u/Stratiform

Some cool photos that Woodward Talk posted - it was a good Cruisefest this year.

>Ford Motor Co. says it is bringing thousands of jobs to the United States, which could include Michigan, by shifting the production of Lincoln vehicles. The automaker announced on Aug. 12 that starting in 2030, it will increase the production of vehicles in its luxury brand, Lincoln, in the United States. Ford did not say which plants would get the extra production.

“Lincoln is a quintessentially American brand, and Ford is America’s automaker," Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement. "This wasn’t necessarily the easiest path. In fact, it’s a path most of our competitors aren’t choosing to take. But Ford builds in America because we believe in America, and we’re betting on that belief again."

This is the second juvenile giraffe death at the zoo this year. The other one was in February:

• Giraffe calf dies at Detroit Zoo after running into habitat viewing panel, 02/20/2026

Seems concerning.

For real, even though the only people who recognized that were like the handful of us nerds who post on geography forums 😅... I was feeling like Detroit was center stage for the world, for about 30 seconds there. That was awesome!

The Detroit Red Wings announced Wednesday that Steve Yzerman is moving out of his role as general manager and will instead move forward as a senior advisor to governor and CEO Chris Ilitch.

...

Yzerman has served as general manager since 2019 and the team has failed to make the playoffs during his tenure.

It's the old "Chalk Art Fest" or whatever it was called before.

July 25 from 11 am to 8 pm, on Coolidge, north of Catalpa -- website here.

Does anyone have more details on this? The internet seems pretty light, but all the ransomware trackers confirm that Oak Park was hit, and some personal emails have been leaked from this. Does anyone have the tea?

Curious how much this has brought city operations to a halt, or if they simply downloaded stuff to publish, if not paid.

The Bridge Detroit article explores a few personal takes on patriotism and the flag among Detroiters, as we approach the nation's 250th. Some excerpts:

>Jerry Esters proudly displays the American flag each day on his Detroit home. A few miles away, Yvonne Pistochini says there is no scenario under which she would allow the Stars and Stripes to cast its shadow where she lives.
...
“When these homes were built, Black men like me, my mother and my family … we couldn’t even buy these homes,” he said. “To me, that’s one reason I fly the flag. We went through a lot to be able to own nice homes, and this is what we fought for.”
...
“Just because you fly a flag doesn’t make you a patriot,” Pistochini said. “If there was patriotism, we would not have all this. We can’t look at (what’s going on) and say this is America.”

What's your take on the flag and patriotism? Any plans for the 4th? Fireworks? Parade?

> "Ford Motor Co., after setting an industry record for recalls and struggling to fix production snags on some new models, surged from below average on last year’s JD Power U.S. Initial Quality Study to become the highest-ranked mass-market brand for 2026."

"We recognize that many residents appreciated the artwork and have expressed disappointment that it has been removed. We appreciate the community's passion for public art and the thoughtful feedback that has been shared."

~ City of Wyandotte

>EGLE and the EPA have worked since 2012 to identify contaminated sites throughout the Detroit River Area of Concern, a designation added in 1987. The EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative supports the ongoing river cleanup.

Sediment remediation is the last major component of the Detroit River restoration, according to the environmental agencies. The project will focus on contaminated sediments, beginning with the Upper Trenton Harbor, said Anne Vogel, regional EPA administrator.

That's on top of my registration fee. The registration fee is fair, based on the vehicles value. The EV tax is flat, arbitrary, capricious.

• $167 for "Electric Registration Tax Passenger"
• $100 for "Electric Registration Fee Passenger"

In theory, this makes up for the gas tax that I don't pay on it. I drove that car about 10,000 miles this year. If I drove an average gas car - say 35 mpg, that would have been 285 gallons of gas used. At $0.52/gallon of state gas tax, I saved about $150 in gas tax.

To "offset" that $150 savings in gas tax I paid a $267 fee to the state.

I get it, it's minor, it's $100, but these are kinds of policies that hurt the state, hurt progress, hurt how we look when people consider the state as home.

No real point to my post beyond a rant, I guess, but this is trash policy. If we want to be the Motor City and a state that looks toward the future of automotive, we can't punish people for driving it. Disappointing.

The final decree comes as the city makes its last $10 million distribution to unsecured creditors.

In a news release Wednesday, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield praised the city's financial turnaround, highlighting 12 consecutive balanced budgets and a return to an investment-grade credit rating.