Daily Detroit

This is your Daily Detroit News Byte for August 9, 2018:

Will she or won't she? That's the question facing Detroit city council president Brenda Jones who has the chance to be a U.S. Congressperson for a couple months.

Bus service in Macomb County may not be out of the woods yet. The narrow 23 vote victory - out of more than 150,000 votes cast - for the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation will probably be recounted after it's certified.

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has sent off a letter that is terse, blunt and not a fan of Detroit's quote comeback that's a quote "Righteous Cause". The letter claims that Detroit CEOs and business leaders are organizing to build up Detroit at the suburbs expense.

It's Thursday, so even though we'll have a Friday show I wanted to go through our City 5 list of events happening this weekend around the city. This week we actually have a couple bonuses, and if you missed anything the list is up on DailyDetroit.com on our City 5.

From the studios of Podcast Detroit in the Cass Corridor, this is your Daily Detroit News Byte recorded on Wednesday, August 8th.

We have primary election results, headlines, and today's deep dive is about P-FAS. The chemical, used in firefighting and a bunch of consumer and industrial applications, has caused a lot of environmental concern. Sven Gustafson talks with MLIVE and Grand Rapids Press reporter Garret Ellison who has been at the forefront of covering the crisis.

Also: We talk election results (including a squeaker when it comes to transit)

The folks behind the Detroit Shipping Company have another project up their sleeves - plus an update on a future burger joint.

General Motors and ExxonMobil have rolled out a new feature for 2017 and newer model Buicks aimed at making buying gas simpler.

Ferndale and Detroit will be getting new public skate parks.

The 10 millionth Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line in Flat Rock.

Belle Isle's trees have seen extensive damage due to a quick but intense storm on Monday.

The Detroit News reports that Detroit is having a very tough time getting landlords to comply with new regulations.

And there's a walking tour on Saturday, August 18th aims to show off the potential - and beauty - of some vacant houses in the Jefferson Chalmers and Riverbend neighborhoods.

Like the Daily Detroit News Byte? Be sure to leave a review, and tell a friend.

This is your August 2, 2018 show.

Our feature interview today is with Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer. As a note, we've now interviewed all three Democratic candidates and you can find their interviews in our podcast feed.

- One of Michigan's most prominent tech companies is the subject of a massive buyout. Tech titan Cisco plans to buy Ann Arbor-based Duo Security for $2.35 billion dollars in cash and assumed equity awards for Duo.

- A Detroit police officer has been suspended after he was caught on video punching a naked woman at Detroit Receiving Hospital.

- The Michigan Catholic newspaper will cease publication after 146 years. In its place, the Archdiocese of Detroit will launch Detroit Catholic, a free digital news website, later in the fall.

- Police in Detroit arrested a man after he attacked two broadcast news trucks early Thursday, smashing the trucks' windshield, hood, driver's-side windows and side mirrors with a bat or baton.

- A multimillionaire towing kingpin will serve 21 months in federal prison after paying bribes to a Macomb County official.

- This weekend is the Belle Isle Art Fair. The two day event will take place next to the Scott Fountain on the south side of Belle Isle. The festival will feature more than 100 juried artists from a variety of artistic mediums.

On our show recorded on August 1, 2018:

- There's a Savor Food and Wine Festival coming to the Detroit Zoo you'll want to check out. HOUR Detroit's Lauren Mohan joins us to talk about the event with all you can eat samples and tastings of beer and whiskey.

- The Michigan Supreme Court has struck down a challenge to a voter referendum to create an independent redistricting commission. The 4-3 ruling means the Voters proposal - Not the Politicians' one - will appear on the statewide November ballot.

- In another high-profile case involving voting, a federal judge has ruled that the Republican-led Legislature intentionally discriminated against African Americans when it passed a law banning straight-ticket voting.

- On Tuesday, the Detroit City Council approved a Development Agreement with Dan Gilbert's Bedrock and Woodborn Partners for a planned mixed-income neighborhood. It'll be built on a former public housing site. We told you a bit about this on a previous episode, but more details have come into focus.

- Gordon Food Service is opening up their first location in the city proper. The wholesale and retail outlet is taking over the old Staples location at Jefferson and Jos Campau.

- The house music festival Charivari is making its return to the Detroit Riverfront, but a week later than usual.

- Turns out Detroit has one of the top five mural festival in the world.

That's it for our show. Thanks to Nuri Gocay for joining us today.

Next week is the primary election in Michigan, and many voters in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties will be weighing the issue of transit. And Sven and Jer weigh in with their opinions.

Janitors that take care of some of Detroit's most iconic buildings - as well as the Detroit Public Schools Community District and Detroit Metro Airport - have signed a contract for a $15 an hour minimum wage.

The Detroit City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to institute a hard cap of 75 medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. They also opted to increase regulations on the industry.

Foreclosures continue to be an issue in the city of Detroit. This month, the American Civil Liberties Union reached a settlement with the city to help homeowners buy back their foreclosed homes for $1,000.

Some restaurant news out of Auburn Hills. Ziggy's Cheesesteaks - a restaurant that bills itself as a "taste of South Philly" - is opening sometime in October.

Downtown Birmingham will soon reopen to vehicle traffic after a massive construction project shut down four blocks for the past four months.

