Cover Story
The 2022 Fiction Issue
The Ghanaian symbol, the Sankofa, is represented by a bird with one foot stepping forward with its neck bent backward arching its head toward its back feathers. It represents the belief that in order to step into the future, we must look back and learn from our past. I have been thinking a lot about…
Ghost-Note, James Carter to headline Detroit’s Jazzin’ at the Vanity festival
Festival season is coming, which means getting outside and enjoying live music in the sunshine — including the upcoming Jazzin’ at the Vanity fest. The free outdoor festival will take over Detroit’s Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood on Jefferson Ave. between Newport and Lakewood on Juneteenth weekend, Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, June 19. For this year’s Jazzin’…
Crypto Press Release Distribution – Best Budget-Friendly for Large Media Placements, Tailored to Blockchain Startups
Blockchain companies may use Kiss PR to reach a wider audience for their blockchain projects by using major media websites, social networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. With several upgrades available, packages start at $100 per release. Benefit of Promoting Your Crypto Project Using Press Coverage Businesses that want to appeal to a wider…
Kalkushka Cannabis Lounge set to open to the public
A new cannabis consumption lounge is set to open in Northern Michigan next month. The Kalkushka Cannabis Lounge will open June 1 in downtown Kalkaska, the company says. The new lounge is located in a revitalized historic building next to The Botanical Co. dispensary at 302 South Cedar St., Kalkaska. The company says the 3,000-square-foot…
Grosse Pointe Park’s Sprout House sold to WDET’s Lisa Brancato and Ann Delisi
The longtime owners of the Sprout House health food store in Grosse Pointe Park have handed off their business to a pair of new owners that might be familiar to metro Detroiters. Blake and Marie Maconochie, who owned the 40-plus-year-old business since 2002, sold the business to Lisa Brancato and Ann Delisi, both of public…
Five GOP gubernatorial candidates could be knocked off the ballot because of fraudulent signatures
Michigan election officials identified an unprecedented level of fraud in signatures gathered for candidates to get their names on the August primary ballot, which could result in at least eight candidates getting knocked off the ballot. The Michigan Bureau of Elections found 36 petition circulators “who submitted fraudulent petition sheets entirely of invalid signatures,” according…
PETA president: Barack Obama *is* a primate. Here’s why that’s important.
Metro Times received the following letter to the editor from Ingrid Newkirk, president of the People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The letter was in response to news that a Michigan private school had given students an assignment asking them to identify primates, with former President Barack Obama included among the photos. (In response,…
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is only so bold
Memory punctuates action throughout Top Gun: Maverick in its many flashbacks — but successful evocation of any feeling richer than nostalgia is a bit tougher of a task. As a remarkably sturdy, fan-saluting sequel, Maverick stands comfortably on its own, extending and repeating much of the action and tensions of the first film with some…
Federal lawsuit filed against Oxford High School on behalf of six victims of mass shooting
The parents of two Oxford High School students who were fatally shot in the Nov. 30 massacre have filed a federal lawsuit against the school district, saying authorities were negligent in preventing the mass shooting. Four other students injured in the shooting joined the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court on Sunday. The lawsuit argues…
Michigan GOP House candidate says birth control should be banned, blasts sex outside marriage
A former President Donald Trump-endorsed GOP candidate for a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives says if elected, she will work to ban all forms of birth control. In an interview with the far-right website Church Militant, Jacky Eubanks said that if it ever came to a vote in the Michigan Legislature, “I would…
Under fire from Congress, FDA chief says baby formula shortage will improve soon
WASHINGTON — U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner Robert Califf told Congress Thursday that the infant formula shortage will likely begin to improve in the coming days, though he declined to explain to unhappy lawmakers why his agency didn’t act sooner on a whistleblower report that detailed safety issues at an Abbott Laboratories facility in Michigan.…
Michigan Supreme Court will take up Whitmer’s abortion suit, but has questions
The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday granted a motion for immediate consideration of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lawsuit seeking to overturn the state’s 1931 abortion ban law. However, the Supreme Court is asking the Democrat to answer a few questions. The big question is whether or not the state’s highest court needs to weigh in on…
How promise of homeownership in Detroit turned to an eviction and defamation lawsuit
