M.L. Elrick (@elrick), Marc Fellhauer (@MarcFell) and Shawn Windsor (@ShawnWindsor) are chillin’ like villains in the Red Shovel Network basement studios until Fox 2’s Rob Wolchek (@robwolchek) drops by and dominates the conversation — just like back at the station!

THE STRAIGHT DOPE:Shawn basks in praise for his Mother’s Day column in the Detroit Free Press, a superlative and sensitive essay.

M.L. is running on fumes after a late night presenting his latest investigation, about a Family Court judge responsible for getting kids out of abusive situations whose grandson says she put make-up on his bruises to help hide beatings. M.L. interviews both of them, and the judge denies covering up the abuse.

Marc asks M.L. who he believes, prompting M.L. to recite one of his mantras, that he is a reporter and therefore doesn’t have an opinion. But Marc does, which he shares with the world. Shawn speculates on the judge’s motives.

M.L. recites another of his mantras, that a reporter’s job is to ask questions, get answers, present his findings to the public, then let the people decide. Click on the link to watch his latest investigation before making up up your mind who is lying.

The conversation turns to the late, great Bob Berg, a confidante of some of Michigan’s most important people, ranging from Gov. William Milliken to Mayor Coleman Young to Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who died of cancer last week at age 76.

M.L. laments that he now will never get a chance to sit with Berg and ask him to share all of the great inside stories he couldn’t talk about when he was advising Michigan’s most powerful men. Then M.L. tells some of his own Berg stories, including how a meeting with Berg helped him decide not to become Kilpatrick’s first press secretary. Shawn reminds M.L. of at least one other person he turned to for wisdom: Shawn!

Next, M.L. recounts a heated conversation with Berg after Kilpatrick’s disastrous 2008 State of the City speech, in which Hizzoner dropped the N-bomb and claimed he received countless threats. Berg reveals the true nature of the “threats” — and how Kilpatrick’s rant was a departure from his carefully scripted speech.

Shawn chimes in with a spot-on quote from Berg that appeared in the Detroit Free Press obituary of Berg.

M.L. did get Berg to share one great inside story on camera, when he and Berg got together to tell the story of how Mayor Coleman Young gambled $5 million of federal grant money to build Joe Louis Arena. You can watch the story by clicking on this link.

Finally, M.L. reads a portion of his book proposal that covers a tense 24-hour period when he tried to get Berg to connect him with Kilpatrick so M.L. could tell Hizzoner he and Jim Schaefer had incriminating text messages they were about to publish in the Detroit Free Press.

Lightening up the mood, iconic Fox 2 Hall of Shame reporter Rob Wolchek drops in to hype Fox 2’s annual charity basketball game with Local 4 (tip-off is at noon, Saturday May 18th at Hope United Methodist Church near the intersection of the Lodge service drive and Lahser).

Before providing a candid assessment of M.L.’s limited basketball skills, Wolchek reflects on his early days as radio DJ Scott Roberts on Krazy Country.

Shawn piles on with his cruel (but accurate) scouting report on M.L.’s skilz on the hardcourt. M.L., deeply wounded, can’t deny it.

Wolchek predicts victory for Fox 2 before heading out to get back to work on his next investigation

THE GREAT DEBATE: John Beilein fan M.L. turns on the winningest coach in U-M history after he bails on his contract with the Wolverines – one year after renegotiating it. Shawn and Marc vehemently disagree, proving that two is not always better than one.

GEEK OF THE WEEK: A star of the screen who broke the law to ensure that her very privileged kid would get even more privileges, garners GOW honors. M.L. ticks off her many posh educational resume, shocking Marc, who had no idea that metal thing sticking out of her mouth was a silver spoon.

ROOM 7609: For the second time, M.L. turns the spotlight on a Welsh NuWave band, prompting the world to gasp: “There is more than one NuWave band that hails from Wales?!?” This time The Alarm – once known as “The Toilets” – makes the rotation with “Strength.” Marc draws parallels with The Cult, prompting M.L. to reveal the bitter dispute between M.L. and Jim Schaefer over which tune is the Cult’s best (after “She Sells Sanctuary,” of course).

Find out more about the podcast at www.mlsoulofdetroit.com, including how you can support it financially. You’ll also find previous episodes and much more. Please subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Google Podcasts or Stitcher. And when you check out the podcast, remember to rate it (unless you hate it)!!!

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We always appreciate your feedback at mlsoulofdetroit@gmail or 313-Butterfield8-9070 (aka 313-288-9070).

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