Adam Cook

@motorcityadam

Mercilessly Pro-Midwest. City of Detroit First. Unapologetic Economic Coalition Builder. High Five Detroit Contributor. Engineer. Machinist. Chicago ➡️ Detroit. Vegan. He/Him. Husband to Anna. Father to Benny cat and Tiggy cat.

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Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 8d

Worn down by the stupidity of a majority of #Michigan voters. That’s what happened. Let’s get real. Whitmer’s economic policy was terrible, but was it any different from the myriad of governors that Michigan had prior? No. Michigan is out of good options because Michiganders wrecked Detroit.

An opinion commentary headline by Nikki Sapiro Vinckier reads, "Gretchen Whitmer used to have a bold backbone. What happened?

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 12d

Emerson is an excellent pollster, so I think that this is a lock for Abdul. The 40-49 age group performance for Abdul is notable. But again, in terms of (economic) change for #Michigan? Zilch. Michigan is a very aged state. 20% over 65. So the below 49 is thin and thinner and thinner every year.

Bar chart titled "Michigan 2026 Poll: Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate x Age" showing Abdul El-Sayed leading overall at 54%, followed by Haley Stevens at 39%, Mallory McMorrow at 2%, and Undecided at 6%. El-Sayed leads among voters under 60, while Stevens leads among voters 60 and older.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 14d

Your daily reminder that John McElroy knows nothing about these systems. Or anything, really. John has zero basis to make these claims. But The Detroit News taps him because The Detroit News is a rag.

'This is the promise of autonomous driving... because people do not want to give up their personal mobility," said Autoline auto analyst John McElroy in an interview. "It opens mobility for everybody, every segment of society. Not just the elderly, but even the young.
Anybody with any disability - potentially, when we get to Level 4 - even the blind will be able to (go) places. With people in their 70s, 80s, 90s
- especially (when) driving at night - there is a guardian angel looking over their shoulder."

"Tesla claims — and I believe them — at the
:" said
current level it's safer than human driving," said the Autoline analyst who has driven extensively with FSD. "I'm not sure anything's ever going to be perfect. I have no question that autonomy - once it's widespread — is going to save tens of thousands of lives a year."

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 14d

In fact, the very systems safety *definition* of a Level 2-capable vehicle is that the human driver and NOT the vehicle is the ENTIRE systems safety layer. By definition, the vehicle is structurally-incapable of “assisting” or “helping” the human driver. It actually INCREASES driver workload.

Determined to maintain their individual transportation independence, they are using Tesla's hands-free Full Self Driving system as a driver assist. Though by no means exclusive to seniors ir its ability to add another set of eyes to
the road, FSD helps elderly drivers maintain a cocoon around their car as their confidence in reflexes and eyesight naturally deteriorate.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 15d

This won’t do anything but to waste a lot of money. Michigan won’t even come close to making it on the tourism and Wealthy Chicagoan summer home dollar. That’s just financial physics. Laser focus on a Detroit ➡️ Ann Arbor rapid rail. See if we can get that done even. Going to be hard enough.

And a grassroots organization is looking into what it would take to add a new passenger route from Detroit to Traverse City along freight tracks that are owned by the state of Michigan.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 15d

Get real. We couldn’t even get a *VERY* modest 2016 Metro #Detroit transit proposal passed - which included only a *possible* Detroit-to-DTW Airport commuter rail. And after a recent and extremely wasteful $3.5 billion freeway bond program, #Michigan doesn’t have the financial resources anyway.

Title in Crain’s Detroit that reads: Michigan passenger rail has been stagnant for decades
- but momentum is building for change

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 19d

Or, you know, the City of #Chicago could actually invest into - and not continue in the decades of disinvestment from - the *people* of the South and West sides… But I wouldn’t expect some turtleneck dipshit from Rogers Park to consider that. (I am from the South Side of Chicago.)

On public safety:

Stanton’s public safety platform includes a call to bring back ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system that was removed in September 2024 by Johnson. Since then, an analysis by the University of Chicago found that officers responded to 911 calls on the South and West sides faster than when the system was online.

“That study, I think, was completely flawed. It compared cold weather months with warm weather months when there’s typically more crime. It didn’t include actual shootings in that analysis. I think ultimately ShotSpotter and other technology should get resources to people that need them, when they need them.”

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 19d

Oh brother.

“For all his political polemics, he [Musk] has a record of being right about technology in fields such as electric cars, rockets and satellite communications that confounded other engineers and entrepreneurs.”

