Daily Detroit

It was a big Election Day here in Michigan, where the much-discussed "blue wave" helped sweep Democrats — all of them women — into the top statewide elected offices. A fourth, Debbie Stabenow, survived a closer-than-expected battle to win re-election to the U.S. Senate. We're devoting today's episode 100 percent to post-election results and analysis. Occasional host and Daily Detroit spirits advis...

Happy Election Day, Detroit!  On today's show, we run down some news about long lines and voting machine hiccups across the region. Reports of long lines are widespread. Elsewhere, Amazon HQ2 is said to be headed to the New York City and Washington D.C. areas as a split second headquarters. That's given critics plenty of fodder, as we discuss. Remember when Detroit and Windsor joined forces to bid...

Welcome to Monday, friends. Here's your Daily Detroit for Nov. 5: The workers strike at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel is over, as the Unite Here union announces a settlement and a new contract.  GM has rolled out e-bikes as part of its focus on mobility and cracking urban mobility markets. But it wants help from the public in coming up with a brand name . Beaumont Health and Universal Health Serv...

On today's edition of your Daily Detroit podcast, the team goes deep on the major statewide races and ballot issues that will appear on next week's Nov. 6 ballot. We're not making newspaper-style "endorsements," just breaking down each race and, yes, divulging who we're voting for. And agree or disagree all you want — just so long as you get out and cast your vote . It's the best way to preserve o...

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 inve...

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 hi...

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 th...

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 pot...

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...

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 teac...

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 m...

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 startin...

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.  -...

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...

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 S...

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 sto...

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 tension...

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 th...

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 wo...

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 indict...

- 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...

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 candidat...

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 stat...

- 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 Depa...

Detroit stories:  Word comes today that the iconic Cadillac brand will again make the Detroit area its home after nearly four years in Manhattan. - Every single large-scale apartment development built in Detroit this year has been a luxury development. -  Turns out that axe throwing and drinking might be a problem. Who knew? - Continuing with the theme of blundering mistakes, the Detroit City Coun...