The state of Michigan is also at the heart of ongoing struggles in the American auto industry. But between bankruptcies and bailouts, it’s become clear over the past year that what happens in the Mitten doesn’t stay in the Mitten! Take last week’s ouster of General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson. The move grabbed attention throughout the Midwest, where the fate of lots of folks still hangs on the future of the Big Three. Interim CEO and current GM chair Ed Whitacre is the latest man charged with making the automaker profitable. And on Friday he unleashed his first move – a shake-up of management. Eight Forty-Eight business contributor David Greising stopped by to talk about what all this means for the company – and for the economy.

Music Button: Tortoise, “High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In”, from the CD Beacons of Ancestorship, (Thrill Jockey records)