Episodes

With baseball taking an All-Star break, we brought out Jim Coogan & Miles Porter--a couple of allstar baseball experts--to talk baseball. Specifically, Cubs and Sox. Are the Sox doing so well because of in spite of manager Tony La Russa. And are the Cubs really as bad as they have been for the last few weeks and, if so, who should they trade? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

May 8, 2019:Democrats and Republicans battle over Barr, Lori Lightfoot goes to Washington, Host of Humanity in the Headlines Atiba Buchanan unpacks the latest Trump news, Bhaskar Sunkara on Democratic Socialism and it's the Benny J Show debut of Host of "Hitting Left" Mike Klonsky. Download Wednesday's Ben Joravsky Show! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Ben and Dr. D riff on a week’s worth of news. President Biden comes to Illinois, Republicans bash Governor Pritzker with toilets, Marjorie Taylor Green stumps for Mary Miller and Mayor Lightfoot flies to San Fran. 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 .

President Biden tries to win over MAGA by giving them money. Ben riffs. And Dave Glowacz--publisher of Inside Chicago Government--returns for another fun-filled breakdown of your Chicago City Council in action. Dave has clips from recent meetings in which aldermen and Mayor Lightfoot dueled, using arcane parliamentary maneuvers as weapons. Listen and learn so you can impress your friends with your mastery of Roberts Rules of Order. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...

Host of the fight podcast Sergio Vicente returns to discuss celebrity boxing, the psychology of choking, culture vultures and Joe Biden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

President Biden visits MAGA land. Ben discusses. And Monroe Anderson & Senator Robert Peters take the deep dive on Nicholsgate, elected school board, Mayoral Bullies, Eric Adams and whether authenticity matters more than ideology in politics. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. Norment--owner of the Marijuana Hall of Fame--talks about the injustice of banning Sha'Carri Richardson for testing positive for cannabis. And much more... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-i...

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 Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 that. It now goes to Governor Pritzker to be signed. Will Chicago finally have an elected school board? Martwick talks about where the bill stands, what it took to get here, what needs to be worked out and the continued opposition from Mayor Lightfoot and corporate Chicago. Se...

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 talk. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 talk everything from the Tribune to newspapers to Mayor Lightfoot to John Kass to Trump to the Blackhawks sex scandal to other things I just can't remember now. Proving...the man we fondly call "EZ" has still got it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ...

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 California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 Lightfoot? It doesn't look that way. But Osterman reminds optimistic and does his best to avoid saying anything critical of the mayor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 mayor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 trash talking bullies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 talk crime, police oversight and the politics of dealing with Mayor Lightfoot. 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 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 Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 woes with Ace Attorney Jim Coogan of Dwyer and Coogan. Download Tuesday's Ben Joravsky Show! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 buyouts at the Tribune and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .