Cover Story
Detroit Police tried to quell an uprising. It failed.
Friday evening was supposed to be a time of unity in Detroit. To boost morale two and a half months into the coronavirus pandemic and remind people of the importance of filling out the census, the City of Detroit put on an “Everybody vs. COVID-19” livestream music festival featuring some of the biggest local hip-hop…
Detroit rapper Steve Banks (This Life. We Lead.) releases ‘Black Lives,’ a single inspired by the protests
Just over two weeks ago, video footage of a Black man named George Floyd being killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota went viral. In the video, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneels on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes as Floyd cries out, “I can’t breathe,” and onlookers plead with Chauvin to stop. Since…
State files lawsuit against owner of flooded Michigan dams
Boyce Hydro, LLC, the company formed by Lee Mueller, the heir of the fortune of the founder of the Boy Scouts to be used as a tax shelter (seriously), has been slapped with a lawsuit after its dams flooded last month, causing massive damage in and around Midland. The lawsuit — filed by the Department…
Detroit’s Concert of Colors gets a new format due to you-know-who
Detroit’s 28th annual Concert of Colors has switched dates and format due to — wait for it — yes, the coronavirus. But organizers are pointing to the positives. A broadcast-only festival, as is now the plan, will mean more people can enjoy it. “Concert of Colors audience will grow by the millions this year,” festival…
Mackinac Policy Conference canceled due to coronavirus fears
Movers and shakers will have to wait another year to mingle at the Mackinac Policy Conference. The Detroit Regional Chamber announced Tuesday that it has canceled the event, which had been moved from May to August in hopes that the coronavirus wouldn’t pose a health risk in the late summer. “When we decided to move…
Petition to recall Gov. Whitmer set to begin July 1 after panel approves language
A petition to recall Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to begin circulating on July 1 after the bipartisan Board of Canvassers approved the language on Monday. The petition organizer, Albion resident Chad Baase, 39, must collect more than 1 million signatures from registered voters within 60 days of launching it to get the recall question…
A list of Detroit-area justice and counseling resources
In light of the demand for justice across the world, Michigan offers a number of resources to help with legal services, bail funds, therapy, youth and LGBTQ+ support, and donations. Below is a list of provided local/statewide resources including non-profit charities and donation sites. Bail Fund/Legal Services Michigan Solidarity Bail Fund The Michigan Solidarity Bail…
Detroit musician creates sharing table in New Center as a response to grief and disruption
By Monday morning, Kaylan Waterman’s sharing table was nearly cleared out. By Monday afternoon, the table more closely resembled a corner at a well-curated local market, stocked with stacks of canned goods, rows of rice, noodles, instant meals, and condiments, a cooler filled with cold beverages, a variety of hygiene products, and bins of fresh…
The New Easy and Effective Way to Consume CBD: Oral Strips
This article was originally published on Blue Ribbon Hemp. To view the original article, click here. Consuming CBD has become more and more mainstream, and the methods of consumption are evolving with the times. Many people are enticed by the health benefits CBD are thought to have, but they haven’t found the best way to…
Detroit’s curfew lifted after more than a week of peaceful protests
Detroit’s weeklong curfew ended Monday, and Mayor Mike Duggan said he is not renewing it because protests have been peaceful. “We have elements who brought in rocks, railroad spikes, and fireworks, using them to assault police,” Duggan said at a news conference Monday. “We know full well they had no stake in the city when…
Anti-racism movement in conservative Romeo swells after rock defaced with racial slurs and blue lines
Romeo resident Christy Seitz says her family’s Romeo roots go back more than 100 years. A recruiter married to a farmer, she claims to be a boring person who is in bed by 8:30 p.m. But since Saturday, Seitz has found herself buried in direct messages and Facebook notifications after launching the Romeo/Washington/Neighbors Diversity and…
High Times is expanding to Michigan with branded marijuana dispensaries
One of the biggest names in the world of weed is setting up shop in Michigan. Cannabis brand High Times has partnered with Red, White & Bloom, Inc. to expand into Michigan, Illinois, and Florida. The deal will see all of Red, White & Bloom, Inc.’s Michigan dispensaries re-branded as High Times marijuana dispensaries, and…
A MAGA boat parade will travel from Macomb County to Detroit to celebrate Trump’s birthday this weekend, and we hope it fucking rains
Just a few weeks after President Donald Trump curiously saluted America’s beautiful “boaters” (quotation marks his) during a tweet firestorm, Trump Country and its many beautifully deranged boaters are returning the affection by celebrating POTUS’ 74th birthday with a boat parade this weekend. Thank you very much to our beautiful “boaters.” I will never let…
Detroit Jazz Festival says it plans on moving forward despite coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic has canceled just about everything this year — but the Detroit International Jazz Fest says it’s still eyeing its traditional Labor Day weekend slot. Organizers wrote on Facebook on Monday that they plan on moving forward with the 40-year-old festival, but with “modifications.” “We will maintain a keen focus on the health…
Cannabis believed to have been used at biblical site in Israel
There is good evidence that religious followers at an ancient shrine in Israel might have been enjoying what some call the “devil’s lettuce.” That’s according to a new report recently published in the archaeological journal Tel Aviv. Researchers analyzed residue on two altars at the entrance to a shrine on the site of Tel Arad,…
Dr Bob’s Scientific Advice to Seniors Who Have or Want to Prevent Coronavirus COVID-19
This article was originally published on CBD Seniors. To view the original article, click here. I put out lots of information on the metabolic role of life in general and how it applies to this viral life cycle, so that we can protect ourselves. This is a simple recipe that I believe will be functional…
Protesters to meet with Mayor Duggan this week over demands for criminal justice reforms
Protesters are planning to meet with Mayor Mike Duggan this week to discuss their demands after 10 straight days of demonstrations in Detroit over police brutality and systemic racism. Demonstrators are calling for numerous criminal justice reforms, including defunding the police department, ending Project Green Light, abolishing tax foreclosures, and creating more accountability for abusive…
Détroit Is The New Black makes statement by boarding up windows
Days after a social media dust-up over boarded-up windows, fashion boutique Détroit Is The New Black has now boarded its windows up as well — and used the opportunity to make a statement. The boards have been painted with the names of Black people who have been killed, including Emmett Till, Malice Green, Trayvon Martin,…
What makes the Black Lives Matter protests different from the anti-lockdown protests?
In April, as heavily-armed right-wing protesters began gathering in Lansing in opposition of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order, I was concerned. We laughed at them, calling them “COVIDiots,” and made fun of their urgent desire for haircuts. But I was also afraid. It looked like the double-whammy of the coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent economic…
Plenty of Detroiters welcome ‘outside agitators’ in Black Lives Matter march
Echoing a line that has been repeated from officials in cities across the nation, Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James Craig have blamed “outside agitators” for organizing Detroit’s Black Lives Matter protests. In press conferences, Duggan has brought out old guard community activists who say that these outsiders are not welcome in Detroit and…
Bernie Sanders endorses Victoria Burton-Harris for Wayne County prosecutor
Sen. Bernie Sanders is endorsing Victoria Burton-Harris for Wayne County prosecutor. Burton-Harris is running against incumbent Prosecutor Kym Worthy in the Aug. 4 primary election. “As you read this, tens of thousands of people are marching coast to coast for racial justice and to express their disgust at the torture and murder of George Floyd…
Close to a third of Michigan teachers might leave their job due to coronavirus, survey finds
It is unclear as to what Michigan’s public school will look like come fall, with more than 1.5 million students unsure if they will be able to safely return to the classrooms they’ve largely abandoned since March, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer closed schools across the state for the remainder of the academic school year due…
Macomb County gets its first marijuana provisioning center
Clinic Cannabis Co. opened its first Michigan provisioning center in Center Line, which also makes it the first in Macomb County. The store opened for a soft opening on Friday. Co-founder Nick Hannawa tells Metro Times for now the store is open for medical marijuana cardholders, as Center Line has opted out of recreational sales…
Election commission declines to consider removal of Prosecutor Worthy from ballot, lawsuit to follow
The Wayne County Election Commission on Friday declined to consider removing Prosecutor Kym Worthy from the ballot for allegedly violating state election law. Worthy’s opponent, Victoria Burton-Harris, alleged the prosecutor failed to file her post-election statement as required by law. In Worthy’s Affidavit of Identity, she attested that she had filed “all” requisite statements by…
Detroit cinemas launch free documentary series with films centered on race and the Black experience
