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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Detroit.

Axios Detroit Thought Bubble

Axios Detroit

The Pistons flipped their best asset Wednesday ahead of an important draft.

Driving the news: Jerami Grant was traded to the Trailblazers, but not for a 2022 first-round pick as fans had hoped. 

The Pistons got the Bucks' 2025 first-round pick and a big cap relief, which increases their chances at landing a top free agent. 

They can also now cover up this weird mural.

State of play: Led by last year's No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, the Pistons are looking to add talent to its young core.

But with the fifth pick, Weaver admits there's greater uncertainty this time around.

The intrigue: Joe and Sam are alternating making picks 1-4 and then both giving their choice for Detroit at 5. 

Orlando Magic (Sam): Jabari Smith, Auburn. The 6-foot-10 forward already looks like a star. He shot  42% from three last year and is the sure thing that the DeVos-owned franchise desperately needs.

Oklahoma City Thunder (Joe): Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga. His beanpole frame (7-feet, 195 pounds) is a concern, but his combination of shooting and defense is worth the risk.

Houston Rockets (Sam): Paolo Banchero, Duke. The versatile Italian scorer will have fun playing with flashy guard Jalen Green, whose comments about not wanting to play in Detroit have sparked a rivalry between fan bases.

Sacramento Kings (Joe): Keegan Murray, Iowa. Let's hope the Kings bungle another draft and take the 21-year-old, leaving Detroit with better options.

Sam's pick for No. 5: Jaden Ivey, Purdue. He's not just the most exciting player available, he's also got Detroit ties. Ivey is the missing piece to a confident young backcourt Weaver has been working to build.

Joe's pick: Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona. Weaver can't miss with either of these two,  but I like Mathurin's athleticism and shooting.

What else we're watching: Will any Spartans or Wolverines get drafted?

And draft-night fashion choices are always fun. Don't forget Cade's buffs. 

Axios Detroit's NBA mock draft

Our writers do a mock draft of picks 1-5 to see who might land in Detroit.

Illustration of basketball as a crystal ball

Sports

The Pistons flipped their best asset Wednesday ahead of an important draft.Driving the news: Jerami Grant <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="was traded" data-vars-click-url="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34132481/detroit-pistons-trading-forward-jerami-grant-portland-trail-blazers-2025-1st-round-pick-sources-say" data-vars-content-id="4819cbba-08af-4b8c-806c-df23bf91eaca" data-vars-headline="Axios Detroit&#x27;s NBA mock draft" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34132481/detroit-pistons-trading-forward-jerami-grant-portland-trail-blazers-2025-1st-round-pick-sources-say" target="_blank">was traded</a> to the Trailblazers, but not for a 2022 first-round pick as fans had hoped.

Abortion rights in Michigan are now in question after today's Supreme Court decision striking down Roe v. Wade.

Abortion is legal for now due to an injunction against the state's long-dormant 1931 abortion ban.

Why it matters: Michigan is among several states with pre-Roe abortion bans still on the books, per Axios' Oriana Gonzalez.

And the number of statewide abortions has increased in recent years.

Details: Under the 1931 law, most abortions are illegal and punishable by up to four years in prison. 

There are no exceptions for rape or incest, only to preserve the mother's life. Roe superseded the law, but it never was repealed.

A person who performs an abortion could be charged with a felony, potentially including doctors or women who self-abort either through a procedure or medication. 

State of play: A Court of Claims judge temporarily suspended potential enforcement of the dormant law.

But the Republican-controlled Legislature asked a state judge this month to make the 1931 abortion ban enforceable after the Supreme Court overturns Roe, Bridge Michigan reports.

Between the lines: An abortion ban would especially endanger the lives of Black women in Michigan who are already dealing with across-the-board health care inequities. 

They are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.

Yes, but: Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Attorney General Dana Nessel and other county prosecutors have said they will not enforce the 1931 law. 

