UAW strike draws Biden visit • Shooting suspect taunting police • Looming government shutdown

TUESDAY NEWS HIT - When the autoworkers union authorized its leadership to go on strike, it wasn't clear what sort of implications the move would have on Michigan or in the auto industry.

But now on Day 12 of an unprecedented strike against all three Detroit automakers, the UAW's aggressive negotiations have not only turned eyes toward Michigan amid another major labor dispute between a union and industry but has also placed the state in the crosshair of major political winds.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden will join picketers in Metro Detroit. While presidents in the past have flown their flag in support of unions during collective bargaining, rarely has one so closely tied themselves to their cause.

"President Biden’s visit to Michigan, home of the Big Three, to support our world-class autoworkers is historic," said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a statement. "The president is committed to strengthening our workforce and economy by bringing jobs home from overseas, reversing trends of the previous administration that lost jobs." 

But Biden's visit may not just be about supporting workers. Donald Trump, a possible foe in the 2024 general election, intends on speaking ot union members later this week as well.

While Democrats have historically been the party of labor members and working class folks, Republicans have increasingly scored a larger share of votes from that demographic. How the group votes in the next election could decide not just how Michigan votes - but also how the country votes. 

Other Midwest states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin which are considered key electoral battlegrounds in the general election also have large blue collar workforces, making visits by Biden and Trump this week not random.

"He believes there could be a win-win agreement here, but he is always going to stand on the side of workers, always," said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. 

More coverage

• Striking UAW members have mixed reaction on visits from Biden, Trump
• What does the UAW want from Detroit's Big Three in the 2023 negotiations?
• UAW president gives fiery comments after ramping up strike, says workers being left out of EV transition

Suspect in shooting taunting Taylor police 

A dangerous suspect remains on the run after opening fire on Taylor police last week. Ryan Ramsey's alias is "StrikeBaby" and he's been known to frequent most of Wayne County including Belleville, Detroit, Inkster, Taylor  and Romulus. And now the US Marshals are involved.

"He needs to get of the streets," said Lt. Frank Canning. "Without even a second glance he started shooting at the police." An active warrant was issued for Ramsey, 19, for allegedly shooting at Taylor police officers last Tuesday at the Ponds Townhomes – off Eureka, near Inkster Road.

Officers were there for an unrelated call when they spotted Ramsey, acting odd. "It appeared he was walking with a stiff leg and based on the officers' training, they believed he was in possession of a rifle," Canning said. They were right.

Quickly they developed a suspect and say it was Ramsey. They soon learned he was wanted for questioning in a recent homicide in Inkster. Ramsey wasn’t there – and after that, he even started taunting police on social media, rapping about being able to get away.

Find more information here.

Great Lakes shipwrecks threatened by mussel

The Great Lakes’ frigid fresh water used to keep shipwrecks so well-preserved that divers could see dishes in the cupboards. Downed planes that spent decades underwater were left so pristine they could practically fly again when archeologists finally discovered them.

Now, an invasive mussel is destroying shipwrecks deep in the depths of the lakes, forcing archeologists and amateur historians into a race against time to find as many sites as they can before the region touching eight U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario loses any physical trace of its centuries-long maritime history.

"What you need to understand is every shipwreck is covered with quagga mussels in the lower Great Lakes," Wisconsin state maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen said. "Everything. If you drain the lakes, you’ll get a bowl of quagga mussels."

Quagga mussels, finger-sized mollusks with voracious appetites, have become the dominant invasive species in the lower Great Lakes over the past 30 years, according to biologists.

– Courtesy of the Associated Press

Read more about the invasive mussel here

Four juveniles charged in Warren robbery, shooting

Four juveniles were arraigned on felony charges after a robbery attempt planned by students who attend a high school in Warren ended in a violent shooting that left one person paralyzed.

The juveniles were charged as adults and appeared before a judge Monday, with all four defendants arraigned on assault with intent to murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Three of the defendants were also charged with felony firearm.

According to the prosecutor's office, the juveniles were involved in a shooting on Sept. 14 that caused Warren Woods Tower High School and a nearby community college to go into lockdown. The incident happened around 3:10 p.m in the area of Martin and Bunert Roads.

Responding police arrived at the scene around the time school was getting out. They found a male victim with several gunshot wounds in the driver's seat of a blue sedan that had crashed into a driveway.  Four days later, four male juveniles were arrested. 

Little Amal visits Metro Detroit

A 12-foot tall mascot that advocates and honors human rights will make a stop in Dearborn Tuesday, paying a visit to the Arab American National Museum. Little Amal is a 10-year-old Syrian refugee that has visited more than a dozen countries. 

The Sept. 26 visit will be at ACCESS headquarters in Dearborn at Salina Elementary School/ There will also be local vendors from the community there to cater to locals. 

After the visit, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud will deliver a speech at the school, followed by ACCESS CEO Maja Freji, and the school principal. 

A walk will then take place at 2 p.m.

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

Over the next few days, Southeast Michigan will get a mixture of rain showers and cloudy conditions. Fall officially arrived on the calendar last week, and it's starting to feel like it. Temperatures will hover in the mid-60s for much of the week before rising into the 70s on Friday.

What else we're watching

1. Another auto supplier has become a casualty in the UAW strike against the Detroit Three. A Wixom-based facility may temporarily laid off 171 hourly workers, according to paperwork filed with the state.
2. The Upper Peninsula prison staff who were charged in the 2019 death of an inmate have had their case dismissed. A judge on Monday said there wasn't enough evidence to send any of the defendants to trial.
3. Ethan Crumbley will soon be back in the news as a judge is set to decide whether he should be granted the opportunity of parole when he's sentenced. The teen's hearing to determine if he should spend the rest of his life in prison was earlier in the summer and an announcement is expected this Friday.
4. Ford has paused construction on its new battery plant in Marshall. The facility has been the source of local opposition and criticism from lawmakers over the money allocated to its construction and ties to the Chinese government.
5. A preliminary hearing for the suspects in a kidnapping case out of Livonia is scheduled for Tuesday. Three people including a 16-year-old woman have been charged in the case.

Congress goes into crisis mode with looming government shutdown

With a government shutdown five days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode as Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces an insurgency from hard-right Republicans eager to slash spending even if it means curtailing federal services for millions of Americans.

There's no clear path ahead as lawmakers return with tensions high and options limited. The House is expected to vote Tuesday evening on a package of bills to fund parts of the government, but it's not at all clear that McCarthy has the support needed to move ahead.

Meanwhile, the Senate, trying to stave off a federal closure, is preparing its own bipartisan plan for a stopgap measure to buy some time and keep offices funded past Saturday's deadline as work in Congress continues. But plans to tack on additional Ukraine aid have run into trouble as a number of Republicans in both the House and Senate oppose spending more money on the war effort.