Episodes

Ben and Dr D pull themselves away from watching the Bulls long enough to talk about a week’s worth of news, including…Chuygate! Congressman Jesus Garcia pulls a move so outrageous it has Ben and the Tribune seeing eye to eye....

In one stupendous night, Dems crush Donnie and Bulls win—Ben’s cup runneth over. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson joins the celebration. Talking about Mamdani, Sherrill, Spanberger and Prop 50. Also, some love for JB, Kwame and Bra...

Congressman Jesus Garcia hands his crown to his chief of staff—democracy be famned—showing he’s learned a few tactics from the Chicago Machine. Ben riffs. Kina Collins talks Chuygate, why she’s running for Congress, JB, Brand...

JD Vance lies about SNAP cuts. Ben riffs. Rummana Hussain says—hey, wait, what about Kamala confessing she shoulda gone on Joe Rogan’s show? Thus, a Kamala deep dive. Before we get down to the Usha/JD/Kirk triangle. Is Usha V...

Hakeem Jeffries wants to squeeze another Democratic seat from Illinois. Ben riffs. Anthony Driver, Jr on why he wants to go to Congress. And how Chicago police tactics compare with ICE’s. And how his high school, named for on...

A podcaster is upset cause Kat walked off her show. In the category of laughing to keep from crying, Ben riffs. Miles Kampf-Lassin details Trump’s terror campaign against America. He shuts down SNAP, obliterates health care a...

You’ve heard of the Chicago 7? Now there’s a Chicago 6 as Trump’s Justice Department trumps up a case against local activists. Ben riffs. Heidi Henry returns to give a perspective on how ICE’s invasion is playing in her neck ...

Gregory Pratt—ace reporter for the Tribune and the pride and joy of Little Village—stands up for his city. Ben riffs. Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez takes a moment to express her gratitude to Chicago for its resistance. While p...

Trump sends in the wrecking crew—literally. Ben riffs. David Faris talks about Trump’s attack on cities and states whose residents dared to vote for Harris. How to respond? The case for a general strike. The No Kings March. A...

Ben & Dr D spare no details in their examination of a week’s worth of news. Including…SDG and the IFT, JB and BJ, Pritzker and Trump, Benny and the Bulls, Gambling and the NBA, Rahm and Rahm and more. Stick around to discover...

MJ is back, sorta. Ben riffs. Adolfo Mondragon explicates the ICE invasion of his beloved southwest side and makes the case against calling people illegals. And not cause he’s a snowflake. Which spurs an exchange about snowfl...

Trump seeks $230m from taxpayers as compensation for what? Leading an attempted insurrection? Ben riffs. Jim Coogan on the weaponization of the Justice Department. The fictitious weaponization—imagined by MAGA—versus the real...

Houston’s Mayor John Whitmire says he knows how to deal with Boss Donnie—suck up to him. Ben riffs. And get out your paper and pencils to take notes as Ishan Daya and Julie Dworkin tell you everything you need to know about M...

Trump erects a white-people-only sign on the USA. Ben riffs. Antonio Correa answers your MAGA questions. Why Latinos voted for Trump? What do they say about that now? Where is the don’t-tread-on-me-crowd when we need them? Do...

Ben and Dr D confront a week’s worth of lunacy. Starting with…reporters giving grief to Mayor Johnson for spending property tax dollars on schools. Silly mayor, don’t you know that TIF money—which are property tax dollars— ar...

ICE invades the Southeast Side. Ben riffs. Jen Sabella on the state of journalism in the age of Trump’s invasion of Chicago. Reporters tear gassed or shot with pellets. Officials deny what you see with your own eyes. FOIA req...

Trump sulks cause he didn’t get the Nobel for bringing “peace” to the Middle East. Ben riffs. Monroe reconsiders his opposition to Trump in the hopes of making big bucks like Steven A. Smith. Then decides—nah, too late for th...

Trump’s prosecutorial puppet prosecutes Leticia James. Ben riffs. David Faris runs down the stages of autocracy. We’re currently in the competitive authoritarianism phase. Thanks in part to John Roberts and his Supremes. Imag...

ICE manages to avoid Wrigley Field. Ben riffs. State senator Graciela Guzman talks about Trump’s invasion of Chicago. And Chicago as a testing ground for MAGA messaging and other invasions. Her showdown at the Broadview deten...

Chomsky’s wisdom helps explain America’s illogical take on immigration and deportations. Ben riffs. Marc Sims explains everything all at once. Including…why Americans are so illogical about crime, immigrants, Trump’s behavior...

Bari Weiss hits the jackpot, showing millennials how to play the game. Ben riffs. Laurie Glenn reflects on MAGA lite’s ability to justify and embrace policies and politicians they once abhorred. Also, the Democrats and their ...

The Sun-Times shows much love for Alderman Marty Quinn. Ben riffs. Mark Whitaker talks about his new book, The Afterlife of Malcolm X. Which is about what the title says—how the legacy of Malcolm X lives even 60 years after h...

The New York Times fact checker bends over backwards to avoid calling Trump’s lie a lie. Ben riffs. Trump is so autocratically demented, it takes two journalistic legends to explain it all. Jack White joins Monroe to break do...

Dave Portnoy, who made his name being politically incorrect, says Jimmy Kimmel went too far. Ben riffs. Holly Kim explains why she’s running for state comptroller. And what she will do if she wins. Get ready for the TIF debat...