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Politicians converge on Mackinac Island

The Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference is underway on Mackinac Island. Hundreds of politicians, business executives and non-profit leaders are spending the week talking to one another…strategizing for the future of the region and networking. Key topics include panel discussions on economic development and education. U-S Senate candidates will introduce themselves and their ideas for next year’s election. Three Democrats are taking part in that panel. They include former Detroit Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, State Senator Mallory McMorrow and Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

For Detroiters, one of the highlights of the Mackinac Policy Conference will be a forum that will include the city’s mayoral candidates. Stephen Henderson and Nolan Finley will moderate the panel. Five candidates will take part in the event:

• City Council President Mary Sheffield
• Council Member Fred Durhal
• Former City Council President Saunteel Jenkins
• Pastor Soloman Kinlock
• Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig

Turmoil in Hamtramck

The Hamtramck city council has put city manager Max Garbarino on paid administrative leave. Mayor Amer Ghalib and others criticized Garbarino’s decision to suspend Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri last week.

Garbarino told the Detroit News that an officer accused the chief of working with an associate of President Donald Trump to bribe the president in exchange for pardoning a federal prisoner. Altaheri denies the allegations. The officer has also been suspended. The mayor who is Trump’s pick to be ambassador to Kuwait, also referenced secretly-recorded audio of the chief arguing with his wife.

The council has temporarily appointed financial officer Aamir Ahsan as city manager.

Stellantis names Antonio Filosa as next CEO

Stellantis has found its next leader in-house. The automaker is promoting its chief quality officer Antonio Filosa to chief executive officer. He’ll replace Carlos Tavares, who resigned last year. Filosa is also the company’s chief operating officer for the Americas. He’ll take over as CEO next month when he’ll announce his leadership team.

Tigers stay hot with league-leading record

The Detroit Tigers remain atop Major League Baseball’s American League. The team had a record of 37 wins and 20 losses at the beginning of the day. The Tigers are on a four game winning streak. They’re playing the final game in a three-game homestand series against the San Francisco Giants. The Tigers have the day off before starting a weekend series against the Royals in Kansas City.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has announced an effort to reduce the regulatory process for opening small businesses in the city. 

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During a late morning news conference on Wednesday, Duggan said new restaurants have to meet building codes, fire codes and health codes. On top of that, there’s a separate city license that Duggan says is redundant.

He recalled a conversation he had with the city’s chief operating officer:

“’Do you know that to open a restaurant, you have to pass the building code, you gotta pass the fire code and you gotta pass the health department code?’ I said ‘Yes. I knew all that.’ He says, ‘On top of that, you need a city of Detroit license.’ The city of Detroit license doesn’t really add anything once you’re up to code on the building, the fire and the health department.  And we have a whole separate set of inspections at a whole different time of year, with a whole different set of fees. He says, ‘Would you be willing to consider forgetting the city of Detroit business license for a restaurant? It’s a duplicate system.’”

The proposed ordinance would eliminate that additional license for restaurants. It also would extend the licensing process from one year to two years. 

The city would also set up a new group of staffers to help walk entrepreneurs through the licensing process. City Council must still approve the process changes, but officials say those changes should be in place by the end of this year. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, May 21, 2025:

• Organizations supporting underrepresented small businesses and entrepreneurs in Michigan have received nearly $9 million in grants from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The agency’s “Trusted Connector” grant provides money to groups that work on technical assistance, mentoring and outreach.
• The Michigan Chronicle holds its Pancakes and Politics Breakfast at 7:50 a.m. on Thursday, May 22, at Elevate in downtown Detroit. The topic of discussion is “Cities of Tomorrow – A Blueprint for Progress.” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell will be among the featured speakers.
• Detroit ranks No. 58 out of 100 when it comes to its parks, according to the ParkScore Index. The rankings, compiled by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, compares park systems in the country’s largest cities.  The city ranked 65th last year.
• The NFL released the Detroit Lions’ pre-season schedule on Tuesday. The team will start the pre-season with a nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, at 8 p.m. on July 31. Other pre-season games for the Lions include the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans. The Lions first regular-season game takes place in Green Bay on Sept. 7 against the Packers. 

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

Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, Detroit’s casinos have reported a slight uptick in revenue last month. Plus, restoration has begun on the city’s historic Lee Plaza Hotel, and more.

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Casino revenues up in April

Detroit’s casinos are reporting improved revenues for the month of April.   The three gaming houses brought in $109.8 million last month. That’s up slightly from April 2024. MGM Grand controlled the largest segment of the market at 47%. MotorCity Casino had 30%, with Hollywood Casino at Greektown at 23% of the market. Together, the three casinos paid $13 million in taxes and wagering agreement payments to the city of Detroit. They paid another $8.9 million in taxes to the state of Michigan. 

Restoration begins at Lee Plaza Hotel

Restoration of Detroit’s historic Lee Plaza Hotel officially began on Tuesday. Developers and city officials, including Mayor Mike Duggan, celebrated the project at a mid-afternoon event. 

Originally opened in 1929, Lee Plaza was a luxury hotel built by real estate developer Ralph T. Lee. But the building has been vacant for nearly 30 years, falling subject to decay, scalpers, and the theft of its iconic terra cotta lions that once adorned the top of the building. The high-rise will now be turned into affordable senior housing with 117 units.

City to break ground on Rosa Parks Apartments 

The city of Detroit will break ground Thursday on a new affordable housing development in Woodbridge. The 4401 Rosa Parks Apartments will make 60 one- and two-bedroom rental homes available to Detroiters. The city says it’s the first phase in the redevelopment of the former Wilbur Wright school.  The groundbreaking takes place at 11 am. 

Tigers tie for best record in MLB

Believe it or not, the Detroit Tigers are tied for the best record in Major League Baseball. The team has a record of 28 wins and 15 losses, leading the American League. The New York Mets, in the National League, also have a record of 28 and 15.  The Tigers host the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night at Comerica Park. 

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The state treasurer on Wednesday announced $2.5 million in grants for Michigan cities, villages or townships with severe economic problems.

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Those municipalities are defined as ones that are experiencing one or more conditions that qualify as “probable economic distress.”

The funds will be split among 13 cities across the state to support projects, services or strategies aimed at improving their financial stability.

Among the local communities selected to receive funding are Ecorse, receiving $183,000 for water main replacements; Harper Woods, receiving more than $134,000 to fix sanitary sewer outlets; Highland Park, getting $150,000 for two plow trucks; Inkster, receiving $300,000 to replace water system infrastructure; and River Rouge, which will get just over $86,000 to replace infrastructure at the municipal library. 

Visit michigan.gov to view the full list of municipalities receiving funding.

Other headlines for Wednesday, April 30, 2025: 

• A project to end extreme poverty is coming to Detroit this summer.  The organizers of “Global Citizen NOW” announced Wednesday that their international summit will be held in the Hudson’s Detroit building downtown, July 8-11.
• The trial of a Grand Rapids police officer in connection with the death of a Black motorists continues. Officer Christopher Schurr shot and killed motorist Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in April 2022. Lyoya was shot after a brief struggle and the incident was captured on video.  Schurr was later charged with second degree murder. His attorney says the shooting was in self-defense.
• The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II was honored on Tuesday with the Congressional Gold Medal. Known as the “Six Triple Eight,” the unit received the award following a long-running campaign to recognize its efforts.
• The Detroit Pistons are looking forward to Game 6 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the New York Knicks. The Pistons won Game 5, 106-103, at Madison Square Garden in New York Tuesday night.

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

Detroit has some of the worst air quality in the nation, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association. 

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The organization’s “State of the Air” report gives the region an “F” grade in ground level ozone pollution, a “D” in particle pollution, and a failing grade overall in pollution levels above federal standards. 

The research finds metro Detroit has the sixth worst year-round particle pollution in the U.S.  

High levels of air pollution can cause various health issues including asthma attacks and lung cancer, as well as impact other health events such as heart attacks and strokes, the Lung Association reports.

“Unfortunately, too many people in Detroit are living with unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution,” said Kezia Ofosu Atta, advocacy director for the Lung Association in Michigan, in a statement. “This air pollution is causing kids to have asthma attacks, making people who work outdoors sick and unable to work, and leading to low birth weight in babies. We urge Michigan policymakers to take action to improve our air.”

Read the full report at lung.org/research/sota.

More headlines for Wednesday, April 23, 2025:

• Detroit City Council member Gabriella-Santiago Romero has been disqualified from having her name on the city’s August primary election ballot. Wayne County officials say she had an unpaid campaign finance fee, preventing her appearance on the ballot. However, Santiago-Romero issued a release Tuesday saying she has filed all paperwork on time and that the county wrongly assessed the fee. 
• Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens says she’s running for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat next year. She made the announcement in a campaign video Tuesday morning.
• Henry Ford Health is offering free heart health screenings on Saturday at six Henry Ford Hospitals, including Grand Blanc, Clinton Township, Rochester, Providence Southfield, Warren and Wyandotte.
• Efforts to beautify Detroit are showing results, as four million daffodils have bloomed in neighborhoods, parks and medians across the city. The General Services Department’s Floriculture Division says the best showings are in Jayne Playground, Gabriel Richard Park, LaSalle Park and on Oakman Boulevard between Linwood and Dexter. Officials say they hope to have 10 million daffodil bulbs planted in the city one day.
• The Detroit Pistons are getting ready for another first round playoff game on Thursday night. The team won its first playoff game since 2008 when they beat the Knicks in New York 100-94 on Monday night. The series is now tied at a game each.

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

Former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has announced that he’s running to become governor next year. 

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He delivered the news Tuesday in a campaign video, saying the state should eliminate the income tax and promote right to work measures. He also says Michigan schools should “teach A-B-C’s not DEI.”

Cox was elected as Attorney General in 2002, serving in the role until 2011. He ran for governor in 2010, but finished in third place in the Republican primary. 

Other Republicans who have declared their candidacy for next year’s gubernatorial race include Congressman John James, state Sen. Aric Nesbitt and former U.S. House candidate Anthony Hudson. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson are seeking the Democratic nomination in the August primary, and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an independent.  

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer can’t run again because of term limits.

Other headlines for Wednesday, April 16, 2025:

• Dearborn mayor Abdullah Hammoud delivered his annual State of the City address Tuesday night at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center.
• Detroit Deputy Mayor Malia Howard joined other city officials and residents Wednesday morning to celebrate the success of the Detroit Land Bank Authority. The agency has helped to rehab more than 12,000 vacant houses in the city since 2014.
• The schedule has just been released for the Detroit Pistons’ first round playoff games. The team will play the New York Knicks on Saturday in Manhattan. Game one starts at 6 p.m. Game two is also in New York at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, with games three and four to be held in Detroit.
• Detroit broadcaster Guy Gordon is no longer on the air at WJR after he was released by the radio station as part of cost reductions.

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