While there is plenty of available programming on paid streaming services relating to the history of race in America, local Detroit cinemas are screening three acclaimed documentaries to add to your watch list for free. Both the Detroit Film Theatre and indie movie house Cinema Detroit will screen three documentaries, one each Sunday for three…
Gov. Whitmer reveals dates for statewide reopening of hair salons, tattoo parlors, movie theaters, and outdoor venues
Just four days after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that she was ushering the state into phase 4 of her reopening plan (which included lifting the stay-at-home order, reopened restaurant dining rooms, and also expanded outdoor gathering capacities from 10 to 100) Whitmer is quickly making moves to open other sectors of the economy — including,…
Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide apologizes for being a nasty anonymous Twitter troll
Well, that was quick. On Thursday, we used a generous heaping of the word “allegedly” to describe surfaced tweets linked to Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide that glorified police brutality. The tweets were by @sheepdawg711, who we recognized as one of our Twitter trolls. Looks like that was unnecessary. Shelide admitted the tweets were…
Duggan says curfew to remain in effect while police assess the safety of protests
Mayor Mike Duggan said the city’s curfew will remain in effect for at least two more days as protesters plan to continue rallying against police brutality in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. “We are not very far from the day when we don’t need a curfew,” Duggan said at a news conference…
Michigan Senate OKs bill seeking additional police training
Amid national protests against police brutality, the Michigan Senate on Thursday unanimously passed Senate Bill 945, which aims to require additional police training. If enacted, SB 945 would require incoming law enforcement to train on implicit bias, de-escalation techniques, and mental health screening, starting in 2022. Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, sponsored the bill, saying…
Prosecutor Worthy is ineligible to run for reelection, her opponent alleges in complaint to election officials
The Wayne County Election Commission is meeting Friday morning to consider a challenge to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s candidacy for reelection. Worthy’s opponent, Victoria Burton-Harris, alleges the prosecutor failed to file her post-election statement as required by law. In Worthy’s Affidavit of Identity, she attested that she had filed “all” requisite statements by March…
These Michigan cannabis companies are offering a discount for people with pot-related convictions
Several Michigan cannabis companies are offering a discount to people with marijuana-related misdemeanors or felonies on their record. Sure, it’s not the same as expungement for existing marijuana-related records, as other states have done, but in the meantime, as Michigan’s marijuana industry continues to bloom, it’s a nice gesture to those who have been harmed…
Shelby Twp. Police Chief investigated for allegedly glorifying police brutality in social media posts
Shelby Twp. Police said on Thursday that claims allegedly linking the department’s chief to social media posts glorifying police brutality are being investigated. If the claims are true, this would make Shelby Twp. Police Chief Robert J. Shelide the secret identity of Metro Times’s right-wing troll @sheepdawg711, or “Bobby S.” “We have been made aware…
Tennessee woman charged with possessing a Taser without a permit at Detroit protest
A Tennessee woman was charged Wednesday with possessing a Taser without a permit during a recent protest in Detroit. Detroit police arrested Jade Caldwell, 21, for violating the city’s curfew shortly before 10 p.m. on Woodward at East Adams in downtown. While police ordered her to the ground, a Taser fell from her pocket, Wayne…
The Detroit Zoo reopens for members with capacity limits
Since closing amid the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March, the Detroit Zoo has been losing $2.5 million each month. Now, the zoo has unveiled its reopening plan, starting Monday, June 8 — but don’t expect to go wild, as the first wave of ticket reservations are for zoo members only. The Detroit Zoological Society announced Wednesday…
Someone put a Black Lives Matter shirt on the statue of Orville Hubbard, Dearborn’s segregationist mayor
Folks, racism is officially canceled. Even Dearborn’s racist former mayor Orville Hubbard now supports Black Lives Matter. Someone put a BLM shirt over the statue of Dearborn’s longest-serving mayor, which was relocated from city hall to the Dearborn Historical Museum in 2017. The museum posted a photo of it on Instagram on Wednesday. View this…
Detroit Police have change of heart and ignore curfew, escort Black Lives Matter marchers
It looks like Detroit’s Police Department is beginning to understand that symbolic gestures of solidarity only have impact if they’re backed up by action, cooperating with and supporting peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters on Wednesday as the city entered its sixth day of demonstrations. Earlier that day, DPD released community leader Tristan Taylor, who was…
