A sales tax of one percent in Detroit could generate $72 million a year in revenue for the city. That’s according to a report released Wednesday by the Citizens Research Council (CRC). But the juice may not be worth the squeeze.

CRC officials say that estimated $72 million revenue is only about 5% of Detroit’s general budget for 2026. Creating the tax requires changes to the state constitution, an ordinance from the city council and voter approval.

Researcher Madhu Anderson says implementing the tax could create other challenges for the city.

“It encourages what we call tax avoidance, which is looking for areas where taxes may be lower to buy the same product It also encourages more competition for businesses. They may choose to not locate in a city because of the higher taxes, meaning residents may not purchase things there.”

Anderson says there are alternatives the city could look at for increasing revenue, such as an entertainment tax.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield is looking for suggestions from residents about what issues in the city she should be focusing on. The mayor’s transition team, Rise Higher Detroit, has released a survey on their website asking for input on things like taxes, services, community programs and more. Volunteers will also be going door to door in neighborhoods.

For more information or to complete the survey visit risehigherdetroit.com/survey.

The National Association of Women in Construction Detroit Chapter is offering a $2500 scholarship to Michigan students and apprentices pursuing careers in construction and skilled trades.

The chapter is holding a free, in-person workshop on Jan. 24 at the Northwest Activities Center. Scholarships can be used for tuition, training, and tools.

Applications are due Feb. 28. For more information, visit the link in today’s DER post at wdet.org/der. (nawic.org/nfsf-scholarships)

The Church of Christ Care Community is organizing a donation drive for Detroit residents. The church is collecting items to create welcome bags for women and children who arrive at Interim House, Michigan’s largest shelter for victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

People can donate clothing, pajamas, personal care items, formula, stuffed toys, blankets, diapers, wipes, non-perishable snacks and juice.

The drop off location is 23621 15 Mile road in Clinton Township. Donations are being collected through March.  

The Detroit Auto Show officially begins Wednesday as the event’s media and industry days get underway. Hundreds of journalists from around the world are in town to see the latest offering from Detroit’s automakers and other manufacturers.

Detroit Auto Dealers Association executive director Sam Klemet says this year’s show will be unlike any other in recent history. “It's one thing to look into the rearview mirror of what has been. That kind of takes your eyes off the road ahead. I think that people who come to the 2026 show will have a very different, positive engaged experience that we haven’t had in a number of years. So, I think it will be a show that really resets the tone of what the Detroit Auto Show is all about.”

The charity preview takes place on Friday evening. The show opens to the public on Saturday and runs through Jan. 25 at Huntington Place in Detroit.

The 2026 North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year awards were announced today. A group of 50 automotive journalists rate the vehicles on several criteria, including design, safety, technology and performance.

The 2026 Car of the Year is the Dodge Charger. The Truck of the Year is the Ford Maverick Lobo. And the Utility Vehicle of the Year is the Hyundai Palisade.

President Trump traveled to Detroit Tuesday to connect with the auto industry. He toured the Ford Rouge plant in Dearborn and talked with company leaders before heading into the city to speak to members of the Detroit Economic Club at the Motor City Casino.

During his wide-ranging remarks, the president touted the strength of the economy and claimed that affordability is a “fake word”. He also made allegations of rigged elections and called for stronger voter identification requirements.

Hundreds of demonstrators showed up outside of the Motor City Casino Tuesday to protest against President Trump and his administration’s policies, particularly those involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The protest was peaceful, but Detroit Police did arrest a couple of people for failing to move when ordered to do so.

Detroit’s three casinos earned more than $1.2 billion in revenue last year, according to numbers released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board Tuesday. Nearly 80% of that came from slot machines.

The three casinos are reporting lower revenues for December. The gaming houses brought in $105.1 million last month. That’s down more than 5% from December 2024. MGM Grand held nearly half of the city’s gaming market at 49%. Motor City controlled 29 % and Hollywood Casino at Greektown held 22% of the market.

