Sven Gustafson - Daily Detroit (Page 2)

PODCAST: Matty Moroun's Legacy, Program Supports Undocumented Immigrants During Coronavirus, Plus Things To Know

Big news in Detroit business as Manuel “Matty” Moroun, the self-made Arab-American billionaire trucking magnate and Ambassador Bridge owner, has died at the age of 93. Moroun leaves behind a complicated legacy in Detroit, rising from the son of Lebanese immigrants to a man known for throwing around lavish campaign contributions to politicians, defying government orders and for his non-stewardship of properties like the Michigan Central Station through decades of blight and decay. We d...

Coronavirus Is Tied To Everything: Road Funding, Sports And A New Test From Beaumont

We usually like to send you off on your merry weekend with lighthearted fare, but unfortunately, the coronavirus has roared back, and it literally touches everything about modern life. But the good news is, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer did not use her Thursday news conference to order a return to stay-at-home quarantine for Michigan. Yet. But she really, really wants you to wear a damn mask (our words not hers). So much so, there’s a new executive order. On today’s show, we di...

Chipotle To Open In Ferndale, Portillo's Coming To Sterling Heights, Plus A Conversation About The Demise Of Sports Talk WDFN-AM

Daily Detroit has learned that Chipotle Mexican Grill, the fast-casual chain known for its burritos and bowls, is planning to open a new location on Woodward Avenue in Ferndale this fall. A spokeswoman tells us the new store will open at 23123 Woodward Ave., on the corner of Cambourne Street, in the site of a former Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, which recently closed. Rumors about a new Chipotle had been swirling on a Facebook group, and Daily Detroit producer Shianne Nocerini recently...

PODCAST: Your Coronavirus Questions, Answered, With Dr. Paul Thomas. Plus, How You Doin' Out There?

Welcome to the holiday weekend, everybody. This is certainly a strange one, with coronavirus numbers once again on the upswing in Michigan and across much of the country, adding a complicated wrinkle to what is normally one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. On today’s show, we make a house call to our friend Dr. Paul Thomas, founder of Plum Health Direct Primary Care in Detroit, for help answering your burning questions about COVID-19. We talk face masks, whether it’s safe...

PODCAST: Dream Cruise Canceled, Truck-A-Palooza, Plus Vacationing During A Pandemic

Hello Detroit. I’m back from Michigan’s vacation wonderland and here to report about the efforts that many vacationers appear not to be taking to safeguard themselves and others against the coronavirus. Based on my experience, I’d recommend limiting your visits to businesses and other public spaces if you’re planning to head Up North. And wear a mask! Other things you’ll hear on today’s show: * The 2020 Woodward Dream Cruise is officially canceled. What does that mean? * We di...

Inside Ann Arbor's Audacious Plan To Go Carbon Neutral By 2030

We don’t cover Ann Arbor all that often on Daily Detroit, but we can’t deny that a lot of interesting things come out of Tree Town. Case in point: The City Council recently approved a plan, years in the making, to make the entire city of 120,000 residents go carbon neutral by 2030. That makes Ann Arbor the first city in southeast Michigan to set such an ambitious goal. The plan is called A2Zero, and it revolves around six core strategies, including moving the grid to 100% renewable energ...

PODCAST: A Doctor Discusses The Hazards Of Tear Gas, Pepper Spray And 'Rubber' Bullets, Plus 3 Things To Know

Friend of the Daily Detroit podcast Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health joins Jer on today’s show to talk all about the health and medical risks of tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets, which it turns out mostly aren’t made of rubber. It’s a timely topic, given the use of these things by heavy-handed police departments across the country in response to the Black Lives Matter protests. Also, we discuss the cancellation of the 2020 Mackinac Policy Conference, after it was postponed to...

A Trump MAGA Boat Parade Is Coming To Detroit, And Ferndale Hosts Its Own Protest

Donald Trump turns 74 on Sunday, and local supporters of the president plan a boat parade in celebration. No, that’s not a joke. Meanwhile, I report on a big Black Lives Matter march that took place in Ferndale over the weekend. The Michigan MAGA Boat Parade is planned to kick off Saturday afternoon at a marina in Harrison Township on Lake St. Clair and wrap up at 4 p.m. near the Ambassador Bridge on the Detroit River. It comes as public opinion polls reflect dismal views of the job...

PODCAST: Local Headlines, Detroit Unemployment Surges, And HopCat Parent Files For Bankruptcy Restructuring

On today’s show, we bring you the latest news about ongoing protests in the city and region, and we discuss the ramifications of new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that say unemployment in Detroit proper is at 51% right now, third worst in the nation behind Las Vegas and North Las Vegas. What does this mean for Detroit’s much-vaunted “comeback”? Also making waves across Michigan today: The parent company of HopCat, the craft beer-focused restaurant chain, has declared Chapt...

