Detroit Grand Prix Preview • Bill Ford on EVs • Police patrol funeral after visitation shooting

After months of planning, a grand prix event years in the making returns to downtown Detroit this weekend for the first time in decades.

A 1.7-mile track that features nine turns and opportunities for speeds up to 200 mph past some of the Motor City's most famous iconography. While the speeds on Jefferson don't get higher than 25 mph usually, officials are prepared to make an exception this week.

But it's not just an IndyCar series race that will keep the city hyped, but a slew of other car-related events and even some famous artists performing at the end of the day. 

That includes Free Prix Day on Friday, which enables people to check out some of the grandstands free of charge. After today, it'll require a ticket to get into the viewing spot. 

There's also fun to be had at Hart Plaza and Cadillac Square where concerts are planned, small businesses will be in attendance, as well as opportunities to meet some famous Detroit athletes.

Check out a brief dissection of the racecourse here

As for when the racing begins, practice sessions will dominate much of the first day before some qualifying rounds early Friday evening. The first official race is at noon Saturday. 

The second race of the week will be at 12:50 p.m. on Sunday before the main event starts at 3:45 p.m. that day.

MORE: Detroit Grand Prix schedule including race start, concert times, and more

Naturally, blocking off a huge chunk of the city could disrupt plans and travel routes for many. Make sure to check out our parking guide to help you navigate downtown before making the trip. 

More Detroit Grand Prix coverage

Bill Ford on why U.S. lags on EVs

Despite the encouragement from lawmakers and automotive companies pushing electric vehicles as the future of driving - the US has been slow to adopt it. The question is, why?

Bill Ford says EVs have become the norm in some parts of the world, but continues to lag in the U.S. "China has just blown by everybody in terms of EV - not just in sales but in terms of technology, affordability, the supply base all of that. Then you look at Europe, Europe has adopted EVs much faster than we have."

Part of the hold-up is gas prices - they're low enough to incentivize continued purchases of gas-powered vehicles. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell described "a lot of hoops" that customers need to go through. She also cited the affordability factor and anxiety around having enough range on a single charge.

"So we’ve got to build out those charging stations and we’ve got to upgrade the infrastructure. We have to maintain those chargers. 50 percent of the homes in this country don’t have garages."

Read more here.

Police patrol funeral following visitation shooting

A shooting outside a viewing Wednesday in Detroit led to police calling in multiple agencies to patrol outside the funeral in Northville on Thursday. 

A 32-year-old man was shot outside the Andrews Funeral Home on the corner of Glendale and Rosa Parks Boulevard when more than 30 gunshots were fired at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The visitation was being held for 28-year-old Jaylin Crayton, who was shot while driving near Schafer and W. Chicago on May 22.

"Couple cars came by. As you can see from the scene behind us there was a lot of casings from the gunfire," said Cmdr. Aric Tosqui. "We’re hoping to pull some of the camera assets in the neighborhood to see if we can figure out what the shooters were in, but we do know there was multiple shooters in two different cars."

The man was last listed in critical condition. On Thursday, police, including a federal task force, were outside Triumph Church on Beck Road in Northville to watch during the funeral.

Read more here.

Saucy Brew Works Detroit closes after 2 years

Saucy Brew Works Detroit closed Thursday through an announcement made on social media the same day. The brewery on John R opened in March 2021. In its closure announcement, it cited "unforeseen circumstances," including the pandemic, inflation, general economy, and labor force issues, as the reasons for closing.

According to the business, it intends to provide resources to employees who lost their jobs as a result of the closure. 

"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our incredible team members who have been the backbone of Saucy Brew Works Detroit. Their hard work, passion, and commitment have been instrumental in creating memorable experiences for our guests over the years," the announcement read. "This decision was not made lightly, and we deeply regret any inconvenience caused to our valued customers, partners, and employees."

Saucy Brew Works was started in Cleveland in 2017. There are now four Ohio locations, which remain open.

Read more here.

Man hospitalized after violent body slam

Surveillance video captured a recent savage assault outside a Detroit party store that left the victim robbed and seriously injured. The video is hard to watch - a 55-year-old man was walking out when he got hoisted in the air and body slammed to the ground. The assailant then allegedly left with the victim's money.

"It's really, really disgusting, if you see the video it's like he was training to be in WrestleMania or something," said Nada Baneen, the victim's sister-in-law. "He was picking up an old man, he's old, he's over 55 years old."

The victim was Emad Aledany, a father of four. He is now hospitalized after suffering serious injuries from the attack. The attack happened around 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Big V Party Store on Greenfield in Detroit.

He had taken out an advance on a paycheck before heading to Big V, something his boss warned him not to do. In addition to losing his money, his wallet was also allegedly stolen.

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Daily Forecast

Perhaps the hottest day of our heat wave will be Friday with chances of skirting 90 degrees, which would be our first day of the season hitting temperatures that hot. 

What else we're watching

  1. Preliminary information from Detroit police says a man and woman were outside when they were struck in a drive-by shooting. The 46-year-old man is in critical condition, while the 45-year-old woman is stable.
  2. Are you prepared for the return of mayflies? The insects that blot out the sun by their sheer numbers are expected to be back in Michigan. Their swarms get so big they've been reported on weather radars before.
  3. First responders are getting emergency training in situations involving electric vehicles. General Motors is helping guide the efforts, which will be underway at the Milford Proving Grounds June 2.
  4. The I-94/M-59 interchange ramps are closing this weekend for bridge work in Macomb County. 
  5. In response to its falling population prospects, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has created a "Growing Michigan Together Council" to help focus on boosting the state as a more attractive location to move to. 

New details of Jeffrey Epstein's death and frantic aftermath revealed

Two weeks before ending his life, Jeffrey Epstein sat in the corner of his Manhattan jail cell with his hands over his ears, desperate to muffle the sound of a toilet that wouldn’t stop running.

Epstein was agitated and unable to sleep, jail officials observed in records newly obtained by The Associated Press. He called himself a "coward" and complained he was struggling to adapt to life behind bars following his July 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges — his life of luxury reduced to a concrete and steel cage.

The disgraced financier was under psychological observation at the time for a suicide attempt just days earlier that left his neck bruised and scraped. Yet, even after a 31-hour stint on suicide watch, Epstein insisted he wasn't suicidal, telling a jail psychologist he had a "wonderful life" and "would be crazy" to end it.