Detroit officials announced the launch of a new teen violence prevention plan in response to recent shooting incidents involving children in the city.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

At a news conference on Monday, Mayor Mike Duggan said the city will enforce a 10 p.m. curfew as part of the plan, adding that over the past month, 12 of the 20 shootings involving minors happened late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

“Whatever trouble teenagers may get into in the afternoon and the evening as you start to get to 11, 12, 1 in the morning — whether they’re drinking, whether they’re using substances, whether they’re just beefing — the behavior gets worse and worse,” he said.

Duggan says he will ask the Detroit City Council to raise the fines for parents whose kids are caught outside after curfew without adult supervision. 

Duggan is also authorizing more overtime for the Detroit Police Department, so officers will stay out later to enforce the curfew against groups of teenagers. 

Watch Duggan and Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison’s announcement about the effort here.

Reporting by Russ McNamara, WDET News

Other headlines for Monday, July 7, 2025:

• The city of Dearborn has unveiled another ability inclusive playscape. This third installment can be found at Lapeer Park, joining Ford Woods and Crowley parks in providing activities for children with special mobility needs. Dearborn Parks & Recreation worked with disability groups and families to design the park.
• Michigan residents now have the option to take the written portion of the driver’s education course online. The “KnowTo Drive” test can be taken at Michigan Secretary of State branches and offices, and is available in different languages. Eligible Michigan residents over 18 must verify proof of identity and pay a $6.50 convenience fee. They will also have to use a webcam to prove their identity.
• Detroit Documenters is a program that trains and pays people to take notes at public meetings in Detroit. Documenters is hosting a network-wide Virtual Note-taking Practice Session from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9. Participants must complete an orientation training before participating in the note-taking training. The Documenters are also hosting a photo documenting workshop in Tech Town on July 15.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Detroit faces a turning point this year. Long-time Mayor Mike Duggan is leaving the office to make an independent bid for governor.

What do Detroiters want to see from the city’s next mayor?

WDET is examining that question by launching the Citizen Vox Project. These are one-on-one conversations with Detroit residents about the issues that matter to them.

WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter spoke with 69-year-old Midtown Detroiter Andrew Crawford. He says he’s not sure yet which mayoral candidate he’ll vote for. But Crawford says he does have a question for whoever takes the top job in Detroit’s city government.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Andrew Crawford: We strive so hard to be a big city. But how can you be a big city when your transportation is very poor? You got two rail systems and none of them really go anywhere. The QLINE just runs up and down from West Grand Boulevard to downtown. Then you got the People Mover. All it does is go in a circle. So, it’s money wasted.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: What about the bus systems?

AC: I don’t understand why the suburban SMART and Detroit Department of Transportation lines can’t be merged. Why would you have two systems? It’s still wasted money. I ride them all the time, both bus systems. And I’m telling you, people are moving back to Detroit, the city is growing, and once you get the public transportation system going better, the population is gonna explode. People can move around and depend on it. There used to be a lot of rail systems here at one time, before people started buying so many cars.

QK: What other issues stick out to you?

AC: Definitely crime. I wish the community would get more involved in helping police that. I’m hoping to see more of that. I’m hoping whoever becomes mayor invests in the whole city. Downtown, it’s going to take care of itself. It’s already on its way. Now it’s time to reach further than the boulevard.

QK: What would you want to see past the boulevard? What do you want to see out in the neighborhoods?

AC: I would like to see more houses, more businesses, communities coming together. Like that food co-op past Euclid on Woodward Ave. It’s a Black-owned food co-op. I’d like to see more of that. And also see the city commit to helping more people that have homes to maintain those homes.

QK: This will be the first time in a dozen years that Mike Duggan will not be mayor of Detroit. What have you thought of the job he’s done so far?

AC: I think he did a great job. I think he’d make a good governor.

QK: Would you like to see whoever becomes the next mayor just continue with the same kind of stuff Duggan’s done? Or, other than transit or crime, is there another area you’d want to see them try to improve on or go beyond what’s being done already?

