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Podcast Episodes Interviews, Show Notes, and Transcripts

Dec. 12, 2025

Inside Detroit’s 99th Thanksgiving Parade:On-the-Ground Coverage by A…

Live coverage of the 99th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit, Michigan. Arthur Busch on the ground taking you for a noisy audio tour of Woodward Ave. Listen for: Candid conversations with parade-goers Atmosphere and live sounds from Woodward Avenue Arthur’s insights on Detroit’s hol…

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Dec. 12, 2025

She Dodged Bullets for the UAW — and Her Legacy Still Haunts the Auto…

In 1937, a 23-year-old Flint woman stood between General Motors security, Flint police gunfire, and the workers fighting for their lives inside Fisher Body. Her name was Genora Johnson Dollinger — and she did more than rally ...

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Dec. 11, 2025

When Flint Fought Back: Genora Johnson and the Strike That Changed Am…

In 1937, a 23-year-old Flint woman stood between General Motors security, Flint police gunfire, and the workers fighting for their lives inside Fisher Body. Her name was Genora Johnson Dollinger — and she did more than rally ...

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Dec. 8, 2025

DETROIT RISING: A Photo Tour of Motor City's Amazing Comeback | The M…

Welcome to the Detroit comeback. With a voice as warm and familiar as the streets themselves, we take a tour of the Motor City's stunning revitalization. From the iconic RenCen and the architecture of the Whitney Building to ...

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Dec. 7, 2025

DETROIT RISING: The Untold Story of the Motor City's Durable Comeback…

Send us a text Welcome to the Detroit comeback. With a voice as warm and familiar as the streets themselves, we take a tour of the Motor City's stunning revitalization. From the iconic RenCen and the architecture of the Whitney Building to the vibrant Riverwalk and the energy of the city's sports s…

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Nov. 25, 2025

Flint’s 1937 Sit-down Strike Saved Wages, Work, and Democracy

Send us a text The Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936–37 wasn’t just a labor dispute — it was a turning point in American history. In this short documentary segment, former Genesee County Prosecutor Arthur Busch breaks down what really happened inside the Fisher Body plants, why the strike succeeded, an…

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Nov. 14, 2025

The Michigan Murderer: John Norman Collins and the Ypsilanti Terror

He looked like an all-American college student, but John Norman Collins was “The Michigan Murderer.” In the 1960s, his crimes terrorized Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Author Gregory Fournier joins Radio Free Flint to discuss Terror in Ypsilanti and the dark story behind one of Michigan’s most infamous s…

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Nov. 13, 2025

“Flint’s Coney Island Legacy: The Immigrant Story Behind a Michigan I…

Few Flint residents know that one of the city’s most beloved traditions began with immigrants from a tiny mountain village in North Macedonia. In this episode of Radio Free Flint, host Arthur Busch welcomes Karen Paul Holmes, daughter of Carl Paul, co-founder of Angelo’s Coney Island—the restaur…

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Nov. 12, 2025

Fly Away Home Snowbird

Hey friends! Ever wonder why some of us pack up and head south when winter hits Michigan? In my latest Radio Free Flint video essay, I dig into what it really means to be a Snowbird — not just chasing sunshine, but searching for comfort, identity, and balance after a lifetime of hard work. I share…

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Jan. 7, 2023

The Golden Age: Flint Community Schools

Send us a text Good school districts are more than a function of how much money they collect from taxpayers. Schools must connect with the community where they are located in ways that go beyond math, science and reading. Flint, Michigan at one time was the envy of America. Flint leaders developed …

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Jan. 3, 2023

Electronic Drone Musician Hauras: A Song for Flint, Michigan

Send us a text Our guest is musician Howard Ryan, a native of Wisconsin who now lives in San Francisco, California. Ryan, also known as Hauras composed a song, "Flint, Michigan," intending to make a social statement about the problems of the beleaguered rust belt city. Ryan is a musician and compos…

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Dec. 7, 2022

Conservation and Sustainable Food Growing in Michigan

Send us a text Our podcast guest is Daniel Moilanen, a Fenton area native now living in Flint. Dan is currently the Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts (MACD). His leadership in this organization brings conservation-minded farmers together to reduce toxic algal …

