A Republic, If You Can Keep It

Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press This week's show is sponsored by: EPIC-MRA Public Opinion Research MIRS News Fulton Fish Market

This week's show is sponsored by: EPIC-MRA Public Opinion Research MIRS News Fulton Fish Market Mike Lukovich-Atlanta Journal Constitution The “Underwater” episode of A Republic, If You Can Keep It isn't a tribute to Jacques Cousteau, Lloyd Bridges or the Navy's submariners … but the reality facing Donald Trump as he approaches the 100 day mark. At this point in his administration he's the most unpopular President this century. The only other president whose job approval has been this low after 100 days – Donald Trump in his first term. His 44% net approval is 10-to-20 points below the favorability ratings of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama … and Joe Biden. There's a lot more in the politi-sphere this week: Another major candidate has joined Michigan Democrats' contest for U.S. Senate; There's a new justice on the Michigan Supreme Court, giving Democrats a 6-1 majority on the officially non-partisan bench; State Republicans have been forced into an awkward 180-degree shift on a controversial proposal for Chinese-owned industrial development in west Michigan; And southeast Michigan braces for an upcoming visit from America's best known convicted criminal – Donald Trump choosing Macomb County to take a bow for what he sees as a hugely successful first 100 days. This episode is sponsored in part by =========================== EPIC ▪ MRA a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== ===========================

This week's show is sponsored by: EPIC-MRA Public Opinion Research MIRS News Fulton Fish Market Clay Jones - claytoonz.com This week on ""A Republic, If You Can Keep It" We are still 565 days away from the 2026 general election, but the field of candidates in Michigan is already filling out in what's become the perpetual campaign…and assuming King Donald the FIrst allows us to actually have an election in 2026. We review the list of new candidates for Governor. U.S. Senator and Congress. Also on the Michigan agenda: the responses of the state's top two universities as they struggle with the growing efforts of Donald Trump to control their policies in a way that benefits his MAGA mindset. There's another brewing partisan battle over voter suppression, with a right-wing funded petition effort which promises to solve a problem that doesn't exist: foreigners voting in our elections. And in the Legislature there are signs of hope for at least a partial solution to our decades-long pothole problem. Leaders of the two parties are actually talking instead of just launching hyper-partisan stink bombs. We begin with very open steps being taken by Trump to establish the first Monarch-run governance here since before the American revolution. Donald Trump is using the financial, legal and military power of the federal government to extort, intimidate and bully his way to a government where only he makes decisions… even as hundreds-of-thousands take to the streets in opposition. Attacking freedom of thought on college campuses Turning the White House Press Room into a right-wing dominated haven for suck-ups Extorting law firms into providing legal backing for his agenda Defying court orders, including two rulings from the Supreme Court Leaving the door wide open for “disappearing” American citizens into El Salvador Gulags Hijacking sensitive/classified data from across the government, apparently to favor Musk and other billionaire-benefiting businesses Weaponizing the IRS, FCC and DOJ This episode is sponsored in part by =========================== EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== ===========================

This week's show is sponsored by: EPIC-MRA Public Opinion Research MIRS News Fulton Fish Market This week on ""A Republic, If You Can Keep It" Thousands demonstrate against Trump's destruction of the government and economy. Is this a replay of the movements that brought Civil Rights laws in the 1960's, the end of the VietNam war in the 1970s, and the birth of the GOP rightward leap via the Tea Party in the 2009 and the women's movement of the 2010s? Governor Whitmer has reinforced talk of a 2028 presidential run with a high-profile speech in Washington this week … paired with a one-on-one meeting with Donald Trump. Was she measuring the curtains in the Oval Office? Penguins are breathing a sigh of relief as Trump blinks on his one-man demolition of the economy. But the slingshot economic tactics are a political threat to the reelection campaigns of Republicans nationwide and in Michigan - with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee now targeting 3 Republican-held districts in our state. One of those Trump-backing Republicans, Congressman John James, says he's running for Governor, meaning his 10th district congressional seat is a definite flip opportunity for Democrats. We'll be joined by the latest Democratic candidate for that job, Macomb County assistance prosecuting attorney Christina Hines. Trump is weaponizing the once respected DOJ by ordering criminal investigations into two critics in the private sector: Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor. Online rumors fueled by Indivisible warn Trump may invoke the Insurrection Act to shut down protest rallies across the nation Mallory McMorrow's media rollout for her Senate campaign goes national: multiple MSNBC appearance plus "The Daily Show" Larry Sabato's initial House election projections show Democrats with a slight advantage, with 5 Michigan congressional districts in play One of the most-watched congressional races in the nation next year will be centered in Macomb County and Michigan's 10th district. With John James running for Governor, the swing district is a definite coin toss. Democrats will have a competition in the primary. Last month we talked with Alex Hawkins, the first announced candidate. Joining the race in the last week: Christina Hines. A graduate of the University of Michigan and Wayne State Law School, Hines ran for Macomb County Prosecutor in 2024 against sitting prosecutor Peter Lucido, with Lucido receiving 57% of the vote while Hines held 43%. Prior to that, she served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Wayne County before heading up the Special Victims Unit in Washtenaw County.  This episode is sponsored in part by =========================== EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== ===========================

This week's show is sponsored by: EPIC-MRA Public Opinion Research MIRS News Fulton Fish Market This week on ""A Republic, If You Can Keep It" Republicans everywhere are reassessing after stumbling in a couple of Florida special elections that should have been slam dunks, and losing a State Supreme Court election in a Wisconsin landslide A day later by a stunningly trade war launched by the worst graduate in the history of the Wharton School of Economics. There was a Standing-Room-Only crowd as Democrats headlined a Town Hall in the heart of Macomb County, an event taking full aim at MIA Congressman John James. Last week, it was the most unqualified national security team ever assembled Signaling its stunningly consistent ineptness, with the revelation that at least one of them is conducting official business on Gmail. This week, it's RFK Jr. who, by advocating quack medicine while firing actual real scientists, accelerates a growing measles outbreak that's spreading from ground ZERO in Texas. Homeland Security ineptly condemns people to an indefinite stay in an El Salvador hell hole with no proof they've done anything wrong. And the U.S. Senate race has its first major candidate. We talk with state Senator Mallory McMorrow The first announced candidate for U.S. Senator is state Senator Mallory McMorrow. She exploded into the national spotlight in 2024 after an emotional response to very public personal attacks on her by Republican state Senator Lana Theis went viral. She is an ardent supporter of policies protecting reproductive rights, empowering local communities, and making Michigan a business- and family-friendly state. McMorrow is the Senate Majority Whip, serving her second term in the Michigan Senate. Prior to her election to the Senate she worked for more than a decade in product design, media and advertising with companies like Mazda, Mattel, Gawker Media, Hearst and other global brands. McMorrow hit the ground running during her first term in the Michigan Senate, winning policy changes such as ending Michigan's tampon tax, helping struggling businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, and protecting certain individuals (including domestic violence survivors) by creating an address confidentiality program. She earned her bachelor's degree in industrial design from the University of Notre Dame and resides in Royal Oak with her husband, Ray, their daughter, Noa, and their rescue dog, Detroit. At 38, she is the youngest person on the list of potential Senate candidates in either party. Ann Telnaes - antelnaes.com This episode is sponsored in part by =========================== EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== ===========================

The most unqualified national security team ever assembled demonstrates its total lack of competence…and defends itself by attacking Atlantic Magazine and Jeffrey Goldberg. Their fallback defense: no harm, no foul. The attack was successful so it's no big whoop. Trump, who appears to be out of the loop on a lot of what's happening inside his administration, is keeping his focus on leveraging the presidency to make money for himself, while co-President Elon Musk continues his brazen violations of federal laws and the U.S. constitution. The latest outrages from the Trump-Musk administration: intimidating, punishing and extorting any law firm that dares challenge their mission to destroy the federal government; using the unmatched financial leverage of the federal budget to demand fealty from universities and large corporations; and a new Executive Order which will take away voting rights from untold hundreds-of-thousands of Americans. Clay Jones - claytoons.com This episode is sponsored in part by =========================== EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================

In the last week, we have learned that Any media outlet criticizing Trump is corrupt and should be in jail; Any DOJ lawyer or investigator looking into Trump's many crimes is corrupt and will be fired; Any member of Congress investigating Trump's many crimes should go to prison; Any non-white person whether in the country legally or illegally can be snatched up by Homeland Security and immediately sent to an El Salvador prison; We apparently are at war, much to the surprise of a Congress which has the sole power to declare war; Complying with federal court orders is optional; Any judge ruling against Trump policies should be impeached; and Chief John Roberts may actually have a spine.  In Michigan  Governor Whitmer confirms she's not running for the U.S. Senate; New polling shows that the woman she beat by 10 points in 2022 is a contender to win the GOP's nomination for either Governor or the Senate; State House Speaker Matt Hall believes he, like the Governor, has the right to veto legislation; The battle over fixing the damn roads is escalating;  Republican state Representative Bryan Posthumous, a leader in the GOP's election integrity talk, may be engaged in a little election fraud of his own; and  Michigan Republicans continue to duck face-to-face Town Hall meetings, while Democrats schedule as many as they can. Joining the podcast discussion this week is fellow podcaster and longtime state capitol reporter Rick Pluta. Rick is Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He has been covering Michigan's Capitol, government, and politics since 1987. His journalism background includes stints with UPI, The Elizabeth (NJ) Daily Journal, The Oakland Press, and WJR. He is also a lifelong public radio listener. Rick was one of the first Michigan political reporters to write about “pay-to-play” fundraising, and the controversies surrounding recognition of same-sex relationships. He broke the news that Gov. John Engler was planning a huge juvenile justice overhaul that included adult-time-for-adult-crime sentencing, and has continued to report since then on the effects of that policy decision. He co-hosts the weekly podcast “It's Just Politics” with Zoe Clark. This episode is sponsored in part by =========================== EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================

