We’re back in your inbox after a much-needed break. But news doesn’t stop just because we did, so let’s catch you up. 

It rained about two inches the last couple days, about half as much as forecasters were worried about (and nothing beats what Houston is going through). If your home flooded from yesterday’s Hurricane Beryl-inspired storms, the city has some helpful tips to deal with any damage and cleanup. 

The president is visiting Detroit (again) after his poor debate performance, activists rallied in Hart Plaza in response to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, and experts weigh in on what Detroiters should know about AI misinformation. We’ll get into all of that later. 

Of course, we are still talking about the tragic mass shooting Sunday on the eastside, even though state officials have been slow to offer comments or condolences, and many residents are frustrated with the lack of communication from police. 

If all that feels a bit heavy, maybe spend some time connecting with the community this weekend. Or stop by Detroit Brew-ti-ful Coffee House to mingle with the Outlier Media staff. First coffee or tea’s on us! 

💚 SaMya and Team Detour 

Backtalk

Thank you to everyone who took our survey about which expenses in the city are the hardest to manage! We’ve received more than 40 responses and learned a lot about how residents are affording Detroit. 

We’ll report our findings soon, so keep an eye out for that. Thanks again!

Detroit in Five

Black man wearing a police uniform stands at a podium with a crowd of people behind him in front of a green backdrop with the City of Detroit logo.
Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James White announced a new strategy to reduce violence at outdoor parties by enforcing permit requirements. Photo credit: City of Detroit

City leaders on holiday? Detroiters had to wait until Monday to hear any details about an early Sunday shooting that killed two people and injured 19 others on Detroit’s eastside from Police Chief James White and Mayor Mike Duggan. Michigan State Police, which also responded to the shooting, released key details first on Sunday while Detroit cops kept local media in the dark. Detroit Police Commissioner Ricardo Moore was frustrated by the lack of transparency, telling Metro Times he’s “beginning to think our leadership only works Monday through Friday.” City Council President Mary Sheffield did release a statement on social media on Sunday and held a conference and vigil on Wednesday in response to the shootings. Detroit police had every reason to anticipate problems over the weekend: Violence marred Detroit’s Fourth of July in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. (Detroit Free Press, Metro Times, Steve Neavling, Mary Sheffield, Detroit News, Deadline Detroit, Fox 2) 

Permits aren’t the problem: City leaders say they’re cracking down (again) on “illegal block parties” in Detroit after recent parties resulted in 27 shooting victims in one week. City rules have long required block parties happen only on residential streets one block at a time, and with no alcohol, tents, inflatables, vendors, or food and beverage sales. Organizers must obtain a permit and notify the Detroit Police Department. City officials said during a news conference Monday that they’re not interested in shutting down “your typical barbecues” but instead are prioritizing larger gatherings. Officials had less to say about guns being brought to parties in the first place, or the fact that residents feel there are limited things for young people to do in the city. Some residents plan to express their concerns about the policing of community events at a rally at Clark Park, Thursday at 6 p.m. (Outlier Media, Detroit News, Malachi Barrett, WDIV, cyclesixmile, Detroit Will Breathe) 

Off the market: There’s a lot to be said about Michigan’s first 3D-printed house, but you can’t say that anyone’s living there. Citizen Robotics, the nonprofit that built the cozy two-bedroom near Belle Isle, took down the For Sale sign after it sat on the market for roughly six months. The company said they received offers for the house, some at the asking price of $224,500, which is substantially higher than the city’s estimated average home price. Citizen Robotics co-founder and communications director Evelyn Woodman declined the offers “to allow everyone to experience it in person.” (Outlier, Freep) 

Rallying for Ukraine: Supporters of Ukraine in its war with Russia rallied at Hart Plaza to raise awareness about a missile attack that killed at least 31 people and struck the major children’s hospital in Kyiv, the country’s capital. Dozens of residents attended the event organized by the Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan on Monday. The attendees were just a small portion of the metro area’s estimated 50,000 residents who have emigrated from Ukraine. The relief group also promoted the Ukrainian government’s fundraiser for the hospital, which has already surpassed its $500,000 goal. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (Detroit News, United24)

Biden his time? President Joe Biden will visit Detroit on Friday, two weeks after his debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27 alarmed many. A growing number of Democrats, including former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lon Johnson, want the 81-year-old incumbent to step down, worried that he is too old to lead the country. U.S. Reps. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids), Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) and Dan Kildee (D-Flint) acknowledged these concerns but stopped short of saying the president should end his campaign. Any Dem candidate would need Biden’s delegates to go against Trump in November, including the 117 delegates the president won in Michigan. Biden would have to step down to free those delegates, but he insists he won’t give up. Still, some names have been thrown around as potential replacements, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has confirmed she won’t be running for president this election. Other names in the ether include Vice President Kamala Harris, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Freep, Lon Johnson, Bridge Michigan, MSNBC, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, YouGov)

Humans of Detroit

🏀 The Big3, a professional 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Ice Cube, is expected to create a new team based in Detroit. The league, in its seventh season, consists of 12 teams made up of international and former NBA players. (Detroit News) 

đŸ‘šđŸŸâ€âš–ïž Detroit rapper Skilla Baby is threatening to sue the city and the police department, saying a cop sabotaged his concerts and tried to prevent him from entering an event without cause. The rapper made the statement on social media after his concert at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre was cut short. (Freep, Skilla Baby) 

♻ Scrap Soils, a nonprofit composting service, is experimenting with using an autonomous robot to help turn food waste into compost. Co-founders Grace Tate, Ricky Blanding and Liana Li hope the robot will help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced by driving. (BridgeDetroit) 

đŸ‘©đŸŸâ€đŸ« The Detroit Federation of Teachers approved a new two-year contract with the public school district, the first time in three decades a contract was ratified before the school year began. It includes several benefits, including private spaces for nursing parents, gender-neutral bathrooms and a maximum salary of $90,000 for teachers with a master’s degrees, up from $86,000. (Chalkbeat Detroit)

Oh, the Places to Go

❌ A building at the Dabls Mbad African Bead Museum lives to see another day, thanks in part to a last-minute rally organized by artist Bryce Detroit. (Bryce Detroit, Outlier) 

🎡 Downriver, the Uncle Sam Jam festival returns today through July 14 in Woodhaven. The free fĂȘte will feature more than 30 attractions and a musical lineup of Simply Queen, Hinder, Fuel and Queensryche. (Metro Times) 

đŸ–Œïž Detroit artist LaKela Brown’s newest show “From Scratch: Seeding Adornment” will be on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit through Oct. 4. Brown’s first solo exhibition — and her first one in her hometown — focuses on Black culture through food and fashion. (Metro Times) 

😋 Looking for some vegan eats? Check out this guide to some of the best vegan eateries in Detroit. We recommend Trap Vegan on the Avenue of Fashion, to start. (Planet Detroit)

Tagged #Detroit

This is what happens when subpar bike lanes are built without proper barriers:

Three cars are parked on a boulevard inside a painted bike lane while a white car sits in a parking space. Down the street, a black pickup truck and a red fire truck also block the bike lane. In the distance is an Art Deco skyscraper with a green roof.
Many bike lanes in Detroit don’t have clear markings or barriers, which lets drivers park where they shouldn’t. Photo credit: Dan Ignacio/Outlier Media

In Case You Missed It

What Detroiters need to know about AI-generated election misinformation

by SaMya Overall

Side-by-side, similar images of a microphone with a blurry crowd in the background.
Experts are concerned about the use of media made with artificial intelligence in the 2024 election cycle. There are no foolproof ways to tell if what appears to be a photo is actually computer-generated, like the one on the right, made with OpenAI’s text-to-image model, DALL-E. Image credit: Generated by Outlier Media using artificial intelligence

Could you tell the difference between a life-like, AI-generated image and a real photo? 

Generative artificial intelligence increasingly lets everyday people create images, audio and videos that look or sound like, say, a presidential candidate. As the tech gets better, the content they produce gets harder to suss out. Any of these AI technologies can be used to spread misinformation to deceive people. Detroiters are no exception.

Read the story

Get Busy

Hot DAM! Show, African World Festival and Kite Festival

by Meghan Rutigliano

Woven brown basket in the shape of a flower with white spots.
A piece from artist Susan Aaron-Taylor’s “Endangered: Rafflesia.” Aaron-Taylor’s work will be on exhibit with more than 50 other artists at the Hot DAM! Show on Friday. Photo credit: Courtesy of Detroit Artist Market

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the incredible energy and community spirit that makes Detroit so special. 

Whether it’s dancing at the DIA, networking on the Dequindre Cut or celebrating African culture at Hart Plaza, every event is an opportunity to connect, create and thrive together. This week’s going to be lit!

Let’s get busy

This edition of Detour was written by Aaron Mondry, Koby Levin, Laura Herberg, Lynelle Herndon and SaMya, who tried Ethiopian food at The Blue Nile in Ferndale last week. It was delicious!

Which line from Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” lives rent-free in your head?

Creative Commons License

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

SaMya (she/her) believes in empowering and encouraging minority voices through local journalism because journalism is a service to the community. She loves Campus Martius, especially during holiday time with the bright lights and snow.