Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast

Newcomer Christian Maxwell declared for Congress in Illinois 1st District. Can she unseat Jonathan Jackson? Panelists with Contrarian quiz the aspiring GOP candidate ahead of the March 17 primary.

In a surprise decision, the Board of Education severed its contract with a search firm hired to vet candidates for the CEO of CPS. Six BOE members asserted the move was done to prevent Mayor Johnson from interfering with the search to replace Dr. Macquline King. With speculation running wild, the White House intends to order ICE back to Chicago, Paul Vallas has ideas for the Trump Administration t...

Superintendent of Police Larry Snelling's public comments on interfering with lawful police business. Jordan Powell writes of the impact of his words nationwide and his tenure leading CPD. Mayor Johnson issued an Executive Order last week, which led to SA Eileen O'Neill Burke denying her office supported his action. Was Johnson lying? Probably. The recent OIG report on the CPS over the last year w...

A new federal program promises $1 billion in scholarship money is on the table for Illinois' schools. Will Mayor Johnson and Governor Pritzker take it to improve Chicago's schools? Mayor Johnson traveled to Washington, D.C. this week for a National Press Club event. His comments were only directed at Trump. The mayor falsely claimed federal agents were directed by the White House to "shoot and kil...

An Inspector General report in early January detailed a wide range of improper conduct, perhaps criminal, among CPS employees. Will authorities finally take action? The CTU was finally exposed for filing misleading annual audit reports after an independent auditor concluded the union omitted the activities of two foundations under the union's supervision. Is the CTU's day of reckoning coming? Are...

Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot has launched her "ICE Accountability Project. How effective will her effort be and what is behind it? The trial of an alleged gang member charged with orchestrating an   attempted assassination of ICE Commander Greg Bovino suffers a defeat. AFter a contentious budget debate, Mayor Johnson warns layoffs could come to city government by summer. Is this possible? We'll dis...

A BOE meeting in late December, board members voted overwhelmingly to raise the levy limit to take in another $40M. Why was the levy limit raised after the CPS received $552M in TIF funds? Following the vote, BOE president Sean Harden fumed over leaks to media over the vote. An investigation was launched. After federal agents fatally shot a woman interfering with immigration enforcement in Minneap...

Chicago finally reaches a budget deal, but Mayor Johnson refuses to sign. Why is the mayor refusing to endorse a budget deal which gave him 98 percent of what he sought? Cook County Board of Review's Samantha Steele is at the center of another controversy.  Steele's challenger, Liz Nicholson has leveled the accusation Steele attempted to lure Nicholson to drop her bid in exchange for a County job....

In a rebuke to Mayor Johnson, aldermen have passed a budget counterproposal without the Head Tax. Will Johnson veto the budget and shut down city government? Long-time County Board president Toni Preckwinkle released her first campaign video attacking Ald. Brendan Reilly as a MAGA Republican and Trump ally. Will the charge dog Reilly? After a ghastly attack on the CTA, the Trump White House threat...

Now stretching into its sixth week, the budget stalemate is dragging on. Which side will blink first? Will aldermen with a budget counterproposal cave and allow the mayor to prevail? Can aldermen avoid any defections to prevent the job-killing Head Tax? A federal judge has ruled Cook County's sale tax was unconstitutional.  Will Cook County now be on the hook for a massive settlement? The NAARPR h...

The embattled Chicago Teachers Union is facing new scrutiny. After five years of refusing to release the Audit Reports, the U. S. House Committee. The Education and the Workforce Committee is requesting that the CTU turn over the long-sought reports. The CTU has pledged to cooperate. Will the union comply with the House? It's been one year since Eileen O'Neill Burke took over as Cook County State'...

Another mass shooting downtown, Chicago's 62nd, ruins the annual Christmas tree lighting event. Chicago leaders were aware of the teen gathering for the event. Did political leaders do enough to prevent the shooting? How did Mayor Johnson react? The good folks at WBEZ published an article revealing an increase in Chicago Police pointing their weapons at people. Is this a problem? With CPD sufferin...

Mayor Johnson suffered a humiliating defeat when the Finance Cmte. overwhelmingly rejected his tax package. The mayor was defiant after the loss and placed the onus for a solution on aldermen. Will aldermen cave, find a compromise, or will there be a stalemate? After a horrific crime on the CTA, questions about a secure, safe public transit system have reemerged. The mayor insists a repeat offende...

