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Police chief orders ‘Pokemon’ to go as players create hazards at Minn. fairgrounds
Over the past year or two, the Falcon Heights fairgrounds were the local ground zero for “Pokemon” group battles, where players would gather to fight monsters too tough to be fought alone.
The game’s creator, San Francisco-based Niantic Inc., had positioned numerous stops and “gyms” — gathering places for players — across the fairgrounds, resulting in dozens if not hundreds of visits a day. Even over the winter, players gathered in groups as large as 100 to fight the virtual monsters, which could only be seen on their phones.
But fighting and driving don’t mix, State Fair officials said.
“There were some crashes. One car drove off a retaining wall. Just the sheer irresponsibility of drivers, running stop signs, parking in the middle of the street and leaving their car. … To be looking down all the time, it was just getting crazy. Especially on the big days, where they dropped a lot of gems,” said State Fair Police Chief Paul Paulos, who’s had to familiarize himself with “Pokemon” lingo to properly police the fairgrounds.
“The gamers overall were polite people. But at the same time, they were really creating an unsafe environment,” Paulos added.
The incidents didn’t result in any injuries, Paulos noted. But with 300 events going on at the fairgrounds annually, and a plethora of pedestrians and dog-walkers, State Fair officials felt the “Pokemon” traffic wasn’t worth it.
And so they released an official statement this month saying they had asked Niantic to remove all gyms and stops from their property. A State Fair spokeswoman said that the company has since done so.
The fairgrounds effort wasn’t the only front against distracted driving this month. Last week, Gov. Tim Walz signed “hands-free” cellphone legislation, which prohibits holding a cellphone while driving, with an exception for emergency communications.
Battling Pokemon would likely not be considered an emergency under the bill.
Source: https://www.dl-online.com/entertainment/games/4599483-police-chief-orders-pokemon-go-players-create-hazards-minn-fairgrounds
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Hip in Detroit's Picks for the Weekend: March 29-31
Friday, March 29 - Demetri Martin @ Royal Oak Music Theatre: You may remember Demetri Martin and his giant sketch pad from his show on Comedy Central. Well, flash forward about 10 years, and he is still just as funny as he was then. Last year he released a Netflix special called Demetri Martin: The Overthinker and now he is out on a stand up tour. The Wandering Mind Tour will be making a stop at Royal Oak Music Theatre this Friday night, and we highly suggest you check it out! We've seen Martin live a few times and he has one of the funniest stand up shows around! Tickets are $39.50 and can be purchased in advance here.
Saturday, March 30 - Strength: A Benefit for Justin Walker @ Ant Hall and Ghost Light: Recently, Justin Walker of J. Walker & The Crossguards suffered a stroke that affected the right side of his body. Thankfully, Justin is stable, but he has a long road of recovery ahead of him. Some of Detroit's best musicians are coming together this Saturday to help out their friend Justin. A benefit show is being held at Ant Hall & Ghost Light in Hamtramck, with sets by Duende, The High Strung, OBLISK, Kommander, ZZvava, Dawg Love (Demolition Dollrods), Carjack., Dark Red, EnD, and Isles of ESP. They're asking for a $10 minimum donation at the door. If you can't make it to the show, but want to help Justin out, visit his Go Fund Me here.
Saturday, March 30 - The Music of David Bowie performed by the DSO: David Bowie was a legend. There's no other way to put it. This Saturday night, you get to hear the songs of this amazing musician performed like you've never heard them before. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra will be joined by a full rock band to play all of your favorites from Bowie. Tickets start at $32 and can be purchased here.
Saturday, March 30 - Jimmy Edgar @ City Club: Detroit native Jimmy Edgar has been creating electronic music since the early 2000s. Now, he is known around the world and his appearances in Detroit are pretty rare. That's why you don't want to miss his live set this Saturday night at City Club. 18+ are welcome to attend the show and cover is $15. To see the full list of artists for the night and their set times, click here. Jimmy Edgar's project J-E-T-S (with Machinedrum) has a new LP coming out this May. You can give the first single "Zoopla" a listen here.
Sunday, March 31 - Brunch @ Small's w/ The Orbitsuns: Small's is already known as one of the best bars and venues around, but did you know that they host amazing pop-ups as well? This Sunday, Small's will be serving up brunch, with Bloody Mary and Mimosa Specials and some of the best brunch food around. This edition of Sunday Brunch will be extra special too, because DJ Pleasure Kitten will be spinning tunes in the bar and then The Orbitsuns will be hitting the stage at 3 p.m. You won't find another brunch like this anywhere in town! Keep an eye on the Facebook event page to see what will be on the menu!
Sunday, March 31 - Thou @ The Sanctuary w/ Emma Ruth Rundle, Cloud Rat, and Sweat: Baton Rouge based Thou will be hitting the stage at The Sanctuary in Hamtramck along with their tour mate Emma Ruth Rundle. The two acts will be joined by Detroit's own Cloud Rat and Sweat, making for a pretty bad ass Sunday night. Cover for this show is $13 and tickets can be purchased in advance here. All ages are welcome to attend this one and doors open at 7 p.m.
Source: http://www.hipindetroit.com/2019/03/hip-in-detroits-picks-for-weekend-march_29.html
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PFF: Frank Ragnow has potential to be the best center in NFL
The biggest news out of the first week of Detroit Lions Organized Team Activities is the offensive line shakeup. After preparing 2018 first-round pick Frank Ragnow for the guard position all of last year, Detroit trotted him out at center in the first two practices, suggesting there may be a positional change in the making.
It’s still very possible that the Lions are simply cross training their players to give them more versatility in case of injury. However, Pro Football Focus appears to be a big fan of making that move to center permanent for Frank Ragnow.
PFF’s Connor McGuinness explained why by looking and his grades at both a college level and from his rookies season in Detroit. The difference is clear as day. At Arkansas, he started his career at guard, but then moved to center for the final two years. The difference in grades is drastic:
Center: 92.5 overall grade, 81.6 pass block grade, 94.4 run block grade
Guard: 80.6 overall grade, 67.9 pass block grade, 86.6 run block grade
Of course, it’s hard to know whether this was simply Ragnow getting better over time or getting more comfortable head-manning the offensive line at center. His offensive line coach in college certainly seems to think Ragnow is right at home at the center position:
Now potentially in a position where he was so dominant in college, McGuinness believes Ragnow’s ceiling is as high as they come.
“The reality is that the position change could be the difference between the Lions having a starting-caliber guard, and an elite-level center who could go on to be the best in the NFL,” McGuinness.
He’s not mincing words here. Not “one of the best,” “the best in the NFL.”
We obviously shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves here. Ragnow has literally played just a single NFL snap at center. However, everything from his college profile suggests he should be able to, and the Lions clearly think it’s a good idea to at least try him there.
As for Ragnow himself, he seemed pretty excited about the potential move when talking about the play-calling aspects a center gets.
“I enjoy that part of the game,” Ragnow said. “That’s a part of the game I really enjoyed in college, making all the calls, kind of leading the guys.”
Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2019/5/23/18637242/frank-ragnow-best-nfl-center-pff-detroit-lions
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Mobility Moments Podcast: Elaina Farnsworth, The NEXT Education
Driven - Mobility Moment: Elaina Farnsworth, NEXT Education
For the past century the engineer has been at the center of automotive development, but mobility requires a smart infrastructure too. So how does this need for skilled talent impact our future workforce?
But let's think about a broader scenario because the workers aren't going to only have to build the vehicles, the workers are going to have to support the ecosystem that is beyond just that one transportation device.
That was Elaina Farnsworth. She is CEO of The NEXT Education, a leader in real-world learning solutions for mobility, autonomy, and intelligent transportation. She's also our guest on Driven's Mobility Moments podcast. Stick with us because we're talking about future workforce needs, upskilling and reskilling and something called the “Scully Effect.”
I'm your host, Claire Charlton.
Elaina, good morning and welcome to Driven's Mobility Moments podcast. I'm so excited to talk with you.
