Cover Story
Plot against Whitmer shows domestic terrorism is a threat — and the calls are coming from inside the White House
It was a plot that seemingly could have been ripped right out of the pages of a Hollywood action movie script — something like Liam Neeson’s Taken, or a Coen Brothers film, perhaps, or even Joker. A group of men, secretly meeting in a hidden basement under a Grand Rapids vacuum cleaner shop, had cooked…
Tequila Herradura and Day of the Dead – Leaving a Legacy
For a century and half, Tequila Herradura has been crafting tequilas with a balance of respect for traditional processes paired with industry-leading innovation from the last true tequila-producing hacienda on the planet; making it a true piece of Mexico’s cultural fabric. Day of the Dead is a tradition born in Mexico, that in 2008 was…
Whitmer says she and her family get attacked every time Trump mentions her
Weeks after law enforcement said it foiled a domestic terrorist plan to kidnap and possibly kill her, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is doubling down for her calls for President Donald Trump to stop targeting her — saying that whenever he mentions her, she and her family see “a surge of vicious attacks.” Whitmer made the comments…
HopCat emerges from bankruptcy under new ownership
Cosmik Fries live on. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June, BarFly Ventures LLC, the parent company of Grand Rapids-based craft beer and bar food chain HopCat, has sold its assets as part of months-long financial restructuring. The sale, which was announced Tuesday, was made to Congruent Investment Partners and Main Street Capital for…
Michigan border sees 1,726% rise of marijuana seizures since last year
Despite the fact that both Michigan and Canada have legalized recreational marijuana, officials are reporting a sharp rise in illegally transported reefer this year. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says they’ve seized more than 9,000 pounds of of the stuff this fiscal year, an increase of 1,726% from last year. And that doesn’t even include…
Rep. Levin calls on Macomb County prosecutor to drop charges against protesters
U.S. Rep. Andy Levin is urging the Macomb County prosecutor to drop felony charges against five protesters during a “nonviolent demonstration” in Shelby Township on Saturday. Protesters said they were peacefully marching on the street when police in riot gear rushed, assaulted, and arrested them. Five protesters were jailed over the weekend and charged Monday…
Bishop Jackson says Black voters are more energized in 2020 — but don’t take them for granted
When Detroit’s Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, founder of the African American-oriented Christian TV network Impact Network, interviewed Donald Trump in 2016, the then-Republican candidate predicted that he would win a significant percentage of Black voters. That didn’t happen. According to Pew Research Center, the Black voter turnout rate declined for the first time in 20…
Duggan unveils plan to help homeowners over-billed by inflated tax assessments
Tens of thousands of Detroit homeowners who were over-taxed because of inflated property value assessments would be eligible for discounted, city-owned properties and given priorities for jobs, affordable housing, and other government assistance under a plan announced by Mayor Mike Duggan on Tuesday. Five of Detroit’s nine city council members co-sponsored the plan, which they…
Michigan communities paying price for declining share of state revenue
A new report reveals that communities throughout Michigan are paying the price for decades of state revenue-sharing cuts. Local revenue-sharing payments are state taxes distributed to local governments, and according to the findings, these payments decreased more than 35% for cities, villages, and townships between 1997 and 2019. Report author Brandon Betz, tax policy analyst…
Feds weigh terrorism charges after finding bomb parts in Whitmer kidnapping plot investigation
Federal prosecutors are mulling terrorism charges against the men accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after investigators found bomb parts and other new evidence. In a court filing Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office made the disclosure and requested a 40-day extension to seek indictments against the six men charged in federal court. “Firearms and…
Even though Detroit finally has a recreational marijuana ordinance, the fight is still far from over
Recreational marijuana is coming to Detroit… eventually. That’s according to a timeline announced by the city Monday, Oct. 26 at a press conference presided over by council member James Tate and featuring Mayor Mike Duggan. After a year of postponing licensing adult-use recreational marijuana sales since the state began accepting applications, Tate announced a proposed…
Sabbath Coffee Roasters to open in downtown Clawson on Halloween
Some people like their coffee black. Clawson’s upcoming Sabbath Coffee Roasters is taking the idea really far: the new spot is set to open on Halloween. The store is the brainchild of husband and wife duo Trevor and Miranda Graham, who met over coffee in 2012. The two are such coffee freaks that they began…
Mitch McConnell is banking on Democratic fecklessness. He’s probably right.
