A jam-packed show for you today. Comedian, Actor and Impersonator Dave Coulier is returning to his roots and moving back to Metro Detroit. More at Hour here. KMart is closing all but three of their Michigan stores, as an era draws to a close for the once mighty retailer created in Detroit. A new salon called “Hair.” is opening in the Fisher Building. We talk with lead stylist and owner Jenna Drudi. High-end Detroit restaurant staple Cuisine has a new, very blue facade. American Idol is doing aud...
Sep 06, 2019•14 min•Ep. 335
On today’s show: Michigan became the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes. There’s a crackdown on drivers and pedestrians with the goal of lowering pedestrian deaths, with both the cities of Detroit and Warren ranking near the top of the list for fatalities. A $50 million proposed project to revamp the Motown Museum in Detroit took a step closer to becoming reality yesterday, with a $4 million gift from none other than Motown founder Berry Gordy. Dally in the Alley returns this Saturday. Jen...
Sep 05, 2019•11 min•Ep. 334
Large projects like the new Fiat Chrysler America plant on Detroit's east side that are part of Detroit's comeback - and a lot of economic development in Michigan - almost always come with incentives given by the city and the state. But does the math work? Does it make sense? The President of the Center for Economic Accountability, John Mozena, says no. One of the stunning statistics Mozena says is that the city of Detgroit spent more assembling land for FCA than they did on the health departmen...
Sep 04, 2019•22 min•Ep. 333
For your show for August 29, 2019: East Jefferson is getting a new master plan There's a new app to pay for bus rides on DDOT and SMART and soon the QLINE More Tiny Homes are rising in the Dexter-Linwood neighborhood thanks to Cass Community Services. They're doing tours as a fundraiser this weekend: https://casscommunity.org/tinyhomes/ And Fletcher Sharpe joins us to talk about the week ahead for Detroit City FC. Thanks for listening! See you Tuesday as we get back on our regular schedule. Be s...
Aug 30, 2019•17 min•Ep. 332
Welcome to your Daily Detroit for Tuesday, August 27, 2019. Here's what to know today: Up in Marysville, a city council candidate that made national news resigned. Metro Detroit has the largest apartment construction spike in the country, with half the units being in the city of Detroit. $75,000 in high end Scotch as well as $150,000 in building damage was done in a liquor store caper involving an excavator. Former gubernatorial candidate Shri Thanedar is rumored to be looking at a House seat Co...
Aug 27, 2019•7 min•Ep. 331
Today’s episode is all about cars — specifically, about how the law has paved the way for their dominance in our everyday lives and shaping the way we live in fundamental ways. Our guest is Gregory Shill, a Law Professor at the University of Iowa who grew up here in Metro Detroit. Professor Shill recently wrote a piece in the Atlantic headlined, “Americans shouldn’t have to drive, but the law insists on it." https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/car-crashes-arent-always-unavoidable/5...
Aug 23, 2019•17 min•Ep. 330
It’s late summer. Things slow down a bit. Think of this episode as a summer book at the beach before fall hits us with crisp breezes and hectic schedules. Today, we’re going to talk about having meaning in your everyday life. To chat about that is Lynne Golodner. She’s the host of the Make Meaning podcast. A former journalist, Lynne Golodner has dedicated her life to sharing stories about how people find meaning in the mundane. Her podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-make-meaning-...
Aug 22, 2019•19 min•Ep. 329
Oakland County is under new leadership — and Democratic control — after former Ferndale Mayor David Coulter was sworn in Friday as new county executive. Coulter will serve out the remainder of the term of longtime boss and Republican, L. Brooks Patterson, who died Aug. 4 . Coulter is a former member of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners who had been mayor of Ferndale for almost nine years. On this episode, Jer and I talk about Coulter’s track record in Ferndale and what it suggests about ...
Aug 21, 2019•16 min•Ep. 328
Today’s episode hits on three topics. First, journalist Darren Nichols joins us to add context around a racially charged incident in Royal Oak that’s made national headlines. A white woman called police on a black man who looked suspicious. And Royal Oak Police questioned him for 30 minutes outside of a popular restaurant, while a bystander broadcast the thing live on Facebook. We dive into previous incidents in Royal Oak and in Detroit’s history. You may know Darren from his work at the Detroit...
Aug 15, 2019•16 min•Ep. 327
On today's show, we go to the Two Way Inn to talk about celebrating the 198th birthday this weekend of Colonel Philetus Norris. The civil war veteran who fought on the Union side built a place now known as one of the best dive bars in America - the Two Way Inn - and more in a village called Norris. Now, it's the Nortown neighborhood of Detroit, and they're looking to take Philetus's old house and fix it up into something good for the community. It's an interesting story in a corner of town that ...
