Advertising agency Campbell Ewald, which last week announced its decision to relocate its headquarters from Warren to downtown Detroit inside Ford Field, is in talks to pick up a major new client: Cadillac.

Crain's has been briefed on the matter by sources familiar with the situation, but who agreed to speak only on the condition of anonymity.

A deal has not yet been finalized and financial terms have not been disclosed, but the account for the General Motors brand is believed to be valued at about $244 million annually in media billings. No timeline has been disclosed.

Read more at http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20130311/NEWS/130319974/campbell-ewald-near-deal-on-cadillac-account-sources-say

Looking for a quality car? If you're planning on buying American, you've got quite a couple of neat options.

Consumer Reports has released it's latest list of "Top American Cars". Who's at the top? Chevy wins big. After being dubbed by the publication as the "best of the best" brand, the automaker placed in several categories.

Budget car: the Chevrolet Sonic LT sedan

Compact car: Chevrolet Cruze Eco, Ford Focus SFE

Midsized sedan: Ford Fusion Hybrid

Green car: Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Volt, Ford C-Max hybrid

Small SUV: Ford Escape Titanium

Midsized SUV: Chevrolet Traverse/GMC Acadia

Sports sedan: Cadillac CTS

Luxury car: Chrysler 300

Sports car: Ford Mustang V6, Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Minivan: Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan

The company with the most profits parked overseas is General Electric, according to a new Bloomberg analysis of 83 corporations. GE said in a Feb. 26 regulatory filing that it was holding $108 billion in profits overseas as of the end of last year. That is up from $102 billion a year before. GE said in the filing that it reinvested most of these profits in foreign business operations and does not intend to bring those profits back to the U.S. The practice of holding profits overseas has been highlighted as a strategy to avoid paying taxes. GE paid no U.S. taxes at all in 2010, according to The New York Times -- an allegation GE spokesman Seth Martin called "untrue" in an email to The Huffington Post Monday. GE did not comment on the $108 billion in profits overseas.

Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/11/general-electric-taxes_n_2852094.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit&ir=Detroit

Yesterday's historic conviction of former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick sent city residents in a tweeting frenzy. Taking to social media to express their thoughts on the verdict, Detroiters created a whirlwind of response. Quickly making #kwame a trending topic, some expressed profound disappointment while others celebrated what they consider justice being served. 

Some individuals have made a huge mockery of the entire situation, posting "poke fun" images be better suited for Instagram. Others carried a theme of "Free Kwame", expressing their support through planned parties and even t-shirts. 

What many believe is Detroit's "trial of the century" has been a long-standing case. It is one that lasted over a span of five months and fifteen days of deliberation. The jury found Kilpatrick guilty of 24 counts, including racketeering, mail fraud, extortion, wire fraud, tax evasion charges and bribery. 

The former mayor is no stranger to social media himself, though his profile was noticeably silent following his conviction. During the trial, he directly responded to friends and fans, expressing gratitude for their support.  

Kilpatrick's last tweet under the handle @KwameandFamily was made on Saturday, Mar. 10 just two days before returning to court to learn his fate.

His account might remain frozen for a while, but people in Detroit and across the country are sure to continue expressing their opinions in the days following the monumental conviction.  

Follow Britney Spear on Twitter @MissBritneySp

It took a jury more than two weeks of deliberations to settle on judgments in the federal case charging former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick with running a criminal enterprise out of City Hall. After months of trial, the eight women and four men were responsible for determining his guilt on 30 charges, as well as charges levied at Kilpatrick's contractor friend Bobby Ferguson and the ex-mayor's father, Bernard Kilpatrick.

Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/11/kwame-kilpatrick-corruption-_n_2854957.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit

 Barbara McQuade, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, whose office prosecuted one of the largest public corruption cases in Detroit’s history that was dubbed “the Kilpatrick Enterprise,” that resulted in a guilty verdict by a federal jury today, told journalists at her office this afternoon that there are some pending corruption cases including the Detroit Pension Board, Detroit Public Schools and the Detroit Public Library.

       McQuade, flanked by the prosecution team that included her deputies, FBI, IRS and EPA agents, said the verdict against former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his longtime friend Bobby Ferguson and Bernard Kilpatrick should send a message to public officials that they will be held to the highest standard their office requires.

      “Although this investigation spanned many years, this case is not about the past.  It is about the future.  This verdict has sent a powerful message that corruption will not be tolerated in this community,” McQuade said. “The people of Detroit deserve better and expect better.  Candidates should seek public office to make a difference, not to make money for themselves."

      McQuade, using harsh words, said Kilpatrick looted Detroit and that the case is about the future for those who are called to service in any capacity.

