Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter) header
Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter) profile picture

Jim Schaefer

@DetroitReporter

Executive Editor @freep, over autos, biz, education, investigations. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Tweets on news, sports and the occasional freak show.

 Detroit Rock City. Get up!
facebook.com/jimschaef
Joined June 2009
  • Tweets5.3K
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  • Followers4.6K
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Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)Photo by Jim Schaefer (@DetroitReporter)
Deep dive into Jeffrey Epstein's courtship of automotive industry execs, from our @RappleyeLiam freep.com/story/money/cars/s…
Epstein sought access to Stellantis chairman, other leaders, files show

Epstein sought access to Stellantis chairman, other leaders, files show

A former director of Maserati, Eduardo Teodorani-Fabbri, called Jeffrey Epstein "master" and maintained a yearslong relationship with him.

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Last week we reported on the glut of unlawful immigrant detentions in Michigan. We now go deeper into the cases of 100 detainees who sought release. 1/2 lived in the US for 10+ yrs. 1/4 are parents. Few had criminal recs. w/ @Dave_Boucher1 @BekiSanMartin1: freep.com/story/news/local/m…
Many Michigan ICE detainees had deep U.S. roots, clean records

Many Michigan ICE detainees had deep U.S. roots, clean records

A Free Press review finds Michigan immigrants detained, often through minor traffic stops, despite having no criminal background and decades in the U.S.

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Great reporting from our Wolverines beat writer here.
Tony Garcia | Detroit Free Press (@RealTonyGarcia) profile pictureTony Garcia | Detroit Free Press@RealTonyGarcia23 Dec 2025
Michigan football suffered a fallout this month, but behind the scenes the signs were brewing for months. Coaches not speaking, storming out of meetings and a focus on women instead of the team. How Sherrone Moore lost his locker room and so much more. freep.com/story/sports/colle…
Tears and tantrums: How Michigan's culture melted under Sherrone Moore

Tears and tantrums: How Michigan's culture melted under Sherrone Moore

Michigan football culture deteriorated under Sherrone Moore, according to those in and around the program. Cracks appeared long before his firing.

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massive reveal by Duggan within a week of his departure from office: at least 400 Detroit demo sites have potentially toxic dirt & replacing the soil at a single one is ~$18K -- almost the cost of the demo itself. who'll be left holding the bag? could be u freep.com/story/news/local/m…
Criminal probe targets toxic dirt; Detroit could face $8M cleanup

Criminal probe targets toxic dirt; Detroit could face $8M cleanup

Detroit police and state environmental regulators are probing two companies that may have filled hundreds of Detroit demolition sites with toxic dirt.

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Shawn Fain's chief of staff to leave UAW amid federal monitor allegations freep.com/story/money/cars/2…
Shawn Fain's chief of staff to leave UAW amid federal monitor allegations

Shawn Fain's chief of staff to leave UAW amid federal monitor allegations

Brooks has been characterized as one of the leading playcallers behind the UAW's 2023 simultaneous strikes against the Detroit Three automakers.

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Michigan House Speaker slams public record reform: ‘We’re not doing FOIA’ bit.ly/445MOQW
Michigan House Speaker slams public record reform: ‘We’re not doing FOIA’ - Bridge Michigan

Michigan House Speaker slams public record reform: ‘We’re not doing FOIA’ - Bridge Michigan

Last year, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall supported a push to expand the state’s Freedom of Information Act. This year, he’s blocking it.

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Violet continues to keep an eye on policing in Detroit. Check out her latest.
violeta ognianova ikonomova (@violetikon) profile picturevioleta ognianova ikonomova@violetikon22 Oct 2025
thinking more and more about this... someone needs to do something about this turkey. I'm pretty sure he's at least 7 years old. end of life, probably thinks he's the only turkey left standing. its like an apocalypse film. he needs to find other turkeys. i'm calling the DNR
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Detroit police oversight board on back-to-back shootings of men fleeing stops for an obscured plate, plastic cups: “It’s profiling,” “stop-and-frisk,” “STRESS”-esque. Ann Arbor has barred stops for plate violations + more. Can that happen here? My latest: freep.com/story/news/local/m…
Detroit police board members call for limits on minor stops after 2 shootings

Detroit police board members call for limits on minor stops after 2 shootings

Detroit police commissioners want to curb pretext traffic stops as the department defends them.

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of Lake Huron to Lake Superior, from Port Huron to Detroit, Duluth & back. This video was fun to shoot & edit as well. In 30 yrs as a photojournalist w/ many amazing assignments around the 🌎 it ranks up there in my top 5 most fulfilling ones. youtu.be/AGGFOw3gFn0?feature…
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Judge prevents public disclosure of witness names in high-profile Devon Hoover murder case freep.com/story/news/local/m…
Judge prevents public disclosure of witness names in high-profile Devon Hoover murder case

Judge prevents public disclosure of witness names in high-profile Devon Hoover murder case

The judge's order shielding names, descriptive terms and genders of victims, is rare and "extraordinary," said one lawyer.

