Daily Detroit News Byte

Welcome to Friday, comrades. On today's show, we air an overdue remembrance and tribute to John Thompson, a quintessential Detroiter and giant of a human being who was the original owner of legendary watering hole Honest?John's. (Close observers will note that Thompson passed away last months and we are late to the game. That's true. This segment got lost in the shuffle, and we're a small and often overburdened team. But we still felt strongly that we needed to eulogize him.)  

On today's show, Tom Lawrence, Daily Detroit's resident Downriver Tech Guru and principal of Lawrence Systems, joins Jer to talk about some controversial location-tracking software being used by some local colleges as part of coronavirus safeguards. Tom's always a good listen. Also, the state on Thursday announced a $600 million settlement for civil litigation stemming from the Flint Water Crisis. Most of the money is targeted for minors who were at the most risk from lead contamination. We discuss. And as always, we bring you the latest COVID-19 numbers from the state, and we discuss a new order in Washtenaw County designed to try and curb large public gatherings by college students. Good luck with that! 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.

Happy Hump Day. Today, Jer speaks with Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health Direct Primary Care all about Michigan State University's announcement that it's going 100% virtual instruction this fall and encouraging students to stay home and not move into dorms. It got me thinking about the Twitter thread below, about the difficulties universities face in opting to pull the plug on in-person instruction this fall. Also today, the city of Detroit plans a big memorial day Aug. 31 on Belle Isle to honor the nearly 1,500 residents who died from COVID-19. We offer some sharp words for those who continue to brush off the pandemic as some kind of hoax. Elsewhere, we discuss Bollinger Motors' move from Ferndale to Oak Park. They're the local electric vehicle startup that isn't named Rivian, with two battery-electric off-road vehicles in the works. They're also hiring engineers. Email careers@bollingermotors.com. Also: New affordable housing is coming to Milwaukee Junction in Detroit. Ferndale is starting its new citywide mo

School's about to be back in session, and for many students, the new school year begins from home. That's frankly stressing the hell out of many parents, who must contend with supervising their children's online learning while continuing their own efforts to work from home and manage daily household matters. So to get some ideas on how to cope, we hit up Karen Liska Evans, a friend of the pod and coach who's literally writing a book on working from home with kids. She offers some great tips for how to stay sane. Also, we add a few headlines you should know from around town: The latest COVID-19 numbers from the state of Michigan Newly uncovered wiretap recordings between indicted Detroit City Councilman Gabe Leland and businessman Bob Carmack, courtesy of the Freep (paywall) Influential Detroit developer Eric Means has died at age 48 And we uncover the reason why the Hamtramck Post Office was closed last week Thanks for listening to Daily Detroit. If you like what you're hearing, tell a friend about us, leav

Back from the rolling Pennsylvania highlands, I join Jer again in our daily Starsky and Hutch routine to run down what's happening around town. So what's happening around town, you ask? Well, Macomb County is now driving the bus on coronavirus infections in metro Detroit, yay? The Legislature has approved bills tying funding to public schools' coronavirus efforts, parents in Livonia are protesting against virtual instruction for their kids' school, the MAGA Cruise on Saturday may have spread more COVID-19, and the city of Detroit's moratorium against evictions ended on Saturday. Good times. Also: New protected bike lanes in Rouge Park are nearing completion Ferndale residents are complaining about getting hit with huge increases in their water bills after new meters were installed Fletcher Sharpe joins us to talk Detroit City FC's loss last weekend to Chattanooga FC in its fall season home opener And we discuss what's happening in Belarus, as the government there has cracked down fiercely against protesters

Today on your Daily Detroit, we talk about voting. How to make your voice heard in the context of an election during a pandemic, while dealing with a shaky-at-best, defunded postal service. Plus how to put your shoulder to the wheel as a poll worker to help make democracy go with Laura Khalil. She's someone who has been a poll worker themself so has gone through the process. Here's a link to the map to find your ballot drop-off box in Michigan: https://datastudio.google.com/u/0/reporting/4a9e9f9e-0eb2-47bf-ba2e-b4900ea7f41c/page/WI5bB

On today's Daily Detroit: We gotta catch up on what's happening with Coronavirus in the state. There's a few stories, including a case spike. Plus, planning on an autonomous vehicle corridor from Detroit to Ann Arbor is moving forward. Royal Oak is banning gay conversion therapy. More: https://www.dailytribune.com/news/local/royal-oak-latest-city-to-ban-gay-conversion-therapy/article_6d6b0e5c-dcad-11ea-9a55-f3355ee17458.html And local pizza chains Buddy's and Domino's are hiring like crazy in the pandemic. I'll tell you how to get in on the action. Plus, there's a new Salsa in town from the Aronson family, famous for their salsa. Now that a non-compete clause has expired, a pair of stepbrothers who are the children of the founders and former owners of Garden Fresh Gourmet are stepping up to the plate with a new brand, Missy and Mel's. We give it a socially distanced taste test right here in the North End. Be cool like Brian and become a member of Daily Detroit to support our local journalism and storytelling

A lawsuit seeks to end sales taxes on tampons and feminine products in Michigan. More: https://19thnews.org/2020/08/michigans-tampon-tax-challenged-lawsuit/ People have lost their jobs over the fallout from the phallic cake incident in Macomb County. Will the Coroner be next? A new report asks big questions about the campaign spending of the Wayne County Sheriff. More: https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/wayne-county-sheriff-benny-napoleon-has-been-lavishing-his-campaign-funds-on-pretty-much-everything-except-actually-campaigning/ Many craft distillers in Michigan are on the ropes There's a concerning oil spill in Macomb County Plus… after that lineup, I think I need a hug. Although there's no actual hugs in store for me, at least virtually for us there's the 9th Annual Hug Detroit Day coming up. Erica Owens joins us to talk about it. Website: https://www.hugdetroitday.com/ GoFundMe for school supplies: https://gf.me/u/ynbjpq Live Stream: https://www.facebook.com/Hugdetroitday/ Thanks to our newest member,

Our stories: Amazon is taking over a large part of the state fairgrounds for a new facility and we're getting a new transit center out of it A historic armory on the riverfront has plans for a new lease on life In Roseville, a historic church has begun to come down A Chevy is a surprise as the fastest selling new vehicle in the country And Fletcher Sharpe joins us to talk about the BIG 10 plus what's happening in soccer with local teams Detroit City FC and the Michigan Stars. Remember our new dial-a-podcast voicemail line at 313-789-3211 if you have feedback, and if you like what we're doing and it brings value, your support at http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit is much appreciated.

On today's show, Jefferson Chalmers has a new, community-driven plan to redevelop this historic corner of Detroit's east side. We dive in. Josh Elling of Jefferson East and Derric Scott of the East Jefferson Development Corporation joins us to talk about the master plan that was recently completed. It's a big vision that includes everything from housing to groceries to the Vanity Ballroom. Have a look at that vision here: https://arcg.is/19u5a8 Learn more about Jefferson East, Inc.: https://www.jeffersoneast.org/ EJDevCo: https://www.ejdevco.com/ A couple of quick housekeeping things before we get started here. First, we have a new dial-a-podcast and voicemail service. That's right, you can now call in to leave a message for the show we might play on the air. AND, a new twist. No, this isn't just a voicemail line. You can now call in and listen to the most recent or second most recent episode of the podcast. That way, you don't even need a smartphone to hear the show. Big time thanks to Engineer Randy for wor

We're in the middle of a pandemic. But in many ways, it just exposed the weaknesses within the system we already have. My feature conversation is with Abdul El-Sayed. His views on politics, health, and our nation are a fresh take on what the potential of the country could be. Agree, or disagree with him - I think you're going to want to hear what Abdul has to say. There's a reason this former head of the Detroit Health Department, gubernatorial candidate and now author has been getting national attention on CNN and a ton of other places. Abdul is out with a new book, Healing Politics: A doctor's journey into the heart of our political epidemic. You can get that book here: http://www.healingpoliticsbook.com Then, I'll update you on a few things to know around town: - United Shore was cited for allegedly violating pandemic health rules around masks and distancing - Quicken Loans (or Rocket Companies) is now public with the symbol RKT. However, the IPO didn't go as planned, with less shares sold and a lower init

On today's show, we run down some of the big headlines from the Primary Election on Tuesday, including freshman U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib's Democratic primary challenge, the Oakland County Executive race and some notable results from the prosecutor races in Oakland and Macomb Counties. Plus, we cover a few state House primaries that listeners asked us to keep tabs on. Also, friend of the pod Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health Direct Primary Care joins us to talk the latest in coronavirus in Michigan and the difficulty of reopening schools this fall.

Today on your Primary Election Day edition of your Daily Detroit, don't forget to get out and exercise your freedom to vote, because Democracy hinges on it and also on robust participation. See, the scoundrels don't want you to vote. It helps them slip their unpopular proposals into law. Also, we have a show for you today. We talk about: Michigan's RT level, which measures the spread of the coronavirus, is now below 1, which suggests the spread is slowing in the Mitten, yay. The Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office is a hotbed of racist and sexist behavior, a death examiner claims. Canada still doesn't want Americans to come over. 'MERICA. Evictions loom on a mass scale, and like many things with the coronavirus, black folks and other minorities figure to be disproportionately affected. Lordstown Motors is going public, thanks in part to an investment from General Motors. SMART is weighing extending its Woodward Avenue FAST bus out to Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills. And Fletcher Sharpe joins us to ta

Bill Shea of the Athletic joins us to talk about his piece in the Athletic covering the crowdfunding campaign Detroit City FC is doing, why they're doing it and how legendary Detroit musician Iggy Pop is getting behind the cause.  Bill Shea on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bill_Shea19 The piece on The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/1963172/2020/07/30/iggy-pop-is-leading-a-small-detroit-pro-soccer-clubs-ownership-sale-campaign/ A reminder that Daily Detroit is funded by our members. Join us at http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit or become an underwriter. Feedback welcome at dailydetroit@gmail.com   

Skymint, a Michigan-based cannabis retailer, has opened its newest location in Hazel Park, brightening a forlorn stretch of John R with a gleaming, state-of-the-art weed store that frankly wouldn't look out of place at Somerset Collection or any other upscale mall. We speak with Summer Ransom-Cleveland, the company's president of retail, all about contemporary marijuana retail marketing, and with Joe Neller, chief government affairs officer and co-founder of Green Peak Innovations, Skymint's vertically integrated parent company, about the company's business model and efforts to promote social justice. Staying with the getting-high-in-the-burbs theme, Royal Oak's City Commission has approved an ordinance permitting adult-use recreational marijuana in the city. So while the city of Detroit continues to drag its feet on allowing recreational weed businesses, at least a few suburbs aren't content to wait. (Ferndale now has three dispensaries operating, including two licensed for adult-use recreational.) Lastly, d

The Ford Bronco is back - and it turns out there are some really interesting stories behind it. Former NPR reporter and audio storyteller Sonari Glinton joins us to talk about "Bring Back Bronco." That's our feature conversation Then, I catch up with Sven Gustafson at Wanda Park in Ferndale to catch up on a couple stories you should know, including a suburban mayor who is embroiled in controversy and taking a step back when it comes to reopening. Two way to support us: 1) Free! Vote for us for best News and Politics podcast at the Podcast Awards: https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup/ 2) Become a member! Daily Detroit is people-powered. http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit  

Today's show is in two parts. We'll talk about the unemployment cliff and the PPP bridge to nowhere with Laura Khalil. Then, a Detroit City FC update on the men's and women's teams with Fletcher Sharpe.  Reminder: Support us for best news and politics podcast, there are only a couple days left and it would really help out our little band: https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup/

We've reported several times about the state's plan to rebuild Interstate 375 as a grade-level boulevard complete with bike lanes, sidewalks, streetscaping and new buildable real estate. Now, Crain's reports the plan has been inexplicably iced to at least 2027, unless Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan can convince officials not to delay it. On today's show, we also discuss Ferndale's nifty new drive-through voting initiative, plus Sterling Heights' bid to become the U.S. Space Command, overseeing the newly created Space Force. Also, Blake's Hard Cider in Armada is apologizing after notices spread across the Internet that it was hosting a rally for Lisa McClain, a local Republican running for an open seat in the U.S. House, in support of President Trump and police. The rally was set to feature both former Trump campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski and controversial former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. Blake's is a sponsor of Detroit City FC, whose supporters weren't pleased. That and the latest in coronavirus u

Hamtramck is the most population-dense - and possibly the most ethnically diverse - city in Michigan. But in its history has never passed a bond to support their schools. Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed joins me to talk about why she thinks the time is now, and what could be the oldest functioning elementary school in the state. Plus - You might think that during a pandemic people might stop buying homes. Nationally, that's not the case; and for two local companies that are big in the mortgage industry - Quicken Loans and United Shore - that's good news. Gay Cororaton from the National Association of Raltors joins me to talk about existing home sales and how they're recovering.

Welp. Operation LeGend, the Trump administration's name for sending federal troops to cities to impose law and order that aren't asking for any help, will come to Detroit after all. Sometime in the next three weeks, the latest news has it, heavily armed, camouflaged federal troops will descend on the Motor City. Recall that yesterday, Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James Craig said basically, "Yeah, no thanks, we got this." Should be fun. On today's show, we follow a 2-minute speed round type of format, covering the decision of Warren police to reverse its own earlier decision and arrest the driver of that Amazon delivery van who parked on the wrong side of the street, and who was black. This as the city's police commissioner decries that "crime is out of control," after a shooting at a large gathering in Warren, though he also said crime wasn't that bad in the inner-ring 'burb. Got that? Also: Detroit City Councilman Gabe Leland is expected to plead guilty to corruption charges, per the Freep. That woul