Cover Stories
Why a primary election matters so much
Voter pitfall to avoid: Not voting because “nothing ever changes.” Local elections can be decided by a small number of votes, and local officials make decisions about things that affect you everyday like schools, housing and transportation. Casting your vote and staying involved after the election is one way to make change. Voters in Detroit…
Vote with confidence: Start with the issues
Voter pitfall to avoid: Voting for a candidate you don’t agree with. Avoid the sense of unease that can come with voting by informing yourself on everything you’ll be voting on in the election. It can be overwhelming to think about where you stand on all the issues a public official might have influence over.…
‘Hire’ the best candidate: Understand local politicians’ jobs
Campaigns might be “a race,” but after the election is won, candidates must get down to the business of governance, whether they are in the legislative, executive or judicial branch. These roles can involve specialized skills or knowledge that aren’t required to run for office. Here is more about the responsibilities of some of the…
Get to know the candidates: How to research the people on your ballot
Voter pitfall to avoid: Voting for someone you know almost nothing about. Voters sometimes rely only on name recognition or political advertising to pick a candidate. That can land a voter choosing someone they don’t really agree with or that they feel very invested in and are less likely to hold accountable after the election.…
How to look up a politician’s voting record and job performance
Voter pitfall to avoid: Voting for the candidates on faith when you can have information. Pay attention to past scandals or unethical behavior. Be aware that being a well-known “voice” in a community doesn’t guarantee that person will be effective if elected. Appearance and popularity don’t serve the people well — principled, intentional and productive…
Who’s trying to sway my vote? How to follow the money in campaigns
Voter pitfall to avoid: Voting for “bought and paid for candidates.” Corporations and special interest groups spend large sums of money to back candidates they believe will be friendly to their concerns. If you notice one or two candidates in a race have sent you 10 times as many mailers as the rest, there is…
What to know before you go to the polls in Detroit
Make a plan to vote! If you’re voting on Election Day, get your transportation in order, find your polling place by looking it up here and learn more about what you will find at the polls. If you aren’t voting from home and can’t drive to the polls, you can use public transportation like SMART…
Stay engaged: What comes after the election
You hit the polls, now what? You have done your civic duty. Whether you went to the polls or mailed in a ballot, your vote was cast. Here’s how you can continue to stick to the path of the civically engaged citizen. How do you even know who won? Most major news outlets report election…
Election glossary: Understand common terms
Politics has a lot of specialized terms and candidates, talking heads, and officials sometimes use these terms to make things seem harder to understand. Use this handy resource when you want to learn, or double check, some of these terms. Absentee ballot – A voting ballot that is completed prior to the election and is…
A voting guide from the Detroit Documenters
If you want to see change, one thing you can do is vote. Voter turnout in the August 2021 mayoral primary for Detroit was less than 15%. Less than 20% of the city’s registered voters turned out for the general municipal election the same year. Elections are your chance to decide who to hire for…
How to vote in the Detroit primary and key dates to know
Voter pitfall to avoid: Missing out on the election because you’re not registered. Not having the proper identification or mail delays can cause problems when registering to vote or returning your ballot. Transportation issues or work obligations can prevent you from reaching the polls on voting day. Avoid these pitfalls by planning where and when…
Best CBD Gummies to Try to Quit Smoking This 2022
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for 1 in 5 deaths every year. Most smokers have grown aware of how lethal smoking is and thus are looking for alternatives methods to help them quit the act.…
Imani Ma’at turns Playground Detroit into ritual space in new exhibit
Thick drum beats fill the air as Imani Ma’at draws her ancestors out of the spirit realm and into Playground Detroit on a Friday evening. She whirls around the room, braids whipping through the air as if she is speaking to the photos on the wall with every movement of her body. At any time,…
Former employees at Detroit Club describe rampant racism in latest lawsuit
Two more former employees of the Detroit Club filed a lawsuit against the downtown business, alleging they were fired or forced to quit in retaliation for complaining about repeated incidents of racial discrimination. Charles Lisée and Miya Shani Hooks claim in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court last week that they were subjected to…
Belle Isle Art Fair returns to Detroit’s island park this weekend
Belle Isle is beautiful year round (well, except for the weeks spent each spring transforming it into a racetrack, but thankfully for avid park goers, those days are now over) — but even more so during the annual Belle Isle Art Fair. This year, more than 100 juried local and national artists will be on…
Trap Karaoke returns to Detroit’s Garden Theater
If you’ve ever wanted to take your car concerts and shower singing to the main stage, now is your chance. Trap Karaoke is coming back to Detroit on Friday, Aug. 5. Trap Karaoke is a touring karaoke experience that gives event goers a chance to sing or rap into a microphone instead of a hairbrush.…
Judge grants restraining order from Gov. Whitmer to block prosecutors from enforcing abortion ban
Michigan prosecutors are once again barred from charging doctors or health workers for performing abortions. An Oakland Country judge granted a temporary restraining order filed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer blocking prosecutors from enforcing the state’s 1931 abortion ban Monday night. The order follows a ruling by the Michigan Court of Appeals on Monday morning that…
Washtenaw County Dems criticized for ‘antisemitism’ in TikTok post