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 20d

Sure. #Michigan is seen as a parking lot by Big Tech for the low-economic value, cookie-cutter stuff that they use. Michigan's *drastic* macroeconomic slide is seen by Big Tech as a lion in the jungle sees a wounded gazelle. Shit. How many locally see #Detroit as a (literal) parking lot still?

Richard Czuba Independent pollster in Michigan says:
At the core of this is powerlessness. Voters feel as though they have no power in this conversation, and the tech companies are at the very center of this conversation because Michigan, frankly, has seen this before, where a big entity comes in and then it abandons the state. And that’s what is leaving people feeling powerless.

Voters want to know that their electric bills are not going up. They want to know that they are not going to pay the price of these things. And I think it behooves both sides — those who want to build data centers and those who oppose data centers — to sit down at the table and nail down these regulations. Because until you do, voters will not be open to talking about the benefits, the importance or the need for them.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 20d

It is not inexplicable. Stevens and McMorrow didn't do it because they can't do anything. The problem is so large now in #Michigan that there is no political solution. This is an electorate where MANY act in bad faith, but where MANY others have zero confidence in THEMSELVES that we can do this.

Saeed A. Khan Professor of Mideast studies and podcast host says:
I take an unscientific poll with my students every year. How many of you, when you graduate, are looking to stay in the state? How many of you are looking to leave? And it runs somewhere around 35 percent to 40 percent who want to leave the state. And then I ask a follow-up question: How many of you are looking to come back to Michigan at a certain point, to raise a family? And the numbers are really declining about people who are just simply looking to go out of state and come back. They said that there really is no future in Michigan. And it's a bit surprising that the candidates aren't picking up on this a bit more.
Stevens and Mallory McMorrow, before she dropped out, have inexplicably leaned into the whole thing about ICE, and look at what we've done to go ahead and push back on Trump's policies.
The 18-to-22-year-olds may care about that viscerally because of how they feel about ICE and its violations, but they know it's not going to translate into a job. The easiest thing for these candidates to do, somebody like an El-Sayed - and he's not doing it, perhaps, because he feels as though he doesn't have to — is to say, "We're going to have something for you here in Michigan."

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· 20d

Not-so-surprising economic commentary in here also. Fact is... that #Michigan voters refuse to take responsibility. Michigan voters, by and large, WANT weak politicians, *especially* at the state level. They want micro-burbs, micro-school districts and 0% physical connectivity between them.

Times Opinion says: Michigan is dealing with challenges with personal income growth, young people leaving the state, among other issues. At the federal level, what can a senator do to address the economic situation?
Which of these candidates may be best positioned to do that?

And Richard Czuba, Independent pollster in Michigan says: Michigan's economy over the past 25 years has become calcified in its nostalgia for manufacturing. I do focus groups with voters regularly, and not much stuns me, but the conversations that do are when voters say, "No, no, no, we don't want those high-tech knowledge jobs. We're a manufacturing state. We build things." And that is, at the very core, what has caused Michigan's economy to just stagnate. We have got to change. We have got to adapt. We did this survey and we asked voters: Where does Michigan rank among the 50 states? And we asked them to give us a number, and it was right in the middle. They think we're perfectly average.
Michigan voters have no idea the rest of the country is blowing by them right now on the economy.

Sarah Anthony, State senator from Lansing says: I think that there's a few pieces. I'm an autoworker's kid. It's our identity that, even if you don't go to college and get a degree, you can walk out of high school and apply to the local factory, and you can still make a living so that you can have a second home or a second car - that's our Michigan story. But that hasn't been the reality for so long. We're still stuck on that nostalgic view of Michigan. Men and boys do not feel as though they have agency in this state anymore. They cannot see a prosperous future in which they belong anywhere. They don't necessarily belong on a college campus. I think that the reality is that the candidates that will be the most successful will offer an acknowledgment that it's not working and a path to just clear the decks.
So from a federal perspective, I think part of this is that folks don't expect the U.S. Senate to be functional anyway. I think we're looking for someone who will just speak to us and say, "Hey, man"
- to whomever, the 22-year-old that's in their mom's basement that's just trying to figure out life or the struggling single mom or the senior citizen who's thinking that their grandkid won't get it out of their kid's basement. Those people are looking for someone who's just going to be our loudest champion, not this thoughtful, creative policymaker.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Sep 17

i am pretty sure my cats want something, but i don’t speak cat

Two cats, in a hallway, looking at the camera, with each cat positioned in the same spot right behind their own food bowls.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jul 30

I just had this realization the other day on a broader scope - of how Detroit-area automotive "journalists", whose word is considered sacrosanct here, fawned over the Tesla technical hype. And how they will never be held accountable. People like John McElroy that had this absurd take in 2021.

