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Welcome to Detroit, Lions fans — take your trash when you go

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Welcome to Detroit, Lions fans — take your trash when you go


“The bums will pick it up.”  

I’ve been fuming about this since December, when a playoff-crazed Lions tailgater chose those words to explain why his family was leaving their trash on a grassy strip of public property close to my home.  

My wife and I live on the edge of downtown, less than a mile from Ford Field. We first moved to Detroit in 2006, leaving twice for career opportunities, but always coming back, and always living in the vicinity of downtown.

We love the easy access to concerts, sports and events, and feel joyful about the bigger, steadier crowds of people who live, work and visit the core city. It’s just fun.  

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Sometimes, when the Red Wings or Pistons are at home, I go for a run along Woodward just to immerse myself a little bit in the pregame excitement. I have, in particular, long enjoyed the loyalty and enthusiasm of you long-suffering Lions supporters, and am happy for you now, despite being a lifelong Chiefs fan.  

These crowds make great people watching, and it’s easy to get caught up in the spirit. 

As the new Lions season begins, I welcome tailgaters back to our neighborhood. I’m merely asking that you treat it as you would like your own neighborhood treated.

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The hard work of being poor

Living where I do, fans and concertgoers aren’t the only people I watch. I also see how difficult it is to be poor — much more work than simply picking up after yourself ― to wait for the bus in predawn cold or midsummer heat, to pull a little cart home from the grocery store over icy streets, to curl up on a corner of sidewalk to get some sleep.  

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I don’t judge. My birth family was far from well off, and some of us, including me, have experienced the ravages of substance abuse. In the “bums” our Lions fan expects to clean up his mess, I see people still awaiting the unbidden grace that lifted me. 

When you are poor, for any reason, the heat is more oppressive, the cold is colder, the distance is farther.  

So when I see people trudging to work in the dark, I think about how much work it is to be poor, just as when I see folks schleping empty cans and bottles for return. And that does happen, so at one level, the tailgater was right – the bottle bill works as an incentive that cuts down on at least some kinds of litter.  

But that doesn’t make it right to leave a mess — which included this family’s paper plates and napkins — because you think Detroit is your garbage dump, or that the less fortunate should clean up after you.  

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It may be that this Lions fan — I think this is common — doesn’t come into the city very often, and has an outdated conception. When I moved here in 2006, just after Super Bowl XL led to a hurried makeup job, litter was common. Streetlights were out. Bike riding was frustrating because of broken glass in the street.  

That’s changed for a variety of reasons, but it boils down to investment and sustained effort, along with a much-needed step-up in city services that made it possible for longtime residents to hold the line against disrepair.

No city is pristine, but significant parts of Detroit proper are undeniably neater than they were 20 years ago.  

That Detroit of two decades ago showed its poverty more sharply wasn’t an excuse to act like a pig back then, and it sure isn’t an excuse for littering now.

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Let’s not disrespect Detroit

I, perhaps unfairly, assume our littering Lion lives in some nondescript suburb that would barely exist were it not for the brawn and innovation of Detroit. It’s Dee-troit basketball, not Birmingham Hoops. He cheers for the Detroit Lions, not the Warren Kittens or the Southfield Whatevers, and no doubt takes pride in saying he is a Detroit Lions fan now that they are succeeding.  

So he and his family — he had elementary-school age children with him — would do well to be polite visitors. I merely ask that they pick up after themselves, and maybe not teach the next generation to disrespect Detroit.   

I’ll do the same if I ever have reason to park my vehicle on some suburban street, pitch a tent and have a little party.

Randy Essex is an editor at the Detroit Free Press. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters and we may publish it online and in print.



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Detroit, MI

Fired Detroit TV anchor Taryn Asher files sex discrimination lawsuit against old station, claims new GM protected men

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Fired Detroit TV anchor Taryn Asher files sex discrimination lawsuit against old station, claims new GM protected men


A fired Detroit TV news anchor blasted her former station, and their parent company, for letting her male colleagues’ bad behavior slide and then axing her when she complained about the unfair treatment, a new lawsuit claims.

Taryn Asher filed the federal sexual discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday against Fox Television Stations and her former workplace, WJBK TV, known as Fox 2 Detroit, in connection with her sudden termination in November.

Taryn Asher filed a federal lawsuit against her former station, Fox 2 Detroit, for sexual discrimination. Linkedin / Taryn Asher

The station went downhill after Fox 2 hired Paul McGonagle as their general manager —  sparking a slew of female firings, while men, including Asher’s co-anchor Roop Raj, were offered more perks, the 26-page complaint obtained by The Post alleged.

“If Asher had not been female, she would not have been treated in the same discriminatory manner,” the filing, first reported by Deadline Detroit, said.

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Raj was treated “more favorably” and offered “more guest interview segment opportunities on the evening news,” as well as scheduling adjustments, Asher claimed.

In one example, Asher alleged the station refused to let her adjust her schedule to host a show called “Let it Rip,” though Raj was given the leeway to host his show, “The Pulse.”

The suit also alleged that WJBK allowed him to “circumvent and undermine” Asher’s work responsibilities.

She later emailed McGonagle about the situation, writing, “I’m concerned about the lack of balance and equity, particularly compared to my co-anchor who holds the same responsibilities but has a more accommodating schedule.”

Asher alleged her co-anchor, Roop Raj, was offered more guest interview segment opportunities and schedule accommodations. Facebook / Roop Raj¿

McGonagle met with Asher to tell her she would not be adjusting the schedule, and her new program would be put on hold, according to court papers.

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An Emmy award-winning veteran broadcast journalist, Asher claimed that Raj had also been assigned all of the guest interviews they were supposed to split for Election Day, court documents said.

After complaining to management to no avail, Asher decided to speak with the co-anchor about her concerns that he was receiving “preferable treatment.”

The lawsuit denied that Asher had any “outbursts” that warranted her to be fired. Linkedin / Taryn Asher

The next day, Raj contacted human resources and “offensively labeled Asher as ‘jealous,’ and grossly mischaracterized Asher’s complaints of sex-based discrimination as Asher ‘[having] an issue with men vs. women,” court papers claim.

Shortly after, Asher was placed on leave “pending an investigation into alleged complaints of ‘egregious behavior’” with her Fox colleagues — and fired after a two-week probe for “outbursts” in the newsroom, the lawsuit said.

Asher denied having any such “outbursts” that warranted her to be fired, according to court papers.

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Several male employees at the station had also exhibited “unprofessional behavior and misconduct” with lesser consequences, the filing alleged.

Among the examples, Raj was allegedly “merely suspended” for two weeks after being arrested for driving under the influence in 2012, and McGonagle was also allegedly promoted after a DUI arrest at a different Fox station.

Asher is seeking unspecified damages from Fox Television Stations and WJBK TV.

The action followed the longtime Detroit anchor’s complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that was subjected to “less favorable treatment” than male employees.

Neither Fox, McGonagle, nor Raj responded to The Post’s request for comment.

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Detroit Tigers sweep Tampa Bay Rays in win as Dillon Dingler stays hot

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Detroit Tigers sweep Tampa Bay Rays in win as Dillon Dingler stays hot


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ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Almost every Detroit Tigers hitter looks improved through three games in June, but Dillon Dinger continues to go above and beyond. He put the Tigers on his back for a sweep of one of MLB’s best teams.

The Tigers scored in each of the first four innings en route to a 7-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, June 3, in the finale of the three-game series at Tropicana Field, sweeping the series for a three-game winning streak.

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It’s the first sweep for the Tigers since April 14-16.

Dingler hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning.

Facing the Rays, Dingler hit .462 (6-for-13) with three home runs and nine RBIs across 14 plate appearances. The 27-year-old drove in four runs apiece in Monday’s opener and Wednesday’s finale.

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He is hitting .241 with 14 homers and an .830 OPS in 56 games.

The Tigers improved to 25-38, while the Rays, who entered Wednesday with the best record in the American League, dropped to 36-23. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Tigers are 10½ games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.

More importantly, the Tigers experienced a run-scoring breakthrough at Tropicana Field.

The offense scored 81 runs (with 18 home runs) through 28 games in May, only to score 25 runs (with 10 home runs) in the first three games in June.

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On the mound

Right-hander Troy Melton struggled early on.

But he dominated throughout the middle and late innings.

The 25-year-old didn’t throw a first-pitch strike to the first eight batters he faced, and the Rays took advantage of his command issues by scoring one run apiece in a 19-pitch first inning and a 17-pitch second inning.

The result of those runs: The Rays tied the game, 1-1, on Yandy Díaz’s RBI single in the first and tied the game again, 2-2, on Cedric Mullins’ solo home run in the second.

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Melton suddenly threw a first-pitch strike for the first time to Victor Mesa Jr., immediately following Mullins’s homer and Nick Fortes’ single.

He faced the minimum 21 batters after Fortes’ single, needing 14 pitches in the third inning, 10 in the fourth, eight in the fifth, six in the sixth and eight in the seventh and 12 in the eighth.

His only blemish during that stretch came on a leadoff walk to Jonathan Aranda in the third inning, losing a nine-pitch battle. He bounced back by erasing Aranda on the bases with a double play, then he struck out Richie Palacios.

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Melton owns a 1.74 ERA in three starts since returning May 24 from the injured list after suffering right elbow inflammation in spring training.

At the plate

The story continues to be the offense.

It’s a small sample size, but the Tigers keep hitting in June.

The Tigers grabbed the lead in the first inning for the fourth game in a row, courtesy of Gleyber Torres’ leadoff double and Dingler’s RBI single.

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Torres attacked a first-pitch cutter from right-hander Nick Martinez in his second game since returning from the injured list, recovering from a left oblique strain.