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U-M in my experience is the most recalcitrant entity in our entire state when it comes to FOIA.
David Jesse (@reporterdavidj) profile pictureDavid Jesse@reporterdavidj24 Apr 2025
Last week, I sent an open records request for some pretty basic and targeted records to 20 major public universities across the country. Records have begun to flow in, none with a charge, except for one: @UMich wants $367 and will do their best to get it to me within 60 days.
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Jim Schaefer retweeted
Jamie LaReau (@jlareauan) profile picture
Jamie LaReau@jlareauan7 Feb 2025
Jack Cooper saga continues. First, @Ford canceled its contract with the company. Now @GM orders it to stop shipment of its cars. My exclusive. @freepautos @freep @Teamsters @UAW @USATODAY @randyessex @StellantisNA @jimfarley98 @mtbarra @DetroitReporter freep.com/story/money/cars/g…
GM orders Jack Cooper trucking to stop shipping its vehicles as it renegotiates contract

GM orders Jack Cooper trucking to stop shipping its vehicles as it renegotiates contract

Workers at GM's Corvette plant were stunned to watch cars freshly loaded onto trucks taken off before leaving the factory.

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Big news in Detroit, from @freep Chris Ilitch, wife file for divorce: What it could mean for Detroit Tigers, Red Wings freep.com/story/news/local/m…
Chris Ilitch, wife file for divorce: What it could mean for Detroit Tigers, Red Wings

Chris Ilitch, wife file for divorce: What it could mean for Detroit Tigers, Red Wings

Whether the split will impact the teams will depend on their ownership structures and whether the Ilitches have a pre- or post-nuptial agreement.

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Spirit of Detroit statue dons Honolulu blue. Where was its Tigers jersey? freep.com/story/news/local/m… via @freep
Spirit of Detroit statue dons Honolulu blue. Where was its Tigers jersey?

Spirit of Detroit statue dons Honolulu blue. Where was its Tigers jersey?

The iconic statue was dressed this week to celebrate the Lions' upcoming playoff game.

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Jim Schaefer retweeted
Jamie LaReau (@jlareauan) profile picture
Jamie LaReau@jlareauan10 Jan 2025
Last week @realDonaldTrump made an unexpected call to @Ford’s Bill Ford. What they talked about and the look ahead for Ford this year. @freepautos @freep @USATODAY @usatodaycars @UAW @GM @StellantisNA @randyessex @jimfarley98 @DetroitReporter @mtbarra freep.com/story/money/cars/f…
Bill Ford got a surprise phone call from Donald Trump: What they talked about

Bill Ford got a surprise phone call from Donald Trump: What they talked about

Ford Motor Co.'s Bill Ford says his "long, long" and "terrific" talk with Trump leaves him confident president-elect supports auto industry, workers.

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Replying to @joey_cranney @BostonGlobe
In Michigan, @freep obtained logs showing staff at the state's specialty schools for students with complex behavioral problems have called the police on children at higher rates than traditional schools. freep.com/story/news/educati…
Calls to cops show specialized schools in Michigan are failing students, critics say

Calls to cops show specialized schools in Michigan are failing students, critics say

A Free Press investigation finds Michigan schools serving students with disabilities bring in police more often than traditional district schools.

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11/ So: No, we are not publishing a story. This is how journalism is supposed to work. Hear something. Check something. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as many times as needed. The end.
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Mayors, township officials, local police departments and municipal department heads are subject to open records requests in Michigan. But the governor — the most powerful political figure in the state and who guides an $80 billion budget — is not.
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By 1900, settlers had wiped out wild turkeys in Michigan. Now they're thriving in even more places in the state than they ever did before. And along the way back, they helped restore moose to the U.P. @freep freep.com/story/news/local/m…
Wiped out in Michigan, wild turkeys gobbled their way back — and brought the U.P. moose

Wiped out in Michigan, wild turkeys gobbled their way back — and brought the U.P. moose

European settlers wiped out Michigan's native wild turkey population by 1900. But now the birds are back and thriving in every Michigan county.

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New from @jlareauan: Massive tank explosion at GM Proving Ground in Milford damages nearby homes freep.com/story/money/cars/g… via @freep

Tank explosion at GM Proving Ground in Milford damages nearby homes

A tank that stored oil and brine at GM Proving Grounds exploded early Tuesday. The blast was felt from up to 6 miles away.

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