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.

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.

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.

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.

A legal and public relations battle between Michigan auto accident attorney Steven Gursten and CURE Auto Insurance has gotten ugly after the New Jersey-based insurer filed its second lawsuit against Gursten and his law firm, Michigan Auto Law. The dispute stems from Gursten’s outspoken criticism of CURE’s business practices, which he has highlighted in blog posts, billboards, and a dedicated website.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s announcement that he’s running for governor of Michigan as an independent has sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape. For a lifelong Democrat who has built his career on the party’s infrastructure, this decision raises crucial questions about his motivations, the implications for Michigan’s political future, and whether an independent campaign can succeed in a polarized two-party system.

The Psychedelic Healing Shack in Detroit has been closed since police with guns drawn raided the building along Woodward in September, seizing 99 grams of psilocybin mushrooms and 10 grams of marijuana. But the defiant owner, Robert Pizzimenti, better known as Dr. Bob, is determined to reopen, despite facing threats from the city.

Thousands are expected to gather at Campus Martius in downtown Detroit on Dec. 25 for Menorah in the D, the city’s largest public celebration of Hanukkah. The annual event, which begins at 5 p.m., promises an evening of light, unity, and joy, showcasing the strength and pride of Detroit’s Jewish community.

Wayne County Circuit Court is considering a motion for a new trial filed on behalf of Dennis Littleton, who has served over two decades in prison for a 2000 murder he insists he did not commit. The motion, filed by attorney Joseph Daly, argues that new evidence undermines the credibility of the case against Littleton, establishes credible alternate suspects, and reveals that key exculpatory evidence was withheld by prosecutors and Detroit police. Littleton was convicted in 2001 of first-degree murder and assault with intent to do great bodily harm in the May 30, 2000 shooting of Robert Johnstone and Saul Rios on Hubbard Street in Detroit.

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud pledged that his city would arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for both men for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. “Dearborn will arrest Netanyahu & Gallant if they step within Dearborn city limits,” Hammoud said on X. “Other cities should declare the same.

Longtime WDET host and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson announced Wednesday that he’s leaving the public radio station because of what he described as “disinvestment” in his daily show on 101.9 FM. Henderson, who hosts the morning show “Created Equal,” the station’s most popular local program, will end his 10-year run at WDET on Friday.

Protesters gathered outside the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office again Wednesday, renewing their calls for an investigation into cases tied to retired Detroit Detective Barbara Simon, who is accused of using unethical and illegal tactics that led to the wrongful convictions of innocent Black men. The demonstration comes nearly three months after a previous protest in August, when families, exonerees, and activists demanded a full review of Simon’s cases and accountability for her alleged misconduct. Protesters on Wednesday expressed frustration, saying that Worthy has not met with exonerees or affected families and has yet to take meaningful action, despite her pledge to do so.

Malik Shabazz, a fearless Detroit activist who has confronted drug dealers, city leaders, and bad businesses for decades, is back in the hospital after he had a massive heart attack in June 2023. Shabazz, the founder of the New Black Panther Party/New Marcus Garvey Movement, was admitted to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit for unknown medical issues on Thursday, a day after he attended Mayor Mike Duggan’s announcement that he wasn’t running for reelection.

Two members of an antiwar protest group called the Detroit Ceasefire Choir have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Detroit and the organizations managing Campus Martius Park, accusing them of violating their First Amendment rights. The lawsuit, announced Tuesday, alleges that security guards at the park silenced the choir’s pro-ceasefire caroling last holiday season, claiming their message was “too controversial” and falsely asserting that Campus Martius is a private park.

Four years after first proposing significant police reform legislation, Michigan state senators are reintroducing a comprehensive package of bills aimed at increasing accountability, transparency, and public trust in law enforcement. Many of the measures were initially introduced in 2020 following the death of George Floyd, whose murder by a police officer in Minneapolis sparked protests against police brutality across the U.S. The efforts failed to pass in prior sessions but have gained renewed momentum amid ongoing public demand for reform.

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge has achieved a significant milestone: The Humbug Marsh Unit in Gibraltar has officially joined the Old-Growth Forest Network, a national collection of protected native forests where people can experience biodiversity and the beauty of nature. A celebratory event took place on Oct. 20, marking the induction of the marsh into this prestigious network.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced Wednesday that he will not seek a fourth term in office but declined to address widespread speculation that he’s exploring a potential run for Michigan governor in 2026. The announcement marks a major shift in Detroit politics, as Duggan’s decision opens the field for new leadership in the city and sets the potential stage for his ambitions on a statewide level.

Detroiters will soon be able to keep chickens, ducks, and honeybees in their backyards under a new ordinance passed by the Detroit City Council on Tuesday. The council voted 5-3 in favor of the measure, which goes into effect in January 2025, marking a shift in urban agriculture regulations and allowing residents to raise certain animals for fresh food production, including eggs and honey, within city limits.