Cover Stories
Detroit and Macomb County have the lowest vaccination rates in the region. Here’s how they’re preparing for a potential COVID-19 winter surge.
The late summer wave of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Michigan, driven by the highly contagious delta variant, appears to be finally declining, but winter is around the corner. Last December and January, as the weather grew colder and people began gathering indoors, Michigan experienced its deadliest surge, with COVID-19 claiming the lives of more…
Is Michigan’s COVID-19 contact tracing app working?
About a year ago, Michigan got a new weapon in its battle against COVID-19: a contact tracing app. Deployed by governments around the world to attempt to curb the spread of the virus, such apps help traditional contact tracers — health workers who call up people who have been in close contact with an infected…
Detroit has miles of vacant land. Why does it only get one tiny Target?
If you’re like us, you were probably excited to hear of the news that Detroit is getting a new Target store — its one and only. And if you’re like us, you also might be wondering why it is that Detroit, a major American city, is only now getting a Target. (A previous Target store…
Now journalist Danny Fenster is being charged with ‘terrorism’ in Myanmar
Danny Fenster, the metro Detroit native and journalist who has been detained in Myanmar since May following a bloody authoritarian coup there, is now facing “terrorism” charges, according to his lawyer. Fenster has been hit with two additional charges, his lawyer said Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. A “terrorism” charge covers “acts of exhortation,…
Buy your Christmas tree early, Michigan, because the 2008 housing crisis might be why they’re in short supply now
So this is Christmas? Retailers are urging shoppers to check their Christmas shopping lists twice as early due to supply chain disruptions, due, in part, to a so-called “worker shortage” (we like to think of it as a fair wage revolution, but whatever) and the United States Postal Service and other shipping services have been…
Grosse Pointe, Oxford school boards threaten to defy county mask orders
Two metro Detroit school boards are boldly considering defying countywide mask mandates, despite early evidence that face coverings are curbing the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms. Grosse Pointe Public School System Trustee Lisa Papas proposed a resolution that would allow students, teachers, and staff to flout Wayne County Health Department’s mask requirements, The Detroit News…
New sources sought for rare earth elements, to stop reliance on China
Michigan researchers have received a $3.1 million grant to study potential new sources of rare earth metals and how to process them. Rare earth metals are a set of 17 elements found in the earth’s crust, and a key component of many high-tech processes from military technology to electronic devices, batteries for electric cars and magnets…
Tlaib defends ‘no’ vote on Biden’s infrastructure bill, says social spending bill was neglected
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib said she joined five other progressive Democrats to reject the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package because it was not voted on alongside the Build Back Better Act, a funding bill for a variety of social programs and initiatives to fight climate change. Thirteen Republicans joined moderate Democrats to pass the legislation…
Greta Van Fleet will skip Detroit when they play five Michigan shows next year
‘Tis the season for distressed denim, multi-vitamins, and bejeweled vests. It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with Greta Van Fleet, Michigan’s premiere band of retro-rock youths hailing from the Christmas-obsessed Little Bavaria, aka Frankenmuth. But on Tuesday, the band — brothers Josh, Jake, and Sam Kiszka, along with drummer Danny Wagner — announced…
City of Detroit unveils new emergency notification system for severe weather, natural disasters, other advisories
The city of Detroit on Monday announced a new emergency notification system that will alert residents to severe weather, natural disasters, evacuations, and other public safety advisories. Detroit Alert 365 sends timely emergency notifications via a free app, CodeRed, that the city is encouraging residents to download. CodeRed, which is used by thousands of municipalities…
Michigan doctor suspended after approving 22,000 medical marijuana certificates in 12 months
Listen — we all know that person who has maybe exaggerated, fabricated, or outright faked one or more of qualifying ailments to score what was once considered the golden ticket in Michigan: a medical marijuana card. But in Michigan, there’s a doctor who has been signing off and approving applications — legitimate and not —…
Michigan company that ripped off customers with nonexistent ‘glamping’ experience pleads no contest
A Michigan company that advertised “an upscale camping experience,” also known as “glamping,” was convicted on two criminal charges on Monday after it never actually built the resort in Antrim County. Bella Solviva Inc. pleaded no contest to one felony count of larceny by conversion between $1,000 and $20,000 and one misdemeanor count of larceny…
Shri Thanedar plans to run for congressional seat held by Rep. Tlaib
First-term state Rep. Shri Thanedar announced Monday that he’s forming an exploratory committee to run for the congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib. The boundaries of the 13th District seat are expected to change under an ongoing redistricting process. According to draft maps, the 13th District would encompass most of Detroit and include…
Temperatures reach record levels in Great Lakes, a troubling trend fueled by climate change
The Great Lakes are reaching record warm temperatures, which could generate more lake-effect snow, threaten fish habitats, and disrupt livelihoods that depend on the massive bodies of freshwater. The temperatures of each of the five lakes are about five to six degrees above average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Rising temperatures are…
A new Republican-led bill could be the middle of the road solution to legalizing and taxing marijuana