Jack Ohman - Tribune Content Agency Donald Trump inherited a booming economy from Barack Obama in 2017. It took him three years and one botched pandemic response to send it spiraling towards recession. He's learned from his first-term mistakes. This time, he inherited an economy the Economist magazine called the envy of the world and has managed to tank it in a matter of just weeks. This time, in between rounds of golf and incessant posting on social media, Donald Trump has managed to take down Wall Street and Main Street by declaring financial war on countries who thought we were allies. The political repercussions have begun with Trump's polling numbers tanking, and a majority of Americans for the first time disapproving of his handling of the economy. The vast majority also oppose most of the Musk-led chainsaw massacre of federal employees.  The end game? Trump and Musk appear to be setting the stage for privatizing things like the Weather Bureau, FAA, K-12 education and the long-sought GOP dream: privatizing Social Security so they and their billionaire buddies can wet their beaks dipping into literally trillions of spending over the coming decades. In Michigan, 20 months before the election polling shows Jocelyn Benson with a sizable lead in the Democratic gubernatorial race, and Pete Buttigieg the strongest candidate for U.S. Senate - but he's announced he's not running for either the Senate or Governor. We do, however, have another entrant into the Democratic race for Governor: Lt. Governor Garland Gilchrist. The challenge for Gilchrist: can the tallest candidate (6'9") in the mix overcome the longstanding Michigan history that has doomed the gubernatorial aspirations of Lt. Governors for the last 30 years? The list of would-be Lt. Governors seeking the top job is long, distinguished ... and uniformly unsuccessful: Jim Brickley (1982) Dick Posthumus (2002) John Cherry (2010) Brian Calley (2018) The last Lt. Governor to advance via election was John Swainson in 1960. Lt. Governor William Milliken inherited the job when George Romney resigned in 1969 to join the Nixon cabinet, and went on to serve 14 years as perhaps the best Governor in Michigan's modern history. 20 months before the election, polling shows Jocelyn Benson with a sizable lead in the Democratic gubernatorial race, and Pete Buttigieg the strongest candidate for U.S. Senate. This week's guest is an early entrant into the race to flip. Michigan's 10th district. Onetime military helicopter pilot John James has run for office, losing twice for U.S. Senate and winning two terms in Congress. In each case, the elections were extremely close. But as every politician knows, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Our guest this week can offer first-hand testimony on the latter - hand grenades. He's an expert in the subject. Joining the podcast is political newcomer Alex Hawkins. He served in the Middle East as a U.S. Army "Explosive Ordnance Disposal" Officer. He continues as an Active Duty Veteran and Oakland County Reserve Sheriff's Deputy. His resume includes working on the staffs of both then-Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and Senator Gary Peters. Hawkins, 30, is a 2021 graduate of Central Michigan University. He and his wife Amanda live in Rochester Hills. This episode is sponsored in part by =========================== EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================

Mike Luckovich — Atlanta Journal-Constitution Donald Trump's embarrassing DOGE assault on every corner of government continues to misfire. The strategy: set a target for cuts in each agency, immediately fire workers with no consideration of their contribution to making government work, backtrack when those cuts blow up. In the words of Elon Musk, "we'll make mistakes will act quick to correct." But the reality is that “all the king's horses, all the king's men, can't put complex programs back together again.” And that means chaos for all Americans and around the world literally tens-of-thousands, many of them children, dying. Anybody want to buy the Department of Justice HQ? FBI HQ? Invent a bird flu vaccine? Put out forest fires In Michigan, we have two national figures looming high in the headlines. Elissa Slotkin has vaulted onto the national stage with a spot-on response to Trump's 99 minutes of self congratulations and grievances. Pete Buttigieg tells Stephen Colbert that he's definitely looking at running for U.S. Senate, possibly setting up an All-Star Democratic primary.   With the beginning of Trump's North American trade war the state's shoppers face ever-higher prices for groceries, the state's farmers brace for massive export reductions, and everything imported, and the auto manufacturers get a 30-day reprieve as they deal with the uncertainty over tariffs. Also on our radar: Dana Nessel launches a podcast with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes Trump retreats from tariffs, delaying disaster for domestic auto production by 30 days Misdirection: DOGE is a cover for cutting $4.5-trillion in taxes Presidents Musk and Trump are setting the stage to destroy Social Security Great news for the Fact-Checker industry: the lies continue to fly from DJT's mouth, including claims about transgender mice, Gaza condoms, financial support for Ukraine and money for Tracey Abrams Joining the conversation is longtime Lansing insider Jeff Padden, the founder of the non-partisan Lansing think tank Public Policy Associates. Jeff has more than 35 years of experience in the public policy arena, including 10 years as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, where he chaired the House Corrections Committee.  In addition, he served as deputy director of the Michigan Department of Commerce and director of the Governor's Human Investment Project. He was first elected to the Michigan House after an upset primary victory over the then-chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Since founding PPA in 1991, Padden has led multiyear, multisite evaluations for clients such as the U.S. Department of Labor, the Ford Foundation, and the James Irvine Foundation.  Jeff has designed and led technical assistance and training programs for public agencies and nonprofits.  At the state and national levels, he has guided clients in the development of new strategies, policies, and initiatives. This episode is sponsored in part by =========================== EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== Rob Rogers — Tinyview.com

Waste, Fraud and Abuse: it is either the new right-wing code for trickle-down economics, or another sign of Trump's dementia. Republicans want us to believe that a $4.5-TRILLION tax cut for rich folks and corporations can be covered without damaging services needed by the rest of us. Their "theory": we can cover it by having Elon eliminate WF&A, plus enact bigly tariffs on our allies and China. But just in case, Trump asks that the federal debt limit be increased by $4-TRILLION. Meanwhile, Trump keeps saying he won't cut Medicare even as House Republicans signal a cut of $800-billion or more. Trump is promising to raise tariffs on Mexico and Canada in a week, posing a direct threat to Michigan's economy and the jobs of untold thousands. Another part of Trump's balance the budget plan: sell U.S. citizenships for $5-million. We simply can't imagine that a hostile government would use that as a way to embed spies into our society. (All of this is coming from a President who added 8-trillion-dollars to the national debt in his first term, and somehow manage to drive multiple casinos into bankruptcy.) On the plus side, the Musk-Trump Chain Saw Massacre continues to provide gainful employment for a lot of lawyers, with the count of lawsuits challenging them closing in on 100. So far, the plaintiffs are winning as the courts push back against the massive constitutional violations of Musk and the Muskrats. Governor Whitmer lays out her hopes and dreams for the upcoming legislative session, even as she draws some flack from Democrats unhappy with her cozying up to Trump and state House Speaker Matt Hall. And Speaker Hall has done a 180 on applying the Freedom of Information Act to the Legislature and Governor. He was, as John Kerry memorably said, for it before he was against it. Making a triumphant return to the podcast is journalist/philosopher John Lindstrom. John covered Michigan State government for more than 42 years before retiring in 2023. For the last two years, he has been a Detroit Free Press contributing columnist. His columns offer rigorous political analysis, of course, but more than that John offers readers the tools to build their own scaffolding. He doesn't tell readers how to think — he suggests ways to think. John is also the unofficial Walking Wikipedia of Michigan's political history dating back to the mid 1970s. Joining him is another veteran of Lansing journalism with a long history covering State of the State messages. Former Associated Press reporter Cindy Kyle covered her first SOS back in 1977. Now retired, she has followed state government ever since including during her 18 years directing communications for our friends at MSU's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and at the Michigan Political Leadership Program. We should mention that they are the John and Mika of Lansing journalism - except they haven't been to Mar-a-Lago lately! =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management

Waste, Fraud and Abuse: it is either the new right-wing code for trickle-down economics, or another sign of Trump's dementia. Republicans want us to believe that a $4.5-TRILLION tax cut for rich folks and corporations can be covered without damaging services needed by the rest of us. Their "theory": we can cover it by having Elon eliminate WF&A, plus enact bigly tariffs on our allies and China. But just in case, Trump asks that the federal debt limit be increased by $4-TRILLION. Meanwhile, Trump keeps saying he won't cut Medicare even as House Republicans signal a cut of $800-billion or more. Trump is promising to raise tariffs on Mexico and Canada in a week, posing a direct threat to Michigan's economy and the jobs of untold thousands. Another part of Trump's balance the budget plan: sell U.S. citizenships for $5-million. We simply can't imagine that a hostile government would use that as a way to embed spies into our society. (All of this is coming from a President who added 8-trillion-dollars to the national debt in his first term, and somehow manage to drive multiple casinos into bankruptcy.) On the plus side, the Musk-Trump Chain Saw Massacre continues to provide gainful employment for a lot of lawyers, with the count of lawsuits challenging them closing in on 100. So far, the plaintiffs are winning as the courts push back against the massive constitutional violations of Musk and the Muskrats. Governor Whitmer lays out her hopes and dreams for the upcoming legislative session, even as she draws some flack from Democrats unhappy with her cozying up to Trump and state House Speaker Matt Hall. And Speaker Hall has done a 180 on applying the Freedom of Information Act to the Legislature and Governor. He was, as John Kerry memorably said, for it before he was against it. Making a triumphant return to the podcast is journalist/philosopher John Lindstrom. John covered Michigan State government for more than 42 years before retiring in 2023. For the last two years, he has been a Detroit Free Press contributing columnist. His columns offer rigorous political analysis, of course, but more than that John offers readers the tools to build their own scaffolding. He doesn't tell readers how to think — he suggests ways to think. John is also the unofficial Walking Wikipedia of Michigan's political history dating back to the mid 1970s. Joining him is another veteran of Lansing journalism with a long history covering State of the State messages. Former Associated Press reporter Cindy Kyle covered her first SOS back in 1977. Now retired, she has followed state government ever since including during her 18 years directing communications for our friends at MSU's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and at the Michigan Political Leadership Program. We should mention that they are the John and Mika of Lansing journalism - except they haven't been to Mar-a-Lago lately! =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management

Trump isn't even hiding it anymore. He is the self-proclaimed King of the United States and anyone who questions him will be banished to Gitmo. His Majesty and court jester Musk continue the flood of executive orders, most of them blatantly or borderline unconstitutional. We do a deep dive into the invasion of U.S. government computer systems by agents of America's first convicted criminal President with MSU political scientist Matt Grossman. In Michigan, Attorney General Nessel has joined with her 21 fellow Democratic attorneys general on the frontlines of the resistance. We will be getting a new Chief Justice as Elizabeth Clement announces she's stepping down effective in 5 weeks.  Michigan's minimum wage has gone from $10.56 per hour to $12.48 effective on Friday, February 21 — and will grow in steps to $15 per hour in two years. This comes as, at recording time, the debate continues over the tipped minimum wage and paid medical leave. Whatever the outcome, plan on a lot of lawsuits. This weekend both major parties meet in Detroit to select new chairpersons. Democrats will have a fairly peaceful Transfer of Power from Lavora Barnes to Curtis Hertel Jr.; Republicans could have a mini-January 6th, minus the vicious assaults on police and, hopefully, minus pooping on Nancy Pelosi's desk. We have a return visit this week from Michigan State University political science professor Matt Grossman. Among his many efforts he's been tracking the lawlessness of the Musk-Trump administration's assault on the federal government, especially the invasion of Big Balls and the rest of Musk's teenage Ninja Hackers who have infiltrated most of the federal government's computer systems. Matt is Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at MSU He is the author of numerous books on our political world. His latest: “Polarized by Degrees“. He has also published op-eds in The New York Times and The Washington Post. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Clayton "Clay" Jones - Claytoonz.com

Anne Telnaes Edward "Big Balls" Coristine, State Department Senior Adviser “Big Balls” is 19-year-old high school graduate Edward Coristine, who now works as a “senior adviser” in the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Technology. That pretty much sums up President Elon Musk's reign of terror running through the federal government, even as Trump's Clown Cabinet gets virtually unanimous support from a spineless U.S. Senate. This week we talk with a veteran of federal departments that are being gutted by the Musk administration. In Michigan, we have our first polling on how the race for Governor might be impacted by third-party candidate Mike Duggan. We get the detailed findings from veteran pollster Bernie Porn, CEO of EPIC-MRA. Also on our radar:  Governor Whitmer and the Legislature are in last-minute 3-way negotiations over Michigan's minimum wage and paid medical leave;  The CEO of Ford warns that Trump's economic agenda could cripple the auto industry which means crippling Michigan's economy; And the Governor is looking at weed and big corporations to fund more fixing of the damn roads. Also joining us on the podcast: University of Michigan law professor Sam Bagenstos, who was a senior staffer at what it now Robert Kennedy Jr.'s Department of Health and Human Services, the Project 2025-driven office of Management and Budget, and the probably-soon-to-be shuttered Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights. Sam Bagenstos — Frank G. Millard Professor of Law, University of Michigan Bagenstos took an extended leave from U. of M. to serve in multiple roles in the Biden administration, with senior positions in HHS, the Federal Budget Office and Department of Justice. From June 2022 to December 2024, he was general counsel to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where he played a key role in advancing and implementing policies across the department, including: pursuing several initiatives on abortion and reproductive rights; crafting and defending the first-ever Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program; drafting and issuing major rules on civil rights, health privacy, Medicare and Medicaid, drug advertising, the regulation of “lab-developed” medical tests and food safety, the treatment of unaccompanied migrant children in HHS care, the treatment of LGBTQ+ kids in the foster care system, and many other issues; advancing marijuana rescheduling, and advising and defending the Food and Drug Administration's tobacco enforcement program; and working with the Department of Justice on litigation involving HHS, including significant abortion rights, free speech, and tobacco regulation cases in the US Supreme Court. From Inauguration Day 2021 to June 2022, he served as general counsel to the Office of Management and Budget. There, he worked on President Biden's Day One executive orders; helped respond to COVID-19, including implementing several crucial aid programs; responded to regulations adopted by the prior administration just before the inauguration and helped advance the new administration's regulations on labor, health, the environment, and much else; helped craft and implement the American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure law, and what became the Inflation Reduction Act; and assisted in developing two annual budgets, along with advising the entire Executive Branch on issues of appropriations law and administrative law. In an earlier stint on leave from the Law School, from 2009 to 2011, Bagenstos was an appointee in the US Department of Justice, where he served as the principal deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, the No. 2 official in the Civil Rights Division. There, he helped promulgate the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations—the first comprehensive update of those regulations since they were first issued in 1991—and led the reinvigoration of the Civil Rights Division's enforcement of the US Supreme Court's deci...

David Horsey - Seattle Times The Musk coup is moving forward with minimal signs of effective opposition. Congressional Republicans are rolling over complacently while the Musk teenage Ninjas storm federal offices, and Democrats do little other than scream. A lot of federal employees deemed insufficiently loyal to the Mar-a-Lago golf pro are being fired, laid off or encouraged to quit … meaning literally millions of hours of professional expertise will be lost, replaced by True Believers. In Michigan, the race for the U.S. Senate is beginning to take form in both parties. We take a deep dive into the likely primary contests. Joining the discussion with an update on the turmoil in the state Legislature is veteran Michigan politics and state government reporter Lauren Gibbons from Bridge Michigan. Prior to joining Bridge's Capitol team, she worked at MLive, where she led coverage of the state Legislature and the redistricting process, and before that covered the state Senate for MIRS News. She has covered the ins and outs of Michigan politics for nearly a decade and has won awards both for her political coverage and her work documenting the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case. Lauren grew up in the Lansing area and graduated from Michigan State University, majoring in journalism and history. She lives in Ferndale, and her party tricks include Irish dancing and telling friends what political districts they live in without looking. She is also an expert on music that highlights Michigan! The first major partisan battle with the new split-control Legislature is underway, with the Senate majority leader suing the Speaker of the House. We begin this week's pod exploring that lawsuit with Majority Leader Winnie Brink's lead attorney in the case: the honorable Mr. Mark Brewer! =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Joel Heller:Hellertoon.com

Gary Varvel - Creators Donald Trump made a lot of campaign promises, big and small. Many of them are pure fantasy and destined to fail. Remember Trump's 2016 promise to replace Obamacare with something “less expensive and better”? Or his regular proclamations of “Infrastructure Week”? He'd learned from earlier failures. With the price of eggs soaring despite his promise to immediate reduce grocery prices, including eggs, his latest Press Fantasy Writer (a.k.a. Press Secretary) laid the blame on Biden for the killing of millions of laying hens to combat Bird Flu. We can expect the same when inflation is reignited by Trump's tariffs and tax cuts, his promised ending of taxes on tips and social security don't happen, and on and on: it's all the fault of a mess Joe Biden left behind.Just today (Thursday) Trump laid the blame for the tragic D.C. plane crash on the hiring policies of Presidents Obama and Biden in a fact-free rant they called a news conference. The other Trump tactic already on full display: take credit for things he did not actually do. His first biggie: claiming he's responsible for turning some valves to restore water supplies for southern California. It didn't happen. The Michigan political landscape underwent an earthquake this week with Gary Peters' announcement that he won't run for reelection in 2026. It has implications not just for the Senate, but also for Michigan's congressional delegation and the race for Governor. We will be joined by state capitol politics guru Kyle Melinn from the MIRS news service to dissect the overlapping impacts. Joining the conversation is MIRS News editor Kyle Melinn. Kyle Melinn is the editor and Vice President of the MIRS Newsletter, a daily on-line political news service covering state government and politics. A professional journalist for 20 years who has covered the state Capitol for the last 13. Before MIRS, Kyle served as a freelance writer for the Boston Herald and as a senior editor for SchoolSports.com.  He has also covered government and politics for The Daily Citizen, in Dalton, Ga.; The Yuma arizona Daily Sun; and the East Lansing Towne Courier. Kyle is also host of the MIRS Monday podcast, an excellent source of the latest information from state government.   =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management David Horsey - Seattle Times

Festivus is the make-believe holiday invented on the Seinfeld show. Festivus "creator" Frank Constanza proclaims that Festivus observances include the "airing of grievances" and "feats of strength." Donald Trump is doing both every day. Trump is also tens-of-billions of dollars wealthier, on paper at least, than he was a week ago thanks to the latest and biggest grift in presidential history: the Trump meme-coins. The top political story in Michigan this week: the first A-List Democratic candidate for Governor is officially running. Jocelyn Benson immediately becomes a major contender to win what will likely be a hotly contested primary. And the state legislative session is off to a rocky start as the new House Republican majority goes hyper partisan. We're joined on the podcast by state House Democratic Leader Ranjeev Puri. Leader Puri is serving his third term in the Michigan House. Before joining the Legislature, Puri worked in financial consulting and then went on to work for President Barack Obama. After completing his MBA, he began his work in Detroit's automotive industry, helping solve complex business problems and developing innovative solutions to help prepare Michigan for the economy of tomorrow. Representative Puri is the son of immigrants, and a strong advocate for inclusion, equity and equality for people of all backgrounds and experiences. He received his undergraduate degree in economics and finance and went on to receive his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2014. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Gary Garvel - Creators.com  

This week's podcast... The editors of the Washington Post (owned by Jeff Bezos) refused to run this cartoon by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes. She resigned. See her work now at www.anntelnaes.com For Donald Trump, this really is a Dickensian week: these are the best of times and the worst of times. Even as his second-chance administration falls into place, Trump officially became a convicted felon, and the case of his insurrection-related crimes is now a part of the public record (despite the best efforts of his "crack" legal team). President Biden echoed the warnings of Dwight Eisenhower in his farewell address, but will it have an impact on the oligarchs who are running the Trump-Musk administration?  Trump's clown cabinet nominees have begun the sham hearing process in the Senate with the prospect that Fox News will be seeing a lot of former staffers moving into the most powerful jobs in America. We are recording on Thursday. Mark is in Detroit for today's Democratic National Committee forum featuring would-be leaders of the DNC. We'll do a little time shifting and get his thoughts when the forum wraps up. The Biden speech isn't the only politically significant speech on our radar. Governor Whitmer gave the keynote address at the Detroit Auto Show, a speech which may be a preview of the Whitmer for President campaign in 2028. And Republicans are heaping tragedy on top of catastrophe by politicizing the L.A. fires even as tens of thousands are homeless and the southern California economy is literally reduced to ashes. Some of the other stories that caught our eye this week: Trump Said He'd Solve Ukraine on Day One. Republicans Say He Didn't Mean ‘Day One.' - NOTUS (Allbritton Journalism Institute) Trump tax cuts, if made permanent, stand to benefit highest income earners, Treasury analysis shows - AP News Aaron Rupar on X: "SLOTKIN: Do you agree that there are some orders that could be given by the commander in chief that could violate the US Constitution? HEGSETH: I reject the premise that President Trump is gonna be giving illegal orders" / X Trump's Defense Pick Proudly Admits the Rules Won't Apply to Him - The New Republic Opinion | Republicans in North Carolina Are Treading a Terrifying Path - Frank Bruni/The New York Times $$ Why Costco Isn't Joining the Backlash Against DEI - Wall Street Journal The critical question Pete Hegseth dodged in his confirmation hearing - MSNBC Slotkin, Peters hammer Trump's pick to lead Pentagon at Senate hearing - Detroit News Pam Bondi doesn't rule out probes of Trump foes as attorney general - AP News Suddenly Donald Trump doesn't want to talk so much about the economy - MSNBC Pay for Play: You won't believe all the powerful people I met as a special guest of President-elect Trump - Kevin O'Leary via Daily Mail Online =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Clay Bennett - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Mike Luckovich - Atlanta Journal Constitution This week offers a stunningly sad contrast in America. We recorded on Thursday, just hours after the funeral of a good and humble man, President Jimmy Carter. The humanitarian from Plains was praised by a parade of family and friends, led by President Biden. In contrast (unless he gets a last-second reprieve from his puppets on the Supreme Court) our next President — a narcissist who can't even spell “humble” — will be formally sentenced on 34 felony counts. Donald Trump will go down in history as the only convicted criminal to occupy the Oval Office. He's not happy about it and made that clear at another of his patent-pending bananas news conferences, events sounding like a Festivus-style airing of grievances and feats of "strength" (a.k.a. threatening anyone who disagrees with him). In Michigan, the new Legislature has convened with Republicans in control of the House … and the new Speaker giving his oversight committee broad subpoena power. Will Matt Hall bring us a revival of the infamous Rudy Guiliani farts-and-lies hearing he hosted in 2021? Republicans in Michigan and across the nation have targeted transgender women, especially the handful participating in sports, as their culture war of the year project. This week the attacks extended to the U.S. House of Representatives where a new rule was added to ban newly elected Representative Sarah McBride, the first transgender House member, from using the women's bathroom. We are joined by someone who is helping lead the fight in the 2025 Civil Rights battle: Emme Zanotti, director of advocacy and civic engagement at Equality Michigan. A programming note: in the near future we'll be adding a video version of the podcast. Stay with us for details as we get it together in the next few weeks. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Lalo Alcaraz - laloalcaraz.com

