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09 Jan 2012 11:18

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Biz: Auto industry recovery: Detroit Auto Show reflects a reversal of fortunes

  • 4-9% expected increase in U.S. auto sales in 2012 source
  • » Pulling out the big guns: This week’s Detroit Auto Show is a giant coming-out party for an auto industry that was struggling to keep the engine running just a couple of years ago. But, while those times are certainly not gone entirely, they’ve certainly improved in recent years, which reflects in the boldness of this year’s models. In fact Chrysler, the weakest of the the three auto companies, is actually looking like a bright spot for Fiat, whose Chief Executive, Sergio Marchionne, invested in the company at its weakest point. “He entered Chrysler at rock bottom and will now capitalize on a U.S. recovery — the timing was perfect,” said automotive analyst Philippe Barrier. But maybe you’re like us and you don’t care about the specifics of the recovery and just want to see cool new cars. Well, the Detroit Free Press has you covered.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Dec 2011 08:43

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U.S.: Cash-strapped Detroit could face state takeover bid

  • The entire structure of the city reflects a 1950s model in which the United States was the dominant economy of the world and automobile manufacturing was the core driver. None of that is true anymore.
  • Former Detroit City Council member Sheila Cockrel • Discussing the city’s major financial issues — which are so bad that the state has ordered a review of the city in a move that could lead Michigan to take it over. It would be the largest city of its kind to be taken over by the state government, but one that has fallen the furthest: With a quickly-declining population that has fallen by a quarter in the past decade, a $150 million budget deficit and a $45 million financial shortfall expected for the current fiscal year, options are running slim for a city defined by auto industry culture in good ways and bad. If the state takes over, the council that Cockrel was once a member of and mayor Dave Bing could get sidelined. Ouch. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Oct 2011 11:43

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Politics: Herman Cain, to Michigan crowd: For the poor, it’s not 999, it’s 909

  • If you are at or below the poverty level, your plan isn’t 9-9-9, it is 9-0-9. Say amen y’all. 9-0-9.
  • Herman Cain • Claiming that his much-talked-about 999 plan was intended to always be income-tax-free for the poor. 909? Isn’t nearly as catchy now, is it? Cain made this statement in Detroit on Friday, which plays into some of the criticism his campaign has gotten — that he’s not focusing on the states that will help him win the early primaries. Earlier this month, Karl Rove put this point succinctly: “He needs to get his bus to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada. If he doesn’t break through there — and to break through there, you’ve got to show up, particularly in the first three.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Apr 2011 21:59

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Culture: Sheen’s live show improves in Chicago after disastrous opening

  • detroit The premier of Charlie Sheen’s one-man show did not go well. After, amongst other things, setting fire to a shirt and insulting the city in which he was performing, Sheen was booed off the stage.
  • chicago Sheen shook things up the show’s second night, opting for a talk show-esque format instead of…well, whatever the hell it was he did the first night. Apparently it worked; this time, Sheen received a standing ovation. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Apr 2011 17:15

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Culture: Torpedo insufficiently violent, truthful for Detroit

  • NO Charlie Sheen isn’t great at putting together a live show source
  • » We’re tentative about even broaching this, as we got tired and sick of the media’s Sheen-o-rama much quicker than most. But even if only as a means to interrupt the flow of globally important, sometimes dire news for a little diversionary breather, this New York Times article about the disastrous debut of Sheen’s live show (characteristically called Violent Torpedo of Truth) last night is worth a look. We kept thinking while reading this about what Bill Maher predicted two weeks ago: “He’ll come out, he’ll say his catchphrase ‘duh, winning,’ the place will go nuts, and then it will be a long, slow march to 9:30.” It looks like he nailed it.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Mar 2011 23:31

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U.S.: Alright … who hollowed out Detroit and took all its people?

  • 713k Detroit’s current population, according to the census figures released today
  • 951k Detroit’s population back in 2000 — all told, that’s about a 25 percent drop in just a decade
  • half of all counties in Michigan have shrunk — it’s the only state to lose population source
  • » Dave Bing, not so happy: The mayor of Detroit (who played a mean game of hoops in his day and created an unintentional Robocop campaign) says that the Census totally under-counted his villa. He says the town has 750,000 people at least. While there were areas with big jumps throughout Michigan, they were mostly in suburbs (Lansing = where it’s at). Da Yoopers had some pretty huge declines of their own — one county lost 13 percent of its population.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jan 2011 20:57

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U.S.: Detroit’s violence happening INSIDE police stations now. Yikes

  • 4 officers shot INSIDE of a Detroit police precinct; the gunman died source
  • » A rough weekend for the Motor City: Ten people have been shot and injured or killed in the city in the last three days – the police precinct shooting of course being the most disturbing. One of the officers in today’s shooting was shot in the head, but is talking and moving his arms. The rest suffered minor wounds.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

13 Dec 2010 11:19

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Culture: Ford Field: People line up en masse for free Vikings/Giants tickets

  • Why are these guys so happy? They lined up in the bitter cold at Ford Field in Detroit this morning to score neutral-site tickets to the Minnesota Vikings/New York Giants game hastily scheduled there tonight, in the wake of that whole Metrodome collapse thang. Brett Favre may or may not be playing tonight; if he doesn’t, an epic consecutive-games streak goes away. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Nov 2010 19:40

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Offbeat: Based on location, Michigan lottery winners frequent sex toy shop

Why does this guy have such a weird look on his face? Well, he, along with a group who chipped in, just won the lottery. Off a ticket he bought at a sex toy shop. Heh. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Oct 2010 10:23

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Biz: Ford, in blatant display of showing-off, posts record profits

  • $1.7B Ford’s profits in the third quarter of 2010 – a new record for the company
  • 1997 the year Ford set the quarterly record they broke this quarter
  • 69% the increase in profits from a year ago; not bad, auto industry source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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