Daily Detroit News Byte

On today's show: Sven and Jer talk about falling sales for the auto industry (including Ford, FCA and GM) and how Ford is making respirators out of repurposed car parts. Also: The most recent official Coronavirus case numbers. Michigan cases continue to rise. A recent survey shows a $491 million dollar hit to the restaurant industry, with 72,000 jobs and more layoffs to come. Amazon workers walk out of a facility in Romulus. National Coney Island is temporarily closing its locations, so no Hanis for you. Meanwhile, AMC Star Southfield is closed for good. Is it just the first local movie theater to not make it through the pandemic? Governor Gretchen Whitmer is working with local and statewide TV stations for a town hall Thursday night at 7 p.m. Find us valuable? Tell a friend! Thanks to Ferndale Radio for sharing us out today. Also, if you can, our Patreon members keep the show free for everyone. Thanks to our newest member, Jeffrey. On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220

It's Tuesday, in the decent chance you need a reminder of what day it is today, and we've got another full episode worth of coronavirus updates. I also speak with Anson Smuts, a senior economist at O'Keefe, a Bloomfield Hills business consultancy, about the historical implications of the massive unemployment filings in the wake of the outbreak. Also on today's show: The state of Michigan reported that the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 climbed above 1,000 for the first time, at 1,117. Ford has announced it will manufacture 50,000 ventilators within 100 days from its Rawsonville components plant near Ypsilanti. Local companies Carhartt and Lear, an auto supplier, are also kicking into gear making badly needed medical equipment. Motor City Comic Con has been postponed, with no make-up date yet released. Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith has resigned after Attorney General Dan Nessel charged him and three associates in an alleged racketeering scheme. The suburban SMART bus system has announced more

On today's show for Monday, March 30, 2020: As of this recording the state numbers for confirmed Coronavirus cases in the state is 6,498 with 184 deaths. The city of Detroit is a major center, with Oakland county's deaths doubling overnight. Field hospitals are being considered for three locations in Oakland County.  On Sunday MIchigan State Representative Isaac Robinson, who served Detroit, died. Coronavirus is the suspected cause of death. He was 43. Updates from Governor Gretchen Whitmer: The Coronavirus is spreading quickly through the prison systems in Michigan, so some non-violent prisoners may be released. The state government is enacting a hiring freeze and is shutting down all non-discretionary spending until further notice. It is expected that conditions in Michigan will get much worse before they get better. We are weeks away from a peak in the number of cases of Coronavirus in Michigan. The economy is continuing to slow down. Monroe based La-Z-Boy Furniture is furloughing 6,800 employees. In natio

On today's show: Matt Roling from Wayne State's Office of Business Innovation joins us to talk about tips to help make sure your business stays afloat or pivots to adapt to the Coronavirus today and the new reality afterward. Plus, we do some top-level updates on what's happening out there locally, as this was the largest spike in new cases in Michigan since the pandemic started and half of the cases statewide are within Wayne County.

The coronavirus pandemic is intensifying in Michigan on multiple fronts. The state reported a jump of 801 new cases, Detroit Police Chief James Craig has now tested positive for COVID-19, and Ford and GM spent much of Friday on the firing lines of President Trump's Twitter feed. Even Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wasn't spared POTUS' wrath. To recap, GM and Ford in the past week have both announced partnerships with medical device manufacturers to help increase production of critically needed ventilators. Experts have said the devices, which help patients who struggle to breathe on their own, are in critically short supply to treat patients with severe coronavirus symptoms. The New York Times reported late Thursday that the Trump adminstration had balked at paying GM and its partner, ventilator maker Ventec Life Systems, and would instead take more time to shop other proposals. So he lambasted both GM and Ford on Friday, urging them to START MAKING VENTILATORS NOW!!!!! and at one point saying, "Always a mess with Mar

On today's show: Guest Angela Rogensues from Playworks Michigan joins us to talk about play-at-home tips while you're cooped up. https://www.playworks.org/michigan/ Also: A ton of local Coronavirus-related updates, including the passing of a law enforcement officers and the possible permanent shuttering of a popular downtown Detroit nightspot. Plus, the city of Detroit is building a large, temporary dam on Detroit's east side as it's expected the river will be even higher this year. More on that in the show. Love what we're doing? Become a member! Join us at http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

On today's show: We update the top-line Coronavirus case numbers across the state. Drive-thru testing is going to start Friday at the State Fairground in Detroit. We have the details on this bold program to test between 40 and 50 people an hour. A second DPD member has died of COVID-19. There's going to be a new testing regimen put in place. Detroit community leader Marlowe Stoudamire has died of COVID-19 at the age of 43. He had no underlying health issues. He left a major impact, and we remember some of it, including a clip from when he was on the show. Ernie Birchmeier from the Michigan Farm Bureau joins us to talk about Michigan's farmers and food supply chain in-depth. It's an interesting and detailed conversation about our true situation. In lighter fare, because we all need some, Castalia Cocktails has new to-go drink cubes that you just add your favorite booze and voila! Fancy cocktail. There are three available right now and Sven talks about his favorite pairings. More: https://www.castaliacocktails.

