Cover Story
The Foilies 2022: Recognizing the year’s worst in government transparency
Each year during Sunshine Week (March 13-19), The Foilies serve up tongue-in-cheek “awards” for government agencies and assorted institutions that stand in the way of access to information. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and MuckRock combine forces to collect horror stories about Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state-level public records requests from journalists and transparency…
No Credit Check Loans With Guaranteed Approval | Online Loans For Bad Credit | Bad Credit Loans From Direct Lenders
If you are searching for bad credit loans, you will prefer getting one with a low-interest rate. Many lenders furnish all loans for horrific financial savings with different endeavor rates. It would be best to be wise when determining a loan provider. The loan provider you pick out wishes to furnish you with a favorable…
Detroit has been named the ‘best pizza city’ in the country
A new study has ranked Detroit as the best pizza city in America. We can’t say we’re surprised — from Buddy’s Pizza, Supino, and even Jet’s, Detroit definitely is on top of its pizza game. The “study” conducted by anytimeestimate.com, shows Detroit has the most independent pizzerias per capita (6 per 100,000 residents), which is…
Metro Times has a new website, and we think you’ll love it
This afternoon, Detroit Metro Times launched its brand new website at metrotimes.com, showcasing the same award-winning local journalism, but with a sleeker, more user-friendly design. Hosted by Foundation, the new site is just plain faster, more responsive, and features friendlier URLS for sharing. But readers will also notice quite a few improvements, like better search…
Breadless sandwich shop opens in Detroit
Sometimes you just wanna enjoy a sandwich without the thick bread and extra calories that come along with it. For those moments, there’s Breadless, a new locally-owned sandwich shop that opened in Detroit on Monday. Breadless features sandwiches wrapped in leafy greens like collards, swiss chard, and kale in place of bread. The sandwiches can…
Perry Johnson’s boastful ads for governor are misleading and include Russian stock footage
Perry Johnson, a self-described “quality guru” and the latest rich white Republican to run for governor of Michigan, launched his campaign with a $1.5 million advertising blitz in February that relied on Russian stock footage and falsely claimed that he saved the American auto industry. The self-aggrandizing ads ran on broadcast TV, cable, radio, and…
Talib Kweli on Detroit, DJing, and the new Black Star record
As Jay-Z famously said, “If skills sold, truth be told, I’d prolly be, lyrically Talib Kweli.” Talib Kweli is one of the most highly regarded emcees in hip-hop, and his work serves as a measuring post for artists that strive to bring a sense of consciousness and political awareness to their craft. His 1998 album…
Bruce Campbell’s BruceFest is headed for Detroit’s Masonic Temple this June
Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up. Campy horror movie legend Bruce Campbell is bringing his film festival BruceFest to Detroit’s Masonic Temple June 17-19. The three-day fest is a celebration of all things Campbell, and will include screenings of his cult classics like The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness, and My Name…
Judge vacates murder, rape convictions of Oakland County brothers who spent 25 years in prison
A judge on Tuesday vacated the convictions of two Oakland County brothers who were sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a neighbor in 1995. After an investigation, the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) concluded that George and Melvin DeJesus were wrongfully convicted and asked Oakland County…
Porches to perform his cathartic, sentimental record at Detroit’s El Club
Aaron Maine, who performs as Porches, grew up listening to the Strokes and Nirvana. He says that these bands are the first ones he sought out on his own, bussing into the city from the NYC suburb he grew up in to get a dose of the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. It makes sense, then,…
Kid Rock blew smoke
Kid Rock blew smoke. Big clouds of bluish cigar fumes. He blew them at Tucker Carlson, the Fox News Channel anchor who grinned and chuckled and smirked and never blinked during his guest’s great gusts of haze, hype, and hate. “To you critics, haters, and trolls: Go fuck yourself!” Rock said, the curse word bleeped…
Charivari Detroit Music Festival celebrating Detroit-based DJs set for August
While the larger Movement electronic music festival tends to get most of the hype, Charivari Detroit has been going strong for nine years. It’s like Movement’s, underground, less hipster cousin. This annual techno, dance, and house fest celebrates Detroit’s contributions to the electronic music world by featuring local DJs. It’s set for Aug. 11-14 this…