Mitch McConnell is barely hiding his contempt for democracy. “A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone, sooner or later, by the next election,” the Republican Senate majority leader proclaimed on Sunday, nine days before he and his party will face voters at the polls. “But they won’t be…
‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ embraces (and somehow eclipses) the absurdity of 2020
When Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat hit theaters in 2006, few would have guessed how influential (and prescient) the movie’s blend of political satire and real-world spectacle would be by the time its sequel dropped. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (aka Borat 2) was released Oct. 23 on Amazon Prime. In recent years, Baron Cohen’s fourth-wall-breaking approach to…
New photography exhibit at the DIA explores six decades of blue-collar life in metro Detroit
If you need proof that metro Detroiters are hard workers, look no further than the intimate photo exhibition exploring six decades of blue-collar life in the Detroit area heading to the Detroit Institute of Arts. During his time as a freelance photographer for various national and local labor and trade publications from 1975 through 2005,…
Corporations, PAC donate $180,000 to support Duggan’s controversial Detroit blight proposal
A committee raising money to support Mayor Mike Duggan’s controversial blight elimination proposal raised $180,000 in donations in one month from metro Detroit corporations and a political action committee. Neighbors to End Blight Now is urging voters to support Proposal N, an initiative to sell $250 million worth of bonds to demolish 8,000 dilapidated homes…
At long last, Detroit announces recreational marijuana ordinance — and it will include consumption lounges
After a year of postponing licensing of adult-use recreational marijuana sales in Detroit, City Council announced on Monday an ordinance detailing how the city will move forward. A lot of people have been waiting for this, and there’s a lot to unload in this announcement. The city is allowing 75 licenses for retail sales establishments.…
Detroit has a Black-owned cider mill now, complete with hayrides, goats, and fresh produce
Our autumnal pandemic prayers have been answered: there’s a cider mill in Detroit now and we want to go to there. Located near the Lodge at Lawrence and Woodrow Wilson Street on a four-acre plot where Peck Elementry School once stood, Detroit Farm and Cider is the first cider mill in the city and offers…
Trump is holding a Lansing rally because he doesn’t care if Michiganders die from COVID-19
When it was announced earlier this month that President Donald Trump was hospitalized with COVID-19, there was a chance that maybe, just maybe, he would finally start taking this pandemic seriously. Fat chance. Shortly after leaving Walter Reed Medical Center (where the president, a critic of “socialized medicine,” got the finest medical treatment that government…
Outdoor Enthusiasts of Michigan Rejoice. MTN DEW Is Giving You The Chance To Score A Five-Night Cabin Stay In Hiawatha National Forest This Fall — But You Have To Enter Now
Just in time for this year’s hunting and fishing season, and before the hustle and bustle of the holidays, MTN DEW is giving Michiganders the chance to win a five-night cabin stay in the beautiful Hiawatha National Forest as part of their new “Recharge Retreat” program which encourages Dew Nation to spend time out of…
Michigan officials say we won’t see results on Election night — so be patient
Don’t bother staying up late on Election Day, because officials in Michigan say it’s going to likely take longer than usual to count all the ballots for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election. That’s because of the unprecedented volume of mail-in ballots local clerks are reporting in Michigan, as is the case in other states,…
Michigan gun rights groups sue Secretary of State over open carry ban on firearms at polling places
Three gun rights groups have filed a lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to nullify her ban on openly carrying firearms at or near polling locations on Election Day. Michigan Open Carry, Michigan Gun Owners, and Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners argue Benson’s directive violates state law and harms residents who want…
Huddle soft-serve in Detroit will pivot to serving hot cups of broth for winter
There’s a fine line between soft-serve ice cream and steaming cups of broth — and that line is Michigan winters. To make the seasonal transition smooth and soupy, Huddle soft-serve has partnered with Southwest Detroit’s Johnny Noodle King to offer cups of broth out of its downtown Detroit walk-up window instead of their towering, frosty,…
Juggalos confuse Coca-Cola for Faygo in taste test challenge, making us question our own reality
It might be a hot minute until we can bathe again in a fountain of Faygo, the sticky, carbonated — and Detroit-created — nectar of the gods, aka hip-hop clowns Insane Clown Posse. That’s right: due to the coronavirus pandemic, ICP’s annual blowout, Hallowicked, has been scaled down to a livestreamed, acoustic show this year.…
