Cover Story
Behind the GOP plot to restrict voting access in Michigan
An ongoing series about extremism and the radicalization of the Michigan Republican Party • Part 1: How a Michigan couple radicalized the state’s GOP and emboldened insurrectionists • Part 2: White angst keeps Trumpism alive in Macomb County • Part 3: Behind the GOP plot to restrict voting access in Michigan • Part 4: Michigan…
Metro Times parent company Euclid Media Group acquires Louisville’s LEO Weekly
Metro Times owners Euclid Media Group, a media company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, announced today that it has purchased the LEO Weekly, an award-winning Louisville alternative newsweekly publication, formerly owned by Aaron Yarmuth and founded by John Yarmuth. The LEO Weekly has served the Louisville area since 1990 with cultural and political reporting, entertainment previews,…
Whitmer calls for expansion of ‘Futures for Frontliners’ tuition-free college program for essential workers
Governor Gretchen Whitmer touted “Futures for Frontliners” — her program inspired by the G.I. Bill that was launched during the pandemic to offer tuition-free college for frontline workers — and called for the state Legislature to expand it. Whitmer made the comments Tuesday during a press conference on Detroit’s Belle Isle to celebrate the end of Michigan’s…
Singer-songwriter Neena Roe talks relationships in her new song ‘TRUST’
On Tuesday, Neena Roe, an independent singer-songwriter and Detroit native, released her newest song “TRUST,” featuring fellow Detroiter Gabriel Duran. “It’s basically a song that talks about this sort of like cyclical nature of a toxic relationship where it’s like, ‘you’ve been in it for so long,’” Roe says. “And sort of just that habit…
Lorde to perform at Detroit’s Masonic Temple next year in support of ‘Solar Power’
Forget your personal Jesus because a “prettier Jesus” is here to save us from our crippling FOMO and forgive us of our sins, namely sins involving wiping our Dorito dust-covered fingers on the back of the couch because who cares? Lorde is back, baby. The 24-year-old performer last visited Detroit in 2018 when she performed…
Michigan’s COVID-19 restrictions have ended, but the virus is still a threat if you’re not vaccinated
Michigan dropped the majority of its COVID-19 orders on Tuesday, ending a 15-month battle against the virus that has killed more than 20,000 in Michigan and more than 600,000 in the U.S. There are now no more mask requirements and no more capacity restrictions on indoor or outdoor gatherings. Governor Gretchen Whitmer revealed the news…
How does a pandemic end?
Politicians and pundits often like to compare the COVID-19 pandemic to a war. Nothing in most of our lifetimes has had the society-changing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic — and this kind of feels like the way that our parents say their parents described the Great Depression or World War II. But World War II…
Kevin Smith’s fictional fast-food chain Mooby’s is coming to Detroit via vegan-friendly pop-up
Calling all motherfuckers, ball-lickers, and anyone who may be stuck in 1999 — it’s time to get some Hater Totz, yo. Filmmaker, wearer of backward caps, heart attack survivor, and the dude who attempted to rescue Marvel comics legend Stan Lee (R.I.P.), Kevin Smith, is taking what he calls a “fake fast-foodery” inspired by a…
ChillBox Portable AC Reviews (Scam or Legit) ChillBox Air Cooler Really Works?
ChillBox is one of the top trending personal air coolers in 2021, making its top position among all the available options. According to the official website, ChillBox Portable AC is a small but powerful device that can make your hot summer day pleasant. (Special Promo Deal) Get ChillBox Portable AC For 50% Off Today…
Fireworks Shortage Could Fizzle Your 4th of July Celebrations. Buy Now!