Sequels are all the rage for Hollywood, and the same is true in Washington D.C.  We're two weeks away from the official launch of the Trump-Musk administration and even before inauguration, chaos and lies return to D.C. The chaos: an intra-MAGA war over immigration, with co-president-elect Musk raging over the possible loss of the right to import lower-wage tech support for his companies whiles MAGAs fume. And we had a messy start to the legislative session as Mike Johnson wins underwhelming but enough support for staying on as Speaker. The lies: the other co-president offers alternative facts in falsely linking the horrific terrorist attack in New Orleans to his obsession over immigration on the southwest border. The terrorist was a U.S. born military veteran … but you'd think from Trump's statements he had snuck into the country from Mexico. Mike Luckovich - Atlantia Journal Constitution Topping Michigan's political news: the state's Democrats are uniting around Curtis Hertel Jr. as the new party chair, and the contenders for national party chair will begin their series of public debates next week in Detroit. In the latter contest, there are signs that a 24-year-old activist will be elected vice chair, with Parkland mass shooting survivor David Hogg scoring major points with his ideas for year-round party building. Some of the other stories on our radar this week: GOP political consultant seeks Michigan Republican Party chair - Detroit News Federal courts won't refer Clarence Thomas to AG - AP News The culture war over transgender people. Out of the 510,000 NCAA athletes there are about 10 transgender women. https://www.publicnotice.co/ Schumer endorses Ben Wikler for Democratic National Committee chairman - The Washington Post US poised to see dramatic drop in homicides for 3rd straight year - ABC News Detroit on pace for fewest killings since 1965, fewest carjackings ever - Detroit News $$ Trans rights to be marquee fight for House Republicans - POLITICO Matt Davies - Andrews McMeel Syndication =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management

Matt Davies - NY Newsday The two biggest stories in our opening list are Trump's campaign of intimidating the media, which seems to be working … and the apparent ascension of the world's richest man to the unelected position of Acting President-elect.  Also as we recorded on Friday morning, we have: Congress in chaos as the Musk-Johnson budget bill dies a quick death, opening the door to Mike Johnson becoming the latest House Speaker to get ousted Tin-hat conspiracy theories fanning the flames in New Jersey, Trump trolls our neighbors to the north, and flips the bird to the Bahamas by naming Herschel Walker as the U.S. ambassador. The state House emulated the chaos of the U.S. House with the Speaker unable to even assemble a quorum for the last day of session, raising questions about Speaker Joe Tate's upcoming campaign for Detroit mayor The race for Michigan Democratic Party chair may over before it starts as Governor Whitmer endorses longtime ally Curtis Hertel Jr.  In a rare moment of positive news, 120 Democrats in Congress are calling on President BIden to certify the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution – an amendment that originated with Michigan's glass-ceiling breaking Congresswoman Martha Griffiths. A majority of Americans oppose Trump's proposals to test democracy's limits Pretending he has an electoral mandate, Trump keeps making stuff up Appeals court removes prosecutor Fani Willis from Georgia election case against Trump Trump's transition is happening over private emails. Federal officials are nervous THIS WEEK'S GUEST Even in presidential elections, 2 in 5 American citizens choose to sit things out. It's even worse in non-presidential election years. A veteran political consultant believes we can and should improve those numbers by embracing technology. In his book “Vote with Your Phone,” Bradley Tusk believes that allowing Americans to vote in elections from their phones would dramatically increase turnout, reduce extremism, and fix our broken politics. Beyond that, mobile voting will break down barriers that have made in-person and even mail voting inaccessible for countless Americans — younger voters, tribal voters, military voters, voters with disabilities, and many others. Tusk is currently the Managing Partner and Co-founder of Tusk Venture Partners, the world's first venture capital fund that invests solely in early stage startups in highly regulated industries, and the founder of political consulting firm Tusk Strategies.  He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. Earlier in his career, Bradley served as campaign manager for Mike Bloomberg's 2009 mayoral race, as Deputy Governor of Illinois, overseeing the state's budget, operations, legislation, policy and communications, as communications director for Senator Chuck Schumer, and as Uber's first political advisor.  =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Mike Luckovich - Atlanta Constitution Journal

Michael Ramirez:Las Vegas Review-Journal On our agenda this week... The best is yet to come ... at least for newly anointed U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. The now-spurned former finance of Donald Trump Jr. is headed halfway around the world compliments of The Don, but only because "Ambassador to Mars" isn't a thing yet. And there's so much more: Gold sneakers, gold coins, leather-bound Bibles, digital junk collectibles, red hats, camo hats, crypto currency, and now cologne and perfume. That's the current potpourri of products being shilled by the president-elect who once claimed he could be more presidential than any of his predecessor … while his current wife sells Christmas ornaments and a ghost-written book, and his son-in-law sells his soul to the Saudis for a tidy $2-billion and his son announces three new licensing deals with the Saudis. The next logical step for Donald Trump: getting his fans to part with their cash: reverse mortgages. Look out Tom Selleck And another first for Time Magazine: A “Person of the Year” story attached to a 2,300-word fact check debunking much of their cover story.The new administration's appointments by the numbers: 13 billionaires 3 family members, including sending Junior's ex-fiance halfway around the world 13 former Fox News on-air employees 15 one-time losing candidates for various elective offices In the world of actually governing — Three announced candidates for chair of the Michigan Democratic Party are meeting with county parties in the run-up to the February 22 state party convention. In contention to succeed Lavora Barnes as MDP chair: MDP Rural Caucus chair Mark Ludwig, MDP activist Al Williams, and former state Senator and Whitmer staffer Curtis Hertel Jr. Legislative Democrats are working overtime to take maximum advantage of their soon-to-be-lost trifecta control of state government Three Michigan natives gave their valedictory speeches on Capitol Hill in the last few days – all three examples of what's right with public service: Debbie Stabenow, Dan Kildee, and Mitt Romney. Jeff Timmer is off this week, with the always lovely Walt Sorg sitting in! =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Anne Telnaes - Washington Post

On our agenda this week... Another Trump cabinet nominee is barely hanging on, with alleged sexual offender and alleged alcoholic Pete Hegseth on the ropes for Defense Secretary – ironically, on the 91st anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. Trump reportedly is talking to Meatball Ron De-Sanctimonious as his backup choice for DOD … possibly in a deal where the Florida Governor first names Lara Trump to fill out the term of Senator Marco Rubio. More criminals and Fox News personalities have been named to the Trump Parade of Cabinet Clowns. The latest: onetime Fox Business reporter and ex-con Peter Navarro, and Fox talking head Monica Crowley. In case you missed, there's another Trump grift: the official Trump Golf Video Game, just $9.99 or $99 for the super deluxe autographed digital game. It never ends. State House Speaker Joe Tate takes the first step to run for Detroit Mayor. But the huge story this week: Detroit's highly successful Mayor, Mike Duggan, is running for Governor … as an independent. No independent has ever won statewide partisan office in our state's history. Can Duggan be the first? Joining us is Michigan two-term Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. She literally wrote the book on the job: “State Secretaries of State (Election Law, Politics, and Theory)”. She has been a champion for election and ethics reforms during his 6 years on the job. Previously she was the dean Wayne State University's Law School. At the time she was the youngest woman in U.S. history to lead a top-100 law school. She's widely considered a first-tier possible candidate to succeed Gretchen Whitmer as Governor. Welcome bacl to the podcast Jocelyn. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Anne Telnaes - Washington Post

Mike Luckovich - Atlanta Journal Constitution On this week's agenda —  Donald Trump's strategy of avoiding prison by returning to the White House works - as special counsel Jack Smith drops the federal charges, and the sentencing for his 34-count New York conviction gets delayed. Trump refuses to allow FBI vetting of his top appointments, the first time that's happened since Watergate. Trump's latest potential lawsuit: claims from Gibson Guitars that his latest grift, selling guitars, violates their trademarks for the iconic Les Paul guitar … which means here's your first-ever link to Guitar World. Trump's proposed tariffs pose a huge threat to Michigan's economy on three fronts: automobile production that links the U.S. with both Canada and Mexico; disrupting trade with our neighbors to the north; and threatening agricultural exports to China Whooping cough cases are surging nationally and in Michigan, the inevitable result of the anti-vaccine movement Democrats gear up for their last month of control in the Legislature. We are joined by Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks about the agenda. Winnie Brinks is the first woman to serve as Senate Majority Leader, as well as being the first woman to represent Grand Rapids in the Michigan Senate since Eva McCall Hamilton was elected in 1920. She cares deeply about clean drinking water in Michigan and has worked tirelessly on efforts to reduce the prevalence of toxic PFAS chemicals in it. In addition to accessible, clean water, her policy passions include improving equity in maternal health care, reproductive rights, reducing prescription drug costs, and helping uplift local communities and organizations. Before being elected to the state House, where she served three terms, Brinks was a caseworker at The Source, helping businesses and nonprofits improve workplaces and retain employees. She also worked as the director of a community-based corrections agency and as a school paraprofessional. Brinks is a graduate of Calvin College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish with a concentration in sociology. She and her husband Steve, a Spanish teacher, live in Grand Rapids and are the parents of three daughters, Olivia, Annalise and Emma. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Adam Zyglis - Buffalo News

On our agenda this week — Matt Gaetz gives in to reality. The most disliked member of Congress's nomination for Attorney General lasted less than a Scaramucci - just 8 days. Are accused sexual predators Pete Hegseth or RFK Junior the next victims of past allegations? Michael Ramirez/Las Vegas Review-Journal A growing list of Red states are working to turn public education into Christian education The GOP brings culture-war attacks on transgender Americans to congressional bathrooms The once dominant broadcast and cable news outlets face a new challenge. We are joined by Ron Filipkowski, Editor-in-Chief of a rapidly growing alternative progressive news source: the Meidas Plus Network. In Michigan politics: The special election to replace Congresswoman-elect Kristen McDonald Rivet has big implications for Democrats' control of the state Senate The race to become Democratic National Chair may include Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow Michigan Republicans have still another battle coming on state party chair, with current chair Peter Hoekstra joining the Trump administration as ambassador to Canada Michigan Democrats have a less contentious but still hard-fought battle for state chair coming up with the departure of Lavora Barnes. Joining the conversation is Editor in Chief of one of the nation's fastest growing alternative media companies. Ron Filipkowski heads up Meidas Plus, the subscription-based Substack channel that has been growing exponentially. Meidas+ evolved from the original Meidas Touch network which made its name four years ago as a center, alongside the Lincoln Project, of the Never Trump movement. They provide news coverage, written commentary, videos and podcasts to subscribers. Their lead item is Ron's daily Resistance HQ Bulletin, a concise daily update on the very bizarre incoming administration. Filipkowski is a criminal defense attorney and former state and federal prosecutor who is known for sharing political clips and commentary on social media. Until 2021 he was a Republican, but left the party in the wake of the failed January 6 Trump insurrection. How Republican was he? His oldest son is named Ronald Reagan Filipkowski! In his non-professional life Filipkowski has coached a Little League Baseball team, leading it to six state championships. He was named National Coach of the Year by the baseball publication Travel Ball Select. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management

Let the crazy begin in earnest! Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin called Lincoln's cabinet the “Team of Rivals”. Aretha Franklin's classic could well be the title of a new book about the Trump team as Trump loads up his administration with mostly unqualified toadies. As of recording time, Matt Gaetz stands at the top of the mountain of WTF nominees with Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Kristi Noem, Mike Huckabee and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hot on his heels. MAGAs in Florida are pushing Governor Ron Desantis to name Lara Trump as Marco Rubio's replacement in the Senate. Really. Melania Trump, meanwhile, is carving a new path for first ladies, apparently treating the White House as her personal AirBNB and living wherever he isn't. In Michigan, the 2026 campaign has begun:  Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says he won't run for reelection … with everyone speculating he'll instead run for Governor With a deep bench standing by, the race for Governor could be a battle of political heavyweights. We'll do some name-dropping and early handicapping of that field, as well as the possibilities for Detroit Mayor, Michigan Secretary of State…and the Republicans who might want to be Governor Michigan Democrats have another major decision awaiting as Lavora Barnes, the universally praised chair of the party announces she's stepping down after six years in the job. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Mike Luckovich - Atlanta Journal Constitution

That was the week that was... In the main event, the Prosecuting Attorney loses to the convicted criminal. On the national undercard: Republicans are winning on points, with the possibility of a full takeover in Washington depending on a dozen or so congressional races. Closer to home: Michigan provides a mixed message: Trump carries the state by 80,000 vote Elissa Slotkin shows how to buck the headwinds and moves to the U.S. Senate Democrats hold one hotly contested U.S. House seat but lose another The narrowly divided state House goes from a 2-vote Democratic majority to a 6-vote GOP advantage Democrats add to their majority on the state Supreme Court Back in 1992 James Carville famously preached during the Clinton campaign “It's the economy, stupid”. The nation had experienced high inflation during the George H.W. Bush administration, and Carville's mantra proved the winning strategy for Bill Clinton. Flash forward 32 years, another bout of inflation thanks to the Covid pandemic … and again, the voters punish the ruling party. It is part of the story of the Trump victory, but more complex than that. Mark and Jeff offer their thoughts on the election that turned the political world upside down. This last week brings to mind a couple of TV shows: the mid-1960s political satire program “That Was the Week That Was”, and more recent “House of Cards.” The latter starred a criminal President who even murders his political and media opposition. Reality has now exceeded fantasy. Next up in the bizarre world of Trump-era politics: the President-elect could be sentenced to prison for his 34 felony convictions in New York. Meanwhile, we stand by the name of this podcast: A Republic, If You Can Keep It. These days Franklin's warning is a one-weel-at-a-time proposition. We will continue in our mission to rightsize Michigan and national politics over the coming months. Ben would have it no other way. Chris Britt - Creators =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management

The Final Argument We are recording on Halloween, going into the final weekend. There's lots to unpack as candidates up and down the ballot make their final pitches…and we look forward to saying goodbye to endless text messages and breathless emails begging for money. Trump recreates a 1939 Nazi Rally at Madison Square Garden, while Kamala Harris attracts 75-thousand to the staging area of Trump's 2021 unsuccessful insurrection. The race for the Michigan Senate is a nail-biter … as are three critical races for Michigan seats in Congress. On this week's podcast, we look in depth at the latest Michigan polling from EPIC/MRA. We are joined by Bernie Porn about the numbers released today, and about the challenges of figuring out who will vote, how they will vote, and  why. The Island of Garbage President Christo Komarnitski - Cagle.com =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management

Dave Whamond, Canada, PoliticalCartoons.com On our political radar this week: This week's guest: General William Enyart. Before his election to Congress,  Enyart was Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard. General Enyart served 43 years in the Air Force and National Guard. Donald Trump's increasingly bizarre behavior peaked at a bizarre campaign town hall in which he only answered 4 questions and then spent 39 minutes playing D.J. and doing his Fred Astaire impression.  Trump has demanded that Kamala Harris be tested for mental acuity – a clear case of projection, with growing calls that Trump get tested as he shows signs of advancing dementia. Kamala Harris got another presidential debate on Fox News, but with alleged journalist Bret Baier substituting for Donald Trump. Trump continued to hide from any media that might ask him a tough question, limiting his interviews to friends and allies … a.k.a. The Sean Hannity Fan Club Dozens of leaders of America's national security system are warning that Trump poses a massive security risk. We'll be joined by two of them: former Democratic congressman General William Enyart, and former Republican congressman Christopher Shays. The already heated race for U.S. Senator from Michigan is getting more heated. Elissa Slotkin continues to hold a narrow lead over Mike Rogers who continues to take blows over his residency, the January 6 insurrection, his changing views on abortion rights and his call to pull a half-billion in federal funding for a job-creating GM plant renovation in Lansing The Trump campaign is running targeted ads saying Kamala Harris is totally pro-Israel and totally pro-Palestine. A Trump Super Pac funded mailer makes a total lie: that Medicare had been canceled —along with a scrawled add-on in cursive: “I hope you can afford to lose your insurance! — Kamala Harris XOXO.” Keeping our democratic republic had some major victories in court this week in both Alabama and, more significantly, in Georgia.  Marlinga plots a comeback against James - Punchbowl News Will EVs mean fewer auto jobs? - Detroit News $$ Elon Musk and other billionaires invest staggering sums into electing Trump, plus other takeaways from third-quarter filings - CNN Politics  National Security Leaders for America leads a bipartisan collection of 741 former senior national security leaders supporting Kamala Harris. The organization includes 230 general and flag officers including 15 retired four-star generals and admirals, 10 cabinet secretaries, 10 service secretaries, and 148 ambassadors. They view Donald Trump as an existential threat to our national security. We are joined by two of those leaders, both former members of Congress. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Anne Telnaes, Washington Post

We're joined this week by Delaware Senator Chris Coons, chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee. This week in our battleground state... Michigan TV stations are raking in the cash with campaign spending well over $200-million, fueled by close races for President, U.S. Senate and congressional districts and control of the state legislature. The Harris campaign reports it has raised a staggering $1-billion in 7 weeks. Michigan is also getting massive personal attention from the national campaigns, with candidates and surrogates making campaign visits on an almost daily basis. Republicans are hoping concerns over electric vehicles will put them over the top in Michigan, with both JD Vance and Mike Rogers calling for reneging on a federal promise of $500-million for upgrading Lansing's General Motors downtown assembly plant. Rogers is battling a new carpetbagger charge with the revelation that the house he claims as his home doesn't even have an occupancy permit And in the Bizarro World that is Donald Trump, the week's four strangest developments: The Kremlin confirms Trump sent COVID test equipment for Putin's personal use even as Americans were unable to get tested Republican governors and U.S. Senators praise the federal response to the two hurricanes in direct contradiction of Trump's claims; President Biden calls Trump a liar It turns out Trump's $60 “God Bless the USA” Bibles are being printed in China And when Trump said on a podcast that he's a very truthful person, the podcast host breaks out in laughter Slotkin, Rogers spar in Michigan U.S. Senate debate. Here are the facts - Bridge Michigan Annual inflation rate drops to 2.4 percent, lowest since February 2021 New Statewide Poll: Voters' Reluctance to Embrace the Economy of the Future Putting Michigan's Competitiveness, Top Industry at Risk - Detroit Regional Chamber Florida threatens TV executive with jail time for airing ad in support of abortion rights - Popular Information Pornographic Film Actors Launch Ad Campaign Targeting Project 2025 - The New York Times Trump's Rambling Speeches Reinforce Question of Age - The New York Times Oops, They Did It Again: The Mainstream Media Buries Trump's Outrage - The New Republic We are joined this week by Delaware's junior Senator Chris Coons. He was elected in 2010, topping Christine O'Donnell, who ran an ad denying that she was a witch – a precursor to a long line of unusual Republican candidates for the Senate. Coons is one of Joe Biden's closest personal friends. In the Senate he chairs the Ethics Committee. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Ed Wexler - Cagle.com

"Make Them Riot!" Some of the stories on our radar this week: Jack Smith's blockbuster court filing on Defendant Trump's criminality leading up to the January 6th insurrection includes revelations about the election night chaos at Detroit's counting center The Trump campaign is all-in on lying in paid advertising as well as at his increasingly boring rallies Republicans for Harris officially launches with Mark Cuban one of the national leaders, and former GOP Congressman David Trott co-chairing the Michigan chapter JD Vance leaves open the possibility a Trump administration would pull the plug on federal support for a major GM plant in Lansing The FBI reports crime rates continue to plunge, so the Trump campaign (of course) continues to claim crime is out of control You can add The Boss - Bruce Springsteen - to the A-List of big name celebrities backing Harris-Walz. All of them are people so well known that they are identified with a single name: Taylor, Beyoncé, Magic, Barbra and Oprah. OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST TO THE POLITICAL WORLD... Employers added 254,000 jobs in September, reflecting strong gains as election nears - The Washington Post Trump Promised to Release His Medical Records. He Still Won't Do It. - The New York Times Trump initially refused to give California wildfire aid because it's a blue state, ex-aide says - E&E News by POLITICO Trump and GOP Make BS Migrant Claim Amid FEMA Hurricane Shortfall - The Daily Beast Slotkin reports $18M fundraising haul for U.S. Senate bid - Detroit News Mike Rogers' support for ‘fetal personhood' could threaten access to IVF and contraception - The Michigan Independent =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management "Concepts of a Plan" - The Lincoln Project

Rick McKee, CagleCartoons.com This week in our crazy, insane Trump-infested world -- Don Trump continues his magic touch in endorsements, hanging tough with North Carolina Black Nazi Mark Robinson even as the gubernatorial candidate's campaign staff bails out. Robinson is the latest Trumper in a pantheon of bizarre losers that includes Dr. Oz, Herschel Walker and our very own Tudor Dixon and Matt DePerno. Trump has also found time to start up a couple more grifts to go with his digital ego cards, Bibles and golden sneakers. The guy who once described crypto currency as a scam now has his crypto business, and he's also marketing Trump commemorative coins. This comes as Trump's Truth Social stock hits an all-time low, down more than 80% in the last year. A single courageous Republican in Nebraska has stopped still another Trump campaign effort to rig the 2024 vote. Needless to say, the Donald is not happy and will retaliate. Republicans complaining about the feds targeting them for criminal charges get another shot in their face with New York City's Mayor, a Democrat, indicted along with multiple appointees. Gretchen Whitmer reveals her secret of political success to talk-show host Andy Cohen: getting shit done. Both presidential campaigns have issued the outlines of an economic game plan. Florida bans instruction on contraception and consent in sex ed classes Obama and Biden achievements that Trump claims for himself Democrats won complete power in Michigan. Republicans are trying to take it away. A major part of this week's discussion: Jeff's insider's look at the strategy and tactics of The Lincoln Project. Joining the conversation: Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston. He is the bestselling author of The Making of Donald Trump and It's Even Worse Than You Think. David has lectured on economics, journalism, and tax policy on every continent except Antarctica and is a former president of Investigative Reporters & Editors. Johnston has been a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN, the BBC, ABC World News Tonight, Democracy Now!, and NPR's Morning Edition (among other shows), and was a consultant for the Netflix series House of Cards. Currently both a national columnist at professor of practice at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Johnston began his career at the San Jose Mercury News from 1968 to 1973, when he moved to Lansing to continue his education at Michigan State. While there, he wrote an internal textbook (A Guide to Public Records) for the university's journalism department. From 1973 to 1976, he was an investigative reporter at the Detroit Free Press in its Lansing bureau. One of his investigative reports resulted in the Lansing CBS affiliate's owner being forced by the FCC to sell the station because of news manipulation. He is an expert on the financial crimes and scams of Donald Trump. "Choose Change" - The Lincoln Project =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management

When he's not venting about his debate debacle or doubling down on cats-and-dogs recipes, Donald Trump is offering empty promises of tax cuts for the masses: no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, no tax on overtime and even overturning a law he signed which gutted tax deductions for wealthier residents of high-tax states. He's running scared as the polls consistently show him slowly slipping nationally, and especially in swing states. Also on our screen this week: RFK Junior is staying on the Michigan presidential ballot which presumably will help Harris/Walz carry the state. The Michigan Supreme Court has upheld major increases in Michigan's minimum wage, but there's a battle brewing over the increase for tipped workers. Michigan's status as a first-tier battleground is being reinforced with seemingly daily visits from someone on the national tickets. Trump ventured into Flint, seemingly to anger the UAW. (We recorded on Thursday afternoon, hours away from Kamala Harris joining with Oprah in Detroit for an online townhall. 9/18/24 - Swing State Poll 2024: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin: Harris Ahead In 2 Key Battleground States, 3rd State Up For Grabs, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; U.S. Senate Races: Democrats Have Leads In All 3 States - Quinnipiac University Poll 111 Former G.O.P. Officials Back Harris, Calling Trump ‘Unfit to Serve' - The New York Times Republican Divisions Sink House Bill as Government Shutdown Nears - Wall Street Journal Russia goes all-out with covert disinformation aimed at Harris, Microsoft report says - AP News Billie Eilish endorses Harris: ‘Vote like your life depends on it' - The Hill CNN Airs Montage of Donald Trump Doing Exactly What JD Vance Told Dems NOT to Do - The Daily Beast And we can't this week go by without some thoughts on one of the most prolific liars from the Trump White House - Sarah Huckabee Sanders came to Michigan to add to the derision of childless women. It's not going over well.  =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management White Dudes for Harris

It was a good great week for the Harris/Walz campaign: Tuesday night was a Wipe Out for Donald Trump - a one-on-one confrontation just as one-sided as the earlier debate that ended Joe Biden's reelection bid. Days earlier they picked up the endorsements of arch conservative GOP icons Liz and Dick Cheney, followed by support from George W. Bush's Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez; inflation is down to a three-year low, with gas prices plunging and the Fed poised to lower interest rates; renowned childless cat owner Taylor Swift posted her endorsement of the ticket for her 284-million Instagram followers; and the latest polls show Harris's lead over Trump nationally edging upward. And the Trump/Vance campaign became a national laughing stock with its claims of Haitians in Springfield Ohio kidnapping and eating pet dogs, cats and ducks. Even Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called out the campaign for spreading a baseless lie. The Trump campaign doubled down, wrongly claiming the Ohio Haitians are in the country illegally. They are not. Also on our radar this week: Republicans in Congress are reprising their performance of “Let's shut down the government” with more dramatics as the deadline for passing a budget approaches. To borrow from the late, great baseball manager Casey Stengel: “can't anyone play this game?” The campaign for the U.S. Senate heats up with Democrats hitting Mike Rogers for his role in promoting opioids - he was for them before he was against them. The Michigan Supreme Court is leaving RFK Jr. and Cornel West on the November presidential ballot. Attorney General Nessel wraps up her investigation into MSU's handling of the Larry Nasser debacle with some harsh criticism =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Tim Campbell - Counterpoint Media

David Horsey - Seattle Times This week's agenda: Michigan in late summer is looking like Iowa in the winter: presidential candidates everywhere except the very weird RFK Jr. who is on the ballot despite his best efforts. We're days away from what may be the only Harris-Trump debate, with Trump previewing why he'll lose the debate … it's rigged. Can an endorsement make a real difference? We may find out as Liz Cheney says she's voting for Kamala Harris. Trump's apparent campaign strategy: skip Labor Day events to play golf, keep running against Joe Biden and using his Hillary playbook against Kamala Harris, explain his long-winded meandering diatribes as a brilliant tactic he calls “weaving” … then run off to Sean Hannity for an hour of softball batting practice. Meanwhile, there's a new call in Congress for investigating still another Trump crime: what looks like a $10-million dollar gift to Trump from Egypt. designed to hide an illegal foreign government campaign contribution. What should be shocking news has been mostly ignored. And then there's Russia Russia Russia: the Justice Department charges the Russians with running their third straight disinformation campaign in support of Trump's candidacy. Polling shows voters increasingly dug in to their respective tribes as the political polarization chasm grows. Our guest this week is MSU political science guru Matt Grossman discussing his new book explaining the continuing trend towards two Americas. Matt Grossmann is Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research – a.k.a. IPPSR – and Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University. He is the author of numerous books on our political world. His latest: "Polarized by Degrees". The work, written in collaboration with Boston College Political Scientist David A. Hopkins explores the nation's current political polarization and how it has caused a diploma divide between the parties. Grossmann is a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center in Washington, DC, host of The Science of Politics Podcast and a regular contributor to FiveThirtyEight's online political analysis. He has also published op-eds in The New York Times and The Washington Post. He was named Director of IPPSR in January 2016. IPPSR is a policy, leadership and research unit within MSU's College of Social Science conducting more than $1.5 million in grant- or contract-funded research and raising more than $300,000 in donations annually. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management Pat Bagley - Salt Lake Tribune ===========================

This week's agenda is Presidential Politics in Michigan: New polling shows Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in a statistical tie. We'll be joined in a moment by EPIC-MRA's Bernie Porn. The candidates are focusing on Michigan. Trump makes two visits, saying we're on the verge of World War III. Kamala Harris will revive a longstanding tradition of a Democratic candidate Metro Detroit rally on Labor Day. Michigan Republicans continue to embarrass themselves, this time with a convention that features the forced ejection of their former chair. Bobby Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein will all be on Michigan's presidential ballot even though RFK Jr. wants out More than 200 former Trump staffers and leaders of the presidential campaigns of John McCain and MItt Romney are endorsing Kamala Harris - an unprecedented political repudiation by the people who know Trump the best We have two guests on this week's podcast: Pollster Bernie Porn leads us through the numbers in his company's latest polling in Michigan. It's generally good-but-not-great news for Democrats in a campaign that's very, very tight. And one of the founders of Michigan's first citizen-run redistricting process reflects on the apparent end of the first redistricting cycle, seven-and-a-half years after Voters Not Politicians kicked off its historic campaign to amend Michigan's constitution is now complete. We talk with the leader of the grassroots group, Jamie Lyons-Eddy. Joining that chat is our producer, Walt Sorg, another of the founders of VNP and co-author of the constitutional amendment.   =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================

We invade Chicago for a little convention time. Instead of our usual Zoom chats, Jeff and Walt go face to face as they meet up on the left side of the lake. Between performances by Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Lil' Jon, Pink, The Chicks and Patti LaBelle there's some political speechmaking going with the Obamas, the Clintons, Oprah, Tim Walz and (of course) Kamala Harris bringing down the house. Michigan was well represented on the podium with the aforementioned Stevie Wonder along with Dana Nessel, Mallory McMorrow and the omnipresent Gretchen Whitmer. Even the usually deadly dull roll call of the states provided real entertainment, and of course made Trump grumpier than usual. The themes for the week: freedom, joy, thank you Joe, and DO SOMETHING! =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== NICK ANDERSON:TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY

This week's agenda: The Second City becomes the news center of the nation for a week as Democrats gather on the left side of Lake Michigan for their national convention. While the Harris-Walz ticket continues to draw massive crowds at rallies, J.D. Vance comes to Michigan and again draws a crowd numbering in the dozens. The latest polling from the New York Times shows a turnaround in three critical states, with Kamala Harris now holding narrow leads in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump continues to campaign from home. His latest effort: a weirdo-with-weirdo two-hour glitch-and-lie filled online chat with X owner Elon Musk. A pro-Trump attorney facing multiple election-related criminal charges in Michigan has been barred from a separate 2020 election lawsuit because she shared confidential court documents with a local sheriff. Good economic news is continuing: inflation has dropped below 3%, wage increases continue to exceed inflation, and the Fed is looking to lower interest rates next month. The Trump-Vance ticket continues to disown the massively unpopular Project 2025 even as the evidence proves that it is, in fact, the Trump agenda if he's reelected. If reading the 900 pages isn't frightening enough, newly revealed training videos for Project 2025 acolytes are even more frightening. We are joined by the reporter who exposed the 14 hours of video: ProPublica's Andy Kroll. ProPublica has become the most respected investigative journalism organization in the nation, winning awards right-and-left for its groundbreaking work. ProPublica made national headlines exposing the multi-million-dollar gifts to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Now it's making headlines again, exposing 14 hours of previously secret training videos on Project 2025, a story uncovered by Andy Kroll. Andy was previously the Washington bureau chief for Rolling Stone. His reporting there about a series of cyberattacks on congressional campaigns helped lead to the indictment of a California political operative. Before that, he was a senior reporter at Mother Jones. In September, Kroll will publish his first book, “A Death on W Street: The Murder of Seth Rich and the Age of Conspiracy,” a true-crime investigation about U.S. politics, viral conspiracy theories and one family's fight for truth. Jon Stewart dissects Trump recycling of the same old stuff =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================

An estimated 15,000 packed a hangar and out the door at the Harris-Walz Detroit Metro rally The Harris-Walz ticket launches with crowds matching Obama 2008 and Trump 2016 Hours before the new Democratic ticket attracted 15,000 to a hangar at Metro Airport, JD Vance enthused a crowd of several dozen in Macomb County. Donald Trump spent the week mean-trothing, and resting up for his one-and-only campaign event in the critical swing state of ... Montana? Michigan's primary election sets up some critical showdowns in 4 congressional races which could decide control of the U.S. House and Senate as well as the Michigan Legislature. Another domino falls in the state-by-state criminal cases against the fake electors, with disbarred attorney Jenna Ellis flipping in Arizona. And a national Republicans for Harris-Walz organization is unleashed. Helping sort out the primary election results in Michigan is returning friend-of-the-pod, Detroit Free Press political reporter Clara Hendrickson.  Clara covers Michigan politics with a focus on the governor's office and the state Legislature. She has previously covered voting rights, election administration and redistricting in Michigan. She came to The Detroit Free Press by way of Report for America – an initiative of The GroundTruth Project – to fact-check Michigan issues and politics in partnership with PolitiFact during the 2020 election. She previously worked as a research analyst at the Brookings Institution and freelance journalist in Washington, D.C. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================

This week's agenda: Donald Trump has a 30-minute tantrum with black journalists … and he didn't exactly stick the landing. In the least surprising news of the week, the UAW has added its endorsement to the Harris campaign New polling shows the battle for the White House has become a tossup A long court battle ends with Michigan's minimum wage increasing … just as voters wanted, but a Republican Legislature tried to sabotage President Biden calls for major changes to the Supreme Court And the Republican-controlled U.S. House is continuing its record of getting nothing done … leaving town after failing to pass a federal budget We are joined by Congressman Dan Kildee from Flint, a senior member of the House Budget Committee and Chief Deputy Democratic Whip. Kildee is retiring this year after 12 years in Congress. He has devoted his career to public service, previously serving as Genesee County Treasurer, on the Genesee County Board of Commissioners and on the Flint Board of Education.  Kildee co-founded and served as the president of the Center for Community Progress, a national non-profit organization focused on urban land reform and revitalization; and founded Michigan's first land bank—the Genesee County Land Bank—which is responsible for tens of millions of dollars in redevelopment in Flint. Nick Anderson - Counterpoint Media =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================

Still another amazing week in our nation's 248th year, with Michigan right in the center of it all. This week's agenda: The Harris campaign comes together in a matter of 2 days: we focus on a week that will go into the history books (except history books in Florida schools) Next up: choosing a running mate, with just 2 weeks to make a decision Republican panic begins as the GOP grapples with the change at the top President Biden shifts into legacy mode Governor Whitmer makes it clear … again … that she's not looking for a new job New polling says Carl Marlinga is up 6 points over Congressman John James in the critical 10th District congressional race… And for those who remember that government is also about actually governing, a new state budget is signed into law Mark and producer Walt Sorg talk with veteran pollster Bernie Porn for his insights based on 40 years of taking Michigan's political pulse. Bernie and his colleagues at EPIC-MRA have been measuring Michigan voter sentiment for four decades. EPIC-MRA is regularly rated as the top polling firm in the state, and is regularly quoted in media across Michigan and the nation. A week ago, his poll (one day before President Biden's announcement) showed Trump up by 7 in Michigan. Now it's a whole new ballgame. (Full disclosure: EPIC-MRA is a sponsor of the podcast.) =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================

There are only two political stories on our agenda this week, both from the top of the ballot: the “will he or won't he” waiting about President Biden, and the GOP National Convention which they branded as a unifying event but, in reality, only united the dominant MAGA movement while horrifying just about everyone else. Key to the discussion over the Democratic ticket: polls, polls, polls. Links to some of the most credible: Public Policy Poll: Michigan & Pennsylvania Most say Biden should withdraw from the Presidential race - AP-NORC YouGov Michigan Senate Poll - July 4-12 YouGov Poll - Harris for President, Issues Blue Labs Polling of Alternative nominees - Kelly, Moore, Shapiro, Whitmer The Republican convention was a four-day celebration of lies, half-truths and grievances in the style of their Lord and Savior, would-be Dictator-on-Day-One Donald. Fact-checkers worked overtime to chronicle the most outrageous denials of reality, including the team at The Washington Post: Fact-checking Day 1 of the 2024 Republican National Convention - The Washington Post Fact-checking Day 2 of the 2024 Republican National Convention - The Washington Post Fact-checking Day 3 of the 2024 Republican National Convention - The Washington Post Fact-checking Day 4 of the 2024 Republican National Convention - The Washington Post One of the many outrages in the Republican Party Platform is the outright call to return women's rights to the 1950's June Cleaver model: the perfect homemaker whose primary function is giving birth. Trump brags about getting Roe overturned by his appointments to the Supreme Court, Vance has endorsed a nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions. Implicit in the agenda are bans on contraception and fertility treatments including invitro fertilization. Women are the driving force for Michigan Democrats. A majority of both the House and Senate Democratic caucuses are women; most of the state's top elected leaders are women. Joining the discussion to talk about the implications of the GOP misogyny for November: state Senator Dayne Polehanki of Livonia. She is a two-time Teacher of the Year award winner and has nearly 20 years of experience in the classroom. She serves as the Majority Caucus Chair for the Michigan Senate Democrats and is in her second term. Polehanki earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Central Michigan University, has a major in English and teacher certification from Alma College, and a master's degree in teaching from Marygrove College. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== The 34 for 45 Commemorative Mug Felony schmelony! Get your "34 for 45" mug today!  

Hard to believe, but there are stories other than the President's health…but they mostly tie together. Among them: Gretchen Whitmer is on a national book tour promoting “True Gretch” including an appearance with Stephen Colbert, while saying that she absolutely is not running for President this year even if Joe Biden pulls out… Biden has his first defection from the Michigan congressional delegation: Hillary Scholten urges the President to end his candidacy – quote – "for the good of our democracy.” Inflation continues to go down, with prices on groceries, airfare, and used cars actually going down in June. Economists are united in warning that Trump's economic plan has the potential to crash the economy. In the “it's about time” column, two members of Congress have introduced articles of impeachment against well-traveled, highly pampered Justice Clarence Thomas. The Authoritarian Manifesto “Project 2025” is finally getting the attention it deserves, and Donald Trump is doing what he can to put some distance between the toxic end-of-our-democracy battle plan and his campaign. Mention Project 2025, and he echoes Sgt. Schultz: "I know nothing...nothing!" And, oh yes, a four day fantasy camp is in Milwaukee this week: the national convention of the Donald Trump Kool-Aid Club. But topping it all is the turmoil amongst Democrats over Joe Biden. Party leaders have apparently discovered that Biden is old and finally admitting he's showing signs of advanced age. That's the focus of this week's discussion. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== The 34 for 45 Commemorative Mug Felony schmelony! Get your "34 for 45" mug today!  

On the week's podcast: As we celebrate the revolution 248 years ago that ended the rule of the British monarchy over our nation, we face the prospect of reverting to our British origins.  The U.S. Supreme Court's radical-right majority has effectively turned this and future presidents into Kings and Queens who are above the law, able to do anything (s)he want under the mantra of "Official Acts". So God Save the King, Joe the First. We focus on the implications for November and beyond.  In more mundane-but-still-important news: Governor Whitmer pushes back in VERY plain language that she's angling to replace Biden on the 2024 national ticket, or that Biden can't win Michigan. In more normal news, there's a new state Senate map from the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. We'll chew over the partisan implications. Louisiana's Ten-Commandments-In-Every-Classroom law is challenged in the courts even as Oklahoma requires biblical training in public schools Lost in the deluge of last minute rulings is a Supreme Court decision which legalizes a form of political bribery Another little-publicized SCOTUS ruling represents a huge power shift away from both Congress and the Executive Branch - both subject to voter oversight - and into the hands of unelected judges with lifetime appointments. Michigan's Legislature finalizes an $82.5-billion budget that targets education, housing, public safety and economic development Trump Whisperer Steve Bannon is in Federal Prison

This week in politics: The U.S. Supreme Court gives Donald Trump the best possible gift: the longest possible delay in his federal trials In Michigan, a new state Senate map from the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Louisiana's Ten-Commandments-In-Every-Classroom law is challenged in the courts even as Oklahoma requires biblical training in public schools The Supreme Court also handed down a ruling which legalizes a form of political bribery Michigan's Legislature finalizes an $82.5-billion budget that targets education and economic development And two senior citizens got into an argument about golf in Atlanta last night. We will devote most of the podcast to that argument and other things they discussed. We are joined by one of Michigan's top political communications experts, Dr. Richard Cole. Cole was Governor Blanchard's communications chief and later Blanchard's chief of staff. He later chaired Michigan State University's nationally respected Department of Advertising and Public Relations. He also served as the top communications man at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, working under company president Richard Whitmer … and was a close unofficial adviser to Whitmer's daughter in her first campaign for Governor. Cole's mentors include the legendary Dr. Edward Bernays, the creator of modern public relations whose principles of PR are still the standard a century later both within and outside of politics. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== NEW: The 34 for 45 Commemorative Mug Get your "34 for 45" mug today!

Jack Ohman - Tribune Content Agency   In politics this week... We are days away from the first of two scheduled presidential debates. The big question: will Trump stay awake for the full 90 minutes? Trump's latest tax proposal - all tariffs, no income tax - is a huge gift for the wealthy (of course) and a disaster for the rest of us (also of course!) The Republican National Committee and conservative TV have embraced the art of “cheap fake” videos: deceptively edited videos designed to make Joe Biden appear feeble and mentally failing. The Biden campaign is taking direct aim at Trump's criminal record Louisiana will require the display of the 10 Commandments in all public classrooms, even though their leader has violated just about all of them. The never-ending battle between Attorney General Nessel and the Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline takes another twisting turn - one that favors Nessel A black church in Detroit temporarily turns white … thanks to an appearance by the aforementioned Donald Trump New polling of black Michigan voters shows many want a change in the Democratic ticket … with either Gretchen Whitmer or Michelle Obama as the presidential candidate. Both women have already said they are not running The state House, in a near-unanimous vote, is outlawing A.I. - generated X-rated deep fakes. Sinclair floods local news websites with hundreds of deceptive articles about Biden's mental fitness - Judd Legum/Popular Information Trump Wasn't Going to Stay in Milwaukee for the Republican Convention - The New York Times Former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels: The GOP has a lock on some states, Democrats others. It's not healthy. - The Washington Post Top revelations from Fauci's book, including conversations with Trump - The Washington Post Why so many Americans have misconceptions about crime trends - Judd Legum/Popular Information In Trump's orbit, some muse about mandating military service - The Washington Post Joining this week's conversation is Mike Madrid a communications expert and a nationally recognized expert on Latino voting trends. He graduated from the Edmund G. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1997, where he wrote his senior thesis on Latino politics and the perspective that politicization of emerging Latino voter groups in Southwestern states was unique in American history. The completion of his thesis at Georgetown University in Washington DC on Latino voters became the basis for his pioneering work on Latino communications and outreach strategies in California, Texas, Florida and nationwide.  Mike has played a key role in pioneering Latino outreach and communications strategies. In 2001 he was named as one of America's “Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business Magazine. He is a regular commentator on Latino political issues in statewide and national media publications. He is a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, and author of a just-released book The Latino Century which explores the true meaning of America at a time of rapid cultural change, the founding principles of self-government and individual responsibility, and one man's journey through a political party that has turned itself inside out. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== NEW: The 34 for 45 Commemorative Mug Get your "34 for 45" mug today!  

