Cover Story
An excerpt from Peter Werbe’s new novel set in Detroit, 1967
Peter Werbe is a longtime Detroit political activist, a retired WRIF talk show host, and member of the Fifth Estate magazine editorial group. His new book, Summer on Fire: A Detroit Novel, is out now. In a summer marked by scorching temperatures and an urban uprising, Werbe’s characters are thrust into tumultuous episodes of the…
Hundreds of union workers in Detroit lost their jobs even after Delta took billions in federal pandemic aid
Just before Christmas, employees of LSG Sky Chefs, the unionized catering contractor for Delta’s Detroit terminal, were told they were going to soon be out of a job. The airline announced it was switching its longstanding contract with LSG Sky Chefs to a non-union company, the Austria-based DO & CO. The news came as a…
Here’s how you can get free whiskey in Detroit on St. Patrick’s Day
Bushmills Irish Whiskey, the world’s oldest licensed distillery, will buy Detroiters a free whiskey on St. Patrick’s Day — for a good cause. As part of its “First Whiskey of Paddy’s Day” program, adults 21 or older can order a Bushmills to-go from a local pub or restaurant and Bushmills will pick up the tab.…
‘Surviving R. Kelly’ filmmaker dream hampton joins MOCAD board of directors
dream hampton, the Detroit native and filmmaker behind Lifetime’s impactful and award-winning documentary series Surviving R. Kelly, will join the board of directors of the Museum of Contemporary Arts Detroit. According to a press release from the museum, hampton will be “bringing her social justice-oriented perspective to the museum’s executive lineup.” The announcement follows a…
Nessel charges Michigan man accused of threatening to kill Whitmer, Biden, and Pelosi
A Holland man was arraigned Tuesday on charges of threatening to kill President Joe Biden, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Joshua Docter, 21, with one count of threat of terrorism and one count of using a computer to commit a crime, both of which carry…
Michigan House celebrates SXSW with street performances, virtual panels, and live concerts
When last year’s annual SXSW music, film, and comedy showcase was canceled due to COVID-19 — the first of many major events to pull the plug — independent artists felt the sting, including many up and coming Detroit-area performers who were scheduled to perform at the Austin-based festival. Though this year’s SXSW has pivoted to…
One year into the pandemic, there’s still no plan to reopen the U.S.-Canada border
On March 21, 2020, U.S. and Canadian officials ordered a temporary restriction on non-essential travel across the border. And almost a year later, there are no concrete plans to change that. That’s according to a new report from the CBC, citing interviews with officials from both countries. As of now, the restrictions formally remain in…
How to register for COVID-19 vaccinations at Ford Field in Detroit
Now’s your chance to register for a COVID-19 vaccine at Ford Field in Detroit, which has been set up as a regional vaccination site. The site is expected to open on Wednesday, March 24 and operate seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. for eight weeks. Michigan residents who are eligible to…
$622 million program to help stave off evictions in Michigan
The pandemic has exacerbated the struggles of low-income Michiganders, including the severe housing cost burden faced by many renters. New funding can help ease that burden, including $622 million available through the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance Program to keep renters in their homes and help landlords recoup missed payments. Michigan’s Eviction Diversion Program ended in…
A sober sports and wings bar just opened in Lansing — the first of its kind in Michigan
In what is a major touchdown for Michigan’s sober community, the state just scored its first sober and recovery-oriented booze-free sports bar. Wing Heaven Sports Haven, a Michigan-based franchise, just opened its doors for carry-out-only service in Lansing, and though it has all of the makings of your run-of-the-mill sports bar, it doesn’t serve a…
Michigan SOS proposes sweeping agenda to increase government transparency
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Monday announced a wide-ranging legislative agenda to increase government transparency. The announcement coincides with the beginning of Sunshine Week, an annual initiative to promote open government. “My legislative agenda would take Michigan from worst to first in government transparency, shine the light on dark money in politics and…
Cannabis entrepreneur Vetra Stephens has big plans to expand in the Detroit area
1st Quality Medz rests along a modest stretch of Jefferson Ave. in River Rouge. The address is on a side street, although it sits on a corner and has a door that opens to the Jefferson side. In 2019, it became the first recreational marijuana dispensary in Wayne County. The neat and orderly place is…
Detroit now has a Free Blockbuster box so you can swap DVDs or VHS tapes like the good old days (minus the late fees)
Detroit-area video producer Jim Toscano remembers his first video store rental experience. As a kid, Toscano and his brothers stormed the aisles of their local video store to put their new VHS player to work. Among the titles snatched: Bill Murray’s Stripes and 1977’s The Incredible Melting Man, which, according to IMDB.com, is about “an…
Metro Detroit-based cannabis company promises deliveries in an hour or less
Detroit-based 3Fifteen Cannabis has expanded its delivery area throughout the metro area. The company launched its own delivery service that now covers much of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. The service launched on Monday, March 15 with a promotion for 31.5% discounts that day only as a play off of its name. 3Fifteen also launched…
Warren City Council investigates Fouts over ‘secret’ hiring of Republican political consultant
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is accused of secretly giving a full-time city job to a longtime Republican consultant without the required approval of council. City council council members, who are investigating the hiring, said Jamie Roe has been on the city’s payroll for at least 10 weeks, serving as a “clerical technician.” He’s receiving a…
After opposing legal weed in Detroit, Rev. Horace Sheffield III now wants in
Although Republican legislators fought against President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and none of them voted for it, once it was passed they quickly began informing their constituents about how to get the money that will be available through it. “Unfortunately, Republicans, as I say, ‘Vote no and take the dough,'” House Speaker…
BioFit Probiotic Reviews – Is Biofit Weight Loss Supplement Really Effective? Any Side Effects?