Oh, me too, Claire. Thank you for having me.
Yes. So let's talk a little bit about your company, The NEXT Education.
Yes. The NEXT Education, we're a training firm and we specialize in the area of autonomy and intelligent transportation. The reason we do that is because both autonomy and ITS is changing the world. And it is our mission to get people ready for that change and to train them for the jobs that are coming.
So Elaina, you are the CEO of the company that you just described, The NEXT Education, and you're also a mobility thought leader. So let's set the stage a little bit with you in that second role. Let's talk about the mobility ecosystem in general. We're adopting electric vehicles, connected vehicles, a connected infrastructure, and eventually autonomous vehicles. So it's not just happening here, but Michigan does have a fantastic opportunity to lead the country in this advanced technology. Talk about how you see this new mobility infrastructure impacting our lives in the next decade or so.
I love this question, Claire. And I tell you why, because when I speak nationally, many times I get the question, "Oh, when is this going to be here?" The fact is, it's here today. So we have instances in Michigan around where we have actual deployment of all of these technologies that you're talking about, autonomy, connected mobility, and intelligent transportation. And I want to start by just kind of giving an overview here in Michigan about where you can see this in real life, not on TV, but in downtown Detroit we have a wonderful display of autonomy with May Mobility and some of the autonomous shuttles that they have going on right now in downtown Detroit. We also have instances with our universities, the University of Michigan and their launch of their autonomous shuttle for students that is on the University of Michigan campus.
Obviously we have instances with our high concentration of automotive that you may not be able to just walk on and see, but it's happening in the development right here. And then last but not least what I'm going to mention is, you know, the American Center for Mobility. So I mentioned all of these instances because Michigan has historically been a leader in showcasing these newer technologies. And it's not tomorrow, it's today.
So if we imagine a world of let's just take out the ease of transportation, which clearly will be a benefit for those who don't own cars. But let's think about in an urban environment where there may be individuals that need access to things like healthcare because they don't currently have the ability to get from point A to point B, but they need to get medicines and they need to be able to access health care providers to be able to stay fit and to stay healthy.
These are ways that autonomy will change lives in not only just convenience factors, but clearly can extend the life of people because we're able to provide services to them that they've never been able to access before.
So it's not just moving people necessarily, but moving goods and services as you mentioned.
That correct. We have instances that are going on right now in the United States in Alpha and Beta tests where we have pizzas being delivered by autonomous vehicles, or we have for-profit entities that are investing in having a driverless car that will drive up and allow you to pay for dinner. Now this is goods and services.
We also have autonomy. A lot of people think about the driverless car, but autonomy is really any vehicle, whether it's a ground vehicle, an aerial vehicle, a maritime vehicle that's moving from one place to another that is using primarily technology as its navigation systems. So when we start talking about goods and services being delivered, you know, how great would it be if we had a vehicle that would pull up to your house and you've just ordered many of the items from various places and then a drone can bring it to your house? So those are some of the things that are still being tested. But those are a very real future view of how autonomy is really going to change the world we live in today.
And so one of the changes that we need to talk about is workforce. So our workforce will change and not just in automotive, but across many sectors as you mentioned. So what opportunities do you think these changes will create for a future workforce?
So I like to shift the conversation typically from that traditional engineering discussion. And the reason being is it's clear we're going to need engineers because as the autonomy changes the world, we're going to have to have those engineers that are able to build the systems. But let's think out a broader scenario because the workers aren't going to only have to build the vehicles. The workers are going to have to support the ecosystem that is beyond just that one transportation device. So when we think about that, let's think about those installers. So we have a program right now that we support in intelligent transportation where we take those skilled workers. So those people who have been, you know, in jobs for 25 years in transportation, but they may have been only susceptible to an analog kind of thinking. So not a digital way of thinking.
Well, when we start talking about smart cities and we start talking about intelligent transportation where you have sensors that are talking from the traffic lights to your vehicle. So it's a safer way to get from place to place. You have to have somebody to install that. You have to have somebody that's going to get up on that pole and know exactly how to install that 365 camera because the line of sight becomes very important. The data transmission becomes very important, but it's not just the engineering behind the IT part. It's if that infrastructure isn't installed or grounded properly, then that data doesn't transmit in the proper format. And so those are the jobs that are going to be more prevalent, not the four-year college degree where we have that engineering background, but those who can install and troubleshoot and maintain and have that core of skill set that doesn't necessarily require that engineering degree.
So this is wonderful because it opens up opportunities for people who don't necessarily want to get a four-year degree, but who are looking to jumpstart their career or in fact even pivot their career. Maybe they will be doing some upskilling. So that's something that your organization can help with. Talk about the concept of upskilling.
Yes. So we use two terms, which is reskilling and upskilling workers of today. Because we want them to be ready for the jobs of tomorrow. The interesting thing, I must preface it with this. The interesting thing about the jobs tomorrow, I love saying this is we have what's moving today but there are going to be jobs we don't even know about yet. In the instance of connective vehicle, just a few short years ago we did a study here in Oakland County and we found that there was a new job category that came out of the study because no one had identified that specific skill set yet, so that's happening every day in autonomy, connected vehicle and intelligent transportation. So with that, the concept of upskilling is that we take those fundamental skills that a person would need. For instance, I'm going to go back to the analogy that I used earlier in intelligent transportation.
We may have had someone that has been an installer and in transportation for years that has gone out to do site surveys and they're very much driven into being able to do that transportation oriented task. However, they don't need to go back to get a degree in IT or in intelligent transportation. What they do need is to be able to take that skill that they have perfected over the last 25 years and layer on top of that additional skills that will make them better at the job of tomorrow, which is something, as I mentioned earlier, like installing it properly or grounding it properly so that the data can get through the pipes. That is one instance of reskilling.
A second one I like to use in an engineering capacity because we don't want to forget them. Even though I'm talking about additional jobs. In an engineering capacity, we have cybersecurity that is entering the stage because it's very important with all of the data that's transmitted in this economy that it's secure. So, many times in the cybersecurity area, we're seeing that HR directors will hire to a computer science degree. But what we're finding is that the managers that are driving the engineering side would almost prefer that we have someone with an automotive background and a mechanical engineering that would then upscale themselves with cybersecurity principles and be able to then recommend initiatives in the software field because they didn't go back and get an IT degree. But that would be a case of upskilling an engineer to be a cybersecurity specialist with an automotive or a mechanical engineering background.
So that's so interesting. And it makes a case for the concept of lifelong learning and expanding your skills to meet the needs of the market.
Yes, that's correct. And I love that lifelong learning because many years ago it was okay to get just a four year degree and to, you know, do some things in professional development. But it wasn't as critical as lifelong learning because today we have access to information all the time, anywhere at any time. And so in order for us to remain relevant in this future economy, we have to change our thinking. And so one of the reasons we named our company The NEXT Education is we know that that next job, that next leader, that next skill that you need is going to continuously be there as opposed to just staying stagnant. Because if you stay stagnant, you're not going to be able to be relevant in the economy of data anytime, anywhere.
So what is the model for The NEXT Education? How do people attain these skills through your organization?
So we have two, we have three ways that you can attain the skills. We, one, have in person classroom learning. Where we send instructors. We're a little different than a university because we work with universities and many times we work with community colleges and that we employ subject matter experts that are usually working in the industry. So they may be working full time somewhere, but they're our instructors because they do it every day. So we have those instructor led trainings where we will send a subject matter expert and to say, Hey, you know what? I did a deployment last week and let me tell you what happened. It's not like you read it in the books.
We also have online learning where we have a proprietary trademark on module called micro tracks and they're small consumable pieces of information you can take online because many times, I don't know about you Claire, but I'm in airports a lot and many times I can get on my tablet and I can go through a series of short learning and then do something to show that I know that skill so I can get a badge for instance. And then I may shut my laptop and I may not be able to see it again for another week because I'm traveling again. That is the concept of micro tracks where we are able to provide users with information where they can show that they're learning and they're doing things in order to be able to earn credentials, but they don't have to be in a classroom for five days because they just aren't able to do that. So those are the types of things. And you can learn all about our company at thenextad.com
Right. So, you mentioned your website and on your website is a really great blog and there are a lot of interesting topics that you and your colleagues write about. But one of the things that you said was that our whole ecosystem really needs to refresh its mindset. I see this in a lot of ways in that we really have to kind of throw away what we already know or maybe build upon what we already know about the way that we are, the way that we move goods and services and people today. Can you talk a little bit about how that refreshing your mindset applies to the work that you do everyday?
Yes. It's a very interesting and fun environment because if you like stimulation of your mind, it's always there. I'm going to reference the Center for Automotive Research, which is, you know, is out of Ann Arbor. They have an event coming up called Bridging Detroit and Silicon Valley. And reason I'm mentioning that is because I love that term bridging. The skill sets and the ecosystem that we have today have been around for some time. Now, it's going to change and evolve just like anything does in an ecosystem. It evolves to be better than it was by itself. But that bridge is what is extremely important to recognize that there are skill sets that exist today that are incredibly important to stay consistent, such as the engineering principles, the way the data is captured and the way that data moves, but bridging the conversations with the educational institutions with the ability to upscale.
So let's go in and see what you have today and let's bridge to be able to do it tomorrow. I sometimes say that it's the wild west and here's why. There's so many jobs available right now. Literally, I did a search yesterday just in the area on Indeed, and I think there was like 19,000 jobs in the midwest for intelligent transportation or something that was related to that. If you want to get in as an individual to this career or you want to change careers all together, if you really look at the ecosystem itself, which is data, which is cybersecurity, which is communication protocols, it's autonomy, it's connected mobility, it's intelligent transportation. All these words aren't just buzzwords. They have components that are significant in order to make them work. So if we look at the pieces of the ecosystem and as an individual or a company, we focus on reskilling and upskilling to that ecosystem, you can pretty much call your shots and get a job in the future.
Now, I do want to be clear, just because you get a certification, it doesn't mean you're going to start at management level. You have to have realistic expectations that if you've been in one role and you certify and credential yourself, you may have to start at an entry level role to work, for instance, at a department of transportation. But your path to success is much quicker than if you don't do the research, get the certifications, and then embrace the ecosystem that you're going to be engaging with.
Excellent. So just to pivot to another really important aspect to the success of mobility is diversity. And specifically with more women in the mobility workforce. Can you talk about your Top 100 Women in Cyber and Mobility program?
I love that you're ending with one of my favorite topics. We see a need for females to be able to engage in this industry. And what's really funny is I have a wonderful colleague, I won't mention her name, but we were talking when we decided to launch this initiative, and I said, we're going to honor 100 females that have top achievements in mobility and cybersecurity. And we want it to be from a diverse, we want them to be young and old. We want them to have everything that there is to embrace what a female is. And she looks at me and she goes, "Is there 100 of us in it?"
That's my question. Is there?
Exactly. And what is incredible is, yes, there are, but as we have seen over and over again many times, you know, we don't highlight herself as women and we really don't get out and say, hey, look at the achievements that we've accomplished. Many times, you know, very powerful, strong women as well as men, but we just do what we do. And so we noticed a need to be able to highlight that for two reasons. One is because many people in general don't understand the difference between autonomy and connected mobility and intelligent transportations. And then vehicle cybersecurity. Those are very different but similar things. So our hope was is that when we highlight these top 100 women that are doing these amazing accomplishments in these areas, we can show the relative contribution between the communication.
So how does communication protocol play a role in this? We can show the relevance of cybersecurity when it comes to autonomy and connected mobility. We can show different industry specific parts of the ecosystem by highlighting these women and the jobs that they do. And in addition, what we can show is what these women have been able to achieve great successes by staying focused. Another, we hope, ancillary benefit to this top 100 women is each of these women that we have awarded the award to and have honored this year have agreed to have a mentor session with young women. So, not only are we honoring top 100 women, but we're also engaging them with 100 young women, which may be elementary age, may be middle school age. And we're saying to them, you know, "Look," I laughed, Claire, do you remember, is it the X Files where Agent Scully, do you remember her?
Yes!
Well, I mentioned her because I was reading a few months back and there is actually a phenomena called the Scully Phenomenon because they did a research back in the, I want to say late 90s, early 2000s, forgive me if I misquote that, but where the Scully Effect was, many of the very influential women of the time had watched Agent Scully on TV and said, I never knew that a woman could be part of such an exciting and engaging field. So, not that we mimicked that, but our thought was if we highlight the success of women that we can highlight accomplishments in the industry itself and then we can also show young women that are looking for a career and maybe have no idea what this is, that there would be a role model for them to model their potential for going into a career field in intelligent transportations or cyber.
Excellent. I love that. It is so important to know that you can see people like you who look like you, who look like you in your field of choice and that you can see that it's possible. If they achieved it, hey, so can you.
Exactly.
I love that. What else do you want people to know about the future of mobility or the right now of mobility, especially Michigan's role in this particular ecosystem?
If I had to leave by saying anything, it's that I want to encourage that bridge. The economy is not just about one area or one section of the country or another, but we all have our definite place in this ecosystem. So being able to utilize all of the great engineering talent and all of the automotive industry and all of the cyber security plus the projects that I mentioned early on in the interview here in Michigan, I want us to encourage one another to keep that as a forefront.
Don't let it become an old hat, right? So let's keep talking about it. Let's keep promoting what we're doing because the more promotion that we have in a positive way in this industry, the more success that we're going to have and people that want to also support it. And the last thing I'd like to say is for any individual that's listening to the podcast today, if there's even a little bit of an interest that someone has in getting into this, and in their mind they say, oh, I could never do that. That's so far out of what I have done and I'm a nurse, or I'm a teacher. No way, Jose. I don't want that mentality to be real because it's not true. There's so many jobs that are in this field today that you can acquire or get with the correct and acquired certifications. There are reskilling and upskilling possibilities, not only through The Next Education but also through community college. One that's doing a fantastic job here in Michigan is Washtenaw Community College. There are also potentials that universities, so just don't say I can't do it because it's too far fetched because the future is only going to grow more jobs. And if you put your toe in it today, tomorrow, you will be completely immersed in it.
Wonderful. Thank you so much Elaina for talking with me today and I really enjoyed having you as a guest on Driven's Mobility Moments podcast.
Oh, thank you very much. It's been my pleasure.
Special thanks to Elaina Farnsworth from The NEXT Education. Learn more about what makes the Detroit region the global leader in next generation mobility at detroitdriven.us. Listen to more podcasts, read our articles and to be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.
I'm Claire Charlton. See you again soon for the next Driven Mobility Moments podcast.
Visit Driven and learn how the Detroit region is leading the world in next-generation mobility.
Image of Elaina Farnsworth by Nick Hagen
Source: http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/mobility-moments-elaina-farnsworth-TheNEXTEducation.aspx
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Lawsuit seeks to end "unnecessary, unconstitutional, and costly" cash bail in Detroit
Detroit’s 36th district court finds itself in an unusual position: as the defendant in a new lawsuit.
The ACLU has sued the court over its cash bail practices. The federal class action lawsuit contends the court keeps too many people behind bars simply because they’re poor.
Lawsuit seeks to end cash bail in Detroit
It comes as a larger, nationwide movement to end cash bail gains steam. But the lawsuit details how the cash bail process plays out specifically in the 36th district and in Detroit, the nation’s poorest big city. And it brings up additional questions about how the court is handling efforts to provide better representation for its indigent defendants.
“I knew I was raised better than that”
Two years ago, when he was seventeen, Elliot Montgomery got into serious trouble with the law.
“Trying to prove myself to others. Just following the wrong crowd, basically,” says Montgomery, now 19. “And I knew, like, I was raised better than that.”
He pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and larceny from a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to a year in the Wayne County Jail.
Since he got out, Montgomery has been trying to put his life back together. He says he basically just goes to school for his GED and works.