The three casinos paid $12.4 million in taxes and wagering agreement fees to the City of Detroit last month. They paid another $8.4 million in taxes to the State of Michigan in December.

The Michigan Historical Museum is showcasing black velvet paintings and their ties to Latino History in a new exhibit. “Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic” includes more than 100 black velvet paintings from the private collections of co-curators Elena Herrada and Diana Rivera, collector Minerva Martinez and from the community.

“[This is] probably the only kind of art exhibit ever where people brought their own and added them to the collection," says Herrada. "Like people were walking in with their velvet paintings and some of them donated them and some of them loaned them and some of them took them with them when they left.”

Herrada says there have been several small exhibits of black velvet paintings in Lansing and Detroit over the last few years but this is the largest. She says black velvet paintings were popular art pieces in Chicano homes but people were not given the space to celebrate the art elsewhere.

“Many times people’s aesthetics or tastes are really put down or looked down upon. That’s one of the reasons we don’t have close ties to museums because people don’t feel at home in places where there is high art.”

Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic is on view at the Michigan Historical Museum until late November. The museum plans to host several events related to black velvet painting in the coming months. This Saturday, Jan. 17 admission is free and visitors can make crafts inspired by the collection.

The museum is in Lansing at 702 W Kalamazoo Street. Admission is $8 for adults and less for seniors and children; $2 for adults and free for kids with EBT cards.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the creation of the Department of Human, Homeless, and Family Services Monday, led by its new director Benita Miller. Miller previously served as the executive director of the New York City Children's Cabinet, and has three decades of experience in family and child welfare.

The restructuring of city services also creates the role of Chief of Health Human Services and Poverty Solutions. The University of Michigan's Luke Shaefer will fill that position and also oversee the Detroit Health Department, and the Office of Immigrant Affairs and Economic Inclusion. Shaefer was the founder and director of the University of Michigan's Poverty Solutions research initiative and co-founded the program Rx Kids.

Sheffield says the reorganization of these services will make the process of reaching out to community services less fragmented and confusing for residents.

The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for the next cohort of its Queer Equity Impact Program. The 12-week business accelerator program starts in February and offers participants with business plan development, peer support, training and other guidance.

Applications are due Jan. 30. Learn more at detroitlgbtchamber.com.

Hundreds of people across Michigan protested against Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the weekend after an ICE agent shot a woman to death in Minnesota last week.

Joshua Medina joined demonstrators at Detroit's Clark Park on Friday night. He says Americans need to fight back against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

"Force only understands force, right? And by no means I mean that in a violent way, but I mean that in a show of people power, right?"

There were protests across the nation over the weekend.

- Reporting by Steve Carmody

Detroit's car companies are gearing up for the city's annual Auto Show this week.

Executive Director Sam Klemet says the event features immersive hands-on displays promoting both vehicle technology and the Motor City itself.

"It's a chance for everyone to come under one roof and see kind of what the auto industry is about...where it's going...and what the city of Detroit is about. I mean you'll see a lot of that as well. So I think that this is evolving into a content show."

Klemet adds that the event also celebrates those who love Michigan's outdoor areas by showcasing vehicles and equipment designed for rugged terrain.

The auto show opens to the public on Jan. 17.

- Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter

The City of Dearborn and Chef Amanda Saab are hosting a “Dinner with Your Muslim Neighbor” event this week at the Lincoln Ballroom at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center. The event takes place Thursday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m.

The event hopes to give non-Muslim neighbors a chance to join Muslim neighbors to sit down and have deeper conversations together.

The Wayne State University School of Medicine is hosting its Future Docs program in March. The event is hosted by the Medical Alumni Association to expose kids to hands-on science and medicine.

Future Docs is for children between the age of 6-12 years old. Children will experience 18 hands-on science workshops, such as Brain Blast, Wind Your Way Through DNA, and Heart Rocks. Kids receive a t-shirt, a backpack, and souvenirs. The event takes place on March 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 540 Canfield in Detroit.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $35 for children. Tickets for WSU Medical Alumni Association members are $15 for adults, $30 for children.

Detroit Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero hopes to ban or limit Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE agents access in the city. This follows an incident in Minneapolis in which an ICE agent fatally shot a legal observer. Renee Good was a 37-year old mother of three.

Bridge Detroit reports Santiago-Romero sent the council’s Legislative Policy Division a memo during a committee hearing yesterday to define the city’s ability to keep agents out of clinics, schools, and places of worship or city property.

Santiago-Romero said, “We need to ensure that does not happen here in Detroit.” She says there have been recent reports of people getting picked up by ICE agents during school pick ups and entering mosques.

She further inquired about the Detroit Police Departments relation to the federal agency. As of now, Mayor Mary Sheffield says she does not support the police department’s resources being allocated to immigration efforts.

A report by The Trace says ICE has been responsible for 59 shootings and 23 deaths between 2015-2021. None of the agents were charged.

Tonight there will be a vigil and rally at Clark Park in Detroit at 6 p.m.

Bikes 4 Kidz Detroit is giving out free bikes this weekend. The event takes place Saturday, Jan. 10 from 6-9 p.m. at the FB4K Warehouse. That’s located at 4015 Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI.

Sign up for the event in advance.

The City of Hamtramck is naming a street sign after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. She served three terms.

The honorary street name will be given to Carpenter Street between Jos. Campau and Conant. Carpenter also borders Detroit where the “Bangladesh: Coming to America” mural is painted on a school building, honoring the Bangladeshi community.

Hamtramck is home to a significant population of Bangladeshis in Michigan. Khaleda Zia passed away on Dec. 30 from health complications. She was 80 years old.

A 30-year-old man with autism from Dearborn Heights, Yousif Hassan went missing Wednesday, prompting a city wide and multi-jurisdiction search in the city with 200 volunteers. His body was found yesterday in the Rouge River near Hines Park.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said in a statement: "Despite the incredible outpouring of help and the rapid response from police and fire, the outcome was not what we prayed for.”

The Dearborn Heights Police Department hasn’t formally identified they body; however, they say it matches Hassan’s description. All search efforts have been called off while they await a confirmation from the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office. The investigation is ongoing.

Metro Food Rescue is piloting a new program to bring food directly to those in need with a community fridge in apartment complexes. The goal is to eliminate transportation and time obstacles for older people trying to get access to groceries.

The mini food pantries will be located in affordable housing complexes for seniors, starting with the Gratiot Woods Co-op on Detroit’s east side. The fridges will be stocked weekly with fruit, vegetables, bread and other essentials.

The pilot program is funded for two years by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has expanded its On-the-Go pop-up food distribution with a new location in Taylor. The pantry offers fresh produce, grains and protein. Halal and Kosher friendly options are available where the community needs it.

The mobile pantry is offered on a monthly basis by appointment in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties. To date, the department has served nearly 550 families and distributed more than 11 tons of groceries.

Individuals in Southeast Michigan in need of food must make an appointment by emailing MDHHS-FH-WC-Taylor@michigan.gov to help minimize wait times and ensure adequate food supplies. 

The Detroit Board of Ethics published a public admonishment of City Assessor and Deputy CFO Alvin Horhn earlier this week. Horhn violated state law when he added more than 13,000 properties to the tax roll late, and without any late fees.

Between 2014 and 2020 the Detroit Land Bank promised buyers they would file property transfer affidavits on their behalf and never did. Horhn says if he had added the properties to the tax roll based on date of transfer, thousands of residents would have received penalties for an issue that should have never occurred.

The Board of Ethics said though his intent was good, it is not an excuse to violate state law. City council members sided with Horhn on the matter. So far, Horhn has not been punished for his actions.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield’s public investiture is tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Detroit Opera House. It’s the swearing in ceremony of Detroit’s first female mayor, though the official swearing in happened on Jan. 1.

The event will also include the swearing in of city council members, board of police commissioners, and the city clerk. It will be live streamed on Detroit’s social media sites.

