Episodes

Brandon Johnson announces he’s running for mayor. Chuy Garcia continues to think about running for Mayor. Mayor Lightfoot sorta makes things up as she goes along. And Pat Whalen explains why everyone is feeling so much anxiety. Just some of a week’s worth of news discussed by Ben, Dr. D and Pat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rummana Hussain talks MAGA's attitudes toward Black voters. Or what does it say about MAGA's attitude toward Black voters that MAGA thought Black voters would vote for Herschel Walker? Also, Alito and his MAGA comrades on the Supremes try to concoct a legal justification to discriminate against gays and lesbians and trans and anyone else MAGA hates. Just call it...creative lawmaking from MAGA judicial activists. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa & Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez take the deep dive on Bring Chicago Home. That's a proposal to put a binding referendum on the ballot asking voters if they support slapping a tax on the sale of wealthy property to raise money to build housing for homeless. It's not a proposal to create such a tax. Again, it's a proposal to ask you, the voters, if you want to create that tax. It seemed to have widespread aldermanic support. But...Chicago being Chicago, it never came fo...

Yesterday was day one for mayoral candidates to file nominating petitions. Ben riffs. Podcaster Marc Sims talks mayor’s race, Thomas Sowell, Dave Chappelle and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mayor Lightfoot's drivers get caught parking in a bike lane, while the mayor ducks into a bakery to buy some doughnuts. Ben riffs. And WBEZ journalist Alden Loury returns to discuss his latest Sun-Times column on low voter turnout. Have Chicagoans become nihilists? Also, demographics in Chicago. If everyone says they want to reverse the trend of Black people leaving town, why won't anyone do anything about it? A word or two or three about economic development and the Red Line extension. And more... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump makes it official. Ben riffs. And WVON talk show host David Seaton talks Trump, MAGA, Black Trump supporters and more. Much more… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Political scientist David Faris makes his midterm predictions. And a word or two about MAGA’s bizarre approach to fighting inflation. And the New York Times obsession with John Fetterman’s stroke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chicago's Police union endorses a man named "Don Bailey" for governor. Ben riffs. And columnist Eric Zorn returns to discuss all the burning issues of the day. Like...whether Ben & Maya were unfair to pull First Tuesdays from The Hideout. It's Election Day and democracy as we know it in America is basically on the ballot. Yet, Ben & Eric are bickering over Hideoutgate. No wonder Democrats lose. We do manage a few words about Michael Moore's predictions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/p...

There's a battle raging as the GOP's "right flank" challenges Kevin McCarthy's bid for speaker. Right flanks implies there's a left flank. Ben riffs. Devin Thompson, singer extraordinaire, talks about his upcoming concert. Dave Glowacz, of Inside Chicago Government, examines recent city council meetings. Why won't the head of the public schools attend council hearings? Why won't Mayor Lightfoot bring back a Department of Environment? Why would Alderman Tom Tunney suddenly raise questions about city's longstanding financial health? And how can an alderperson vote for and against a budget at the same time? And more... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben travels to a place he's never been on election night--MSNBC. He weighs in with what he saw. Monroe Anderson returns to say the "Red Wave" turned into a "pink trickle". What happened, MAGA? And Jacob Kaplan, executive director of the Cook County Democratic Party, examines the statewide election returns. For once, MAGA's scare white people strategy failed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oh, what a week, indeed! Ben & Dr. D riff on the news, most of it out of Chicago. Starting with...Donoughtgate. Is Doughnutgate worse than Cinnamon Rollgate? Hmm, tough, tough question. And then it's on to the mayor's race, still in its embryonic stages. Chicago Magazines rates the candidates. Ben riffs. And, away from Chicago, a word or two or three about New York Democrats--who just may the most clueless bunch of so-called political experts in the world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.co...

Sun-Times columnist Rummana Hussain asks the question. If women have a right not to wear hijabs, doesn't that also mean they have a right to wear them? Also, Rummana does a victory march on Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West. She hates to say I told you so, but...she told you so. And a word or two about Bad Sisters... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The midterms were supposed to be a Red Wave, doing with votes what the insurrectionists couldn’t do on January 6–giving MAGA control of Congress. David Faris takes the deep dive on why that didn’t happen. How the pollsters and pundits minimized abortion rights. How the Democrats finally learned to play hardball. Except New York Dems, who just may be the lamest bunch of political incompetents—ever. And much more… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What a week of politics for Ben & Dr. D to riff about. The Red Wave turns into a Blue one, at least in Illinois. New York Dems are clueless. Give Speaker Welch credit—he knows how to play the mapmaking game. Congressman “Chuy” draws sharp elbows from Mayor Lightfoot. And more… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mayor Lightfoot & George Cardenas pull an Eddie Haskell. Ben explains. Shoutout to Gregory Pratt for another great scoop. And Clem Balanoff talks Jesus Garcia—he’s going to run for mayor. Monroe Anderson is skeptical. Then the talk turns to the midterms. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's official--Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia is running for mayor. Ben riffs by answering a question from V-Train. Also Peter Cunningham--political strategist, speech writer & rock `n roll guitarist--takes the deep dive on...crime & police. We know more police will not bring down crime. But good luck saying that in the middle of a contentious mayoral campaign when people are freaking out over crime. Also, was it Chico Marx or Richard Pryor who said--"who you gonna believe, me or your lying eye...

Football coach/analyst LeAlan Jones has an unique take on the Chicago Bears. He thinks they're making smart moves that will bring them a Super Bowl Championship. He explains why he believes that and why the "experts" are so critical of the Bears. A word or two or three about Ryan Poles & Justin Fields. By the way, the conversation took place before Sunday’s game against Atlanta, which the Bears lost. Yet LeAlan remains optimistic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...

Historian Rosemary Feurer & Elliott Gorn talk Chicago's radical past. Particularly the successful effort to pay tribute to Mother Jones, the turn-of-the-last-century radical. Yes, radical. She didn't hide from it. Will Chicago recognize it's radical roots? Or will it tilt every more toward the right? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sun-Times columnist Lynn Sweet tries to hold MAGA strategist Dan Proft to the same rules and standards real journalists must follow. Ben riffs. And Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson talks about running for mayor. He explains why he's the progressive candidate in the race. What it means to be a progressive. And whether Chicago's open to a progressive mayor. And more... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Bears make their first move toward convincing Arlington Heights residents to pay for their football stadium. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson returns to explain a few things about Chicago history that Mayor Lightfoot may not understand. Such as the Evans/Sawyer split that divided Black Chicago and handed City Hall over to Daley. And attorney Jim Coogan joins Monroe to talk Special Master. That is...the bizarre ruling by Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, to give ol' Donnie what he wants--a "Special Master" to review the government documents he, Donnie, stole from the White House. MAGA looks out for its own. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elon Musk gets ready to fire hundreds of Twitter employees. Ben riffs. And Troy LaRaviere talks Musk, Trump & Ye. And more… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Singer/guitarist Andrea Bunch and activist Alicia Hurtado—of the Chicago Abortion Fund—talk about the fight for reproductive rights in the aftermath of the midterms. The fight is not over—even in Illinois where abortion is legal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After about 20 years as an organizer, Amisha Patel is taking a break--she's stepping down as executive director of the Grassroots Collaborative. She talks about the struggles to try and force Chicago mayors to do the right thing. The differences between Daley, Rahm & Lightfoot. And why she remains optimistic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson announces he’s running for mayor—will confused MAGA voters line up to support him? Ben riffs. Historian Sean Dinces, author of Bulls Market, talks about Chicago’s history of giving handouts to sports franchises. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.