“I currently do construction right now with my cousin,” he said. “It’s like under the table jobs though. But I’m good with my hands.”
But Montgomery ended up in jail again last month on an assault and battery charge. It’s an old charge, from back in 2018. He says it stems from a fight that happened while he was in jail.
Montgomery says this time, he’s innocent. But bail was set at $150, and he didn’t have it.
Prosecutors offered him another plea deal.
“They tried to come to me with a plea. And it’s like, why would I take a plea if I didn’t do it?” Montgomery said.
The new lawsuit argues that this type of situation should never happen. It contends that almost no one who hasn’t been convicted of a crime should be locked up-- especially if the only reason is that they can’t afford bail.
The national ACLU, ACLU of Michigan and law firm Covington & Burling LLP and others filed the lawsuit in Detroit federal court this past weekend. It calls cash bail unconstitutional, and it takes direct aim at 36th district court.
36th district is the state’s busiest court, processing about 500,000 cases a year. It handles everything from misdemeanor traffic tickets to more serious misdemeanors, and the pre-trial process for felony cases.
It’s that pre-trial process that this lawsuit is concerned with—specifically, with the arraignment process. That’s when defendants first appear before a magistrate and have a bond hearing.
The lawsuit maintains that in around 85% of those hearings, 36th district magistrates set cash bail conditions for release.
“Poor people in Detroit are routinely jailed because they cannot afford bail. Meanwhile, similarly situated individuals who can afford bail are routinely released,” according to the legal complaint. “This unnecessary, unconstitutional, and costly discrimination against indigent people accused of crimes in Detroit is the result of the 36th District Court’s policy and practice of making no inquiry whatsoever into an arrestee’s ability to pay before imposing bail requirements."
“Originally, bail was supposed to make sure that people returned to court to face whatever charges are pending against them. But instead, the money bail system has morphed into mass incarceration for the poor,” says Dan Korobkin, deputy legal director of the ACLU of Michigan.
Korobkin says that creates a two-tiered justice system, where people with means go free while the poor stay behind bars. Data suggests that around 60% of people in the Wayne County Jail at any given time are pre-trial defendants.
“Except in truly extraordinary circumstances, people accused of crimes who are presumed innocent should be going home to their families, not sitting in jail because they’re too poor to pay bail,” Korobkin said.
Inability to make bail leaves defendants with some “pretty awful choices”
On a recent afternoon in Magistrate Dawn White’s 36th district courtroom, nearly all the arraignments took place via videoconference. The defendants were at the Detroit Detention Center. As a guard called each up for their arraignment, they stood in front of the camera as White read the charges and penalties to their faces on the TV screen.
After reading the charges, White recited this to each defendant:
“Did you hear the charge and the penalty that you may receive? The court will enter a not guilty plea on your behalf. You have a pre-trial date of [date] at [time] in 36th district court in front of [judge’s name]. You have a right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided for you at public expense. Do you understand your rights?”
The same language was repeated in every hearing, for dozens of cases. There no was inquiry about any defendant’s ability to pay. Only one had a lawyer present.
One case was a domestic violence charge. Magistrate White noted that it was a second alleged offense with the mother of the defendant’s child.
“Court is going to set bond in the amount of 75 hundred dollars, 10%,” White told the defendant, effectively setting bail at $750. “Sir, no contact, do you understand?”
This defendant was released two days later on a bail bond. But not all defendants can afford the fees a bondsman charges. And sometimes bail bonds companies won’t take cases where the bail amount is too small to turn a profit.
According to the ACLU lawsuit, 36th district judges give cash bail conditions to about 85% of defendants.
Amanda Alexander says these pieces add up to a big problem. She’s with the non-profit Detroit Justice Center. That group works with the Detroit chapter of the Bail Project to pay bail for defendants who otherwise can’t afford it.
That happens so often, that people are pleading to things they absolutely shouldn’t be. Because that means they can go home. --Amanda Alexander, Executive Director, Detroit Justice Center
Alexander says that after just a couple days in jail, people’s lives can begin to fall apart. They can lose their jobs, their housing, even their kids. She remembers one client, a father of four, who couldn’t afford $500 bail. He lost his job while he was in jail. And the children’s mother was forced to quit her job because she couldn’t find child care.
“So this is a household that over the course of a week, went from two incomes to no income over this $500,” Alexander said.
Another consequence of pre-trial detention: Alexander says people behind bars are more likely to take plea deals, regardless of guilt.
“That happens so often, that people are pleading to things they absolutely shouldn’t be,” she said. “Because that means they can go home.”
Other courts move in a different direction
The spiraling repercussions of the cash bail system are just one reason there’s a growing national movement to end it. Few people will openly defend the status quo anymore. Bills proposed in the Michigan legislature last month would overhaul the cash bail system statewide.
“It’s safe to say that people working in the system do not think it’s ok that 50% of our jail beds are for people who have not been convicted of a crime,” said Judge Tom Boyd, chief judge of 55th district court in Ingham County.
In Boyd’s court, all defendants now have lawyers at the time of arraignment. He thinks that’s actually made the process smoother. And it’s one of four newly-adopted state court standards devised by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission.
Boyd says that’s the direction most Michigan courts are moving in. But not 36th district.
“The 36th district court and the city of Detroit have, for some reason which is very difficult for me to understand, refused to make this modification,” Boyd said.
In February, chief judge Nancy Blount wrote a letter to the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, turning down $1.4 million in state grant money for indigent defense counsel. She wrote that “36th district has been meeting and exceeding the constitutional requirements to provide counsel to indigent defendants.”
That’s exactly what this lawsuit claims the court is not doing. One of its claims is that defendants are denied their constitutional right to counsel because most don’t have lawyers at their arraignments.
Blount was not immediately available for comment Monday on the lawsuit or the letter.
Boyd does think there’s a place for cash bail under some circumstances, though. He said he sometimes
holds people with addiction problems in jail until they can get a bed in a treatment facility. He remembers one woman who recently turned herself into the court on a snow day, because she was so desperate to get some help.
“Technically, she was held in jail because she couldn’t post a bond,” Boyd said. “But is what was the only thing going on? No. These are human beings, and life is complicated.”
“It’s easy to say cash bail keeps poor people in jail. In reality, cash bail might keep people in jail because they need to be in jail for their own safety or for the safety of others.”
“No good to fight a case in jail”
The ACLU’s Dan Korobkin says that simple things like text message reminders have proven effective at getting people back to court.
“It costs $165 a night to lock someone up in the county jail,” Korobkin said. “Compare that to how much it costs to create good pre-trial services program.”
The lawsuit asks for a complete overhaul of 36th district’s cash bail system.
Meanwhile, Elliot Montgomery got lucky. He got bailed out after three days by the Detroit Bail Project, So when his current case goes to court, he can show he’s still working, going to school—on the right path for now.
“Like I’m trying. I’m not the same person I was when I was 17, basically. That’s what I’m trying to prove now,” Montgomery said.
But he can only do that because he got out: “It’s not good to fight no case in jail anyway.”
Source: https://www.michiganradio.org/post/lawsuit-seeks-end-unnecessary-unconstitutional-and-costly-cash-bail-detroit
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Caulilini could soon be coming to local markets
Source: http://www.youtube.com/oembed?format=xml&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DIEic5sngPwc
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‘It’s the season’ – Pistons’ fate comes down to final 3 games after loss at OKC
OKLAHOMA CITY – They got Blake Griffin back – oh, boy, did they get him back – and they got some good news from out of town. But they didn’t get a win that would have reduced their stress level over the season’s final five days.
The Pistons loss at Oklahoma City despite Griffin’s 45 points – including a franchise record-tying 31-point first half – coupled with Orlando’s romp over Atlanta bumped the Pistons from No. 6 in the East playoff chase to No. 8. At 39-40, they hold the same record as Brooklyn but lose the tiebreaker to the Nets, who remain in seventh.