Official Website: Click Here Let’s have a look at the list of organisms in the BioFit Probiotic Supplement • Biofit Probiotic works better than other Probiotics. • The dosage of BioFit Probiotic and method of consumption • Understanding the Microbes in BioFit Probiotic • The cost of BioFit Probiotic and its availability. • Get three…
Crowdfunding campaign raises more than $45k in 24 hours for medical bills for Detroit-based music journalist Mike McGonigal
On Monday, March 8, former Metro Times music editor Mike McGonigal was hospitalized for complications including heart and kidney failure. His situation was so critical that on Thursday, he was moved to Detroit’s Henry Ford hospital, and bracing for the worst, his friend Kathy Lindenmayer set up a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe with the aim…
These metro Detroit bars are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day 2021
It was clear that the COVID-19 pandemic had hit Michigan around this time last year, with officials canceling Detroit’s longstanding St. Patrick’s Day Parade. A year later and the virus remains a threat: Detroit’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is once again canceled, but the state has loosened restrictions to allow bars and restaurants to open…
13 ways to spend 313 Day 2021 in Detroit
In any other city, March 13 is just another day. But here in the Motor City, we take any excuse to show our civic pride. To celebrate 313 Day, which falls on Saturday, March 13 this year, here’s a list of 13 activities to prove your love for Detroit. 1. Peezy live stream/limited live audience…
Free community fridges are cropping up across Detroit to address need and waste
In the side lot of the longstanding business Hats Galore & More on Detroit’s east side, there’s now a free-to-use refrigerator and pantry accessible to all in the community. A colorful, hand-painted sign that festoons the fridge invites people to “take what you need, leave what you don’t.” The fridge was set up with the…
All Michigan residents 16 and older eligible for COVID-19 vaccine on April 5
All Michigan residents 16 and older will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine on April 5, the state announced Friday. Beginning on March 22, Michigan is also expanding eligibility for residents 16 and older with certain disabilities or medical conditions that put them at an increased increased risk of severe illness from the coronavirus. “The…
RYE AND RYE: The Great Grain in Bread AND Whiskey
For centuries, rye grass served as a lynchpin in the cuisines of cold, wet northern Europe, where bakers would grind the grain into flower and bake legendary rye breads. But the grain’s introduction to America saw it put to a brilliant new use — rye whiskey, a slightly spicy, grainy version of bourbon. The relatively…
Herpesyl Reviews – Does Herpesyl Supplement Eliminate Herpes Naturally? User Reviews!
Official Website: Click Here • What is Herpesyl? • What ingredients are used to formulate Herpesyl? • How does Herpesyl work? • What are the benefits of taking Herpesyl regularly? • How much does Herpesyl cost? • Herpesyl Supplement Reviews: Conclusion Herpesyl Reviews Herpes virus is so commonly neglected though it is so common. HSV…
More than 1 million Michigan residents have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19
More than 1 million Michigan residents — or 12.5% of the state’s population age 16 and older — have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Health officials are hoping to vaccinate at least 70% of the population to reach herd immunity. To reach that…
Herpa Greens Reviews – Is HerpaGreens Supplement Safe & Effective? Users Reviews
Official Website: Click Here • What is Herpa Greens Supplement? • What is the science behind the working of Herpa Greens? • What about Herpa Greens is different from other supplements and drugs? • What are the ingredients that make up the formula of Herpa Greens? • What advantages does one receive from Herpa Greens?…
BioFit Probiotic Reviews – Alarming Weight Loss Fraud or Safe Formula?