Warren city councilman handcuffed woman for posting Black Lives Matter sticker on Trump sign, police say
Police are investigating a Warren city councilman who handcuffed a woman for posting Black Lives Matter stickers on a President Donald Trump yard sign in Eastpointe. Councilman Eddie Kabacinski was attending a Trump rally on Oct. 14 when he told police he spotted a 24-year-old woman putting three stickers on a Trump sign along the…
Michigan’s top medical official advises ordering takeout instead of dining in
With coronavirus cases on the rise again in Michigan, the state’s Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, is asking residents to reconsider dining out, which has been linked to the spread of COVID-19. “If you have a choice between dining in a restaurant or getting takeout, strongly consider getting takeout,” Khaldun said. If you do decide…
Trump spews more bullshit about Michigan, Whitmer, and her husband during final debate
With less than two weeks before the election, President Donald Trump’s lies are getting more desperate and outrageous. For the third time in two weeks, Trump falsely claimed that everyone in Michigan is locked down except for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s husband Mark Mallory. “Michigan is shut down; it’s like a prison,” Trump said during the…
Sen. Gary Peters discusses a bailout for the live music biz
When Sen. Gary Peters joined a small coterie of Detroit-affiliated members of the music business on Oct. 19 for an election-season Zoom call, the conversation began with topics like climate change, protecting the Great Lakes, and criminal justice reform. But the talk quickly turned to a looming issue: our pandemic-era inability to kick out the…
Authentic Italian heads to Troy’s Cucina Lab Torino
A family of Italian immigrants are bringing the flavors of their homeland to metro Detroit. Cucina Lab Torino by Cuciniamo Italiano is set to open at the end of the month in Troy. Martina Rabajoli, the daughter of the owner and the restaurant’s PR manager, says that her family decided to open the restaurant, Cucina…
Michigan at ‘highest risk’ for right-wing militia activity around the election, report warns
Michigan is among five states with the highest risk of right-wing militia violence during and after the election, according to an alarming new report from a nonprofit that tracks political violence. The Armed Conflict & Event Location Data Project (ACLED) examined the activities of more than 80 militias across the country and concluded that Michigan…
Buddy’s brings its famous Detroit-style pizza to Troy
Buddy’s, home of the original Detroit-style pizza, is continuing its expansion in the Midwest and beyond, opening a new restaurant in Troy this week. The design of the new 6,738-square-foot spot is inspired by the original “Buddy’s Rendezvous” at Six Mile and Conant in Detroit, which opened in 1946. The company also announced a new…
Trump has Whitmer Derangement Syndrome
Those who oppose President Donald Trump — the majority of the country, according to polls — have been accused by the President’s supporters of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” which is one hell of a form of gaslighting. Trump spouts insane nonsense every day — incoherent speeches, grammatically challenged tweets, and a staggering 50 false or…
These Michigan billionaires got $45.3 billion richer during the pandemic
It seems like every day is Christmas for Michigan’s billionaires — even the past 200-plus days, a time when the coronavirus pandemic has crippled the state, closing many businesses and pushing millions of Michiganders into unemployment. In fact, Michigan billionaires saw their wealth increase by a staggering $45.3 billion, or 156.0%, since mid-March. That’s according to…
Michigan teen who protested against injustice was punched, then ignored and ticketed by police
Mya King, a 16-year-old Indian-American from Chelsea, was among tens of thousands of young people who took to the streets nationwide to protest systemic racism following the brutal death of George Floyd in late May. But her experience was anything but positive, resulting in a bloodied mouth, a ticket for marching on the street, and…
Joe Biden’s Blind Pig ad removed due to threats against club owner
A recent high-profile ad for Joe Biden’s campaign that featured a popular Michigan music venue has been removed from the internet — causing confusion, outrage, and even an email to Metro Times from President Donald Trump’s Deputy National Press Secretary. On Sunday, the spot, which ran during a primetime TV NFL slot, highlighted the many…
COVID-19 spikes in rural Michigan: ‘No one is getting a pass on the pandemic’
COVID-19 cases are on the rise almost everywhere, but the share of new cases in rural Michigan counties is outpacing the new caseload in metro counties. According to an analysis by The Daily Yonder, nearly 70% of the nation’s more than 1,900 rural counties now are in the red zone, a term used by the…