The good news came from Minnesota, where Miami couldn’t hold a halftime lead and Dwyane Wade’s buzzer beater didn’t fall. That keeps the Pistons a game ahead of Miami, but they effectively hold a two-game lead over the Heat by virtue of owning the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage.
All of that said, the Pistons know it’s now time to take care of business. They close the season against three teams with losing records, starting with Charlotte in a 4 p.m. Sunday home game. The Hornets stayed alive, barely, when Jeremy Lamb’s triple with a second left beat Toronto. At 37-42, Charlotte needs everything to break right – but the Hornets will still have reason for hope at tipoff on Sunday and the Pistons can expect their best shot.
“It’s the season,” Dwane Casey said after the Pistons faltered in the fourth quarter of a 123-110 loss to Oklahoma City, itself desperate to avoid the No. 8 seed in the West and a likely first-round pairing with Golden State. “It’s in our hands. It’s right in our hands and nobody else but us. Go back home, take care of home.”
Griffin gave the Pistons whatever shot they had to score the upset in his native Oklahoma. After missing the last three games with a cranky left knee, Griffin had his second-highest scoring game of the season with 45 points. And 44 came in the first three quarters, 31 in a first half to put him in the Pistons record books alongside Grant Hill and Reggie Jackson.
He smashed his previous career high of six by draining nine 3-pointers in 14 attempts. He hit 14 of 16 free throws and 11 of 20 shots overall, but he missed all five shot attempts after returning to the game with nine minutes to play and the Pistons trailing by five points. With nobody else doing a lot of scoring, Oklahoma City was emboldened to double team Griffin at all costs in the fourth quarter.
“I thought we did a great job of fighting for 3½ quarters or at least three quarters,” he said. “I’ve got to be better in the fourth when I come back in and help us either get stops or get better buckets. So I liked the way we fought, but this time of the season we can’t dwell on this. We’ve got to move on and get three.”
The glaring statistics that undermined the Pistons were rebounding (59-32 Oklahoma City advantage) and second-chance points (27-4). The Thunder held a 21-4 edge in offensive rebounds. Both starting centers – Steven Adams and Andre Drummond – were limited by first-half foul trouble, Adams playing six minutes and Drummond seven. The Thunder will happily take that tradeoff, though, given their size advantage at virtually every other position.
“There’s a lot of length down there,” said Langston Galloway, who gave up 7 inches when he guarded Paul George, who led OKC with 30 points. “Guys crashing – the guard, bigs. You really have to box out your man and go in and help out.”
“They hit you first. That’s the biggest thing,” Reggie Jackson said. “They’re aggressive. They attack the glass all day and they do a good job of trying to pin you in. If you don’t bring it, they’re probably going to win the rebound battle.”
It didn’t help that nobody except Griffin shot it particularly well. Take away his 9 of 14 from the arc and the Pistons were 6 of 27. Jackson and Wayne Ellington combined to make 4 of 17 triples.
But winning at Oklahoma City to ensure their playoff spot was always a difficult proposition. It always seemed like the Pistons would need to make hay over those last three games and that’s what it’s come to. Griffin, who wore a substantial brace on his left leg but appeared to move freely, is ready to take his chances.
“I think we’re mentally in a good spot,” he said. “This team is pretty resilient. We’ve been through some ups and downs and I think we really believe in ourselves and I like that. Especially coming off of that West Coast trip, we were in somewhat the same situation and responded really well. So I expect us to do the same thing.”
“We’re not where we want to be,” Jackson said. “But we still control our own destiny. Can’t ask for much more.”
Source: https://www.nba.com/pistons/features/its-season-pistons-fate-comes-down-final-3-games-after-loss-okc
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Marygrove College to close in December
Marygrove College, a long-time institution in the city of Detroit, will close after the fall 2019 term, citing declining enrollment.
In August 2017, the 92-year-old Catholic school announced that it would be shutting down its undergraduate programs due to financial difficulties. It tried to stay afloat by focusing on its graduate school, but that too proved untenable.
“Marygrove’s grand experiment to transition to graduate-only studies was a brave and bold attempt to continue to serve students,” Marygrove President Dr. Elizabeth Burns said in a release. “However, intensive marketing and recruitment efforts have failed to attract enough students.”
The university has entered into a teach-out agreement with Oakland University to allow students to finish their degrees.
Through a $50 million grant from the Kresge Foundation, several partners created The Marygrove Conservancy to steward the university’s campus and create a “cradle-to-career,” or P-20, educational approach. The plan, which partners say will not be affected by the university’s closure, includes converting university buildings into a new early childhood education center and K-12 school, and introducing a teacher education training program.
In September, a 120-member class will enroll in the 9th Grade Academy on campus, operated by the Detroit Public Schools Community District.
Other partners in the P-20 campus include the University of Michigan School of Education, Starfish Family Services, and IFF.
It’s unclear what will happen to the rest of Marygrove’s 53-acre campus, which is filled with gorgeous Tudor Gothic buildings. The chairperson of the Marygrove Board of Trustees, Dr. John Cavanaugh, cited “the creation of the Marygrove Conservancy as a creative solution to preserving the historic campus grounds for urban education.”
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Source: https://detroit.curbed.com/2019/6/12/18663239/marygrove-college-close-campus-fitzgerald-kresge
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Red Sox thump Mariners to top .500 mark for first time
The Boston Red Sox hammered the Seattle Mariners 14-1 at Fenway Park on Friday to move to 20-19, their first time above .500 all year.
That seemed a longshot as recently as April 28, when the Red Sox were 11-17. But since then, the reigning MLB champions have won nine of 11 outings and have looked better in all aspects of their game, as epitomised by the resounding win against the Mariners.
Andrew Benintendi, Mitch Moreland and Rafael Devers clubbed home runs, and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out five, to earn the victory.
The Red Sox had made headlines this week after some questioned their decision to visit the White House on Thursday. There was speculation that the visit had unveiled some underlying racial discord, with several members of Boston's team skipping the ceremony with president Donald Trump.
Friday's victory and Boston's current hot streak are putting the focus back on the playing field, where the World Series champions have returned to form.
Studs of the Night
Minnesota Twins right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who pitched seven scoreless frames, striking out five and yielding only one hit in a 6-0 victory against the Detroit Tigers. He now has 20 straight scoreless innings.
Justin Verlander, who yielded one hit and struck out eight in seven scoreless innings in the Houston Astros' 3-0 win against the Texas Rangers.
Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon, who hit two home runs and drove in three runs in a 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Colorado Rockies' starting lineup: Eight of the nine starters had either two or more hits or RBIs in a 12-2 rout of the San Diego Padres.
Duds of the Night
Miami Marlins starter Pablo Lopez (10 hits and 10 earned runs in three innings) had a very bad day at the office in an 11-2 thrashing at the hands of the New York Mets.
Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins went hitless in four at-bats with three Ks and five men left on base.
Highlights
Amed Rosario's grand slam highlighted an eight-run first inning for the Mets.
Byron Buxton took flight to make a great catch at the wall for the Twins.
What's Next
The Milwaukee Brewers (24-16) at the Chicago Cubs (22-14) — Both teams entered this series red hot. The Cubs had won 10 of 11, while the Brewers had won six straight. They ran that streak to seven with a 7-0 shutout of the Cubs on Friday that left the two teams effectively tied for first in the NL Central. Both of Saturday's starters have yet to lose in 2019 as the Brewers send Zach Davies (4-0, 1.56 ERA) against veteran Cole Hamels (3-0, 3.38 ERA).
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/red-sox-thump-mariners-top-063237375.html?src=rss
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Meet Josie Pace
Detroit has always been home to raw and original talent. We are a breeding ground for strong artists who have a vision that they can carry through to the stage and present to the world. We created Motown and made major impacts on hip hop and rock and roll, we were also a mecca for garage rock just a decade ago. A lot of people have speculated about what makes Detroit a melting pot for creative magic and they have come up with a lot of reasons, including our weather, our winters, and our deep connection to the car companies for the last century. But those are only contributing factors, the truth is that Detroit artists are unapologetic. They aren't afraid to have a vision and to carry it out, even if it's not what's popular right now. Why not make it the next big thing? The recipe is simple, mix some raw talent with ruthless drive and determination to get something that no one has ever heard before. The DMAs are an appropriate time of year to reflect on the local music scene and to explore who and what is going to make a major impact on the sounds of the city. So, we wanted to tell you about an up and coming Detroit artist that has already made a mark for herself by being nominated for one at this Friday's event, her name is Josie Pace.
