Charlie LeDuff makes good and bad headlines, but doesn’t duck the tough questions when he connects with ML and Shawn over his latest scoop and the ensuing controversy that cost him his Detroit News job, while Joe quietly puts in his last day.
STRAIGHT DOPE: Charlie is sorry for a social media post that cost him his job as a Detroit News columnist, but the apology he shares with ML and Shawn aren’t for who you might think.
Charlie’s last (at least for now) column for the Detroit News accuses Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel of meddling in an investigation of a friend and political ally.
When Nessel complained about Charlie’s column, Detroit News Editor and Publisher Gary Miles defended it.
Then Charlie got, as he put it “two clever by half” and made a social media post that many folks recognize as a euphemism for the c-word. A couple days later, Charlie was a former News columnist.
ML and Shawn differ with Charlie’s position on when and where it may be appropriate to use the c-word. They all agree it’s unfortunate the controversy makes it harder to focus on the issue of politicians doing friends favors.
Social media played a role in Charlie’s undoing, leading to a debate on the pitfalls and payoffs of this new-fangled way for folks to get themselves in trouble – and to spread their message.
Shawn tells Charlie he misses his more provocative reports, like the time he drove a golf ball across Detroit. Charlie says he misses doing them, too, but adds that he hasn’t given them up.
ML, Shawn and Charlie discuss what’s next for the Pulitzer Prize-winning scribe.
Before he goes, Charlie enjoys a quick look back on his alma mater’s 49-0 drubbing of Michigan State in East Lansing last Saturday.
GEEK OF THE WEEK: The NCAA, which doesn’t get much right, is wrong again when it comes to punishing successful programs – and this time they’re not penalizing the successful program you think.
ROOM 7609: In a moment notable for its rarity, Shawn approves of ML’s decision to book The Bangles into the New Wave suite to perform “A Hazy Shade of Winter” to close out our series of New Wave tunes that doubled as movie theme songs.
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