M.L. Elrick (@elrick) and Marc Fellhauer (@MarcFell) are in the basement, Shawn Windsor (@ShawnWindsor) joins in from The Swamp for The Great Debate and Geek of the Week, and Drew Lane (@DrewMikePodcast) wanders downstairs to man the velvet rope keeping the squares out of Room 7609

THE STRAIGHT DOPE: Marc rallies from a near-death experience brought on by virulent virus to steer the ship safely to shore while M.L. silently wonders if it’s safe to be in the same room.

A temporary labor shortage at Fox 2 results in M.L. setting several in-depth investigations aside to help with the daily grind. Among the quick turn stories requiring his particular skills include the theft of an old violin from a log cabin hand the pilfering of a python spirited out of a Rockwood pet store in a shoplifter’s pants. This somehow triggers memories of Derek Smalls, the bass player for the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap.

Sadly, the daily grind for TV news reporters includes an unhealthy dose of tragic stories. M.L. laments the litany of sorrow.

Digging deep into his past, M.L. plays “Which Politician Am I Talking About?” with Marc, providing more than a dozen clues before challenging Marc to guess who he is describing. Take the quiz yourself and see how you do!

The release of the Mueller Report has M.L. strolling down memory lane, comparing Mueller’s investigation to M.L. and Jim Schaefer’s investigation of the Manoogian Mansion party rumor.

Queen Latifah. A biker named Pumpkinhead. An after-hours club. Kwame Kilpatrick’s bodyguards. Strawberry. And a former cop named Head. You’ll have to listen to hear what they have in common. (It’s well worth your time!)

M.L. discusses the credibility of two self-processed eyewitnesses to the Manoogian Mansion party — and how they helped derail a gubernatorial candidate.

In a delicious twist, M.L. explains how the Mueller investigation will help reduce the federal deficit.

THE GREAT DEBATE: The boys call Shawn — on a landline, this time — to weigh in on “College Coaches Gone Wild.” M.L. seizes the opportunity to compliment Shawn on a rare accurate prediction on the outcome of a game. Then Marc and Shawn see little to no problem with the conduct of MSU coach Tom Izzo, while diehard Spartan M.L. says he was embarrassed by Izzo’s outburst during the NCAA basketball tournament. 

GEEK OF THE WEEK: Shawn sticks around to endorse M.L.’s selection of Detroit News Editorial Page Editor Nolan Finley for GOW. M.L. says Finley earned this dubious distinction for using the Larry Nassar scandal to slam Izzo. The conversation somehow ties in Waco, Texas, George Bush and David Koresh.

ROOM 7609: DrewWave drops in to reflect on the passing of Ranking Roger of English Beat and General Public, who died this week at 56. A little musical genealogy links Roger via Dexy’s Midnight Runners to this week’s featured group, The Style Council and their uber-hip “My Ever Changing Moods.”