Ignorance is Bliss (Guest: Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber)
This week’s show is sponsored in part by
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MIRS News
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Like most Americans, we are stunned and saddened by the murder of political activist Charlie Kirk. Listeners to this podcast know that we differed with Kirk on many, many issues. We were not fans. Kirk’s politics dabbled in racism, homophobia, misogyny and outright deception. He frequently used provocative language that bordered on inflammatory. But that’s how the First Amendment works. Murdering political opponents, even those with whom you find reprehensible, is never the answer.
Mark Brewer and Walt Sorg offer their thoughts on the Kirk murder at the top of the podcast. Jeff, who is off this week, gave his view in a post on the Lincoln Square Substack.
Kirk’s Assassination Brings Trump’s Authoritarianism into Even Clearer Focus
Jeff Timmer @ Lincoln Square
On our radar this week…
- In Lansing, a district judge ruled that the 2020 fake Trump electors were either too ignorant or too stupid to be convicted of a crime. Ignorance in this case actually is legal bliss!
- Republicans are now arguing that 22 years ago somebody decided to forge Donald Trump’s signature on a birthday wish for his BFF Jeffrey Epstein. They’ll probably try to blame it on Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s DeLoreon!
- Speaking of Epstein, none of Michigan’s Republican members of Congress are backing the discharge petition to force release of all of the documents.
- In Michigan politics, former state Senator Adam Hollier has pulled out of the 13th district congressional primary – good news by narrowing the field for Representative Donavan McKinney, who is challenging two-term incumbent Shri Thanedar. Meanwhile Hollier becomes the third Democrat running for Secretary of State.
- The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that racial profiling is O.K. The message in the unsigned opinion: don’t speak Spanish in a Home Depot parking lot.
- Donald Trump says domestic violence doesn’t count as a crime, as least in cities he’s invaded with the National Guard.
- Former Michigan State economist Lisa Cook will continue as a Federal Reserve governor after a federal court puts a stay on Trump’s attempt to fire her in violation of the law.
- Bill Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director who has led the charge in accusing Cook and Trump opponents of mortgage fraud, said. “If somebody is claiming two primary residences, that is not appropriate, and we will refer it for criminal investigation.” So maybe he should report his parents. Reuters reports that the senior Pulte’s – the Michigan real estate multi-millionaires – have claimed primary residences in both Michigan and Florida.
- Almost unnoticed by the media, but felt in every household: inflation continues to climb even as monthly employment numbers sink. Trump’s economy is going from bad to worse.
- Trump and his newly christened “Department of War” sank an unarmed Venezuelan speedboat hundreds of miles away from the United States, claiming it posed an imminent threat to the nation.
- And this headline: the nation’s President who tried to overturn an election with a violent coup sentenced to 27 years in prison. No, not Trump…but his Brazilian buddy, Jair Bolsonaro.
All of that in just the last week. Breathtaking!
More than 445,000 federal employees saw their union protections disappear in August, as agencies moved to comply with an executive order President Trump signed earlier this year that called for ignoring collective bargaining contracts with nearly one million workers. Trump’s move comes at a time when unions have their highest public approval rating in years. Joining the conversation this week is Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber.
Bieber is a third-generation UAW member, and the son of former UAW President Owen Bieber. Prior to his election as President of the Michigan AFL-CIO 10 years ago, he served as Director of the UAW’s Community Action Program. Ron previously served as assistant director of the UAW’s General Motors Department. He joined UAW Local 730 at 18 after being hired at GM’s Metal Fabricating plant in Wyoming. His top achievement (among many) during his tenure: in 2023 Michigan became the first state in the nation to repeal a so-called “right to work law”, thus guaranteeing workers to unite for collective bargaining.
This episode is sponsored in part by
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