Taura Brown had big dreams for her tiny home in Detroit. In January 2020, after living on a friend’s couch because she couldn’t afford rent, Brown was approved to move into a new 317-square-foot home that was part of a community of unique tiny houses in the Dexter-Linwood neighborhood on the city’s west side. Brown’s…
Detroit’s former Urban Bean Co. coffee shop rebrands as SPKR BOX bar — but keeps love of techno and espresso
Detroit’s Capitol Park neighborhood has changed a lot since Josh Greenwood first acquired the funky Mid-century modern building at the corner of Grand River and Griswold back in 2000. When he first opened his Urban Bean Co. coffee shop there, he installed a DJ booth as a nod to its former tenant, Blake Baxter, a…
Civil war training, a floating bar, and a new ax-throwing facility: The top 10 Metro Times headlines of the week
This week was interesting to say the least. Our readers were most interested in the white supremacists who were convicted of training for a civil war here in Michigan. As usual, they were also interested in things to do in the Detroit area, with many were interested in a new entertainment facility in Taylor and…
Michigan private school apologizes for assignment that compares Obama to monkeys
While white people are freaking out about a panic over “critical race theory” and overzealous “wokeness” cooked up by Fox News, good old-fashioned racism is still alive and well at some schools. A private school in Michigan apologized after a worksheet surfaced that compared former President Barack Obama to monkeys. The assignment, used by the…
Finally, the Detroit People Mover is back after a two year hiatus
Good things come to those who wait, and the wait has been long. The Detroit People Mover has officially resumed service as of Friday after being shut down since March of 2020. It’s for real this time. Officials planned for the 2.9-mile loop to start back up in April, but that never happened, so here…
Russian DJ Nina Kraviz is no longer performing at Detroit’s Movement Festival
Russian DJ Nina Kraviz is no longer performing at Detroit’s Movement Festival, according to a tweet by the event’s organizers. No reason was given. “Nina Kraviz is unable to play Movement this year,” the festival tweeted Thursday afternoon. “Stay tuned for updated lineup and set times.” Kraviz had faced calls for her boycott due to…
Method Man’s weed brand TICAL is now available in Michigan
It shouldn’t be shocking to anyone who’s ever listened to Method Man that he has a cannabis brand called TICAL. The man has been using the word “tical” as a slang for pot since the early 1990s. Now, TICAL is available at five Black-owned dispensaries in Detroit. TICAL partnered with Rochester Hills-based Glorious Cannabis to…
Inspired by a trip to Scotland, Drexel Spirits is crafting whiskey in a former bank in Detroit
Somewhere between Dearborn, California, Boston, Ireland, Scotland, Detroit, California, North Carolina, Scotland, and Detroit again, Lance Havelka came up with a plan. It wasn’t fully formed, and it certainly wasn’t what you’d call practical, but the former photojournalist was utterly driven. OK, call it more of a mission: to craft new American spirits with distinctive…
Michigan congressional candidate Carl Marlinga may be a Democrat, but his favorite Supreme Court justices are uncompromising conservatives
Carl Marlinga, the apparent frontrunner in the Democratic primary for a new U.S. House seat in Macomb and Oakland counties, previously aligned himself with conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices in a survey from an anti-abortion group. Marglina filled out the Right to Life-LIFESPAN survey in 2012 when he was a candidate for Macomb County Probate…
A new curling and ax-throwing facility is opening in Novi
We have to admit, we became absolutely entranced by the strange sport of curling while watching the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where players slide stones across a sheet of ice toward a target, using tools to guide the stone’s movement by subtly altering the surface of the ice. Well, now we — and you…
Report: DePerno met with Trump State Dept. official on Jan. 6, 2021
Republican Attorney General candidate Matthew DePerno met with former Assistant Secretary of State Robert Destro during the right-wing insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Destro confirmed to the Washington Post. DePerno, who is endorsed by the Michigan GOP and former President Donald Trump, frequently espouses conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election…
Report says hundreds of state legislators have joined far-right Facebook groups
Updated, 7:49 a.m., 5/19/22 More than one in five Republican state lawmakers across the country have joined at least one far-right Facebook group, according to a new report. Together the lawmakers sponsored 963 bills during the most recent legislative sessions, said the group that wrote the report, which describes the far-right efforts as anti-human rights.…
Detroit’s Michigan Science Center will reopen its IMAX Theatre
Detroit’s Michigan Science Center will reopen its IMAX Dome Theatre with new changes. Those include 239 new custom seats designed and donated by automotive supplier Magna. “A large screen with 360-degree views provides an unforgettable experience for our guests and helps us achieve our mission of putting you at the center of science,” Michigan Science…
