Daily Detroit News Byte

This is your Daily Detroit for October 31, 2018. Happy Halloween! A few of the stories on today's show. GM is offering buyouts to 18,000 workers. An update to the ongoing Michigan marijuana saga. Devil's night is no longer a thing in Detroit. Detroit's going to get significantly warmer by 2050. Bill Schuette's campaign might be out of (or low on) cash. The Ballmer Foundation makes their first investment here. HTI Cybernetics expands in Sterling Heights. And Shianne has a tasty preview of a new restaurant in Birmingham that's the talk of the town. Like to show? Don't forget to leave a review in Apple Podcasts.

This is your Daily Detroit recorded on October 30, 2018. On today's show, more than 200 medical marijuana businesses face closure in Michigan. Golden Tate is no longer a Detroit Lion. Brenda Jones wants to be a congressperson for more than a few weeks. Chef Godwin Ihentuge stops by to talk about his upcoming brick and mortar African and Caribbean eatery in Detroit's New Center. Here's a link to his Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yumvillage/yumvillage-launches-brick-and-mortar-in-new-center And media and Public Relations expert Matt Friedman chats with Sven Gustafson about the possibility of a new regional sports network owned by the Ilitch family. http://tannerfriedman.com/ Like the show? Leave a review in Apple Podcasts or even better, tell a friend about the podcast. Thanks to our episode sponsor, Milo Digital. 

From the CityLab Detroit conference, this is your Daily Detroit podcast for October 29, 2018. We have four major components of our show today: First, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. He teased a new universal Pre-K program here at CityLab Detroit. Although we couldn't get him to talk more about that, we did talk to him about the skills gap in Detroit (he says there are only 50-60 licensed plumbers in the city of Detroit) and what he's doing to address it. Sven Gustafson also got into bike lanes with Mayor, who said that "he's designing a city for residents," and not Grosse Pointers who want to speed down Jefferson through it.  Second, Richard Florida. He's a leading voice about urbanism and cities with his daily blog. Florida and Jer talk about what's surprised him about Detroit's progress and what challenges lie ahead. Spoiler? Metro Detroit has to deal with transit and get over the suburban/city divide. Third, Sven talks about what Mary Barra said around autonomous vehicles. One thing? Barra has an eye to the fut

Your Detroit stories: The Ilitch organization is talking about launching its own regional sports network (and we discuss other sportsy news, including soccer in Detroit). First reported here: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2018/10/25/ilitches-weigh-starting-own-sports-tv-network/1756233002/ and then everyone else in Detroit media got more info. Detroit's historic Pewabic pottery studio unveiled its new Maxine and Stuart Frankel Pewabic Tile Studio today. Two Detroit brands that taste great together. That's what the companies behind beloved hometown brands Kar's Nuts and Sanders chocolate are hoping after a deal that sees the two snack makers merge. Columbia Street in downtown Detroit is getting yet another new restaurant. Sahara Restaurant is opening up a 4,500 square foot spot where they will serve Iraqi and Chaldean cuisine. The site of the old village hall on Jos. Campau at Grayling Street is now the location of Hamtramck's first-ever full archeological dig.   Saturday Night Live cast

This is your Daily Detroit for October 24, 2018 from the Podcast Detroit studios at the Detroit Shipping Company. If you're anything like us, then you're a huge fan of PBS, and you also love food. And if you check both of those boxes, then you're probably familiar with our guest on today's podcast. Pati Jinich https://patijinich.com/ is the host of the James Beard Award-winning, Emmy-nominated PBS television series "Pati's Mexican Table," which combines travel to explore the cuisine of her native Mexico and how-to guides of her cooking up delicious recipes. She's also the author of two cookbooks — "Pati's Mexican Table" from 2013 and "Mexican Today," which came out in 2016. Jinich tells Sven she is in Detroit all week as part of a series tracing the evolution of Mexican food in the United States. So far during her trip here, she's sampled Detroit-style pizza at Buddy's, pastries at Mexicantown Bakery, and she goes deep on Detroit Coneys, with a pretty nuanced take on comparing the competing offerings from Laf