Artists announced for the Potency Test, a ‘battle of the bands’ hosted by cannabis company Pleasantrees
Cannabis company Pleasantrees has released new details for their upcoming “battle of the bands”-style contest, the Potency Test, where six artists will compete for a grand prize of $5,000 cash and studio time at The Village Studios. The artists include Pontiac rapper Arie KD, Lansing rapper Kwaj, Battle Creek singer-songwriter Sam Luna, Detroit hardcore band…
DIA stops selling Great Lakes Coffee amid barista strike
The food services provider for the Detroit Institute of Arts will stop selling coffee from the Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co. in solidarity with striking baristas and cooks. Twenty employees of the local coffee chain have been on strike since Feb. 16 to demand better wages and insurance, COVID-19 protocols, and anti-discrimination protections. The DIA’s…
Ferndale’s The Fly Trap reopens under new ownership
Finally, one of Ferndale’s go-to brunch spots is coming back to the scene. The Fly Trap is set to reopen on Tuesday, March 22, after being closed since September. It will now be run by the owner of Bobcat Bonnie’s, who took over the restaurant back in February. Business hours will be 8 a.m. to…
Ann Arbor City Council to consider proposal to decriminalize all drugs under 15 grams
A University of Michigan student group launched a campaign that calls on Ann Arbor to fully decriminalize all drug possession. Students for Sensible Drug Policy at U-M won key political endorsements and is urging the Ann Arbor City Council to adopt a “Resolution to Advance Sensible Drug Policy,” which would prevent the city’s police department…
Incarcerated father of Breonna Taylor is a family man
Everette Taylor is a family man. Except that he’s in prison and can’t see his family. The slim, 6-foot-1-inch 45-year-old is being held at the Macomb Correctional Facility in Michigan. Over the past 23 years, he’s resided in 16 of Michigan’s 30 prisons, which house about 33,000 people-disproportionately men of color. Taylor is not as…
‘Black Her Stories’ podcast explores Detroit pride, women’s history, and the human experience
Michaela Ayers wants you to know there isn’t just one way to be a Black woman. We can be writers, scientists, artists, librarians, or teachers, and none of that negates our Blackness. But above all else, we are human. Though each individual has their specific life story, sharing those stories helps us realize that we’re…
A year of free gas, a new bathhouse, and the marked return of Charles Pugh: The top 10 headlines of the week
This week was interesting to say the least: our readers were most interested in the grand return of disgraced former city council president and news anchor Charles Pugh. Weed stories continue to dominate as our readers clicked on several cannabis stories including one on how to judge High Times’ Cannabis Cup when it returns to…
Groups warn GOP tax bill will gut services in Michigan to help wealthiest residents, call for Whitmer to veto
Dozens of groups are calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to veto a proposed tax cut by Republican lawmakers, saying it would predominantly benefit the wealthy and come at the expense of critical services. The $2.5 billion proposal approved by the Republican-led Legislature would cut personal and corporate income tax rates and create new tax credits…
‘Camp Cannabis’ festival planned for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula this fall
An event billing itself as the first licensed marijuana consumption event in the Upper Peninsula has been announced. “Camp Cannabis” is planned for Oct. 7-9 in Tourist Park, Marquette. It’s sponsored by Fire Station Cannabis Co., the U.P.’s first licensed chain of dispensaries. The Fire Station says the event will feature “national and regional music…
Michigan will now accept credit cards for FOIA requests
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a new executive directive moving forward in her promises to address government transparency. Effective immediately, departments for the State of Michigan are required to update their systems to accept credit card payments for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. “This executive directive furthers transparency and openness in state government, making it…
EPA probes whether state environmental regulators discriminated against Black Detroit residents with plant
Even on hot days, Victoria Thomas won’t open the windows of her house because an orange powdery substance will coat her furniture. The retired locker room attendant from Detroit Public Schools lives in a predominantly Black neighborhood near Stellantis’ Jeep assembly plant on St. Jean on the city’s east side, where residents have complained about…
Blake’s Farms and Cupcake Station collab Bakehouse 46 opens new shop in Plymouth
Bakehouse 46 opened the doors to its newest location today in Plymouth. The cafe is a mashup between Blake’s Farms and the Cupcake Station with cider, doughnuts, caramel apples, cupcakes, and bagel sammies on offer. The new shop, located at 318 S Main St. in Plymouth, will be giving away $46 gift cards and a…
Call to release Breonna Taylor’s father from Michigan prison
The assassination of Breonna Taylor two years ago in her Louisville, Kentucky, home by police rocked the nation and united millions to pressure the government for real police reform and a ban on “no-knock” warrants. This injustice, along with the public lynchings of George Floyd and others, also sheds light on the systemic and institutional…
Plans to turn Detroit’s I-375 into an ‘urban boulevard’ to move forward this spring
By now, everyone should know that the prominent Black neighborhoods Paradise Valley and Black Bottom were bulldozed back in the day to build Detroit’s I-375 freeway — among the many other predominantly Black communities that were razed by the interstate highway system. Now, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced the state is finally ready to move…
We’re going to pretend nothing happened? Charles Pugh to return to airwaves
When disgraced former city council president and news anchor Charles Pugh was released from prison, it seemed to have happened rather quietly. Pugh was released this past December after serving five years for having sex with a 14-year-old boy. Prior to his release, Pugh told the Detroit Free Press that he regretted what he did.…
Michigan cannabis companies are giving away a year of free gas
The rising gas prices in metro Detroit have been a serious buzzkill lately at nearly $4.40 a gallon. Two cannabis companies are trying to ease that pain for one lucky customer with a giveaway for a free year’s worth of gas. UBaked Edibles of Burton and Detroit dispensary Green Genie are teaming up for the…
Detroit’s Eastern Market Flower Day is back for the first time since 2019
Flower Day at Detroit’s Eastern Market is typically a sign that spring is here — and now, a sign of things going back to normal(ish). The annual event, where you can pick up all kinds of plants for your home garden, was disrupted by the pandemic — but organizers announced that it will return to…
State Rep. Jewell Jones spared more jail time after drunken-driving crash, skirmish with cops
State Rep. Jewell Jones, once a young, rising progressive in the Democratic Party, dodged more jail time Thursday following a drunken-driving crash and a skirmish with police in April 2021 and three probation violations. The 26-year-old from Inkster was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty in…
R.I.P. Kevin ‘The Last Soulman’ Jones of Detroit hip-hop group A.W.O.L.
The Detroit hip-hop community is mourning the loss of Kevin “The Last Soulman” Jones of the underground rap group A.W.O.L. The cause of his passing is not known, but the group released a statement March 15, on its Facebook page that stated, “This will be the last post and final chapter of Detroit’s AWOL. Rest…
Greta Van Fleet postpones Flint and Ypsi shows to September
Greta Van Fleet’s tour of five Michigan concerts was cut short after half of the band got sick — but they say it isn’t COVID-19. “We’re heartbroken to share both Jake and Josh woke up ill this morning,” the band said in an Instagram post. “While COVID has been ruled out, after medical consultation, we…
Column: Income tax cut deserves a veto, because Michiganders deserve better
The Michigan League for Public Policy understands the impact that policy change can have on the lives of Michigan residents. It was the catalyst in forming our organization 110 years ago, and it continues to drive us today as we work to improve opportunity for all Michiganders, regardless of race, place or income. Past policy…
Get ready, Oberon Day is Monday, March 21
Warmer weather in metro Detroit means bar patio hangs, cookouts, and Oberon. This year’s Oberon Day, where the Bell’s Brewery beer officially goes on sale, is happening on Monday, March 21. Several restaurants and bars in metro Detroit will be celebrating with some hosting keg tappings at midnight. Many consider the release an unofficial signal…
Opponents of DeVos-backed private school initiatives warn about deceptive ‘voucher scheme’
Public school advocates are mounting a campaign to defeat two ballot initiatives funded by the billionaire DeVos family that opponents say would cost the public school system hundreds of millions of dollars while providing tax breaks for wealthy people. The Let MI Kids Learn initiatives, which are funded by dark money groups, would create so-called…
