Daily Detroit

Detroit Police Chief James Craig retires, and word is he's eyeing running for Michigan Governor as a Republican. But there's a hard reality that the violent crime rate in the city of Detroit is just about where he found it in 2014, even if we take out the pandemic. We discuss it and the Chief's answer that the November 2020 election result was a "political" question and so he won't address it until after he retires June 1st. Plus - Ford's Headquarters in Dearborn, the "Glass House," has a new look. We quickly touch on what's happening. More background, you should read here: https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2021/05/10/ford-world-headquarters-dearborn-projection-screen/4997250001/ And finally, the old Newsboy Shelter on Belle Isle has been demolished. There wasn't much donation support for fundraising and rehabbing it would be cost-prohibitive vs. building new. We get into a discussion about Belle Isle needing a ton more money for it to operate properly, especially as the island is in large part was man made; and before then, it was basically swamp-like and is always dealing with erosion from the Detroit River. Picture: https://www.facebook.com/HistoricDetroit/posts/4874465425953507 Support out show: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today's show is driven by a listener question we've gotten a lot over the last couple of months. Can employers mandate their employees get vaccines? Should they? And then we talk about what some businesses are actually doing. Our guest for this is Terry Bonnette. He's co-managing partner at Nemeth Law and is an expert on labor and employment counseling and litigation. In his career, he's dealt with contract compliance and regulatory compliance issues, including, FMLA, Wage and Hour, the American with Disabilities Act and more. He's eligible to practice throughout Michigan, Northern Ohio, and all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. So I feel like we got our guy to help us be a bit smarter about what's ahead. Terry at Nemeth Law: https://www.nemethlawpc.com/attorneys-8.html Support our show: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

On today's show, Fletcher Sharpe joins us to talk about Detroit City FC's win over the Maryland Bobcats and his thoughts on the Detroit Lions draft picks. That starts at 04:47 Also, if you don't know what a nutmeg is: https://twitter.com/SaintFDW/status/1389600381374767118 Also on the show: 00:20 Latest on the pandemic as vaccinations statewide hit 50%, Ford Field wraps up their mass clinic in two weeks, and cases drop (but are still high). 01:44 Gabe Leland is a Detroit City Councilman no more, pleading guilty to misconduct in office. 02:52 A failed housing development is being demolished. More: https://farmingtonvoice.com/farmington-hills-to-demolish-abandoned-development/ 03:26 Engineer Randy says hit JoeBar if you want to enjoy Cinco De Mayo tomorrow: https://www.facebook.com/TheDailyDetroit/posts/1660456260805003 04:09 Keegan-Michael Key is hosting SNL May 15. Support our work: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit Share the show with a friend: http://www.dailydetroit.com/podcast

The global silicon chip shortage has made computers and graphics cards more expensive and harder to find. But so many popular products are driven by chips, including automobiles. There are lots full of pickup trucks and other high-value vehicles sitting missing a few parts, unable to be sold until they get some key parts. And that's not good for our local economy or the workers that rely on it. Gabrielle Coppola from Bloomberg joins the podcast to unpack what's going on, how long this will last, and some of the impacts we've already seen. Between troubles for buyers getting the car they want at the dealer, laid off workers because of shortage, or suppliers feeling the pinch as automakers will not make as many cars as they could sell this quarter - this global event has a very real local impact. Gabrielle Coppola on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gablova On Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/APKMi7fRJDs/gabrielle-coppola Support our show and tell a friend! Or join Rebecca as a new member: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

It's now spring so it's a great time to catch up on what's happening with Detroit's growing greenway infrastructure. Detroit Greenways Coalition Executive Director Todd Scott says that it's a "milestone year" for new construction projects and shovels in the ground. We talk about the Joe Louis Greenway, the Southwest Greenway, a possible rebuilding of Jefferson Avenue on Detroit's east side to coincide with work happening underground with the sewage system, how the pandemic has impacted greenway usage and more. Detroit Greenways Coalition website: https://detroitgreenways.org/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/DetroitGreenway On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DetroitGreenways

Today's show features a conversation with Bob Schwartz of the Here to Help Foundation. They've provided or helped with 1,100 cars for working people in Wayne and Oakland counties. More: https://www.heretohelpfoundation.org/activek/home Plus, stories around town: 00:32 - Ford announced a new battery research and development facility called Ford Ion Park. It'll be in Allen Park. 01:41 - If a lawsuit is successful in getting an injunction, Detroit's new medical marijuana licenses may be put on pause. 03:15 - COVID-19 updates including falling cases, vaccination rates, a new way the city of Detroit is teaming up with Pistons for a family vaccine day. Plus, our decision to switch from talking about a percentage for "herd immunity" to "community protection" going forward. 05:30 - Flower Day has some changes this year. There will not be one day, but a "Flower Season." More at https://easternmarket.org/public/ And the artist KayCeyKal, who did the poster and a section of it is our cover art today: https://www.instagram.com/kaceykal/ 06:19 - Conversation with Bob Schwartz of the Here to Help Foundation. They've provided 1100 cars to people who have jobs but need better transportation. Support us: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

It's Friday funday at the podcast and we run down stories around town as well as our favorite donuts. 01:11 - Devon and Jer share their drinks and their vaccine side-effect experiences 05:27 - Downtown Detroit bars and restaurants are real slow compared to before the pandemic. Will that increase as more people get vaccinated and go out? 06:33 - Local election season is heating up across the region. We talk about it for a bit, including quickly the slew of mayoral candidates. There will be more on all that in future shows. 08:56 - Local furniture maker Floyd raises $15 million in a series B round 11:56 - The metro Detroit real estate market is very hot, with people buying nearly half-million dollar houses without inspections and more. Here's the MLive article we discuss: https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/04/unprecedented-housing-market-leaves-realtors-stunned-never-seen-anything-like-this.html 15:07 - The "Big Salad," a local salad chain, is expanding in Michigan. We discuss. https://www.restaurantnews.com/michigans-the-big-salad-expanding-with-3-new-restaurants-042121/ 17:38 - Donut talk. Of course, we pay homage to Dutch Girl; but what other good options are in the region? We discuss the newish Yellow Light on Jefferson in Detroit; the retro Donutville in Dearborn; and Donut Cutter in Berkley. Which donuts reign supreme? We'd love to hear from you. [email protected] or leave a message with our Speakpipe. https://www.speakpipe.com/DailyDetroit Also thanks to our episode sponsor, Fusion Marketing. http://www.tryfusionmarketing.com

Could we lower the city of Detroit's property tax rates - they are among the highest in the nation - while not gutting services? This would be a benefit for long-time Detroit residents who face very high property tax burdens and might be a longer term fix than the one-time forgiveness provided through a charitable program from Dan Gilbert's foundation. Also, it could stimulate more individual investment to make the city make more fiscal sense and help attract back the middle class, which Detroit has mostly lost. It's also something that wouldn't go first to billionaire and millionaire developers that live outside the city, but residents who live in their homes. To talk about this idea is Stephen J.K. Walters. He's the author of a piece in City Journal, "Detroit's Black Wealth Tax: To help close the racial wealth gap, slash Detroit's confiscatory property tax rate." Also, a bit of housekeeping. The Detroit City Council and mayoral races are heating up. A number of incumbents, including Andre Spivey, Raquel Castenda-Lopez, Brenda Jones and Gabe Leland aren't running, setting the table for the most change in city government in years. If you have questions you'd like asked of candidates or are a candidate running for office, email us - [email protected] Support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today's show is focused on Detroit City FC and the sport in general. First, Fletcher Sharpe runs down a pair of games last week as DCFC kicks off their season. Then we discuss the Super League briefing which leads into another topic - NISA. And how Detroit City FC really needs NISA to work, and what NISA could do to step up their game.

Triage tents are going up at local hospitals. Beaumont reports that their facilities across the region are 90 to 95% occupied, and rising. The volume of patients there is higher than last fall. There are a number of individual hospitals that are over capacity. They're overwhelmed with unvaccinated adults who are on the verge of dying. Plus, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was paused for review. So what does that mean? And what's next? To help sort this unfolding crisis out and make us smarter, Dr. Paul Thomas from Plum Health Direct Primary Care joins us. Follow Dr. Thomas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlumHealthDPC Plum Health Direct Primary Care: http://www.plumhealthdpc.com Support our work on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

For our feature conversation, Potato chip expert, author and journalist Karen Dybis joins us to talk about the passing of the prince of chips. You might know him as Better Made CEO, Salvatore "Sam" Cipriano. But first, some news. 00:29 - Coronavirus update, including stunningly high case positivity rates across the region and in the city of Detroit. 02:25 - Facial recognition technology used to identify suspects in Detroit is in the news again, this time as the ACLU is suing on behalf of a wrongly arrested man. 05:12 - Detroit's casino revenues are rebounding 06:07 - Lithia Motors has closed on the acquisition of the Suburban Collection. 06:58 - Our feature conversation with Karen Dybis on the passing of Salvatore "Sam" Cipriano. Karen is in our opinion Detroit's foremost potato chip historian and author of "Better Made in Michigan: The Salty Story of Detroit's Best Chip" Book: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Made-Michigan-Detroits-American/dp/162619985X/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=karen+dybis&qid=1618447372&sr=8-4 Follow Karen on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/karendybis Support our work on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today, Fletcher Sharpe is in the co-pilot seat. 00:18 - Fan favorite forward Max Todd returns to Detroit City FC. 00:44 - U of M's Mike Smith said he's going pro. What are his prospects? 03:55 - Why isn't Pistons Legend Ben Wallace a Hall Of Famer yet? More: https://theathletic.com/2511074/2021/04/12/ben-wallace-qa-on-hall-of-fame-isaiah-stewart-state-of-the-pistons/ 09:50 - Tigers talk: Akil Baddoo, Miguel Cabrera 16:00 - Fletcher partakes in Ramadan and has good wishes for people Follow Fletch: http://www.twitter.com/SaintFDW Support our work: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today's show is in two parts. News in the front, and a feature conversation in the back. Albert Kahn and his brothers left an immense architectural and design legacy for Detroit and the world. To help connect fans of Albert Kahn's work and tell the Kahn story, the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation was started. Pfannes joins us to talk about it. Plus: 00:49 - A COVID-19 update as the CDC says the way to stop this current spike is to shut the state back down. It's putting two allies - Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and President Joe Biden's administration - at odds. Whitmer doesn't seem to want to shut back down. 04:24 - Ford will have a third major brand. Bronco retail stores are coming. Tweet with link to the story and pictures: https://twitter.com/mikemartinez_an/status/1381215717056516097?s=12 05:32 - Feature conversation with Heidi Pfannes on the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation. More: http://albertkahnlegacy.org/ Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today was a far busier day than anticipated. Let's get into the stories: 01:03 - Michigan's COVID situation continues to worsen, and some hospitals are overwhelmed. Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced no new restrictions, but strongly encouraged people to distance, take a pause on in-person learning, and more. 05:49 - StockX raises more money, putting their value at $3.8 Billion. 07:00 - GM is shutting down a couple more plants due to chip shortages. This is part of a North American automaker shortage which is impacting Stellantis and Ford. 07:52 - What are the most dangerous stretches of road in Metro Detroit? Which ones bother you? Send in a voicemail at 313-789-3211 or leave a message on Speakpipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/DailyDetroit 09:23 - A pair of popular restaurants have been sold in Ferndale. 10:11 - Our feature story on the Lake Guardian. The 180-foot long EPA research vessel is on a mission to study our great lakes, keep an eye on the lower food web that underpins our ecosystem, and discover new species. There are 26 crew members here, and to talk about it, one of them - Dr. Anne Scoffield. I'll be sure to put some pictures up on the website. Thanks to Jennifer who joined us as a member: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit Don't forget to tell a friend about the podcast! We'll see you Monday.