Go deeper: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

What the reversal of Roe v. Wade means for Michigan

Under a 1931 law, most abortions are illegal and punishable by up to four years in prison.

Illustration of a caduceus turning into a gavel.

Abortion

Abortion rights in Michigan are now in question after today&#x27;s Supreme Court decision <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="striking down Roe v. Wade" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-wade-decision-abortion" data-vars-content-id="50c0fe99-ceb0-4fd5-9560-2af86f82c888" data-vars-headline="What the reversal of Roe v. Wade means for Michigan" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/24/roe-wade-decision-abortion" target="_self">striking down Roe v. Wade</a>.<ul><li>Abortion is legal for now due to an injunction against the state&#x27;s long-dormant 1931 abortion ban.</li></ul>

News

Two high-ranking Michigan Republicans — Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) and Oversight Committee Chairman Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) — were subpoenaed by the U.S. House committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Driving the news: The Jan. 6 committee released part of its interview with Shirkey yesterday in a hearing focused on former President Trump's campaign to pressure state and local officials on election results. 

Shirkey revealed that he told the former president that state Republicans in control of the Legislature would follow voting laws even amid pressure from Trump's team.

Details: The committee also subpoenaed Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox, who said a slate of "alternate electors" were planning to hide overnight in the Michigan Capitol to cast their votes. She called the scheme "insane and inappropriate."

McBroom told the Free Press he complied with the subpoena, but refused to publicly testify despite the committee's request to do so.

What they're saying: "​​Saying that I was surprised is an understatement," McBroom said in a Senate speech last week. "Michigan is a sovereign state whose Legislature cannot just be called to heel by the U.S. Congress. Every member of this body should take offense to the notion that we should be expected to present our work to the federal government."

As for Shirkey, "the Majority Leader received a subpoena and fulfilled it by interviewing with committee staff. He was not asked to testify in the public hearings," a spokesperson tells Axios.

Flashback: McBroom's GOP-led oversight committee's report on the 2020 election found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

Separately, Trump invited Shirkey and then-House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering), to the White House roughly two weeks after the election amid his efforts to subvert the election.

Michigan Republicans subpoenaed by Jan. 6 committee

McBroom: "​​Saying that I was surprised is an understatement."

Republican senators Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) and Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan)

Republican senators Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) and Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan). Photos courtesy of Michigan Senate

Jan. 6 select committee

Two high-ranking Michigan Republicans — Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) and Oversight Committee Chairman Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) — were subpoenaed by the U.S. House committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.Driving the news: The Jan. 6 committee released part of its interview with Shirkey yesterday in a hearing focused on former President Trump&#x27;s campaign to pressure state and local officials on election results.

Politics

Last year, Juneteenth became the 11th federal holiday.

Flashback: June 19, 1865 was the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas received the news  Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier.

Context: President Joe Biden signed legislation into law last June in response to a summer of protests following George Floyd’s murder.

How to celebrate: The new federal holiday should be viewed as more than another day off from work, says Laquan Austion, founder of The Juneteenth Foundation based in Washington D.C. Here are some ways he says people can recognize Juneteenth:

Learn the history around the holiday. This is a moment to be introspective and ask "Why were people still enslaved in 1865? Why didn’t they get the information in Galveston?" he tells Axios.

Scholarships: Give to historically Black colleges and universities. 

DEI: Push your company on diversity, equity and inclusion policies. "DEI is really sexy right now," he says. "We want to make sure that remains important. What are our companies’ plans?"

Celebrate: It's important to recognize that for some people, this is a "moment of solace and mourning," Austion says.  But still, people should get out in their communities, go to events and use this as an "opportunity to learn and hear." 

Zoom in: The country's largest Black majority city has  several community organizations holding events this weekend.  

Black farmers market — Saturday,  11am - 3pm at Oakland Avenue Urban Farm.

Free the Culture music festival — Sunday, 5 - 9pm at Spirit Plaza.

