Current Events, Law, Policy and Politics   

The Democratic Party is actively seeking to build a stronger economic platform. Abundance Liberals advocate for policies designed to expand economic opportunity and increase supply in key areas—namely housing, childcare, clean energy, and poverty reduction. Their focus is on making government more effective through streamlining restrictive zoning and other regulations. Populist Progressives prioritize anti-corporate policies, including efforts to break up monopolies, implement stricter financial regulation, and shift the tax burden toward higher earners. This study group will examine the merits and challenges of both the Abundance and Populist Progressive economic platforms. We will also compare these economic policies to those of the current administration. This study group is dedicated to fostering a safe atmosphere for constructive, open dialog. Success will rely on weekly readings to ground our discussions in facts and analysis, participant involvement in directing research and discussion topics, and a shared curiosity about understanding and engaging respectfully with differing views.

Dennis Muzzi, MSW is a retired clinical and community social worker and part time social work faculty. He works with Braver Angels, a national group committed to reducing polarization. This is the fifth study group in his Bridging Divisions series, which works to make talking about politics fun, safe and productive again.

Since the beginning of the year, many of us in OLLI have been protesting here in Metro Detroit, like older people across the country. If you've gone to a rally recently, you've seen many members of our generation standing up for what we believe in. We've been marching in the streets, attending town halls, writing letters to the editor. How does our activism today compare to our memories of the sixties, especially our participation in civil rights and the anti-war movements? What does our generation have to offer the young people of today?

Meta Mendel-Reyes is a former labor organizer and professor who's been an activist since the sixties. You're as likely to find her at a march in Detroit or in a classroom with other OLLI members.

This is a discussion class that will address the causes, solutions, & any personal experiences with climate change. Students will present a chapter of Bill McKibben’s (2025) Here Comes the Sun to the class to elicit discussion, including prevalent myths surrounding climate change. Students can supplement McKibben’s book with straightforward Q&A on climate science Joe Romm’s (2023) Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know; Oxford Univ Press as well. Students will incorporate any personal experience with climate chaos and/or climate solutions into their presentations. For those interested in sharing their climate knowledge, experience, & solutions with others we will address different communication strategies: the “elevator pitch,” “climate business cards,” understanding LCV’s “environmental scorecard,” and search for common values. Required: Bill McKibben (2025) Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization W.W. Norton & Co. Strongly recommended: Joe Romm (2023) Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know; Oxford Univ Press.

Jacqueline Goodman is a Professor Emerita, Sociology; State University of New York Potsdam College; retired Dept. Head & Professor, WGST Dept, Eastern Michigan University. She is a former Co-Facilitator, Third Act Educators, (Bill McKibben’s environmental organization); Climate Reality Project Leader, member, Washtenaw County.