Tesla deal with Hertz is 'huge embarrassment for traditional automakers'

By Phoebe Wall Howard
Detroit Free Press
Updated Oct. 26, 2021, 6:10 p.m. ET

News of a multibillion-dollar deal from Hertz to buy 100,000 vehicles from Tesla has sort of stunned Detroit.

"What it really cements is Tesla is far, far, far in the lead and nobody is even close," said longtime industry observer John McElroy, host of "Autoline After Hours" podcast and webcast.

"This is a huge embarrassment for traditional automakers that they're not on the list," McElroy said Monday. "But overall, this is going to make the American public more accepting of electric vehicles."

Hours earlier, Hertz announced its plan to transform more than 20% of its global rental car fleet to all-electric by the end of 2022 with the order from Tesla — along with plans to build charging stations so consumers would have more options to plug in and power up.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jul 27

Does the EU know about this?

“The European Union is going to agree to purchase from the United States $750 billion worth of energy,” Trump said. “They are going to agree to invest into the United States $600 billion more than they’re investing already.”

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jul 25

Tesla: "What autonomous vehicle?"

An animated image of Fidel Castro from a Simpson's episode where Homer and Mr. Burns flee to Cuba with a $1 Trillion bill. Mr. Burns allows Castro to physically inspect the bill and, after Mr. Burns asked for it back... Castro replies "What back?"

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jul 25

Clown ass administration.

Officials familiar with the US-Japan talks said the deal was pulled together in a slapdash manner during a 70-minute meeting between Japan’s chief negotiator Ryosei Akazawa and Trump on Tuesday.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jul 6

@mcuban.bsky.social supporting, essentially, Musk’s white supremacist party is no surprise. But it has been consistently annoying that left-leaning folks still get scammed by the Krassenstein Brothers. When will people learn? When will @rokhanna.bsky.social add his support I wonder?

Posting on X, Marc Cuban, a billionaire businessman and TV personality suggested he was interested in the party, sharing fireworks emojis then writing: "I work with [Center for Competitive Democracy]. They will help you get on ballots. That is their mission."

Social media personality Brian Krassenstein, who has over 900,000 followers, wrote: "Awesome! Where can we see more information?"

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jul 1

Bullshit.

Penn remains committed to fostering a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and open to all students, faculty, and staff. I share this commitment, just as I remain dedicated to preserving and advancing the University’s vital and enduring mission. We have now brought to a close an investigation that, if unresolved, could have had significant and lasting implications for the University of Pennsylvania.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jun 30

Here ya go.

A screenshot of a tweet from the House Freedom Caucus, @freedomcaucus, posted on June 29, 2025, at 2:08 PM. The tweet has 196.9K views.

The tweet text reads: "HERE ARE THE FACTS: — The House bill added $72 billion to the deficit with interest costs included. — The Senate version adds $1.3 trillion to the deficit. That's 1,705% more. — Even without interest costs, it is $651 billion over our agreed budget framework."

Below the text is a bar chart titled "Deficits in One Big Beautiful Bill." The y-axis is labeled "Change in Deficits (Millions)" ranging from -800,000 to 600,000. The x-axis shows years from 2025 to 2034.

The chart includes stacked bars for each year, representing "Defense and Border Committees," "Other Savings Committees," "Finance Committee," "Interest Effects, HBC Dynamic With Policy Changes," and "HBC Estimated Dynamic Effect."

There are two lines plotted on the chart: a purple line labeled "Total Change in Deficits, with Interest and HBC Dynamic" which shows a peak around 2027-2028 and then declines, and a red line labeled "As proposed by the Senate. Official Baseline. HBC Dynamic." which generally trends upwards.

A smaller text box to the right of the chart says "Increases Deficits $1.3 Trillion vs. Current Law."

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jun 17

🧵 This could be the dumbest thing that I have watched this year. Where to even begin? Let's start with... the wide open speculation on the performance of a black box that has had zero risk for Tesla to date. Get an editor that understands *risk economics*.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jun 7

Rahm Emanuel only cares about one type of classroom - the predominantly white one. That is his overtly-racist legacy from his time as Chicago mayor. Oh, and fuck Slotkin. I hope she falls into a hole and never gets out. Signed, a Detroiter.