The Washtenaw County Democratic Party apologized for a social media post that read “Zionists have no place in office,” in reference to a pro-Israel group that is shoveling millions of dollars into congressional races in support of centrist Democrats. The United Democracy Project, a political action committee funded by mega-donor Republicans and some moderate Democrats,…
After more than 20 years, rock band Downtown Brown to play final show in Detroit
Like many people these days, the pandemic prompted Neil “Neebo” Patterson Jr. to quit his job — only Patterson’s job was one that plenty of people only dream of having. With his band Downtown Brown, Patterson has toured the country, performing with acts like Insane Clown Posse, Andrew W.K., Fishbone, Dead Kennedys, Presidents of the…
Rep. Meijer slams Michigan Democrats for backing far-right opponent in risky ad buy
U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer blasted Democrats for running ads in support of his far-right opponent, calling the risky scheme an immoral display of “political jiu-jitsu.” In an op-ed in Common Sense, a newsletter by commentator Bari Weiss, the Grand Rapids Republican said he’s locked in a close primary race with John Gibbs and that the…
Judge postpones Detroit’s plans to issue recreational marijuana licenses in latest setback
The city of Detroit’s controversial recreational marijuana ordinance has hit yet another snag. Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Leslie Kim Smith on Monday issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the city from issuing licenses for dispensaries, microbusinesses, and consumption lounges. Two lawsuits allege the city’s ordinance, approved by the Detroit City Council on April…
Detroit Land Bank Authority seeks buyer to preserve home of civil rights advocate Sarah E. Ray
A piece of Detroit’s civil rights history could be sold for just $1. The Detroit Land Bank Authority is seeking a buyer for the home of unsung activist Sarah E. Ray, who helped desegregate the famed Boblo boats in 1948. Potential buyers must present a proposal to preserve or reimagine the disheveled home and an…
Michigan Court of Appeals rules that county prosecutors can charge abortion providers in the state, despite injunction
County prosecutors in Michigan can enforce the state’s decades-old ban on abortions, despite a lower court’s earlier injunction against the law, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Monday. The ruling, which means county prosecutors can criminally charge abortion providers, could have a major impact on doctors and health workers who terminate pregnancies in the state.…
Detroit rapper Icewear Vezzo signs to Quality Control Music
Some 15,000 music fans in attendance at Pine Knob Music Theater on Saturday for the Chris Brown and Lil Baby “One Of Them Ones” concert received a surprise treat. Pierre “P” Thomas, CEO of the Atlanta-based Quality Control Music record label, presented Detroit emcee Icewear Vezzo with a diamond-encrusted QC chain and welcomed him to…
Zahra Abbas, a Michigan cannabis advocate who used it to treat her epilepsy, has died
Zahra Abbas — political activist who became one of Michigan’s biggest advocates of cannabis legalization after finding that it was a successful treatment for her epilepsy — died on Thursday. She was 35. Her death was announced by the Michigan Democratic Party’s Cannabis Caucus, where she served as chair. “Without Zahra the Cannabis Caucus would…
Progressive Democrats under attack: Pro-Israel groups throw big money into deceptive ads to sway congressional elections in metro Detroit
Metro Detroit has many problems that command the attention of elected officials — including poverty, reproductive rights, gun control, education, jobs, racial inequality, health care, and the environment. But no issue has more money flowing into local political campaigns than Israel, a country more than 6,000 miles from southeast Michigan. A Metro Times analysis of…
Gucci shuts down unauthorized Detroit store tweets and The Peterboro shuts its doors: The top 10 Metro Times headlines of the week
This week, one local restaurant has announced it would be closing its doors for the summer while another has announced ownership changes and plans to sell the building. Our readers were most interested in the Michigan Republican director who said they believed that former President Donald Trump should be charged for election lies. All of…
Did the Democrats actually accomplish something?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There are still plenty of ways for Democrats to screw this up — and Democrats being Democrats, the odds they’ll find one are not small. In any event, Kyrsten Sinema’s corporate owners have yet to render their verdict. But for now, it looks like Chuck Schumer learned how to…
First ever Detroit JiT Festival is happening this weekend
Get your gel and weave right and let us see you jit. The inaugural Detroit JiT Festival is going down Saturday, July 30 at the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation. We’re honestly surprised it took this long for Detroit to have a jit festival, but there’s no time like the present. Tec-Troit put together this free…
Grand Rapids dispensary Pharmhouse Wellness receives Michigan’s first ‘gold’ award for its social equity program
A Grand Rapids dispensary that runs out a small green-painted house in the city’s southwest side has earned the state Cannabis Regulatory Agency’s highest honors for its new social equity program. The Social Equity All-Star Program “gold” designation was awarded by the CRA executive director Andrew Brisbo to Pharmhouse Wellness owner Casey Kornoelje on Wednesday.…
Workers at a Starbucks in Bloomfield Township seek to unionize
A Starbucks store in Bloomfield Township petitioned to form a union Friday morning as the labor movement continues to gain momentum among baristas at the coffee giant. In an email to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on Friday, the workers at the store at 6420 Telegraph Rd. complained of low wages. “Our wages are next to…
Enhancing Your Local Activities with a Wynk Buzz
Summertime in Michigan means endless activities spent outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather. There’s no shortage of adventures, and what better way to elevate the good vibes than with a THC beverage? If you are new to THC, a microdose drink is a perfect place to start. Microdosing is exactly what it sounds like – consuming…
Unlike COVID, monkeypox shouldn’t be so hard to fight. So why have we failed to contain it?
