Episodes

Trump throws himself a charade--I mean, parade. Ben riffs. Antonio Correa talks hypocrisy in America. Such as...MAGA's selectivity in enforcing immigration law. Send the Marines to LA, look the other way in Red States. Joe Ro...

Chicago's own Jasmine Wright asks a pertinent question and Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, goes full MAGA--turns out Jasmine was correct. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson talks national guard and Marines in LA, Trump...

Trump's goons tackle and cuff U.S. Senator Alex Padilla for the high crime of trying to ask Kristi Noem a question. Ben riffs. Alejandro Verdin explains what Trumps is up to with his wars against Los Angeles, California, Demo...

President Trump locks up immigrants, but has a soft spot for gangsters. Ben riffs. Alvin Tillery explains the politics of pardons, the Kanye-Trump connection, and how Trump embraces anti-Semites while pretending to fight anti...

Trump takes a stand for property owners—provided they are white and from South Africa. Ben riffs. Emeline Posner explains the bizarre inequities in Illinois property tax law that allow “investors” to buy control of someone el...

Michael Madigan approaches his sentencing date for”corruption”. Ben riffs. Kam Buckner joins the conversation, talking Madigan sentencing, Bears stadium (lots on that), RTA funding, and advice for Gov Pritzker. Also, who he s...

Musk exits stage MAGA. Ben riffs. David Faris sums up the legacy of Musk. Which smells like it sounds. Also, The Big And Beautiful Bill Act. Don’t need bill if you have act. But don’t tell Trump. And a dissertation on the low...

Another day, another Trump pardon. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson takes a Trump pardon trivia quiz. Sample question...which pardoned felon was the sheriff who took $75,000 from business men for badges? As opposed to the married c...

Former Mayor Lightfoot takes to the Hideout stage and finds her inner Bernie Sanders. Hey, every ex-mayor has one. Okay, not Rahm. Or Daley. But still. Ben riffs. Gregory Pratt annotates Lightfoot's comments on such subjects ...

The Trump bunch at Homeland Security and ICE withhold arrest records from the "Dr. Phil" raids in Chicago. Ben riffs. And Mick Dumke explains what he's doing about it. In this case--tag teaming with Matt Topic, FOIA lawyer ex...

Ben and Dr D dissect all the news that's worth dissecting. Including...Round II of Trump v Mayor Johnson. In which the Sun-Times sides with Trump. Man, liberals aren't what they used to be. Also, Mayor Rahm throws Joe Biden u...

A New York Times poll shows that the less voters know about Trump, the more they like him. Ben riffs. Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette talks waste and fraud. He’s spent his working life in pursuit of bi-partisan solutions to waste and ...

MAGA Chicago manages to make hate even worse. Ben riffs. Jeff Jenkins talks about federal budget cuts that have threatened the Midnight Circus, which he stages in parks throughout Chicago. Why would Trump cut funding for a ci...

Trump plans a big ol' parade. Ben riffs. Charles Henderson talks the state of America on Memorial Day. Including...Trump's newfound "pacifism". Why Kamala Harris lost. Would Biden have done any better? Royko's Boss. The GI Bi...

Ben and Dr D tell you everything you need to know about the week's worth of news. Including...Dolton wants to buy the Pope's house. Call it eminent domain, people. Jake Tapper promotes his book. Is he a salesman or a newsman?...

Harvard proposes to swap one kind of diversity for another--anything to talk Trump out of taking away federal funding. Ben riffs. Monroe explains what Trump really means by diversity. Also, a few words about Original Sin, the...

Chicago's population went up. Ben riffs. Alden Loury clarifies and explains the demographics. He goes on to annotate and explicate his Sun-Times column about his experience as a homeowner in Auburn Gresham on the South Side. ...

Qatar gives Donnie a $400M luxury jet. Ben riffs. Adolfo Mondragon returns! The professor is in the studio--law professor, that is. Take out your pens and notebooks and take notes as the lawyer who took constitutional law fro...

Ben and Dr. D consumed all the news so you don’t have to! You’re welcome. Let’s start with…the new parking meter deal, same as the old parking meter deal. Ben’s advice to city hall reporters—call Mick! Mayor Lightfoot returns...

The city forces Trump Towers to open its sidewalks to the public. Ben riffs. Miles Kampf-Lassin talks May Day protests and tariff madness--turns out there is no logic to MAGA's trade policy. And the great trade-off capitalism...

Mike Miner, one of Chicago’s great journalists, died this month. Ben pays tribute. Delmarie Cobb explains how the media really works in this town. It isn’t always pretty. The blasphemy of Trump. Stephen A. Smith asks Trump a ...

Apparently, Trump’s nominee for surgeon general is not nutty enough for MAGA. Ben riffs. David Faris explains MAGA’s strange double standard on vaccines. They hate Covid shots but are ok with flu shots. If MAGA hates mandates...

Ben and Dr D get biblical. Well, they talk about the new pope. Or more specifically—is he from Chicago or Dolton or Holland, Michigan? Also, since when did Chicagoans get so religious? Fran Spielman asks Mayor Johnson the tou...

MAGA says Trump should be pope. Ben riffs. Rummana Hussain talks about the new hate. Out in the open. Even in Glenview. Maybe it’s not so new after all. Also a guide to the north shore, including Evanston, Lincolnwood and Nor...