Take 1 with Bill Cameron

This week, Bill played testimony from a current US Supreme Court case involving the former mayor of Portage, Indiana, James Snyder. He was convicted of corruption. The Supreme Court could rule in favor of Snyder and that could affect the trial of Mike Madigan, and could affect the convictions of the ComEd 4 and Ed Burke. This week on the reporter roundtable with Greg Hinz, Heather Cherone, Dave St...

This week, Bill is joined by Stacy Davis Gates, the President of the Chicago Teachers Union. The CTU contract expires on June 30th, what are she and the teachers asking for in negotiations? The reporter roundtable with Greg Hinz, Heather Cherone, Dave Stewart and Ray Long discussed the Bears proposal for a new domed stadium on the lakefront. Does this have any chance of happening soon? Pro-Palesti...

Former Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley turns 82 on Wednesday, April 24th. Bill plays audio highlights of Daley's funniest and most memorable moments in office. The reporter roundtable with Heather Cherone, Dave Stewart, Ray Long and Greg Hinz discussed the police officers that shot and killed Dexter Reed, did they follow correct protocol? There's a SCOTUS case that may be helping out Mike Madiga...

This week Bill is joined by Chicago Tribune reporter Gregory Royal Pratt, whose new book, "The City Is Up for Grabs: How Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Led and Lost a City in Crisis", is out now. They discuss Lightfoot's rocky relationship with the media during her one term as Chicago Mayor. Pratt also talks about some of the reasons Lori Lightfoot didn't even make the runoff in the mayoral election...

Illinois' senior Senator Dick Durbin is Bill's guest this week on Take 1. Durbin talks about Donald Trump, what Israel has to change in their war with Hamas and why updating O'Hare Airport is essential. He also discusses the Bears and White Sox potential new stadiums and whether they should be taxpayer-funded, and whether or not he will run for re-election in 2026. The reporter roundtable with Hea...

This week, Bill talks with sports reporter Cheryl Raye-Stout about Chicago's sports teams and why they are so bad right now. Cheryl is a little more optimistic about the Bears, Blackhawks and Cubs. Also, are the taxpayers willing to pay up to help the Bears and White Sox build new stadiums? The reporter roundtable with Heather Cherone, Dave Stewart, Ray Long and Greg Hinz discussed some of the los...

Bill Cameron talks to Mike Quigley, the U.S. representative for Illinois's 5th congressional district.  Congressman Quigley updates us on world issues including the wars in Ukraine, and Gaza.  While election results from the primaries are not complete, the important contests are reviewed including the failure by Chicago Mayor, Brandon Johnson to tax property transfers over $1 million to generate f...

Last week Bill talked with Clayton Harris III, this week he interviews Harris's opponent for the Democratic nomination for Cook County State's Attorney in the Illinois Primary, Eileen O'Neill Burke. She talks about why she is the best candidate for the position and swats away all of Harris's attacks on her. Eileen O'Neill Burke says she is a change away from Kim Foxx while Harris will be more of t...

This week Bill was joined by Clayton Harris III who is a Democrat running for Cook County State's Attorney in the Illinois Primary Election on March 19th. He is taking on Eileen O'Neill Burke, who will be Bill's next week on Take 1. Harris talked why he should be the one to replace Kim Foxx and accused O'Neill Burke of taking money from far right-wing groups. In the reporter roundtable with Heathe...

This week Bill Cameron talks with former Chicago Mayoral candidate, Chicago Public Schools CEO, and Mayor Daley's Budget Director.  Vallas currently serves as an advisor to the Illinois Policy Institute.  It's been almost a year since Brandon Johnson defeated sitting Mayor, Lori Lightfoot and run-off candidate Vallas to take the 5th floor Mayor's office... Vallas comments on how he feels Johnson i...

This week Bill Cameron talks with Patrick Wohl, author of the new book  Down Ballot: How a Local Campaign Became a National Referendum on Abortion .  In the book, Patrick details a 1990, suburban Chicago race for the Republican Party nomination for state representative between Penny Pullen and Rosemary Mulligan which unexpectedly became a national proxy battle over abortion in the United States.  ...

It was February 18th, 2018, that former President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of convicted former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. So Bill decided to go into his audio archives and play the best quotes from Blago's time as Illinois Governor. The reporter roundtable with Ray Long, Greg Hinz, Heather Cherone and Dave Stewart talked about the sentencing of Mike Madigan's longtime Chief of St...

You always hear what Illinois Democrats are up to since they run Springfield, so this week on Take 1, you get a chance to listen to the top Republican in the Illinois Senate. Bill Cameron spoke with John Curran, the minority leader in the State Senate. Curran talks the migrant crisis, whether Donald Trump belongs on the ballot in Illinois and what the problems are with the Illinois DCFS and much m...

This week, Bill is joined by Emma Tai from the Bring Chicago Home Campaign. They are aiming to put a referendum on the March Primary Ballot that would increase the real estate transfer tax for properties worth more than $1 million. That money would then go towards helping the homeless in Chicago. It has been called the "mansion tax." Emma talks about the details of the plan and why it is needed in...

Saturday, January 27 is Holocaust Remembrance Day and this week Bill plays some archival audio from the late Fritzie Fritzshall, a Holocaust survivor from Skokie, Illinois. Also hear from the US Holocaust Museum Director and another story of a Holocaust survivor. In the reporter roundtable with Greg Hinz, Heather Cherone, Ray Long and Dave Stewart, they discuss the Chicago City Council arguing abo...

This week, Bill is joined by the Better Government Association President and CEO David Greising. Now that Ed Burke and the "ComEd 4" have been convicted of corruption, will politicians stop stealing? Well, probably not according to David Greising. The White Sox are reportedly considering building a new stadium in the South Loop and may want government subsidies to fund it. Is public funding for sp...

This week Bill is joined by McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally. He is also the new president of the Illinois States Attorney’s Association. Kenneally talked about how the SAFE-T Act has negatively effected McHenry County. Also, is legal marijuana a good idea? He talks a bit about the presidential election and other issues in Illinois. The reporter round-table with Heather Cherone, D...

This week, Bill Cameron talks with Beth Brown, Pastor of Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church and interim commissioner of the City of Chicago Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.  They discuss the current immigrant crisis which the pastor describes as an "immigrant opportunity" and how the city of Chicago is handling the situation.  Brown also feels that the city should be direct...

The first Mayor Daley, Richard J. Daley, died 47 years ago on December 20th. Bill Cameron went into his archives to find the best audio of one of the most powerful political figures in the 20th century from Bill's time covering Daley. Hear his funniest, angriest and most memorable lines and rants. Ed Burke was an alderman when Daley was mayor and his corruption trial wrapped up this week. The roun...

This week, welcome back John Dempsey who this week interviews author Dennis Foley, a guy who writes books about Chicago. His new book "Feloniously Yours: A Memoir" is out now. It is the fifth book written by Foley, who grew up on the south side of Chicago. Hear about his life growing up on the south side and how he almost died getting stabbed when he was 15 and his many other near-death experience...

This week Bill talks with Eileen O'Neill Burke, former prosecutor, defense attorney and appellate court justice... Burke is now a candidate in the race for Cook County State's Attorney.  She outlines her platform which includes some changes to the way the office is currently being run by Kim Foxx, who is not seeking re-election.  The round-table with Greg Hinz, Heather Cherone, Ray Long and Dave S...

This week, Bill remembers Chicago's first African American Mayor, Harold Washington. He died the day before Thanksgiving in 1987. Listen to some of Harold Washington's best and funniest soundbites from his time as Chicago Mayor. On the reporter round-table with Heather Cherone, Dave Stewart, Ray Long and Greg Hinz, they discuss Brandon Johnson's budget which relies more on fines from Chicago citiz...

This week, Bill is joined by Brad Dietz, Vice President, Government Relations and Strategy for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. What is it like to be a business in the City of Chicago with some of the recent ordinances have passed that many view as anti-business? That includes the recent guaranteed time off ordinance and the referendum on the March Primary ballot that would raise the so-called...

This week we hear from Chicago's only president, Barack Obama. He is tackling the issue of income inequality in a recent speech he gave for the Obama Foundation. In the round-table with Heather Cherone, Dave Stewart, Greg Hinz and Ray Long, they discuss turmoil in the Chicago City Council. One alderman tried to block another alderwoman from entering the chambers. Why are things so heated? Also, is...

This week, Bill Cameron talks with one of the candidates for Cook County State's Attorney, Democrat Clayton Harris III. Kim Foxx is stepping down after this term and Harris explains his case to take over for her. Cameron and Clayton discuss crime in Cook County including retail theft, gangs, and he feels about the SAFE-T Act. The round-table with Ray Long, Greg Hinz, Heather Cherone and Dave Stewa...