Aug 14, 2019•15 min•Ep. 326
The eyes of the nation have been on Metro Detroit, as this is where Chaldean Christian Jimmy Al-Daoud was picked up for deportation to Iraq. The 41 year old Oakland County man came to the United States legally as a baby, and as an adult, dealt with health issues like diabetes and schizophrenia. He also had numerous problems with the law, which got him the attention of the Federal Government. A couple months after his deportation, Jimmy died in the city of Najaf. But the story goes deeper, and be...
Aug 13, 2019•26 min•Ep. 325
Our public school system in Detroit has a lot of needs. Not just for the district itself, but as a lot of families don’t have money, a lot of programs that kids in the suburbs just do? Well, they don’t in Detroit. Like travel and fees to robotics competitions, for instance. Often in the suburbs, parents pick that up. In Detroit, often, the families don’t have the money. Here’s some context. The median household income in the city of Detroit is less than $30,000 a year. Statewide, it’s nearly $55...
Aug 12, 2019•16 min•Ep. 324
On today's show for August 9th, 2019: Up in Royal Oak, there may be a new plan for the site of long-time Italian restaurant that recently closed. A local brewing magazine, MIBREW, is ceasing publication after a controversial photo spread. Electric buses are coming to DDOT and SMART. Detroit bike share service MoGo is getting E-Bikes. A Pokemon-themed bar is coming to town. Shianne talks about her trip to the Lobster Pound up in Birmingham. And Jer and Sven Gustafson try the newly released Stroh’...
Aug 09, 2019•14 min•Ep. 323
On today's show: Wahlburgers opens in Royal Oak, Jeff Goldblum descends upon Detroit on a bicycle, Jack White is re-releasing some great stuff, there's a cat film festival coming and Arts Beats and Eats releases their lineup. Also: Sister Mary Jane Herb stopped by the studio to talk about the future of the Marygrove campus after the closure of the college later this year. The plans are big and funded. Fletcher Sharpe and Sven break down what's happening in the land of Detroit City FC ahead of th...
Aug 08, 2019•19 min•Ep. 322
There’s a beer battle brewing in Michigan. Our guest on the show is Dayne Barscht, Managing Director of Eastern Market Brewing to talk about it. They’re leading a petition drive to change state law to make it easier for small breweries in Michigan to self-distribute their beer, without having to go through a distributor. Also, Riopelle Street in Eastern Market is getting redone as a part-time pedestrian street that will be shut down during the evenings to create a space between EMBC and Detroit ...
Aug 07, 2019•24 min•Ep. 321
Today on the show, it's Jer's birthday! dBusiness Editor and Publisher R.J. King joins us at the Podcast Detroit studio to talk about Hantz Woodlands. Created with a lot of controversy during Detroit's bankruptcy, the operation has, well, grown. RJ talks about his cover piece for the July/August issue of dBusiness on newsstands now. Also: Dan Gilbert is sounding alive and recovering from a stroke. Pizza-shaped windows are finally going into the Little Caesars HQ And StockX lost 6.8 million recor...
Aug 06, 2019•14 min•Ep. 320
L. Brooks Patterson, who died Saturday at age 80 at his home in Independence Township, was one of the Detroit area’s most consequential and controversial figures in local politics. To some, he represents the ascendancy of an economic powerhouse, in Oakland County, and the very pinnacle of good governance and fiscal stewardship. But he’s also a key player in the region’s ugly racial divides, through his bitter rivalry with former Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young and his history as an attorney fight...
Aug 05, 2019•34 min•Ep. 319
Detroit's Capitol Park has a long, storied history. And it's seen a lot of transformation the last five years. It also has a special place in my heart as it's a place I traveled often as a kid. My first Hot Wheels set was bought in a store where Prime and Proper is now. My McDonalds? As a kid, it'd be the one that was at State and Shelby streets when my dad went and painted offices. On today's show, we dive in on the history with HistoricDetroit.org's Dan Austin. We take a tour of the recently r...
Aug 03, 2019•16 min•Ep. 318
Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon and the rest of the CNN teevee crew have packed up their new Shinola gifts and “Detroit Vs. Everybody” T-shirts now that the Democratic presidential candidate debates are over. Aside from the economic bumps for the Book Cadillac, Detroit Water Ice and no doubt many swanky downtown eateries, did Detroit learn anything from any of the 20 candidates hoping to end Donald Trump’s presidency after one term? Do we know anything more about how the Democratic fiel...
Aug 01, 2019•20 min•Ep. 317
This week on Daily Detroit, we’re dusting off our politics hats. The Democratic presidential debates are in town at the Fox Theater, after all, and Round 1 took place last night, with the second debate planned for Wednesday evening. Tuesday night’s debate featured front-runners and progressive-wing standard-bearers Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, plus South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. And they showed well. But Jer and I argue that former Grosse Pointe resident and self-help author M...