Your Daily Detroit podcast sharing what to know and where to go in Detroit recorded on October 23, 2018: The ongoing strike by workers at the Westin Book Cadillac has prompted organizers of the CityLab 2018 conference to relocate to the Marriott at the RenCen. That's a place that striking Book Cadillac employees says pays their workers a living wage. A private company that arranges substitute teachers for more than 100 districts across Michigan has abruptly closed up shop, without warning to school districts. Jer and I say it's another example of the sorry state of public education in Michigan. Personal-injury legal titan Mike Morse is in hot water, accused by State Farm of bribing police officers to give him unofficial accident reports that he can then use to gain clients and run up medical and rehab treatment bills. The Detroit News reports he's also the subject of an investigation by the FBI and a grand jury. Owners of the new Detroit City Fieldhouse cut the ribbon on Monday on the 75,000 square-foot fac

Here's your Daily Detroit podcast recorded in the Paris of the Midwest on Monday Oct. 22: Two Detroit funeral homes are under investigation after police found the remains of fetuses and a dead infant. One of the businesses — Perry Funeral Home — was closed by the state, with its mortuary license revoked. Sven reports to us about his trip from Las Vegas, where Ford briefed dealers on its plans to make 75 percent of its product lineup all-new by 2020 and unleashed the new "Built Ford Proud" ad campaign starring Bryan Cranston, perhaps best known as Walter White from "Breaking Bad." Ford was trying to calm the nerves of a dealer base rattled by criticisms from Wall Street and auto analysts over a lack of clarity on new products and how exactly it intends to turn around its money-losing operations in foreign markets. Across town, General Motors was named No. 1 for gender equity in a new ranking of publicly traded companies by Equileap, which monitors and gathers data on gender equality in companies. GM is led by

Our feature interview today is with Amy Latawiec. She's the founder of a new body positive indoor cycling (or spin) studio on the east side of the city called Rebel Cycle Studio. More: https://www.facebook.com/RebelCycleStudioDetroit/ Our stories: - Officers in the Detroit Police Department are getting raises as part of a new union contract. - The old Joe Louis Arena seats are being sold starting at $50 for the next two weeks. - Auto supplier Lear Corporation has sold a seven-story building in the recently renamed Paradise Valley and Cultural District, which is targeted for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment. - If you catch a Lyft anywhere in Metro Detroit, you'll have the option of rounding up your fare and donating it to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.  - Sven and Jer talk about Greektown, their memories and what maybe should go there upon the news that New Parthenon has been bought by the people who own Pegasus Taverna - In downtown Ferndale, there's word that Bobcat Bonnies will open this weekend.

Your stories for October 17, 2018: - Detroit's riverfront just took another major step forward. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is making a $50 million grant to redevelop West Riverfront Park. - Keeping with the theme, here's a second story about foundations making an impact. The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan announced $20 million in grants to a variety of local organizations.  - During a search for drugs in a house in 2015, Detroit Police officers killed three pet dogs. What has ensued since then has been a legal battle that has been raising questions around pets and property and police power. - Corktown is getting a new MoGo bike sharing station thanks to help from the Ford Motor Company. - Michigan ranks highly for something I'm pretty sure we'd rather not. Our state is in the top ten for states most vulnerable to identity theft & fraud. Nuri Gocay joins us from the IT in the D podcast to share what you can do to protect yourself. Supporting link: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/ -

Big show for you today. Our feature interview is with Steve Gursten. He's an auto law attorney and breaks down the breakdown in Michigan's insurance system. After all, it's the most expensive in the nation to get your car insured in this state.. and the most expensive city is Detroit. You can find him here: https://www.michiganautolaw.com/blog/ Your stories: - Detroit radio legend Mike Clark has died at the age of 63. - Davenport University is moving its Livonia campus to the city of Detroit, and they're doing it in the New Center One Building. - Over the weekend, the Church of Scientology officially opened their Church they had been working on at Griswold and Jefferson. - Kroger is looking to open a new store in the Detroit inner ring suburb of Oak Park. - Quicken Loans is opening a Windsor office. - If you haven't been to Detroit's own Sweetwater Tavern... here's another reason to go. The wings joint at Congress and Brush made Thrillist's list of 21 best chicken wings in America. More: https://www.thrillist