The Michigan lottery raised nearly $1.2 billion for the state's school aid fund in 2025. It marks the seventh consecutive year the lotto brought in more than a billion dollars for education.

Michigan retailers also cashed in on the drawings last year. They brought in around $300 million in commission from lotto ticket sales.

Flu cases are on the rise across Michigan. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control say the state has a “very high” level of doctors’ visits for respiratory illnesses. That’s the top category in the country.

Doctors recommend children and adults over 65 get a flu vaccine to prevent serious illness and limit the risk of hospitalization. Officials say only about a quarter of Michigan residents have received a flu vaccine this season.

The state says 8% of emergency room visits last week were because of flu-related illnesses.

The number of homicides in Detroit continues to fall.

The city had 165 murders last year. That’s the lowest number since 1964.

The police department says other crimes, such as non-fatal shootings and carjackings also fell last year.

DTE Energy will soon begin charging a fee for customers who pay their bills by credit or debit card. That’s according to the Detroit Free Press. Residential customers will pay $2.99 per transaction. Business customers will be charged $9.99 per transaction when they pay by debit or credit. The Detroit utility says the fee will go directly to third party vendors who process those payments. The change is set to take effect on March 2nd.

Gas prices have risen slightly in metro Detroit over the past week, but they remain below $3 per gallon. Triple A Michigan says the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded is $2.83. That’s up about five cents from a week ago. Last year at this time, Detroiters were paying an average of $3.!0 per gallon.

Detroiters can expect a bit of a weather warm-up in the next couple of days. The National Weather Service says temperatures will rise into the upper 40s tomorrow and we might even break a record with a high forecast to be in the upper 50s on Friday.

The reality of winter returns on Sunday and Monday though, with highs in the 30s.

The Detroit Lions have fired offensive coordinator John Morton after a disappointing season. The team failed to make the playoffs this year with a record of nine wins and eight losses.

Morton called plays for the offense in the first 10 games of the year, but head coach Dan Campbell was not pleased with the team’s inconsistent performance. Campbell took over offensive play-calling duties in game 11.

Morton became offensive coordinator last year after the departure of Ben Johnson, who left the Lions to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Chicago won the NFC north division this season and is headed to the playoffs. The Lions finished last in the division this season.

The Detroit City Council voted in new leaders Monday.

WDET'S Bre'Anna Tinsley was there.

James Tate was voted President 5-4. He served as President Pro Tem under now mayor Mary Sheffield. He says he wants to strengthen how the council operates.

 "For years, I have pushed for a legislative agenda, and while we have not fully realized that goal, I did help usher into our rules, a process that can move us there. That matters because it increases transparency, accountability, and it also provides the public a way to see our priorities and measure our progress."

Coleman Young II was voted Pro Tem, defeating Mary Waters.

Independent gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan says he's bringing a message of unity to the state—the kind he says helped him bridge divides as mayor of Detroit.

As an independent Duggan won't get any visibility from the party primary process. He says instead he’s visiting with small groups of voters across Michigan and finding many of them concerned about the same issues like affordable housing and job training opportunities.

Duggan says Republicans and Democrats are more interested in beating each other than working together to solve problems. "I have never seen a state more evenly divided than Michigan today. And people more fed up. I don't think the climate's ever been more fertile...to have a third option."

Duggan claims rural voters in particular find they have more in common than they thought with the urban electorate that placed him at the top of Detroit's city government. (Quinn Klinefelter)

The Brightmoor Artisan Collective is getting ready to launch a program for folks who want to start a food business.

Applications for the Retail Food Business Cohort are set to go live in a few weeks. Participants will be able to access free food safety certification, business plan development, networking events and a one year membership in the collective.

For more information visit brightmoorartisans.org.

The Detroit Parks and Rec Department is launching a slew of sports programs for kids this and next month. Offerings include tennis, baseball, volleyball, basketball, flag football, soccer and “sports movement.”

Programs will be offered at recreation and community centers throughout the city.