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COVID-19 has reshaped Michigan’s future in ways we could have never imagined
So much has changed since Michigan confirmed its first two cases of the coronavirus on March 10: Schools and businesses have closed. More than one million Michigan residents have lost their jobs. And critical services are on the chopping block because of massive budget deficits. As Michigan begins to slowly reopen its economy, epidemiologists and…
Thank you, Detroit! Joining the Metro Times Press Club helps keep this alt-weekly running
Awww shucks, Detroit. You’re going to melt our jaded hearts. When the coronavirus hit Michigan, it hit us hard. With bars, restaurants, and nightclubs forced closed, we lost a significant portion of our revenue, and with no certainty as to when it will come back. As this financial reality set in, we made the difficult…
The Henry Ford announces reopening and new dates for delayed Marvel exhibit
Thanos, you’re canceled. Despite his best finger-snapping efforts — and, well, the villainous and ever-surreal coronavirus pandemic — the Henry Ford’s massive Marvel legacy exhibit will finally make its Midwest debut next month. Originally scheduled to open on March 28, just two weeks after the state was practically shut down due to you-know-who, Marvel: Universe…
Royal Oak movie theater will defy state order to reopen for Juneteenth film series
Daddy Glantz is going full rebel for a good cause. Royal Oak’s Emagine theatre will reopen on Friday, June 19 — despite not being able to legally do so under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s statewide reopening plan — for a weeklong festival highlighting Black cinema and films that present “compelling moral stories” about race in America…
Let’s all pretend Biden isn’t leading Trump by 16 points in Michigan and act accordingly
According to a new poll from EPIC-MRA, former Vice President (and presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee) Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump 55%-39% in Michigan, a 16-point margin. This is notable because Michigan was one of a handful of states that unexpectedly handed Trump the presidency in 2016, where he eked out a win against…
Henry Ford Health System still moving forward with hydroxychloroquine study
President Donald Trump had been hyping the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential coronavirus treatment, which led to Detroit heading up the first large-scale study of the drug as a potential preventive measure against COVID-19 at Henry Ford Health System. However, in recent weeks the drug has seen a string of bad publicity: Trump revealed…
Wakanda forever: Michigan Black cosplay group will celebrate Juneteenth in costume
Everything changed for Blerds — that’s Black nerds — after Marvel released 2018’s megablockbuster Black Panther, the first feature film dedicated to a Black superhero. Well, almost. Sure, in 1994 Damon Wayans slipped on some spandex for the superhero comedy Blankman; 1997 found Michael Jai White as demonic assassin Spawn; and Blade followed in 1998, starring…
City of Detroit removes Christopher Columbus statue from downtown as Black Lives Matter protests continue
The City of Detroit removed its 110-year-old Christopher Columbus statue on Monday. Mayor Mike Duggan ordered the removal of the statue, which has been standing at Jefferson Avenue and Randolph downtown since the late 1980s. “The mayor decided it ought to be placed in storage to give us time to reevaluate the appropriate long-term disposition…
The NBA is no longer testing players for marijuana
Joining other major sports leagues, the National Basketball Association has loosened its drug testing policy concerning marijuana. When it resumes games next month, the league will no longer test players for recreational drugs. According to High Times, the NBA will only test for COVID-19, as well as continue to test for performance-enhancing drugs. Previously, players…
Metro Detroit lost an estimated $200 million in convention-related cancellations, not including the North American International Auto Show
The economic impact of coronavirus-related shutdowns have left many industries reeling. In metro Detroit, the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau has estimated a $200 million loss. The estimate includes lost hospitality revenue normally generated when conventions roll through town. The $200 million figure, however, does not include the state’s largest capacity convention center, downtown…
Six employees of Harper Woods Public Safety placed on leave following mysterious death of woman