As we hit the fall season, we thought it appropriate to check in with Michele Hodges about Detroit's beloved Belle Isle State Park. She heads the Belle Isle Conservancy, the non-profit devoted to supporting the park. The non-profit is working to keep everything running on Belle Isle State Park, while dealing with the effects of decades of disinvestment and very old buildings. A few of the things Sven Gustafson and Michele talk about include.. what the Conservancy actually does… the price tag for what it would take to properly fix up Belle Isle, as a lot of capital resources are being used to fix emergency repairs.… the new Piet Oudolf garden… if there are plans for the old zoo on the island… and more.

Your show for October 11th, 2018:  Newly released surveillance video contradicts the claims of a white, former Detroit Fire Department lieutenant that he tripped and accidentally discharged a gunshot at a 14-year-old black student who had knocked on his door, seeking directions. Dan Gilbert already wanted to build Detroit's tallest skyscraper on the former site of the J.L. Hudson's department store on Woodward Avenue. The latest site plans, obtained by Crain's, show it getting even taller. Eastland Mall has been purchased! An unexpected bidding war produced a $3.125 million sale price. A report by WXYZ says it took Detroit Police four days to respond to a 9-1-1 call about a domestic abuse emergency. Wasn't improved response times supposed to be one of the department's new crowning achievements? Ann Arbor, Detroit, East Lansing and Ferndale received perfect scores in a ranking of municipal protections and equality measures for LGBT employees that go beyond state laws. Construction work is behind schedule on

Your stories for October 10, 2018: Federal law enforcement officials rounded up more than 120 missing children in Michigan as part of a giant sweep for sex trafficking victims. - The Detroit Tigers will have a new team calling games from the broadcast booth next season. Unsurprisingly, Fox Sports Detroit opted not to renew the contracts of Mario Impemba and Rod Allen after long-simmering tensions between the longtime broadcasters simmered over last month in Chicago. Here's a link to Lynn Henning's Detroit News story about what is believed to have happened. - The historic Belle Isle Aquarium gets a $1.7 million grant, adding to a string of recent good news for the island park. - Ferndale gets a solar-powered, modern bus stop for the SMART FAST bus on Woodward near Nine Mile Road. - There are two new events coming to the Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon race weekend, which runs Oct. 19-21. More information and registration is here. Online registration runs through Oct. 15. - Jer delivers an impassioned

This is your Daily Detroit podcast recorded on October 9, 2018. Our guest for the show is Detroit City Councilman James Tate, to talk about the upcoming "Cash Flash" in Detroit's District 1. Your Detroit stories: - Detroit's getting yet another luxury apartment building, with rents in the $2,500 a month range for 1,000 square feet. And it's going to be designed by a company, ODA, known for what they call their "Tetris-inspired boxy designs that build a sense of community in urban cores." - Ilitch Holdings, the company behind Little Caesars Arena, has made the decision to replace their boldly colored red stadium seats with black seats. Turns out the arena looks rather empty with all of the empty seats… and the red seats make it worse on TV. - Former Detroit City Councilwoman Sharon McPhail has been fired from her post leading a struggling charter school on the city's west side, but she's refusing to leave. - It looks like the permanent fix for the bad water situation in Detroit's public schools will be provide

On the Daily Detroit Podcast today: - Flex N Gate opens on the east side of Detroit, hiring 50% Detroit residents into jobs. Looking for a job yourself? Here's a link to job training at Detroit At Work. - We hit the streets to talk to folks on both sides at a strike at one of Detroit's iconic hotels, the Westin Book Cadillac, owned by Marriott. At issue? Wages, of course. But also the idea that workers shouldn't have to work two jobs to afford to live in the city. - One of the Detroit area's most infamous motels is being shopped as a redevelopment opportunity. The Motorama Motel on Eight Mile Road at Woodward in Ferndale is for sale, and we have the purchase price. - Southfield has joined the ranks of Detroit-area cities to celebrate the holiday instead as Indigenous Peoples Day. - Detroit's Palmer Park is getting some badly needed new tennis courts. Crews recently demolished the old courts, which sit along Woodward Avenue between McNichols and Seven Mile Roads and have hosted a popular youth Tennis Academy f