Dr. Joel Fishbain, an infectious disease specialist with Beaumont, Grosse Pointe, joins the show today and tells us about what's happening on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus. Fishbain tells Daily Detroit that he was initially among those who thought this was simply a version of the common flu. But now he's seeing alarming numbers of people in their 40s and 50s who have to go on ventilators — as well as a phenomenon he called "robust diarrhea." Beaumont has reported 333 confirmed cases in inpatients with COVID-19 across the hospital system as of Tuesday, while the number nearly doubled since Monday to 170 at Henry Ford Health System's five Detroit-area hospitals. Statewide, the tally is now 1,791 confirmed cases, up 35% in a day, and 24 deaths. Both Jer and I now count ourselves among those who know someone who died of coronavirus. This is real, friends. Take it seriously. In non-apocalyptic news, Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed criminal corruption charges against Macomb County Pro

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday issued a stay-at-home order to all Michigan residents, ordering non-essential businesses and workplaces closed and outlawing all public or private gatherings between people who aren't part of the same household. It sounds, and is, extreme, though it's necessary to minimize the worst effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. And if you've already been following best-practice advice, then it frankly isn't a big departure from the new norm. Just don't go out and hoard toilet paper or other essential items, K? The full order is here, if you want to read it. Also, on today's show, we give updated coronavirus numbers from the state. Dr. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, says officials should just call the rest of the school year off, already. And Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says people who stay home and watch TV or play video games are heroes. No, really. Other tidbits: People who get infected with coronavirus are reporting they temporarily lose th

We're doing seven days a week through the COVID-19 crisis. Our featured guest is Dr. Joel Young of the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine. He's a psychiatrist and has tips on how to get through all this mentally. Here's a link to a video with his tips for explaining this all to children that he talks about. But first: - An update on COVID-19 confirmed cases, that now numbers more than 1,000 in Michigan - Bars and restaurants to be closed through April 13 - Oakland County has two new executive orders -Art Van cuts off more than 700 employees abrubtly, leaving them without insurance  - State House Speaker Lee Chatfield has ideas for executive orders. What do you think? Find what we're doing valuable? Tell a friend about the Daily Detroit podcast. 

A socially-distanced version of your Daily Detroit, from Detroit and Sven's basement in Ferndale. First, top-line numbers around COVID-19 in Michigan. There are now 787 cases. Our guest is Charyn Hain. She's here to help make sense of a recent memo that virtual learning will not count as instruction time to the state of Michigan. Also:  Governor Gretchen Whitmer exempts religious gatherings from penalties for breaking her executive order banning get-togethers of 50 or more. GM is working with another country to help increase the production of ventilators, but right not isn't going to get into making them itself. Beaumont has a new COVID-19 symptom checker. https://secure.beaumont.org/covidrisk Ferndale has a ton of things going on to keep people connected and supporting local businesses.  

There are now 549 confirmed cases, according to the state of Michigan at 3 p.m. Friday. That's up 215 cases since yesterday.  Detroit's Police Department is suffering a wave of possible COVID-19 cases.  Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order Friday that puts restrictions on non-essential medical and dental procedures starting tomorrow, Saturday March 21at 5:00 p.m.  The Movement Festival has moved its dates away from Memorial Day weekend. The techno music festival has been moved to September 11-13, 2020. Starting today, Third Man Records will begin offering home delivery, curbside pick-up, and appointment-only shopping.  And finally, Jer speaks with board game designer Nemo Rathwald about some fun ways to pass the time while stuck inside. Here are links to where you can find all of the board games listed.  Onirim  Ticket To Ride Carcassonne Wingspan  Parks King of Tokyo Pandemic Forbidden Island Online options : Ticket To Ride and Board Game Arena And finally, here is the link to Nemo's board ga

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases here in Michigan is now up to 336, with at least three deaths. More labs have come on board to help work through all of the tests coming in.  We have more information on the U.S./Canada border closing that we mentioned on Wednesday's show. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel and Ambassador Bridge could close late Friday or early Saturday morning.  Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi and Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills are shutting their doors for at least 10 days.  SMART (The Suburban Bus system) announced today that there would be a 30% reduction starting on Monday, March 23rd. You can find updated information here.  Broadway in Detroit has cancelled their season through April for shows at the Detroit Opera House and the Music Hall.  The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has cancelled or rescheduled all performances through May 10th.  Ford has announced a new "Built to Lend A Hand' program for new customers.  If you're looking for a job in the