      Mark Foley, Detroit FBI special agent in charge, said, “The FBI led Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force worked tirelessly to pursue and prosecute individuals associated with a criminal enterprise run for years out of the Detroit Mayor's Office.”

      According to Foley, “Due to the scope and complexity of the investigation, it was imperative to make sure no corners were cut and no stone was left unturned. With this conviction, the public can be reassured that no corrupt activity will be left unchecked. No violation of the public's trust will go unpunished. The citizens of the state of Michigan and in this case the city of Detroit, deserve and expect the highest quality of government, and we remain

dedicated to ensuring they receive it.”

      Eric Martinez from the Internal Revenue Service said it was painstakingly difficult to bring all of the elements together.

      “We worked very hard with our revenue auditors. This was a case about following the money,” he said, and they did just that.

      Richard Weber, chief of Criminal Investigation at the IRS, said, “Corruption at any level diminishes the hard work and dedication of the thousands of elected officials and government employees who are dedicated to providing honest services to the American public.”

      He added, “IRS-CI stands committed to weed out individuals who ignore the public's well-being and choose to take the path to financial success by using greed and corruption. Mr. Kilpatrick attempted to conceal his public corruption by failing to report to the Internal Revenue Service his illicit receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars. When elected officials disregard their sworn oath because greed has clouded their judgment, let this case serve as a reminder that no one is above the law and everyone is accountable for their misdeeds.”

      McQuade said it is unlikely the federal government will prosecute the former mayor’s sister, Ayanna Kilpatrick, or his ex-mistress, Christine Beatty, even though they were tied to the case. She cited government resources and the complexity of the cases that come before them.

      In the Kilpatrick-Ferguson verdict she said, “We expect the sentencing to be significant,” and that federal prosecutors will look at similar cases around the country before recommending a sentence.

      McQuade cited the trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich who received 14 years in federal prison. 

I recall almost a decade ago when former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick at the height of his powers walked up to me at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and asked “Can a brother get a good word from you?” My response was, “Mr. Mayor, give me something good to write about.”

Apparently, the mayor was concerned that he wasn’t getting favorable press from the media and that journalists like myself and others were too critical of his administration, and thus he needed a break. This morning, standing in front of the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit waiting for the historic verdict in Kilpatrick’s corruption trial, I could not help but recall all of my interactions with the man who once wielded so much power that anyone close to him was to be avoided.

When the verdict came in rendering the former mayor guilty on 24 counts and his longtime friend Bobby Ferguson guilty on nine counts of racketeering and extortion, the most serious charges, it ended an important chapter in Detroit’s history. His father, Bernard Kilpatrick, was found guilty on one tax charge. Plain and simple, the Kwame Kilpatrick era has officially ended and now Detroit must move on to the next chapter, and we will know this week if that chapter will mean the era of an emergency manager. Kilpatrick had so much potential when he first took office and because of political power and hubris, wasted that potential.

In 2004, Kilpatrick was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Boston with then Sen. Barack Obama. Years later, Obama went to the White House and Kilpatrick sunk into insurmountable legal troubles that now will send him to prison for a very long time. How quickly things change and to see history come full circle in this way is a big loss for Detroit because the former mayor was talented but decided to use his talents for something other than upholding the public trust.

The level of arrogance since the Kilpatrick scandals began that the former mayor displayed was unbelievable. Even when his mounting legal troubles began he arrogantly told the news media, “Detroit, you’ve set me up for a comeback,” hoping to be vindicated from all his issues that were at the center of the public corruption trial. Our elected officials should be held to a higher standard, and the lesson here from the Kilpatrick verdict from a very diverse jury is that those who swore to uphold public trust must do so diligently.

This case will go in the annals of history as one of the most riveting trials in public corruption. The diverse jury, which included African Americans and a Hispanic, sent a strong message: No more business as usual in Detroit

The verdict is in on the charges against Detroit’s former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his father Bernard Kilpatrick and Detroit contractor Bobby Ferguson ... and the news is not good. Both the former mayor and his friend and supporter Ferguson, have been found guilty on an overwhelming number of charges of conspiracy, extortion, fraud, tax evasion and misuse of government funds.

Prosecutors are apparently elated about the guilty verdicts for Kilpatrick and Ferguson, although the elder Kilpatrick who faced only four counts of misdoing was found not guilty on two counts and the jury was hung on the third count, having been found guilty of one count of tax evasion. Insiders speculate that Bernard Kilpatrick was not an active participant in his son’s criminal enterprise, known as Kilpatrick, Inc.

The guilty verdicts bring to a close a tragic and dark period for Detroit’s citizens who have endured the years-long and arduous process of putting the political disgrace of the one-time political prodigy behind them.