“Stop talking about bathrooms and locker rooms and start talking about the classroom,” said Emanuel, the former ambassador to Japan and two-term Chicago mayor who said he is open to a 2028 presidential campaign.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jun 7

Long 🧵 Here is my take, FWIW. As to, presumably, the NHTSA requiring Tesla to adopt a Lidar sensor... probably never. The NHTSA is not structurally-equipped for that. But, more importantly, it is not as simple as "requiring a sensor type" anyway. These are safety-critical SYSTEMS. A ✨System✨

There’s more. Tesla’s valuation rests to a large degree on the idea that it will dominate autonomous vehicles, despite years of missed deadlines. Forget about the federal AV bill Musk was pushing; how hard would it be for the Trump administration to apply pressure via traffic safety regulators? There are huge questions hanging over the viability of Tesla’s “generalized,” sensor-lite model of autonomy, with the limited nature of the Austin launch itself an admission that much remains to be proved. For example, a regulation mandating that AVs use the lidar systems that Musk disdains — a measure that would be entirely defensible, as recent reporting from my Bloomberg News colleagues demonstrates — would represent a huge setback for a company that insists millions of the vehicles it has sold are essentially robotaxi-ready.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· Jun 5

Seems like a good day to roll out this sticker on my laptop… Just picked it up this weekend at Ferndale Pride. Get yours at @detroitgt.com.

A photograph of a laptop stick that says “Deport Elon” and has a Cybertruck flying in the background.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· May 25

I am willing to give the University of Michigan some time on this. Apparently, the Board of Regents was pushing then-university president Santa Ono to stand up to Trump... but Ono was secretly a MAGA asshat. Ono is now fucking off to the University of Florida. And I wish him the very worst.

University President Who Shut Down D.E.I. Efforts Is Recruited to Florida
The University of Michigan’s president, Santa Ono, is set to leave for the University of Florida to become one of the highest-paid public university presidents ever.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· May 25

Wrong option for ALOT of work. Complexity is a killer in the robotics space, folks. A cost center that can get away from you REALLY quick. I have seen it at many shops over the years. And most humanoid robots (or the ones getting the most hype and funding these days) are extremely complex.

Tesla's ambitious plans to rely heavily on autonomous robots to build the Model 3 didn't work as planned, and Musk later said in a post on Twitter, now X, that this level of automation was "a mistake."

"There was a very ambitious plan to automate a lot more than we probably should have, and it was clear the system was struggling," said Walti, who said he worked for nine months with his team to design a simpler robotics system for the factory.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· May 19

I worked in these conditions as a mill hand in Northwest Indiana many moons ago. I could have been in this photograph. This is an exceptionally tough floor - sand casting. Pipe hitting pipe. Pipe hitting kicker. Dangerous and brutal. Difficult to automate given the process and environment.

A photograph of employees at Quaker City wear protective gear when working around molten metal. Some cast parts are lying in the foreground. In the background, several workers are manipulating a part from the furnace.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· May 19

🧵 Good article in the WSJ (link at the end). And a rare one in that it correctly hits on a major reality of why so much manufacturing left the US. Few seemingly remember this. But it was this, and NOT free trade agreements, that dissolved a ton of domestic manufacturing. Still relevant today.

Factory employers face other headwinds, said Susan N. Houseman, an economist at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. These include misconceptions that all factory work is dirty and dangerous, or lingering trauma from the wave of manufacturing layoffs in the 1990s and early 2000s as factories moved abroad. “People saw what happened in their communities and may not think it’s stable employment,” Houseman said.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· May 18

Here is another fact that many Michiganders never performed any introspection on - or even care to remember. Michigan, the only Midwest state to give George Wallace the nod. Observe the quote in the second screenshot. Some things never change…

On this day in 1972: Segregationist George Wallace wins Mich. Democratic presidential primary

Doug Fraser, the United Auto Worker political head, was concerned about Wallace’s appeal to American voters.

“It seems to me that in the politics of November, both political parties and politicians of both parties and other establishment people, had better take a hard look at what happened in Michigan Tuesday,” he told the Detroit Free Press at the time.

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· May 16

A good rundown. Key point that I have made time-and-time again: The BIG and DISQUALIFYING issue with Tesla's program is that Tesla is forcing a vehicle into a safety-critical system without listening the demands of the system. That is why it feels forced. Tesla cannot quantify the risk.

So it’s running extensive tests in downtown Austin. “There’s just always a convoy of Teslas going all over to Austin in circles,” Musk said on the call. But a recent Business Insider story, citing interviews with former Tesla test drivers, doesn’t inspire confidence. The program “feels very forced,” one former worker said. "It's this breakthrough moment for Tesla, but there is also this feeling of so many last-minute details being up in the air.”

Adam Cook@motorcityadam· May 11

Lot of focus on the crypto scam side of this (which is true), but Andreessen is so far right that it once turned off Richard Hanania.