Devon O'Reilly is in for his weekly segment. Today, we cover a lot. 01:00 - COVID-19, of course. Hospital officials at the University of Michigan are shutting down surgical procedures to allow space for COVID patients as are others in the area. And they're doing this without a government mandate, as hospitals have live in reality and there's only so many beds, drugs and staff. 06:24 - The "Godfather of Detroit," Ray Solomon Jr. has died. 07:41 - Chef Matt Prentice has died at age 62. 09:04 - All of the eco-homes in Midtown have sold at north of $500,000 each. We discuss, here's more: http://www.detourdetroiter.com/ecohomes-detroit-midtown-sold-fast/ 12:54 - Metro Detroit has a speeding problem. We talk about Warren and the Detroit/Hamtramck border. 16:10 - Northville is looking for a city councilmember to fill an eight-month term 16:59 - Free WiFi is coming to downtown Detroit parks including Campus Martius, Capitol Park, and more. 18:44 - The Workforce Intelligence Network has a new training program for skills to get people to work. 100 free slots are available. 21:56 - Devon warms people up to Daxton Hotel in Birmingham. Something to keep an eye on.

Today: 00:43 - Jer thinks there's a problem with framing when it comes to a recent set of stories locally and nationally at a number of outlets about 246 people getting COVID-19 after being vaccinated. He argues that leading with that number and not putting the context of 1.7 million people vaccinated up at the top plays on fear and helps spur misinformation. 03:00 - COVID-19 cases continue to rage. We're in an "extreme" situation according to COVIDACTNOW in Metro Detroit. We run through the data and the stories as 3,000 people are hospitalized and we had more than 8,000 cases Wednesday. 04:56 - The all-electric Chevy Silverado and Hummer EV are being built right here in Detroit. 05:45 - Housing affordability has worsened in the United States and in Metro Detroit. Detroit area rents are up significantly since February 2020, more than 5% per month. National demand for Detroit is increasing and now, according to Zumper, a top five destination for people looking to move to. 06:48 - A local state lawmaker may be in legal hot water after a crash Tuesday 07:50 - How to score some American Coney Island Vans shoes

Fletcher Sharpe is back! On the show: 00:35 Fletch talks COVID and his experience 09:40 University of Michigan Men's basketball recap and Isaiah Livers has at least six months of recovery 12:04 U of M's Women's basketball recap and what happened 13:05 Opening Day and Miggy won one fan a bunch of money 13:42 Detroit City FC has a statewide live match schedule and it's going to be on TV and YouTube: https://www.detcityfc.com/news_article/show/1156187 16:48 Previewing the Legends Cup in Chattanooga and their first match against the Cal United Strikers 18:04 Fletcher Sharpe has his thoughts on MLB moving the All Star Game and Draft from Atlanta 21:10 A shout out to Benjamin J. Tallerico, Fletcher's former professor at Wayne State. He lost a three-year battle with cancer on March 23. Follow Fletch on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SaintFDW Our brand new website: http://www.dailydetroit.com (thanks Engineer Randy!) Support us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Today's show with Matt Friedman of Tanner Friedman covers three big topics: One - if you turned on the Tigers opening day, you might have noticed a name change and some new graphics as Fox Sports Detroit is now Bally Sports Detroit. We untangle what's happening. Here's Matt's post about it: https://tannerfriedman.com/blog/confusing-tv-channel-name-change-explained/ Two - A marketing stunt with Volkswagen went sour when company public relations people confirmed that there was a new name - Voltswagen. Turns out, the german company says it's "all a joke," but not until it was widely reported in major news outlets. What's the impact? Three - There's a lot of talk about transparency out in the world. But in reality, that usually doesn't happen. And that's not restricted to one political side or another. And we get into it. More: https://tannerfriedman.com/blog/cut-the-b-s-about-transparency/ Thanks to Tom who upped his support and Judy who joined us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