Jul 31, 2019•18 min•Ep. 316
On today’s Daily Detroit podcast: Brian “Q” Quinn from the TruTV show Impractical Jokers will join us on the line. He’s one of four that make up the comedy troupe The Tenderloins. They’re coming to DTE Energy Music Theatre on August 9th. [ Tickets here ] A schedule change puts the Rocket Mortgage Classic and Grand Prix on the same weekend. A new incentive district is coming to the Livernois-McNichols area in Detroit to spur commercial development. Royal Oak is looking for a city manager [ Royal ...
Jul 30, 2019•14 min•Ep. 315
On today’s show we touch on: Is there a restaurant bubble? Here’s the original piece we discuss that's worth a read. Praise for Peso Excitement over Bowlero, a retro bowling alley coming to Oakland County Grand Circus Park with Bourbon Mudgies has one of the best sandwiches in America. Who else around here deserves a nod?...
Jul 29, 2019•21 min•Ep. 314
Happy Friday. On today’s show, Jer speaks with Detroit muralist Sheefy McFly — he’s the one who was arrested while doing a city-commissioned mural on a Detroit viaduct. He’s got a new mural that will be unveiled this weekend at the Mo Pop music festival on Detroit’s riverfront. We also run down a few news stories from the past week: New affordable housing units are being planned in North Corktown aimed at “middle-income” residents. [ Crain’s ] A shooting at a west-side gas station over stolen po...
Jul 26, 2019•13 min•Ep. 313
Today we take a trip to the near eastside suburb of Grosse Pointe park. There’s a new pizza joint out that way called “The Bricks.” Me, Randy Walker and Shianne Nocerini checked out a preview of this elevated neighborhood spot and had plenty of thoughts. Do they get three thumbs up to give it a shot when they open in August?
Jul 25, 2019•14 min•Ep. 312
Recovery Park works to re-build on vacant land, create jobs and help to revitalize a historic Detroit neighborhood. Unfortunately, they recently went through three thefts at their location on the east side of Detroit. But the community is rallying, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to check in on an organization doing important work – from farming to helping returning citizens get jobs – in Detroit. My guest is Anna Kohn, the Chief Impact Officer of Recovery Park. We talk about their...
Jul 24, 2019•15 min•Ep. 311
On the show today…. On August 6, 2019 there’s going to be a neat event on the Detroit riverfront. It’s called the “Silent Hike.” It’s an audiovisual experience with music, narration and nature. Our guest on the show today to talk about it is creator Murray Hildary. Also on the show: Spirit Plaza in downtown Detroit is going to become a permanent thing, thanks to a 5-4 Detroit City Council vote that reverses a previous decision. After the news, Jer gets into why he thinks the plaza and walkable s...
Jul 23, 2019•12 min•Ep. 310
Today’s show is a two-fer. First, we speak with Randy Essex of the Detroit Free Press. He tells us all about the paper’s investigation into how Ford Motor Company tried to hide defective transmissions in older models of the Focus and Fiesta small cars. The problems have led to many injuries and lawsuits. Then we catch up with soccer correspondent Fletcher Sharpe after Detroit City FC crashed out of the NPSL playoffs Sunday against Cleveland.
Jul 22, 2019•16 min•Ep. 309
Cynthia Canty is a veteran broadcaster who hosts the news, policy and culture program Stateside on Michigan Radio , a NPR affiliate that broadcasts in the Detroit area at 91.7 on the FM dial. She’s been on air a variety of places in Detroit. She spent years as part of Jim Harper’s legendary morning show, following him across the FM dial. Canty also was on television at WKBD-TV. She recently announced plans to retire at the end of the year after four decades in broadcast news in Southeast Michiga...
Jul 19, 2019•37 min•Ep. 308
There’s been a ton of scrutiny, including from this podcast , about the Ilitch family’s failure to follow through on its promises to develop the District Detroit. Now, The Detroit News reports that the Ilitches also own 44 vacant lots and eight empty buildings surrounding the MotorCity Casino Hotel complex, where the family now hopes to build a seven-story parking structure. But ya know, yours truly has been doing some thinking about the whole District Detroit thing, and I may have actually foun...
Jul 18, 2019•26 min•Ep. 307
We previously told you about a project that would overhaul the Livernois streetscape, north of 6 Mile (McNichols) to 8 Mile. But it seems that things, at least for local businesses, aren’t going so well. Jonathan Merritt joins me on the show today to talk about what’s happening on the Avenue of Fashion. He says the project — though he’s excited about what it will bring — is putting many of the businesses in danger of closing, including his own, Narrow Way Cafe. Narrow Way opened in 2017 and has ...
Jul 17, 2019•24 min•Ep. 306
