Mitten Channel | Arthur Busch
The Mitten Channel™: Michigan labor, law, and justice stories,
A Michigan‑based podcast about workers’ rights, prosecutorial power, and community history in working‑class America, with stories from Flint, Detroit, and the wider Rust Belt.
Spotlight on Popular Podcast Episodes
Our most interesting stories of labor, law, true crime & justice in Michigan communities:
Feb. 6, 2026
In this Radio Free Michigan interview, Arthur Busch revisits Joe’s early days in Flint and his viral song Flint, Michigan recorded with his 90-year-old grandmother to trace his path from local talent to Hollywood composer. Ryan reflects on evolving recording tech, creative independence, and what it means to represent Flint’s spirit in a global industry.
Recent Episodes
Feb. 7, 2026
Snowbirds, Split Lives, and the Meaning of Michigan My Home
Fly Away Home Snowbird
It’s that time of year when the trumpeter swans disappear from our little northern Michigan lake. My family has always called the modest home on Grass Lake “the cottage.” The Canadian geese now come and go a…
Feb. 6, 2026
Joe Ryan III: From Flint to Hollywood — The Sound of a New Generation
In this Radio Free Michigan interview, Arthur Busch revisits Joe’s early days in Flint and his viral song Flint, Michigan recorded with his 90-year-old grandmother to trace his path from local talent to Hollywood composer. Ryan reflects on evolving recording tech, creative independence, and what it…
Feb. 6, 2026
Law and the Rights of States to Prosecute Federal Officials
Do federal officials enjoy absolute immunity from state criminal prosecution? Arthur Busch dismantles the myth of “absolute immunity” for federal agents and explains how state and county prosecutors can and sometimes must bring criminal charges against ICE officers involved in fatal shootings.
Feb. 3, 2026
A Republic at War With Itself: Militarized Policing and the Slow Erosion of Civil Liberties
The episode looks at what happened to the Bill of Rights under pressure. It discusses how guarantees of counsel, bail, due process, and protection from unreasonable searches were narrowed by exception, doctrine, and rhetoric. The Constitution remained on the page, but its reach shrank in practice.
Jan. 29, 2026
Flint on the Brink: Who Governs After Collapse—Broken Systems, Billion-Dollar Philanthropy, and Flint-First Leadership
Flint on the Brink is a clear-eyed examination of an American rust-belt city struggling to decide who controls its future. In this episode, former Michigan prosecutor and legal educator Arthur Busch reads and expands on his e...
Jan. 25, 2026
Bad Water, Kids, Big Money, and Lawyers
When water systems fail, the damage is not the same for everyone. In Flint, the deepest harm lives in children’s brains. In other cities, the damage is buried in pipes, mains, and hydrants. In this episode, Arthur Busch exami...
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Recent Blog Posts
Feb. 7, 2026
Snowbirds, Split Lives, and the Meaning of Michigan My Home
Fly Away Home Snowbird It’s that time of year when the trumpeter swans disappear from our little northern Michigan lake. My family has always called the modest home on Grass Lake “the cottage.” The Canadian geese now come and go a…
Jan. 24, 2026
From Flint Factories to Freedom: Redefining 'Home' and Identity
Welcome back to the blog, everyone! In our latest episode, titled "Leaving Flint to See America on a Schwinn Bicycle," we delved into a truly transformative journey. It was a narrative of youthful rebellion against the backdrop of a blue-coll…
Jan. 12, 2026
The Ghost of Kent State: Minneapolis and the New War at Home
In the spring of 1970 at Kent State, the air was thick with tear gas and with a country cracking open over a war overseas. Today, in the snowy streets of South Minneapolis, the smell is rubber and gunpowder, and the war is no longer abroad; it is …
About the Host
Arthur A Busch
Arthur Busch is a veteran lawyer and educator with an acclaimed record of success in high-profile cases. He was a Prosecutor and community leader for decades.
Arthur Busch grew up in rust belt Flint, Michigan, just three blocks from the former General Motor's Fisher Body Plant #1. The auto factory was the site of the historic sitdown strike that gave birth to the United Automobile Workers Union.
Mr. Busch holds a BA in Urban Public Policy, and a Masters's Degree in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University as well as a Juris Doctorate from Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. He attended Flint Public Schools.
Reviews
- Dr Dave Coriasso
- May 1, 2020
Loved the episode with Skip Harbin!
Great conversation about FCS and the community education program. Enjoyed listening to Skip talk about the golden age of FCS.
- Balogney
- March 15, 2021
- Srubfthu
- Jan. 6, 2021
- BRL17
- Aug. 6, 2020