Just when we thought full-blown marijuana legalization remained a distant reality, a Republican-led congressional marijuana legalization bill comes along that could end the federal prohibition on weed. Marijuana Moment obtained the 116-page draft legislation, which is being led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and aims to give 68% of Americans what they want: legal weed…
After the Virginia loss, Dems are almost certain to take a bad situation and make it worse
The worst thing about Terry McAuliffe’s loss wasn’t the fusillade of journalists churning out pre-writes of Democrats’ midterm obituaries, or the schizophrenic New York Times editorial that accused the party of going too far left while simultaneously endorsing its policy goals, or even the fact that Republicans now have evidence that going full knuckle-dragger on…
Michigan tribes send letter to Biden asking him to back Line 5 shutdown
All 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan sent a letter to President Joe Biden and his administration Friday, urging him to lend strong support to the state’s effort to shut down the controversial, 78-year-old Line 5 oil pipeline owned by Canadian company Enbridge. “The Governor, the Attorney General, and our Tribal Nations need your Administration’s…
Ongoing FBI investigation leads to charges against retired Detroit cop
A retired Detroit cop is the fourth person to be charged in connection with an ongoing federal investigation into a towing scandal that is taking down police officers and shaking up city council. Alonzo Jones, 55, who resigned in 2009 after overseeing the Detroit Police Vehicle Auction, was charged with bribery and faces up to…
Michigan’s first Jollibee, GOP silent on Kellogg strike, MSU goes nuts: this week’s top 10 Detroit Metro Times headlines
Our readers seem to be really excited about the news of Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee joining the many restaurants on Macomb County’s Hall Road in what will be the company’s first Michigan location. (Hot dog-topped spaghetti, anyone?) You were also interested in the news of the Republican Party’s silence on the weeks-long Kellogg strike, and…
City of Detroit urges parents to get young children vaccinated. But will they listen?
City of Detroit officials on Friday urged parents to get their young children vaccinated against COVID-19, saying it’s a critical step in reducing the spread of the virus ahead of a potential winter surge. About 68,000 children in Detroit and 825,000 in Michigan are now eligible for a vaccine after the Centers for Disease Control…
The Kanye West and Big Sean split is getting really weird
Kanye West and Big Sean have a message for each other: “I don’t fuck with you.” The split went public last week, when Sean dropped a new EP titled What You Expect. The Detroit rapper took to Twitter to point out that it was his first music released on his own label, apart from West’s…
Supino Pizzeria’s New Center location is finally open for dine-in service
It seems like it was just yesterday — and by yesterday we mean 2018 — that Eastern Market staple Supino Pizzeria announced it would be opening a new location in Detroit’s New Center area. In February of this year, Supino finally opened its doors — sort of. The restaurant only offered carry-out orders at the new…
‘You see nurses at the end of their shifts parking their cars and just crying’
Carrying signs emblazoned with “patients over profits,” hundreds of nurses and other health care providers marched outside Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital Wednesday evening to call for fairer wages and benefits needed to retain and attract the workers that union representatives said the hospital has been “hemorrhaging” during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Now is our time to stand…
All hail the tampon queen, Gov. Whitmer, who has repealed Michigan’s ‘pink tax’
Women make .82 cents to every dollar a man makes (which means we’re paid 17.7% less than men, earning a whopping $10,157 less per year) and, if that weren’t enough to make us scream, run into the woods, and start our own female-identifying society, we also have menstrual cycles and are, get this, taxed on…
The 7 Best Podcast Hosting Services
Many people dream of starting a podcast and creating a series of digital audio files that users can download on their devices and enjoy. You may even be one of those imagining themselves right now talking about a beloved topic or theme and uploading it to the internet. If you fancy starting a podcast, you…
New study finds that the majority of Delta-8 products tested have more THC than allowable under law
Three-quarters of commercial Delta-8 products tested in a recent study contained more than the amount of THC allowable under the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp, raising questions about their legality to sell or possess. The study, released last month by cannabis consumer research firm CBD Oracle, used an accredited lab to test 51 Delta-8…
Stench from Jeep plant in Detroit prompts another air quality violation
State environmental regulators issued another air quality violation notice for the stomach-churning stench wafting from Stellantis’ year-old Jeep Assembly plant. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) investigated the smell on Oct. 28, the same day it received a complaint about the stench near the Jeep Grand Cherokee assembly plant on St.…
State launches website amid air quality violations at Stellantis plants
Residents who live near the stinky new Jeep plant in Detroit now have two more resources to address the pungent, headache-inducing paint odor. Stellantis NV, formerly known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, launched a hotline to report odors emanating from the year-old Jeep Grand Cherokee assembly plant. The toll-free line is (833) 310-2313. The Michigan Department…
Praise be to Santa — the Detroit Christmas tree lighting will return for a ‘bigger, brighter’ in-person celebration
This year, the Downtown Detroit’s annual tree lighting ceremony can officially vote, donate blood, get a tattoo, and buy fireworks if it so chooses because the beloved tradition is turning 18, baby. And it’s returning for an in-person celebration that organizers say will be “bigger, brighter, and better than ever” after last year’s event was…
