Detroit residents with past convictions can get a fresh start at the Pistons’ Social Impact Summit.

According to The National Inventory of Collateral Consequences, nearly 1,300 Michigan residents with criminal records face lifetime barriers to housing, jobs, employment and education.

That’s why TimeDone, the nation’s largest community of people with old records is working to help as many as 1,000 justice impacted residents get their records expunged.

The summit is happening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday April 11 at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center. The address is 6201 Second Ave.

Registrations for the event are full, but walk-ins are welcome.

The IRS announces special Saturday hours for select Taxpayer Assistance Centers across the country. The upcoming Saturday hours will be April 11 and 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

During these hours these centers will be available to help taxpayers with: Online Account Assistance, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) Renewal, IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance, Payments, Refunds, and more.

Locations:

• Detroit: 477 Michigan Ave.
• Flint: 917 N. Saginaw St.
• Grand Rapids: 3251 N. Evergreen Dr. N.E.

Please go to IRS.gov to see other Michigan locations and the specific days and hours these centers will be open for these special hours.

NBA
The Pistons play their final regular season games this weekend with the Hornets tonight at Spectrum Center tonight at 7 p.m. and against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 6 p.m.

With the Pistons being No.1 in the east, they will face the No. 8 seed. The NBA Playoffs start on April 18.

NHL
The Red Wings playoff hopes stay alive with a win over the Flyers yesterday with the score of 6 - 3.

According to sports website Playoffstatus.com, they have a 8-9% of making it.

They hope to keep those chances up as they play the New Jersey Devils tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. at Little Caesars.

MLB
The Tigers start their three-game affair against the Miami Marlins this weekend. First pitch for tomorrow’s game is at 1:10 p.m.

The Tigers are currently 4-9 in the American League Central.

Black Maternal Health Week begins tomorrow April 11 and non profit organization Mothering Justice is kicking it off with a community event called Pouring Into Our Legacy.

Danielle Atkinson is the founder of the organization. She says the event will honor lineage, stories and lived experiences of Black mothers. “We all have a role to play in preventing Black maternal death," she says. "Tomorrow is an opportunity to learn from the past. How we can do that better. Granny midwives taught us how to birth babies but they taught us how to advocate for ourselves."

The event is going down tomorrow from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mothering Justice Office at 17320 Livernois Ave.

The Move Detroit coalition has launched two programs aimed at increasing the city’s population.

The first is the Make Detroit Home program, a grant program offering financial incentives to encourage entrepreneurs to bring their small businesses—and their residence—back to the city.   

The program has $500,000 it can give away in forms of grants and other financial incentives.  

Move Detroit CEO Hillary Doe says they are hoping to target new and returning Detroiters to the city.  

“Then for the kind of returning Detroiters and the new Detroiters, the eligibility there is that your intention is to, you know, bring your residence back home. You know that you want to become a resident of our great city here, and then you can get access to those benefits, including things like up to $1,000 in relocation.” 

The second is the Neighborhood Ambassador Program that seeks to nominate 100 Detroiters to help shape the city’s growth strategy.  

Doe says program’s goal is to influence people to move to the city with stories and experiences shared from current residents. 

“To help share their favorite local haunts, their favorite small business owners. Share stories and really be our storytellers. To share, you know, Detroit story with our city, our region and you know the country.” 

Applications to nominate a resident is open. The 100 ambassadors will be chosen in June.  

Detroit’s laws, health, and building safety departments are increasing enforcement strategies to ensure safe and quality housing for renters.  

The effort is anchored in three coordinated actions, joint inspections between the health and safety departments, initiating court-enforced consent agreements for properties with known persistent issues and placing liens on chronically blighted properties.  

The Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) has identified 60 apartment buildings with ongoing maintenance issues.

BSEED Director David Bell says the city has reached a turning point. “Apartment buildings in this city where violations pile up, repairs never happen, and families are left in conditions that no one should ever have to tolerate. This has to stop.” 

Bell says the goal is to increase certificates of compliance from 14% to 35% in a year.  

The University of Michigan’s School of Social Work’s Engage Project is hosting a workshop called “Detroit Voices Southwest Oral History Project.” The workshop will focus on exploring the power of community storytelling and oral history.

Participants will learn how to document their communities stories, preserve lived experiences, and use story telling as a way to foster dialogue and collective action.

