I’ve been spending the last month reporting on Philip Kafka’s presence in the Epstein files. I’ve been tasked with finding more Detroiters who are reconsidering their relationship with Core City businesses over this. Let’s talk. It could make the difference in this getting published.

Subscribe to my newsletter for free information about what's happening in Detroit local government. Here's today's lineup. mailchi.mp/bridgedetroi...

Gun Violence Data Hub recorded 2,332 shootings within 500 yards of Detroit schools from 2015-24. Those shootings resulted in 765 deaths and 2,082 injuries. datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/scho...

Sister Pie owner says mayoral candidate James Craig wrongly stated they're out of business. Craig's campaign says it was a simple misunderstanding. www.bridgedetroit.com/detroit-elec...

Most Detroit households earning $20,000 to $35,000 don't have affordable housing based on the federal definition. 82% spend more than 1/3 of their income on rent, and 43% of them are spending half of their income or more.

Burned out and turned off by national politics? Here's your sign to get more invested in local reporting. BridgeDetroit launched a new platform to discuss city politics and upcoming municipal elections. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qojz...

Kinlochfordetroit.com asks “Who is Solomon Kinloch?” but prominently promotes rival mayoral candidate Jonathan Barlow. Similar sites were made duping others in the 2025 Detroit mayor's race. www.bridgedetroit.com/mayoral-myst...

Talked with Solomon Kinloch about why he's running for mayor, how he'd build new grocery stores and housing, what it means to be a Democrat, and why he'll keep preaching at Triumph Church if he wins. www.bridgedetroit.com/why-solomon-...

Detroit friends! Highly encourage you to fill out this survey on how Woodward can be improved. MDOT has plans to redesign and develop this major stroad and this is our chance to make it better. survey123.arcgis.com/share/963732...

Here's the first thing to know

💸Today in the notebook: A primer on the things I pay attention to when following the money donated to mayoral candidates. Read for breakdowns on who leads in donations from Detroiters, donations under $200, support from political committees and more. mailchi.mp/bridgedetroi...

All this conversation on Elon's USAID slash and I just learned today that it only represents less than 1% of the federal budget. This pursuit of cutting waste changes virtually nothing about what the government spends.

Updates from the campaign trail in Detroit. One of the nation’s highest-profile civil rights attorneys blessed Sheffield's candidacy for mayor this week, naming her “the real deal” who embodies the next generation of Black leadership. www.bridgedetroit.com/attorney-ben...

Detroiters surveyed by city put a high priority on housing investments for upcoming budget year. This includes heavy demand for home repair grants and AFFORDABLE HOUSING. Neighborhood rebuilding (tree + sidewalk maintenance, street cleaning, lighting, amenities) also ranked high.

Today in the notebook: The Duggan Make Your Date/Motor City Match scandal seemingly closes its final chapter with a legal settlement involving Jocelyn Benson’s husband. mailchi.mp/bridgedetroi...

Detroit's reparations task force has decided to hire Desiree Ferguson, legal director of the Detroit Justice Center, to write up its policy proposals to the City Council. She'll be paid $50,000. Deadline is approaching, recommendations are due by March 31.

There is a long tradition of ice skating through frozen lakes and canals on Belle Isle, dating back over a hundred years. Meet the guys keeping it alive. Glad we did covered this before warmer weather set in, seems like this season is over already. www.bridgedetroit.com/detroit-ice-...

Some notable names are starting to push money toward candidates. More coming on BridgeDetroit.com today.

Updated my map showing the geographic distribution of donations for Detroit 2025 mayoral race. Cash is starting to pour in from outside the city and across the country. felt.com/map/2025-Det...

When secretaries of state run for governor, there’s been national debate over whether they should recuse themselves from overseeing the election. Most states don’t have rules on this. What will Michigan's Jocelyn Benson do? No doubt Republicans will have qualms about a perceived conflict.

Heard several first-hand stories now from Michigan Democrats who worked on the Biden/Harris campaigns about high ranking members (often with family connections to Biden) shutting down attempts to change strategy in response to feedback from voters on the ground.

Todd Perkins officially announced his candidacy for Detroit mayor this week. Perkins’ legal practice has a wide list of highly visible clients, often defending public officials who find themselves in legal trouble. www.bridgedetroit.com/detroit-atto...

A week ago, Ryan Ash-Miller didn’t know who Mike Duggan was. Now he’s running X’s biggest Duggan fan page. www.bridgedetroit.com/mike-duggan-...

After talking w/ Council Member Santiago-Romero yesterday, I heard independently from 2 others that ICE has more active presence in SW Detroit. All of Michigan is in ICE jurisdiction, so it's normal to see agents. But folks are saying ICE is knocking doors and showing up places they're normally not.

Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison told a City Council member the city will not aid ICE with immigration raids. But we're not a sanctuary city. ICE officials will be notified if police arrest an undocumented person for another crime. www.bridgedetroit.com/city-council...

Detroit Pastor Lorenzo Sewell launched a crypto coin hours after going viral at Trump’s inauguration. The coin crashed immediately. Sewell’s coin was covered by a popular YouTube channel that reports on crypto scams, and some X users called it a rug pull. www.bridgedetroit.com/detroit-past...

City Council members who spent a year pushing for changes to Detroit’s contract with the Land Bank Authority were surprised to learn their power is limited. The land bank has come under fire for funneling land toward the politically connected. www.bridgedetroit.com/city-council...

If you're interested in quality news about Detroit, subscribe to my email newsletter. I'm breaking down government decisions and how they affect residents in an easy to understand format. www.bridgedetroit.com/subscribe/

Today in Detroit City Council news: 🏚️Council cuffed in land bank contract 🚨Detroit preps for immigration crackdown 🪙Trump allied pastor launches crypto coin 🌇Why did Sheffield flip solar stance? 🗳️More 2025 candidates surface 🧑‍⚖️Waters drops election skepticism mailchi.mp/bridgedetroi...

🤔 From @malachibarrett.bsky.social at @bridgedet313.bsky.social. www.bridgedetroit.com/detroit-sola...

Find my work all my reporting here and subscribe to my free email newsletter for quality information about the Detroit City Council. www.bridgedetroit.com/subscribe/ www.bridgedetroit.com/author/malac...