The country’s top consumer fireworks retailers are sounding the alarm. Supply chains are slow due to global shipment delays, so many retailers are recommending you buy your fireworks early to avoid a possible shortage. Exotic Fireworks in Dearborn Michigan has one of SE Michigan’s largest selection of fireworks. Owner Pat Mifsud said, “ We prepared…
BioFit Reviews: Does It Work? Side Effects + Scam Complaints
BioFit is a weight loss supplement that uses seven probiotic strains to help you lose weight. By taking one capsule of BioFit per day, you can purportedly lose over 70 pounds of weight with minimal effort required. BioFit uses probiotic strains to help you lose weight, making it different from other diet pills. Can you…
Before Watergate
A few years before he was hailed a folk hero and his name became synonymous with the Watergate affair, Frank Wills was heading nowhere fast. After getting his girlfriend pregnant, the Black teenager dropped out of high school. A native of North Augusta, South Carolina, and the son of a single mother who kept food…
Townhouse Detroit is getting a makeover ahead of summer reopening
When Townhouse Detroit reopens to the public later this summer, it will look a lot different. The restaurant is undergoing a renovation that will see the dark, leather, wood, and Edison lightbulbs of the previous design replaced with a lighter design that uses marble, pink hues, and string lights. A press release describes the remodel…
Grand Traverse official who flashed a gun during a public meeting won’t be charged
A Grand Traverse County commissioner who brandished a semiautomatic rifle during a virtual public meeting won’t be charged with a crime, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday. Commission Vice Chair Ron Clous, a Republican, pulled out the rifle on Jan. 21 in response to a local a local resident telling him and his colleagues…
Detroit’s North American International Auto Show moved to 2022
Organizers of Detroit’s biggest car event have, once again, pumped the brakes on a 2021 iteration. On Thursday, the head of the North American International Auto Show revealed that Detroit’s massive showcase of automotive innovation will officially return to downtown Detroit in 2022 and that attendees can expect some format changes, Associated Press reports. The…
Oakland County’s blue shift ‘a national warning light for the Republicans,’ according to ‘Politico’ deep-dive
Forget about Macomb County’s “Reagan Democrats” (they’re solidly Trump Republicans now, anyway). Oakland County’s “Biden Republicans” are at the new forefront of national politics. That’s according to Stanley Greenberg, the pollster who popularized Macomb County as a national bellwether, who told Politico in a lengthy cover story about Oakland County’s shift from red to blue…
Black-owned plant boutique opens in Hamtramck
Alexis Sims began her plant boutique Leaf Me during quarantine, at a time where she found caring for plants as her own form of healing. Sims’ passion for plants began with a gift from her mother, during a very challenging time in her life. Newly divorced, Sims says providing for her plants was a form…
Juneteenth declared national holiday, amidst progress, upheaval
Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both the US Senate and House of Representatives. Also known as Black Emancipation Day, Liberation Day, and Jubilee Day, it’s celebrated on June 19, which marks the anniversary of a historical celebration of emancipation which started…
Judge halts Detroit’s recreational marijuana ordinance, saying it’s ‘likely unconstitutional’
A federal judge on Thursday indefinitely blocked the city of Detroit from processing recreational marijuana business applications, saying a new city ordinance that gives licensing preference to longtime Detroiters is “likely unconstitutional.” U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit that argues the residency requirements are unconstitutional and discriminatory. The…
Whitmer says all COVID-19 restrictions will end June 22 in surprise announcement
After more than 15 months, Michigan’s COVID-19 pandemic restrictions will soon be over, says Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Capacity limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings, as well as mask-wearing requirements, will end on Tuesday, June 22 — earlier than Whitmer’s previous plan to lift restrictions on July 1. Whitmer made the surprise announcement on Thursday, though…
Democrats call for a bipartisan commission to investigate Michigan’s role in the Jan. 6 insurrection
Michigan Democrats are urging the GOP-led Legislature to create a bipartisan, independent committee to investigate the role Michigan played in the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski and Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich introduced resolutions this week to call for the creation of a 12-member committee with subpoena…
Ann Arbor man charged for attacking transgender woman during Pride Month
A Washtenaw County man has been charged for the violent assault of a transgender woman. James Greggs, 59, of Ann Arbor, was arraigned Tuesday in Washtenaw County’s 14-A District Court, charged with one count each of Second-degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, Felonious Assault, and Ethnic Intimidation. Prosecutors alleged that on June 8, “Greggs cut the victim…
Detroit’s Tee Grizzley to play the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre this summer
