Episodes

It's sort of fun to hear someone's Oscar's predictions after the fact. Sergio Mims--co-founder of the Black Harvest Film Festival--is never afraid to speak his mind. So we're not surprised to hear that he may be in trouble with Twitter again. Also, he breaks down this year's Oscar race, slamming the year in movies and picking the winners. As always, he has a thing or two to say about the north side/south side divide. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice a...

Tuesday March 26, 2019: Are conservatives celebrating the Mueller report too early? The latest Lightfoot/Preckwinkle poll numbers, a mini Aldermanic deep dive with our Chicago Reader Colleague Maya Dukmasova. Former Illinois Lieutenant Gubernatorial Candidate Ra Joy talks the Mayoral runoff AND Teacher Anthony Clark weighs in on ALL things politics! Download Tuesday's Ben Joravsky Show The Ben Joravsky Show LIVE Tuesday - Friday 1-3p(CT) chicagoreader.com chicago.suntimes.com See Privacy Policy ...

Sun-Times Editor/Columnist Rummana Hussain returns to cover the news of the day. Shootings in Chicago. Kim Foxx. LeBron James. And Caitlyn Jenner... 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 take the deep dive on all the news of the week, starting with...rumorgate. Lefties lose their minds over allegation that Mayor Lightfoot will step down, but Lori lovers overplay the victim card. As the mayor takes a page from Mayor Daley and shuts off Alderman Sigcho Lopez' microphone. Also, how Michael Madigan used his invincibility to make him even more invincible. Will Speaker Welch be different? The the latest on the MAGA men who want to run for governor. And more!! See Privacy P...

Alderman Ed Burke wins the coveted shameless-politician-of-the month award. Ben explains why. And the downstate pathologist, Dr. Pamella Gronemeyer, returns to talk about the movement for Medicare for All and other medical stuff. Including--why people resist the vaccine. Hint, the runner-up for shameless-politician-of-the month brainwashed them. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Republicans play the "victim card," blubbering like babies about Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Ben riffs on that. Also, legendary Chicago journalist Monroe Anderson and attorney Jim Coogan return to talk about the guilty verdict in the trial of Derick Chauvin for killing George Floyd. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Over the weekend, gossips in Chicago lost their minds over a fabricated rumor about Mayor Lightfoot. Ben takes the deep dive. Also, Senator Paul Strauss--the shadow senator for Washington, D.C.--explains why it's morally, ethically and politically necessary to make D.C. a state. Finally, Comptroller Susana Mendoza returns to talk about the state of state finances and her take on the shooting of Adam Toledo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://...

From May 2019. WBEZ Reporter Linda Lutton has a new beat...Chicago Neighborhoods! Hear about her journey to WBEZ, her history with Ben Joravsky and her latest work on South Side neighborhoods. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

With the footage of Adam Toledo getting killed by a Chicago police officer on everybody’s mind, we thought it would be a good idea to bring on Troy LaRaviere. He does not hold back. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

President Joe Biden announces the end of the forever war in Afghanistan. Ben talks about the price we've paid for that war. Vincent E. Norment--owner of the Marijuana Hall of Fame--drops in to continue the conversation on the different ways police treat Black and white motorists. And Matt Ginsberg & Cheryl Miller, mental health activists, talk about the reluctance of Mayor Lightfoot to re-open the mental clinics that Mayor Rahm so foolishly closed nine years ago. See Privacy Policy at https://ar...

Whenever a policeman shoots a civilian, you can take it to Vegas that someone will say—well, he’s no angel. Ben riffs on that message. Also, Adolfo Mondragon returns to talk about his campaign expenditure lawsuit. And Alderman Sigcho Lopez and housing activists--Lamont Burnett and Noah Moskowitz-- on the need for affordable housing in Chicago. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Ben riffs on the modern day Civil War. A mystery guest stops in to correct something Ben said about the Democratic Party. And Keith Kelleher, former president of SEIU Healthcare, examines what went wrong and right in the unsuccessful effort to organize Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama. Keith knows a thing or two about building unions--he's been doing that for most of his adult life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-n...

