Highland Park resident Bob Nelson has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city and Troy’s Towing of illegally seizing his cherished 1985 Ford Thunderbird, violating his constitutional rights, and causing lasting emotional and financial damage. The lawsuit, filed April 30 in U.S. District Court in Detroit, outlines a series of procedural failures and constitutional violations.

Hassan Hammoud, a Lebanese Muslim corporal with the Melvindale Police Department, has filed a lawsuit accusing the city and its police department of subjecting him to years of racial and religious harassment before retaliating when he spoke out. The complaint, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, describes a culture of racism and bigotry inside the department where Hammoud has worked since 2021.

Starting in June, Detroit Metro Times will shift from being published weekly to biweekly. That means next month, we’ll publish issues on June 11 (our Summer Guide) and June 25. Due to a previous obligation, we will also publish the consecutive week on July 2 (our cannabis industry “Dab Day” issue) and July 9, but after that we plan to hit the streets every other Wednesday for the rest of the year.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s campaign for governor is showing signs of drawing bipartisan support, but he still trails leading Republican and Democratic candidates statewide, a new poll shows. According to a survey released Tuesday by the Detroit Regional Chamber, Duggan, who is running as an independent, is winning a substantial share of votes in metro Detroit and appealing to both Democrats and Republicans.

Michigan voters are deeply divided along party lines over the state of the economy, with fears of a recession and inflation rising among Democrats and independents, while Republican voters express growing optimism, according to a new statewide poll released by the Detroit Regional Chamber. The survey, conducted by The Glengariff Group between April 24 and 28, shows that while a plurality of voters continues to believe Michigan is on the right track, those views have eroded since January, and that trend is driven primarily by shifting sentiment among Democrats and independents.

Tecovas, the Austin-based western wear company known for its handcrafted boots and rugged apparel, is bringing its first Michigan storefront to downtown Detroit as part of the growing retail lineup at Bedrock’s Hudson’s Detroit development. The store will be located on the ground floor of the development’s office tower at 1252 Woodward Ave., joining a revitalized stretch of downtown that once housed the iconic J.L. Hudson Department Store.

The city of Detroit abruptly halted demolition this week on a controversial fast-food project after construction crews began tearing down a building next to a Montessori school without notifying nearby residents or businesses. The building is being razed to make way for Detroit’s first stand-alone Chick-fil-A, a 3,000-square-foot drive-thru-only restaurant that developers say will serve up to 1,700 cars a day and generate $10 million in annual sales. For families and small business owners in the East Side neighborhood, the project symbolizes something much bigger – the clash between wealthy developers and a corporate fast-food chain, and the people who live, work, and raise their children next door.

A group of Guatemalan farmworkers is accusing a Michigan labor contractor of human trafficking, wage theft, and coercion in a federal lawsuit set to go to trial later this month. The workers say Purpose Point Harvesting, LLC lured them to the U.S. with promises of legal employment and fair pay, only to trap them in grueling conditions in Michigan farm fields with long hours, underpayment, and threats of retaliation if they spoke out.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson violated the state’s Campaign Finance Act by using a public building to launch her campaign for governor, but will not face any penalties because of a “loophole” in the law, Attorney General Dana Nessel concluded in a letter released Monday. Both Benson and Nessel are Democrats.

Two former Detroit Tigers known for their improbable journeys and unforgettable moments on the field were named Monday to the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals, a hall of fame that celebrates baseball’s most memorable, offbeat, and inspirational figures. Kirk Gibson, the hard-charging outfielder who helped lead the Tigers to a World Series title in 1984, and Ron LeFlore, who went from prison inmate to All-Star center fielder, were among four inductees selected this year by the Southern California-based nonprofit.

Detroit Thermal must wait at least a little longer before moving forward with a controversial steam project through Lafayette Park’s historic residential area. On Wednesday, the Detroit Historic District Commission stopped short of approving or rejecting the proposal, instead requesting more details from the company before making a decision.

Detroit residents will get a chance to hear directly from mayoral candidates this week at a community forum aimed at addressing some of the city’s most pressing issues. The “Run the City: Detroit Mayoral Forum” will take place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Boys & Girls Club at 16500 Tireman Ave. Hosted by a coalition of community and advocacy groups, the event is designed to create space for open dialogue between candidates and residents.

Nearly a year after a Metro Times investigation exposed the widespread misconduct of former Detroit Police Detective Barbara Simon, families of men still imprisoned because of her tainted cases are growing increasingly frustrated. Despite public promises, protests, and mounting evidence of wrongdoing, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has yet to meet with victims’ families or launch a transparent investigation into their loved ones’ convictions.

Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit announced Tuesday he’s running for Michigan attorney general in 2026, casting himself as a champion for civil rights and working people in a campaign rooted in progressive legal reform. “Our constitutional rights are under attack, and we can’t afford to back down,” Savit said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib is endorsing a primary challenger to fellow Democratic Congressman Shri Thanedar, an unusual move that highlights ideological divisions among Michigan Democrats. Tlaib on Monday threw her support behind state Rep. Donavan McKinney, who is running against U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar in the 13th Congressional District.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel lashed out at critics and made a series of inaccurate or misleading claims during a Wednesday town hall on hate crimes and extremism in West Bloomfield Township, where she defended her handling of pro-Palestinian protesters and vowed to aggressively pursue new cases tied to the movement. Nessel’s 16-minute talk marked her most expansive public defense of her decision to prosecute University of Michigan protesters and ultimately to drop the charges after facing months of backlash from civil rights groups, students, and progressives within her own party.

Proposed federal Medicaid cuts could strip health care from 750,000 Michiganders and drain billions of dollars from the state’s hospitals, threatening access to care for pregnant women, people with disabilities, and residents in rural areas, according to a new report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The report, released Friday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office, warns that Republican-backed proposals to slash $880 billion from Medicaid nationwide would cause “undue hardship” for the state’s most vulnerable residents and undermine Michigan’s health care system and economy.

The family of Patrick Lyoya pledged Thursday to continue fighting for justice after a Kent County jury failed to reach a verdict in the criminal trial of former Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr, prompting a mistrial. At a press conference hours after the mistrial was declared, Lyoya’s parents expressed disappointment and pain, saying Schurr showed no remorse for fatally shooting their son in the back of the head during a traffic stop in April 2022.

State Sen. Jeremy Moss, a Democrat and staunch supporter of Israel, announced Thursday he’s running for U.S. Congress — but not in the district in which he lives. Moss lives in Southfield, which is part of the 12th Congressional District — a seat held by U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only American Palestinian serving in Congress.

Michigan’s prison population has fallen to its lowest level in more than three decades, and state officials say the decline is no accident. The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) reported that 32,778 people were incarcerated statewide at the end of 2024, down more than 18,700 from a peak of over 51,000 in 2007. The decline is part of a broader trend driven by fewer new court commitments, expanded parole efforts, and a sharp drop in people sent back to prison for technical violations, according to state officials.

Two police officers are suing the Dearborn Heights Police Department, alleging their former supervisor used his position of power to sexually harass, coerce, and assault them — sometimes inside the station — while top brass ignored repeated red flags. In a lawsuit filed Monday in Wayne County Circuit Court, Officers Maxwell Bearden and Hashim Zrien say former Sgt. Jordan Dottor sent them explicit photos, pressured them to perform sex acts, and threatened retaliation when they resisted.

More than 500 incarcerated women at Michigan’s only women’s prison are suing the state for $500 million, alleging they were illegally recorded during strip searches and other moments when they undressed in what attorneys are calling one of the most egregious privacy violations in the country. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Washtenaw County Circuit Court, accuses Michigan Department of Corrections officials of directing staff at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility to use body cameras during routine strip searches, a practice not employed in any other state, according to the complaint.

Civil rights groups are calling on Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to drop all remaining charges against pro-Palestinian protesters following her unexpected decision Monday to dismiss felony and misdemeanor counts against seven demonstrators arrested during a May 2024 encampment sweep at the University of Michigan. The dismissal, announced during a court hearing in Washtenaw County, marked a significant win for the activists and their supporters after months of mounting political pressure and legal challenges.

A popular Southwest Detroit music venue called El Club closed down Saturday to avoid what its general manager described as “police intimidation.” The closure comes one year after Detroit police were heavily criticized for swarming businesses participating in the city’s Cinco de Mayo festival and threatening attendees with arrests if they didn’t disperse.