Six employees of the Harper Woods Department of Public Safety have been placed on leave while Michigan State Police investigates the mysterious death of a 38-year-old Black woman who authorities say was found unresponsive in a jail cell. The employees are two supervisors and four civilian aides. Priscilla Slater was arrested shortly after 1 a.m.…
Supreme Court Rules in favor of transgender metro Detroit woman in landmark LGBT discrimination case
Aimee Stephens, a former funeral home director who said she was fired from her job after coming out as a transgender woman, didn’t live long enough to see the Supreme Court reach a ruling in her workplace discrimination case. She died last month at her home in Redford at age 59. However, Stephens would be…
The Ultimate Guide to CBD and Seniors With Joint and Back Pain
This article was originally published on CBD Seniors. To view the original article, click here. The Ultimate Guide to CBD and Seniors With Joint and Back Pain A total of 65 million adults have reported a recent incidence of back pain. In total, there are 16 million adults who deal with chronic back pain. During…
Birmingham’s upscale Pernoi rebrands as casual Italian ‘Casa Pernoi’
Starting on Friday, Pernoi — the fine-dining restaurant launched by acclaimed chef Luciano DelSignore last year — is no more. The spot has now rebranded as the casual Italian “Casa Pernoi.” Like many changes these days, the pivot came due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis, which saw the space briefly transform into a…
Uber Eats is waiving delivery fees for Black-owned businesses through the rest of 2020
Uber says it’s showing commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement by waiving delivery fees on its Uber Eats app for Black-owned businesses for the remainder of 2020. The app’s delivery fees typically run $3 to $5. “Uber stands in solidarity with the Black community and with peaceful protests against the injustice and racism that…
Major outlets that spell ‘Black’ with a capital B now include ‘LA Times,’ ‘BuzzFeed News,’ and MSNBC
The Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed News, NBC News, and MSNBC are among the latest publications to change their style guides to capitalize “Black” when referring to people of the African diaspora — something that industry leaders the Associated Press and New York Times have still not yet called for. On Thursday, Sarah Glover, the former…
MSP investigating mysterious death of 38-year-old woman in Harper Woods jail
Michigan State Police are investigating the mysterious death of a 38-year-old woman who authorities say was found unresponsive in a jail cell at Harper Woods Police Department. Priscilla Slater was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, leaving family members shocked and saddened. “Once our investigation is completed, we will be forwarding it to the prosecutor…
A Canadian smuggled weed across the Detroit River using a small submarine
A Canadian man is facing charges after admitting to authorities that he used a small submarine to smuggle drugs across the Detroit River. Glen Richard Mousseau was pulled over in May while driving a U-Haul in Michigan, when authorities found a package containing more than $97,000 in the trunk. At the time, Mousseau claimed he…
Detroit artist creates floral installations to honor Black historic sites and help florists hurt by coronavirus
Artist Lisa Waud was trying to figure out how to continue to support local florists who were hit hard when the coronavirus pandemic effectively canceled the busy wedding season when she got the idea to create public art installations — much like she did in 2015 when she converted an abandoned house in Hamtramck into…
Detroit art collective teams up for virtual variety hour to benefit Black-led organizations
The married couple and creative duo behind Woodbridge’s Armageddon Beach Party Store & Lounge, Elena Smyth and Aubrey Smyth (aka Kozma and Motu, aka Detroit’s “ambassadors of psychedelia”) have teamed up with with a digital nightclub and Haus of Moneje, a queer-Black-run production house to produce a virtual benefit that to emphasize the importance of…
Prosecutor refuses to charge Black Amazon driver for resisting arrest after parking incident in Warren
Prosecutors are declining to charge a 23-year-old Black Amazon driver who was tackled, handcuffed, and taken to jail after a white Warren cop confronted him about parking his delivery truck on the wrong side of the road. The incident on Tuesday afternoon raised more questions about the overzealous enforcement of minor infractions, especially against Black…
Kiesling owners’ super cute walk-up coffee shop Milwaukee Caffè is now open in Detroit
Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood just got a bit more caffeinated thanks to the latest development from the owners of nearby cocktail bar Kiesling. Located next to Kiesling at 447 E. Milwaukee St., the Italian-inspired multi-roaster coffee bar Milwaukee Caffè started serving on Thursday, offering a refined menu of pour-overs, cold brew, and espresso drinks. Kiesling…
Trump accused of violating federal law by promoting Senate candidate John James at Ypsilanti event
President Trump’s administration violated federal law by using a tax-funded visit to an Ypsilanti auto plant last month to promote Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James, the Michigan Democratic Party alleges in a complaint filed Wednesday. Michigan Democrats allege the White House staff and other administration officials violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees…
Michigan reports successful first year for industrial hemp pilot program
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is reporting a successful first year for its inaugural industrial hemp pilot program. “With the inaugural year of growing hemp for the first time in decades under our belt, Michigan is focused on taking the next steps with this emerging crop,” MDARD director Gary McDowell said in…
Table No. 2 launches GoFundMe after being forced out of Avenue of Fashion location
A Black-owned white-table cloth restaurant with a focus on table-side service is looking for a new home — just over a year after opening its doors in a historic Detroit neighborhood. The restaurant suffered from a string of bad luck. Shortly after Chef Omar Mitchell opened his fine-dining restaurant Table No. 2 along Detroit’s Avenue…
Overzealous police? Black Amazon driver arrested for resisting arrest after parking on wrong side of the street
Overzealous cops disproportionately target Black people for minor infractions, civil rights leaders and legal experts have long complained. On Tuesday, a Black driver for Amazon was tackled, handcuffed, and taken to jail after a white Warren cop confronted him about parking his delivery truck. “You gonna give me a ticket for this bullshit?” the frustrated…
Highlands set to reopen at the top of Detroit’s RenCen
With bars and restaurants slowly reopening since closing due to the coronavirus, things are finally starting to look up. Highlands, the fine-dining spot that opened at the top of the Renaissance Center late last year, is set to reopen its doors on Wednesday, June 17. Due to restrictions on restaurant capacities put in place to…
Diana Hussein endorses the Metro Times Press Club because ‘the attack on local journalism is by design’
As our country takes on several crises at once, local journalism has risen to be more important than ever. But for anyone that has been paying attention to the local journalism scene in recent years, you will have noticed that it’s under attack more than ever, too. Even in media markets such as Detroit’s, where…
Jobbie Nooner 2020 doesn’t give a friggin’ heck about coronavirus
What has boobs, booze, boats, and bros who piss directly into the glistening waters of Lake Saint Clair — and in 2018, blasted Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” as if it were a party anthem to smash to? The answer? Jobbie Nooner, the debaucherous decades-old ritual in which thousands of boaters gather around Gull Island…
Warren mayor calls arrest of Black Amazon driver ‘outrageous and unacceptable’
A white Warren cop has been placed on administrative leave after arresting a young, Black Amazon driver who parked his van on the wrong side of the street Tuesday. The arrest was captured on a live Facebook video, prompting outrage. Warren Mayor Jim Fouts called the arrest “outrageous and unacceptable” in a Facebook post he…
Michigan man goes viral after telling Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello to stay out of politics
In the hellscape that is Twitter, where the worst ideas routinely rise to the top, you can tell if a tweet is truly awful thanks to a phenomenon known (to people like us who spend way too much on that site) as “The Ratio.” Esquire’s Luke O’Neil defines The Ratio thusly: “If the number of…
‘Fascism’ might be too strong. But this doesn’t feel like a healthy democracy.
Despite the recent proliferation of memes, the early 20th-century novelist Sinclair Lewis probably never said, “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” But he would have endorsed the sentiment. Watching Hitler’s rise to power in Europe while the antisemitic Father Charles Coughlin and the swaggering, dictatorial…
Free Will Astrology (June 10-16)
Related ARIES | March 21 – April 19: During her 90 years on the planet, actor and singer Marlene Dietrich reinvented herself numerous times. She had superb insight into the nature of shifting rhythms, and a knack for gauging the right moment to adapt and transform. Good timing, she said, came naturally to people like…