Over the weekend, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared monkeypox a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” “We have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little, and which meets the criteria,” Ghebreyesus said. A PHEIC is defined as an “extraordinary…
Former Michigan GOP executive director says Trump and Republicans should be criminally charged for election lies
Attempts by former President Donald Trump and his supporters to overturn the 2020 election is likely just the beginning of unprecedented attacks on democracy in Michigan unless the Republicans are held accountable. That’s according to a national election expert, state lawmaker, and former head of the Michigan GOP. “When you have a president who seeks…
Musical based on Motown’s Temptations heads to the Detroit Opera House
Following one of the Blackest seasons of Broadway perhaps, ever, Detroit native playwright Dominique Morisseau is bringing her Motown musical back home. Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations will run at the Detroit Opera House from Aug. 9-28, presented in partnership with Broadway in Detroit. The musical recounts the Temptations’ journey…
Democrat Mallory McMorrow raises more than $1 million after fiery speech
Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow raised more than $1 million after a video of her rousing speech aimed at hateful Republican “nonsense” went viral earlier this year, according to campaign finance filings reported Thursday by Politico. In April, McMorrow — an Oakland County Democrat who represents Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Clawson, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Royal…
‘An Unmasking of Thyself’ brings photo exhibition, performances to Playground Detroit
Imani Ma’at AnkhmenRa Amen’s interactive exhibit at Playground Detroit combines African dance, drumming, photography, and ritual in a call to the ancestors. An Unmasking of Thyself is part gallery exhibition and part performance art that includes four one-night performances. On Friday, July 29, the artist will present Act II in the performance series, “Unmasking Daddy,”…
Ex-Chief Craig whines about settlement with protesters in deceptive, hyperbolic statement
Former Detroit Police James Craig said he’s “troubled” that the city is offering a nearly $1.3 million settlement to protesters who filed lawsuits alleging they were brutalized by his police department in the summer of 2020. In a meandering and misleading statement Wednesday, Craig falsely claimed that his cops only used force “necessary to overcome…
Detroit offers to settle lawsuits with anti-police brutality protesters for $1.3M
The city of Detroit is offering nearly $1.3 million to settle lawsuits filed by anti-police brutality protesters following the death of George Floyd in 2020. The Detroit City Council approved the settlement on Tuesday. It’s now up to protesters to decide if they want to accept the settlement or take the lawsuits to trial. Under…
Flo Rida, 311, and Montell Jordan to play Arts, Beats & and Eats
Around 200 music acts are set to perform at this year’s Arts, Beats & Eats festival, including some of our 1990s and mid-2000s faves. Remember “This is How We Do It”? Montell Jordan, who sings the ’90s R&B hit, is among this year’s festival headliners. He’s joined on the Jim Bean National stage by hip-hop…
Get to know some of the candidates and issues in Michigan’s Aug. 2 primary election
Here is a glimpse at some of the most exciting congressional races in metro Detroit for the Aug. 2 primary election. Below is a list of Democratic primary races for the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th congressional districts. In all but the 10th District, Democrats are the heavy favorite in the general election. We also…
President Biden’s fist bump with MBS takes a whole new meaning in light of Jan. 6
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden toured the Middle East, bumping fists and shaking hands with leaders of foreign countries who actively commit human rights abuses — and whose militaries our country supports. Of particular note was an awkward fist bump Biden shared with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, whom Biden…
Promenade Artisan Foods in Detroit’s Fisher Building is a grand cafe
The Fisher Building, where Promenade Artisan is housed, is reason enough to visit. Be sure to wander the halls of Albert Kahn’s Art Deco masterpiece before and after. Why don’t we make buildings like this anymore? It seems no one wants intricate mosaics with thousands of colored tiles and 40 kinds of marble. Or maybe…
Free Will Astrology (July 27-Aug. 2)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Fiction-writer John Banville tells us, “There are moments when the past has a force so strong it seems one might be annihilated by it.” I suspect that’s sometimes true for many of us. But it won’t apply to you Aries anytime soon. In fact, just the opposite situation will be in…