So-fee? So-Feh? So-fay? We're not sure how to pronounce it, but it's what the city of Ferndale is calling Southern Ferndale. And they're inviting you to come out to the first-ever SoFe Livernois Stroll.

On your show recorded on July 30, 2018:

Our feature? At the end of the show, about the 8:52 mark, at the "office" Nuri Gocay, Sven Gustafson, Shianne Nocerini and Jer Staes do a taste test of the new Little Caesars 5 Meat Pizza launched today.

Also:

Residents of Detroit's historic block of West Canfield Street dealt with a 30-inch water main break over the weekend. The break flooded more than a block with water up to the tops of the wheels of some cars and even took out a tree.

We have more details on the proposal to keep the Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle.

Crews have begun demolition of the Belle Isle beach water slide, and the Conservancy is raising money to replace it.

Ford Motor Company says it hit a self-imposed goal of lowering emissions from its car and truck plants eight years ahead of schedule.

Detroit is the nation's second most affordable big city - but be careful about these numbers because Detroit is a unique market.

A long-time Detroit drinking institution is changing hands.

The Detroit Princess is known for cruises, like with that Alexander Zonjic flute guy. But here's something a little different. A Cruise for Culture this weekend will put a skateboarding half-pipe on the Detroit Princess riverboat. Organized by "AsDetroitsOwn," the top deck of the Detroit Princess will have sports, art, and live music this weekend.

And, Detroit's historic St. Anne Parish has applied to become a minor basilica in the Catholic Church.

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Recorded on July 27, 2018:

Our featured guest is Christianne Sims. She's the founder of Detroit City Lacrosse, and she talks about the new program and how it'll impact the youth of Detroit.

Our headlines:

- Signs are pointing to the Grand Prix returning to Belle Isle next year. With the last contract expired, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it wants to move forward on a plan to keep the race at the island park, assuming key issues can be resolved.

- The Swiss hospital that treated him says former Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne had been seriously ill for more than a year before his shocking death earlier this week. That was apparently news not only to Fiat Chrysler shareholders, but to the company itself.

- Looks like work to take down the Fail Jail — the stalled Wayne County Jail at the corner of I-375 and Gratiot — is underway.

- Dockless electric scooters have launched in Detroit. The company is called Bird, and basically you rent the scooters through an app on your phone. This is a pilot program testing their fleet of low-speed, electric scooters, which have already launched in 20 cities.

- A city-owned parking garage in Eastern Market needs about a million dollars in structural repairs before it can re-open.

- Karas Brothers, the popular Greek restaurant, has been sold after more than 38 years in business. The restaurant is located on Harper Avenue in St. Clair Shores.

- The former Indian Village home of a Detroit music legend is for sale. Jack White — and sometimes, his superstar on-and-off-again girlfriend Renee Zellweger — stayed in the home over on Seminole Street.

- And the community comes together to recover the stolen van of a local chef and caterer.

We made it to 100 episodes of sharing what to know and where to go in Metro Detroit. Wheee!

There are a few major development projects in downtown we break down, as well as rising rents.

A woman who had a baby in the Macomb County Jail is suing as guards apparently ignored her pleas to go to the hospital.

The Rosa Parks home is for sale in an auction.

And, Forman Mills is opening in Dearborn.

Happy 317th Birthday, Detroit!

We're having an informal happy hour at our Detroit studio to celebrate 100 episodes Thursday. Link on our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1882753571790877/

Phil Lewis, Front Page editor of the Huffington Post, joins us to talk about Detroit, the influence of the city, and the upcoming National Association of Black Journalists conference in Detroit. http://www.nabjconvention.com/

A lot of ink has been used covering downtown Detroit's comeback, but one group that feels they have been slighted are the janitors working in many of the skyscrapers and large buildings in the city.

In an interesting turn of events, Ford is spinning off a separate company to inhabit that old train station in Corktown. It has created Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC.

Over the weekend, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne was replaced by the board of the company due to quickly-escalating health problems. He had gone into a Swiss hospital for what was expected to be a quick procedure on his right shoulder, but things have quickly spiraled downward.

The old Free Press building is getting an $8 million brownfield incentive package from the Michigan Strategic Fund. The renovation, being done by Dan Gilbert's Bedrock, is now going to have a price tag of almost $79 million.

No more paper tickets at Little Caesars Arena

Dining changes at Detroit Metro Airport

Stroh's has a new Michigan-only beer coming out for the summer. It's called "Spirit Witbier."

This is your Daily Detroit News Byte for July 23, 2018.

Welcome back from the weekend. We hope that it was eventful and dry. Sven is off and in the woods, literally. He'll be back later in the week.

Let's get on with today's show.

• Detroit's Auto Show will be moving to the week of June 8th in 2020
• Metro Detroit's shot for regional transit in 2018 is truly dead
• This week the Michigan State Police will be cracking down on drivers who don't move over when there is an emergency vehicle on the side of the road
• TechTown announces five winners of the Techtown's Retail Boot Camp
• New local television show will give you all of the booze news you can use this August
• The Detroit Community Nike store is now accepting applications for its Nike Community Impact Fund grant program
• It's lobster roll week at Mudgie's this week
• Celebrate Detroit's 317th birthday with free ice cream from Hudsonville Ice Cream
• And Jer sits down with Lisa Stolarski from Antique Touring Company to talk about her new tour company where she takes you on Belle Isle in a 1930s Model A