In national politics this week: Convicted felon Donald Trump returns to the scene of one of his crimes, with Congressional Republicans falling all over themselves to kiss his ass. Hunter Biden's 3-count felony conviction means he needs just 31 more to become the Republican presidential nominee. Inflation continues to go down, more jobs are created, incomes are up – but Biden continues to get low polling numbers on the economy More free trips for Clarence Thomas are revealed even as Senate Republicans block an ethics code for the Supreme Court.  Senate Democrats also force Republicans to go on the record regarding the right to contraception, and protecting IVF … while Senate Republicans say they'll block all action in retaliation for Trump's 34-count conviction Accused felon Matt DePerno is running for the Michigan Supreme Court, even though he may lose his law license or go to prison for election machine tampering. Democrats are publicly horrified and privately laughing gleefully The legislature moves against artificial intelligence being used to create sexually provocative photographs of unwilling people. A state house committee approves legislation revamping Michigan's economic incentives for new business investments.  Good news for Michigan's budget: Michigan overtakes California as top cannabis market by sales volume (also good news for Taco Bell!). Last year the state collected more than 260-million-dollars in weed tax. Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication mifepristone | AP News Trump's Campaign Is Funneling Cash Back to His Businesses: Daily Beast Michigan Court of Appeals rejects Kumar's attempt to get back on the congressional ballot • Michigan Advance Michael Rulli wins special election for Ohio House seat; GOP vote down 19 points from 2020 - AP News FBI: Crime down sharply under Biden administration - Judd Legum/Popular Information Also this week: Walt Sorg's chat with state Representative Penelope Tsernoglou over her bills protecting us humanoids from some very real abuses of A.I. Ann Tenaes - Washington Post =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== NEW: The 34 for 45 Commemorative Mug Get your "34 for 45" mug today!  

We are recording Thursday afternoon on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that saved the world from a narcissistic, paranoid, racist and psychotic would-be world dictator. Our mission 80 years later as beneficiaries of their courage and sacrifice: constantly protect their legacy. In this week's political news: Convicted felon Donald Trump and his gang of MAGAs, several of whom are also convicted felons, are openly planning on turning the U.S. Justice Department into their revenge squad. The former president's conviction has produced a small pro-Biden bump in the polls, meaning it's still a tossup election. His vice president is in Detroit this weekend, headlining the state Democratic Party's annual fundraising dinner. Post-conviction polls ABC-Ipsos Poll May 31-June 1 Economist/YouGov Poll June 2-4 Quinnipiac Poll 6/5/24 - Georgia 2024: Trump Ahead Of Biden, 16% Of Voters Express Support For Other Candidates In Broader Race, Quinnipiac University Georgia Poll Finds; 50% Of Voters Agree With Guilty Verdict In Trump NYC Trial | Quinnipiac University Poll Times/Siena Recontact Study of Previous Poll Respondents - The New York Times Republicans in the U.S. Senate are blocking a vote on legislation guaranteeing the right to use birth control … are we headed back to the rhythm method? Another state has joined Michigan is charging participants in the fake electors scheme criminally. House Foreign Affairs Chairman McCaul Warns Jen Psaki — Testify Or Face A Subpoena - The Daily Caller Now Trump Says Voting By Mail Is Good - Washington Post Biden issues new executive action: Much of southern border to close at midnight - POLITICO Biden's Climate Record Is Highlighted in New Ad Campaign - The New York Times We're joined by one of the many local officials who have the unenviable task of running elections in an increasingly very hostile environment. Meredith Place is in her first term as Kalamazoo County Clerk and Register of Deeds. Born and raised in small-town Iowa, she is a proud graduate of the University of Iowa where she majored in Political Science, Communication Studies, and earned a certificate in Sustainability. Clerk Place previously served on the City of Portage's Planning Commission, as Vice Chair of Kalamazoo County's Environmental Health Advisory Council, and as an active member in the League of Women Voters. In 2018, Meredith was elected to the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioner representing the City of Portage from 2019-2020. Mark Fiore - markfiore.com =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== NEW: The 34 for 45 Commemorative Mug An historic moment for our nation, commemorated with this tasteful annotated coffee mug.  

Photo is A.I. generated We recorded this week's podcast at 5 p.m. EDT Thursday. Minutes before we hit the ‘record' button, the New York jury handed down its verdict...so Jeff had to put on his Lincoln Project hat. In his absence Walt Sorg joins Mark on a day that will go down in American history. Clearly the guilty verdict on 34 felony counts is our #1 topic, but there are other talk-worthy stories in our political biosphere: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito refuses to follow the ethical standards demanded of all federal judges except him and his colleagues. Flags or no flags, he's not recusing from January 6-related cases because it's all about his stubborn wife and has nothing to do with him. Sure. Chief Justice John Roberts adds to the court's arrogance by declining an invitation from the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to talk about his court's ethics. The movers and shakers of Michigan business and politics are just now ending their annual policy party on Mackinac Island. We'll review the highlights of a pretty substantive week with Bridge Michigan reporter Lauren Gibbons. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel hints he'll run for Governor in two years … and then says he won't vote for President Biden. That's not going to help him much with Democratic voters. Tudor Dixon's gift of a half-million-dollars from her losing gubernatorial campaign draws a second look from state regulators. Democrats Plan $100 Million Push on Abortion Rights to Win House Michigan voters losing trust in democracy, education and economy, poll finds  Trump makes sweeping promises to donors on audacious fundraising tour  Opinion | Detroit sues Census Bureau, claiming vast undercount. It has a point. - The Washington Post Democrats add five candidates (including Sen. Kristin McDonald-Rivet) to Red to Blue program - Roll Call (including McDonald-Rivet) Hollier appeals decision to remove him from U.S. House ballot - Detroit News Rigging Elections: Why the new platform from the Republican Party of Texas matters Secretary Benson, Detroit Regional Chamber and business leaders launch new coalition to support safe and secure elections - Secretary of State 'New reality': Michigan clerks sued as activists seek voting records Dana Nessel calls for pork politics reforms amid Clare grant probe Joining the conversation: Bridge Michigan reporter Lauren Gibbons who has spent the week on Mackinac Island, tracking the many significant policy and political developments that are an annual feature of the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce Policy Conference. Prior to joining Bridge's Capitol team, she worked at MLive where she led coverage of the state Legislature and the redistricting process, and before that covered the state Senate for the MIRS Newsletter. Lauren has covered the ins and outs of Michigan politics for nearly a decade and has won awards both for her political coverage and her work documenting the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case. She grew up in the Lansing area and graduated from Michigan State University, majoring in journalism and history. She lives in Ferndale, and … according to her official biography … her party tricks include Irish dancing and telling friends what political districts they live in without looking. Mark Fiore - markfiore.com =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================    

It's the most anticipated verdict since O.J. Topping the political news as we record: Majority of Americans wrongly believe US is in recession, and most blame Biden - The Guardian The planned debate of U.S. Senate candidates fizzles out as GOP frontrunner Mike Rogers pulls out … and Democratic frontrunner Elissa Slotkin responds by saying “me too” It's official: congressman Shri Thanedar won't have to deal with Adam Hollier on the primary ballot The Biden-Harris campaign continues to focus on Michigan, with Kamala Harris keynoting the state party's annual dinner There's a major disconnect between public perceptions on the economy and reality and that's bad news for Joe Biden The U.S. Supreme Court's ultra-conservatives continue to embarrass the court with a stupid political display at the Alito home, an even dumber explanation ...and a second flag ... from Justice Alito Democrats begin to focus on warning of a future Supreme Court with a majority appointed byDonald Trump 2 Liberal Groups to Spend $5 Million on State Supreme Court Races - The New York Times SCOTUS hands another pro-gerrymandering, anti-VRA ruling Louisiana's Republican legislature labels abortion drugs as dangerous and very illegal Michigan GOP Leader Matt Hall Apparently Gambled $73,000 in One Month - Rolling Stone Voters Fear Trump Won't Leave If He Wins 2024 Presidential Election - Bloomberg After blaming his 2020 loss on mail balloting, Trump tries to make GOP voters believe it's OK now - AP News Vulnerable House Republicans Set the Stage To Challenge 2024 Election Results - DCCC Michigan redistricting holds public hearings on draft maps -Detroit Free Press Trump allies face skepticism as they try appealing to disaffected Arab Americans in Michigan - AP News Student loans: Biden administration announces additional $7.7 billion in debt relief - CNN Politics The cost of groceries declined in April as inflation continues to cool - TAI News Schumer Plans Vote on Contraception Access, Teeing Up a Campaign Issue - The New York Times Trump's online account promotes ‘unified Reich' video, adding to alarming pattern - Maddow Blog Biden - Unified Reich? via X Tudor Dixon dissolves campaign fund after giving $500K to nonprofit. Move questioned - Detroit News =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================    

Let's Get Ready to Rumble... The Main Event: Battle of the Presidents Maybe. Maybe not. Trump's Peanut Gallery takes over the sliming of the criminal justice system Robert Kennedy's running mate demonstrates her major qualification for office: donating another $8-million to prop up the campaign There's another ethics embarrassment brewing in Lansing over lobbyist gifts of tickets to sporting events Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are the A-list of targets for the Biden campaign Lansing lawmakers file their first financial disclosures. We'll learn more about that in a moment when we're joined by award-winning Detroit News investigative reporter Craig Mauger Crowd shows up to back lawyer, ex-clerk facing charges over voter data breach - Detroit News Barra says GM will go 'where the talent is' to make software-driven cars - Detroit News Biden Levies Sweeping Tariffs on China, Intensifying Trade Fight With Trump - Wall Street Journal Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry - Detroit News House Democrats launch probe of Trump's dinner with oil executives - The Washington Post Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with additional Black district - AP News Craig Mauger Lansing has been a cornucopia of corruption, much of it first revealed through the efforts of an excellent band of investigative journalists. One of the best is Craig Mauger of the Detroit News. The Society of Professional Journalists named him Michigan Journalist of the Year in 2022 and this year honored him and Robert Snell for their reporting on a marijuana licensing corruption scandal involving former House Speaker Rick Johnson, Lansing lobbyists and secret payments that flowed to Johnson before he became the state's top cannabis regulator. Much of his reporting is built on the advice of Watergate's famed background source for Woodward and Bernstein, known as Deep Throat, whose mantra was “follow the money”. Craig follows the money … and quite often, what he finds is pretty shocking. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================  

This week's guest: Mother Jones national voting rights correspondent Ari Berman, author of the new book "Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It" Every week it seems politics gets even more bizarre. A week after Kristi Noem destroys her political career by revealing she's a puppy killer -- Bobby Kennedy Jr. tells us a brain worm has caused permanent damage to his cognitive ability. The latest polls show momentum for President Biden as he campaigns in swing states while Donald Trump alternates between naps in a New York courtroom and fundraising at Mar-a-Lago. Kamala Harris makes a stop in Detroit to highlight the administration's support for the auto industry electric transformation, and reemphasize the GOP's drive to outlaw abortion nationwide. Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Mike Rogers is getting blasted for what opponents call a coverup of Hillary Clinton and Benghazi. The very Republican former Lt. Governor of Georgia endorses Biden. In an op-ed in the Atlanta Constitution, Geoff Duncan writes “I am voting for a decent person I disagree with on policy over a criminal defendant without a moral compass.”  Another Georgia Republican, the operations director of the state's Secretary of State office, is leading a nationwide Republican campaign defending the honesty of elections. Trump's court appointees are paying him back for their jobs with Florida Judge Aileen Cannon effectively tanking the Espionage Act trial, while the U.S. Supreme Court dithers on whether the President is effectively above the law. Give me money, I'll protect your metro dollars: Trump seeks $1 billion from oil CEOs, vows to limit EVs ‘A little bold and gross': Oil industry writes executive orders for Trump to sign How ‘History and Tradition' Rulings Are Changing American Law Lisa Benson - Counterpoint Media =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management ===========================