Motor City Blight Busters, a Detroit-based non-profit around for over 20 years, opened a community coffee house on the northwest side of the city last February. Proprietor Alicia Marion said that she approached the organization about a decade ago with the suggestion to turn an empty storefront near the Redford Theatre into a coffee shop.

“No matter where I went, whether it was locally, Royal Oak or Ferndale or New York or New Orleans and New Jersey, there’s always a neighborhood diner or coffee shop,” Marion said. “I wanted to bring that back here to Lasher and Grand River.”

• CONGRESS TAKEOUT:  We speak with our Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich about how Congressional Democrats are regrouping on health care reform in the wake of losing the Massachussetts Senate race.
  
• MONEY TAKEOUT: Starbucks was hit hard by the economic crisis, closing hundreds of stores across the country. New York Times reporter Louise Story explains why things are looking up for the coffee company.
• RESPONSES: Listeners weigh in on why Democrats lost their Senate seat in Massachussetts.