Episodes

The Sun-Times breaks the story about condoms being distributed to grade schoolers. Parents and grandparents lose their minds. Ben riffs. Maya Dukmasova talks about her new gig and the politics of policing. And Vincent E. Norm...

Community activist Jac Charlier says it’s time we reconsider all the old strategies for fighting crime. Because they obviously aren’t working that well. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N...

Sun-Times editor columnist Rummana Hussain weighs in the stories of the week. Including--Sha'Carri Richardson, Mayor Lightfoot, Bill Cosby and more... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Not...

Oh, What a Week it Was: "Lori's Gonna Lori" See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

It seems as though we’re coping with the same crap we were coping with last year. Ben explains. And Alderwoman Sue Sadlowski-Garza returns to talk about the mayor, the council, General Iron, the nastiness of politics and more...

For the last few years, state Senator Rob Martwick's been one of the leading sponsors of legislation to turn the Chicago school board from mayoral appointed to voter elected. The House and Senate approved a bill to do just th...

New York sets new standards for election incompetence, introducing the concept of dummy ballots. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson talks Bill Cosby and Nina Turner v. James Clybourn. And Jim Coogan joins Monroe for Trump corruption ...

The papers are filled with stories about crime. And Ben has no answers. Even though he feels compelled to have some answers. And four days after taking the buy out from the Tribune, Eric Zorn interrupts his "retirement" to ta...

Sun-Times editor/columnist returns to talk about colorism in movies, bully bosses, In The Heights, the Cubs awful new uniforms and why random hipsters love the Sox. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ...

Ben moderates a townhall meeting of north side activists with 48th ward Alderman Harry Osterman on the issue of a police oversight board. Or, more specifically: Will one be created in the face of opposition from Mayor Lightfo...

Mayor Lightfoot publicly bullies Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor. Even Mayors Daley & Rahm didn’t go that far—publicly. Ben riffs. Then Alderwoman Taylor returns to talk about what happened. And why she wants an apology from the m...

Washington Post columnist Kevin Blackistone returns to talk about the effort to save The Chicago Reporter, a publication dedicated to improving race relations. Also, Kevin & Ben riff on the saga of Kwame Brown's fight against...

Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor goes toe to toe with Mayor Lightfoot. Ben riffs on it. Monroe Anderson & Miles Kampf-Lassin tag team on conversation about voting rights, NYC mayors race, lefty outreach to Black voters and more. Se...

President Obama cautions Dems to take what they can get on voting rights—which is nothing if they follow his advice. Ben riffs. Dennis Kosuth from the nurses union on a pending strike. And Alderman Raymond Lopez returns to ta...

Political scientist David Faris returns to cover all the national news. Manchin, Sinema, AOC and more. Where are we going and what should Democrats do. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No...

May 7, 2019: Mitch McConnell, the Mueller Report and Illinois gets closer to recreational marijuana legalization. Chicago Reader Writer Maya Dukmasova and our dear friend Marc Sims returns AND it's all things Trump's legal wo...

Ben & Dr. D run through the week’s madness. That includes Mayor Lightfoot’s Jack Nicholson imitation, Bears make like Jackie Gleason, Dusable drive gate and much more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Calif...

Chicago takes a step toward school board democracy and the Sears Tower gets so scared, it jumps into the lake. Ben explains. And Laurie Glenn and Juanita Irizarry return to talk about Dusable Drive, elected school board, the ...

As befits one of the world's smartest analysts of movies, Sergio Mims has an opinion on just about everything film-related. On the heels of last week's show about the best records of `71, Sergio takes the deep dive on the gre...

Eric Zorn takes the buyout at the Tribune. Ben takes it from there. Monroe Anderson talks Trump, Putin, and Biden. And Troy LaRaviere, president of the Chicago's Principals Association, talks critical race theory, anti-vaxxer...

Mayor Lightfoot writes an email to staffers that’s straight out of The Shining. Or Pink Floyd. Ben riffs. Maya Dukmasova talks elected school board. And Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa covers all the local issues from Dusable Dr...

For the last 20 or so years, Mick Dumke--ace investigative reporter--has been telling anyone who would listen that the best year for popular music was 1971. And now with media outlets picking up on his theme--c'mon, Apple, do...

April 30, 2019. Bye bye Rosenstein and Biden's speech in Pittsburgh. Bye bye Rauner and our Chicago Reader Colleague Maya Dukmasova returns to talk politics. Ben's Green Party friend and Firefighter Sam Holloway joins us and ...

Ben & Dr. D take the deep dive on the week’s news. Everything from re-opening to Michael J. Madigan to fraudulent Republicans to conniving politicians to everything! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor...