Episodes

In news of the weird, clueless ICE agents round up Native Americans on the grounds that they’re illegal aliens who have to be deported to the country they came from. Ben riffs. Heidi Henry gives an update on politics in the Heartland. Data center passes for development. A toxic radium site still not cleaned up. An out-of-touch Democratic Party. And on the positive side—Kevin Ryan got it right. Heidi is one of the founders of Illinois Valley Indivisible, a horse trainer and a proud leftie.

So much news to discuss, and so little time to discuss it. So Ben and Dr Dive get right down to it. Bears beat Packers. Indiana makes its move for the Bears. Packers fan Mike Quigley dips his toe into the mayoral waters. For mayor of Fond du Lac? No, Chicago. Yes, he loves Matt LaFleur but he wants to be mayor of Ben Johnson City. Will he take the plunge? As long as Mayors Daley or Rahm aren’t running, he just might. JB meets the media. And more…

MAGA Senator Lindsey Graham momentarily told the truth about Trump’s election lie—and he was under oath. Ben riffs. Kevin Ryan returns! Talks campaign spending reform, reining in Trump’s military powers, why some voters “hate” Democrats, why ICE should be abolished. Also, his thoughts on religion and politics. A Marine Corps veteran and school teacher, Kevin is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

On the eve of the NFL playoffs, Congressman Mike Quigley announces he plans to run for mayor of Chicago and he’s rooting for Green Bay to beat the Bears. Ben riffs. George and Alejandro Verdin—uncle and nephew—welcome Ben to Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles. Where they sit at a back table in the El Tepeyac Cafe and talk all things politics. Including the rise of L.A.’s Chicano movement, the ICE invasion, and who is the godfather of Hispanic politics in Los Angeles. Hint, it’s not George, despit...

The new year was supposed to be better, so let’s hope it’s just a case of things always being darkest before the dawn. Ben riffs. David Faris on the murder by ICE of Renee Nicole Good, Venezuela lunacy, and the upcoming midterms. The sad statement of Trump’s regime—“people are eager to be told what to do by a strong man.” David is a political science professor at Roosevelt University and a columnist for The Nation. His views are his own.

A few days after Stephen Miller says Trump can do what he wants cause “the real world” is “governed by force,” ICE shoots and kills Renee Nicole Good and then lies about what happened. Ben riffs. Denali Dasgupta returns to talk about Venezuela, Minnesota, the performance of power (as opposed to the exercise of power), and why Ben should stop watching state-run TV. Also, a few words about Zootopia 2 and corporate America. Denali is an activist in Chicago.

Stephen Miller—Trump’s Rasputin—says if Boss Donnie wants to take Greenland, he will take it and no one can stop him cause might is right and that’s how the real world works. Ben riffs. Sam Fuqua gives the state of the state—Colorado, that is. Meet Tina Peters, Jared Polis, and Lauren Boebert (well, you already know her). Hear about Trump’s might-is-right retaliation, pulling federal money for a water project, unless Colorado releases Peters from jail. Sam is a longtime newsman in Colorado.

After Trump kidnaps Maduro, the NYT takes a stand against swallowing government handouts. Ben riffs. Adolfo Mondragon runs through all of the justifications concocted by Trump’s operatives for the invasion and kidnapping. Drugs? Please. The Monroe Doctrine? Stop. Restoring democracy? Ha, ha, ha. Also, will MAGA fall in line even though they’re supposed to be against regime change wars? And what would George Carlin say? Let’s listen. Adolfo is a lawyer in Chicago and an expert on gangster movies....

The Sun-Times decides it’s a good idea to illustrate a front-page story about Chicago’s declining murder rate with a picture of police investigating a murder. Ben riffs. State Senator Graciela Guzman breaks down the significance of Mayor Mamdani’s inauguration. Including…Mandy Patinkin singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow. The Jadakiss shoutout. The pledge to govern as a Democratic Socialist. The Bernie Sanders torch pass. And why We Gonna Make It is her favorite song by Jadakiss. That’s the one t...

Seymour Hersh documentary shows how much has changed and how much has stayed the same over the last 60 years. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson explains how some rules of journalism are not written down. But reporters know enough to follow them just the same. Also, Tina Peters is MAGA’s Joan of Arc. What Jesse Jackson meant when he told Monroe—I want you to be my friend. And will the Bears move to Gary? Hint…no way.

A new year’s arrived, but Ben would rather talk about an old one—1963. So onto the show comes Peter Orner to discuss The Gossip Columnist’s Daughter, his latest novel. It tells the story of the death of Cookie Kupcinet, daughter of Kup, a legendary Sun-Times gossip columnist and TV host. Was it suicide or murder? What role, if any, did Sidney Korshak play? It’s also a tale about the complicity of “honorable” men in the corruption of Chicago. Great book. Listen to the show and run out to read it.

Marjorie Taylor Greene repents—sorta. Ben riffs. Jim Coogan talks law. The Tina Peters case in Colorado. Does Trump have the legal authority to pardon a convict who’s convicted in state court? And the Judge Hannah Dugan case in Wisconsin. Should Judge Dugan be punished for an act of civil disobedience against a violation of state rights? Finally, a few words about Jim’s beloved “hook ‘n ladder” Bears. Jim is managing partner of Coogan Gallagher.

The senate approves Trump’s $900 billion military budget—that’s billion with a B. Ben riffs. Dan Tully takes his stand against the Trump-Hegseth military agenda. The illegal war against Venezuela. And the politicization of the military, trying to turn our troops into soldiers for MAGA. Dan is a major in the Army Reserve and a Democratic candidate for Congress in the 8th congressional district.

Bari Weiss bows to Boss Donnie and takes 60 Minutes down with her. Ben riffs. Ishan Daya gives you the scoop on this year’s budget. The Head Tax the council shoulda passed versus the dumbass Debt Sale they did pass. The budge is as bad as a Tribune editorial, making the council the Tribune Caucus. Ishan is co-executive director for the Institute for the Public Good.

What better way to celebrate Christmas then with Muslims and Jews. Ben riffs. Almas and Rummana discuss Christmas from a non-practitioner’s perspective, Sean Combs, Epstein, Trump, Bubba, Bill Maher, MTG and her incredibly lame boyfriend and Mamdani. Rummana is, of course, a Sun-Times columnist and Almas is a private eye and “the forgotten Hussain sister.”

Sorry, Bears fans, but there’s only one Iceman in Chicago. Ben riffs. Ashonta Rice tells the tale of the bizarre election law that got her kicked off the ballot for not keeping her divorced husband’s name when she ran for office. Thus, a law that insults voters and demeans women. Heckuva job, Illinois lawmakers. Ashonta Rice is running for circuit court judge in Cook County.

Ben and Dr D tell it like it is on a week’s worth of news, including…Madigan and MAGA, Mayor Johnson and the alders, Garcia and Garcia, and the Bears and Indiana. As the Bears threaten to move out of state in search of the biggest public handout for their new stadium. Also, a letter from a listener compels Ben to make a no-dumb pledge. And the on-going debate over the Mount Rushmore of f-bombs and comedians. Hint, everybody loves Rodney!

Americans love a con man. Ben riffs. Jack White agrees, sorta. More like America loves to be entertained. And with that, Jack runs down the “cornucopia of bullshit” dished out by Trump and his lackeys on a daily basis. Is it possible that Trump will have a Scrooge like conversion on Christmas Eve? If so, will Roy Cohn be his Marley? Jack is a former columnist and editor at Time.

A deranged Trump blames Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner for getting murdered. Ben riffs. Pedro Lira reports from Texas. Will Republicans pick up 5 congressional seats through gerrymandering? Or will their machinations work against them? What does it take to get rural Texans to vote Democratic? The dangers of pipe dreams. And a quick look at Crockett v Talarico in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Pedro is state director for the Texas Working Families Party.

As we prepare to record, word breaks of senseless slaughter at a Chanukah festival in Australia. Ben riffs. State Representative Kam Buckner joins him. Ensuing topics include Hoosier redistricting, head tax v property tax, transit bill and Bears beat Browns to set up next week’s game against Packers. Kam loves the Bears DGAF attitude. A few words about park district bologna sandwiches. Kam is a state representative from the 26th district and a former defensive lineman for the Fighting Illini and...

A federal grand jury says sorry, Donnie when it comes to prosecuting Letitia James. Ben riffs. And Maya returns! To talk about her epic profile of Cook County Judge Timothy Evans, one of the most important local politicians in recent history. He went from Machine alderman to Mayor Washington’s floor leader to one of the reasons Richard M Daley got elected mayor to Chief Judge and the unlikely criminal justice “reformer,” if such a word can ever be used in relation to Cook County. Maya is a write...

Michael Madigan goes Blago—pleading with Trump for mercy. Ben riffs. Monroe considers the case of Mamdani. When should Dems defer to Trump? Should Mayor Johnson be more like Mamdani? And what to make about Trump’s hate of Somalia? A few words about Brian Glenn, MTG’s boyfriend, who’s torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool.

Trump ends the War on Drugs for those who kiss his ass. Ben riffs. Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle takes us from A to Z on recent US policy toward Honduras. Starting with the coup of 2009 and continuing to Trump’s commutation of Juan Orlando Hernandez’s sentence for drug trafficking. It’s a sickening spectacle. Matt is an interpreter and human rights activist.

MAGA weighs in on bombing boats and killing people in the Caribbean. Ben riffs. Sarah Bingaman—Western Illinois’s voice of the people—returns to describe the challenge of building a Democratic base in rural Illinois. You have to listen to people. Don’t be needlessly argumentative. You’d be surprised by what you have in common. And for goodness sakes, don’t assume you will lose—you can win! Sarah is a political activist in Lee County.