The director of a Flint-based chemical company is facing a slew of felony and misdemeanor charges after an alleged failure to maintain critical systems resulted in the discharge of 15,000 gallons of an oil-chemical mixture into the Flint River in 2022. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the arrest and arraignment of Rajinder Singh Minhas, 60, of Rochester, who served as president, treasurer, and director of Lockhart Chemical Company.

Mayor Mike Duggan continues to distance himself from allegations that his office oversaw the destruction of critical prosecutorial files during his tenure as Wayne County prosecutor, despite mounting evidence and growing calls for accountability. The controversy stems from accusations that Duggan, who served as prosecutor from 2001 to 2004, presided over the purge of records now deemed essential by families of incarcerated individuals seeking to prove their innocence.

In a hall where weddings, christenings, and eulogies have taken place were now remnants of chaos. Even blood could be spotted in the aftermath of an unlikely event at the Gaelic League of Detroit Irish American Club in the same room where a children’s Irish dance class was scheduled the next day.

The parents of two Black middle school students in Portage have filed a federal lawsuit against the district, alleging their children endured relentless racial harassment from peers and a school bus driver, while administrators failed to take meaningful action to address the behavior. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court last week, contends the Portage Public School District fostered an environment where racial harassment is pervasive and largely unaddressed. The children were so ruthlessly mocked that their parents, Adam and Nakia Baylis, removed them from Portage West Middle School, according to the lawsuit.

Pro-Palestinian students and alumni filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Michigan on Friday, alleging the school violated their constitutional rights to free speech, due process, and equal protection by silencing them. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, claims the university engaged in a pattern of targeting pro-Palestine protesters with retaliatory disciplinary actions.

Democrats appear to have reneged on a pledge to pass legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain a driver’s license, drawing strong criticism from supporters of the bills. Instead of taking up the Drive SAFE bills this week, the Democratic-led House is planning to adjourn for the year.

The Damage Zone, Detroit’s first and only rage room, has opened its doors in the Bethune community, offering customers a space to safely release stress and emotions through controlled destruction. The facility, founded by Zienethe “Zina” Holifield, combines entertainment with stress relief and community impact, making it a unique addition to Detroit’s small business landscape.

A Yemeni American Muslim man who alleges he was wrongfully terminated following years of discrimination at U.S. Steel’s Great Lakes Works (GLW) plant in Ecorse will have his day in court, after a federal judge denied the company’s attempt to dismiss the case. The lawsuit, filed in 2022 by the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) on behalf of Jalal Muflihi, accuses U.S. Steel of allowing a hostile work environment and retaliating against Muflihi after he complained about harassment and unequal treatment based on his national origin and religion.

The Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld criminal charges against two right-wing operatives accused of orchestrating a voter suppression robocall campaign targeting Black voters in Detroit during the 2020 election. The court affirmed a lower court’s decision to deny Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl’s motion to quash the charges on Friday, finding sufficient evidence that their robocall was intentionally false, related to voting procedures, and designed to deter voter participation.

It’s hard not to be cynical about this shit. Yet again, obscenely wealthy corporations and billionaires are banging their little tin cups on the pavement, seeking handouts.

The Temple Bar, the iconic watering hole in the old Cass Corridor that partially collapsed and was forced to close last May is scheduled to reopen Tuesday at 1 p.m. The nearly 100-year-old bar passed its final state inspection Friday, and regulators have released its liquor license from escrow, says owner George Boukas.

The City of Detroit has selected local artist Austen Brantley to design a new statue honoring sports legend Joe Louis. The sculpture, titled "Outside the Ring," will commemorate Louis’s trailblazing contributions to golf and will be placed along the Joe Louis Greenway. The unveiling is scheduled for August 2025, marking the anniversary of the first Joe Louis Open Golf Tournament.

The leader of a non-denominational church that incorporates the use of cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms filed a lawsuit against the City of Detroit’s top lawyer on Tuesday, alleging defamation over statements he made to Metro Times, as well as religious discrimination and civil rights violations. The suit comes in the wake of controversial statements made by Detroit Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett Jr. in a Metro Times article published on Dec. 3.

With any “Top 10” list, there’s a natural tendency to look first at number one, and neither I nor Project Censored would discourage you from doing that, when it comes to their annual list of the top censored stories of the year. This year, the top story is about workplace deaths and injuries — with striking racial disparities, particularly for much-maligned foreign-born workers. Injury rates for Southern service workers — predominantly Black — are especially alarming, 87% in one year, according to one poll.

Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield announced Tuesday night that she's running for mayor, positioning herself as a champion for equity and inclusive growth in a city where economic disparities persist. Her announcement comes less than a month after Mayor Mike Duggan revealed he would not seek a fourth term, leaving the door open for new leadership in 2025. “For me, it’s such an important time in Detroit, especially with the mayor departing,” Sheffield said in an exclusive interview with Metro Times.

As Michigan Democrats are set to lose their trifecta in mere weeks, we need our leaders to act with courage and urgency now to protect our communities. The next two weeks of the legislative session represent our last chance to pass laws that uplift working families across the state.

An Allen Park man was arraigned Monday on multiple felonies in connection with an alleged human trafficking and prostitution operation based out of a Southgate home he owned. Michael Richard Navoy, 70, was arrested Friday by Michigan State Police (MSP) detectives, following an investigation that began in October in Maumee, Ohio.

They don’t teach you in journalism school about what to do when Caitlyn Jenner calls you at midnight from Australia while you’re violently stoned on a 20-mg edible. In my 30 years in the news business, I’ve learned most lessons the hard way, such as when mercurial celebrities phone you unexpectedly a day early for an interview after you’ve gobbled weed to help you sleep, your brain will snap into something like that of a functioning journalist as a professional survival mechanism.

An international human trafficking ring allegedly forced women of Chinese and Korean origin into sexual exploitation at illicit massage parlors across Wayne and Macomb counties, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday. The operation, one of the largest of its kind in Michigan, led to multiple arrests and the liberation of nearly a dozen victims, who were allegedly trafficked into forced labor and commercial sex.