Facing the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history, Detroit has adopted diverse solutions to give itself a facelift. The city is tackling blight and dilapidated homes with help from technology like smartphone apps and online crowdsourcing, and offering incentives to…

In our news wrap Tuesday, major Michigan interstates were closed after record-breaking rains caused flooding, shutting down General Motor’s tech center near Detroit. Also, the government of Russia dispatched a miles-long convoy of trucks toward the Ukrainian border under the…

Jun 24

Building musical instruments from Detroit’s wreckage

Reclaim Detroit is a nonprofit organization that dismantles vacant buildings to re-use their materials. That’s music to the ears of Michigan luthier Gary Zimnicki, who is using reclaimed floorboards and ceilings to craft ukuleles and mandolins. Filmmaker Roy Feldman from…