Josie Pace is a Michigan born musical prodigy that cut her chops playing coffee shops before she decided that she wanted to take things a little darker. She is one of those artists that doesn't just write songs, she presents concepts and ideas using music, lyrics, and visuals that entice all your senses to bring you inside her world while you are listening or watching. Her voice is perfection, her style and presentation are dark and seductive and her collection of music videos is worthy of a good binge. You can check out her entire collection of music and videos by visiting her website here. We personally love the song "Battleground". We dig Josie's NIN meets Lady Gaga kind of vibe and can appreciate a strong sexy woman who isn't afraid to claim her talent and her space within this world. We can see why she was nominated for the Outstanding Alt/Indie/Punk Artist or Group at this year's awards ceremony. She has the talent and knows how to use it. She will be opening for Stabbing Westword at The Machine Shop in Flint on July 12th if you want to see her play live and in person, and you can follow her on Instagram or YouTube to stay in the loop. If she wasn't on your radar before she is now and you need to start paying attention.
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The DMAs will take place at The Fillmore this Friday, April 26th. You can buy your tickets to attend the awards ceremony in person here. If you're lucky you might just see Josie and some of Detroit's other up and coming talents at the show!
~S
Source: http://www.hipindetroit.com/2019/04/meet-josie-pace.html
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WWE’s Becky Lynch: Ronda Rousey ‘Throws A Little Hissy Fit’ When Beat
By Chuck Carroll
(CBS Los Angeles/CBS Local) — What’s it like to be Becky Lynch? In a word: chaotic.
Carrying the literal and figurative weight of being both the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Champion is not for the weak of heart. Although Becky “Two Belts” has double the glory of others in the WWE locker room, she also has double the commitments and half the downtime.
Since defeating Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 35 to become the first woman to simultaneously hold championships on both brands, her typical weekly schedule looks something like this.
Friday: Fly out in the morning, wrestle at night, then drive six hours overnight to the next town.
Saturday: Sleep quickly and wrestle that night. Then hop back in the car for another hours-long drive.
Sunday: Sleep quickly and wrestle that night. Then it’s back in the car for yet another hours-long drive.
Monday: Sleep quickly, do media appearances, and be ready for RAW long before the 8:00 pm start time. Then, you guessed it, it’s back in the car for a fourth hours-long drive in as many nights.
Tuesday: Sleep quickly, do more media, and be ready for SmackDown long before the 8:00 pm start time. Head back to the hotel, sleep for a couple hours before catching the early flight back home to Los Angeles.
Wednesday-Thursday: Arrive home, train, pay bills, do laundry, catch up on life and spend time with friends.
Repeat.
Of course, there are the occasional trips abroad, like WWE’s upcoming two-week gallivant across Europe and major events that keep her away from home for weeks at a time and stretch an already over-taxed schedule even further.
But the WWE Superstar wouldn’t have it any other way. Unlike in her dark days in NXT, Lynch has given no thought to walking away from the exhaustive grind to pursue the law degree she once desired.
>>READ: WWE Almost Fired Becky Lynch, Now She’s Headlining WrestleMania 35
She’s having too much fun racking up the frequent flier miles to stop now. She’s living her dream, and yeah, having an abundance of catchy nicknames isn’t bad either. “Becky Two Belts,” “Double Champ,” “Champ-Champ,” and “The Man” are the newest sobriquets in her arsenal, but she’ll still answer to the old “Lass Kicker” moniker, too.
Fueled on coffee and fights, she is one of WWE’s brightest Superstars, and the company is wisely cashing in by having her pull double duty on both shows.
I had a chance to catch up with Becky just a few short hours before she would appear on RAW, where she clashed with newcomer Lacey Evans ahead of their championship meeting at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view. That’s just one of two championship matches she’ll face that night, as she will also be defending the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair. Go ahead and add Becky “Double Duty” to her ever-growing list of names.
Becky Lynch (Photo Credit: WWE)
Even though you are living your dream every minute you’re at work in WWE, is there still that feeling of relief like “ahhhhhhh” when you walk through the front door and know that you have 36 or so hours at home?
Yeah, I’m always eager to go to see my people, see my friends. I try to keep my relationships as strong as possible, because this is when you need the people that are going to keep you honest the most. You know what I mean? People that make sure that you’re not slacking. People that keep you fired up and keep you in check. I like to keep them around me as much as possible. Even if I don’t have much time.
We’re just coming off of WrestleMania, and leading up to the big show there’s always this enormous swell of energy. Now that you’ve had this culmination and been crowned “Champ Champ,” how do you keep that energy and momentum up?
Lots of coffee. Lots of adrenaline. Lots and lots and lots of fights, right? It’s like I talk a lot of talk, and now it’s time to back it up. I want to raise up both divisions. I want everybody to step up to me, I want them to change, and I want them to challenge themselves. Because before I came along and before I separated myself from the pack, everybody was patting each other on the back and brushing each other’s hair. Well, that doesn’t sell tickets, and that’s not getting people in the door. I want conflict, I want fighting, I want people to be chomping at the bit to put me down, put me in my place. But I want to rise up again, so I can blast the head off every single one of them.
>>READ: WrestleMania 35 Results: Becky Lynch Captures RAW, SmackDown Titles
There was a lot made of Ronda Rousey being in WWE the last year. What type of lasting impact do you think that she will have, not just on the women’s division but on WWE as a whole?
Ronda Rousey is a tremendous, natural, athlete. She’s born tough and born tough isn’t the same as being made tough. I think I saw the best of Ronda Rousey. But we also saw what happens when she gets defeated. She leaves, and we haven’t seen her since. I think that her name outside of the business, maybe, brought in a few new eyes, which helped build momentum.
I enjoyed my bouts with Ronda Rousey. I enjoyed playing mind games with her. I enjoyed the little beatings that she would give me, because it made me fight a little bit harder, and if she ever wants to come back then I’m ready, and waiting, to take her on again.
What are your expectations that she will return?
I don’t know, I don’t know, we’ve seen what happens when Ronda Rousey gets beat. She throws a little hissy fit and she goes hiding under her blankie for however long, but she is a tremendous athlete. She is the baddest woman on the planet, but I beat her.
Would you like a rematch at next year’s WrestleMania, or who else would you like to face?
If Ronda Rousey is ready to come back to try and prove herself, I would absolutely take her on. If not, then there’s plenty of other women here who are ready, willing, going day in, day out, that I would love to fight.
>>READ: 18 Things You Didn’t Know About WWE Star And Ex-UFC Champ Ronda Rousey
At Money In The Bank, you’re defending both the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships. Describe how different it is working with a veteran, like Charlotte Flair versus somebody who’s a little bit newer, like Lacey Evans. How do you have to change your approach?
Here’s the thing. I’ve owned Charlotte time and time again. We know each other inside out, which is both a good thing and a bad thing, because we’re evenly matched. She knows what I’m going to do, I know what she’s going to do. We’ve had so many matches. At this stage, what I think, when we tally up the votes, I’ve come out on top way more times than she has.
Lacey Evans hasn’t done anything is this business to prove herself. I don’t know anything about her. That’s the dangerous part, is that I’m going in against the unknown. But that’s nothing that I haven’t done in the past. I hadn’t had a match with Ronda Rousey before I beat her, and nobody had beaten her before I had. You never know how things are going to go.
Becky Lynch (Photo Credit: WWE)
You have blossomed into one heck of a talker, and your segments on RAW and SmackDown have just become must-see TV. Did mic work always come naturally for you, or is that something you had to work on?