Ben Blackwell supports the Metro Times Press Club, even though he has a bone to pick with us
When Metro Times editor Lee DeVito emailed me recently asking if I’d participate in this Press Club multilevel marketing scheme, I looked at my garage full of unsellable Amway and Party Lite castoffs and thought “THIS will make me whole again.” No, seriously, when Lee told me to write something about the mag and my…
Detroit’s DIME music school abruptly shutters after partnership with Denver school dissolves
The Detroit Institute of Music Education (DIME) is pulling the plug on its education programs after six years in the Motor City, according to a press release sent Wednesday. The for-profit college was founded in 2014 by U.K. music industry veterans Sarah Clayman and Kevin Nixon, and expanded to include schools in Denver and online…
Michigan-made indie horror film a hit thanks to drive-in theaters
Talk about Big Wretch energy. Michigan-born independent filmmakers Brett and Drew Pierce have achieved a major box-office milestone that has put them in the same sentence as historic blockbusters like Avatar, Titanic, Black Panther, and The Sixth Sense. Their low-budget, Michigan-made horror film, The Wretched, has topped the domestic box-office charts for five straight weeks…
Gov. Whitmer calls for reform as police brutality protests rage on
As massive nationwide demonstrations against police brutality spread across the country — and as police officers respond to them in some cases with even more brutality — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for reform measures, including implicit bias training, de-escalation techniques, and requiring officers to intervene when they see other officers use excessive force, among others.…
Protesters plan to rally against Mayor Duggan’s curfew outside the Manoogian Mansion
Protesters are planning to gather outside the Manoogian Mansion on Wednesday evening to rally against Mayor Mike Duggan’s curfew. For five straight days, demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest police brutality and the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis cops. Duggan on Monday imposed a weeklong 8 p.m. curfew, which could…
HopCat files for Chapter 11 due to coronavirus losses, warns of ‘giant wave of bankruptcies’ in industry
The parent company of Michigan-based HopCat craft beer bars has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy due to losses incurred during the coronavirus pandemic. BarFly Ventures Founder Mark Sellers filed for bankruptcy protection as part a financial restructuring, saying that the company’s revenues are down 100% and “we’re essentially barely able to keep the lights on,”…
Detroit could get its first Chipotle restaurant, but it would involve destroying an old church
A Chipotle could be coming to Detroit — the fast-casual Mexican-inspired chain’s first in the Motor City. But an old church would have to be razed first, according to a proposal first reported by Crain’s. The proposed restaurant would be located on the Detroit side of the border with Grosse Pointe at Mack Avenue and…
Detroit Popcorn Company owner fired after glorifying police brutality, former owner buys back business
In a jiffy, everything changed for 97-year-old popcorn retailer Detroit Popcorn Company. On Tuesday, former owner David Farber revealed that he had come out of retirement after selling the company to Evan Singer in 2019 to fire Singer and buy back the company with the commitment to sell the business to Black investors in the…
You don’t have to like what the rioters did. But you should hear them.
A Martin Luther King Jr. quote has made the rounds on social media this week, as civil unrest erupted from protests all over the country in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death-by-cop last Monday: “A riot is the language of the unheard.” But we do ourselves a disservice by reading this line, nodding wisely, and…
Proposed legislation could offer new protections for pregnant prisoners in Michigan
During her time as a resident at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Magee-Womens Hospital, Dr. Deborah Landis Lewis says she remembers female prisoners arriving at the hospital for surgeries wearing shackles. “[I had] discussions with the officers who were present about why [a female patient] shouldn’t be shackled at the time of surgery, when…
Savage Love: Blinders
Here goes: I’m a 32-year-old gay male, and I have trouble staying out of my head during sex. I feel like there may be many issues. The one non-issue is everything works fine on my own. When I’m single or “available,” I’m OK. Let’s be honest: I’m a slut, and I enjoy it. But when I invest in someone, when…
Free Will Astrology (June 3-9)
Related ARIES | March 21 – April 19: Aries poet Paul Verlaine wrote “Autumn Song” in 1866. It became a well-known French poem and eventually played a role in a historical turning point. In June 1944, a top-secret British spy organization used the poem as a code to communicate crucial information to the French Resistance,…
