route along Chene. It’s here you’ll find portraits of Motown greats like Stevie Wonder, David Ruffin, Ron Isley, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Tammi Terrell, and Aretha Franklin. Detroit artist Darius Baber is behind the colorful,…
Ypsi’s The Deep End Cafe & Gallery is for the people
Community, culture, and coffee combine at The Deep End Cafe & Gallery, a multifaceted spot that recently opened in Ypsilanti. Owner Candace Cavazos, who also goes by the name Oceania, hopes to use the space in multiple impactful ways: to promote local artists, make healthy eating affordable, and provide free meals to people in need.…
Alleged blow job leads to Detroit police commissioner’s resignation
A Detroit police commissioner accused of getting a blow job from a sex worker in his truck on the city’s northwest side on Monday morning announced he’s resigning. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the residents of Detroit in police oversight,” Commissioner Bryan Ferguson said in a written statement Thursday afternoon.…
Photo exhibit by incarcerated artists heads to Ann Arbor Art Fair
A touring photography exhibit by artists behind bars will make its next stop at the Ann Arbor Art Fair July 20-22. Humanize the Numbers, which features 45 photos by 36 incarcerated men, was launched at the Detroit Historical Museum earlier this year. It’s organized by the University of Michigan Prison Creative Arts Project in a…
Detroit Bourbon & Blues Festival announced for Eastern Market
Next month, Eastern Market will be transformed into “Blues Street” with free live music performances and plenty of bourbon. The historic district’s Shed 5 will hold the inaugural Detroit Bourbon & Blues Festival on Sunday, Aug. 27 as part of Eastern Market’s Sunday Market series. The festival is organized by Richard Zemola, owner of the…
Detroit activist Malik Shabazz has breathing tube removed after massive heart attack
Malik Shabazz, a prominent Detroit activist known for confronting racism, drug dealers, and poverty, is beginning to recover from a massive heart attack on June 26, according to a family spokesman. Shabazz had his breathing tube removed Wednesday, and he’s in critical but stable condition at Henry Ford Hospital, says friend and fellow activist Sam…
Bakery chain Insomnia’s cookies are available late-night served warm, but are they good?
They call it Insomnia, but is it really insomnia that sends you on a midnight run for cookies with tons of chocolate chips? I believe the technical term is “the munchies.” My favorite moment at Insomnia: the gratified look on the counter-workers’ faces, when they saw the look on my face, when I learned the…
A2 Jazz Fest announces lineup with Goldings, Bernstein & Stewart, Allan Dennard Quintet, and more
Jazz heads, mark your calendars for October. The A2 Jazz Fest announced its lineup and other details, featuring events from Friday, Oct. 6 to Sunday, Oct. 8 across four venues in Ann Arbor. Featured artists include New York’s long-standing organ trio Goldings, Bernstein & Stewart, Detroit’s Allan Dennard Quintet, a Jazz Symposium workshop with high…
Griffin Claw Brewing Co. is the official craft beer of the Detroit Zoo
Griffin Claw Brewing Co. is now the official craft beer partner of the Detroit Zoo, the Birmingham-based company recently announced. The partnership will see Griffin Claw provide its craft beers and vodka seltzers to all 21+ events at the zoo, as well as reintroduce its “Survival Series” line of animal-themed beers to support conservation efforts…
Child marriage is now banned in Michigan
Michigan is the 10th state to ban what advocates for ending child marriage call “a human rights abuse” after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Tuesday to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 years old. The ban is “long overdue,” Whitmer said in a news release Tuesday. “Keeping Michiganders — especially young women —…
University of Michigan cited for mistreating animals during research
A national watchdog group is calling on federal regulators to impose the harshest possible penalties against the University of Michigan for animal welfare violations related to animal research. During inspections in March and May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited the university for seven violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The violations range from a…
Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, a former Detroit city council leader and ardent advocate for reparations, dead at 72
The Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson’s legend reached well beyond the precincts of Detroit, where she was a formidable political leader of the City Council. In the vast realm of Black liberation, self-determination, and the reparations movement, she was a remarkable clear-eyed visionary, and the notice of her death this week also brings in its wake…
Chowhound: Calling the restaurant industry people’s court into session
Chowhound is a weekly column about what’s trending in Detroit food culture. Tips: eat@metrotimes.com. All rise: After strong responses to our last two installments on what’s wrong with industry labor relations, we’ve decided to solicit food service-savvy citizens who might care to make a case for who or what’s behind the current crisis in restaurant…
Free Will Astrology (July 12-18)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Many astrologers enjoy meditating on the heavenly body Chiron. With an orbit between Saturn and Uranus, it is an anomalous object that has qualities of both a comet and a minor planet. Its name is derived from a character in ancient Greek myth: the wisest teacher and healer of all the…