I think that the talking part has always been a part that I’ve enjoyed, because I just, naturally, in general, am a talker and a communicator. I want to get my message across. I want to get my emotions across. Even when I was a young kid I wanted to be an actor, and my mum said “Well, there’s no way in hell my daughter’s being an actor.” I said, “Okay, well I’m going to be a lawyer, because I want to get up there, and I want to stand, and I want to argue with people.”
Of course, I ended up getting the career in acting, and doing a lot of theater before I came to WWE. I think once you [realize] that you’re not out there doing a spectacle and you’re just communicating your message, you are talking directly to the people, telling them your message, telling them why they should care, people respond in kind. Instead of rambling on about if you can dream big dreams, and whatever else Ronda Rousey was spouting out of her mouth.
What you’re doing is more than just entertainment. What you are doing here, carrying two belts, being “Becky Two Belts,” being the “Champ Champ,” that’s resonating beyond the world of WWE. What does the character of Becky Lynch say to women as they’re trying to climb that corporate ladder or go for a doctorate or, even, walking into the boss’s office and asking for a pay raise? What type of strength are they drawing from the Becky Lynch character?
It’s just there’s nothing that we can’t achieve now, right? We’re in this time when we’re on such an equal playing ground. We still have to fight a little bit, here and there, but it’s all achievable. Nobody can tell us anymore that you can’t do it because you’re this gender, or you’re this race, or you’re this anything, you’re this age, whatever. We’re in the most opportunistic time on the planet. It’s just about grabbing whatever it is that you want, and going after it, and not taking no for an answer.
Look, at the end of the day, somebody says no, they say no, but at least you go out trying, you know? You don’t ask, you don’t get. If you fail, well, then, you’re just one failure away from succeeding, you know?
>>READ: Latest from the world of Pro Wrestling
Is there a different vibe for you when you walk into RAW versus when you walk into SmackDown?
Well, SmackDown has felt like my show from the beginning, right? I was the first SmackDown women’s champion. I was the first woman drafted to SmackDown Live. It’s a place that I felt a great affinity for. It’s a place where I developed that chip on my shoulder, because I wanted to make it the women’s division to watch.
Then, I decided that I didn’t really care about the women’s division, I cared about being the man to watch. But it was like, “Oh, no. I have to stop worrying about everybody else. I have to bring myself up, and everybody else will match me, if they can. Come catch me if you can.”
Now I have that feeling on RAW too. I’m like, “Okay. Well, I’m the new girl here, but I’m going to be build it up, and I’m going to make everybody care. I want all the girls here to rise up with me.”
Chuck Carroll is former pro wrestling announcer and referee turned sports media personality. He once appeared on Monday Night RAW when he presented Robert Griffin III with a WWE title belt in the Redskins locker room.
Follow him on Twitter @ChuckCarrollWLC.
Source: https://detroit.cbslocal.com/2019/05/07/wwe-becky-lynch-raw-smackdown-champion-ronda-rousey-hissy-fit/
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Schools struggle to regulate vaping among students
The fruity smell associated with vape pens is a new normal in schools across Michigan, including Belding High School, east of Grand Rapids. That’s despite it being banned by its administration.
Vaping is the act of inhaling a liquid — often nicotine — heated inside a device such as an e-cigarette or Juul. Due to friendly designs such as its fruity taste and sleek appearance, researchers say that vape pens are severely underestimated.
Belding High School principal Michael Ostrander says vaping has become a serious problem here, and in high schools across the state. He says staff confiscates vaping tools almost every week – sometimes a dozen in a month. It’s even the new currency in schools – kids trade vaping tools for other things like help on homework.
“We’ve reached a point where I believe it’s an epidemic and we’ve waited too long,” he says.
Vaping has been one of the biggest annual jumps in substance use in the country— even outweighing marijuana use. A University of Michigan study says that there are 1.3 million more high school users in 2018 than there were in 2017.
Andrew Schepers of the American Cancer Society says the products need to be regulated and treated like tobacco – like they are on the federal level.
“We would rather fall on the side of define them as a tobacco product. So that we are trying to provide some protection for the public than just trying to kind of piece-meal something together,” Schepers says.
E-cigarettes are often seen as a healthier alternative to smoking and to help people wean off cigarettes, but this has been disproven by researchers from the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research. In fact, teenagers may move on to smoking after consistent vape use. The FDA in particular is criticizing companies for marketing towards middle and high-school aged users. All in all, vape pens may contain fewer chemicals, but they still contain the highly addictive nicotine.
Michigan has failed to gain traction when to comes to regulating vape pens more. Lawmakers like Republican Senator Rick Outman have introduced bills to ban the use and possession of vaping tools by minors.
“I’m just trying to get this out of the hands of kids. That’s as simple as it gets. This is a simple bill that doesn’t preclude anything else,” Outman says.
Five years ago, the state Legislature sent a similar bill to then-Governor Rick Snyder. Snyder vetoed it because he agreed with health advocates.
Democratic Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) says he’d like to regulate e-cigarettes like tobacco. But he says there just isn’t the political will to do that -- in part because the result would be higher taxes.
“Let’s have that conversation. I was ready to tackle it last session, it didn’t move. I’m ready to tackle it this session, let’s see if we can get some movement," Moss says. "But I can’t say, you know that is going to hold up this urgent work right now of making sure minors don’t have these vape products."
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has come out against the bills making their way through the Legislature. But a spokesperson says the governor wants to find a “meaningful solution” to keep minors from vaping.
For some high school students, like 9th grader Mitchell Lake, vaping has become an annoyance.
“You can’t even go to the bathroom hardly,” he says, explaining that kids are vaping constantly throughout the day. “I don’t really think it’s peer pressure here. I think it’s just trying to fit in with groups. Like there’s groups of people that do it, like say you just want to fit in, then you start doing it.”
Ostrander points out that some kids are trying to vape other things as well.
“And so now you’re inhaling that in a way that your body’s not supposed to do that. That’s scary,” he says. “That freaks me out.”
Source: https://www.michiganradio.org/post/schools-struggle-regulate-vaping-among-students
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One dead, one injured in crash after police chase in West Bloomfield
Source: http://www.youtube.com/oembed?format=xml&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGOdB9CJvmHg
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Howes: The Art of the Deal, indeed
Daniel Howes for May 4, 2019.
It’s by now undeniable that President Donald Trump expects to get his way – all the time.
So imagine the surprise in the White House this week when the Wall Street Journal carried an op-ed from the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa delivered a sober message: If the president doesn’t cancel tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico, Trump’s beloved rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement “is dead.”
“It’s time for the tariffs to go,” Grassley says. And if they “aren’t lifted,” NAFTA 2.0 is toast: “There is no appetite in Congress to debate” the new treaty “with these tariffs in place.”
This is just what the president loves: a high-stakes game of legislative chicken over one of his top campaign promises. But with Republicans and Democrats both raising fresh objections to the proposed treaty, and with Canada and Mexico signaling they can’t get behind new changes, Team Trump is scrambling to bolster support in Congress.
Good luck with that, and with threatening to unilaterally withdraw from the 25-year-old NAFTA – a favorite trick of Mr. Art of the Deal.
The president looks increasingly disinclined to dump NAFTA because doing so invites uncertainty, even chaos, for industries that tend to be clustered in the industrial Midwest. Places like Michigan and Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – places Trump needs to win in 2020.
Exiting the North American treaty would roil equity markets, whose bullish run Trump considers a barometer for this presidency. And with the presidential race beginning to take shape, the president doesn’t need to hand Democrats another metaphoric club to beat him with.
None of those outcomes would advance Trump’s economic argument for re-election, even if bolting NAFTA would showcase his predilection for staking maximal positions in negotiations – and then caving when the price rises too high.
After two years of GOP control in Congress, the new political reality is unforgiving: As the White House defies myriad requests for documents and witnesses, a Democratic House led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi has precisely zero motivation to give Trump a win on trade.
