politics

The 3rd Annual Detroit Is Different Collard Green Cook-Off is moving to the Samaritan Center's Wellness Center Gym on July 26, 2025, with the theme "Bridging Detroit Through Culture and Cuisine." This free community event celebrates Detroit's urban farming heritage and Black culinary traditions, featuring eight local chefs competing for the Collard Green Cook-Off Champion title. Attendees receive one free tasting ticket upon entry and can purchase additional tickets for $2 each, allowing them to sample dishes and participate in voting alongside a panel of judges to determine the winner. The cook-off aims to connect generations, preserve cultural food traditions, and strengthen community bonds through the shared appreciation of collard greens.

Detroit Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero is working with Mayor Mike Duggan's administration to create an ordinance that would redirect commercial truck traffic away from residential neighborhoods in Southwest Detroit. The proposed measure follows recommendations from a 2024 report and aims to address serious health concerns, as Detroit has significantly higher asthma rates than the national average, with 16% of children affected. Medical experts and community organizations testified about the harmful effects of truck-related air pollution, noting that Southwest Detroit's position as an international commercial gateway has led to heavy truck traffic through residential areas. The proposed ordinance would ban trucks from specific streets near homes, schools, and parks, directing them to alternative routes instead.

The Detroit Police Department is regaining control of the Detroit Detention Center after a decade of state operation by the Michigan Department of Corrections, which will end its oversight in August 2023. This transition marks a significant milestone for Detroit, as the state originally took over the facility in 2013 when the police department was under federal oversight for civil rights violations in its precinct lockups. The city will purchase the 49-acre state-owned property for $1, including two buildings at the Mound Road location, and will save the $11-14 million it had been paying annually for state operation. DPD officers are being trained to ensure past issues that led to the state takeover do not recur, though the facility will likely need upgrades, particularly to its air conditioning system.

Detroit Fire Department is receiving all-new mattresses across its stations as part of a $92,000 city initiative to improve firefighter wellness and workplace conditions. The project, championed by City Council Member At-Large Mary Waters, replaces all 200 aging bedding units that had been causing discomfort and potentially hindering firefighter effectiveness. This investment follows an earlier donation of recliners to battalion headquarters from Gardner White furniture retailer in March. The mattress replacement addresses critical rest needs for firefighters who work 24-hour shifts, with officials noting that adequate sleep is essential for operational readiness and long-term wellness of first responders.

Triumph Church pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr., who is running for mayor, is strategizing how to leverage a recent IRS rule change that now allows pastors to campaign for candidates from the pulpit. The IRS officially ended the "Johnson Amendment" restriction that previously prohibited churches from engaging in political campaigns while maintaining their tax-exempt status. According to Kinloch's campaign spokesperson, they immediately began brainstorming ideas after the ruling, suggesting a massive church-based get-out-the-vote effort is forthcoming. Political strategists note this change could significantly impact elections by allowing pastors to directly endorse candidates and distribute campaign literature in churches, though they caution excessive politicking might alienate congregations.

Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr., pastor of Triumph Church and Detroit mayoral candidate, is exploring how to leverage the recent IRS rule change that now allows churches to engage in political activities while maintaining their tax-exempt status. This change effectively strikes down the "Johnson Amendment," which previously prohibited churches from endorsing or opposing political candidates from the pulpit. According to Kinloch's campaign spokesperson Dan Lijana, they began strategizing immediately after the ruling, with plans for a major church-based get-out-the-vote effort while still respecting his congregation's spiritual needs. Political strategists note this ruling could significantly impact campaigns through direct pulpit endorsements and church-based political mobilization, though they caution pastors to balance political messaging with their primary religious duties.

Detroit City Council has unanimously approved ordinances to streamline business licensing processes, reducing burdens on small businesses by extending license renewals from annual to biennial periods, creating provisional licenses, and eliminating redundant health licenses for restaurants. The reforms, developed after a year-long review and consultations with business owners, aim to dismantle complex regulations that disproportionately hindered small local entrepreneurs compared to large corporate chains. While these changes will reduce city revenue from licensing fees by approximately $530,000 annually, officials believe the economic growth from supporting small businesses will ultimately benefit Detroit's neighborhood corridors and change the culture for entrepreneurs.

Detroit police came under scrutiny after assisting federal agents during an immigration raid that led to the arrest of undocumented Honduran Marcos Fabian Arita Bautista. Although Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison maintains that DPD doesn't engage in immigration enforcement, residents and council members questioned this distinction after officers pepper-sprayed protesters and helped apprehend individuals who tried to prevent the federal operation. The incident triggered a debate about police policies limiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with residents arguing that by providing security for federal agents, DPD was effectively participating in immigration enforcement despite claims to the contrary. Several council members, including mayoral candidates, requested body camera footage to determine the exact nature of police involvement.

The NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner in Detroit featured journalist Roland Martin accepting the William Monroe Trotter Freedom and Justice Award, where he emphasized that challenging power and advocating for people should be central to such events. Martin stressed that these gatherings are only meaningful when followed by concrete action, not just symbolic appearances. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist attended the event at Huntington Place, with Gilchrist celebrating the Detroit NAACP's 70 years of impact while warning that new tactics are needed to address current threats to rights and identity. The dinner, described as the largest sit-down dinner in the country, brought together various leaders, clergy, activists, and organizations.

A controversy erupted within the UAW when some members created and distributed a flyer featuring the union's logo to promote a campaign event for Detroit mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield at a UAW hall, despite the union officially endorsing her opponent, Solomon Kinloch Jr. UAW leadership quickly intervened, instructing members to remove the logo and relocate the event to Sheffield's campaign headquarters instead of the union hall. The incident prompted criticism from both the UAW and Kinloch's campaign about Sheffield potentially causing confusion about the union's official endorsement. UAW member Lynda Jackson clarified that Sheffield's campaign was not responsible for creating the flyer, and defended the members' right to support their preferred candidate despite the union's official position.

A controversy erupted in Detroit's mayoral race when UAW members supporting City Council president Mary Sheffield created a flyer using the union's logo for a campaign event, despite the UAW officially endorsing her opponent, Reverend Solomon Kinloch Jr. The unauthorized flyer was briefly posted on Sheffield's Instagram before being removed after media inquiries. UAW leadership criticized Sheffield for the confusion, though her campaign denied responsibility, clarifying that union members created the flyer independently. Some UAW members are supporting Sheffield despite their leadership's endorsement, comparing their situation to UAW members who supported Trump despite the union's endorsement of Harris.

A controversy erupted within the United Auto Workers (UAW) when some members created and distributed a flyer using the union's logo to promote Detroit mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield at a UAW Local 7 union hall. This caused tension because UAW leadership, including president Shawn Fain, had officially endorsed Sheffield's opponent, Reverend Solomon Kinloch Jr. The members who created the flyer, led by Lynda Jackson of UAW Local 7, were instructed by senior UAW leadership to remove the logo and relocate their event to Sheffield's campaign headquarters. Both the UAW and Kinloch's campaign criticized Sheffield for the unauthorized logo use, although her campaign maintains she had no involvement in creating the flyer.