It's a fun Friday highlighting a show from Metro Detroit, "Alive 2021: A Daft Punk Podcast." It's part celebratory wake, part music history and part camaraderie and memories about the French House duo. A trio from the Planet Ant Music Theater put together the ongoing series: Andy Reid, Devin Rosni and Darren Shelton and they join Jer to talk about their project. More about Alive 2021 - their website with links to all the places to subscribe in your favorite podcast apps: http://alive2021.com/ More about our podcast sponsor, Fusion Marketing. Make sure you tell John hi: https://tryfusionmarketing.com/ We're mostly funded by our Patreon members. Join us here: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit Also, leave us a review or follow us free on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220563942?mt=2

Jer gets a vaccine shot and shares his unofficial tips for fellow city residents and those that work in the city for getting your shot there. If you are a city resident or work in the city and want to get a vaccine, please call 313-230-0505. If you're in the region, check out this Twitter thread from friend of the pod Ken Haddad over at ClickOnDetroit: https://twitter.com/KenHaddad Producer Shianne has an announcement of her own you're not going to want to miss! Plus, an aperitif topic talking about Joe Louis Arena and how great the space looks now that' it's open (if only for a little while) near the riverfront. If you weren't around from a decade ago, here's a link from 2011 about the issues with old Joe: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/733207-detroit-red-wings-why-joe-louis-arena-needs-to-be-buried

The pandemic situation isn't good. Hospitalizations, something experts had hoped would not jump? They are, but this time among people 30-49 of age. In fact, COVID-19 hospitalizations have basically doubled in a week. ICU admittance is up. So we're doing a deep dive podcast on what's happening with coronavirus in metro Detroit and Michigan. To set the table, according to COVID ACT NOW, the Detroit metro area is averaging nearly 63 new cases per hundred thousand people per day. Experts say that's a very dangerous level. The positive test rate is 14.5 percent. And that's despite nearly a quarter of the region receiving their first dose of the vaccine. The spread of the virus is not slowing down yet. That infection rate that you want below 1 - is at 1.3. Wayne and Oakland counties, over 50 cases per 100k per day. Macomb county is racing to 90 cases per 100k. St. Clair? Nearly 120. We are a day or two away from our highest level of covid ever and it's running rampant through our community. And it's time to talk about it. Why this is happening. Why it's important for everyone that vaccinations happen quickly to keep mutant strains at bay. And more. So joining me for the conversation is Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health Direct Primary Care. Links we talk about: "In The Bubble" podcast w/ Dr. Bob & NYU's Arthur Caplan - https://omny.fm/shows/in-the-bubble-with-andy-slavitt/toolkit-will-i-need-a-vaccine-passport#description Marielle Lue from Fox 2 News is fighting COVID, "I can't breathe" - https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/03/fox-2-detroit-anchor-maurielle-lue-describes-her-terrifying-covid-battle-i-literally-cant-breathe.html Miami Heat to open seats for vaccinated-only fans April 1 - https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31123421/miami-heat-open-vaccinated-only-sections-fans-april-1 Also, vaccinations in the city of Detroit are *open* for any residents or those who work in the city 16 and up. Call 313-230-0505 to book an appointment. More: https://detroitmi.gov/news/all-detroiters-age-16-can-now-schedule-vaccination-city-offer-johnson-johnson-nw-activities-center

Our deep-dive conversation is with Brian Mulloy. He's doing small-scale development in the city of Detroit through his Ballet Real Estate, but with a focus on building restoration and urban spaces. His transformation of a building at Bagley and Trumbull (and subsequent development of a property few thought could be built on it behind it) has not only has caught attention for its looks — but the amount of hassle he had to go through to get it done. So how can Detroit support smaller developers? How can the city infill neighborhoods instead of building giant, block-sized developments? How has the advent of the "Motor City" emptied the city of Detroit? We get into that and more.