Martinez allowed six runs on nine hits and one walk with one strikeout across four innings, throwing 58 pitches. He hadn’t allowed more than two runs in his first 11 starts, entering Wednesday with a 1.62 ERA.

He now has a 2.29 ERA after his 12th start.

After taking a 1-0 lead, the Tigers made it 2-1 in the second on Jake Rogers’ home run and 3-2 in the third on Spencer Torkelson’s sacrifice fly.

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The big swing occurred in the fourth inning.

Singles from Matt Vierling and Torres put two runners on for Dingler with two outs, and, with two strikes, he pulled Martinez’s middle-away cutter for a three-run home run.

It put the Tigers ahead, 6-2.

A sacrifice fly from Kerry Carpenter extended the Tigers’ lead to 7-2 in the ninth inning.

Next up: Comerica Park

The six-game road trip is in the books.

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The Tigers have an off day Thursday – with another off day approaching on Monday – as they return home to Comerica Park for a three-game series against the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners, beginning Friday (6:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet).

The probable pitchers for the series: left-hander Framber Valdez on Friday, right-hander Keider Montero on Saturday and right-hander Jack Flaherty on Sunday.

For the Mariners, All-Star right-hander Bryan Woo is scheduled to start Friday’s opener.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.





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Another bribery scandal hits Detroit. It involves the People Mover

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Another bribery scandal hits Detroit. It involves the People Mover


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  • A former Detroit People Mover official is accused of accepting $300,000 in bribes.
  • The official allegedly approved phony invoices for IT work that was never performed.
  • The businessman who submitted the invoices owned a home restoration company with no IT experience.

More than a decade ago, a juror in a Detroit public corruption trial that ended with three men getting convicted in a $97 million bribery scheme exclaimed: “Hopefully this is the end of this nightmare … this is a whole new beginning.”

It didn’t quite go that way as the following years saw two city councilmen indictments, a dozen school principal bribery convictions, a towing scandal, as well as a toxic dirt and demolition fiasco.

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And now there’s this.

In a new criminal filing in U.S. District Court, a former city official in charge of the Detroit People Mover shuttle is charged with taking $300,000 in bribes from a businessmen who reportedly billed the city for work that was never performed — all with the help of his connected associate.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday, June 2 in U.S. District Court, the alleged scheme involves 55-year-old Michael Anderson, a former director with the Detroit Transportation Corporation, who allegedly helped Detroit businessman Terrence Parker bill the city for nearly $305,000 in information technology work that was never performed.

Moreover, court records show, Parker’s company has no experience with IT work, but rather performs restoration work on homes damaged by storms and natural disasters. Still, the FBI says, Parker managed to submit 22 phony invoices to the DTC for IT work, including fixing computer monitors — and got paid for all of it. That’s because Anderson was approving his phony invoices from the inside, the government says, and getting money in exchange for his help.

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Anderson and Parker both are charged with conspiracy and federal program theft/bribery and face up to 10 years in prison, if convicted. They were released on bond following their initial appearances in U.S. District Court. Their court-appointed lawyer could not be reached for comment.

According to the complaint, Anderson, who was hired by the city in 2022, was in charge of overseeing People Mover operations until he was fired in April for conduct unrelated to the pending criminal case. Parker owns a business called Total Care Restoration (TCR), which performs restoration work on homes damaged by fire, water, windstorms, or other elements.

According to the government, Parker was billing the DTC for information technology services, even though his company has no experience in that field, nor has it ever submitted a bid proposal to the city for such work, or signed any contract with the DTC.

Still, the government alleges, between 2023-25, the DTC paid nearly $305,000 to TCR for 23 invoices it had submitted, 22 of those invoices charged for IT services.

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“Anderson approved the invoices and Parker deposited the checks into TCR’s bank account. TCR did not submit any invoices or receive any payments before Anderson was hired as Procurement Director. Likewise, TCR did not submit any invoices or receive any payments after Anderson was fired as Procurement Director,” the complaint states.

According to the government, Anderson did actually procure and manage IT contracts with a number of companies while he worked for the DTC. But TCR was billing the city for work that those companies had been contracted to do.

“At least six TCR invoices listed work that was actually contracted to (another company),” an FBI agent wrote in his affidavit attached to the criminal complaint.

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Also noteworthy, the FBI agent writes: “Most of TCR’s invoices contained a charge for debris removal. In my experience, debris removal is a common line item for restoration projects but not for IT work.”

According to the complaint, the FBI figured out that Parker was funneling money to Anderson by reviewing their bank records, and noticing that their deposits and withdrawals coincided. For example, on Aug. 16, 2024, Parker deposited a DTC check for $23,934 and withdrew $18,000 cash. That same day and over the next several days, Anderson made cash deposits into his account for $1,500, $1,300, $1,000, $700 and $1,850.

“There is probable cause to believe that Parker paid Anderson a portion of the money from the TCR invoices,” the FBI agent writes.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com



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