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Nov. 22, 2022

Potholes, Roads and the Future of a Michigan Rustbelt Town

Send us a text We discuss how the roads got so bad and how to fix the problem with road and infrastructure expert Dr. John Daly. Michigan has a significant problem with its roads and bridges. The state has one of the highest numbers of structurally deficient bridges in the country, and many of its …

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Nov. 15, 2022

Midnight in the Vehicle City: The Strike Heard Around the World

Send us a text Midnight in Vehicle City by author Edward McClelland is a book that tells the story of Flint, Michigan, during the Great Recession and the struggles of its residents as they try to survive in a city that has been hit hard by the economic downturn. The story centers around autoworkers…

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Nov. 1, 2022

George Winters and his Red Piano

Send us a text Musician George Winters has performed for audiences for over 50 years across America. The Michigan native is well-known in music venues in southeastern Michigan for his fabulous keyboard skills, especially on a Hammond organ. George plays the keyboard, guitar, and harmonica and also …

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Oct. 26, 2022

In Flint They Don't Name the Streets for Us

Send us a text This is a conversation with Sarah Carson about her book of poems, How to Baptize a Child, in Flint, MI. Carson's poems are a jarring portrayal of life in a declining, once mighty, and still proud American rustbelt town, Flint, Michigan. "How to Baptize a Child in Flint, Michigan" is …

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Oct. 22, 2022

Emily Doerr: What Can Be Done To Fix Flint's Schools?

Send us a text Emily Doerr is a candidate for the Flint Community Schools Board of Education. The election will be on November 8, 2022. She joined a slate of four other individuals running to serve the Flint Community Schools. These candidates agree on core principles governing their service on the…

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Sept. 20, 2022

Comedian Bryan McCree a Joyful Flintstone

Send us a text Is it possible to make Flint laugh? If anyone can, it's Flint native Bryan McCree, a nationally known comedian, actor, and writer. He regularly tours America with shows marked by their insight into American culture and the oddities of life in our country. He is particularly astute at…

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Sept. 6, 2022

Prep School Transfers Impact Flint Prep Hoops and Culture

Send us a text Flint, Michigan, has long been touted as a hotbed for high school basketball. Indeed, Flint has produced some of the top basketball talents in the nation. Many Flint athletes are playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and at major colleges and universities. Flint basket…

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Aug. 30, 2022

Former Public Safety Chief of Bishop Airport Recalls Flint Terror Att…

Send us a text Former Bishop Airport Public Safety Director Chris Miller discusses a 2017 terrorist attack at the Flint, Michigan, airport. He also talks about the changes the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America had on current operations at Bishop International Airport. The retired Public Safety Dire…

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Aug. 25, 2022

Keeping Old Documents,Photos and Donating Your Treasures

Send us a text In our highly mobile society, figuring out what to do with our old papers, photographs, and keepsakes is challenging. We accumulate boxes of possessions over a lifetime, and when moving, retiring, or upon the death of a parent it sits in your house begging for a home. Your junk can b…

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July 26, 2022

A Conversation with Genesee Historical Center Archivist Colleen Marqu…

Send us a text Colleen Marquise, Associate Archivist at the University of Michigan-Flint, Francis Willson-Thompson Library, takes podcast listeners on a virtual tour of the Genesee County (MI) Historical Center archive collection. This historical collection has a fascinating collection of oral hist…

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June 14, 2022

The Interesting Journey of a Flint Civil War Battlefield Flag

Send us a text Flag Day Special. The Flint soldiers had much success as union soldiers in the American Civil War. There were 90,000 Michigan soldiers deployed in the American civil war. The Flint 10th Infantry deployed along with their battle flag to the civil war battlefields of Tennessee, Mississ…

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June 8, 2022

Ben Pauli: Democracy and the Flint Water Crisis

Send us a text Ben Pauli, a Kettering University Political Science Professor, is a water rights activist. Pauli embedded himself with a group of Flint residents during the Flint Water Crisis. This is the group that brought the tainted Flint drinking water problem to the public's attention. The grou…

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