AC: Take where he left off and make it go even further. Like the north end, I see businesses and restaurants popping up all over there. But I would like to even see them go deeper into the east side and Gratiot Ave. This is where public transportation comes in, because if you got those kinds of systems running throughout the city, it’s going to bring people to those communities.

I don’t care what you do to the city or how much you improve, if your public transportation system is not together, it’s going to fall apart. And the people need to come out and vote, especially in the Black community, even in these local elections. Because if we don’t, what’s going on now is going to continue. You got to show that you care. And that you care about voting. If you don’t care, this is what happens, the turmoil we in now.

This is Chris Campbell from The Progressive Underground with your Pick of the Week. And trust me, this one hits deep.

This week, we spotlight Detroit’s own Ideeyah, whose latest EP on Theo Parrish’s Sound Signature label is nothing short of a spiritual sonic experience.

Produced by rising star Meftah, the project marks a bold evolution in Ideeyah’s artistry — blending ethereal vocals, spoken word reflections, and lush, transcendent production that feels like praise and meditation all in one.

One of the standout tracks is called “20/20,” a soulful, introspective groove that moves the body and stirs the spirit, and it’s my Pick of the Week.

That was Ideeyah with “20/20” off her new EP, Sweet Chariot.

If this resonated with you, pull up every Saturday at 6 p.m. for The Progressive Underground, where we explore the future of soul, nu-jazz, b-sides, and deep grooves from across the spectrum.

For The Progressive Underground, I’m Chris Campbell. Catch you next time.

In this week’s episode of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, lots of new music from Detroiters Carmel Liburdi, Kate Hinote Trio and Jack Spivey,

Plus, recognizing a couple artists who recently passed, some protest songs for Fourth of July weekend and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for July 5, 2025

HOUR ONE:

• “Sleeves Up” – Crys Matthews
  
• “We March” – Prince
  
• “If Not For Love” – Durand Jones & The Indications
• “If She Could See Me Now” – Lorde
• “Cemetery Road” – Kate Hinote Trio
• “Theme From Mannix” – Lalo Shiffrin (died June 26)
• “Ready For Love” – Mott The Hoople (Mick Ralphs, died June 23)
  
• “Who’s Zoomin’ Who” – Aretha Franklin (released 40 years ago this month)
• “Back In Time” – Huey Lewis & The News (released 40 years ago this week)
• “The Field” – Blood Orange
  
• “Devil I Know” – Kylee Phillips

• “Americans” – Janelle Monae
  
• “America” – Tracy Chapman
• “69” – Carmel Liburdi
• “Amber (11 AM)” – Cautious Clay
• “Forget My Name – Jack Spivey (ft. Sami Ray)
  
• “Cruisin'” – D’Angelo (released 30 years ago this month)
• “Chicago” – Sufjan Stevens (released 20 years ago this month)
• “From” – Bon Iver
• “Who’ll Stand With Us?” – Dropkick Murphys
• “When Will We Be Paid” – The Staple Singers
  
• “Bye Bye 25” – Kim Gordon
• “It Keeps The Lights On” – The Accidentals
• “I Need You” – Jon Batiste

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org.

Gordie Howe International Bridge officials say construction work on the new span over the Detroit River is about 95% complete.

The project broke ground in 2018. The roughly 1.5-mile long crossing between Detroit and Windsor is still on track to open this fall, but an exact date has not yet been given.

Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority spokesperson Heather Grondin says crews are wrapping up paving work and putting the finishing touches on employee areas.

“We’re also doing a lot of landscaping,” said Grondin. “These are major ports of entry — the largest along the Canada-U.S. border — so landscaping is a huge part of the project.”

Grondin adds that crews have a number of final checks to carry out before the grand opening.

“Testing our lighting is a great example of that,” she said. “It’s not just installing the 5,000-plus aesthetic lights, the safety lights that will be on the bridge, but it’s also testing it and making sure it works.”

As for work residents in Michigan and Ontario may notice, Grondin says the construction cranes on the bridge have now come down — marking a major milestone in the project.

Work has also begun on testing the technological systems and processes in preparation for the bridge’s opening, according to project officials.

