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Axios Detroit
Duggan's endorsement of council's Waters reveals local alliances
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan endorsed at-large City Council member Mary Waters in her bid for Congress last week.It's the latest sign that U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar's local allies are dwindling.The big picture: Thanedar has won the vote in Detroit in every one of his elections since running for governor in 2018, but has failed to win over the Black political establishment.The district's Black political leaders want to see their own candidate replace the Indian American immigrant who snapped Detroit's 70-year streak of Black representation in Congress.What they're saying: "Our future is in Washington and we need somebody in Congress who...
Michigan Central's restoration stirs memories of Detroit train station
The majestic rebirth of Michigan Central Station has stirred memories of holiday travels, senior trips and childhood awe among those who passed through its grand halls over the decades. The big picture: The train station has been restored to its former glory through a six-year restoration that began when Ford...
Wayne State students arrested during encampment removal
Wayne State student protesters and community members rallying behind them continued their protest outside of a local jail after a dozen encampment occupants were arrested Thursday morning. Driving the news: Campus police began ordering occupants out of their tents around 5am and fully dismantled the Gullen Mall encampment a few...
Wayne State encampment won't leave after classes go remote
Pro-Palestinian student protestors set up an encampment on Wayne State's campus last week and say they won't leave until the school halts investments to war manufacturing companies promoting Israel.Driving the news: The university announced the first week of spring/summer classes will be held remotely due to the presence of an encampment, which school officials say has created "an ongoing public safety issue."State of play: Around two dozen tents were set up inside what protesters called the "Liberated Zone" on Gullen Mall. Community members led some of the occupants in prayer around 9pm Tuesday as rain forced many either inside tents...
Discounted leftover food app comes to Metro Detroit
An app allows users to buy discounted surplus food from Dessert Oasis, Yum Village and other restaurants and cafes in Metro Detroit.The big picture: Too Good to Go, an anti-food-waste company founded in Copenhagen, is expanding in the United States. The company's app allows businesses to list their leftovers as mystery bags, which consumers can buy for around a third of the retail price.Michiganders wasted 2.8 million tons of surplus food in 2022, per data from the nonprofit ReFED. Nationally, food waste makes up 24% of municipal landfill input.How it works: Too Good to Go app users can search for...
Things to do this weekend: May 31-June 2
The calendar turns to June this weekend. How time flies!Here's what's going on:🖼️ Browse vendor tents, dance and eat from food trucks at the Palmer Park Art Fair.Saturday, 10am-7pm, and Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free!🎤 Voices of the Streets concert series returns to the Fox Theatre at 7:30pm Saturday with performances by Moneybagg Yo, Rob49, JT and Detroit's Skilla Baby.Tickets start at $84.🌈 Celebrate Pride month in Ferndale at the state's largest public LGBTQ+ festival, featuring more than 200 vendors and two stage areas.Saturday, 12:30-10pm. Free!🏎️ Watch race cars zoom around downtown at the Detroit Grand Prix.Practice laps and races take place...
Veterinary industry sees post-pandemic hiring challenges
Data: Census Bureau; Chart: Axios VisualsSusan Sayles' veterinary practice is growing amid continued high demand for pet services, though hiring continues to be difficult.The big picture: Nationally, there's an ongoing veterinary industry staffing shortage aggravated by the pandemic pet adoption boom. Two in three households own a pet, per American Pet Products Association data.State of play: In the height of the pandemic, and even after, clinics saw "emotional, frustrated and even aggressive" clients, which led some people to leave the profession, Sayles, owner of Brooklyn Road Veterinary Clinic in Jackson, tells Axios.Many who left were support staff, including vet techs...