Senate bills call for ending state’s nearly decade-long oversight of Detroit
State Sen. Sylvia Santana introduced legislation on Tuesday that would end nearly a decade of state oversight of Detroit. The bills call for repealing conditions of the “Grand Bargain,” a controversial plan that used funds from foundations, corporations, unions, and the state to protect the Detroit Institute of Arts and help the city dig out…
Flying Lotus pulls out of Detroit’s 2022 Movement Festival to attend sister’s wedding
Update: On Thursday, Movement announced that Flying Lotus’s set was rescheduled for Monday. The universe has spoken🗣️ @flyinglotus will return to Movement on Monday, May 30th🙌 Updated set times coming soon! #Movement2022 #MovementDetroit #TechnoCity pic.twitter.com/sVzVxbUSy8 — Movement Detroit (@MovementDetroit) May 19, 2022 Original story: Sorry kids, you won’t be getting a Flying Lotus set for…
MoGo celebrates 5th anniversary with free bike rides
Detroiters will be able to take a spin around the city on MoGo bikes for free. This month, the bike-share company is celebrating five years in the city and is hosting a few events to celebrate its special milestone. MoGo will kick things off by introducing Free Ride Day on Thursday, May 19. The fee-less…
Scott Hocking sculpture headed for Detroit’s Huntington Place
A floating sphere will soon be appearing outside of Detroit’s Huntington Place (aka the former TCF Center, aka the former Cobo Center). No, it’s not a UFO — it’s a new sculpture by metro Detroit-based artist Scott Hocking. The Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority Art Foundation unveiled plans for the 11-foot diameter sculpture, “Floating Citadel,”…
Good riddance to the Grand Prix on Detroit’s Belle Isle
The last time I rode my recumbent bike on Belle Isle — during the winter of 2019-20 — my wheels had a sign on the back urging “NO PRIX ON BELLE ISLE.” Now I’m back — just in time to see the last Grand Prix on Belle Isle, scheduled for June 3-5 — and to…
The Detroit Women of Comedy Festival brings laughs to Hamtramck
If you’re down for a good chuckle, the Detroit Women of Comedy Festival is happening this weekend at Planet Ant Theatre and The Independent Comedy Club in Hamtramck. The mission of the Detroit Women of Comedy Festival is to use comedy to amplify the voices of marginalized voices. The festival will feature a variety of…
Sen. Betty Alexander, election conspiracy theorist Mellissa Carone among 15 candidates booted from the ballot
The Michigan Department of State disqualified 15 political candidates, including election conspiracy theorist Mellissa Carone and state Sen. Betty Alexander, from the Aug. 2 primary ballot. Eleven candidates were accused of making false statements about their compliance with campaign finance requirements. They either had outstanding campaign finance reports or unpaid fines when they signed their…
The Motown Witch talks upcoming Detroit Hoodoo Festival and the contradictory nature of magic
A distressed young woman approaches Detroit metaphysical shop Motown Witch with her hand on her head, a concerned look stuck on her face. She enters the shop, passing aisles of candles, incense, and herbs as she heads for the shelves furthest away from the cash register. She’s in over her head, and needs to muster…
Are some people incapable of being physical when love is involved?
I am a 37-year-old heterosexual woman in a monogamous relationship with a het cis male. Let’s call him “Rick.” We’ve been together for five years and engaged for two. Our sex went from passionate, fun, and frequent early in the relationship to nearly nonexistent now. I have gently initiated conversations about how to spice it…
Free Will Astrology (May 18-24)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “The only way to the truth is through blasphemy,” declared Aries author Flannery O’Connor. I appreciate the cheeky sentiment, but I don’t believe that all truth requires blasphemy. In many cases, rebellion, irreverence, and skepticism may be enough to pry loose hidden and buried information. Outright blasphemy isn’t necessary. What does…
Critical Race Theory isn’t the problem. The Great Replacement Theory is.
The 18-year-old white supremacist who drove 200 miles to shoot 13 people — 10 fatally, 11 Black — in Buffalo, N.Y., with an AR-15 on Saturday serves as yet another reminder of how thoroughly the corrupt sociopaths at the NRA have warped this country’s discourse about guns. That we’ve skipped the usual performative calls for…
My testimony to the Senate Budget Committee on Medicare for All
Friends, last week I found myself on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to testify before the Senate Budget Committee on Medicare for All. I wanted to share my written testimony with you, laying out the case for Medicare for All — and how it would solve not just a limited set of our challenges, but…
Ferndale favorite Public House retools with vegan menu and revamped patio
When the original Public House opened in 2013, the Metro Times’ Noelle Lothamer nailed its formula for success: “Choose an area of town with a high concentration of people in their 20s and 30s who like to go out often but don’t want to spend fine-dining dollars. Reel in the crowds with low-priced, trendy menu…