Updated at 4 p.m. with a response from the Michigan Department of Corrections. A Michigan Department of Corrections employee has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the agency, its director, and its former media relations spokesperson of sexual abuse, harassment, and retaliation.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Monday unexpectedly dropped all charges against seven pro-Palestinian protesters accused of resisting police during the May 2024 clearing of an encampment at the University of Michigan, following months of mounting political pressure from the progressive wing of her own party. The decision came during a preliminary examination hearing in Washtenaw County District Court, where attorneys for the defendants had prepared to make closing arguments.

Shopping is finally returning to the long-dormant site of Detroit’s former J.L. Hudson Department Store and the new home of Dan Gilbert’s Hudson’s Detroit tower. Gilbert’s Bedrock announced the first tenant for the building will be athletic apparel store Alo Yoga. It will be the Los Angeles-based company’s first Detroit location.

Warren police officers pulled a man from the top of a freeway overpass on Easter Sunday, preventing what they said was a clear attempt to take his own life. Officers were dispatched to the Groesbeck interchange above I-696 shortly before 7 p.m. after multiple 911 calls reported a man climbing the protective metal fence and appearing ready to jump.

A push to legalize the feeding of deer and other wildlife in Michigan is reigniting a debate over public access to nature, wildlife disease prevention, and the role of state regulators. The legislation, introduced last month with support from 45 state lawmakers — most of them Republicans — would allow residents to feed animals near their homes, despite a longstanding ban by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) aimed at curbing the spread of diseases among deer.

Detroit Thermal is seeking to reassure Lafayette Park residents that its plan to connect steam heat to a high-rise apartment building won’t damage the neighborhood’s historic character or pose a threat to children who play nearby. In a statement Wednesday, the private utility company said its proposed work to reconnect 1300 Lafayette to the underground steam network would not involve installing any ventilation stacks in a neighborhood playground, would not require removing trees, and would fully restore the landscape after completion. “For months, we’ve sought advice and guidance from our Lafayette Park neighbors and carefully developed a plan to provide clean, affordable, and reliable heat,” company spokesman Harvey Hollins III said.

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Interlochen Public Radio and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. At a giant dirt lot off a side road in Emmet County, the air smells sharply of pine. Enormous piles of logs and branches sit around the property.

Bernie Sanders is once again asking for something literally every other industrialized nation in the world has except for the United States — universal health care. The U.S. Senator was joined on Tuesday by Michigan’s U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington to introduce the Medicare for All Act of 2025. “Every American has the right to health care, period,” Dingell said in a statement.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a federal lawsuit against Roku on Tuesday, accusing the streaming platform of illegally collecting and sharing personal data from children without parental consent. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleges Roku and its partners tracked the locations, browsing histories, voice recordings, and other identifying information on children using the company’s platform without proper notice or parental permission, as required under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Michigan Consumer Protection Act.

Several Michigan House Democrats on Tuesday joined U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar’s call to impeach President Donald Trump, accusing him of violating the Constitution and posing a threat to American democracy. State Rep. Dylan Wegela of Garden City introduced a resolution in the Michigan House supporting Trump’s impeachment, arguing the president’s actions have undermined the rule of law and put Americans in danger.

A Redford man is facing felony charges after allegedly throwing two kittens from a moving vehicle at a Detroit gas station and then running over one of them. Brandon Lee Dwayne Littke, 25, was charged with animal torture and abandonment following the April 21 incident at a gas station on the 24800 block of West Seven Mile Road.

This story was updated at 3:40 p.m. with a response from Detroit Thermal. A battle is unfolding in picturesque Lafayette Park, where residents are trying to stop a private utility company from digging up parts of their nationally recognized neighborhood to install high-pressure steam infrastructure that they say would damage the historic character of the area and endanger children.

U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, a Detroit Democrat, introduced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Monday, accusing him of abusing his power and undermining the rule of law. Thanedar filed seven articles of impeachment, alleging Trump obstructed justice, dismantled government agencies without congressional approval, abused trade powers, used international aggression to pursue political ends, violated First Amendment rights, created an unlawful government office (the Department of Government Efficiency), and granted unconstitutional authority to billionaire Elon Musk. Thaneder also accused Trump of committing bribery, corruption, and political overreach.

Civil rights attorneys and activists are raising alarms after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office led a series of raids targeting pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Michigan, in what they view as a politically motivated crackdown on free speech. On Wednesday morning, FBI agents and local police officers arrived in unmarked vehicles at several homes in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Canton, executing search warrants tied to what authorities describe as “coordinated criminal acts of vandalism” across Southeast Michigan.