00:40 - Coronavirus is roaring back in Metro Detroit. Cases are skyrocketing, and unfortunately, hospitalizations are up too. Sewage testing in Macomb County shows that we may very well have more cases ahead. We get into what's happening, as well as run down vaccine expansions in Detroit and the possibility of some districts moving back to remote learning as test positivity rates exceed 9%. 02:40 - The old warehouse with the Boblo Boat sign will be demolished as part of a bigger deal. More: https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/moroun-family-and-port-authority-end-master-agreement-boblo-building-to-be-demolished/ 03:20 - Road improvements are coming as part of massive $3.5 billion bonding issue. We cover some top level things over the next couple of years, but here's the map to dig in yourself: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3aebfdf9166a47c9ac53caed4b106e04 04:55 - The University of Michigan beat LSU to make it to the Sweet 16. We were going to talk about it with Fletcher, but he's come down with COVID-19. So instead, we'll have the conversation we recorded before the game covering the Pistons, a proposal to rename Brush Street after Matt Stafford, and what Detroit City FC is up to.

Listener favorite Steve Friess from Hour Detroit is back on the pod! Today, we're talking about: His big piece on Governor Gretchen Whitmer: https://www.hourdetroit.com/political-topics/the-surreal-life-of-gretchen-whitmer/ Local political predictions, including Detroit Police Chief James Craig's possibly precarious position depending on how the year unfolds: https://www.hourdetroit.com/political-topics/2021-political-predictions-questions-answered-whitmer-duggan-michigan/ And what's happening politically, in general. Don't forget we do this show weekdaily and is in all your favorite podcast apps. If you'd like, there's two ways to support the show: 1) Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220563942?mt=2 2) Become a member at Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

A big question out there for a lot of people has been as we're getting vaccinations out and there's some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel is - how will I return to work? And what will that look like? Major employers in the area usually set the tone as the benefits and structures they offer influence others. One of those, of course, is Ford. The Dearborn-based automaker announced Wednesday their return to work plans for its office workers. Remember the concept of hybrid cars? Well, now, it's hybrid work models. More than half of the 86,000 global Ford employees who have not returned in person yet will this summer. But the office will look different than they left, and where they work will change. It'll also impact the kinds of buildings and structures Ford uses going forward. To unpack what that looks like, Jennifer Kolstad, the global design director of Ford Motor Company's built environments, joins me to talk about it.

Although there has been a loosening of restrictions like dining capacity and gatherings between households, not only is COVID-19 not at bay but we're experiencing a new outbreak in Metro Detroit. Statewide, daily cases are increasing and new regional data from COVID ACT NOW shows that we're near the same spike levels that we saw in the Spring of 2020. COVIDACTNOW, Screenshot of Metro Detroit data from 3/17/21 This is a problem as although there is some progress with vaccination, we don't have anywhere close to herd immunity. Plus, we discuss the report that a large group of people won't take the vaccine – including nearly half of Trump voters and enough portions of some demographics that it'd prevent group immunity. Some areas, like Macomb county, are now exceeding 33 cases per 100k per day.What's driving this and what's next? Dr. Paul Thomas from Plum Health Direct Primary Care joins us. He also talks about ways to build trust when it comes to the vaccine. Support our work: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

In the last few years, it seems as if prices for property in Detroit and Metro Detroit have gone up. It seems like just yesterday there were stories of houses for a dollar; but now, it's gone pretty far in the other direction, with downtown penthouses listing for $3.2 million, and million-dollar condos in historic hotels. But why? Well, it turns out Detroit is still affordable for buyers around the nation and, at least according to Eric Walstrom of @properties, an influx of people from around the nation moving to Detroit. And that's changing the market in Detroit. So we get into the real estate business side of this conversation on this episode.

