November 10, 1975 the day the mighty SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. When launched on June 7, 1958, she was the largest ship on North America’s Great Lakes, and she remains the largest to have sunk there. She was located in deep water on November 14, 1975, by a U.S. Navy aircraft detecting magnetic anomalies, and found soon afterwards to be in two large pieces. The big ship was built in River Rouge and I was there with my dad, my brother Larry, and our friend Jerry Prato. When the ship hit the water when it was launched it displaced so much water many fish were knocked out of the water onto the shore. I still remember seeing the fish flopping around. To this day I find it hard to imagine how a ship the size of the Edmund Fitzgerald could break in half.
As if we do not have enough to worry about, per the New York Times the Consumer Price Index rose 6.2 percent in October from a year earlier, its sharpest increase since 1990. Prices rose across the board in October, at deli counters and restaurants and car dealerships. The acceleration is an unwelcome development for the Biden administration, which had continually pointed out that while price gains were faster than usual, they were slowing down from rapid summertime readings. It is also a policy challenge for the Fed, which is charged with maintaining stable prices and fostering maximum employment. Nothing can slow down an economy like inflation.
In a follow-up to my complaint about the Mid American Conference playing football on Tuesday and Thursday nights in November, the Ohio/EMU game did not end until 11:30. I could hear the band and the announcer until 11:45 and I live more than a mile from the stadium. I cannot imagine how loud it was for those living near the stadium.
Per the Detroit News today, U.S. District Judge Judith Levy has given final approval to the historic $626.25 million settlement with victims of the Flint lead-tainted water crisis, a settlement that compensates more than half of the city’s residents. In her Wednesday opinion, Levy called the settlement a “remarkable achievement” in part because the comprehensive payment program and timeline are consistent for all plaintiffs, whether they are part of a class-action lawsuit or suing individually. The litigation claims were complex and novel, with no other previous, similar cases the court or parties could examine to predict the outcome of the Flint case, Levy wrote. As such, the $626.25 million settlement is a “fair and sensible resolution of the claims” for both claimants and defendants who faced an unpredictable outcome if the case went through a full trial, she said. As I have said many times, this case belonged in the civil courts. AG Nessel is making a major mistake by filing charges against former governor Snyder and former DHHS director Nick Lyon. With a $626 million settlement the State has admitted its mistake. There is no reason to clog up our courts with a politically motivated prosecution.
Stay safe. Wash your hands regularly. Schedule your vaccine and booster. Wear your mask. Social distance.
Orchid of the Day: The U of M men’s basketball team for the season opening victory tonight against a very good Buffalo basketball team.
Onion of the Day: Certain Republican congress members who want to sanction the 12 Republican members of the House of Representatives who voted for the Infrastructure Bill. We have gotten to the point where politicians are not allowed to have a mind of their own. They must follow the party line or they will be ostracized.
Quote of the Day: “I laid low for a while, but my friends recommended that I leave so as to prevent me from vomiting on any of my constituents (polling consistently shows ‘Roman showers’ to be unpopular among most demographics),” “I had a few folks help me up the stairs and someone grabbed a wheelchair so as to prevent me from stumbling in the parking lot. Like all smart people attending festivities where drinking occurs, I had a designated driver. I went home, fell asleep on the couch, and my wife threw some blankets on me and provided me with some water and Tylenol for what she knew would be a skull-crushing hangover the next day.” AG Dana Nessel following her having to leave the U of M/MSU football game on October 30.