And the president’s alleged friends in organized labor aren’t proving so friendly. They want tougher provisions to narrow wage gaps between American and Mexican workers, and more safeguards for workers in U.S. companies.
The Art of the Deal, indeed.
Trump came to the Oval Office with his fellow Republicans controlling Congress and the agenda. The mid-terms changed all that, and now the president is learning that congressional Democrats – and even some hard-nosed Senate Republicans – have no obligation to salute and say, “yes sir.”
That’s what equal branches of government means. Back in the good ‘ol Obama days, Democrats frequently lamented the “obstruction” that Republicans routinely practiced on the latest White House proposal.
The other party is called “the opposition” for a reason. Its job is to oppose, not acquiesce. And it’s a president’s job to make his case – or suffer the consequences.
Daniel Howes is a columnist at The Detroit News. Views expressed in his essays are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management or the station licensee, The University of Michigan.
Source: https://www.michiganradio.org/post/howes-art-deal-indeed
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Detroit Cop Posts Racist Video Of Black Woman In Freezing Cold After He Seized Her Car
A Detroit police officer is under fire for a racist Snapchat video of a black woman he pulled over for a traffic stop.
Officer Gary Steele has been reassigned while the Detroit Police Department investigates the video, which department officials confirmed he posted on Tuesday.
The incident began after he pulled over 23-year-old Ariel Moore for having an expired registration and seized the vehicle.
Steele then told her to exit the vehicle so the vehicle could be towed. She declined a ride home from the officers and had to walk a block home in below-freezing weather, according to Detroit station WXYZ.
The video shows her walking away, one of the officers says she is doing the “walk of shame,” and stickers are added that read, “What black girl magic looks like” and “celebrating Black History Month.”
Moore and her mother, Monique Mobley, said they were shocked when WXYZ showed them Steele’s video.
“I’ve never had this happen to me in my life. I’m kind of shocked — I don’t really know how to feel right now. I’m still trying to take it in,” Moore said.
Mobley didn’t pull punches. “What they put on there, that’s racist. They’re demeaning my child for no reason,” she said.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig told reporters on Thursday that he agrees with her assessment. “I am angry. I’m angry because this was a racially insensitive post,” he said, according to the Metro Times.
Although he noted that body-camera footage showed that Steele and his partner, who is also under investigation, offered Moore a ride home on Tuesday night, Craig said Steele’s Snapchat post was a very “bad decision.”
“On top of that, she’s walking on a very cold night. It’s dark, and, in my view, she’s in harm’s way,” he said, according to the Daily Beast. “It could’ve been my daughter, my sister. It doesn’t matter, it could have been anyone.”
Craig said that Steele’s use of “Bye, Felicia” was “derogatory” and that the reference to Black History Month is even more “problematic.”
Steele has been placed on restricted duty, pending an internal investigation, according to ClickOnDetroit.
This isn’t the first time Steele has been in trouble. In 2008 he was charged with physically attacking his ex-girlfriend and firing a gun next to her head, according to WXYZ.
He took a misdemeanor plea deal for probation and stayed on the force.
Craig admitted Steele has a “troubling” history, which Craig said “predates my appointment,” according to The Daily Beast.
Craig added, “It would have been a different outcome if I had been chief.”
Steele did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
You can see a news report on the incident below:
Clarification: Language has been amended to more accurately reflect why Ariel Moore walked home after the officers seized the car.
Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gary-steele-detroit-police-racist-snapchat-video_n_5c53697ae4b0bdf0e7d974d0
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Scotch and sirloin
Here is one previous thread that mentions "Bernie Katz, the piano wizard who presided over the keyboard at the Scotch and Sirloin for years," so they must have had music.
Here's another article on an owner, Arlyn Meyerson, who happened to be deaf.
Finally, this article remembers: Buddy’s Log Cabin Barbecue on the corner of 12th and Clairmount for luscious vittles … with Buddy and Mary’s three sons, Arlyn, Jerry and Aubrey, each serving boyhood apprenticeships … As young men, they decided to someday open their own eatery … It was called Scotch ’n Sirloin on 8 Mile, Detroit … and, later, both that and another restaurant named Trio on Northwestern Highway, Southfield, the two open at the same time
Source: https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?23975-Scotch-and-sirloin&p=570972
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Game 40 Preview: Astros at Tigers
It doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to say that this is the biggest test of Ryan Carpenter’s career. For one, there isn’t much much competition — this will be Carpenter’s seventh career start, and eighth appearance at the major league level. But when looking at the opponents Carpenter faced in both 2018 and this season, the 2019 Houston Astros are by far the most talented lineup he has come across.
Let’s go down the list. Of the five teams Carpenter started against in 2018, only the Cleveland Indians produced an above-average offense (104 wRC+) for the season — the Los Angeles Angels were right at league average, with a 100 wRC+. Carpenter faced those same Angels again five days ago, and they are now up to a 104 wRC+ on the young 2019 season. The Astros, meanwhile, have produced a gaudy 133 wRC+ as a team. This is better than any Tigers hitter not named Ronny Rodriguez (minimum 50 plate appearances), and would obliterate the already impressive 122 wRC+ they put up in 2017, when they won the World Series.
Worse yet, the Astros are even better against left-handed pitching. They have produced a 140 wRC+ as a club against southpaws in 2019, something only 33 players were able to accomplish in full-season duty last year.
This makes for some tough sledding for Carpenter, who allowed a .918 OPS against right-handed hitters last year. Can he beat the odds and hold the Astros in check on Tuesday?
Houston Astros (27-15) at Detroit Tigers (18-21)
Time/Place: 7:10 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation site: The Crawfish Boxes
Media: Fox Sports Detroit, fuboTV, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Wade Miley (3-2, 3.18 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Carpenter (0-1, 10.80 ERA)
Game 40 Pitching Matchup
Pitcher IP K% BB% FIP fWAR
Pitcher IP K% BB% FIP fWAR
Miley 45.1 16.2 6.0 4.30 0.5 Carpenter 5.0 9.1 4.6 8.11 -0.1
As I mentioned in Monday’s series preview, there is little to pick out in Wade Miley’s numbers that illustrates how he was able to cut his ERA in half from 2017 to 2018. He started throwing a cutter far more often, but that alone did not explain where the huge improvement came from. Miley’s ground ball rate went up slightly, but that was about it.
A deeper dive into Statcast numbers reveals a bit more. Miley was one of the best pitchers in baseball at avoiding barrels last year. His 3.5 percent barrel rate was one of the lowest in the game, which resulted in lower-than-expected hard hit rates, exit velocities, and expected wOBAs against. He also managed one of the lower average launch angles against, which helped limit home runs against.
By most accounts, Miley has taken a step back in 2019. Opponents have produced an average exit velocity of 89.1 miles per hour against him this year, way up from 85 mph last season. His expected wOBA against has gone down, but his hard hit rate is up to 35.8 percent. Opponents have figured out how to lift the ball a bit more, resulting in a regression of his HR/FB percentage to career norms. This hasn’t changed his approach, though; he is still throwing plenty of cutters — more than ever, in fact — but this has not yet led to the payoff the Astros were hoping for when they signed him last winter.
Key matchup: Tigers hitters vs. left-handed pitching
For all the talk above of how good the Astros are at hitting left-handed pitching this year, we should give the Tigers some credit. They are nowhere near Houston’s level, of course, but have crept up to a 102 wRC+ in 2019 against left-handed pitching. This is fairly impressive for the Tigers, considering their overall wRC+ of 81 is the sixth-lowest in baseball. Detroit’s lineup isn’t as right-handed heavy as in recent years, especially now that Christin Stewart is healthy, but lefty mashers like Miguel Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos have had their way with southpaws, as expected. Brandon Dixon has chipped in with a 190 wRC+ against lefties (in 10 plate appearances), so expect him back in the lineup on Tuesday.
Prediction
Carpenter holds his own for a while, but Houston takes game two.
Source: https://www.blessyouboys.com/2019/5/14/18622641/tigers-vs-astros-time-stream-tv-schedule-odds-picks-matchups-and-more
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