The Mitten Channel
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© 2026 Mitten Channel is a production of Radio Free Flint Media, LLC. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.
Description
The Mitten Channel is a Michigan podcast and media network created by former Genesee County Prosecutor Arthur Busch.
We produce original programs that blend legal expertise, investigative storytelling, and deep Michigan history — including true crime analysis, environmental investigations, employee rights, and rich biographies rooted in Flint’s working-class culture.
Our mission is to preserve Michigan stories, examine the systems that shape our communities, and give voice to the people who define our industrial past and future.
Mitten Channel Podcast Shows: Radio Free Flint, Flint Justice, The Mitten Works, Mitten Environmental and The Mitten Biography Project
To listen to full audio podcast interviews visit https://www.radiofreeflint.media
Radio Free Flint is a production of the Mitten Channel where you can find podcast shows Mitten Environmental, Flint Justice, The Mitten Works.
123 Episodes
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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 examines what really gets damaged when public water systems fail—and why the law treats those harms very differently. The episode opens in Flint, Michigan, with the story of Lee Anne Walters and her twin sons, who lost developmental skills after drinkin...
I Left My Blue-Collar Hometown On A Schwinn And Learned How The "Other Half" Actually Lives Have you ever felt that crushing pressure to leave home just to "figure out your future"? 🤔 In this episode, I’m looking back at 1970, when I ditched the factory smoke of Flint, Michigan, for a 2,000-mile cross-country bicycle odyssey that changed everything. Expect to hear about: Why riding at dawn in the Mojave Desert is basically a 110-degree survival horror movie. 🐍The "poor man's air conditioner" ...
This is a short excerpt from an upcoming episode of Flint Justice. In this preview, Arthur Busch explores the real Michigan homicide case that inspired Anatomy of a Murder and the lawyer behind it, John D. Voelker—prosecutor, defense attorney, Supreme Court justice, and writer. The full episode examines what this case still teaches us about jury trials, reasonable doubt, and the uneasy line between truth and proof. Full episode coming soon. "Photography by Jim Hansen, LOOK Magazine Phot...
In 1952, a saloon killing in a small Upper Peninsula town became one of the most important—and controversial—criminal trials in Michigan history. The lawyer who defended the accused was John D. Voelker: former county prosecutor, defense attorney, future Michigan Supreme Court justice, and a gifted writer who would later publish the landmark legal novel Anatomy of a Murder under the pen name Robert Traver. In this episode of Flint Justice, Arthur Busch examines: the real Big Bay homicide that ...
The Age of Anxiety: Political Media, Dementia, and the Boomer Fear In Michigan living rooms—from Flint to Saginaw to small towns up north—older Americans watch political news that feels less like reporting and more like a public trial of aging itself. Every stumble, verbal slip, or moment of confusion by national leaders is clipped, replayed, and mocked. For older viewers, this coverage is not abstract or partisan. It is personal. This investigative audio essay examines how constant media foc...
Join Arthur Busch on location in downtown Detroit as he takes you inside the magic of the 99th Annual America’s Thanksgiving Parade. In this special field-report episode, Arthur walks Woodward Avenue, captures the sights and sounds of the morning, and talks directly with the people who make this iconic tradition come alive. From families bundled up in the cold, to lifelong Detroiters describing what the parade means to them, to first-timers experiencing the floats, balloons, and Big Heads wit...
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 the Women’s Emergency Brigade. She dodged bullets for the UAW and helped spark a labor uprising that reshaped the American middle class. This episode begins with a cinematic reenactment of the Flint Sit-Down Strike and Genora’s electrifying moment on the picket line. Fro...
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 the Women’s Emergency Brigade. She dodged bullets for the UAW and helped spark a labor uprising that reshaped the American middle class. This episode begins with a cinematic reenactment of the Flint Sit-Down Strike and Genora’s electrifying moment on the picket lin...
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 scene, this video captures the enduring, tough, and durable spirit of Detroit. This is more than a travel documentary; it’s an ode to the city that refuses to quit. As the "big brother" to the state's industrial he...
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, and how Flint became the birthplace of modern union power. This video explores: The strategy workers used to shut down General MotorsHow the UAW was born inside the factory wallsWhy General Motors feared the sit-dow...
He was handsome, popular, and lived the perfect fraternity life in Ann Arbor. But behind John Norman Collins’s all-American image lurked one of Michigan’s darkest secrets. In the late 1960s, a series of brutal murders terrorized the college towns of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Seven young women—mostly students—were abducted, raped, and murdered. The media called the killer “The Michigan Murderer.” In this Radio Free Flint episode, Arthur Busch interviews Gregory Fournier, author of Terror in Yps...
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 and funded the concept of the Community Schools Program. The Flint School District and its Community Schools Model drew people from across the nation and the world to study the educational mode...
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 composer who is known for his work in the drone music genre. He has released several albums and EPs that showcase his unique style of electronic music, which often incorporates elements of experimental and ambien...
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 restaurant that helped define Flint’s working-class culture for decades. Carl Paul came to America through Ellis Island from Bouf, Macedonia, near the border with Greece. Alongside his partner Angelo Nikoloff...
What’s a “Snowbird,” really—and why do millions of Americans and Canadians head south every winter? In this video essay, Arthur Busch—former Genesee County Prosecutor and host of Radio Free Flint—shares why he became a Snowbird and what the lifestyle reveals about working-class culture from the Rust Belt to the Sunbelt. From union paychecks and shift work to HOA meetings and pickleball courts, the Snowbird migration isn’t just about sunshine—it’s about identity, mobility, and the Americ...
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 blooms in the Great Lakes by encouraging environmentally sound agricultural techniques. The Michigan soil conservation districts have been working to modernize farming practices to protect La...
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 roads need repair. This problem has been exacerbated by years of neglect and insufficient funding. One of the main issues is the lack of funding to maintain and repair the roads and bridges properly. Michi...
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 struggling to make ends meet and their challenges of working for General Motors Corporation in the 1930s. Those challenges included poor pay and working conditions. The author does an excellent job of capturing t...
A Michigan original. A musical storyteller. A man who made a lifetime of memories from behind a piano. In this episode, we sit down with George Winters, the beloved “Red Piano Man” from Flint and Davison. George is a lifelong musician, entertainer, teacher, and creative force. His signature red electric piano has become a staple at community events, local concerts, senior centers, benefit performances, and neighborhood gatherings across Mid-Michigan. George reflects on: • His musical be...
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 a heartwarming and thought-provoking exploration of faith, family, and community in the midst of challenging circumstances. The book tells the story of a young mother, Sarah, who is struggling to ra...
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