Tuesday marks the fifth anniversary of the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. A large group protesting the results of the 2020 election— claiming Joe Biden’s win was fraudulent—broke into the capitol building, destroying property, assaulting officers, and threatening elected officials.
The events of January 6 resulted in several deaths and over a thousand arrests.
President Donald Trump pardoned most insurrectionists when reentering office in the past year, saying that the Biden administration over-prosecuted the group.
Melissa Nann-Burke was the Washington Bureau Chief for the Detroit News at that time of the insurrection. She was working in the House chamber on January 6 and witnessed events from the inside.
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A holiday season celebration crafted with wit and rowdy charm! An ongoing tradition, the Detroit Public Theatre’s Holiday Cabaret features talented vocalists and adult humor. This weekend, Dec. 4-7 is the time to catch the preview shows and the premiere.
Take a walk through time and enjoy festivities at Greenfield Village. Carols, roasted chestnuts, artisan crafts, ice skating and Model-T rides will get the whole family in the holiday spirit while immersing them in history.
Terence Blanchard and his band The E-Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet reprise his Malcom X Jazz Suite. The initial suite modified Blanchard’s compositions for the 1992 film Malcom X, directed by Spike Lee, for live performance. After its evolutions over the years, Blanchard’s latest version offers audiences a new stirring experience. Performance begins at 8 p.m.
A two-hour blend of burlesque, drag, comedy, and improv sure to entertain and delight! This event is hosted by Sarah Lynn and presented by Best Case Scenario Comedy. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show starting at 7:30 p.m. Bring cash for tipping performers. This event is 18 and up.
Attend the Detroit premiere of a locally-produced true crime documentary on the Michigan Co-Ed Killer. The show opens with an organ overture, and Director Andrew Templeton will be present to discuss the film following the showing.
In place of Noel Night, over 50 local businesses have organized a night to shop, dine and explore midtown. From 5-9 p.m., people of all ages are welcome to enjoy ice carving demonstration, live performances, photo booths and more
The All Nations Dancers, representing the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes, celebrate winter and Mother Earth with songs performed by singer-songwriter Joe Reilly. The performance starts at 2 p.m. in the Riviera Court. While at the museum, check out the current exhibit Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation until April 5, 2026.
Shop for a variety of artisan and homemade goods from over 100 artists, including crocheted items, decor, soaps, journals, jewelry and more. Meet the makers and find presents for yourself and others from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Children 12 and under get free entry both days after 1 p.m.
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Last month, a highly invasive insect was spotted for the first time on the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s campus. The Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) identified the spotted lanternfly, a sap-sucker that has been making its way across the U.S. since 2014.
Program and natural areas manager for the EIC Rick Simek says that spotted lanternflies don’t usually kill their host trees outright, but as their numbers grow, so does the damage they can do to the environment as they feed.
Environmental harm
Infestation weakens the host tree’s ability to withstand disease, drought, and other pests.
“They have been known to kill off the saplings of a couple of native tree species,” says Simek. He lists black walnuts and maples as examples.
Spotted lanternfly displaying its bright red underwing.
Simek said that the spotted lanternfly’s dietary habits are especially hard on fruit-bearing plants, like the river grapes that provide nutrition for birds in the EIC’s natural area.
The spread of the spotted lanternfly poses trouble for Michigan’s produce, predicts Simek. “Lanternfly infestations can cause real harm to grapes, both cultivated and wild… [which is] cause for serious agricultural and economic concern.”
Thankfully, the spotted lanternflies do not bite or pose direct harm to humans. However, the sugary “honeydew” that they excrete attracts mold, wasps, and other pests.
Squish and scrape
What should you do once you identify a spotted lanternfly?
“One of the control methods—I’ve seen actual videos on this, it’s fairly commonly practiced—is to squish them!” says Simek. “Just make sure to become familiar with what lanternflies look like before squishing, but they are easy to identify.”
Spotted lanternfly egg mass.
Also, it’s good to remove their egg masses, which look a bit like chewed gray-brown gum, advises Simek. And definitely check for hitch-hiking lanternflies while entering and exiting natural areas.
Fall is the season to look for and remove egg masses before they hatch in spring.
Vigilance helps slow the spread
It’s important to reduce the spotted lanternfly’s ability to reproduce and spread as much as possible.
“One of the things we don’t want to see here on campus, of course, is for it to become a breeding area that produces lanternflies that can spread around the area even more,” says Simek. Thankfully, the EIC is well maintained and better prepared for invasive visitors.
The spotted lanternfly’s preferred host, tree of heaven, has been regularly removed from the Environmental Interpretive Center’s grounds for years. Tree of heaven is a particularly entrenched invasive plant that comes from the same region as the spotted lanternfly. As a favorite food source, it is a marker of where to look for the insect.
Additionally, birds and bats are beginning to recognize spotted lanternflies as a food source. The near 121 acres of the EIC’s natural center helps support those populations. Though, Simek notes, its being theorized that spotted lanternflies become less appetizing after eating tree of heaven.
That’s one more reason to be diligent about removing the invasive plant.
Report sightings
The spotted lanternfly’s impact on the tree canopy at large remains to be seen.
The DNR says all sightings by the public should be reported.
So far, spotted Lanternflies have been seen in Wayne, Oakland, Lenawee, and Macomb counties.
“It’s the new invasive kid on the block,” says Simek. “We’re probably going to see them more and more, and then we’re all going to find out what their impacts are.”
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WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
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