Daily Detroit News Byte

On a recent episode of this podcast, I went on a brief side rant praising my local Meijer store for accepting plastic bags for recycling and had a minor freak-out over the looming global environmental crisis over our increasingly all-plastic everything. That caught the attention of Joe Munem, a Daily Detroit podcast listener who works as director of government affairs and public relations with GFL Environmental USA, a trash hauler and recycling service. He wrote us to say that municipal recycling programs have some very tough choices to make in the wake of official government actions by the People's Republic of China, halfway around the world. It's so bad, he said, that the city of Westland recently notified residents it has begun landfilling all the recyclable materials people put in their bins. We had Munem drop by the Detroit Shipping Co. studio of Podcast Detroit, for some insight into the looming crisis facing residential recycling programs across the country. It's a fascinating discussion, and you can l

There's a new house in a modest neighborhood of northeast Ferndale, made of shipping containers, that is listing for $450,000. Is Ferndale about to become like Midtown Detroit? Oh, SNAP! Also on today's show, we discuss the new measles case identified in Oakland County, and we speak with Dr. Nicholas Gilpin, an infectious disease specialist and chief medical officer at Beaumont Hospital in Grosse Pointe, for more about the virus. Elsewhere: Michael Bloomberg joins Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in announcing a $10 million grant to combat the opioid epidemic in Michigan. We run down a host of road-construction news, ranging from the I-75 reconstruction project in Oakland County to a slew of projects in Macomb County. The Detroit News uncovers new details about the FBI investigation into Taylor Mayor Rick Sollars. Macomb County Public Works officials have identified two unknown substances fouling the Bear Creek drain near 11 Mile and Mound roads. And Customs officials seized 10 pounds of meth during a search of a car tr

It's March 13, or written another way, 3/13, or #313Day. It's become quite a thing locally on social media. And it's become, in Jer's words, "a meme holiday." Although it's good to spread positivity, it could be a lot better. He's got a different proposal to try and infuse some more action into it. We talk about it on the podcast. There's lots of real news we cover on today's show, as well: Ford is issuing pink slip to salaried workers in Dearborn Fiat Chrysler is recalling some 860,000 vehicles that don't meet federal emissions standards City Airport is getting its main runway replaced, which would seem to put rumors of redevelopment to rest The Foundation Hotel faces a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, now a group of Trump supporters says it's on the wrong end of discrimination by the hotel We circle back to the fact the Masonic Temple inked a deal with AEG Detroit vs. Everybody is teaming up with Adidas for a new line of sneakers and apparel And Anthology Coffee is moving to Eastern Market Thanks f

"Weather and sex are huge factors." That's the, uh, money quote from a Sports Illustrated piece about the best and worst NFL cities as perceived by free agents. Detroit fares poorly, ranking in the bottom five for NFL cities, dinged for its dysfunctional locker room but also because we're seen as having boring nightlife. We discuss. A second white Detroit police officer has lost his job in the wake of the release of a Snapchat video mocking a black motorist. The video showed a 23-year-old woman walking after a traffic stop with captions including "What black girl magic looks like" … and "Celebrating Black History Month." The officers were also heard making disparaging verbal comments in the video. President Trump has released his budget proposal for fiscal 2020, and it once again does not reflect well on the Great Lakes. Trump's budget would slash $270 million in funding from the $300 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, virtually wiping it out. But the proposal doesn't have much chance of passing. We

It's been a looooooooooonnnnnng winter, comrades. So your intrepid Daily Detroit team was intrigued to see a new sign outside the former Palmer Park Golf Course HQ announcing that something called the Detroit Exploration and Nature Center was coming to our favorite local park. On this episode, we stop by the still-nascent nature center and walk deep into the heart of the Detroit wilderness with naturalist Jac Kyle, a recreation instructor with the city of Detroit's Parks and Recreation department. Kyle has been working in Rouge Park, where the city last year resurrected its overnight group camping program at Scout Hollow. She talks about what she and the city are envisioning for programming at Palmer Park, which features a mature hardwood forest book-ended by the former golf course meadows. Palmer Park has a rich history that dates back to the 19th century, and today, it boasts a surprising array of wildlife, from wild turkey and fox to raccoons and opossum. So join us for a little walk in the wintry woods an

