Stateside: Monday, Oct. 28, 2024

Last spring several University of Michigan students were arrested on campus during protests expressing support for the people of Gaza. The legal cases surrounding those prosecutions are still underway. Tom Perkins, a reporter for The Guardian, talks to us about how state Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined in to assist in the prosecution of these University of Michigan students and others.

Then, a bar in Hamtramck named The Black Salt bar is serving up some spellbinding cocktails and non-alcoholic mocktails. For customers looking for a magical experience, the bar offers several drinks with its very own spell kit.

Finally, Michiganders are more likely to vote if they see candidates on the ballot who share their experience and interests. We talked with Eric Gonzales Juenke, associate professor in the Department of Political Science and the Chicano/Latino Studies Program in the College of Social Science at Michigan State University, about his research on how identification works with Latino and Black voters, and the factors that are influencing turnout and voting patterns in 2024.

In response to our conversation with reporter Tom Perkins, the University of Michigan's Director of Public Affairs Kay Jarvis sent a statement which reads:

"The recent story by the Guardian “University of Michigan recruits state attorney general to crack down on Gaza protesters” contains multiple errors, and the University of Michigan strongly disputes any allegation that the university’s board of regents and the Michigan attorney general may have acted inappropriately because of normal, entirely legal contributions and relationships.

The attorney general represents the people of Michigan and decides which cases to bring. She cannot be hired or recruited by individuals or institutions. Likewise, the university does not have the power to bypass local prosecutors. 

The AG reached out to the university in May and offered to investigate and prosecute cases, based on her multijurisdictional authority and expertise in First Amendment principles and law. Her office issued a press release September 12 which included reference to this outreach. Significantly, that press release also notes that she had consulted with the Washtenaw County Prosecutor, Eli Savit, who was supportive of her decision."

Michigan Public has reached out to the University of Michigan for clarification on what alleged errors were contained in the article.

Editor's Note: The University of Michigan holds Michigan Public's broadcast license.

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GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:

• Tom Perkins, reporter for The Guardian
• Zoey Ashwood, owner of The Black Salt bar in Hamtramck, MI
• Eric Gonzales Juenke, associate professor in the Department of Political Science and the Chicano/Latino Studies Program in the College of Social Science