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café, we reconnect with Paul Thorn! We first met Paul in 1997 when he made his debut (after a brief career as a nationally ranked middle-weight fighter). Paul just turned 60, and is still making music, including his 12th album called “Life Is Just A Vapor.”

Also featured, acoustic Prince and a Prince cover, archive stuff from Amy Ray, Joan Armatrading, Ani DiFranco and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episodes on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Acoustic Café Playlist for July 6, 2025

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “Everybody Laughs” – David Byrne
• “Tomboy” – Maia Sharp
• “I’ll Go Anywhere” – Mustafa
• “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing” – Ken Pomeroy
• “Shapes & Sizes” – Joan Armatrading (1995 in-studio performance)
• “Free (acoustic)” – Prince
• “Little Red Corvette” – Steve Poltz (1999 in-studio performance)
• “Chicken Wing” – Paul Thorn (in-studio guest)
• “Life Is Just A Vapor” – Paul Thorn (in-studio guest)
• “Nose On The Grindstone” – Tyler Childers
• “bare” — vraell
• “Against All Odds” – Mark Erelli
• “Why Should The Fire Die?” – Nickel Creek (2005 in-studio performance)
• “Hold On” – Leon Bridges
• “Smooth Sailing” – Leon Bridges
• “Suture Up You Future” – QOTSA
• “Old Devil Moon” – dodie
• “A Mighty Thing” – Amy Ray (2023 in-studio performance)
• “Paris (Ooh La La) (acoustic)” – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
• “Lucky Love” – Jon Muq
• “Needle In The Hay” – Elliott Smith
•  “Worthy” – Ani Difranco (1995 in-studio performance)
• “Promises (9 AM) — Cautious Clay
• “Wait” – Paul Thorn (in-studio guest)
• “Old Melodies” – Paul Thorn (in-studio guest)

This is Chris Campbell from The Progressive Underground, and it’s time for my Pick of the Week.

Now this one right here? It’s for the ballroom crowd, the steppers, the late-night soul seekers. We’re diving into “1AM (Extended Groove Mix)” from Detroit’s own SiloamPool, a singer-songwriter with a voice as smooth as silk and a pen dipped in jazz and R&B.

Raised on a musical diet of Nina Simone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Jarreau, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Gino Vannelli, Siloam once had plans to wear a white coat in the medical field. But after taking a few music theory and vocal courses at the University of Michigan, she caught the bug, and the stage called her name.

After a stint on the road with gospel and R&B legend Fred Hammond, she stepped out solo and hasn’t looked back. Her latest single, co-written with Markovich Drummond and produced by Sidney Howard of Mama, There Goes That Band! fame, is a lush, late-night groove layered with a slow-burn intro and vocals that slide in like velvet.

It’s sensual. It’s soulful. It’s midnight magic turned all the way up.
Let’s get into it. This is Siloam Pool with “1AM (Extended Groove Mix),”  my Pick of the Week.

That was SiloamPool with “1AM (Extended Groove Mix)” — a smooth-as-satin cut built for those moonlit dance floors and backroom lounges. 

If you love groove-heavy joints like this, catch me every Saturday evening at 6 p.m. on The Progressive Underground, where we bump future soul, nu-jazz, b-sides and rare grooves.

For The Progressive Underground, I’m Chris Campbell.  Stay soulful and uplifted and we’ll see you next time.

Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion is home to some of the city’s most iconic businesses and shops.

Every year on the first Saturday in July, the “Light Up Livernois” fashion, art and design festival takes over Livernois between Six and Eight Mile roads to highlight all the business and entertainment district has to offer. 

Alysyn Curd, one of the event’s organizers and co-founder of the Independent Business Association headquartered on the Avenue of Fashion, joined The Metro to share more about the event this Saturday.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

A new jazz festival is coming to Windsor this holiday weekend.

The inaugural Electric Avenue International Jazz Festival will take over the WindsorEats Food Hall on Erie Street in Via Italia July 4-5. The free event will infuse the city’s food and art scenes to create a cross-border celebration of blues, soul, and of course, jazz.

