On your Daily Detroit, we learned that owning a tank is apparently legal in Michigan. Should we get one?

Plus, Detroit's the City of the Year, Michigan Central has a new thing, and we open the floor to your ideas for attracting more career-aged and younger people to choose Michigan.

03:45 - Should we get a tank?

07:00 - Detroit is the City of the Year

09:56 - New Thing at Michigan Central

12:08 - How do we get more career-aged people to choose or stay in Michigan?

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Justin Onwenu is a Detroit-born organizer, environmental justice advocate, and attorney who is now running for State Senate in Michigan's newly redrawn District 1, which stretches from neighborhoods on Detroit's west side through downtown and into a number of downriver Metro communities.

He's worked in environmental justice, in labor and minimum wage campaigns, and in economic development at the city level, giving him a rare view that connects workers, small businesses, and neighborhood health.​

In our conversation, we get into why he chose to jump into this insane time in politics, how he thinks Michigan can actually tackle affordability on things like housing, health care, and utilities, and what it looks like to balance development, labor, and the environment instead of pitting them against each other.

We also talk about rebuilding Michigan's economy from the neighborhood up, from transit and schools to small business support… and much more.

Episodes like these are made possible by our members. Join us at DailyDetroit.com/support and help keep the conversation going.

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Today, we're taking you inside the Second Baptist Church of Detroit — the oldest historically Black church in Michigan, a former last stop on the Underground Railroad, and now a hub for human trafficking awareness and free STEAM education for Detroit kids.

I'm joined by Pastor Lawrence Rodgers to talk about nearly 190 years of history, how Greektown is transforming, and what it means to build a beloved community in Detroit right now.

At the start of Black History Month and in a moment when it's tempting to gloss over or sanitize our past (or even preferred, by many) it feels especially important to me to lift up institutions that didn't just witness history, but made it — and are still doing the work right now.

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Devon, Norris, and Jer tackle three topics live at the Detroit Policy Conference. First, we get into lunch spots we like and are disappointed by recently.

Then, there's a proposal to provide transit to all of the cities in Wayne County, as currently a number of communities have no connecting service. We talk about hwo this is the base layer to the cake of transit.

Then, there's some ideas around overhauling the city of Detroit's tax structure, including a possible excise tax in greater downtown to provide more money for the neighborhoods.

Today's show was recorded live at the Detroit Policy Conference put on by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

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The rundown:

02:07 - Michigan's population is growing, we discuss

05:13 - Amazon Fresh fizzles out in Metro Detroit, leaving a number of empty potential storefronts

09:11 - MOCAD is reopening in April after renovation

Feedback as always, dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or leave a voicemail, 313-789-3211.

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Today's conversation is in two parts.

First, we dig into USA Today (formerly Gannett) buying the Detroit News - just a month after a joint operating agreement ended between the two papers and bringing the Detroit Free Press and news under the same ownership umbrella. They say they'll continue as separate publications, but based on the track record of those involved, we have our personal skepticism.

We also get into the precarious state of local news in America.

Then, a personal conversation on the events over the weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We get into the aftermath, the Orwellian nature of it all, how Norris isn't surprised it happened, and the near death of actual conservatism as a political force in America.

Feedback as always, dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or leave a voicemail, 313-789-3211.

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What was Detroit like 10 years ago?

On today's Daily Detroit, inspired by the trend on social media, we're taking a warm walk through a very specific era: Detroit in 2016 and how it stacks up to 2026.​

Jer, Norris, and Devon remember a city that still felt like a secret to everyone else. When it felt like the creative class was driving the narrative, loft parties were happening in half-abandoned buildings, and you could still find a decent apartment for under $1000.

We talk about how that energy shifted as big development showed up faster than expected, squeezing some creatives to the margins.​

You'll hear stories of the stomp‑clap‑hey era, bottomless mimosas and DJ brunches, nights at City Club and the after‑hours scene, plus memories of Great Lakes Coffee, Union Street, Cliff Bell's jazz brunch, and neighborhood classics like Tom's Tavern.

Jer shares the excitement of watching the first QLINE streetcars be delivered, and everyone offers a key 2016 memory that marked a new chapter in their lives.​

Then, a look at what changed, what didn't, and an invitation to share your own 2016 Detroit stories — and what year you want us to time‑capsule next.

Feedback as always - dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com or leave a voicemail 313-789-3211.

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On today's show:

00:28 - Dittrich Furs ran out, but found more furs: Is fur a cultural garb of Detroit?

03:20 -China is about to break into the Canadian car market, that hurts Detroit

11:02 - Michigan canabis market shrinking

14:34 - MAILBAG: Expand People Mover to Grand Boulevard?

Feedback as always - dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com or leave a voicemail 313-789-3211.

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Coming to you from the studio at TechTown after a long weekend, today's show is all about what's happening in Detroit's food and drink world — the good, the bad, and the "wait, that closed already?"

I'm joined by our engineer of both audio and alcohol, Randy Walker, to dig into some big changes at longtime favorites, why some promising spots didn't make it, and where you should actually spend your money right now.

We'll talk rum bars, laptop bans at coffee shops, the future of the Ren Cen, and Randy's first impressions of Medusa in Midtown.

The topics:

Hygrade Deli in Southwest Detroit is in receivership after loan defaults and building issues, putting the longtime corned beef spot's future in doubt.​

We unpack why some well-regarded restaurants like Carajillo in Ferndale close within a year, from price perception to competition and capital.​

Randy talks about how Port in Ferndale shifted from laid-back rum haven to trendier, simpler drinks and how that changed the vibe.... plus where serious rum fans should go now, from Tocororo to Mutiny, and tease a future Daily Detroit happy hour.​

A new Pizza Cat on East Jefferson shows promise for downtown lunches even as the surrounding Jefferson/Ren Cen area struggles.​

We preview Burns Night with Acroyd Scottish Bakery at Urbanrest, complete with haggis, neeps and tatties, bagpipers, and the "stabbing of the haggis."​

Are you for or against laptops at coffeeshops? Roost Detroit's no-laptop policy sparks a bigger conversation about coffee shop etiquette, remote work, and who these spaces are really for.​

We had a "last lunch" at the Ren Cen Burger King and reflect on the eerie, post-pandemic decline of the complex, and how demolishing two Ren Cen towers and opening the site to the riverfront could match reality better than nostalgia.​

And finally, Randy gives a first-look review of Medusa in Midtown, from standout lamb and cocktails to price point, vibe, and whether it's worth a special night out.​

Feedback as always - dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com or leave a voicemail 313-789-3211.

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Today's show is a trifecta where we get Norris, Devon, and Jer all in the studio at once talking local stuff.

Here's the rundown:

01:43 - Shout out to Northern Lights

02:35 - There are some maybe possible Detroit People Mover expansion routes shared with the public. Where would you want to see it go?

11:17 - A fake CEO fools some in the media

19:00 - Responding to listener questions: Where is Gov. Whitmer on hot issues? She seems oddly silent lately.

Feedback as always: dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or 313-789-3211.

Saturday coffee and conversation event: https://www.facebook.com/events/850409107962992

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