An OIG report revealed CPS employees spent freely on unnecessary trips. Why would CPS employees need to travel abroad? Is this waste, fraud, and abuse the norm at the district? As federal agents reduce their footprint in Chicago, a controversy has developed over what impact their presence had on crime in the city. Have federal agents contributed to lower crime rates? The GOP is essentially non- ex...

NYC voted in a socialist to the mayor's office. What are the parallels between Mayor Johnson and Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani? After four terms in the U.S. House, 4th District congressman, Chuy Garcia, will step down. A dark-of-the-night decision, Chuy anointed a top staffer to succeed him. Was Chuy citing health concerns legitimate or did the Little Village congressman deceive voters? What did Chuy...

Mayor Brandon Johnson objected to the use of the term "illegal alien" at a press conference last weekend. After rebuking the reporter, Johnson followed days later by invoking slavery. What is Johnson's purpose? Students at two Chicago public schools staged a walkout last week over ICE immigration operations in Chicago. Where would students, some as young as 14, get the idea to protest a political...

On today's episode, panelists will explore the meaning behind the "No Kings" rally in Chicago. What was the purpose, if any, and how many truly showed. Governor JB Pritzker poured cold water all over Mayor Johnson's proposed Head Tax. The governor, who is no fan of Chicago, claimed it's a job killer. Is Mr. Pritzker on to something? Chicago Teachers Union Grand Poohbah Stacy Davis Gates was electe...

Mayor Johnson unveiled his 2026 budget, the "Protecting Chicago" spending plan. Unsurprisingly, the budget is awash in tax increases. How will his proposals impact residents and businesses? The mayor has often stated his progressive policies are the singular reason for reductions in crime. While crime has fallen, the drops to crime Chicago has experienced began in January 2025.  Are Mayor Johnson'...

The Chicago City Council weighed a resolution calling for an apology for slavery. In Paul Vallas' reasoned response, the former mayoral candidate says if any apology is to be delivered, it should be Democrats offering contrition for policies which have crushed Chicago's black community. ICE agents were assaulted by anti-ICE activists. What unfolded was the norm for progressive lawmakers: Denial of...

The Chicago Teacher Union memorialized a convicted cop killer on its official X account. The union faced a heated backlash but did not delete the message. Chicago media is in the midst of publishing a cascade of pro-illegal immigration articles. How much influence does Chicago media have in shaping public opinion on this issue? Danny Davis will leave his seat in Congress in January 2027. For the f...

Restaurants in Chicago are suffering. A major part of the city's economy, what is provoking the decline? The industry barely recovered post-COVID. Is there a pathway for restaurants to flourish again? Last week, Mayor Johnson defined law enforcement a "sickness. " What did the mayor mean? Was the mayor misunderstood, caught in an unscripted moment, or was the mayor revealing his true view of polic...

The Financial Future Task Force has submitted its recommendations to solve Chicago's yawning budget gap. What are the suggestions the task force advanced? Are Contrarian's panelists surprised with the proposals? Paul Vallas wrote an essay on media bias in reporting on Chicago Police. Is the Chicago media biased in its reporting on law enforcement issues? Who are the worst offenders? How does this...

After 24 years leading Cook County Courts, Timothy Evans was unseated as chief judge by fellow judges. What is the significance of his ouster? What changes can be expected with new leadership over Cook County courts? 42nd Ward alderman, Brendan Reilly, announced his campaign to challenge Toni Preckwinkle for president of the Cook County Board. Preckwinkle vulnerable? What does Reilly need to do to...

In response to President Trump considering sending the National Guard to Chicago, Democratic lawmakers respond. We will discuss how Gov. Pritzker, Mayor Johnson and state Democratic leaders reacted. The CTU is up to no good again. The union is now floating the idea of remote learning in response to federal agents arriving in Chicago.  Is remote learning necessary? How will it work? The race to rep...

After a marathon meeting, the Board of Education passes a budget opposed by the CTU. With the passage of the budget, who were the winners and losers in the budget battle? M3 Strategies' new poll reveals Chicago residents are opposed to the National Guard, but a majority of black and Hispanicresidents want federal agents conducting law-enforcement operations here.  How does this poll conflict with...