Lawsuit seeks to halt sale of State Fairgrounds for Amazon center in Detroit
The State Fairgrounds Development Coalition filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the city of Detroit and Mayor Mike Duggan to prevent the sale of land for a $400 million Amazon distribution center. The lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court claims the city violated two ordinances that require community input before land is sold and rezoned.…
Detroit’s Michigan Central Station will once again light up this Halloween
The hulking Michigan Central Station will return as Detroit’s biggest haunted house this Halloween. While Ford Motor Co. continues to renovate the long-abandoned building, the company will host another light show in its many windows, like it has in years past. But due to the pandemic, however, this year’s event will be a drive-thru version.…
Lizzo talks Detroit roots, fat-shaming, and teaches David Letterman the flute on his Netflix series
Six years after making her network television debut on Late Night with David Letterman as a virtually unknown hip-hop artist, Lizzo has found herself, once again, sharing screentime with the talk show legend — this time during a global pandemic with three Grammy awards under her belt. For the third season of Letterman’s Netflix series…
Republican megadonor died after getting COVID-19
Peter Secchia — a Grand Rapids-area businessman and Republican megadonor who once said, “If you don’t want to support Donald Trump: Shut up!” — died Wednesday after getting COVID-19. He was 83. His family said that he was receiving nursing care from home in recent months. A spokesperson said COVID-19 was a contributing factor in…
Faced with an election loss, Trump will sow doubt about the truth. We can’t let that happen.
I was a staffer on George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign, and I experienced first-hand the chaotic uncertainty and political maneuvering that was the Florida recount. As historically bad as that time was for our country, it pales in comparison to what may be to come if vote counts on November 3 are at all close.…
MTV recruits Burning Man balloon chain artist and others for Vote Early Day installations in Detroit
We want our MTV… to encourage early voter participation for national Vote Early Day. While the video may have killed the radio star — and the video may have been slaughtered by, well, shit like Jersey Shore — MTV is continuing its legacy of Rock The Vote-like voter participation initiatives, including a partnership with Detroit’s…
New report by Sen. Gary Peters finds metro Detroit had the worst on-time mail delivery in the country following USPS cuts
If you’re waiting on that birthday card from grandma, you may have to wait longer. A new report by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters found that metro Detroit actually had the worst timely mail delivery rate of any district in the country during the first week of October — a rate that has been steadily declining…
Two gunmen shot in ‘brazen’ robbery attempt at Detroit dispensary
A trio of armed robbers messed with the wrong dispensary Tuesday afternoon. Two of the gunmen were shot and taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries after one of them pistol-whipped a 29-year-old employee at Puff-N-Pass at Dexter near Chicago on Detroit’s west side at about 1 p.m., according to Detroit police. A third suspect…
Generational shifts could turn Michigan blue for years to come
Michigan’s shift from blue to red in the 2016 presidential election could be an outlier, according to new research. The “States of Change” report examines the ways generational changes could shape the next five presidential elections, from an aging eligible voter population to a more diverse and better educated electorate. Report co-author William Frey —…
Chloë Drallos taps into surf, goth, punk, and melodic pop with new Zilched LP ‘Doompop’
Chloë Drallos is ready to talk, if you’re ready to listen. While some of what the songwriter-guitarist might sing to you might come off caustic in its candor, there’s often a universally applicable message in her lyrics touting the self-empowerment that’s attainable when we disentangle ourselves from petty bullshit. Drallos, a.k.a. Zilched, released an EP…
Savage Love: Don’t give up
Borrowing Gen Z’s love for labeling everything, I’m a 46-year-old homoromantic asexual Canadian faggot. For me that means I’d like to love and be loved by another man, but I’d hate having sex with him. To add a vexing complication, I also need some sort of power imbalance. Ideally, I would fall somewhere between being…
Free Will Astrology (Oct. 21-27)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19: “I’ve been told that nobody sings the word ‘hunger’ like I do,” testified Aries chanteuse Billie Holiday. She wasn’t suggesting that she had a stylish way of crooning about fine dining. Rather, she meant “hunger” in the sense of the longing for life’s poignant richness. Her genius-level ability to…