It’s official: Detroit Grand Prix will return downtown in 2023
The Detroit Grand Prix will be held on Belle Isle for the final time in 2022 before it returns to the streets of downtown Detroit in 2023, officials say. On Wednesday, Detroit City Council granted approval for the event to relocate. “Over the last five weeks, Grand Prix representatives have participated in numerous listening sessions…
Michigan adds gender neutral option to driver’s license
Michigan will soon offer driver’s licenses and identification cards with a non-binary gender marker of “X,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced Tuesday. Beginning on Nov. 7, residents will no longer be limited to selecting either male or female on their IDs. “I am proud to support Michiganders across the state who for many years…
Michigan AG announces proposal to provide jobs to people with low-level criminal offenses
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a proposal on Wednesday that would provide jobs and wraparound services to people accused of low-level, nonviolent crimes. The $5.5 million program, called Jobs Court, would provide up to 450 eligible offenders in Wayne, Genesee, and Marquette Counties with “good-paying jobs” with benefits and training to advance their careers.…
Detroit voters overwhelmingly pass reparations proposal, but fail proposal that could fund it
Quite possibly the most talked about proposal on the ballot for Detroit’s Tuesday election was Proposal R, which would create a reparations task force that would address the racism that Black Detroiters have long faced in housing and economic development. While Proposal R passed easily with over 80% of the votes — and more Detroiters…
Newcomers shake up beleaguered Detroit City Council in general election
Newcomers on Tuesday won six of the nine seats on the Detroit City Council, which has been beset by an ongoing FBI investigation. Coleman A. Young, Jr., the son of former Mayor Coleman A. Young, and former state lawmaker Mary Waters were the top vote-getters for the two at-large council seats. Young received 31.3% of…
Detroit voters just decriminalized magic mushrooms and other ‘entheogenic’ plants
Detroit joined the psychedelic revolution on Tuesday when residents turned out to decriminalize the possession and therapeutic use of entheogenic plants, which includes psilocybin “magic” mushrooms, peyote, mescaline, ayahuasca, and dimethyltryptamine, or DMT. More than 53,000 Detroit voters, or 61.1%, voted yes on Proposal E, which calls for decriminalizing naturally occurring psychedelics, also referred to…
Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and Hamtramck elect their first Muslim mayors
In Hamtramck, changing demographics led to changing politics, while in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, politics seem to have finally caught up to demographics, as both cities elected their first Muslim mayors. In Hamtramck, Amer Ghalib defeated Mayor Karen Majewski to become the city’s first non-Polish mayor in a century. Ghalib, a health care worker and…
Striking Kellogg workers get letters of support from Stabenow, Peters and other Dem senators
It’s almost been a month since the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) went on strike against Kellogg to protest benefit cuts and the two-tier wage system under which newer employees are paid for less than their colleagues. That includes 325 BCTGM workers in Battle Creek, who went on strike at…
Spacecat V-stro shines big and bright in downtown Ferndale
When it opened in December in downtown Ferndale, Spacecat V-stro plugged another in the dwindling number of gaps in metro Detroit’s ever-expanding vegan and vegetarian restaurant universe — vegetarian comfort food focused on breakfast and lunch. The menu’s theme is big, bright flavor profiles and presentations, and most of Spacecat’s menu is made from scratch…
Dolly Parton Weekend, VegBash, and more things to do in metro Detroit this week
Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Submit your events to metrotimes.com/calendar. VegBash Thursday, 11/4: Man, have we come a long way from the limited selection of bland Boca brand meat-free burger patties and the once-elusive soy milk. Being vegan — which means not consuming any animal products including seafood, eggs, milk, and, for…
Wes Anderson’s ‘The French Dispatch’ is, as usual, a meticulously crafted film
Wes Anderson has always been an epicure at heart. From the layered pastries and rococo decor of Grand Budapest Hotel to Max’s packed slate of extracurriculars in Rushmore, the filmmaker has produced a suite of works that are vehicles for both halting sentiment and formal pleasure, with an air of self-awareness often subverting their softest…
Free Will Astrology (Nov. 3-9)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Are you still hoping to heal from psychological wounds that you rarely speak about? May I suggest that you consider speaking about them in the coming weeks? Not to just anyone and everyone, of course, but rather to allies who might be able to help you generate at least a partial…
The logic of vaccine mix n’ match
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Disease Control and Prevention authorized and recommended boosters of both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines. Moderna’s booster comes in just a half dose, and is recommended for people over 65, people over 50 with certain conditions, and people who work in…
Why no one’s happy with Biden’s historic first year
By the end of the week — if the House and Senate can get the infrastructure and reconciliation packages across the finish line — the Biden White House will have pushed through more than $4 trillion in pandemic stimulus and social, climate, and infrastructure spending in less than 10 months. This will represent the country’s…
ICYMI: Theranos allegedly duped DeVos, Tim Allen out as Buzz Lightyear, and more news you might’ve missed
Don’t ever let anyone tell you rich people are rich because they’re necessarily smarter and more hardworking than you. Because if there’s anything that the high-profile trial of disgraced Silicon Valley figure Elizabeth Holmes has shown, it’s that plenty of members of the 1% seem to be not all that great with their money —…
