Episodes

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...

Dems start to realize they have to get out of their comfort zone to take back the country. Ben riffs. Kevin Lamm explains how it can be done. What are the issues that rally red district voters? What's the lesson from Catelin ...

Joe Rogan weighs in on Jimmy Kimmel and free speech—finally! Ben riffs. Kat Abughazaleh talks about getting thrown to the ground by ICE thugs. If you think it’s bad outside an ICE facility, imagine the horror of what goes on ...

Ben and Dr D have so much to discuss and so little time in which to discuss it. Starting with Brendan Reilly going a little MAGA to try to beat Toni Preckwinkle. Is a little MAGA like a little pregnant? And Chicago is going t...

Have we finally, at long last, reached the beginning of the end of the MAGA craze, when America says, you know, maybe it's not a good idea to let a demented authoritarian run the country? With Trump playing the role of Senato...

Mayor Johnson's political enemies take a poll and guess what? It discovers that nobody likes Mayor Johnson. Funny how that works. Ben riffs. Asha Ransby-Sporn makes her debut, discussing how the mayor's opponents work the pre...

Breaking news! As the recording starts, word arrives that a judge has dismissed Trump's $15 billion defamation suit against the New York Times. Ben riffs. Denali takes the long view--to understand what Trump is doing as presi...

The week’s news gets personal for Ben and Dr D, as you shall see. But first! A roundup of a few moments of interest, including Aurora and the flag, Kevin Ryan’s plea, and JB in London And then…Ice comes to Dr D’s neighborhood...

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...