Cover Story
The 2025 Detroit Metro Times Fiction Issue
Five years ago, the Metro Times Fiction Issue began as a project produced in the wake of COVID-19. As we struggled collectively to navigate the isolation, grief, and uncertainty of a pandemic, we thought it important to reach out to our most public thinkers — writers and artists — to help navigate the uncharted waters…
Michigan shuts down cannabis processor Sky Labs after years of violations
A cannabis company in Mount Morris has permanently lost its license to operate after amassing a long list of regulatory violations, including producing edibles with banned substances, failing product safety tests, and selling untagged marijuana. The Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) announced Monday that it finalized the nonrenewal of Sky Labs LLC’s processor license, ending…
City planning director accused of lobbying for controversial steam project in Detroit’s historic Lafayette Park
A controversial steam project in Detroit’s Lafayette Park Historic District is drawing new scrutiny after documents show a high-ranking city official helped reverse a recommendation opposing the work and privately contacted commissioners ahead of a key vote. Detroit’s Planning Director Alexa Bush coauthored a recent staff report that supported Detroit Thermal’s excavation plans, despite an…
Entertaining ‘F1’ stays between the lines
There’s nothing that wrong with F1, the new film from Joseph Kosinski, the mastermind behind Top Gun: Maverick, Tron: Legacy, and a few other films without colons. As someone with less than zero interest in Formula One racing, I found myself invested in the story, while still wishing the film would paint outside the lines…
Deadly opioid carfentanil re-emerges in Michigan after years of decline
The powerful opioid carfentanil has resurfaced in Michigan’s unregulated drug market, killing at least 11 people so far this year after years of dormancy, according to a new alert from the state health department. The synthetic opioid, originally developed to sedate large animals like elephants, is estimated to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine…
David Klein Gallery opens new Ferndale headquarters with grand opening celebration
David Klein Gallery, one of Michigan’s most prominent contemporary art spaces, is opening a new headquarters in Ferndale next month with a two-day grand opening celebration. The gallery’s new home at 678 Livernois Ave. is set to debut on Friday, July 11, with an evening reception beginning at 5 p.m., followed by an open house…
No charges filled in case of burned puppy Gideon
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced Friday that no one will be charged in the high-profile case of a puppy who suffered severe burns in a Detroit home earlier this year, saying there was a lack of evidence to prove who was responsible. Gideon, a months-old Jack Russell Terrier, was found in distress on Jan.…
‘Jurassic World Rebirth’: This franchise needs to evolve — or go extinct
This probably isn’t much of a hot take, but here we go anyway: the only good Jurassic movies are the first two, the ones directed by Steven Spielberg. I get that Jurassic Park III, Jurassic World, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Jurassic World: Dominion have their fans and I’m sure that if you were a…
Local chefs to face off at Burger Battle Detroit
May the best burger win. Local chefs will face off at this weekend’s Burger Battle Detroit, which returns to Eastern Market’s Shed 5 from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, June 29. Now in its ninth year, the family-friendly competition names the best burgers in the Detroit area — and you can help decide. “We are so…
Palestinian American student sues over Pledge of Allegiance protest
The ACLU of Michigan and the Arab American Civil Rights League filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools District and one of its teachers, alleging a Palestinian American student’s constitutional rights were violated when she was repeatedly humiliated for refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The lawsuit, filed on behalf…
Ford’s Garage expands to Macomb County
Ford’s Garage, a burgers-and-beers restaurant chain based on the iconic automaker, has opened its third location in Michigan. The new store opened this week at 12575 Hall Rd., marking the brand’s first location in Macomb County. The chain also has Michigan locations in Ford Motor Co.’s hometown of Dearborn and Novi. “We’re proud to open…
JARS Cannabis expands presence at Pine Knob and Freedom Hill — but no, you can’t buy weed there (yet)
Michigan-based dispensary JARS Cannabis is building on its relationship with metro Detroit’s music scene by expanding its presence at Pine Knob in Clarkston and Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights. As part of an ongoing partnership with 313 Presents, JARS is reintroducing its branded on-site experience at Pine Knob as The Block…
Two Brothers, One Dream: Immigrants Building Detroit’s Tree Service Legacy
A little over a decade ago, two half-brothers, Jose Burrow and Jose Ross, arrived in Detroit with high aspirations. Today, they operate thriving tree care companies that make Metro Detroit’s suburbs green and safe. Jose Burrow is the owner of Southfield Tree Care, dedicated to doing big jobs well and on time. Jose Ross is…
Free Will Astrology (June 25-July 1)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Hawaiian word pō refers to a primal darkness from which all life flows. It’s not a fearsome void, but a fertile mystery, rich with future possibilities and the ancestors’ hopes. In the coming weeks, I invite you to treat your inner life as pō. Be as calm and patient and…
Why Exotic Matter’s tiny grow is beating big weed in Michigan
In 2009, Jesse Rose and a small group of friends began growing medical marijuana in a pole barn in Michigan, driven by a passion for quality cannabis. Sixteen years later, their company, Exotic Matter, is widely regarded as one of Michigan’s best small-scale cultivators, known for producing premium flower and live rosin. Unlike many of…
Exploring the Coastal Charm of North Carolina Beaches
I grew up often visiting the Gulf Coast, where beach days meant soft white sand, slow sunsets, and the hum of cicadas in the pine trees just beyond the dunes. However, something about the North Carolina coast kept calling to me. Friends raved about its quieter charm and wild Atlantic waves. Over coffee and group…
Fontainebleau State Park: Trails, Beaches, and Cabin Life
A while back, someone mentioned Fontainebleau State Park, Louisiana, with that kind of hushed reverence reserved for hidden gems. I filed the name away, and when spring rolled around and my bones started itching for something new, I booked the trip. I’d grown up road-tripping through Louisiana’s wild corners, but I had never made it…
Free Will Astrology (June 11-17)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your definition of home is due for revamping, deepening, and expansion. Your sense of where you truly belong is ripe to be adjusted and perhaps even revolutionized. A half-conscious desire you have not previously been ready to fully acknowledge is ready for you to explore. Can you handle these subtly shocking…
‘The Wiz’ returns to Detroit for 50th anniversary
Beginning June 17, fans will be easing on down the road to watch the newest iteration of the Tony Award-winning musical The Wiz at the Fisher Theater. Charlie Smalls’s musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has evolved into a mainstay in contemporary African American culture as it…
Detroit’s Concert of Colors to return to The Aretha, announces full lineup
Detroit’s Concert of Colors is coming home. On Tuesday, organizers announced the long-running annual world music festival is returning to The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, the riverside venue formerly known as Chene Park that hosted the event from its launch in 1993 until it moved to Midtown in 2006 due to funding. “Fans have asked for…
Rep. Tlaib to join ‘No Kings’ rally in Detroit to protest attacks on immigrants, democracy
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib and a coalition of progressive groups are organizing a rally and march at Clark Park in Detroit on Saturday as part of a national day of protest against political repression, authoritarianism, and attacks on immigrants and dissenters. Billed as a National Day of Defiance and Mass Mobilization, the Detroit event is…
Wes Anderson gets weird and hilarious in ‘The Phoenician Scheme’
I’m tired of apologizing for my love of the films of Wes Anderson. Here’s my hard line: I don’t begrudge anyone who doesn’t like Anderson’s movies. The combination of quirk, whimsy, intricate sets, obsessive symmetry, bright color palette, and hyper-specific aesthetic isn’t for everyone, nor should it be. But where I do take issue is…
Are Louisiana Beaches Worth the Trip? Here’s What to Expect on a Gulf Coast Getaway
Growing up where “beach day” meant boardwalks and crashing waves, I never imagined Louisiana would call me to the coast. After several seasoned travelers raved about the hidden charm of Louisiana beaches, I discovered a world apart from the tourist-packed coastlines I’d known. There were laid-back beach towns, uncrowded shores, and a quiet charm that…
Detroit Crime Trends: A Decade in Review
For years, the Detroit crime rate was a grim national talking point, fueled by headlines about violence, and poverty, and a city stretched past its limits. But the story’s changing. From historic drops in homicides to community-led safety efforts, Detroit is starting to rewrite its narrative. It’s not a turnaround story just yet, but it’s…
Jury finds Michigan labor contractor guilty in human trafficking trial
A federal jury has found Michigan labor contractor Purpose Point Harvesting guilty of exploiting a group of Guatemalan farmworkers in a forced labor scheme that violated both federal and state laws. The verdict, delivered Friday after an eight-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, marks a major win for…
NBC’s ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society’ needs a streaming miracle to survive
Only you can save NBC’s Grosse Pointe Garden Society! OK, that may be the grossest of gross exaggerations, granted. However, it does contain a kernel of truth. In mid-May the Peacock Network swung a broad ax and canceled five of its prime-time series at once, in part to make room for its acquisition of NBA…
Activists urge officials to help Detroit high school student facing deportation
Teachers, students, and parents across Detroit are urging elected officials to intervene in the case of Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, an 18-year-old junior at Western International High School who was detained by immigration authorities last month and faces deportation before completing his diploma. Bogoya-Duarte, who immigrated from Colombia two and a half years ago, was pulled over…
New hip-hop festival planned for Detroit’s Hart Plaza on Juneteenth
A festival that aims to celebrate both Juneteenth and Detroit’s hip-hop music scene is planned for Hart Plaza. The inaugural “Hart of Detroit Summer Fest” is set to kick off at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 19. “We’re doing this event because Detroit does deserve the platform,” says festival organizer Chanel Domonique. “We see a…
Things to Do in Louisiana: Food, Culture, and History
The scent of andouille sausage wafted through an open kitchen. A jazz quartet crooning under a balcony bathed in golden evening light. Spanish moss draped over quiet bayous like nature’s lace. These were the sensations that made me fall hard for Louisiana. I’d always heard whispers from fellow travelers about the energy and depth tucked…
Detroit’s Crime Statistics Compared to National Averages
Detroit’s reputation for crime has been hard to shake—but the numbers tell a different story in 2024. The city recorded its lowest homicide count since 1965, a milestone that signals more than just progress—it signals a shift. Across the country, violent crime is trending down, but Detroit’s drop has been faster and deeper than most.…
Detroit’s long-standing Dakota Inn Rathskeller is under new ownership
The Dakota Inn Rathskeller, a nearly century-old German style restaurant and beer hall in Detroit that has been owned by the Kurz family since 1933, has a new owner. The restaurant is now owned by Paddy Lynch, a funeral director-turned-developer who has also acquired The Schvitz, Convent Detroit, and Dutch Girl Donuts in recent years.…
Opinion: For incarcerated parents, video visits can’t replace hugging your child
In 2017, St. Clair County Jail completely banned people from visiting their incarcerated loved ones, forcing families to pay steep fees for low-quality phone and video calls. Children and parents of individuals detained in the jail sued the County and Securus Technologies — the contractor providing call and video visitation technology — alleging that the…
Big Rock Italian Chophouse readies to open in Birmingham’s former Big Rock Chophouse space
A new restaurant and cigar club is gearing up to launch in Birmingham’s former Grand Trunk Western Railroad Depot, where Big Rock Chophouse served for nearly 40 years until it closed in 2021. The previously announced Big Rock Italian Chophouse and The Rock Cigar Club are slated to open in the space on July 15,…
Suspended Hamtramck police chief told volunteer to point loaded gun at someone’s head, according to audio recording
A newly released audio recording captures suspended Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri telling a civilian volunteer to point a loaded gun at someone’s head, adding to the growing list of serious allegations against him and city leaders. The recording, released by attorney Jon Marko, features a disturbing exchange between Altaheri and civilian volunteer Carol Rutkowski…
Detroit City Distillery made a cocktail using Achatz pie filling
What do you get when you mix Detroit City Distillery’s Two-Faced Bourbon and Achatz Handmade Pie Company’s Michigan 4-Berry Pie filling? The two beloved local brands collaborated to make a new bottled cocktail they’re calling Michigan 4-Berry. “We’re all huge fans of Achatz’s pies at DCD — the fresh ingredients, the craftsmanship, and the fact…
‘BMF’ season 4 boasts more action and brings back old faces
The last time we saw brothers Terry and Meech Flenory — the main characters of Starz’s crime drama BMF, based on the real-life story of Detroit’s notorious Black Mafia Family — they were arguing in a Mexican desert about continuing with a plan to break fellow drug dealer Loco out of prison. Older brother Terry…
Michigan health officials warn of sharp rise in nitrous oxide-related emergencies
The recreational use of nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” has led to an alarming surge in emergency medical incidents across Michigan, prompting a warning from state health officials on Wednesday. Calls to the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center (MiPDC) involving adverse effects from nitrous oxide misuse rose 533% between 2019 and 2024,…
A24’s newest films ‘Bring Her Back’ and ‘Friendship’ double down on weird, raw cinema
I can count on one hand the number of times a corporate production company or distributor logo excited me for whatever film they were releasing. As a kid, if New Line Cinema had their logo in front of a horror movie, I was there for it. (They get a lifetime pass from me for Evil…
Muslim family accuses Domino’s of food tampering and Islamophobia in civil rights complaint
A Muslim civil rights group has filed a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights accusing a Domino’s Pizza in Waterford of religious discrimination after a family’s food was allegedly tampered with and a store employee made Islamophobic remarks. The complaint, filed by the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), stems…
Hamtramck whistleblowers speak out as more corruption allegations surface
Two Hamtramck officials at the center of a federal whistleblower lawsuit spoke publicly Tuesday for the first time, leveling new and explosive allegations of corruption, misconduct, and election interference against the city’s top leadership. At a news conference, attorney Jon Marko, who represents City Manager Max Garbarino and Officer David Adamczyk, outlined a sweeping array…
More Than 1 Thing.
1. While they protest in the streets We clackin’ fans in the air We Tamia and wobble We strollin’ the farmers market We playin’ spades in a covered porch We bouncin’ Black babies on our knees We smokin’ good with the neighbor We laughin’ hard with our uncle We head noddin’ each other We makin’…
Sacred
Brittany Rogers is a multidisciplinary artist and life-long Detroiter; in addition to being Editor-In-Chief of Muzzle Magazine and co-host of VS Podcast, she is also author of the poetry collection Good Dress (Tin House, 2024), which was a NAACP Image Award finalist. More of our 2025 Fiction Issue: “Cottonwood Creek” by Nora Chapa Mendoza “Fair…
In The Silence of the Ruins, We Speak
Ackeem Salmon is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores memory, migration, and the poetics of identity; his upcoming solo exhibition opens mid-August 2025 at M Contemporary Gallery (205 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; mcontemporaryart.com). More of our 2025 Fiction Issue: “Cottonwood Creek” by Nora Chapa Mendoza “Fair Trade” by Aaron Foley “The Colored Section (after…
In th Mornings
(After “Calling Jesus” from Jean Toomer’s Cane) Her soul is like a little bob-tailed dog that follows her, whimpering. She is old enough, I know, t find a warm spot for it. But each night when she comes home an closes th big outside storm door, th little dog is left in th vestibule, filled…
Cottonwood Creek
Cottonwood Creek is rising, it is rising again. The dying sun burns a hole through the opal sky. Heavy air smothers the copper earth; dark furies churn the waters. There is no time to wait for Mama’s return. Half-dry laundry must be taken down from the line, piled into a basket and placed on the…
Fair Trade
Six thousand miles from a golden coast to great lakes; the new middle passage. Lately, there’s a boy like him packing up his duffel about — on average, it’s getting harder to keep count — twice a month, headed to their new world. The fiber optics are unpredictable, beckoning them to come to places unknown:…
The Colored Section (after Gary Simmons’ sculpture: Balcony Seating Only)
La Shaun phoenix Moore is a Detroit-based vocalist, spoken word artist, activist, culture creator and wife. More of our 2025 Fiction Issue: “Cottonwood Creek” by Nora Chapa Mendoza “Fair Trade” by Aaron Foley “The Colored Section (after Gary Simmons’ sculpture: Balcony Seating Only)” by La Shaun phoenix Moore “In The Silence of the Ruins, We…
