Daily Detroit News Byte

On today's show: Martha Firestone Ford steps aside as owner of the Detroit Lions, daughter Sheila Ford Hamp takes over. Gyms are reopening Friday, despite what the Governor would want. What are the most American made car brands and automakers? The answers might surprise you. Dr. Paul Thomas joins us to talk about the continued need to stay smartly vigilant about the Coronavirus and wear masks. They also have a new location of Plum Health DPC opening up in Farmington Hills.  Thanks for listening to the show! We're wherever fine podcasts are found: http://www.dailydetroit.com/ And we're member supported: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

For Monday: Local news around town including the latest Coronavirus numbers according to the state. Plus: The New York Times reports that Detroit was a center of Federal aerial surveillance during the protests. More: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/us/politics/george-floyd-protests-surveillance.html You now need a pass to get into Michigan state parks. An update on Shelby Townships' new Chick-Fil-A in progress which township officials want to get done soon. The chain is controversial and popular. More: https://www.macombdaily.com/news/local/work-begins-on-chick-fil-as-hall-road-location/article_ed0d7bcc-b412-11ea-b238-4313643f0561.html Shinola is offering essential workers a cheap stay at their hotel.  And Sandra Clark joins us to talk about the progress of the move of one of Detroit's oldest buildings. It's a home Union General and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant lived in while he served here. It's moving from the State Fairgrounds to Eastern Market.  A reminder that we're people powered. Membership: ht

Our Friday conversation is with former Detroit Police Chief, former Detroit deputy mayor and educator Isiah "Ike" McKinnon. He served decades in the community he loves and has big ideas for what we could do to reimagine what a police department is. Ideas you might not expect to hear out of a former police chief. And some of them might be familiar to you if you have seen the demands of protestors on the streets today. Also, a couple of housekeeping notes. Sven is on vacation next week. And thanks to Emily who joined us as a member at http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

Today: Local headlines from an embattled police Chief in Shelby Township, to Coronavirus updates, Greektown Casino is laying off hundreds, and Oakman Boulevard in the city is getting new green infrastructure. Then we check in with our man about town, Devon O'Reilly, on what's happening in greater downtown Detroit around bars, restaurants and if people are returning to the streets. Finally, Sven Gustafson talks with Tim Hygh of Mackinac Island Tourism about how Coronavirus has impacted the tourist season on Mackinac Island.

On today's show: The Bronco returns with a curious launch date. OJ Simpson's birthday. We talk about a number of places around town opening or reopening. The new Milwaukee Caffe walk up window. Tree Runner Adventure Park (and should there be a zip line place in the city?). Kabuki Korean and Japanese. How restauranteur and TV personality Dave Change likes Jet's Pizza.  The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village are reopening. Also, from our last episode, listeners have a couple of statue suggestions for downtown Detroit. Thanks to our members on Patreon who make this show possible: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

On today's show: A landmark ruling for LGBTQ civil rights started right here in Metro Detroit. It has big implications, but Michigan state law still has huge holes that don't protect gay and transgender people. A metro Detroiter is being imprisoned by the Russian government. The latest on the case of Mark Whelan. Coronavirus cases in Michigan are trending in the right direction, and we have a clearer picture of what's happening in nursing homes. The Christoper Columbus statue in downtown Detroit is being removed after more than a century. Greektown may be getting a new, 16 story development.

We don't cover Ann Arbor all that often on Daily Detroit, but we can't deny that a lot of interesting things come out of Tree Town. Case in point: The City Council recently approved a plan, years in the making, to make the entire city of 120,000 residents go carbon neutral by 2030. That makes Ann Arbor the first city in southeast Michigan to set such an ambitious goal. The plan is called A2Zero, and it revolves around six core strategies, including moving the grid to 100% renewable energy, boosting energy efficiency and reducing the amount of miles driven by residents by 50%. Joining us to talk about it are Mayor Christopher Taylor and Missy Stults, the city's sustainability and innovations manager who put the plan together.  You can read the A2Zero plan here: https://www.a2zero.org/ Thanks to our members who make this show possible, including our newest, Majid! Join them at http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

Welcome to an Al Fresco Friday edition of your Daily Detroit! Very socially distanced and outdoors, but for the first time in weeks, Jer and Sven are in the same place on the air. On today's show: Three key things to know as Detroit reopens, from barbershops to street closures for socially distant dining to DDOT service expanding. The Macomb County prosecutor's office is not going to press charges against an Amazon delivery driver that was arrested this week. Amazon also weighs in and says they would pay for the driver's legal defense. Quicken Loans may go public Oakland County plans to let the Coronavirus emergency declaration expire To Go Booze makes progress in the Michigan legislature Michigan State Parks get a new glamping option Thanks to our newest members on Patreon. Independent funding keeps independent media independent. Join us at http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

On today's podcast: Dashcam and viral video footage show the arrest of an Amazon delivery driver in Warren. Advocates say it was over the line; Police say don't call it a "bad cop" scenario. There's a Federal lawsuit against the city of Sterling Heights about a wrongful arrest after a young black man was placed in a chokehold for loitering while he waited outside his job for his dad to pick him up. Fixing the roads in Michigan? After the projects already funded, it looks like that's not happening due to lack of funds unless there's Federal help. And our feature conversation is with Tatiana Grant of Cultivate MI solutions. She's one of the state's few licensed Cannabis event professionals and is helping navigate what events looks like going forward. It's an insightful conversation. You can find out more about her here.  Thanks to our members on Patreon. You're a big deal and help us cover the stories that matter in Metro Detroit. Join them at http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

Friend of the Daily Detroit podcast Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health joins Jer on today's show to talk all about the health and medical risks of tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets, which it turns out mostly aren't made of rubber. It's a timely topic, given the use of these things by heavy-handed police departments across the country in response to the Black Lives Matter protests. Also, we discuss the cancellation of the 2020 Mackinac Policy Conference, after it was postponed to August, Macomb County setting a possible end date to its emergency declation over the coronavirus, and news about the Detroit City FC women's team and the 2020 season being canceled.  Thanks for listening to Daily Detroit. If you like what you're hearing, tell a friend about us, leave us a review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or support us by becoming a Patreon member.

Donald Trump turns 74 on Sunday, and local supporters of the president plan a boat parade in celebration. No, that's not a joke. Meanwhile, I report on a big Black Lives Matter march that took place in Ferndale over the weekend. The Michigan MAGA Boat Parade is planned to kick off Saturday afternoon at a marina in Harrison Township on Lake St. Clair and wrap up at 4 p.m. near the Ambassador Bridge on the Detroit River. It comes as public opinion polls reflect dismal views of the job the president is doing handling the now-multiple crises roiling America. That was also the backdrop of the protest in Ferndale Saturday, which police estimated drew between 1,500 and 2,000 people. On today's show, we discuss the daily coronavirus figures. There were just 129 new cases in Michigan and 17 fatalities. That brings the confirmed case total to nearly 59,000 and the death total over 5,600. There's new guidance for reopening Detroit's three gambling casinos, but not an opening date. A new poll from the Michigan Education

You might have heard of the Detroit Justice Center and The Bail Project on social media the last week or so. But what do they do? It turns out, quite a lot.  Eric Williams and Erin Keith join us to talk about the changes on the ground their organization is working on. We also tackle the topic of cash bail and its role in American society. https://www.detroitjustice.org/ Then, three things you should know around town. Marches and protests were peaceful over the weekend as police are not enforcing curfews. The 36th District Court is running an amnesty program around fees until July 10th on misdemeanor and civil cases. Plus, bars and restaurants open up today. If you're going, tip your server. Thanks to Dave and SJ for supporting our work: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

On today's show: Haircuts are coming back, and a bunch of stuff is reopening in northern Michigan Michigan's Coronavirus numbers are trending in the right direction The Chief of Police in Shelby Township is in trouble for saying terrible things about protestors under a pseudonym; while a member of their city's board of trustees is worried about the Chief's first amendment rights. Shelby Township is almost 90% white and one of the fastest-growing suburbs. The former president of the UAW, Gary Jones, pleads guilty to embezzlement. MoGo, the bike sharing service, has new pricing. Meanwhile, bike sharing shuts down (temporarily) in Dearborn as their for-profit vendor, Zagster, pulls out. They're looking for a new vendor. Sanders closes four of six company retail stores as it realigns to the new normal focused on experiences and online sales. More details on the shutdown of the Detroit Institute of Music Education. 4,600+ RC helicopter drones from China were seized at the Detroit border for being mislabeled and un

On today's show, we bring you the latest news about ongoing protests in the city and region, and we discuss the ramifications of new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that say unemployment in Detroit proper is at 51% right now, third worst in the nation behind Las Vegas and North Las Vegas. What does this mean for Detroit's much-vaunted "comeback"? Also making waves across Michigan today: The parent company of HopCat, the craft beer-focused restaurant chain, has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It says it intends to open its Michigan HopCat locations on June 13 while it works out a financial restructuring under bankruptcy protection. We also hear from Trevor Staples of the Tony Hawk Foundation about a key funding hurdle in getting a new skatepark built at Chandler Park on Detroit's east side. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has rescinded three coronavirus-related orders, while Oakland County has rescinded its order closing outdoor playgrounds and playground equipment — further good news for those of us with kids!

Our feature stories include a conversation with Wayne State Police Chief Anthony Holt on a new de-escalation training center here in Detroit, plus Eater's Brenna Houck tells us about a popcorn company that's gotten burned thanks to some comments online. But first - Protests have spread in the suburbs. Pools are opening back up around the region. Auto insurance companies are going to have to pay you back some money. A local PTO Treasurer allegedly embezzled an eye-popping amount of cash And finally, we close with some thoughts from Sven about how it seems nothing changes.

Some good news mixed with all the heaviness of late. On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she was rescinding her Safer At Home order and moving the state to Phase 4 of its reopening plan. That will allow bars and restaurants to reopen at half capacity, with social distancing and other safety precautions in place. It also allows for gatherings of up to 100 people, plus many more things we run down for you. We're staying on the fallout of the protests that have rocked Detroit and other U.S. cities in the wake of the death of George Floyd, another unarmed black man who died in police custody. We talk about a weekend of protests and violence in the city, and we hear from City Councilman James Tate. He's the former Deputy Police Chief who says what happened in Minneapolis last month was clearly murder. And he shares some thoughts about what's happened on the streets of Detroit. Finally, we discuss the closures of the Detroit Institute of Music Education, or DIME, and the Midtown location of New Order Coffee;

Today's episode is a step toward providing context and history around the events of the weekend that captured the attention of the nation and Detroit. Historian Ken Coleman joins us to talk about the long history of racial strife in Detroit that goes far beyond 1967, how that relates to the nation, and protesting in the spaces that make an impact. Here's Ken's most recent piece in Michigan Advance, "Use your passion in your backyard. Detroiters got Detroit covered." https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/06/01/ken-coleman-use-your-passion-in-your-backyard-detroiters-got-detroit-covered/ And you can follow Ken on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/HistoryLivesDet and here: https://twitter.com/KenMIAdvance

Today's show is in three acts. First, we'll update you on some quick stories to know around Metro Detroit and the state.  There's a $3B estimated revenue hole in Michigan. A lot of people hope the Feds step in to help, but Jer's not too sure that's going to happen.  The Woodward Dream Cruise is canceled.  Public pools across the three counties are closed indefinitely. Dan Gilbert's Bedrock is doing an interesting deal to keep their retail and restaurant tenants in business. Then, Karen Dybis joins me to talk about how local hotels - businesses that were planning to have a banner year in 2020 before the Coronavirus - are making changes and adjusting. And finally, some of the most well-known brand names in Metro Detroit are what's called -mid-market businesses. And they're at real risk here, falling into the gap between the Paycheck Protection Program and large corporations. Sven Gustafson chats with Christoper Letts, the chairman of the Detroit chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth.  Yes, it sounds su

On today's show, we dive into the news about the bankruptcy filing at car-rental giant Hertz. Analyst Michelle Krebs joins Sven to talk about the impact to the auto industry. And Jer speaks with Eater Detroit editor Brenna Houck about HopCat shutting down its downtown Royal Oak location. There's news about the Detroit Red Wings and the Ford-Wyoming Drive-In movie theater. Plus, we offer the latest updates on COVID-19 numbers from the state and city of Detroit, and more.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer may have urged Michigan residents not to head Up North for the Memorial Day weekend. But the owner of a dock company says the governor's husband asked to put his boat in the water last week before the holiday weekend, explaining that he was the guv's husband. And how Whitmer faces her own boatgate controversy, which is ironic, because some of the first, loud complaints about her emergency stay-at-home order centered on people not being able to put their boats in the water (or play golf, but that's another story). We discuss. Also on today's show: Daily coronavirus numbers from the state of Michigan and city of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick isn't getting an early release from jail. The story was suspect from the beginning. Fred Westbrook Jr., the former head of the DDOT bus driver's union, has died of COVID-19 Great Lakes Crossing Outlets and Twelve Oaks Mall have announced plans to reopen on Thursday with a number of precautions and protocols planned Five mobility projects related to complica