Cover Story
How the pandemic shined a light on deficiencies in Michigan’s FOIA law
On a bright day in late June, I sat at my desk staring at an invoice that had just been delivered to me. As my eyes drifted to the bottom of the page, I blinked: $284,541.48. The invoice was not for any of the usual things one might expect to cost over a quarter of…
Motor City Pride returns for rainbow-powered LGBTQIA+ celebration at Hart Plaza
Blowouts aren’t just for your hair, henny. Motor City Pride fest is queer and it’s finally here. After being postponed from its usual Pride Month slot in June, Motor City Pride returns with the rainbow-powered lovefest filled with music, dancing, protesting, parading, and drag. While Motor City Pride is absolutely a celebration, its origins follow…
Big Freedia, queen diva of New Orleans Bounce, will shake the azz down at Detroit’s Majestic Theatre
When booty-shaking icon Big Freedia said “azz everywhere, azz everywhere,” we really felt that. Like, really felt it, like an off-the-Richter Scale bootyquake. For the unenlightened, the 43-year-old rapper, dancer, queen of New Orleans Bounce and master of the azz-shaking club jam, Big Freedia is kind of a big deal. Throughout her glittering career, which…
Royal Oak’s Habatat Galleries celebrates 50 years of kicking glass with anniversary glass show
Are you ready to kick some serious glass?! Wait — don’t kick, touch, or breathe on any of the incredible 400- plus glass works on display at the 50th annual international glass invitational. Habatat Galleries, America’s first and largest contemporary glass gallery, will once again throw a mind-shattering free exhibition featuring the creations of glass…
First annual FrankenFest will celebrate all things spooky at Detroit’s Historic Fort Wayne
If the last year has you feeling like a zombie, you’re not alone. But good news is the witching season is upon us, and there is no shortage of spooktastic soirees to haunt. Kicking off the madness a wee early (or, if you’re a freak like us, right on time) is the first-ever FrankenFest. Brother…
Northville goes old school for annual Heritage Festival with Victorian parade, vintage baseball, and more
Stars Hollow. Pawnee. Mayberry. Ah, the power of a small town. For fans of small town charm, the Mitten State has small towns up the wazoo. To celebrate one such town and its rich history, there’s the annual Northville Heritage Festival, which is presenting a scaled down version of previous celebrations. Formerly known as the…
‘Great American Baking Show’ star Chris Tucker will give Southern fare some vegan flair in Hazel Park
In 2021, eating meat is so passé. Or is it pâté? Regardless, more Americans are turning to plant-based lifestyles, aka veganism, than ever before. A study published last year found that more than 9.6 million people in the U.S. are vegan, which is a 300% increase from previous years. Not only are the benefits of…
Rep. Jewell Jones jailed after violating bond a third time
When state Rep. Jewell Jones (D-Inkster) violated his bond for a second time back in July, Judge Michael Hatty warned the young state representative he would be looking at jail time if he violated any other orders. Hatty kept his word. On Tuesday afternoon Jones was jailed after violating his bond for a third time.…
Gladys Knight and the Isley Brothers pair up for wintertime performance at Detroit’s Fox Theatre
Why be a queen when you can be an empress? Gladys Knight, known as the “Empress of Soul” — a distinction bestowed upon the 77-year-old icon when she received the Society of Singers ELLA Award in 2007 — is hopping off her “Midnight Train to Georgia” to bless Detroit with a sultry wintertime performance, and…
Giveon kicks off fall tour at Detroit’s El Club
R&B singer Giveon might like his peaches down in Georgia, but the “Heartbreak Anniversary” singer is coming to Motown. Giveon announced a 14-city fall tour, his first-ever according to the social media post he shared. The tour kicks off Nov. 28 at El Club in Detroit, and tickets will go on sale to the general…
Detroit’s unemployment rate hovers at 25% amid COVID-19 pandemic, U-M survey finds
Detroit’s unemployment remains at 25% after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out thousands of jobs in an already battered economy, according to a recent University of Michigan survey. The survey of 1,898 Detroiters, conducted between June 2 and July 9, paints a bleak portrait of the city’s economy more than a year and a half after…
Irrelevant comedian Jim Breuer refuses to perform at metro Detroit venue over vaccination requirement
Comedian Jim Breuer — who is best known for playing a Goat Boy during his brief stint at Saturday Night Live and who was outshined by Dave Chapelle, Harland Williams, and Buttercup the dead horse in the film Half-Baked — just compared vaccination requirements at performance venues to “segregation,” to which we say bahhhhh-bye. Breuer…
Dem introduces bill decriminalizing psychedelics, hopes to reverse some ‘War on Drugs’ impacts
Michigan Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) introduced legislation last week that would decriminalize the use of psilocybin and mescaline — two plants and fungi commonly found in psychedelics. Senate Bill 631, which was co-sponsored by state Sen. Adam Hollier (D-Detroit), would allow the possession, cultivation and delivery of the two types of psychedelics. Commercial production…
DJ Sara Aldridge accused of embezzling money from Detroit arts organization
Sara Aldridge, a Detroit DJ who performs as Nothing Elegant, was sentenced to two years of probation after being charged with allegedly embezzling more than $50,000 from 1xRun, the fine art print house that owns the Spot Lite music venue and hosts the Murals in the Market festival. According to court documents, a warrant was…
College students drank less during the pandemic but used weed, psychedelics at record highs, study finds
If you tried to escape the horrors of the last year by doing your best “guy on the couch” cosplay, then you’re not alone. A recent study published by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that half of United States college students ages 19-60 admitted to using weed in 2020. While that may…
Woman who assaulted Muslim passenger on flight to Detroit should be charged with hate crime, group says
A Muslim civil rights group is calling on Wayne County prosecutors to file hate-crime charges against a woman who was arrested over the weekend for allegedly assaulting a Black Muslim passenger on a Spirit Airlines flight to Detroit. The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) said the woman hurled anti-Islamic slurs at…
Pop star Dua Lipa will bring her ‘Future Nostalgia’ tour to Detroit … in the future
If you don’t want to see global pop superstar Dua Lipa, looks like you’ll want to steer clear of Little Caesars Arena in February 2022. As for us devoted future nostalgists, well, we’re “Levitating” (minus Da Baby, of course). Having released Future Nostalgia last year, Dua Lipa has finally revealed the itinerary for her highly-anticipated…
Susan J. Demas: Republicans never had a COVID plan. They just wanted us to accept mass death.
When COVID-19 first paralyzed our nation last winter, many Republican leaders blasted stay-home orders, arguing they would kill businesses and inconvenience folks who had to pause going to the mall or the movies. The soaring death rate oddly seemed to be a far lesser concern. Then they railed against masks, spreading weird conspiracies that a…
Deputy wardens sue ‘white dominated’ Michigan Department of Corrections, allege racial discrimination
A current and former deputy warden are suing the Michigan Department of Corrections, alleging they were denied promotions because they are Black and were retaliated against for launching racial discrimination complaints. The lawsuit, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, alleges Donald Ricumstrict, of Detroit, and Darrell Steward, of Muskegon, applied multiple times for warden positions…
Cannabis school is now in session in Pontiac
The idea of a cannabis school is not so outlandish as it used to sound. From the moment the medical marijuana law was passed in 2008 somebody has been offering lessons on how to grow and do the other things necessary for the industry. Those lessons have spanned from private consultants teaching individuals how to…
Ivermectin, hate camps, and ‘Shariah law’: The top 10 Detroit Metro Times headlines
This week, it seems that our readers took another look at a May story about a certain Macomb County Prosecutor who bypassed the assistant prosecutor to make a deal for a child abuser A lot of readers were interested to know what “Shariah law” actually means and are really into the property drama between Green…
Black couple sues Taylor police after violent encounter over a ‘paperwork snafu’
A Black couple filed a federal lawsuit against the Taylor Police Department on Friday, alleging cops assaulted them during a traffic stop in front of their terrified 3-year-old daughter and then joked about the violent encounter. It’s just the latest lawsuit filed against Taylor cops for alleged civil rights abuses. According to the suit, filed…
Muslim Americans 20 years later
Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives on that fateful day. We honor their memory. As we approach the anniversary, I’ve been reflecting on what the past 20 years have meant for me and for the broader Muslim community in our…
Unemployment head tells House panel she ‘absolutely’ takes responsibility for agency failures
Liza Estlund Olson, the acting director of Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA), testified before a state House panel Thursday on unemployment system problems since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Olson’s appearance before the Oversight Committee comes after Republican lawmakers have leveled withering criticism at the Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer administration over its handling of…
That tiny little Meijer announced in 2017 is finally opening in Detroit next month
Four years after it was announced, Meijer’s small-format grocery store in Detroit is about to get fresh when it opens next month. The long-awaited Rivertown Market — the fourth boutique concept from the Grand Rapids-based chain — finally has an opening date: Oct. 6. Located at 1475 E. Jefferson Ave., Rivertown Market broke ground in…
Birmingham’s Big Rock Chophouse will close at the end of this year
After nearly 40 years in the Birmingham Train Station, Big Rock Chophouse will be closing its doors at the end of the year. While the announcement may be one of heartbreak for Big Rock Chophouse’s regular patrons, Norm LePage, co-owner of the Birmingham staple, hopes that customers will continue to visit until the restaurant formally…
These charts show that COVID-19 vaccines are doing their job
As the coronavirus continues to surge across the United States, hospitals are again filling up with ill COVID-19 patients. And the vast majority of those patients are unvaccinated, as two new charts help make exceedingly clear. One of those charts shows that from January 24 to July 24, vaccinated individuals were hospitalized with COVID-19 at…
James Craig is pretending he hasn’t announced he’s running for governor yet
Former Detroit police chief James Craig plans to announce — again — that he’s running for governor of Michigan as a Republican. His candidacy may be the worst-kept-secret in Michigan politics. On July 21, Craig appeared on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” and declared he was running for governor. “I’ve got to tell you, I’m…
Court orders fence built in Detroit’s Green Dot Stables parking lot removed
A court has ordered billionaire Matthew Moroun’s Detroit International Bridge Company to take down a metal fence it erected through the parking lot of Detroit burger joint Green Dot Stables as part of an ongoing property dispute. “They took the fence down via court order,” Green Dot Stables owner Jacques Driscoll tells Metro Times via…
Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey says she carries a firearm following threats of violence during 2020 election
Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey is among those U.S. election workers and officials who allege they have received threats of death or violence against them, their families, and, in Winfrey’s case, her entire neighborhood, which a disgruntled Donald Trump voter threatened to blow up, according to a new report by Reuters. The report explored more…
Henry Ford Health System employees file lawsuit over COVID-19 vaccine mandate
More than 50 Henry Ford Health System employees filed a federal lawsuit against their employer, arguing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate is an unconstitutional violation of their bodily autonomy. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court seeks to halt the Sept. 10 vaccine mandate, which requires all workers, volunteers, and contractors to be vaccinated or lose…
Kiss postpone metro Detroit concert to October after Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons tested positive for COVID-19
Members of space clown outfit Kiss escaped the kiss of death thanks to their COVID-19 vaccines — and they’re finally bringing their flame retardant stage spectacle of a farewell performance to metro Detroit next month. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer, and Tommy Thayer were supposed to perform at DTE Energy Music Theater earlier this…
Simit House introduces metro Detroit to Turkey’s brilliant bakeries
It seems to be a little known fact in America that Middle Eastern nations are home to some of the world’s most talented bakers, and, locally, exhibit A of that argument is the wealth of Lebanese bakeries along Warren Avenue in Dearborn. For decades, they have reigned with savory dishes like sfeeha, or meat pies.…
A conversation with TLC’s Chilli celebrating ‘CrazySexyCool’
While swirled and swooped baby hair may be a new trend for Generation Z, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas’s perfectly laid edges were a part of her look that had girls like me practicing in the mirror with an old toothbrush and hair gel. The baby hair icon is one-third of TLC, one of the best-selling girl…
Free Will Astrology (Sept. 8-14)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19: “We need to become more unreasonable but in an intelligent way,” says Aries politician Jerry Brown. Yes! I agree! And that’s especially true for you right now, Aries. To Brown’s advice, I will add this message from Aries fashion designer Vivienne Westwood: “Intelligence is composed mostly of imagination, insight…
ICYMI: Green Dot Stables in dispute with Moroun, Trump wants Michigan election audit, and more
The owners of southwest Detroit burger joint Green Dot Stables and billionaire Matthew Moroun are in a bizarre property dispute that we’re having a hard time making sense of. Last week, Moroun’s Detroit International Bridge Co. erected a metal fence through Green Dot’s parking lot after it discovered it owned part of the property. Apparently,…
Back to school in a pandemic
Yesterday, my 3-year-old daughter, Emmalee, started preschool. Like in many households with young kids, our morning was aflutter with the usual season’s excitement: the promise of new friends, the anticipation of new learnings, and last-minute adjustments to a new routine. But this back-to-school season has been… heavy. On the one hand, there’s profound gratitude at…
Why ‘Shariah law’ doesn’t mean what most Americans think it means
The following letter was sent by Imam Shamshad Nasir and Muhammad Ahmad of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Michigan. With the fall of the Afghan government, Islamic Shariah laws are mentioned without the proper context. Shariah literally means “A path to life-giving water.” It has the same meaning as the word Yara (root of the…
Dead & Co., Erykah Badu, a symphony takes on Led Zeppelin, 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. Dead & Co. Friday, 9/10: Have you ever wondered what those rainbow-colored dancing bears were so damn happy about? Well, spit-shine those Birks, hit the dispo for those edibles your college-age daughter turned you onto for your sciatica, and, we guess, try…
