Billionaires want more millions to build downtown, so ML, Marc and Shawn ask an expert where the money is coming from — and what we’re being promised. Meanwhile, Joe plots his own course for world domination.

STRAIGHT DOPE: JC Reindl of the Detroit Free Press zooms in to explain how much the Ilitches and Steven Ross want in tax subsidies to build a $1.5 billion downtown development. Here’s a link to his story.

JC clears up the controversy over how much school and library tax money goes into these development deals – and it’s less than you’d think.

While ML and Marc quiz JC on the wisdom of diverting tax revenue to major projects, Shawn makes a surprising stand in defense of capitalist robber barons.

Detroit City Council will have a lot to say about whether the subsidies go through. ML recalls when JC and their colleague Dana Afana helped the city get a better deal by exposing some of the council’s conflicts. Read all about it here.

As predicted in one of ML’s recent columns, the judge presiding over the Macomb County public corruption cases didn’t buy the rosy portrait of a kingpin Anthony Marrocco painted by prosecutors and Marrocco’s lawyer. Then the judge did something extraordinary. Read about it both of these recent On Guard columns.

Shawn made an embarrassing typo in his latest column. He fixed it, but you may still find something objectionable there.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says folks lost their heads over the beheading of a journalist. Pompeo wants to be president, but for now he’ll have to settle for Geek of the Week.

ROOM 7609: You love shoegazing. Who knew? Since we always try to give the people what they want, we book Suede into the New Wave suite and spend some time with the “Beautiful Ones.”

FEEDBACK: Musings on sports gambling and the 49ers amuse us this week.

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