Cover Stories
WSU Police Dept. spearheads national de-escalation training initiative
Now here’s an idea that seemingly could not be more timely: A National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) has been established to teach law-enforcement personnel innovative and nonviolent ways to resolve conflicts with the public, and the Wayne State University Police Department has been selected as the center’s regional headquarters. Given America’s current crisis of nightly…
Why isn’t Detroit, the nation’s Blackest big city, ready for criminal justice reform?
On June 2, Ray Winans, a Black Detroiter from the east side, put out an urgent call to neighbors in a Facebook Live video — he needed a crew and guns right away. White “racists” intent on “setting our motherfuckin’ neighborhood on fire,” were about a mile away at Conner and Gratiot, Winans shouted. “Y’all…
Buy CBD Oil Near You: Facts and Figures
Today, buying CBD oil, considering the number of choices available, can seem overwhelming, especially if you are stepping into the CBD world. Luckily, we’ve got your back. Our team has been in the CBD business from the start of this booming industry and knows that things can get confusing. We also know how to make…
Artists create more anti-Trump billboards, street posters to be erected in Michigan cities
Artists from across the country have teamed up to create striking anti-Trump posters and billboards that will be erected in several battleground states, including Michigan. More than 40 of the billboards will go up in Detroit, Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. The billboard and street art posters feature artwork depicting police brutality, racism, hate…
Comedy god Conan O’Brien probably just Googled ‘Michigan things’ for voter PSA but we don’t mind
The sexiest man in comedy is urging Michiganders to do something really sexy: vote! Conan O’Brien, the porcelain, 6’4” ginger-haired legendary hottie, took to Twitter this week as part of a campaign led by When We All Vote, a nonpartisan voter participation group co-chaired by Michelle Obama and Tom Hanks to encourage Michigan — including…
Halloween is your last chance to tour the creepy Eloise Asylum before it gets redeveloped
Soon, Westland’s long-abandoned Eloise Asylum will be redeveloped — but before then, you have a few more weeks to tour the sprawling, spooky site. The owners are hosting tours through the end of the month. The five-hour “paranormal investigations” are offered every Friday and Saturday, with the last one set for Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31.…
Sen. Gary Peters makes history by opening up about the life-saving abortion his former wife had in the ’80s
As the Senate Judiciary Committee embarks on its second day of confirmation hearings for President Trump’s anti-abortion Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Michigan Senator Gary Peters took an opportunity to open up about his and his first wife’s “gut-wrenching” — and life-saving — abortion. Peters, a Democrat — who is running against Trump’s…
Sen. Peters in virtual tie with James for U.S. Senate seat, new poll shows
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters and his Republican challenger John James are neck-and-neck in a new poll, three months after the Democratic incumbent had enjoyed a 10-point lead. The New York Times/Siena College survey shows Peters leading James 43% to 42% among likely voters. A Detroit Free Press poll found Peters leading James 50% to 40%…
Report: Michigan’s offshoring job losses doubled in recent years
Michigan has experienced substantial trade-related job losses in recent years, according to a new report. U.S. Labor Department data shows Michigan suffered a 211% increase in jobs lost to offshoring between 2017 and 2019 compared with the three years prior. Denise Bailey is a local organizer with the Trade Justice Education Fund, which analyzed the…
Royal Oak’s Emagine Theater will host its previously postponed Juneteenth Film Festival to benefit the United Negro College Fund
The Juneteenth Film Festival is a go… in October? Royal Oak’s Emagine Theater is reviving its plans for a Juneteenth Film Festival now that, as of Oct. 9, movie theaters are legally allowed to reopen amid the pandemic. In June, just a few days ahead of Juneteenth, the Royal Oak-based theater announced a weeklong festival…
Daniel Ellsberg: Trump is an enemy of the Constitution and must be defeated
Daniel Ellsberg is a former Defense and State Department official who faced 115 years in prison for disclosing the Pentagon Papers in 1971. For almost four years, I’ve been very worried — ashamed and dismayed, really — that my country allowed Donald Trump to be president. It’s now of transcendent importance to prevent him from…
Whitmer signs ‘clean slate’ bill to expunge petty marijuana-related offenses from criminal records
Nearly two years after Michigan residents approved the legalization of marijuana, residents convicted of many pot-related crimes now have an opportunity to clear the offenses from their criminal record. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of bills on Monday that provides a fresh start for up to 235,000 Michigan residents with pot-related convictions. Marijuana convictions…
Detroit Pistons owner called to divest from ‘racist’ prison phone company as NBA navigates Black Lives Matter
Last week, the Detroit Prisons’ billionaire owner Tom Gores stepped down from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Board of Trustees following pressure from activists over his investment firm’s ownership of Securus, the largest private prison phone company in the country. Now, activists are urging Gores to either divest from Securus or give up…
COVID-19 ‘herd immunity’ would lead to 30,000 more Michigan deaths, according to health experts
As we enter the eighth month of the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, the concept of “herd immunity” is growing more enticing to some. The idea is that if a sufficiently high proportion of people become immune to the virus, it could stop its spread and we could go on with our normal lives. The concept was…
Michigan slaps $60,000 fine on company responsible for dock collapse along Detroit River
The owner of a collapsed dock that sent contaminated soil into the Detroit River was slapped with $60,000 in fines for violating the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced the fines on Monday as part of a consent agreement with Revere Dock LLC, which…
Whitmer to sign sweeping expungement bills to automatically erase criminal records of hundreds of thousands of residents
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer plans to sign a sweeping package of bipartisan bills on Monday that would automatically expunge criminal records for as many as hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents. The “clean slate” legislation will create more expungement opportunities for people who have gone several years without another conviction. The idea is to make it…
A shrinking, fiercely ideological party is clinging to power no matter the cost
In their 2012 book It’s Even Worse Than It Looks, published before anyone imagined a Trump presidency, the political scientists Norman Ornstein and Thomas E. Mann incisively identified the root of Washington’s dysfunction. Radicalized by talk radio and amplified by social media, congressional Republicans had begun behaving like a parliamentary party: “ideologically polarized, internally unified,…
The 50 most popular songs on Spotify in Detroit that aren’t trending anywhere else
Thanks to its ability to collect data, Spotify has a handle on precisely what music is popular in specific cities around the globe — and which songs aren’t getting listened to anywhere else. The streaming service created an interactive map to let users drill down into ranked playlists that are unique to nearly 1,000 cities…
Former Urban Outfitters exec is helping bring Michigan’s new cannabis industry to life at Skymint
During a recent evening at cannabis company Skymint’s Hazel Park store, there’s a line of young people out the door. A budtender walks us through the store, wearing a denim jacket and crop top with a navel piercing, while indie music plays softly over speakers. Inside, the sales floor is chic yet playful, with a…
Detroit issues COVID-19 restrictions to replace Whitmer’s nullified orders
Detroit’s top health official issued an order Friday requiring masks and limiting gatherings after the Michigan Supreme Court struck down Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency powers last week. The order imposes the same restrictions that were in place statewide. “We’re going to follow the governor’s orders” and “keep the same procedures in place,” Denise Fair, the…
Opinion: Extending Belle Isle Grand Prix to two weekends in 2021 is a violation of a public sanctuary
An ongoing environmental justice issue in Detroit has deepened with the surprise Oct. 1 announcement that Roger Penske’s Belle Isle Grand Prix intends to add a second weekend of auto racing next June. During the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence has mounted that access to nature, especially including bodies of water, is a public…
Whitmer’s family was moved as kidnapping plot moved ‘towards action,’ AG says
State and federal authorities investigating the plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were so alarmed for the potential of violence that she and her family were moved several times for their protection, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Friday. “We were very concerned it was moving towards action,” Nessel said on CBS This Morning of…
Michigan Senate race on track to be most expensive in state’s history
Just how hot is the race for Michigan’s Senate seat? Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and rival Republican John James have reportedly sunk so much money into it that it’s on track to become the most expensive race in Michigan history. According to The Detroit News, the Michigan Campaign Finance Network projects that combined spending on…
Jack White is last-minute ‘SNL’ musical guest after Morgan Wallen booted for partying without a mask
Saturday Night Live found itself in a last-minute scramble to replace this week’s musical guest after its originally booked act, country singer Morgan Wallen, was spotted partying in a bar without a mask earlier this week — a violation of SNL’s strict COVID-19 safety measures implemented when it reopened Studio 8H for live recordings last…
High Profile marijuana dispensary opens in Grand Rapids
Ann Arbor-based cannabis company C3 Industries will open another of its High Profile Boutique Cannabis dispensaries, this time in Grand Rapids. The store will be open to the public on Monday, Oct. 12. It’ll only be open for card-carrying medical marijuana customers first, but says it plans to allow recreational adult-use sales to anyone over…
Whitmer blames Trump and GOP for inciting plot to kidnap her: ‘they are complicit’
In a press conference on Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reprimanded President Donald Trump and Republicans for helping to stoke the discord that led to the jaw-dropping news that the FBI thwarted an alleged plot to kidnap her. “Just last week, the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn…
Alleged FBI-thwarted plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer came after Trump called to ‘LIBERATE MICHIGAN’
Months after President Donald Trump egged on right-wing protesters to “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” in a tweet, six men have been arrested and charged as part of an alleged plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. According to an FBI affidavit revealed on Thursday, the men had allegedly planned to kidnap Whitmer ahead of the November election and…
Lawsuit filed on behalf of Flint children blames big banks for water crisis
A new lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court on behalf of 2,600 children accuses big banks JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo, and Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. of enabling the Flint water crisis by financing a $220 million municipal bond sale to build the Karegnondi Water Authority pipeline, which resulted in lead being leeched into…
Booby-trapped Trump campaign sign injures Oakland County worker; sheriff’s office is investigating
A subcontractor for Oakland County sliced open his fingers when he tried to move improperly placed President Donald Trump campaign signs that were lined with razor blades. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office tells Metro Times it is investigating the booby-trapped sign in Commerce Township after the subcontractor reported receiving deep cuts that required 13 stitches.…
Lantern, a new marijuana delivery service, is now available in Detroit
Marijuana is legal in Michigan, but finding it in Detroit (well, legally) can be difficult. Detroit does not yet allow recreational, adult-use stores yet — City Council says it’s delaying allowing them while it works on a social equity plan to help those harmed by the war on drugs get a leg up in the…
Michigan Republicans’ bullshit claim about absentee ballot box catches attention of attorney general
The Michigan Republican Party falsely suggested Wednesday that ballots may have been stolen from an unlocked drop-off box in Lansing, an easily disputable claim that could land the GOP in trouble. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office tells Metro Times it’s reviewing the matter after state election officials alleged the misinformation was “likely intended to suppress…
Detroit’s Tim Robinson delivers some goofs in star-packed voter PSA by the Postal Service (the band)
Not, cool, dude. Not. Frickin’. Cool. On Tuesday, social media, music outlets, and people who for some reason still think it’s cool to quote Zach Braff’s Garden State were all aflutter because the Postal Service (the band) appeared to be up to something. The beloved early aughts indie supergroup featuring Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben…
Why jazz trumpeter Allen Dennard marches with Detroit Will Breathe
When jazz trumpeter Allen Dennard, 26, started attending the Detroit Will Breathe protests in June, his purpose was to provide music to the protesters’ fight for racial justice. Songs such as “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (The Black National Anthem) and “When the Saints Go Marching In” stimulated the protesters as they marched through the…
Shuttered Gold Cash Gold brings limited-seating brunch pop-up to Detroit’s West Village
Brunch is back, baby. Well, sort of. Though it’s been eight long months since Gold Cash Gold served its final brunch after announcing that the Corktown eatery would be closing its doors, the culinary team has resurrected its brunch service — for a one weekend pop-up with limited seating in West Village. Chefs Hailey Enszer…
Man wanted for pooping in a box, placing it on a shelf at Meijer in Van Buren Township
Police are searching for a man who pooped in an empty cardboard box and placed it on a shelf at a Meijer store in Van Buren Township. Township police tell Metro Times they are still looking for the mystery pooper, who also is accused of shoplifting at the store at 9701 Belleville Road at 4…
Drugged-up, COVID-19-infected Trump calls court ruling a ‘BIG win’ for Michigan
It’s safe to say at this point that President Donald Trump and the Republican Party he leads are objectively pro-COVID. How else to explain what is happening right now? After months of downplaying the coronavirus pandemic — including holding rallies with thousands of mask-less supporters, and even making fun of rival Joe Biden last week…
Michigan bills aim to crack code on dyslexia
It’s estimated that at least 108,000 Michigan children have dyslexia, and there’s a new effort to help these students learn how to “crack the code” and become proficient readers. Four bills have been introduced in the Michigan Senate to better prepare teachers to understand the characteristics of dyslexia, identify it among students and properly intervene.…
Feedback: There is no alternative
Just donated for the survival of the much-needed Metro Times, and goddammit, it ISN’T “Alternative News” — it’s REAL news and features and entertainment coverage that exists NOWHERE ELSE in the metro. Don’t sell yourselves short, that’s VERY annoying. —Craig Reynolds, Detroiter since 1969, former writer for WSU South End (when it WAS The South…
Savage Love: ‘What I’m doing is making me miserable — should I stop?’
I was dumped in August by a guy I was seeing for 10 months. He told me that he wants to work on himself and “needs to be selfish” right now. Since then, we have spoken every day, shared numerous dinners, and gone on hikes. Our friendship is killing me. With him I hold it…
Free Will Astrology (Oct. 7-13)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19 “A person’s best ally is someone who takes care of herself,” says actress Susan Clark. I heartily agree. The people with whom you can cultivate the most resilient bonds and most interesting synergy are those who have a high degree of self-sufficiency — those who take rigorous responsibility for…
Book excerpt: Lessons on racism, not reading, writing, or arithmetic on first day of school
In his new memoir, Enough to Be Dangerous, TV news executive-turned talent agent Mort Meisner shares his own stories, from surviving violent abuse in his Detroit childhood home; experiencing the 1970s sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll scene as a college-age concert promoter for famous performers; then ascending to the upper echelon of big-city newsrooms…