Russ Macklem, a Detroit/Windsor-based trumpet player, composer, educator and artistic director for the Electric Avenue International Jazz Festival, joined The Metro to share more about the two-day event.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

By AP’s Kevin Freking, Lisa Mascaro, with additional reporting from WDET’s Russ McNamara

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans muscled President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cut bill through the House on Thursday, the final step necessary to get the bill to his desk by the GOP’s self-imposed deadline of July 4.

At nearly 900 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.

Democrats united against the legislation, but were powerless to stop it as long as Republicans stayed united. The Senate passed the bill, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote. The House passed an earlier iteration of the bill in May with just one vote to spare. It passed the final version 218-214.

Here’s the latest on what’s in the bill.

Tax cuts are the priority

Republicans say the bill is crucial because there would be a massive tax increase after December when tax breaks from Trump’s first term expire. The legislation contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.

The existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent under the bill, solidifying the tax cuts approved in Trump’s first term.

It temporarily would add new tax deductions on tip, overtime and auto loans. There’s also a $6,000 deduction for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year, a nod to his pledge to end taxes on Social Security benefits.

“It delivers on promises made to hardworking families and businesses in Michigan: no tax on tips or overtime, permanent tax relief, an expanded Child Tax Credit, and more,” said Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI), who voted in favor of the bill.

It would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels would not get the full credit.

A cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, would quadruple to $40,000 for five years. It’s a provision important to New York and other high tax states, though the House wanted it to last for 10 years.

There are scores of business-related tax cuts, including allowing businesses to immediately write off 100% of the cost of equipment and research. Proponents say this will boost economic growth.

The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase from the legislation, and the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, mainly due to reductions in Medicaid and food aid, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House’s version.

Money for deportations, a border wall and the Golden Dome

The bill would provide some $350 billion for Trump’s border and national security agenda, including for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and for 100,000 migrant detention facility beds, as he aims to fulfill his promise of the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history.

Money would go for hiring 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses and a surge of Border Patrol officers, as well. The goal is to deport some 1 million people per year.

Barrett praised the provision, calling it “the largest border security investment in American history,” and highlighting its funding for “701 miles of wall” and “next-generation surveillance technology.”

To help pay for it, immigrants would face various new fees, including when seeking asylum protections.

For the Pentagon, the bill would provide billions for ship building, munitions systems, and quality of life measures for servicemen and women, as well as $25 billion for the development of the Golden Dome missile defense system. The Defense Department would have $1 billion for border security.

How to pay for it? Cuts to Medicaid and other programs

To help partly offset the lost tax revenue and new spending, Republicans aim to cut back on Medicaid and food assistance for people below the poverty line.

Republicans argue they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse.

The package includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children 14 and older would have to meet the program’s work requirements.

There’s also a proposed new $35 co-payment that can be charged to patients using Medicaid services.

More than 71 million people rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Most already work, according to analysts.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) called the bill “an act of violence against our communities,” warning that it would kick “over 450,000 people in Michigan” off health care coverage and result in “over 50,000 people” dying unnecessarily each year.

Republicans are looking to have states pick up some of the cost for SNAP benefits. Currently, the federal government funds all benefit costs. Under the bill, states beginning in 2028 will be required to contribute a set percentage of those costs if their payment error rate exceeds 6%. Payment errors include both underpayments and overpayments.

But the Senate bill temporarily delays the start date of that cost-sharing for states with the highest SNAP error rates. Alaska has the highest error rate in the nation at nearly 25%, according to Department of Agriculture data. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, had fought for the exception. She was a decisive vote in getting the bill through the Senate.

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) echoed those concerns of Tlaib, saying, “Hospitals are going to close. Children, people with disabilities, seniors, veterans — all are going to lose their health care. It’s going to make premiums and deductibles and co-pays increase for millions.”

A ‘death sentence’ for clean energy?

Republicans are proposing to dramatically roll back tax breaks designed to boost clean energy projects fueled by renewable sources such as energy and wind. The tax breaks were a central component of President Joe Biden’s 2022 landmark bill focused on addressing climate change and lowering health care costs.

Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden went so far as to call the GOP provisions a “death sentence for America’s wind and solar industries and an inevitable hike in utility bills.”