The event will be held this Saturday, April 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mexicantown Community Development Center at 2835 Bagley in Detroit. Registration is not needed and lunch will be provided.

General Motors is recalling more than a quarter-million Chevrolet Malibus to fix their rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the way GM mounted the cameras could expose them to moisture that can weaken the adhesives holding them in place. That can cause distorted or blank images, increasing the risk of a crash.

The automaker says it's not aware of any crashes or injuries. It will replace the cameras at no charge.

A group of anti-war protesters gathered at the McNamara Federal Building in downtown Detroit on Tuesday, as a deadline approached for a new wave of bombing in Iran. The Free Press reports about 50 demonstrators showed up at the event.

President Trump had threatened to bomb bridges and power plants in Iran, if an agreement to re-open the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t reached by 8 p.m. ET Tuesday night.

The Pakistani government helped broker a tentative ceasefire for the next two weeks, but it’s unclear what might happen next. The Strait has not yet been re-opened.

Gas prices in Metro Detroit rose again overnight, even though there’s a ceasefire in the Iran war.

A gallon of regular self-serve averages $3.99 today. That’s up three cents from Tuesday. That price is 50 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.

The average price statewide today is $4.07.

The NAACP has called for President Trump to be removed from office under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. It’s the first time the civil rights organization has ever made such a declaration.

The 25th Amendment allows a president to be removed from office if he or she can no longer carry out the duties of the office, in this case presumably because of physical or mental incapacity. But that’s only if the vice-president and several cabinet members agree to take that action.

The NAACP says Trump’s erratic statements and actions call his well-being into question. The President said on Tuesday that a “whole civilization will die” unless his demands were met.

Detroit Congressional members Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar have also independently called for Trump to be removed from office under the provisions of the 25th Amendment.

The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) is holding a gathering in Detroit this week.

The 2026 William R. Bracey CEO Symposium will provide training, networking and collaborative opportunities. The event runs Thursday through Saturday at the MGM Grand in Detroit

NOBLE has about 4,800 members in 60 chapters across the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Africa.

The celebrations continue in Ann Arbor in the aftermath of the University of Michigan’s victory in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

The Wolverines beat the University of Connecticut 69 – 63 Monday night to win the national championship – the school’s first since 1989.

Cheers and jubilation erupted throughout Ann Arbor Monday night. The team celebrated with fans at an event on campus Tuesday. A team parade through Ann Arbor has been scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The Detroit Pistons play their final home game of the regular season tonight. The team leads the NBA’s Eastern Conference with a record of 57 wins and 22 losses.

The Pistons hope to have All-Star Cade Cunningham back in the line up tonight. He’s listed as questionable for tonight’s game. Cunningham has missed the last 11 games with a collapsed lung.

The Pistons play the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

Michigan does not currently participate in a federal program that gives tax breaks to people for donating money to nonprofits that award scholarships for tutoring and private school tuition. Governor Whitmer is weighing whether to opt into the federal initiative.

If adopted, taxpayers in Michigan would receive a $1,700 tax break parents could use for private school tuition, tutors or after school programs.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon recently stopped in Hamtramck to promote the program.

Detroit Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti says the program might help kids on an individual basis,"But I would just continue to say, you know, as a nation, we have to think about at scale investments. How do we improve institutions that benefit the majority of our children, not isolated improvement?"

Teachers unions and Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that the program would funnel money into private schools, and away from public schools and their students.

Vitti says funding public schools should be the priority. "I'd rather see us use taxpayer dollars and not decrease taxpayer dollars in investing in large scale systems that benefit the majority of American children, not individual children or families."

Right now, people in Michigan can still make the donation and get the tax break; however, students in the state would not be eligible for the scholarships. Using public money for private schools is prohibited by the state constitution.

-Reporting by Russ McNamara

Gas prices rise

Gasoline prices surged overnight. AAA said Michigan drivers paid an average of $4.01 for a gallon of regular unleaded this morning. That's 15 cents higher than it was yesterday. The national average is $4.14 a gallon, the highest in almost 4 years.

GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan says escalations between the U.S. and Iran have intensified concerns about disruptions in oil shipments. He adds prices will likely remain high until Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an order last week allowing Michigan gas stations to sell cheaper winter fuel blends through the end of June.