PODCAST: Michigan Bars, Restaurants To Re-Open, Plus Detroit Protests With City Councilman James Tate

Some good news mixed with all the heaviness of late. On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she was rescinding her Safer At Home order and moving the state to Phase 4 of its reopening plan. That will allow bars and restaurants to reopen at half capacity, with social distancing and other safety precautions in place. It also allows for gatherings of up to 100 people, plus many more things we run down for you. We’re staying on the fallout of the protests that have rocked Detroi...

PODCAST: Whitmer's Boatgate, Kwame's Not Getting Out Plus 7 Things To Know

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer may have urged Michigan residents not to head Up North for the Memorial Day weekend. But the owner of a dock company says the governor’s husband asked to put his boat in the water last week before the holiday weekend, explaining that he was the guv’s husband. And how Whitmer faces her own boatgate controversy, which is ironic, because some of the first, loud complaints about her emergency stay-at-home order centered on people not being able to put their boats in the...

MoGo Bike Share To Launch Detroit And Suburban Expansion June 4

MoGo, the bike-share system that launched a network of stations in Detroit in 2017, will launch its expansion into five northern inner-ring suburbs and northwest Detroit on June 4, Daily Detroit has learned. Crews will be installing five docking stations in Oak Park starting Thursday, the city announced in a Facebook post. Work will also take place that day in Huntington Woods and Berkley, on Friday in Ferndale, and May 26 and 27 in Detroit centered around the Livernois Avenue of Fashio...

The Impact Of Coronavirus On Musicians And Venues

If you’re like us, you’ve probably been listening to a lot of music to help fight the quarantine blues. And musicians have stepped up to the task, with livestream performances and digital album releases proliferating. But did you ever wonder how the coronavirus is affecting musicians themselves? Or live music venues? In the streaming era, with physical album sales a fraction of what they once were, touring has become the biggest way musicians make a living. It’s why the price of a co...

Eastern Market

6 Things To Know, And What We're All Missing During The Coronavirus Quarantine

Welcome to your Wednesday Hump Day edition of your Daily Detroit. Today we’re tackling: * Metro Times is out with a shocking story about violent threats made against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on several private Facebook groups. It comes as an armed rally is once again being planned for the state Capitol building in Lansing on Thursday. We have thoughts. * Some vacant Art Van furniture stores will be reborn as Loves Furniture, with about 1,000 people hired to staff them. * The Archdioc...

Chef James Rigato Of Mabel Gray On How To Navigate The Coming Meat Shortage

You may have heard that our food system is in dire straits, with shortages of chicken, beef and pork looming because several meat processing plants have temporarily shuttered due to the coronavirus. And that President Trump has gotten involved. On today’s show, we break down what that’s all about, and we speak with James Rigato, the chef and owner of celebrated restaurant Mabel Gray. Rigato recently took to Instagram to discuss the issue, and on today’s show, he offers his expert per...

PODCAST: Construction Workers Will Soon Resume Work & Ford Posts A Big Loss

On today’s show, some coronavirus-related automotive news for you. Ford posted a hefty, $2 billion loss for the first quarter, blaming it on the coronavirus and related production shutdowns. It also said the second quarter will be far worse, when it expects to post a $5 billion pre-tax loss. Lincoln also made a surprise announcement that it’s canceling plans to develop its first electric vehicle with EV startup Rivian because of the “current environment,” with production shut down and cas...

PODCAST: Coronavirus News, Dearborn & Oakland County Turn Focus To Economic Aid, Detroit City FC Spring Season Is Canceled

Today on your Daily Detroit, a three-parter. We interview Fletcher Sharpe for a rundown about Detroit City FC’s spring season being canceled and the status of the women’s team, which is supposed to launch its inaugural season this spring. Then, Cristina Sheppard-Decius of the East and West Dearborn Downtown Development Authorities joins us to discuss a new small-business and sole-proprietor grant program being offered in the city. The window to apply for them opened Monday and closes...

PODCAST: As Demonstrators Protest Whitmer's Stay-At-Home Order In Lansing, California And New York Send Ventilators To Michigan

Today we’ve got an all-headlines edition of your Daily Detroit. We run down the latest numbers on confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths from the state, and we discuss the “Operation Gridlock” protest organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition today in Lansing. The group urged participants to protest what they see as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s overly restrictive stay-at-home order from their vehicles, but hundreds spilled out onto the Capitol grounds anyway, many not wearing masks...