Though it's still technically winter, it's never too early to look ahead to springtime. And in Detroit, the pace of restaurant openings is continuing apace. On this episode, Daily Detroit's Man About Town, Devon O'Reilly, joins us to rap about all the latest restaurant news in town. For starters, there's a lot of Detroit-style pizza coming, with Shield's Pizza coming to the Maccabees Building in the Cultural Center, Buddy's headed downtown and newcomer Michigan & Trumbull headed closer to its ancestral home of Corktown from Pittsburgh, according to Eater Detroit. Devon and I also compare tasting notes on Mootz Pizzeria, the newest addition to the Z Garage/Belt Alley, which is serving up New York-style 'za. We also discuss the emerging mini-district between the Shinola Hotel, its new restaurant San Morello, the Element Detroit hotel in the Metropolitan Building, the Brakeman beer hall and Queens Bar. And we head uptown to spend some time discussing what's happening on the Livernois Avenue of Fashion distri

Today we're talking about the skills gap in Metro Detroit when it comes to coding and development.  Our conversation today is with TechElevator's CEO Anthony Hughes. His company has job training centers in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and are opening up right here.  We go over what skillsets are actually in demand (like Java and .NET), what it takes to get a job in these fields, and my skepticism of some training programs.  The interview was recorded at Automation Alley in Troy.  For more information, you can learn more at https://www.techelevator.com/

Happy Hump Day, errrrybody. Today's episode features a series of conversations. There's big news for downtown Detroit's emerging retail shopping scene, as fashionable Swedish retailer H&M is planning to open a store on Woodward Avenue this fall. Daily Detroit's retail maven, Shianne Nocerini, joins Jer to talk about it. Jer then talks with me all about Mayor Mike Duggan's State of the City address last night. I update you on medical marijuana. Dispensaries operating under temporary licenses will now have a hard March 31 deadline to get licensed or face closure. Plus a few other things to know about this industry. Finally, Shi and Jer talk about Empty Bowls Detroit, which is this Friday night at Shed 5 in Eastern Market. The annual event raises money for Cass Community Services. Those two will be serving up hot soup from local restaurants at the event, so if you are there, be sure to stop by and say hi. Find Daily Detroit wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Don't forget to leave us a review on Apple

Governor Gretchen Whitmer today released her first proposed budget before a joint meeting of House and Senate appropriations committee members, and she's targeting investments to three problem areas for Michigan: roads, K-12 schools and contamination threats to drinking water resources. In a nutshell, the governor proposes to raise gasoline taxes in three installments of 15 cents to an extra 45 cents by October 2020. To pay for it, she'd undo some of the tax reforms championed by Gov. Rick Snyder, her predecessor. It's a big pill to swallow, but there can be no doubting that Michigan has racked up a massive bill all these years of kicking the can down the road. On today's show, we also run down some of her other proposals, including boosting funding for K-12 schools and creating a free community college program for Michigan high-school graduates. There's news about a new demolition contract for Joe Louis Arena, with the wrecking ball arriving this spring. A new $30 million skilled-trades training center is pl

On today's show, we have some fun discussing the return of the WLLZ call letters to Detroit's FM airwaves, and by listener request we talk about the elephant in the room, the so-called District Detroit, in the wake of the big story that ran over the weekend in Crain's. First up is a new Patronicity campaign to help restore Hamtramck Stadium, which hosted Detroit's various Negro Leagues baseball teams during the 1930s. Hometown rock star Jack White ponied up $10,000 to jump-start the campaign, which seeks to raise $50,000 to restore the playing field and install signage. Elsewhere: Former Detroit Red Wing and NHL Hall-of-Famer Ted Lindsay has died. In addition to winning four Stanley Cups with Detroit, he played a big role in helping players to form a labor union. Detroit's Wheels is back after IHeartMedia converted 106.7 over to the revered call letters WLLZ, giving it a classic rock format that frankly sounds different than the old classic-rock format of old. The Detroit Economic Development Corp. is looking

