A controversial steam project in Detroit’s Lafayette Park Historic District is drawing new scrutiny after documents show a high-ranking city official helped reverse a recommendation opposing the work and privately contacted commissioners ahead of a key vote. Detroit’s Planning Director Alexa Bush coauthored a recent staff report that supported Detroit Thermal’s excavation plans, despite an earlier report from May 14, which was written by staff, that warned the project would “fail” to meet preservation standards and cause irreversible damage to the historic landscape. Bush’s involvement was revealed in internal city emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and has raised concerns among residents that the independent Historic District Commission (HDC) is being inappropriately influenced by city hall.

The powerful opioid carfentanil has resurfaced in Michigan’s unregulated drug market, killing at least 11 people so far this year after years of dormancy, according to a new alert from the state health department. The synthetic opioid, originally developed to sedate large animals like elephants, is estimated to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced Friday that no one will be charged in the high-profile case of a puppy who suffered severe burns in a Detroit home earlier this year, saying there was a lack of evidence to prove who was responsible. Gideon, a months-old Jack Russell Terrier, was found in distress on Jan. 12 with third-degree burns, necrotic skin, and signs of extreme pain, according to medical records reviewed by animal cruelty investigators.

The ACLU of Michigan and the Arab American Civil Rights League filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools District and one of its teachers, alleging a Palestinian American student’s constitutional rights were violated when she was repeatedly humiliated for refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a 14-year-old girl referred to as “D.K.” to protect her identity, claims that a teacher at West Middle School in Canton retaliated against the student for her silent protest of U.S. support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, where tens of thousands have been killed. The eighth grader, who is of Palestinian descent, chose not to stand or recite the pledge on three occasions in January, citing her political beliefs.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens said she plans to introduce legislation next week that would prevent President Donald Trump from unilaterally deploying active-duty military forces within the United States without approval from state or territorial leaders. The Michigan Democrat announced the “Stop Trump’s Abuse of Power Act” on Monday in response to the Trump administration’s deployment of U.S. Marines and thousands of federalized National Guard troops to Los Angeles earlier this month during protests tied to the president’s immigration crackdown.

One of Michigan’s most influential labor unions is throwing its support behind state Rep. Donavan McKinney in his campaign to unseat U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, marking the latest major endorsement for the progressive challenger in the 13th Congressional District. Michigan’s chapter of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents more than 30,000 workers across four local unions, announced Monday it is backing McKinney, a former SEIU member and union leader.

Several of Detroit’s most prominent Black churches have joined forces with the National Black Empowerment Council to launch an ambitious campaign aimed at dramatically increasing voter turnout in a city that has struggled with apathy at the polls. The campaign, “Lift Every Voice & Vote Detroit,” began on Juneteenth and focuses on turning churches into what organizers are calling “100% Voting Churches,” which means congregations where every eligible member is registered and committed to voting in each election.

Detroit Thermal submitted revised plans earlier this month aimed at resolving an ongoing dispute over its proposed steam project in Lafayette Park, pledging to eliminate controversial ventilation stacks and protect the area's historic landscape. But many neighborhood residents are objecting to the city scheduling a public hearing on July 2, just before the Fourth of July holiday, and accused Detroit Thermal and city officials of breaking their promises for public engagement.

The city of Sterling Heights has agreed to pay $2.95 million to a 48-year-old woman who was seriously injured when a police officer crashed into her vehicle near a high school drop-off zone. Maisaa Kada, who suffered a traumatic brain injury and permanent damage to her spine in the 2019 crash, was preparing to face the city in court Wednesday when a last-minute settlement was reached.

A mob of leather-clad motorcyclists attacked a nonviolent anti-Trump protester in Detroit’s Clark Park on Saturday by repeatedly punching him in the face and bloodying his nose, but the thugs were never arrested, Metro Times has learned. The assault occurred as thousands of activists turned out to protest President Donald Trump’s administration, joining a wave of nationwide “No Kings” rallies where millions of people peacefully denounced authoritarianism and demanded protections for democracy and immigrant rights.

An Oakland County jury has awarded more than $75 million to a man who lost most of his hands in a refrigerant explosion at a Kroger store in Bloomfield Township, in what attorneys say is a record-breaking liability verdict in Michigan. Brian Mierendorf, a 37-year-old pipefitter and HVAC technician, was seriously injured while working at the store when a defective refrigeration system malfunctioned and released a toxic chemical.

A Montessori school on Detroit’s east side has filed a lawsuit to stop construction of a Chick-fil-A restaurant next door, alleging the drive-thru project violates zoning laws, threatens public safety, and could force the school to shut down. Giving Tree Montessori, which serves 116 children from infancy through kindergarten, filed the complaint Friday in Wayne County Circuit Court against Verus Development Group and Chick-fil-A.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is endorsing state Rep. Donavan McKinney’s campaign to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, joining U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib in supporting the Detroit lawmaker ahead of the August primary. Sanders’s endorsement adds to McKinney’s growing support from progressive Democrats, including six state senators, 11 state representatives, and numerous local elected officials.

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is launching a new same-day paratransit service on Monday in an effort to improve access for residents with disabilities. Dubbed “DDOT Now,” the service allows certified riders to schedule a trip as little as one hour in advance between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Cass Café is coming back — at least for the summer. The Cass Corridor institution is reopening its doors for an art exhibition honoring the lives and work of Jim and Lucille Nawara, two longtime figures of Detroit’s creative community.

A coalition of religious leaders gathered at Wayne State University on Thursday morning to demand that school administrators drop misconduct charges against a student activist involved in the campus movement for Palestinian human rights. The press conference, held at the intersection of Second and Warren avenues, comes days after the student organizer was charged with a non-academic code of conduct violation that could lead to suspension, expulsion, or loss of scholarships.

Protesters began gathering outside the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit on Wednesday morning after activists witnessed agents arresting migrants when they showed up to their court hearings. Witnesses say five or six people were detained after an immigration judge dismissed their cases at the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib and a coalition of progressive groups are organizing a rally and march at Clark Park in Detroit on Saturday as part of a national day of protest against political repression, authoritarianism, and attacks on immigrants and dissenters. Billed as a National Day of Defiance and Mass Mobilization, the Detroit event is one of more than 1,600 demonstrations planned across the country.

A federal jury has found Michigan labor contractor Purpose Point Harvesting guilty of exploiting a group of Guatemalan farmworkers in a forced labor scheme that violated both federal and state laws. The verdict, delivered Friday after an eight-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, marks a major win for advocates fighting against abuses in the H-2A visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign agricultural workers for temporary jobs.