On today's show: The number of COVID-19 Coronavirus cases in Michigan is up to 146, and the first death in the state occurred. 4 out of 5 deaths so far are those 65 and older, according to a new CDC report. GM, Ford and FCA shut the line down over health concerns and what looks to be less demand for vehicles. Governor Gretchen Whitmer is seeing if the state can get ahold of test kits from the World Health Organization. The foreclosure date on properties has been pushed back. Detroit-based Ally Financial announced deferment options for their auto and home loan customers. Will more follow? The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel is closing soon. Take care of your Canadian friends and loved ones. The Somerset Collection is closing in the wake of COVID-19. And, we talk with Eliot Drisner of Beyond Juicery + Eatery. He, along with BMG Media, created the new https://detroitfoodupdates.com/ that tells folks which places are actually open for pickup or delivery around town in real-time. Be sure to check it out and if you own a bu

On today's show, more on what's happening with this extraordinary and still-unfolding situation involving the Coronavirus. The Detroit Department of Transportation had to shut down bus service Tuesday. The good news is service returns at 3am. Governor Gretchen Whitmer finds herself in president trump's twitter crosshairs over coronavirus. Plus, the state will temporarily allow curbside medical marijuana pickup for licensed patients. Snd Sven speak with Dayne Bartsch, the managing partner of Eastern Market Brewing and the new Ferndale Project about what he's doing to try and ride out the disruption of being forced to close down beer and food service. Plus, we want to hear your stories. Email us at dailydetroit - at - gmail.com.

On today's show:  Michigan's bars have been shut down to help blunt the spread of the Coronavirus, along with sit-down service at restaurants and a host of other places. We dive in. Unemployment benefits have been extended to cover more workers. Man about Devon O'Reilly calls in to talk about how he's going to celebrate this St. Patrick's Day. A host of local restaurants have set up GoFundMe pages to support their employees. Business was down as much as 54% in the restaurant industry before the order. There are hours and service changes at Kroger and Meijer to know about. Both DTE Energy and Consumers Energy have programs they're extending for low income and senior customers. SMART, the suburban bus system, goes free starting tomorrow (Tuesday). And finally, Charyn Hain, a partner at Varnum, lawyer, and expert on issues facing school districts and educational institutions, joins us to talk about what's happening with Michigan's schools in the face of the building closures and how districts are dealing with th

On today's episode of the Daily Detroit Podcast for Friday, March 13, 2020. More closures tied to the Coronavirus response, from all of the schools in the state to cultural institutions like the Detroit Institute of Arts. John Hertel, the general manager of SMART (The Suburban Bus system) has resigned - and then ousted by the board - causing an unexpected leadership change. Starting in late March the Michigan Department of Transportation will be working on about nine miles of 8 Mile road. Work is estimated to run through the fall. Ferndale hotspot Imperial will be opening a second location, this time in Detroit. Finally, Sven Gustafson talks with Julie Schneider the Deputy Director of Detroit's Housing and Revitalization Department to talk about the new initiative that will help preserve affordable housing in the city. Like what you're hearing? Support us if you can, so those who can't can keep listening. Become a member. http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

Our guest on the show today is Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health. We deep dive into why there is so much attention and effort being paid to COVID-19 and this Coronavirus compared to other diseases out there in the past. Also, we talk about what we can learn from how other countries responded to mitigate the problem. We also share some other postponements and closures around Metro Detroit. 

On today's episode of your Daily Detroit for Wednesday, March 11, 2020: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that two cases of Covid-19 had been identified in the State of Michigan. We have updated information as of this recording.  Amazon has opened a new brick and mortar store called Amazon 4 Star inside the Somerset Collection. We have the details in a conversation with Amazon's Celeste Donahoe. And finally, Jer and Sven break down Tuesday's Primary election. How did Biden do so well? Was there a Hillary protest vote in 2016? The DIA millage passed with strong margins, and then we go even farther down-ballot. 

Michigan still has no confirmed cases of the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, as we record this. But it's inevitable it will come to our state. And frankly, there's good information out there around it. But there's lots of noise and not a ton of signal. So we turned to some smart people to help us make sense of it all. Today, we do a deep dive on what the dangers are from coronavirus with an infectious disease expert from Beaumont Health, Dr. Matthew Sims, including what you can do for yourself and how to help prevent the spread. Plus, a lot of people are being told to work from home. So we have some practical tips from freelance marketing expert Latasha James, who has been doing it for years. Finally, we dive into what the impact on the economy could be as it stands today.