On today's show: 00:27 The State of the City address in Detroit was Tuesday night. Let's do a run through of the highlights. 02:26 The bandshell at the Michigan State Fairgrounds will be saved. 03:04 District 7 City Councilmember Gabe Leland was arraigned on a misconduct in office charge. 04:18 40 Hague is accepting residents. The apartment building was designed by Albert Kahn and was a Packard showroom. More on Urbanize: https://urbanize.city/detroit/post/newly-renovated-40-hague-ready-residents-north-end 05:10 The Detroit Bus Company finds a new home on Detroit's west side. 06:15 The city of Livonia is adding social workers to their Police Department. More: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/livonia/2021/03/08/an-incredible-step-forward-livonia-adds-social-workers-police-force/4634468001/ 06:56 Restaurant openings and closings - Lager House and Union Street are opening back up; Peso is gone, Toma is coming. 08:14 What's happening around 313 Day around town - that's this Saturday, March 13. Support: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

Fletcher Sharpe (@saintfdw) is here to talk sports: 00:41 Blake Griffin is heading to New York to play for the Nets 04:06 The Detroit Lions are considering trading back up quarterback Chase Daniel 06:34 U of M Men's Basketball clinches the Number 1 seed for the Big Ten tournament 08:16 Michigan State Big Ten Tournament predictions 10:35 Detroit City FC has added another youth league to its roster Support us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

It's time for a pandemic update with Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Direct Primary Care. Questions we get into: The recent flap around COVID-19 vaccines and the city of Detroit. We discuss Moderna, Pfizer and J&J. First the city of Detroit wasn't going to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and now they are after the mayor walks back comments and publishes an op ed (read here). Listener questions about taking the vaccine if pregnant (of course, with all of this, talk to your doctor, this is for education purposes only). How to process the new CDC guidelines for vaccinated people. And, Plum Health DPC has a new bi-lingual doctor. Dr. Leslie Rabaut speaks Spanish and English. There are less than 100 primary care doctors serving 650,000+ people in the city of Detroit, and very few speak Spanish. Plus, a couple things you should know: District 7 Detroit City Councilman Gabe Leland is not running for re-election. And it's a battle of mortgage behemoths at either end of Woodward: United Wholesale Mortgage has issued an ultimatum for brokers to not work with Rocket Mortgage. We quickly get into it. Support our work: http://www.patreon.com/dailydetroit

On today's show, Jer and Devon run through stories around metro Detroit. Plus, Engineer Randy makes a special appearance. 00:31 - Pandemic update, including a discussion on bars and restaurants reopening to 50%. 06:50 - Cannabis news, including municipalities getting $28,000 per recreational dispensary and a lawsuit that's come up questioning the city of Detroit's "Legacy Detroiter" licensure program. More background to read: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2021/03/03/detroit-recreational-marijuana-shops-licensing-rules-challenged-lawsuit/6898978002/ 12:06 - Ferndale is getting drinking districts along 9 Mile on either side of Woodward. Ferndalian Engineer Randy Walker pops up in to share more details and we discuss drinking districts in general. 19:03 - Hygrade Deli is for sale after nearly a half-century of service. More background: https://detourdetroiter.com/southwest-detroit-institution-hygrade-deli-is-up-for-sale/ 20:34 - What makes for a good Irish bar? It goes way past some Shamrocks, as well as some favorites around town. Thanks to our underwriters: Fusion Marketing - https://tryfusionmarketing.com/ Our Patreon members - https://www.patreon.com/DailyDetroit

In a previous episode of the podcast, we talked about how metro Detroit's economy is diversifying. But the ways we get around town? We've been stuck in the same mode for a lifetime. And that's almost completely being dependent and investing only in the car. A recent piece in Planetizen talks about how we might, as a region, build a culture of transit. After all, even automakers themselves are embracing ways to get around that aren't single-person owned vehicles. And maybe it's time our policies matched up? Joining me to talk about it is Dave Gifford. He runs Transit Guide Detroit and is an advocate for transit in southeast Michigan. He's the author of this piece: https://www.planetizen.com/features/112361-cultivating-culture-transit