Episodes

New school board prez loves Mayor Johnson. Ben riffs. Delmarie Cobb addresses voter attitudes toward women. Will voters overcome their fears and elect a woman president? Flashbacks to Hillary. The Liz Cheney strategy. And a word or two about north side white liberals. They’re aghast! And they’re th…

With just a few days before the election, David Faris considers the possibility of American democracy turning into a dystopian horror show. Already you can see the billionaires making the same calculations. Like Jeff Bezos, trying to win over Trump by ordering the Post not to endorse Kamala. And t…

Having already denigrated and hated on Blacks, Mexicans, Jews, and Haitians, MAGA turns in Puerto Ricans. Omar Torres-Kortright talks about Puerto Rico’s connection to the mainland. What MAGA is up to by hating on Puerto Ricans. How Puerto Rican voters will respond. And more. Omar is an activist an…

Chicago wakes up to realize Mayor Johnson broke the property tax promise he should never have made. Ben riffs. Adolfo Mondragon talks about the psychology of voters supporting politicians who denigrate them. Also, the Don Rickles impact on MAGA. And the Musk ask—what will he want from Donny in exch…

Tens of thousands of people turn out in Washington to hear Kamala. Ben riffs. Monroe chimes in. The talk turns to the gender gap. What’s a matter with men? Does Washington Post columnist Brian Broome have a point? And what will the world look like when we record next Wednesday’s show? See Privacy…

MAGA denigrates Puerto Ricans at Trump rally in New York. Ben riffs. Jacob Kaplan riffs. And then it's the deep dive on the presidential election. Including, though not limited to, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, Nebraska. Yes, Nebraska. C'mon, rookies, you can learn from Jacob, one of …

David Faris talks swing states. That is, the concept that only seven states matter in the presidential election and how everything else that follows is insane. As in the media's coverage of MAGA's reaction to hurricanes And the tribal identities of Blue versus Red. And...oh, just listen. Also, a lo…

Trump sways to music in what was a bizarre campaign moment, even for Trump. Ben riffs. Pollster Jason McGrath tells you everything you need to know about the polls. They're guideposts, nothing more or less. Please don't hate the messenger even if you hate his message. And if you want to know who's …

Jeff Bezos spikes the Washington Post’s editorial endorsing Kamala Harris. Looks like Trump scared him off, just like he apparently scared Jamie Dimon. Rummana Hussain talks about the limitations of our so-called free press. Rummana is an editorial writer/columnist for the Sun-Times. Her views are …

Jamie Dimon is afraid to endorse Kamala Harris. Ben riffs. Miles Kampf-Lassin gives some last minute advice to the Dems. Not that they will listen. Also, imagine if the mainstreams covered corporate greed like they cover Mayor Johnson. Miles is an editor/writer for In These Times. See Privacy Pol…

President Obama channels Eminem—that’s how bad he wants to beat Trump. Ben riffs. Monroe on polls and predictions. And John Kelly calling Trump a fascist. Is Sean right? Everyone wants to be a swing voter. Just as everyone talks like a pundit. The Central Park 5 take it to court. Will Monroe chann…

With fascism at the gates, the feds start prosecuting Michael Madigan. Ben riffs. And Maya Dukmasova talks justice. Or at least judges. As she previews Injustice Watch’s guide to judges. A very entertaining and enlightening view of how judges got to the bench and what they did once they got there. …

Apparently having nothing better to do, the city council wages a revolt on behalf of ShotSpotter. Ben riffs. Denali Dasgupta talks about the aldermanic love for tech bros, technology, privatization and “magical thinking”. That is, the belief that a device peddled by a clever salesman will magically…

Desperate to scare enough white voters to vote him back to the White House, Trump hates on Haitians. Lynn Toussaint gives a primer on Haiti, its history with the USA, what Trump is up to by making up lies about Haitians and other immigrants and more. Including, an answer to the Marvin Gaye question…

Jack White tries hard not to be gaslit by the madness of the closing days of the campaign. But it's hard not to when MAGA is calling on demonic spirits to defeat Kamala Harris. And the press is no help. And the polls are misleading. And we shouldn't trust the polls. But we're obsessed with them. An…

Polls show that voters prefer Kamala’s economic policies over Trump’s, provided they don’t know which is which. Ben riffs. Meredith Shiner explicates and annotates her recent essay on Ta’Nahesi Coates and the mainstream media. Also, a few words about Republican pundits giving advice to Democrats. …

Kamala goes on FOX where she gets asked the deplorable question. Ben riffs. Ben Head makes a pitch for Operation Swing State. And then Laurie Glenn talks about the fragile state of democracy and civility on the eve of the election. It’s a scary time for sure. Laurie is a political and communication…

Voters are feeling very transactional as Election Day approaches. Ben riffs. Monroe talks Trump’s visit to Chicago and offers his insights on the contradictory mindset of rich capitalists who’re voting MAGA even if MAGA policies hurt their businesses. Then he chides Ben for being too critical of Ch…

JD Vance whines because Margaret Brennan wanted him to tell the truth. Ben riffs. Curtis Lawrence talks journalism in the post-truth era, when Trump and Vance believe they should be able to say whatever they want. Even if they’re lying. Also, the Lu Palmer legacy. And the Abe Peck legacy. And refle…

Jack White explains how Trump leads the mainstream media around like they’re little puppy dogs. Mainly the Washington Post and the NYT. It got so bad Jack stopped reading both—cold turkey. Jack White knows a thing or two about the mainstreams. He was a writer for years for Time and the Post. See …

Turns out the Bible’s Trump is hawking to his cultists are made in China. Ironies abound. Rummana Hussain and Ben discuss them all. Then it’s time for the deep dive into Chicago’s media—is the City Hall press corps as biased against Mayor Johnson as Ben was against Mayor Rahm? Rummana is an editori…

Kim Collins analyzes President Obama’s vote-for-Kamala speech in Pittsburgh. Was he scolding Black men? Does scolding work? Have the Democrats overlooked their base? Then it’s on to Chicago where Mayor Johnson is battling just about everyone over the schools. Kina is a west side activist and former…

Looks like it’s down to Texas to hold senate for Dems. Ben riffs. Pat Whalen delivers his theory on their litigation of politics. Has Mayor Johnson lost the north side? One answer—yes. Other answer—can’t lose what you never had. Also, MAGA censors abortion rights group in Florida. Is free speech ju…

Trying to figure out how to pay for schools, CPS and CTU discover TIF. That’s a lot of acronyms. Ben riffs. Dan P returns to talk climate change. In particular, MAGA’s contradictory attitude regarding the impact of humans on climate. They don’t believe there is an impact when it comes to heating up…