A tax break for people who buy new or used electric vehicles would expire on Sept. 30 of this year, instead of at the end of 2032 under current law.

Dingell, whose district includes major auto industry hubs, warned the change would damage the state’s economy. “They have eliminated the EV tax credit effective in September. That’s going to hurt the domestic auto industry,” she said.

Meanwhile, a tax credit for the production of critical materials will be expanded to include metallurgical coal used in steelmaking.

Trump savings accounts and so, so much more

A number of extra provisions reflect other GOP priorities.

The bill creates a new children’s savings program, called Trump Accounts, with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury.

The Senate provided $40 million to establish Trump’s long-sought “National Garden of American Heroes.”

There’s a new excise tax on university endowments and a new tax on remittances, or transfers of money that people in the U.S. send abroad. The tax is equal to 1% of the transfer.

A $200 tax on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns was eliminated.

One provision bars for one year Medicaid payments to family planning providers that provide abortions, namely Planned Parenthood.

Another section expands the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, a hard-fought provision from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for those impacted by nuclear development and testing.

Billions would go for the Artemis moon mission and for the exploration of Mars, while $88 million is earmarked for a pandemic response accountability committee.

Additionally, a provision would increase the nation’s debt limit, by $5 trillion, to allow continued borrowing to pay already accrued bills.

Last-minute changes

The Senate overwhelmingly revolted against a proposal meant to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence. Republican governors across the country asked for the moratorium to be removed and the Senate voted to do so with a resounding 99-1 vote.

A provision was thrown in at the final hours that will provide $10 billion annually to rural hospitals for five years, or $50 billion in total. The Senate bill had originally provided $25 billion for the program, but that number was upped to win over holdout GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warning that reduced Medicaid provider taxes would hurt rural hospitals.

The amended bill also stripped out a new tax on wind and solar projects that use a certain percentage of components from China.

What’s the final cost?

Altogether, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill would increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034.

Or not, depending on how one does the math.

Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost because those breaks are already “current policy.” Republican senators say the Senate Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for the preferred approach.

Under the alternative Senate GOP view, the bill would reduce deficits by almost half a trillion dollars over the coming decade, the CBO said.

Democrats say this is “magic math” that obscures the true costs of the tax breaks. Some nonpartisan groups worried about the country’s fiscal trajectory are siding with Democrats in that regard. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says Senate Republicans were employing an “accounting gimmick that would make Enron executives blush.”

Tlaib described the approach as “a gift to Trump’s billionaire donors” and said, “Every member who voted to pass this disastrous budget betrayed the people they represent to serve the rich and powerful.”

Soak up the sun this holiday weekend with outdoor festivals, food truck rallies and concerts. Or, beat the heat at an art gallery or crafting workshop. Either way, we’ve got you covered with these metro Detroit arts and culture events. Read on to learn more.

Outdoor dining

Royal Oak Taco Fest returns to metro Detroit this weekend with tacos, tequila and more from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6. This street festival features food from over 50 vendors and live entertainment across three stages from a wide variety of talent — including WDET favorites Elspeth Tremblay & The Treatment, the debut performance of alt-rock band SHÜ, and a special appearance by Tommy Chong of comedy duo Cheech & Chong. Other activities include mechanical bull rides, taco-eating contests, tequila sampling and more. Tickets are $12 and children 3 and under get in for free. For more information, visit royaloaktacofest.com.

Michigan’s largest weekly food truck rally, Downtown Street Eats, is back for its 13th season, bringing a variety of food trucks, carts and local restaurant pop-ups to the heart of Downtown Detroit. On Tuesday, July 8, they’ll have Cousins Maine Lobster, The Chubby Batch Cookies, Grand Traverse Pie Company, Impasto, Little Caesars, Sonny’s Hamburgers and Twisted Street BBQ. Food trucks are available in Cadillac Square from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and prices vary by truck. For more information, visit downtowndetroit.org.

