Cover Story
Nearly 40 years ago, a Metro Times reporter helped turn the killing of Vincent Chin into a movement for Asian American rights
On June 19, 1982, 27-year-old Vincent Chin was celebrating his bachelor party when two white men fatally bludgeoned him with a baseball bat outside of a crowded Highland Park McDonald’s. He died four days later at Henry Ford Hospital. The case was initially covered locally as a barroom brawl gone bad. “There was a story…
Lawsuit alleges racism, discrimination, hostile work environment at Detroit Club
A Latina woman filed a lawsuit against the Detroit Club on Monday, alleging the downtown business fired her in retaliation for complaining about racial discrimination. Maria Victoria Ferrer claims in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court that her supervisor and the club’s president were “openly hostile” to Black patrons and created a hostile work…
Kent County prosecutor vows to enforce Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban
Doctors who perform abortions in Kent County, which includes Grand Rapids, will face criminal prosecution. Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker has vowed to uphold Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban in a statement released on Monday, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The news is a bit puzzling as the 1931 law is…
Sheefy McFly is teaming up with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Whether through music or art, Detroit native Sheefy McFly has evolved into one of the city’s most impressive and versatile artists. His artwork can be seen painted all over Detroit’s Monroe Street Midway roller rink, and he’s released music with heavyweights Royce Da 5’9” and BabyTron. On Friday, Sheefy will sum all his artistic powers…
Ferndale’s Pop’s for Italian is temporarily closed
It’s going to be a few weeks before you can get a signature craft pizza from Pop’s for Italian. The restaurant announced that it will be closing for maintenance through early July. Expected updates like new flooring and kitchen maintenance will be happening to the Ferndale spot’s interior. While the news of a temporary closing…
Weekly River Blast concert series returns to Detroit’s Belle Isle
Music on Belle Isle is a given on any summer day on Detroit’s favorite island. Just ride around and you’ll hear a host of cars giving their own mini-concert from their radios, or people blasting their playlists from a boombox. If you want some more formal in the way of live music, there’s the Music…
Black-owned cannabis dispensaries at risk of closing because of Detroit’s new recreational marijuana ordinance
Detroit’s new recreational marijuana ordinance, designed to help long-time residents get into the nascent industry, is driving Black-owned medical cannabis dispensaries out of business. Of the roughly 70 medical cannabis dispensaries that were open in Detroit at the beginning of this year, about 10 were Black-owned. Two of those recently went out of business. Shana…
Democrats need to do more than fundraise and say ‘see you in November’
No sooner had five Supreme Court justices — four men, four appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, three confirmed by a Senate that represented a minority of the country, two credibly accused of sexual assault, one occupying a stolen seat — declared that women were no longer in charge of their own health…
Inaugural weed and music fest The Smoker’s Ball headed for Lansing
Cannabis and music festivals go together like Indica strains and couches. So it doesn’t surprise us that another music and weed fest is cropping up, this time in downtown Lansing. The Smoker’s Ball Music Festival is scheduled for August 13 at Lansing’s Adado Riverfront Park. Juicy J, Devin the Dude, Trick Trick, Gangsta Boo, and…
Winners of High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan: People’s Choice Edition 2022 announced
High Times magazine has unveiled the winners of the 2022 Cannabis Cup Michigan: People’s Choice Edition. Since 2011, High Times magazine has run a Cannabis Cup event in Michigan, a competition that doled out awards to local cannabis companies and growers and also included high-profile musical entertainment. But the event was only for medical marijuana…
Beaumont-Spectrum backtracks on abortion stance after ‘Roe v. Wade’ decision
BHSH Health, the state’s largest health system, flip-flopped on whether it will perform abortions following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The 22-hospital system, which is a merger of Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health, initially said it would stop performing abortions unless the mother’s life is in imminent danger. In a…
Sen. McMorrow slams conservative Christians for eroding rights in the name of religion
Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow on Monday slammed the role of religion in politics and said state lawmakers must step up to protect freedoms that are under attack. Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, the Royal Oak Democrat alluded to the role that Christianity has played in the debate over abortion and said it must stop. “It…
Capitol Pride strikes chord of resistance in newly post-Roe Michigan
The tone at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing was as defiant as it was celebratory, with more than 200 members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community gathering Sunday for a Pride rally on the seventh anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage. The event — the first in-person Pride at the Capitol since…
Wiz Khalifa brings his weed brand to Michigan and Jack White is going to perform in Flint (finally): The top 10 Metro Times headlines of the week
If you’re a Wiz Khalifa fan, the news of his cannabis brand, Khalifa Kush, launching in Michigan this weekend excites you. It certainly excited our readers who found the story to be most interesting. Our readers were also interested in Jack White’s confirmed upcoming show in Flint, it will be the artist’s first show in…
Whitmer implores Michigan Supreme Court to decide whether state constitution protects abortion rights
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is urging the Michigan Supreme Court to “immediately” decide whether the state constitution protects abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade on Friday. In the motion, attorneys for Whitmer say the court’s insight is “urgently needed.” Michigan is one of 26 states with a law banning abortion.…
Abortion rights advocates pledge to fight for reproductive autonomy in Michigan
A dark day. A despicable, dehumanizing attack. A devastating blow. That’s how some abortion-rights advocates from Michigan responded to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision in 1973 that established the right for people to terminate their pregnancy. “Today is a sad day for America as an…
Detroit Zoo’s oldest tiger dies at 18
The Detroit Zoo’s beloved Amur tiger, Kisa, passed away Thursday evening. And just after we were riding the feel-good high from seeing Detroit Zoo animals eating Buddy’s Pizza, too. The zoo announced Kisa’s passing in a Facebook post. At almost 19 years old, she was the oldest tiger in the zoo’s Devereux Tiger Forest. This is…
Michigan breathalyzer technician sentenced to 9 months in jail for falsifying documents
A technician who falsified documents that certified the accuracy of breathalyzer tests in Michigan was sentenced to nine months in jail and three years of probation, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday. A jury convicted Andrew Clark last month of two counts of forgery of a public record, two counts of uttering and publishing, and…
Dispute with Irwin House Gallery looms over new exhibit by Detroit artist Jonathan Harris
Detroit artist Jonathan Harris was catapulted into the national spotlight after his “Critical Race Theory (CRT)” painting went viral in 2021. The piece shows a white man “erasing” prominent Black figures like Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King with white paint. The message was loud and clear, and after such a powerful piece, everyone was…
You can take your dog to prom in Downtown Detroit this weekend
For some people, their high school prom would’ve been more enjoyable if they would’ve been able to take their dog as a date instead of their high school sweetheart. Well this weekend, you can. The 6th annual Grand Circus Park Dog Prom happens Saturday, June 25, and is the perfect opportunity for pets and their…
Mosquitoes infected with Jamestown canyon virus found in Michigan
The first known cases of the Jamestown Canyon virus in Michigan were detected in mosquitoes collected in Bay County, state health officials said Thursday. The virus is spread to people through bites from infected mosquitoes, usually from late spring through mid-fall. Initial symptoms include fever, headache and fatigue. In rare case, the virus can cause…
Bar Pigalle is now open in Detroit’s Brush Park
Bar Pigalle has been a long time in the making. The French-inspired restaurant in Detroit’s Brush Park that was announced in late 2021 is finally opening its doors today. Craft cocktails and French cuisine with a modern spin await visitors at the new spot located inside the Carlton Lofts. To give you an idea, menu…
Justice Department subpoenas Trump campaign aide in Michigan over fake elector scheme
The Justice Department on Wednesday issued a subpoena to Shawn Flynn, a campaign aide to former President Donald Trump in Michigan, as part of its investigation into a fraudulent elector scheme aimed at overturning the 2020 election. Federal prosecutors are investigating Republicans in Michigan and six other battleground states for posing as presidential electors and…
It’s no mystery why COVID-19 deaths have risen in Michigan
A new article from The Detroit News columnist Charlie LeDuff asks the question, “COVID deaths climb; does anyone care?” LeDuff rightly notes that the pandemic is not over, and that Michigan’s COVID-19 death rate has actually increased by 8% in the past year, with 15,821 COVID deaths from June 8, 2021, to June 7, 2022.…
Mama Sol, Lizz Wright, and The Legendary Wailers to headline Detroit’s African World Festival
Detroit’s African World Festival is returning to Hart Plaza for the first time in several years with a music lineup featuring local and national performers. Usually taking place in August, the 2022 African World Festival is set for July 15-17. Flint rapper Mama Sol will headline the first night on Friday, July 15, accompanied by…
Michigan GOP state House bill would ban most abortions after conception
A Michigan Republican lawmaker introduced a bill Tuesday that would ban all abortions after conception, except to save the life of a pregnant person. Under Protection at Conception Act, anyone who performs or attempts to perform an abortion could be charged with a felony count of manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years…
There are three taco festivals coming to metro Detroit
You can head up to Lake Orion’s Canterbury Village and Wildwood Amphitheater for the third annual Michigan Taco Fest, where you’ll find tequila, margarita madness, and, of course, tacos from Friday, June 24 to Sunday, June 26. There are seven stages of entertainment, lucha libre wrestling, and strolling mariachi performances. After you’re done stuffing your…
Long-standing Rangoli Indian Cuisine in Auburn Hills lives up to its hype
When talking with a friend whose parents immigrated from southern India about the region’s best Indian spots, she said Rangoli is near the top of most lists. People know it and love it: the Auburn Hills restaurant has been around for about 20 years, it caters Indian weddings, and it’s earned a few “Best of”…
Free Will Astrology (June 22-28)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries actor Marilu Henner has an unusual condition: hyperthymesia. She can remember in detail voluminous amounts of past events. For instance, she vividly recalls being at the Superdome in New Orleans on Sept. 15, 1978, where she and her actor friends watched a boxing match between Leon Spinks and Muhammad Ali.…