Yes, there's a "beach" you'll be able to visit in Detroit through the middle of April. The Beach Detroit is located in 1001 Woodward, and it's a fanciful experience.  Sven and Jer chat with Alex Mustonen of Snarkitecture, the creative group brought in to create the beach.  Snarkitecture is a New York-based collaborative design practice established to investigate the boundaries between disciplines. The name is drawn from Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of The Snark, a poem describing the "impossible voyage of an improbable crew to find an inconceivable creature." In its search for the unknown, Snarkitecture creates work that includes large-scale projects, installations and objects. The worked with the local Library Street Collective to make this project happen.  Time at the beach is free, but tickets are encouraged. You can go to TheBeachDetroit.com to book ahead of time and get more details.  Thanks for listening and don't forget to tell a friend about the show. 

We spent the day at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Detroit Policy Conference. Though we'll be sharing more of the interviews in their entirety in future episodes of the podcast, we asked six different leaders of different kinds what their vision for Detroit is for 2030. Our guests include: Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II IT in the D's Bob Waltenspiel Rush Hasan, Business Development for The Reef, one of Michigan's largest dispensaries Glenn Stevens, Executive Director of MICHAuto Courtney Smith, Founder of the Detroit Phoenix Center Governor Gretchen Whitmer Thanks for listening! Be sure if you like the show to subscribe free wherever fine podcasts are found.

We recorded today's episode at The Rattlesnake, which is joining as a sponsor of your Daily Detroit. We have some more tasty more details on the new Buddy's location in downtown Detroit. Elsewhere, we discuss Campbell Soup Company's planned sale of Ferndale's Garden Fresh to a company based in Quebec, Canada. Co-founder Jack Aronson had bid to buy back his old company, but couldn't seal the deal. We also cover the Big News out of Sterling Heights, that a Target is closing down. How big, you ask? Big enough that the mayor, Michael C. Taylor, issued a statement about it. Two other news bits: Developers opened a new $7.2 million affordable housing in a handsome old multi-unit apartment building in Detroit's North End And Meijer has announced a new program to encourage people to safely discard unused or expired prescription drugs at pharmacy locations We then speak with the Rattlesnake's Executive Chef Jeff Lanctot all about the venerable riverfront institution and its participation in Detroit Restaurant Week,

Another day, another truckbed-full of news in Detroit. Fiat Chrysler made arguably the biggest splash with its announcement that it plans to invest $4.5 billion in five Detroit-area plants and create nearly 6,500 jobs. Central to that is plans to convert the Mack Avenue Engine Complex on Detroit's east side to an assembly plant to build the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee and a yet-to-be-named three-row Jeep SUV. If all goes according to plan, construction could begin by mid-year. Forbes will hold its Under 30 Summit in Detroit for three years, starting this fall State environmental regulators have issued a violation against the Marathon Oil Refinery in Southwest Detroit after residents complained of foul odors The Detroit Public Schools Community District is reclaiming three of its buildings from charter schools, and a fourth from a church, Chalkbeat Detroit reports City Council President Brenda Jones has ordered a draft ordinance that would prohibit the construction of any more bike lanes in Detroit wi

A Hollywood film director makes a giant splash at the Oscar Awards when he says Shinola is "saving Detroit" and the interweb asplodes. We talk about what that ridiculous, off-the-cuff comment means about the city and its nascent comeback. There's a lot more news to be had on today's episode. We also discuss that Medium blog post announcing a new bodega — that's essentially New York City parlance for "party store" — for the hard-hit Russell Woods neighborhood on Detroit's west side. It'll reportedly be part of a larger development, and the post ends with the hashtag, #MakeTheHoodGreatAgain. Also on today's show: Notorious Detroit landlord Dennis Keffalinos has the building that formerly housed El Zocalo on Bagley Avenue in Mexicantown – DetNews The Canadian government aims to waive tolls for cyclists using the Gordie Howe International Bridge – CBC The Fonz is coming to Motor City Comic Con Dearborn gets a nod as one of the top suburban, uh, suburbs in the country in which to eat – Thrillist Detroit City FC w

On a bonus interview episode of Daily Detroit, our guest is Dennis Archer, Jr. He's the owner of Ignition Media, proprietor of the successful Central Kitchen and Bar, and chair of the upcoming Detroit Policy Conference. We talk on a variety of topics around Detroit's comeback and a vision for 2030 for the city and region.  The Daily Detroit team will be at the Detroit Policy Conference on Thursday, February 28, 2019. If you're going, make sure to say hello at our podcast table. If you're interested in going, the speakers and tickets can be found here. http://www.detroitchamber.com/dpc/  

On today's show, Chase Bank makes a $15 million commitment to neighborhood redevelopment efforts in Detroit. The money — $10 million in long-term, low-cost loans, and $5 million in philanthropy — will go through the city's Strategic Neighborhood Fund. Elsewhere, Sven speaks with Wayne State University constitutional law professor Robert Sedler about the lawsuit Michigan and 15 other states filed this week against President Trump. The states argue the president's national emergency declaration over the U.S.-Mexico border wall is unconstitutional. Lastly, Shianne speaks with women's empowerment champion, Laura Khalil, about her upcoming Vocal Self Defense Workshop. The event will be on Wednesday, February 27 at the SheHive in Ferndale.

Detroit's Q*Bert-esque convention center has been named after former Mayor Albert Cobo since it opened in 1960. That's set to change, with today's announcement that the authority that runs Cobo awarded naming rights to Chemical Bank for $1.5 million per year for 22 years. Mayor Mike Duggan has said for years that he thinks the convention center should be renamed, and on today's show, we fill in the why. Jer speaks with local historian and writer Ken Coleman about Cobo's complicated and divisive legacy, and what was behind the decision to rename the building that bears his name. Also: The nonprofit small-business incubator Ponyride is moving out of its Corktown building. And a new study of urban real estate finds that home prices increased faster in Detroit than in any other big city in North America. But there are qualifications. Thanks for listening to Daily Detroit. Like what you're hearing? Tell a friend about us. Or, become part of the show by becoming a Patreon member at patreon.com/dailydetroit.

On today's show, Jer tags along with the Salvation Army's Bed and Bread truck, which delivers 3,800 meals each day to hungry Detroiters. He also speaks with former Detroit radio legend, Dick Purtan, about the upcoming Bed and Bread Club Radiothon, which runs Thursday through Friday on WJR-AM 760. Here's what else is happening around town: A federal corruption probe could be expanding to Taylor, as FBI agents raided the City Hall and homes of Mayor Rick Sollars. There's also a tip line set up at 313.965.4545. GM says it's investing $20 million in its Romulus Powertrain Plant to expand capacity. The American Center of Mobility, a 500-acre-plus test bed for self-driving cars at Willow Run, announced a new CEO. Autorama suffers a setback in its plans to jump a "Smokey and the Bandit" replica car next month over the event's history of using Confederate flags. New legislation could expand a state law banning texting while driving to any use of social media apps. And Bob Seger has added a third night at DTE Energy

On today's show, we break down the top 10 restaurants in Southeast Michigan as determined by users of Open Table for February. Of note: None of them are in the city proper, while one's in Flint and another is in Ann Arbor. Elsewhere, we catch up on the news that Amazon has agreed to invest $700 million in startup electric vehicle company Rivian. We talked about the possibility this would happen on an episode last week, and Jer has some more thoughts about what Amazon's equity stake could mean. Elsewhere: "The Russian Five," the documentary about the legendary Detroit Red Wings that helped the team establish a dynasty in the '90s, is launching next month at theaters across Michigan. Here's where to catch and screening and buy tickets. Star Trek alum George Takei is coming to Motor City Comic Con March 18 and 19. The city of Detroit is hiring for commercial drivers for parks maintenance. The Detroit Optimist Society plans a dual Korean bar-chef's choice sushi counter in a vacant building in Southwest Detroit.