A look at Metro Detroit's freelance market
Data: Census Bureau via Fiverr; Note: Analysis includes tax returns for non-employer entities with at least $1,000 in annual receipts; Chart: Axios VisualsWhen it comes to the number of freelance workers, Metro Detroit ranks 17th out of the 30 biggest metro areas with nearly 81,000 people in 2023, according to a new Fiverr report.The big picture: Freelancers account for 4.1% of the U.S. labor force, per the report — and many seem to be finding success, with 43% reporting a revenue bump last year.By the numbers: Metro Detroit freelancers made an estimated average of $37,335 in 2023. Those in creative...
Road closures split Jefferson for Detroit Grand Prix
Road closures will make getting around downtown tricky this week as the city gears up to host the Detroit Grand Prix from Friday through Sunday.Why it matters: The temporary circuit wrapping around West Jefferson Avenue, Atwater, Larned and Congress is back after the IndyCar race made a successful return from Belle Isle to downtown last year.Zoom in: The Chevrolet-branded pedestrian bridge will take Grand Prix attendees over parts of the track that have been constructed. The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel will remain fully open from I-375 but not from Jefferson Avenue or the Lodge freeway.DDOT and SMART buses will operate on their...
Movement festival rides weather delay to huge crowds
Thousands of dancing Movement attendees dealt with weather delays while Sunday pass holders were allowed free entry Monday at this year's annual techno fest.Why it matters: The techno festival is no stranger to rain, but the storms over the weekend that resulted in an evacuation of Hart Plaza on Sunday meant some ticket holders skipped the festival for auxiliary events and day parties sponsored by major brands featuring well-known acts.The intrigue: Wind gusts up to 20 mph forced the festival to evacuate Hart Plaza for nearly four hours Sunday. Attendees returned around 10pm for a set by English singer and...
Spartans football offseason report: Retooling the roster
Michigan State's football program is trying to rebuild itself after former coach Mel Tucker's sudden downfall last year. Why it matters: The Spartans not only have a new coach — Jonathan Smith, from Oregon State — but also a drastically different roster. Dozens of players are transferring in...
Trajan Langdon will be the Pistons' new president of basketball operations
The Pistons will hire New Orleans Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon as the team's president of basketball operations, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.Why it matters: Major changes to organizational leadership could be on the horizon and the ball is in Langdon's court.Between the lines: Despite Monty Williams' six-year, $76 million contract inked one season ago, owner Tom Gores is open to eating the cash if Langdon decides to bring change, according to The Athletic.Same goes for general manager Troy Weaver, who has accumulated solid young pieces, but injuries and the lack of fit resulted in a franchise worst 14–68 record and an NBA record-tying 28-game losing streak. What they're saying: "Presidents generally want their own people in place rather than sticking with the old regime," Free Press Pistons writer Omari Sankofa II tells Axios. "Ownership is comfortable with the possibility of an entirely new front office and coaching staff being in place by October."Catch up quick: The last person within the organization to hold the title of president of basketball operations was former head coach Stan Van Gundy.Since 2018, Ed Stefanski and Weaver have been Detroit's top decision-makers.
Detroit City Council member James Tate opens up about mental health
The city's longest-serving councilperson is opening up about his struggles with anxiety as the health department launches a novel survey to gauge residents' mental health attitudes.Why it matters: City Council President Pro Tem James Tate — first elected in 2009 to represent the northwest side — shared his mental health struggles to encourage residents to complete the health department's anonymous mental health survey.The goal is 5,000 responses to help city leaders identify and fund solutions.What they're saying: "I am someone who has severe anxiety and I've had it for a number of years now," Tate tells Axios Detroit."I was very...
Things to do in Detroit over Movement weekend: May 25-27
For everyone who didn't buy tickets to Movement, you can still get your live music fix without spending hundreds of dollars.Here's where to go to celebrate electronic music's biggest weekend:⛪️ The Congregation has live music on its patio from local DJs Seven Whales, Sapphyree, Sincerely and more from 1-5pm Thursday.🐘 The Elephant Room hosts a free before 10pm pre-Movement party Thursday night from 9pm-2am. Sets by local DJs JMT, Fullbodydurag, Planet Kaia, Milkyway, Dylan Fly and Sincerely. 🎅🏾 The Old Miami is hosting "Techno Christmas" on Friday from 4pm-2am with DJ sets from Sheefy McFly, Nick Speed and others.$10 cover,...