The Downtown Detroit Partnership’s Tacos & Trivia Tuesdays series continues on July 8 on the second floor of Cabana 313 in Campus Martius Park. Guests are invited to play for free for a chance to win fun prizes, no registration required. Tacos and drinks will be available for purchase, and the series is supported in part by Corona Extra. For more information, visit downtowndetroit.org.

Arts and crafts

Decked Out Detroit offers a wide variety of activities and entertainment along throughout the summer. On Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays on the 1200–1400 blocks of Woodward Avenue, visitors can enjoy acoustic music, pose for personalized watercolor portraits, build a bouquet from the flower cart and more — all free of charge. While most of their activities will be closed on Thursday, July 3, the CREATE DIY workspace on 1413 Woodward will still be open, and is offering a free craft workshop for kids and adults from 4–7 p.m. For more information on their summer lineup, visit deckedoutdetroit.com.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Summer in Sosnick Festival kicks off on Wednesday, July 9 and goes through Sunday, July 20. This series features two weeks of free performances in Sosnick Courtyard, the DSO’s community green space. Events include a concert of works by living BIPOC composers, a yoga and music program, a sensory-friendly concert and more. For more information, visit dso.org.

Or, beat the heat by checking out the Michigan Watercolor Society’s 78th Annual Exhibition at the Janice Charach Gallery in West Bloomfield. The exhibition features works from over 60 of Michigan’s finest watercolor artists, ranging from traditional landscapes to stunningly realistic portraits. Admission is free and open to the public, and the show runs through July 23. For more information, visit thejdetroit.org.

Detroit officials say they’ve filed the “largest blight lawsuit in its history” against a blockchain-based real estate platform after it failed to maintain hundreds of residential properties in the city.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Real Token, also known as RealT, is a Florida-based company that markets itself as a decentralized real estate security token platform. In the lawsuit, the city alleges that the company’s co-founders, brothers Remy Jacobson and Jean-Marc Jacobson — and their 165 affiliated companies — have neglected over 400 properties in Detroit by failing to maintain basic health and safety requirements, leading to widespread code violations and blight.

Detroit’s Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallet says the city wants them to pay $500,000 in blight tickets and ensure their properties pass compliance inspections.  

“We are also asking the judge to hold the Jacobson brothers personally liable for the circumstances that their tenants find themselves,” he said. “We are also asking the judge to take control of the entire process so that even the vacant properties are properly attended to [and] properly registered.”

Mallet says Real token used a complex web of shell companies to avoid responsibility for keeping up their properties.  

Real Token says it paid their parties to manage the properties and blamed them for the problems.  

“We are sending a message,” Mallet wrote in a statement, “no matter how innovative your business model may be, you cannot hide behind technology or corporate formalities to evade your responsibilities as a property owner.”

Other headlines for Thursday, July 3, 2025:

• More than 6,000 signatures have been collected by the group Dearborn Wants Wards to change the city council from an at-large body to district-based seats.
• The Michigan House has passed two bills that give police the ability to test for controlled substances during traffic stops.
• AAA says it expects almost 2.5 million people in Michigan to travel this Fourth of July weekend. State officials say they are suspending roadwork at more than 100 project sites over the holiday weekend to help ease traffic congestion.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

In late March, a severe ice storm struck the northern part of Michigan.

Tree branches and limbs, weighed down by ice, broke and fell to the ground, leaving towering toothpick trees behind. Many roads, campgrounds, forests, boat launches and other facilities managed by the state were closed as a result. 

Months later, most areas have reopened to the public, but the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is warning visitors to be cautious and expect some trail and road closures to still be in place for their safety. 

Most trails, campgrounds open

The DNR staff went to work to ensure all campgrounds opened at the start of the season on May 15. Some state forests and boat access sites lagged behind, but most are open and ready for Fourth of July weekend.

Kerry Heckman, from the DNR’s Ice Storm Response team, said that travelers should be aware that some roads running through state forests are blocked off. Likewise, some trails may be blocked for visitor safety. 

“If you are going to be just in the forest itself, just be aware that there are a lot of hazards that remain,” Heckman warned, adding that trees that are leaning or limbs caught in the tree canopy are still at risk of falling suddenly. 