Jurors convicted Kilpatrick of a legthy list of crimes, including a racketeering conspiracy charge. During the five-month trial Kilpatrick's already tarnished image, took even moe of a beating as he emerged as an arrogrant and unremorseful 'politrician' who took bribes, rigged contracts and lived far beyond his means while in office until fall 2008.

Following is a list of charges and verdicts against former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his father Bernard Kilpatrick and co-conspirator Bobby Ferguson

Count 1: Racketeering Conspiracy
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 1: Racketeering Conspiracy
BOBBY FERGUSON    
GUILTY    
    
Count 1: Racketeering Conspiracy
BERNARD KILPATRICK
No verdict reached    
    
Count 2: Extortion - Sewer Lining Contract
BOBBY FERGUSON
GUILTY
    
Count 2: Extortion - Sewer Lining Contract
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
    
Count 3: Extortion- Amendment to Sewer Lining Contract
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 3: Extortion- Amendment to Sewer Lining Contract
BOBBY FERGUSON    
GUILTY

Count 4: Extortion - Baby Creek/Patton Park
KWAME KILPATRICK    
GUILTY

Count 4: Extortion - Baby Creek/Patton Park
BOBBY FERGUSON
GUILTY

Count 5: Attempted Extortion, Oakwood Pump Station
KWAME KILPATRICK    
GUILTY
    
Count 5: Attempted Extortion, Oakwood Pump Station
BOBBY FERGUSON
GUILTY
    
Count 7: Extortion - Outfalls Contract
KWAME KILPATRICK
No consensus    
    
Count 7: Extortion - Outfalls Contract
BOBBY FERGUSON
GUILTY
        
Count 8: Extortion - Asbestos Abatement
KWAME KILPATRICK
No consensus

Count 8: Extortion - Asbestos Abatement
BOBBY FERGUSON
GUILTY
    
Count 9: Extortion - Repair of Eastside Water Mains
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
    
Count 9: Extortion - Repair of Eastside Water Mains
BOBBY FERGUSON
GUILTY

Count 10: Extortion - Eastside Sewer Repair
KWAME KILPATRICK
NOT GUILTY
    
Count 10: Extortion - Eastside Sewer Repair
BOBBY FERGUSON
NOT GUILTY

Count 15: Attempted Extortion, Sludge Contract
BERNARD KILPATRICK    
NOT GUILTY
    
Count 16: Bribery-$90,000 Bribe
KWAME KILPATRICK
No consensus

Count 16: Bribery - $90,000 Bribe
BOBBY FERGUSON    
GUILTY

Count 17: Bribery - $75,000 Bribe
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 17: Bribery - $75,000 Bribe
BOBBY FERGUSON
GUILTY

Count 18: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK    
GUILTY
    
Count 19: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
    
Count 20: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
    
Count 21: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
    
Count 22: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
    
Count 23: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 24: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
    
Count 25: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
        
Count 26: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 27: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
NOT GUILTY

Count 28: Mail Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 29: Wire Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
NOT GUILTY

Count 30: Wire Fraud
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 31: Subscribing False Tax Return
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 32: Subscribing False Tax Return
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 33: Subscribing False Tax Return
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 34: Subscribing False Tax Return
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
    
Count 35: Subscribing False Tax Return
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY
    
Count 36: Income Tax Evasion
KWAME KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Count 37: Subscribing False Tax Return
BERNARD KILPATRICK    
NOT GUILTY

Count 38: Subscribing False Tax Return
BERNARD KILPATRICK
GUILTY

Please stay tuned to the michiganchronicle.com for more details and regular updates.

Thousands of green-shirted spectators will descend on Corktown this Sunday for the Detroit St. Patrick's Day Parade. Fifty-five years later, the city's annual tradition to celebrate Irish history and heritage hasn't faltered ... and it also happens to be one of the best places to find men in kilts. The march down Michigan Avenue takes place, as usual, a week before the Irish holiday. It begins at 2 p.m. when marchers, high school bands, floats, clowns and more begin stepping at 6th Street, continuing down Michigan to 14th Street. Organized by the United Irish Societies, the theme for this year's parade is "Detroit Irish: Proud of Homeland, Heritage, & Heroes." Last year's parade drew a crowd of 65,000.

Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/09/st-patricks-day-detroit-parade-2013-bars_n_2818732.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit

Here's a real deal for those who can't get enough of Detroit's recent pop-up food craze. Two local ephemeral restaurants, Kung Food and Detroit Gypsy Kitchen, will be collaborating for a Sunday brunch. The chefs are joining together to whip up a tasty meal at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) as part of a Sunday pop-up brunch series at the cultural hotspot's cafe.

Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/09/detroit-pop-up-restaurants_n_2839807.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit