Episodes

Turns out there are divisions in MAGA—who knew? Ben riffs. Mayor John Laesch explains what's going on in Aurora. Specifically... why he ordered flags flown at full mast after Trump ordered all flags everywhere lowered to half...

Trump sues the New York Times for defamation. Ben riffs. Kevin Ryan talks about his long-shot campaign for the U.S. Senate. He’s a 33-year-old southwest side, Marine vet, public school history teacher, bartender, self describ...

In the spirit of peace and reconciliation, Ben gives a shoutout to a Tribune editorial. “If Americans cannot speak without fear of being shot, then democracy is dead.” David Faris talks about Charlie Kirk’s legacy. Was he the...

Ben and Dr D have so much to discuss. The Sky. The Jackal’s Mistress. What movie made Dennis cry? Hint—it starts with an R but it’s not Rocky. Brendan takes on Toni. Meet Scotty G, the Antioch Republican. Not to be confused w...

MAGA ties itself into knots trying to dislodge Trump from Epsteingate. Ben riffs Monroe talks Epstein, Biden, Kamala and Roger Taney. Who? He’s the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who wrote the opinion that slavery is lega...

The Supremes say its okay to round up people for no crime other than the crime of being Hispanic, which is no crime at all. Ben riffs. Then Natalie Hopkinson connects the dots, so to speak. How Trump manipulates stereotypes ...

Dennis decided to start collecting comedy albums and Ben was kind enough to join him to talk all about it. It’s the first episode of I Find That Funny. Stick around for Marlon—one of Dennis’s oldest friends—to make his debut....

Clever investors devise a scheme to make money off of tariffs--oh, those capitalists. Ben riffs. Meredith Shiner picks up where she left off with her latest essay in The New Republic--Trump's war on cities. Especially D.C. Yo...

Ben and Dr D take on all the issues, including…The new alliance between Mayor Johnson and Governor Pritzker to stand up against Trump’s invasion. And the governor talks about his weight. And all the latest local updates. See ...

Boss Donnie and his baby boys make big bucks off of Crypto. Ben riffs. State Senator Rachel Ventura explains why she's recording today's show in her car--in contrast to the Trumps flaunting their disdain for ethics and propri...

As Trump prepares to invade Chicago, a federal judge rules that the invasion of Cali was unconstitutional. Ben riffs. Nick Uniejewski makes his show debut. He’s running against Senator Sara Feigenholtz, an entrenched incumben...

After experimenting with making nice to MAGA, Gavin Newsom goes for the jugular. Ben riffs. Jack White talks fascism, Trump, racism and the military occupations. Also, MAGA’s attempt to deny the existence of the trans-Atlanti...

Ben and Dr D have a week’s worth of news to discuss. But first! Ben apologizes to Cameron Maine for calling him British. He’s Australian. Cameron explains how he turned a passion for gaming into a career covering Illinois pol...

Trump says he can do anything he wants--like invading Chicago. Ben riffs. Rummana Hussain predicts Chicago's reaction to an invasion. Then it's all things Jussie--again. As Ben and Rummana pick up a conversation they've been ...

Trump makes a Daley-like power move against Intel. Ben riffs. Kam Buckner talks about Trump's threat to send the national guard to Chicago--or just about any blue state city with a Black mayor. How Governor Pritzker and Mayor...

An article in The Nation shows how the best-and-brightest Dems screwed up 2011 redistricting so bad, we're still paying for it. Ben riffs. Then David Faris goes deeper into the topic--as he co-wrote that Nation article with D...

The NYT political writers are up to their old tricks—scaring anxious, liberal Boomers. Ben riffs. On the eve of his rally with Bernie Sanders, Robert Peters explains why he’s running for Congress from the Second District and ...

As MAGA Republicans in the Texas statehouse threaten to jail their Democratic colleagues for opposing their newly gerrymandered map, Bill Daley calls for Illinois to essentially give more legislative districts to Republicans....

Ben returns from Michigan with good news. Sorta. Mick Dumke, lover of all things Michigan, takes the Mitten State political trivia challenge--which counties voted for Kamala over Trump? Proving...as goes Michigan, so goes the...

A liberal friend complains about Epsteingate getting too much attention. Ben riffs. Flint Taylor tells the long, sordid story of the torture of Black prisoners by Jon Burge and his cronies on the police force. It’s a crime th...

Thirty years ago, the institutions supposed to protect Chicago's most vulnerable residents melted in the face of a brutal heatwave that killed over 700 people. Ben riffs. Eric Klinenberg, who wrote the book on what happened, ...

Baby Bobby pulls the plug on Covid vaccines—will Trump get a shot? Heidi Henry on the Democrats. They’re like the children of alcoholics, trying to please everybody. And what happens when Country-Club Dems take over the party...

Woody Allen shows love for Jeffrey Epstein. Ben riffs. Jim Coogan talks about the degradation of justice and the Justice Department under Trump. Perhaps best epitomized by Todd Blanche, the number 2 lawyer in Justice and Trum...

Ben and Dr. D slice and dice the news of the week. Including...Teddy D makes his move. That is, Ted Dabrowski says he may be running against Governor Pritzker as a Republican. He tells John Oliver (not really, John Oliver) al...