Delta Air Lines is expanding flights from Metro Airport to Europe. The Detroit Free Press reports Delta will offer daily service to Rome in November and March, allowing passengers to take advantage of off-peak travel.

It's Public Health Week in Detroit. The city's health department is offering free services including health screenings, immunizations, lead testing, and overdose prevention resources.

Chief Public Health Officer Ali Abazeed says health department staff will host free events through Saturday at various community centers. The goal is to make it easier for residents to get health care by bringing it to them.

Yemeni nationals living in the United States who have Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have until April 13 to self deport or seek other legal residency through asylum or work visas.

In February the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem—who was fired last week—announced the end of TPS for Yemen.

The designation was first granted in September 2015 due to war in the country. Noem said conditions have improved, no longer warranting TPS. About 1,400 Yemeni nationals had TPS status as of last year according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

People who wish to self deport are encouraged to use the Customs and Border Protection CBP Home app to report their departure. That includes a complimentary plane ticket and $2,600.

People who do not leave or find alternative legal residency could be deported and banned from future immigration to the U.S.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield launched the Ride to Rise program Monday. It allows all students living in Detroit to ride city buses for free.

The program is aimed at reducing absenteeism, as well as providing transportation for students to get to after school activities such as tutoring, enrichment programs, and more.

Sheffield says the program also brings more money back to the district.

“It's about $700,000 a year that they currently spend on bus fare for students. Bus passes, that money, again, will be redirected back into the school system. The school board and the superintendent will decide what...they use that money for," she says. "We have been advocating for it to go back to after school programming.”

The 6-month pilot allows any student to show their school ID to get on a D-DOT bus for free. That includes students who attend charter, private, and other city schools.

-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley

A new report shows Michigan’s gender pay gap widened in 2024. Women who worked full-time earned 79 cents for every dollar a man earned. That’s three cents less than the year before, as men’s wages grew faster.

Sarah Javaid from the National Women’s Law Center lists other factors.

“The bigger picture is that women are being impacted by caregiving duties, they’re impacted by state policies. Unpaid leave paid sick time. They’re impacted by what education and training they can receive, and they’re also impacted even way earlier than they enter the workforce.”

Javaid says supporting childcare, banning employers from asking about salary history, and increasing education access would help close the gender pay gap.

-Reporting by Colin Jackson

Last year’s partial federal government shutdown made it hard for Michigan to collect statewide job data. The state’s last unemployment rate was 5% in January. Michigan lost jobs last year as more people left the workforce.

The revised annual report shows unemployment remained essentially flat last year. Michigan showed a net loss of about 2,300 hundred jobs.

The Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information Director Wayne Rourke says Michigan’s workforce declined by 1.6% percent over the course of 2025. He says that’s largely due to older people retiring and exiting the workforce.

The new monthly federal jobs report for March showed the nation added jobs last month and the unemployment rate ticked down.

-Reporting by Rick Pluta

Arab American Heritage Month

Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared April as Arab American and Chaldean-American Heritage Month.

Dearborn, Michigan is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans per capita in the U.S.

Governor Whitmer signed an executive Order allowing higher vapor fuels to be sold in southeast Michigan until July 1. The move allows the cheaper winter gas blend to be sold for the next three months.

High vapor gas helps cars run smoothly when it's cold outside. It's less expensive to make, but worse for the environment.

Whitmer hopes allowing it will lower prices at the pump amid the ongoing war in Iran.

But GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan says there's no guarantee that the higher vapor mix will make it to consumers.

"Even with a waiver... refineries have generally already made a transition over to cleaner... more expensive blends of gasoline for the summer. So even if Michigan allows it... that doesn't mean refineries are going to go back to producing something different."

If refineries do revert to winter blend, DeHaan says it could lower gas prices by around 5 to 7 cents per gallon.

AAA says Michigan drivers are paying an average of $3.86 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas this morning. That’s about 20 cents cheaper than it was last week.

Detroit Public School Community District is now employing Student Influencers in their on going effort to grow enrollment. 23 students will be hired to share positive messages about their schools.

To apply, current students must make a 60 second Reel about themselves and submit it via direct message to DPSCD’s Instagram account. For more information visit the district's account on Instagram, under the handle detroitk12.