Riverfront nonprofit investigation given to FBI
Michigan State Police handed over its investigation into the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy's finances to the FBI, board chair Matt Cullen said this week.Why it matters: The FBI's involvement comes just a week after the conservancy forwarded financial records to the MSP and asked for a criminal investigation.What they're saying: "The state police have advised us that due to the nature and complexity of the situation they have turned the investigation over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation," Cullen said in a statement Tuesday.Catch up quick: The conservancy recently ordered a forensic audit and sought counsel from the Honigman law firm...
Pride month exhibition brings art to 11 Detroit galleries
A multi-gallery exhibition of local and national LGBTQ+ artists is returning for Pride Month after its debut in 2022.Why it matters: This year's Mighty Real/Queer Detroit is now a biennial exhibition, and curator Patrick Burton tells Axios he wants Detroit to be the "go-to city every two years for queer art."Burton, also a Detroit public school teacher, says the event aims to reflect LGBTQ+ people and their humanity to those outside their communities.It's a timeless effort, Burton says, but queer art is also more relevant in today's political atmosphere with anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the United States.Driving the news:...
New-build homes in Detroit are rare, but that may change soon
New construction of single-family homes is exceedingly rare in Detroit, but a recent project could be an indicator of whether that's about to change.The big picture: Detroit issued only 18 permits for new house construction last year. Among those testing the waters of new-build demand is developer Greatwater Homes, which recently completed three homes in East Village.It has two more nearing completion and plans 18 additional homes in the area.State of play: Mayor Mike Duggan called Greatwater's development "the beginning of a trend over the next couple years … I think you will see more and more people building market-rate...
Michigan football offseason: QB competition heats up
U of M's national title defense this fall will be without many of last year's star players and former coach Jim Harbaugh.The big picture: College football programs across the country are seeing big changes this offseason.Players are changing schools more frequently due to a combination of relaxed transfer rules and their ability to get paid through NIL deals.State of play: The big question in Ann Arbor is who will succeed quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings.The frontrunner is junior Alex Orji, whose mobility is reminiscent of that of Denard Robinson, the Free Press reports.Jack Tuttle, who played at Indiana, brings experience to the QB competition.The latest: The Wolverines tapped into the transfer portal, adding four defensive backs in a three-day span last week, the Detroit News reports.What's next: The season opener against Fresno State is Aug. 31 at 7:30pm at Michigan Stadium.Alcoholic beverages will be on sale inside the stadium.
DCFC wants new Southwest stadium to connect community
Detroit City Football Club wants to demolish an abandoned Southwest hospital for the site of the club's "forever home."Driving the news: The club held an owners meeting at Supergeil in Corktown on Monday to celebrate plans for a new stadium and answer questions from part owners.Detroit City announced last week after Crain's broke the news that the club plans to build a soccer stadium at the site of the abandoned Southwest Detroit Hospital.Catch up quick: The team, founded in 2012, played its matches at Cass Tech before moving to Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck.Executives said bringing a new stadium to Southwest...
What to expect for Movement weekend 2024
Movement, Detroit's annual electronic music festival, is days away and organizers are gearing up for techno music's biggest weekend.Driving the news: More than 115 acts will perform across six stages over Memorial Day weekend. This year's headliners include electronic artist Richie Hawtin, house artist Dom Dolla, dance music legend Fatboy Slim, DJ and producer Solomun and Ludacris.What they're saying: "The festival is one of the longest-running music festivals in the world," festival spokesperson Morin Yousif tells Axios. "The history behind it, the legacy that it carries and the programming is unique to the city and to the music itself.""Detroit is,...
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