Outdoor fest Jazzin’ at the Vanity to return to Detroit this summer for Juneteenth
After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Jazzin’ at the Vanity festival will return to the streets of Detroit’s Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood this summer. The free outdoor neighborhood party features jazz, blues, and rock music acts. (Some oldheads may know it better as “Jazzin’ on Jefferson,” which is what it was called in…
‘Gypsy’ is considered a slur, but this Michigan distillery named its vodka after it anyway
Weeks ago, I walked through the vodka aisle on a trip to Total Wine. With the power of Eastern Europe running through my veins, I was on the hunt for some Romanian spirits. But as I walked through the store, I saw something that made me pause: Gypsy Vodka. I rolled my eyes. “Gypsy” is…
Author Kelsey Ronan shows love for Flint in debut novel ‘Chevy in the Hole’
The Thanksgiving before Flint’s lead-polluted water was officially declared a “crisis” in 2015, Kelsey Ronan had returned to her hometown for dinner with her family. Though her mother wouldn’t cook with the water or give it to her cats, Ronan still showered in it. By the time she went back to St. Louis, where she…
Transparency bills flounder in Michigan state Senate during Sunshine Week
In many states, Sunshine Week is an annual celebration of open government. In Michigan, it’s a dark reminder that the state is one of the least transparent in the country. Michigan is just one of two states that don’t require the Governor’s Office or Legislature to respond to public records requests, and it consistently ranks…
HenriettaHaus introduces ‘Hamtramck-style’ pizza
Somewhere in the Detroit-style/Sicilian pizza phylum is a new genre of pie, round and deep dish with a sourdough crust about an inch thick, and caramelized/carbonized cheese encircling the package along the edges. It’s Hamtramck-style pizza. As pizzaiolo Jeremy Duncan, who gave his pies the tongue-in-cheek moniker, put it: “It’s Detroit around the edges, like…
The return of the Marche du Nain Rouge, and other things to do in metro Detroit this week
Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Submit your events to metrotimes.com/calendar. Be sure to check venue websites for COVID-19 policies. Dearborn Restaurant Week Friday, 3/18 to Sunday, 3/27: An excuse to eat our way around Dearborn? Mmmm, yes please. This year’s Dearborn Restaurant Week features more than 30 businesses that are offering special…
Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram is keeping the spirit of the Delta blues alive
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram opened a lot of eyes with his 2019 debut album, Kingfish. Here was someone coming on the scene at the age of 19 who showed surprisingly advanced skill as a guitarist, and more importantly had the solid songs to back up the playing. Ingram’s songs also showed that he was well acquainted…
Gary Numan’s climate change-themed ‘Intruder’ is based on a poem written by his daughter
English musician Gary Numan’s career has spanned decades. Coming to the stage with his new wave band Tubewave Army in 1977, in 1979 he released his solo album, The Pleasure Principle, which arguably changed music forever. Numan is a godfather of electronic music and inspired multiple artists along the way, selling more than 10 million…
Age against the machine
I have a problem. (How’s that for an opener?) I’m a 60-something cis woman with a 30-something cis man lover. The problem is my vagina is extremely tight. Also, sometimes I bleed a little bit after PIV and then urinating burns, but only briefly. We are only able to hook-up about every other week, so frequency…
Free Will Astrology (March 16-22)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Singer, dancer, and comedian Sammy Davis Jr. disliked the song “The Candy Man,” but he recorded it anyway, heeding his advisors. He spent just a brief time in the studio, finishing his vocals in two takes. “The song is going straight to the toilet,” he complained, “pulling my career down with…
The COVID mistake we keep on making
I’m sick and tired of COVID. I’m tired of the worry. I’m tired of having to make hard decisions about participating in normal activities (my daughter is too young to be vaccinated). I’m tired of talking about COVID with friends, family, co-workers, and random people on the street. I bet you’re tired too. But I’m…
The Fugitive Uterus Act
The moment the U.S. Supreme Court’s right-wing bloc washed its hands of the Texas law that made private citizens abortion bounty hunters, it was only a matter of time until other Republican states tried to one-up them. Missouri has proudly taken the lead. Last week, its legislature debated a bill that would ban all abortion…