Break out your white Dior tee, because Detroit’s Tee Grizzley is headed to the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in August. The 27-year-old rapper announced his first performance of 2021 scheduled for Friday, Aug. 13. The one-off hometown performance follows the release of Grizzley’s third record, Built for Whatever, which dropped in May and features frequent collaborator…
Detroit-based creative agency Verse and Hook selected for American Association of Independent Music fellowship
Verse and Hook, a Detroit-founded creative agency, has been selected as one of a few inaugural fellows for the American Association of Independent Music’s first annual Black Independent Music Accelerator, an initiative to uplift Black voices in the independent music community. Detroit natives and founders of Verse and Hook, Jay Norm and Miso Brown, were…
Mavis Staples, Ani DiFranco and others to perform as part of ‘Across the Night’ concert series in Lake Orion
A dashing, Michigan-born chart-topping country star; an introspective folk-rock duo; a trail-blazing warrior-poet with more than 20 studio records; and, well, the Mavis Staples all happen to have some major plans in the metro Detroit area this summer. Audiotree Presents has teamed up with Lake Orion’s 20 Front Street and WDET for an eclectic outdoor…
State Senate Republicans approve bills to impose stricter ID requirements to vote
The Michigan Senate on Wednesday narrowly approved controversial legislation that would impose stricter ID requirements to vote. The Senate voted along party lines – 19-16 – to require voters to submit a photocopy of their driver’s license or state ID card or the last four digits of their social security number to request an absentee…
MDOT’s I-375 project aims to rebuild what it destroyed
The history of Detroit’s Black Bottom neighborhood is a story of both triumph and tragedy. A thriving area composed of Black doctors, restaurants, grocers, churches, nightclubs, and more. It’s where Rev. C.L. Franklin opened his first church, and where his daughter Aretha Franklin recorded her first album. Despite the flourishing neighborhood, Black Bottom was destroyed…
Popularity of pre-rolls leads to $1.12B sales boom in 2020
The convenience of pre-rolled ready-to-smoke joints is so irresistible to many cannabis consumers that pre-roll sales grew 59% last year, from $704 million in 2019 to $1.12 billion in 2020. The growth in pre-roll sales even outpaced the already explosive cannabis market, which grew by only 54.2% over the same period. That’s according to a…
Voter suppression legislation in Michigan boosted by company donations to Republicans, nonprofit says
After a police officer murdered George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, sparking protests against police brutality across the country, companies nationwide began issuing statements and policies advocating for racial justice. General Motors, for example, published a statement last year on Juneteenth—a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of Black individuals…
New Michigan program puts millions into electric vehicle-charging stations
A new $3 million program will help Michigan businesses switch their fleets to electric vehicles. The “PowerMIFleet” program from Consumers Energy will offer rebates of up to $50,000 each to companies that install EV charging stations. Brian Wheeler, Consumers Energy’s media-relations manager, said any size operation can take part. “It could be just a business that has…
Free Will Astrology (June 16-22)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19: Aries playwright Tennessee Williams was honest about the trickery he engaged in as he composed his entertaining masterpieces. “I don’t want realism,” he exclaimed. “I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people.” I fully support you, Aries, if you would like to make that…
What conservatives really fear about critical race theory
If covering the Trump administration was like drinking water from a fire hydrant, analyzing the Biden era has been like watching a river cresting to a flood. The former was an incessant torrent of incompetence following outrage following absurdity following criminality, all of which numbed us to the collective obscenity. The latter is a handful…
Cranbook celebrates massive retrospective, Something Corporate’s Andrew McMahon goes wild, and more
Submit your events to metrotimes.com/calendar. Fri. 6/ 18 & Sat. 6/19 Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness From Something Corporate to something wild, singer-songwriter and author Andrew McMahon is a survivor. The Something Corporate (IYKYK, you know?) and Jack’s Mannequin frontman — and piano man — is now a wild man. Established in 2014, Andrew McMahon…
Detroit’s high-end Oak and Reel restaurant opens in the worst of times
It’s hard to overstate how difficult of a position restaurants like Oak and Reel faced during the thick of the pandemic. Carryout works just fine for a spot like a deli or pizzeria, which trade in products that largely withstand degradation in quality as they make the journey from kitchen to carryout window to cashier…
‘In the Heights’ soars but lacks grounding
Less a story than a toasty summer ode, In the Heights looks at Washington Heights, the largely Latinx New York barrio it makes its subject, with an affectionate, lingering gaze. With a script adapted from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2008 stage musical by Quiara Alegría Hudes and direction by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), its attention…