This weekend Detroit Music Hall will host a special screening of the movie "Dream Girls." It’s the 20th anniversary of the film releasing and the 45th anniversary of the Broadway show.

The screening will be hosted by actress Raven-Symone and will also feature special live performance from Jennifer Holiday, who played Effie in the Broadway performance.

Tickets are on sale now at the Music Hall Box Office and Ticketmaster. The screenings will be on April 4 at 7:00 p.m. and April 5 at 3:00 p.m.

President Donald Trump gave a primetime address last night about the war in Iran. He told Americans that nearly all his objectives for the war has been met and that the war would end in the next two to three weeks, but his timeline has shifted before.

This extension of the war could mean the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed during that time. This comes as the price for a gallon of gas in the US rises to $4. The Washington Post even found that there was a 56% increase in Google searches for most fuel-efficient gas cars in the month of March.

For Detroiters looking for cheaper gas prices you can look at the Gas Buddy app. As for today, the app says that the SNK Gas Station on the corner of Michigan Avenue and South Merriman Road in Inkster is $3.29 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel.

According to AAA, the best way to save gas is maintaining good tire pressure, driving at a moderate pace on the highway and avoiding slamming on brakes and accelerating.

Tomorrow is Good Friday, a Christian celebration commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. Because of that most City of Detroit offices will be closed. Normal police, fire and water services will be provided.

Also of note tomorrow is the Detroit Tigers home opener, so be aware of street closings. The streets directly around Comerica Park with be closed off. These include Witherell between Adams and Montcalm, and Brush between Madison and Montcalm.

March Madness

Michigan is in the final four and will be going up against fellow No. 1 seed Arizona. The game will be at 8:49 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

With a win over the Toronto Raptors yesterday, the Detroit Pistons clinched the division title—something they haven’t done in the last 18 years. And now they only need to win two more games to clinch the No. 1 seed in the East.

They play tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

NHL

After a tough March, the Red Wings have a smaller chance of making it to the playoffs. According to reports they have a 40% chance as they look to face the Philadelphia Flyers tonight.

Game starts at 7:00 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center

Detroit City FC beat the Flint City Bucks yesterday 1-0 in the second round of the US Cup. Their next game is against Rhode Island on April 4 at 4:00 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.

Detroit’s 11th annual International Festival of Animation is going down on April 4. There will be a 93 minute mix of 19 animated shorts showcasing works from Michigan and international animators.

This event will be held at the historic Senate Theater in Detroit.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield gave her first state of the city address last night at Mumford High School. She announced a new program starting today for Detroit Public Schools students.

"Any K-12 student in the city can ride the bus for free, seven days a week, 365 days a year." Sheffield said some of the school budget money for bus fare will be rerouted into after-school programs.

And she announced a plan to lure businesses to economic corridors in the city, with a new position: the Director of Retail Attraction.

"For too long, the city has waited for retailers to come to them. My administration will go out and compete for that investment, because strong neighborhoods need more than housing and infrastructure. They need vibrant commercial corridors where people can shop, work and gather close to home."

Sheffield also said she was working with billionaire Dan Gilbert and the Move Detroit Coalition to entice more people to move to the city. "Our first program will support 313 current and future Detroiters with real resources, $15,000 to support home ownership and business growth, and $1,000 in relocation assistance to make it easier to come home to Detroit."

The mayor also highlighted some of the things she's already done since taking office, such as raising the minimum wage for city workers, and bringing the program Rx Kids to the city to help new mothers.

The Michigan Treasury Department is kicking of a new initiative today called Mi Money Matters Financial Empowerment.

According to the Treasury department, nearly 80% of metro Detroiters earning below 125,000 report never receiving formal education in personal finance. Roughly 25% of Detroiters do not have access to a bank.

The initiative includes a website that links to free tools and courses on credit, banking, and student loans.

Detroit City Council debated the value of Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax incentives yesterday, questioning whether they are a useful tool for relieving the tax burden on residents.

NEZ tax incentives cap the city and county millage rate at 50%. Under the current structure, a $300,000 home would be taxed $6,000; in the suburbs, the same home’s taxes would be less than $2,000.

Councilmember Scott Benson says the city needs to be competitive with neighboring cities, which the NEZ does by lowering taxes—even if they aren’t as low as a suburb's.