Episodes

Who comes closer to telling the truth—Justice Alito or Michelle Obama? Ben riffs. Jack White answers the question. Then they’re off...presidential chit chat. Obama and Trump at the Carter funeral service. Is Baby Bush worse than Trump? Cato the Elder. Cato the Elder? Yes, Cato the elder. Amazon’s deal with Melania. The oligarchs make their move to cozy up to Trump. And more. Jack is a writer and retired journalist.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump responds to the fires in Los Angeles with hate. Ben riffs. Meredith Shiner compares and contrasts President Carter and Trump. Also, the difference between a minority party and an opposition party. You have a choice, Dems. A few words about Mark Zuckerberg bowing to MAGA. Or the difference between a nerd and a dork. And more—so much more. Meredith is a political columnist.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Zuckerberg waves the white flag as he surrenders to Donny. Ben riffs. Monroe says it's all about sucking up to Big Daddy in order to make even more billions. Then it's on to the latest lunacy from Trump--whales, windmills, and various invasions. Monroe makes like the dairy farmer in South Dakota. He doesn't believe Trump will do the stuff that Trump swears he plans to do. Helluva way to run a country. Finally, a few words about Mayor Johnson and the press. Having spent over a year disparaging him as incompetent, the mainstreams now view him as the second coming of LBJ. As they blame him for killing Pritzker's Hemp Bill. Make up your minds, people!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

News from “the world” has Baby Donny visiting Greenland. Ben riffs. Adolfo Mondragon returns to explain the logic of the illogic to Ben. Including…why Dems don’t riot when they lose, like MAGA does. Why corporate Chicago loves Pedro Martinez. Why MAGA likes Mexican cuisine but dislikes Mexicans. Why free speech apparently does not apply to Washington Post cartoonists who criticize the boss. And more. Adolfo is a lawyer in Chicago.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alden Loury tells you everything you need to know about property taxes. Including…why we need them. Why we hate them. Why they’re unfair and not up for the task we demand of them. How they force people to leave their neighborhoods. Ben adds a few words about TIFs. Which are property tax hikes. Even if corporate Chicago and all their city council flunkies pretend they aren’t. Alden is a writer and editor for WBEZ and one of Chicago’s foremost demographers. His views are his own. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben doesn’t want to talk about all the bad news that happened last night. But he does so anyway. Kevin Blackistone returns to take us from A to Z on the Congressional land-transfer bill that enabled Washington to take control of land in Washington. It makes no sense until you realize that DC is treated more like a colony than a free state in the United States. In fact “Chocolate City” is not a state at all. Get ready for a twisting saga starring Mayor Muriel Bowser and featuring Elon Musk, Utah Senator Mike Lee and several other MAGA creatures. Kevin is a columnist for the Washington Post, a professor of journalism at the University of Maryland and a panelist for Around the Horn. His views are his own.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Producer-director Michael Tollin has made movies about Michael Jordan and Hank Aaron. Now he’s producing a movie about Dick Allen, one of the greatest baseball players of the 60s and 70s. Michael’s love for Allen goes back to when he was playing for the Phillies. Ben loves him for his years with the White Sox. Hear them bicker over whether Allen’s true greatness was in Philly or Chicago. Proving that sports fans will argue over anything. And, yes, Michael’s movie about MJ was The Last Dance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the re-election of Speaker Johnson happens in the background, Pat Whalen explains the Trump-MAGA playbook. And, as one of the only Chicagoans who actually watches the George Stephanopolous Show, he discusses ABC’s decision to cut a deal, uhm, settlement, with Donnie. What’s the Trump library include a book? Also that’s not the show’s real name. And a shoutout to Nick Sposato. Pat is a comedian, actor, podcaster and impresario.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Congress elects Mike Johnson speaker by a few votes. Contrast that to Mayor Johnson’s four-vote budget victory. Ben riffs. Greg returns! He talks Mayors Lightfoot, Johnson, and Rahm. Also, journalism. Specifically, what constitutes a puff piece. Ever heard of a “beat sweetener”? Well, stick around for Greg’s explanation . Greg is a writer for the Chicago Tribune. And the author of The City Is Up For Grabs. His views are his own.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pension propaganda disguised as policy analysis—only in the NYT. Well, actually, it’s standard brainwashing in the mainstreams. Ben riffs. Mick Dumke riffs on Ben’s riff. Then they’re off—talking Jimmy Carter, Trump, Reagan and Bob Dylan. Yes, they both saw the Dylan movie. In the first show of 2025! Mick is a writer for Block Club. His views are his own.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben shares his New Years Resolution for 2025. If you know Ben, you know, it's a BIG ONE! Now the main issue is…what’s the over under before he breaks that resolution? Start the new year off right, by catching all the latest BennyJ Shows on your favorite podcast platforms.Happy New Year Everyone!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Crime falls in Chicago. Does Mayor Johnson get credit? Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson explains…only white mayors get credit for good things. Musk v Bannon! Apparently, the MAGA bosses think the great mass of MAGA voters are stupid. Which makes sense cause they voted for Trump. A few words of praise for President Carter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Miles Kamp-Lassin covers it all. The oligarchy of Musk. The kakistocracy of Trump. And the gerontocracy in the Democratic Party who launched a counter attack against Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, apparently cause she has the audacity to want to win future elections and use government to help ordinary people. The Democrats seem determined to keep making the same old mistakes. Miles is an editor/writer for In These Times.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Faris tells you everything you need to know about last week's congressional budget debacle--a spectacle of madness starring Elon Musk as the president and Donald Trump as Musk's loyal sidekick. Trump has the constitutional authority but Musk has the megaphone. Listen and learn about continuing resolutions, debt ceilings, and budget hawks. Also, a few words about lawsuits and self censorship. David is a professor of political science at Roosevelt University and a columnist for Slate and Newsweek. His views are his own.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It turns out MAGA doesn’t want to deport all immigrants. Or build a wall to keep all immigrants out. Oh, no, it turns out that President Musk and his sidekick Donny like “smart” immigrants. Cause they think Americans—especially the ones who voted for them—are too dumb to be workers in the Tech Bro universe. You were duped again, MAGA voters. Rummana Hussain tries to make sense of it all. Rummana is an editorial writer and columnist for the Sun-Times. Her views are her own.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Christmas was a day of peace—well, that’s over. Ben riffs. Antonio Correa returns to talk immigration, illogical voters, the Hispanic vote and Luigi Mangione. Bill Burr joins show. Sorta. As does Trump, the grifter. And a dairy farmer in South Dakota. Antonio reveals his back-of-the-class theory. Ben says—dang, wish I’d thought of that. Antonio is a digital strategist for Heartland Signal, a Marine and a local radio legend.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben hits the old interwebs to offer listeners a quick message of peace and love this Christmas! It's been a tumultuous year in Chicago, America and around the world. And Ben offers his three wishes for the future.The full show returns on Thursday, with special guest; Senior Digital Strategist at Heartland Signal, and Chicago radio veteran, Antonio Correa.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Corporate Chicago hates unionized teachers so much that they fell in love with Pedro Martinez. And they’ll stay in love with him as long as he’s a useful tool to bash the union. Ben riffs. Monroe wonders why the mainstreams weren’t this upset at mayoral power plays when Daley sold the parking meters. Or Rahm gave billions in property tax dollars to developers. Trump fires up MAGA over the Panama Canal, Mount McKinley and Greenland. And more…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thom Clark is one of the few who has been around long enough to distinguish reformers from deformers. And so he contemplates the current state of the city council, filled with aldermen and women who swear up and down they're looking out for the taxpayers. Don't laugh, listeners--you elected them. Also, a few words about standing up to Trump. Thom Clark is, among other things, a writer, editor, photographer, organizer and teacher of wannabe journalists and activists who want to win coverage from journalists.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Sun-Times fantasizes about the awesome wonderfulness of Mayor Rahm—a thing that never existed. Ben riffs. Denali turns Ben’s attention to health care in the age of Trump. MAGA wants agency over their care. Meaning they want the freedom to take any old horse pill that any old grifter promotes. But they don’t care if they have the agency to pay for their medical bills. How is this populism? And what’s the point of voting Democratic if they run from tough fights? Denali explains it all and then fools Ben with a quote from the past. No 90s nostalgia here. Denali is political philosopher and strategist and great thinker.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump says there's little he can do about the price of groceries after all. Ben riffs. Delmarie Cobb says she told you so about American voters being incapable of electing a Black woman as president. Or any woman for that matter. And that the first woman elected president will be one of the MAGA persuasion. Ben challenges Delmarie to find eight Black women who voted for Trump. Good luck, Delmarie. Delmarie weighs in on Mayor Rahm as chair of the Democratic Party. She'll fight it ever step of the way. Also a few words about the mainstreams and their Mayor Johnson narrative. Delmarie is a political strategist.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elon Musk uses X to pull the plug on funding the government. Ben riffs. Scott Waguespack riffs on the riff, reminding Ben about Musk’s bromance with Mayor Rahm. Bullet train to O’Hare. Then Scott tells the tale of the fast one Mayor Johnson pulled with a zoning proposal in Lincoln Park. Looks like Mayor Johnson learned a thing or two from Mayors Daley and Rahm. They wrap it up with some TIF and tax talk, like the tax geeks they are. Scott is the alderman of the 32nd ward.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump forces Disney to its knees. Ben riffs. Monroe says I told you so. Trump is the emperor-elect, the media better get in line. A word or two about the Des Moines Register case. And Trump greeting Daniel Penny at the Army-Navy game. Finally, a few thoughts about why white people embrace Mayor Eric Adams but turned on Mayors Brandon Johnson and Lori Lightfoot. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The city council passes a budget and instead of praising Mayor Johnson, everyone’s hating on him. Ben riffs. Perri Small riffs on Ben’s riff. Explaining what’s going in words that north siders know is true even if they’d never admit it. A few words about pardoning Jesse Jackson Jr. And reflections on San Fran in ‘84. Perri is the retired host of the Perri Small Show on WVON. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.