Episodes

Joshua Tepfer, attorney for the Exoneration Project, explains the case of Ronald Watts, a former Chicago police officer who allegedly ran a drug operation at the Ida B. Wells housing project for several years. If residents da...

Sun-Times editor/columnist Rummana Hussain closes out the year with her top 5 recommendations for 2021. Ben weighs in with a few of his obsessions. For a mediocre year, there was some good stuff in the universe. See Privacy P...

It's riffing time! Ben & Dr. D review the week's top stories. Congressman Bobby Rush's legacy. Governor Pritzker & his Republican rivals. And the big story--Mayor Lightfoot's ceaseless fight with the Chicago Teachers Union. O...

Liberals pound away at the Chicago Teachers Union. Ben briefly riffs. And then Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa--the dean of City Council socialists--dissects the neo-liberal hatred of teachers unions. And Miles Kampf-Lassin, In ...

Columnist Eric Zorn talks about getting COVID. And how "everyone will get COVID". And anti-vaxxers. And then throws a peace offering of sorts to Donald Trump. Also, a word or two about Dan Webb's report on Jussie Smollett an...

As CTU votes for virtual classrooms in face of COVID outbreak, Mayor Lightfoot's health commissioner says COVID's basically no worse than the flu. Ben riffs. And Monroe Anderson returns to talk January 6 anniversary. Also, wr...

Congressman Bobby Rush announces he's not running for re-election. Ben riffs. And Inside Chicago Government's Dave Glowacz starts the New Year right--with a City Council roundup. It includes council debate over police shootin...

Michael "Skeet" Horton, one of the great youth basketball coaches in Chicago, talks about his shoe deal with Skechers, his life in and around Cabrini-Green, and what keeps him in the game. See Privacy Policy at https://art19....

Sergio Vicente, host of the Fight Podcast, returns to talk boxing, MMA & basketball. Ben criticizes the Paul brothers and Sergio--well, let's just say he doesn't back down. Plus, he has a word or two for the haters who doubt ...

In the middle of another COVID surge, over 20,000 people pack the United Center to watch the Bulls. Ben was one of them. Clearly, Mayor Lightfoot is not the only one sending out mixed messages about the pandemic. Ben riffs. A...

Ben crosses COVID country as he flies home from California. Did the guy coughing on Ben's neck given him COVID? It's very scary out there, folks. And Monroe Anderson & Sergio Mims tag team on all the news of the year. Includi...

Comedian & WCPT talk show host Scott Duff explains why it's best to find the humor in the madness. Either that or go insane. Plus, a few words about woke, Dave Chappelle and being the old guy on stage. See Privacy Policy at h...

The Washington Post fact checker lists the biggest lies of 2021 as spread by our leaders, including the election was stolen, the vaccine doesn't work, the attempted Trump coup and other assorted MAGA whoppers. And then he thr...

With the Bulls strong start to the season, it's time for Miles & and Benji the Bookie to reassess their pre-season predictions. In the case of Miles--he looks wise. In Benji's case--let's just say he has some explaining to do...

Tuesday, August 6, 2019: Pritzker signs more bills. Lightfoot wants more security for Lollapalooza. Another Chicago alligator story? Maya Dukmasova of The Chicago Reader returns. Margie Fritz-Birch of the Edgewater Historical...

Rummana Hussain, Sun-Times editor/columnist, and Ben enjoy a Muslim/Jewish Christmas. And then it's down to business--COVID, MAGA, RIttenhouse and then, for good news, the Beatles. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri...

To pay tribute to the life and legacy of the great Broadway composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who died last week at the age of 91, Ben turned to William Brown, a director, actor and singer. Brown talks about falling in love...

December 10,2021: It's that time of the week where Ben & Dr. D try to make sense of things that don't make sense. Like...the logic, or illogic, of the Republican candidates for governor. They don't actually have any ideas of ...

Columnist Eric Zorn reveals he and his family have COVID. Ben riffs---and immediately books Eric for the show. And political strategist Delmarie Cobb returns. Among the topics--Black anti-vaxxers v. white ones. What motivates...

Achy Obejas is a poet, translator, novelist, journalist, and political junkie. She's also a friend of Ben from way back when. They start out talking about Boomerang , her latest collection of poetry. And wind up taking the de...

Obviously, the country as a whole has decided to take a page from the NBA and keep on rolling in the face of the latest COVID outbreak. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson describes a pending civil war. And jazz professor/trumpet play...

Monkeys blindly avenge dogs. Ben riffs. And Miles Kampf-Lassin, editor/writer from In These Times, returns with much on his mind. The "learned helplessness" of Dems. COVID as wedge issue against Trump. Manchin the Republican....

Sun-Times editor/columnist Rummana Hussain and Ben explain why they're not jumping for joy with the guilty verdict for Jussie Smollett. A word or two about reportorial rivalries, the mayor's texts and the rampant hate of the ...

Friday August 2, 2019: Ben riffs on the latest TIF deal. Lori Lightfoot and Lollapalooza. Pritzker signs another bill. The Rummana Rundown with Sun-Times Editor Rummana Hussain. Ace Attorney Jim Coogan unpacks Trump's legal w...