Our feature interview is with Detroit artist Olayami Dabls about his new exhibit in the Fisher Building lobby that examines the Civil Rights era. Everard Findlay, the exhibit's curator, also joins Sven Gustafson. Your stories: The long and storied history of Detroit politicians getting in trouble with the law gets another chapter today. Detroit city councilman Gabe Leland has been federally indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and two counts of bribery. - The Michigan Strategic Fund has awarded performance-based grants for five business expansion projects in metro Detroit worth a combined $33.5 million in investment and 444 new jobs... including one for a company owned by Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson - We have a beer roundup.Royal Oak-based Roak Brewing is planning to acquire Traverse City's Right Brain Brewing Company. Up in Oxford, HomeGrown Brewing Company says it's started a new canning line. Detroit's own Atwater Brewery has release a new brown ale called First Brown ale. Brew Detroit

- The rollout of Detroit's new ConnecTen bus program has hit some bumps in the road. Signage held up with masking tape, confused riders, and the state of the State Fair Transit Center signage was a mess. Jer looked into it and the city now promises action. - In a piece of late-breaking news as we record this podcast, the Detroit News reports that a campaign staffer for City Councilman Gabe Leland was charged in federal court Wednesday with joining a conspiracy to bribe an unnamed politician with thousands of dollars in cash and other valuable items. - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer is proposing to set up a state-run reinsurance program and raise the age to buy tobacco to 21 as part of her newly released health care plan. - The current Enbridge Line 5 pipeline that runs, in part, under the Straits of Mackinac, will be shut down and the petroleum pipeline re-routed into a new protective, multi-use tunnel. - Buddy's Pizza… one of the pantheon of Detroit pizza parlors… is opening a location i

Your stories: - A battle is intensifying between Mayor Mike Duggan, Attorney General Bill Schuette and lawyers representing automobile accident victims. - In a national story that impacts many people here in Metro Detroit, Amazon is raising the minimum wage of all of its workers in the United States to $15. - In a story that was developing as we recorded today's show, former gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed and expected future U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib were among at least 18 people arrested during a rally in Midtown Detroit this afternoon. - Jemele Hill, a national journalist from Detroit, has found a new gig after leaving ESPN. She's going to the Atlantic. - The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle will see some changes in 2019. Most notably, access to the famous Scott Fountain will now be available for racegoers. - For those out in the suburbs of Oakland county, here's a fun thing to do on on Thursday evening. It's called Ladies Night Out and it's in downtown Milford. - Lovers of cheese

Your stories: - President Trump is celebrating a deal over a revised North American trade deal with Canada and Mexico as returning the U.S. to a "manufacturing powerhouse." - Monday was the first day of a new work requirement for recipients of food stamps. About 67,000 recipients of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program who are considered able-bodied received a letter from the state informing them they have three months to find a job or lose those benefits. - The timeline for the Gordie Howe International Bridge is now clear. The new international span between the United States and Canada over the Detroit River aims to open in 2024. - A major law firm is announcing its plans to move to a satellite office in downtown Detroit. Warner Norcross + Judd will open a new office in the District Detroit on Woodward Avenue between Little Caesars Arena and the new Mike Ilitch School of Business. The firm will be the sole tenant of the building's third floor, occupying about 30,000 square feet. - A new ana

- The weeks-long lockout of unionize road-construction workers and a group of contractors has come to a temporary end, meaning long-stalled road projects should finally recommence. - The school year is less than a month old, but parents and students at a Detroit charter high school learned Wednesday that their school will abruptly close next week. Sven has some opinions. - The Detroit Police Department will begin handling more vehicle towing on its own. Jer has some opinions. - There's a new state law aimed at protecting bicyclists from passing vehicles. - The Fort Street Galley food hall in downtown Detroit has announced the four chef teams and food vendors that will fill out the space when it makes its expected opening in November. - On Saturday, a park honoring a civil rights activist will officially open in Detroit. Viola Liuzzo, a Detroiter and mother of five, was shot and killed in March 1965 as she and fellow civil rights activists returned from a rally in Montgomery, Alabama. The City of Detroit dedic