She said parts of State Parks Onaway, Clear Lake and Petoskey are temporarily closed. Additionally, Cheboygan State Park is closed for the summer for regularly scheduled updates unrelated to the ice storm. 

Forest recovery efforts continue

It will take a while for the forest to fully recover from the cold snap, Heckman said.

 ”We’ll be working for many years to replant, and bringing the forest back to what they were prior to the storm,” she said.

Heckman says the DNR is also working to salvage fallen trees for timber as fallen limbs are cleared.

Finding new uses for the fallen wood and clearing it out is essential to minimize potential harms to the environment, though the dead branches have benefits as well. 

Long-term impacts on the environment

The influx of fallen timber and moisture leads to a number of environmental impacts, Heckman said.

Forest health is a concern due to the rapid change, but the woods are resilient. 

The dead wood will provide food for woodpeckers and pests like the pine bark beetle, whose population is expected to explode and cause further damage to trees. Exposed wood is also vulnerable to diseases.

One additional danger of having so much timber on the forest floor is providing fuel for potential wildfires, she said.

The open canopy gives room for new plant growth, including that of invasive species.

As the fallen branches decompose, they will replenish the soil. This — in addition to the moisture delivered by the storm — will promote the growth of fungi.

“For people who love morel mushrooms, that’s going to be amazing,” said Heckman.

This story is part of WDET’s ongoing series, The Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

Michigan school districts face tough choices as their fiscal years began Tuesday while the Legislature remains deadlocked on the state K-12 budget.

The Republican-controlled House and the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, adjourned and left town earlier this week after it became clear they would not reach a deal by the July 1 deadline set in state law. There are big differences between the chambers’ differing versions and it appears possible if not likely the budget will hang fire into the fall.

“We’ve seen school districts passing budgets that make cuts, that pink slip employees, that dip heavily into their reserve funds that they aren’t supposed to be touching,” said Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance of Michigan.

McCann said this outcome was foreseeable as the budget process lagged months behind the typical process and missed key benchmarks, including getting initial versions adopted in the spring so they could move to bicameral, bipartisan conference committees to hammer out final versions. Those conference committee versions would have to be approved without amendments in up-or-down votes of the House and Senate before they would go to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her signature.

“And instead we were left with this sort of chaos situation of trying to scramble something together before the deadline and, ultimately, there wasn’t the will or the way to make that happen and it’s really because of months and months of inaction,” said McCann. “This failure has been happening over the past five, six months now of delays and inaction and seemingly not caring about the urgency of getting a K-12 budget done on time.”

There are no consequences to lawmakers for missing the July deadline, which was enacted by the Legislature after a 2007 deadlock between then Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) and a politically divided Legislature led to a brief partial government shutdown.

The state’s fiscal year begins in three months on Oct. 1, when the Michigan Constitution requires a balanced budget to be signed.

Two protesters were arrested on Detroit’s west side Monday after police say they attempted to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from detaining a resident in the neighborhood.

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ICE was in the area to arrest a Honduran man who had already been deported twice but returned to the U.S. each time. Protesters say the immigration officers failed to show a signed warrant for his arrest. Officers used pepper spray on protesters when confronted.

At a Detroit City Council meeting Tuesday, Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero said ICE could have avoided the protest by simply showing a signed warrant.

“The family knew their rights. They said they didn’t show us the warrant. They didn’t even leave me a copy of the warrants,” she said. “That, to me, seems like a very basic, simple solution to this not getting out of hand…” 

At least one of the two protesters arrested have been charged in federal court for allegedly blocking ICE agents from leaving after making the arrest.

Police Chief Todd Bettison says protesters should stay peaceful, and warned that anyone who interferes with federal agents will be arrested.

Other headlines for Wednesday, July 2, 2025:

• The Department of Natural Resources’ explorer guide program is offering more than 100 free activities over the July Fourth holiday weekend. DNR guides will lead programs at 30 state parks Friday through Sunday, with activities ranging from poetry writing to fossil-hunting. 
• The Brightmoor Artisan Collective will host a Nigerian cooking class at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, offered in partnership with the Detroit Partnership for Food Learning and Innovation program through Michigan State University Extension. The registration fee is $15 per person. Register by emailing edwar649@msu.edu.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is hosting a drop-in summer studio, with the next session taking place on Thursday, July 3. Visitors of all ages will have the chance to make art with some creative prompts and materials provided. Next week, MOCAD will welcome families for its Family Day with free exhibitions for kids, teens and parents.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Detroiters have so much LOVE for where they live. That’s why when the city falls on hard times, it’s often community members stepping up and holding down their blocks. 

This is true of the Hubbell-Puritan neighborhood and surrounding area. It’s an area that residents love, but one that doesn’t offer people all the services they need. While there are six schools within a mile and a half, there are zero public libraries and very few community parks nearby.

Many people living and working in Hubbell-Puritan-Schaefer are trying to change that. Among them are Jerjuan Howard, founder and executive director of  Umoja Village and the Umoja Debate League; and HUG Haven Founder Chelsea Walker, who will be leading Peace on Puritan yoga classes at Umoja Village this summer.

Umoja Village will be hosting “7-2 Day” — an annual event celebrating community pride on Puritan Avenue — on July 5-6, featuring a 5K run, a neighborhood cleanup, little library installations, mural painting and more.

Howard and Walker joined The Metro on Wednesday to talk about 7-2 Day and their shared goals of driving positive change and unity within their community.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Volunteers with the Michigan-based nonprofit Rank MI Vote have been working hard to get ranked choice voting on the general election ballot in November 2026.

Their effort just passed the state board of canvassers on Friday. Now they need to get hundreds of thousands of signatures over the next 180 days to get the initiative on the ballot. If passed, voters would be able to rank political candidates by their preference.

Pat Zabawa, executive director of Rank MI Vote, joined The Metro on Wednesday to make the case for ranked choice voting and why he says it would more accurately reflect the will of Michigan voters.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Last week, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin gave a speech at a progressive think tank where she gave a stern warning about America’s shrinking middle class.

She says the middle class has been shrinking since the ’70s, making it more challenging for young Americans to become as affluent as their parents. Part of the reason for that, she says, is how much the economy has changed structurally, and the failure of government to change along with it.

“We were already taking on water as the middle class, and now we’re about to hit a Category 5 hurricane in the form of artificial intelligence,” she said. “We gotta reset on how we do the basics of government and of our lives and focus on those essential things.”

Slotkin says part of the solution is to build more housing, expand access to health care, invest more resources in small businesses and to ban donations from corporate Political Action Committees. 

Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with the senator about her “economic war plan” to build up the middle class, and why she says Democrats should be on the offense right now. 

—WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Heat is now the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. — with 12,000 lives claimed annually — and this number is expected to increase significantly by the turn of the century.

In large cities, temperatures in the summer can reach even higher than normal due to the “urban heat island” effect. 

New data compiled by the nonprofit American Forests and the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation identifies areas in cities across the United States that lack enough protection from the sun.  These areas are known as “shade deserts.” 

The new shade map covers more than 100 of the country’s biggest urban areas, including Detroit.

One effective way to stay cooler is by increasing shade, especially through planting trees, which can reduce the effects of high temps significantly. But according to American Forests a lack of shade in Detroit — especially at bus stops and along roadways — is harming thousands. 

Less than 60% of households in Detroit have air conditioning, said Chris David, vice president of GIS & Data Science at American Forests. Additionally, he says those using public and alternative transit are even more at risk of heat-related illness and death. 

“I think there’s about 5,000 bus stops in Detroit,” David said. “About 90% of those 5,000 bus stops have poor shade.” 

He says bus shelters provide “very little” sun protection, with only about 5% of bus stops in the city covered.  

“That means we estimated about 85,000 daily transit riders in Detroit….they’re left exposed to the sun when they’re waiting for the bus… and that can have dire effects,” David said.

David says Detroit will benefit from a strategic plan to increase the tree canopy, with groups like the Greening of Detroit working toward that goal in partnership with city government. 

You can view the American Forests/UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation shade map here. 

This story is part of WDET’s ongoing series, The Detroit Tree Canopy Project.