Afro-Cuban dance workshop — Sunday,  1 - 5pm at Dequindre Cut Freight Yard.

Food truck, vendor marketplace — Sunday,  noon - 8 pm at Marygrove College.

Juneteenth Freedom Fest  — Sunday, noon - 6pm at Eastern Market. 

Celebrate Juneteenth this weekend

Our event list includes festivals, workshops and markets.

Photo illustration of a person holding up a banner that reads "Juneteenth," a pair of folded hands, and a hundred dollar bill

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Corbis, Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images

Juneteenth

Last year, Juneteenth became the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="11th federal holiday." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/06/17/us-federal-holidays-juneteenth-mlk-timeline" data-vars-content-id="bf1e4985-e9a4-424b-aa4e-a87f0ab4062f" data-vars-headline="Celebrate Juneteenth this weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/06/17/us-federal-holidays-juneteenth-mlk-timeline" target="_self">11th federal holiday.</a>Flashback: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="June 19, 1865" data-vars-click-url="https://www.juneteenth.com/history/" data-vars-content-id="bf1e4985-e9a4-424b-aa4e-a87f0ab4062f" data-vars-headline="Celebrate Juneteenth this weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.juneteenth.com/history/" target="_blank">June 19, 1865</a> was the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas received the news Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier.

Things to Do

A new bridge is set to be moved from a Wayne State parking lot into its new home above I-94 sometime next month.

Why it matters: The $26 million Second Avenue bridge is part of a I-94 modernization project to rebuild more than 70 bridges in poor condition.

The intrigue: The bridge is going to be placed over I-94 using self propelled modular transporters. Engineers will lift the bridge using hydraulic jacks, then drive the SPMTs into place before setting the bridge onto them and moving it to 1-94. 

The move is an engineering first in Michigan and will join just a handful of structures throughout the U.S. to be installed using the process, David Harris, a senior construction engineer at MDOT, said in a recent community forum.

Details: MDOT identified the highly used bridge as a "community connector" and designed it with enhanced, nonmotorized accommodations and aesthetic improvements.

The new structure will have one driving lane in each direction, modern landscaping, roadway level lighting and a wider sidewalk to enhance movement across the bridge.

The bridge will also be illuminated on the outside of its arch cables, "providing a pretty dramatic look during evening hours," Mark Smith, an MDOT project engineer, said at the forum.

What's next: : MDOT is planning to start the move on July 10 with an open date sometime in August. 

I-94 will be closed in both directions between I-75 and M-10 (Lodge Freeway) for seven days and then again for another five days to ensure safety. 

"It's going to take a lot of time before we're very comfortable with being able to open to traffic," Harris said. 

Rendering of completed bridge. Courtesy: MDOT

New $26 million bridge marks engineering first

The Second Avenue bridge is part of a project to rebuild more than 70 bridges.

The bridge being built at a Wayne State parking lot to limit freeway impact to I-94. 

The bridge being built at a Wayne State parking lot to limit freeway impact to I-94. Photo: Samuel Robinson/Axios

Engineering

A new bridge is set to be moved from a Wayne State parking lot into its new home above I-94 sometime next month.Why it matters: The $26 million Second Avenue bridge is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="part of a I-94 modernization project" data-vars-click-url="https://i94detroit.org/i94-project/advanced-bridges/" data-vars-content-id="dc95d9fd-d67c-4574-854b-bf675f2c1ef6" data-vars-headline="New $26 million bridge marks engineering first" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://i94detroit.org/i94-project/advanced-bridges/" target="_blank">part of a I-94 modernization project</a> to rebuild more than 70 bridges in poor condition.

Samuel Robinson

Featured stories

What the reversal of Roe v. Wade means for Michigan

Axios Detroit's NBA mock draft

Michigan Republicans subpoenaed by Jan. 6 committee

New $26 million bridge marks engineering first

Celebrate Juneteenth this weekend