According to the official BioFit website, this 100% natural for weight loss is incredibly effective because it works on the digestive system’s low bacteria cultures and flora. When the digestive system is in order, then weight loss gets to happen naturally, and the body remains fit for longer, the product’s manufacturers are saying. BioFit is…
Michigan man curiously uses photo of Jim from ‘The Office’ to scam unemployment benefits
Bears, beets, and bogus unemployment claims? Not even Jim Halpert — the top prankster (and, depending on who you ask, bully) on NBC’s The Office — would attempt a scam like this. (Though it does come close to that time Jim hired “Asian Jim” to sit in for him at work so that Dwight might…
‘Autocratic’ DIA director presided over toxic workplace, audio recording of confidential meeting reveals
Detroit Institute of Arts director Salvador Salort-Pons presided over an “autocratic” culture at the museum that saw women quit at higher rates than their male counterparts and employees said made them feel they could not make formal complaints out of fear of retaliation. That’s according to attorneys from the Washington, D.C.-based firm Crowell and Moring,…
Here are the 101 Michigan venues, clubs, and performance spaces that will get millions in pandemic relief cash
Well, it’s about frigging time. Though it may be a hot minute before we will see the Motor City’s lush live entertainment landscape return to “normal,” a substantial handful of independent Michigan venues, performance spaces, promotors, and clubs just received some major pandemic relief funds, The Detroit Free Press reports. Recipients of the Michigan Stages…
Lucido weaponizes COVID-19 nursing home deaths, but skipped vote to protect seniors
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, a former state Senator who opposed Michigan’s COVID-19 restrictions, is the latest Republican to seize on coronavirus deaths in nursing homes. After threatening to charge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, earlier this week for her handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes, Lucido on Thursday called on the county medical examiner’s…
Michigan lawmakers make the push to keep daylight saving time all year long, because springing forward sucks
“Spring forward” is just a cute-ass phrase designed to disguise the nightmare that is turning our clocks an hour ahead which, we regret to inform you, is, like, very nigh. But we’re not alone in our disdain of the falling back/springing forward bullshit. Per MLive, there are some recent bills sponsored by Sen. Jeff Irwin,…
Judge dismisses Detroit’s controversial countersuit against anti-police brutality protesters
The city of Detroit lost another legal battle with protesters of police brutality and racial injustice. A federal judge dismissed the city’s controversial countersuit against Detroit Will Breathe protesters on Wednesday, saying it failed to show that demonstrators conspired to commit acts of violence and vandalism over the summer. “The City does not plead any…
COVID relief bill: a path to recovery for rural Michigan?
The COVID-19 relief bill headed to President Joe Biden’s desk is expected to provide much-needed economic relief for Michigan’s small towns and rural communities. Matt Hildreth, executive director of RuralOrganizing.org, said the pandemic exacerbated the struggles of rural areas; many still struggling after the last recession. And he contended the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan…
Activist Peter Werbe to hold livestream events to promote his new book, ‘Summer on Fire: A Detroit Novel’
This week’s Metro Times cover story is an excerpt from Summer on Fire: A Detroit Novel, a new book by Peter Werbe set in the tumultuous summer of 1967 that MT senior editor Michael Jackman called “a people’s history and radical folklore of Detroit.” Werbe would know, as a longtime Detroit political activist, a retired…
Mayor Duggan appoints new civil rights director to promote equity and inclusion
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on Tuesday announced the appointment of a new civil rights director. Kimberly Rustem is replacing Charity Dean as director of the city’s Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity (CRIO) department. Charity Dean is leaving the post on Friday after “accepting a new opportunity,” the city said. Rustem, who most recently served as…
Detroit’s demon daddy Alice Cooper lands ‘Detroit Stories’ at No. 1 on ‘Billboard’ sales chart
Who would have thought that a guy with a song called “Dead Babies” would find himself topping Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart in 2021? Yet here we are — and we couldn’t be more proud. Detroit native and the “Godfather of Shock Rock” Alice Cooper has, at 73 years old, proven that he and his…
Hazel Park introduces human rights ordinance to protect LGBTQ residents from discrimination
The Hazel Park City Council on Tuesday introduced a human rights ordinance to protect LGBTQ residents from discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and public services. Michigan is one of 29 states that don’t provide full protections from discrimination for LGBTQ people. State lawmakers recently renewed a push to expand the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights…
Savage Love: Cutting remarks
I’m having a problem advising a friend. She’s been through a divorce and now the breaking off of an engagement. To put it simply, both relationships ended because she was cheated on and she has a zero-tolerance policy around infidelity. To complicate matters, in each relationship, we — her friends — have witnessed her being…
Free Will Astrology (March 10-16)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19: Artist Richard Kehl tells this traditional Jewish story: God said to Abraham, “But for me, you would not be here.” Abraham answered, “I know that, Lord, but were I not here there would be no one to think about you.” I’m bringing this tale to your attention, dear Aries,…
Why Valentine Distilling Co. is going green — even if it doesn’t make cents
Rifino Valentine was working on Wall Street when he had an epiphany. Like many epiphanies, it involved drinking — in his case, a dirty martini. “At the time, it became very apparent that all industries were just getting consolidated globally into the bigger players, who just buy up the smaller companies,” Valentine says of his…
Senate Dems might cut off their nose to spite their face
Watching last week’s congressional action led me to two sobering conclusions: The U.S. has but one political party that even feigns interest in governing or seriousness of purpose. But that party too often conflates seriousness with punching itself in the mouth for no particular reason. From a policy perspective, there’s no point in imagining the…