Sun-Times sports columnist Rick Telander pays tribute to the late great boxing champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler. It was 1990. Rick was writing for Sports Illustrated. He was in Italy, covering the World Cup. And...oh, let Rick tell the story. Also, what is it about our attraction to violence that draws so many people to boxing? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The day was Wednesday, April 10, 2019. One week after Lori Lightfoot was elected mayor. And Ben unloaded on the Lincoln Yards TIF deal. How much home grown marijuana is too much home grown marijuana? Monroe Anderson talked Trump, Trump and Trump, the Bernie Sanders question AND Ben unloaded on Lincoln Yards again with James Muhammad of SEIU Healthcare and Grassroots Organizer Amisha Patel. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#...

On April 6, Ben and Maya hosted a virtual First Tuesday, featuring Anjanette Young and Shapearl Wells. Young is the social worker whose west side house was raided by police. They burst through the front door with a no-knock warrant as Young stepped from her shower without clothes on. Then they handcuffed her and search her house only to discover they were at the wrong address. Wells is the host of Somebody, a podcast that investigates the murder of Courtney Copeland, her 22-year-old son. See Pr...

Political scientist David Faris returns just in time to try and make sense of what makes no sense. The rise of Matt Gaetz as a force in the Republican Party. The underlying racism of Georgia's anti-voting laws. And a new and surprisingly benevolent view of Senator Joseph Manchin. 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. take the deep dive on the week's local news. Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker have their differences. The curious politics of the elected school board. Why does the Illinois Policy Institute suddenly "care" about kids in Chicago. And Ben takes heat from the listeners cause he says Mayor Lightfoot's not as bad as Mayor Rahm. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The Republicans have decided to win back the White House and the Senate by deterring Black people from voting. As opposed to proposing policies that would encourage Black voters to vote Republican. Now Corporate America has to decide which side it's on. Ben riffs on what's a stake. Also, Antonio Harvey--owner of Legends Brand--talks cannabis, normalization, the hypocrisy of the War on Drugs, taxing cannabis and, yes, NBA basketball with Ben & Lisa. Back in the 90s, Antonio played for the Trailbl...

With MAGA all over the map--for instance, opposing IDs on airplanes but requiring them at the polls--Ben says the time has come for a MAGA for Dummies Handbook. Also, Dave Glowacz--of Inside Chicago Government--returns with more action-packed recordings of everyone's favorite legislative body: The Chicago City Council. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Over the weekend, Republican Governors Brian Kemp and Greg Abbott got upset at Black people who were protesting their attempts to make it more difficult for Black people to vote in Georgia and Texas. So they started canceling cultures--that will teach Black people for not voting MAGA! Also, Steve Cohen & Paula Froehle--co-founders of the Chicago Media Project--talk about their latest films: A Concerto is a Conversation , Crip Camp and Allen v. Farrow . Concerto and Crip Camp are up for Oscars. A...

Historians Elliot Gorn & Rosemary Feuer are part of a campaign to memorialize Mother Jones, the great 20th century labor leader and radical. Chicago has a history has of radical union and organizing efforts that's largely been forgotten. Is it too controversial to pay tribute to a radical leader? Gorn & Feurer discuss... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

March 20, 2019 was the day. Ben was riffing on Trump trashing McCain and our Elizabeth Warren poll results, In These Times Writer Miles Kampf-Lassin talks the 2019 Runoffs AND 38th Ward Alderman/Trump voter Nick Sposato joins us for one hell of an interview. Click the link and 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 .

President of the Chicago Principals Association Troy LaRaviere returns to evaluate the condition of public schools in the wake of their pandemic reopening. The evaluation shows big differences between schools in white and Black communities. Also, on a totally unrelated topic...turns out Troy's an exceedingly knowledgeable fan of Prince. Thus, the great debate: What are the greatest Prince songs of all time? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://...

Sun-Times editor/columnist Rummana Hussain returns to riff on everything from Allen v. Farrow to the Chicago City Council. Ben makes a confession--yes, he loved Woody Allen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .