The Ben Joravsky Show

Thursday May 16, 2019: Bill de Blasio come on down, you're the next 2020 POTUS candidate! Mayor Rahm and casinos in Chicago. Sun-Times Editor Evan Moore on the news of the day and his Go Defenders podcast. Lightfoot's to do list in her first 100 days as mayor, Union Woman Kim Ortiz AND President of the American Federation of Government Employees, Nicole Cantello. Download Thursday's Ben Joravksy S...

Sun-Times editor/columnist Rummana Hussain talks about 9/11, white liberals, the new anti-abortion law in Texas, and other issues of the day. She poses the question: If it's white Christians who have outlawed abortion in Texas, why do so many white liberals call it Texas Taliban--as though Muslims did the outlawing? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...

Ben & Dr. D. riff on a week's worth of news, including...There's a new candidate for governor in the Republican primary. Meet Jesse "Sully" Sullivan, who is going to try to be the first resident of California to be elected governor of Illinois. How is that possible? Also, they take the deep dive on the other Republicans in the race. All of whom are looking the other way at the new law in Texas...

Another Republican is set to run against Governor Pritzker. Ben riffs. City Council Finance Committee Chief of Staff Anne Emerson talks about the abusive language of Alderman Jim Gardiner. Some of which was directed at her. And attorney Adolfo Mondragon returns to talk about police and prosecutors and civil liberties and Bill Clinton and Mayor Rahm. El Dragon tells it like it is! See Privacy Polic...

Sun-Times reporter Evan Moore and freelance writer Jashvina Shah talk about their newly published book, Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It. They used to love the game. But it's racism, misogyny and violence eventually pushed them away. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Last night was the opening episode of Ryan Murphy's ten-part saga on Clinton & Lewinsky. Ben asks who's more deceitful: Bill Clinton or Donald Trump? Monroe Anderson's answer: Trump! Political strategist Jason Lee returns to discuss the madness in his home state of Texas. Will Republicans be rewarded at the ballot box for essentially outlawing abortion? And then Jason discusses the rift betwee...

Political science professor David Faris takes the deep dive on the tragic absurdity of the United States' 20-year war in Afghanistan. Starting with 9/11 and going through Biden's withdrawal. Actually, he starts with the Soviet invasion in 1979. Like I said--the deep dive. Must listening, if you want to know... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https:/...

Dr. D saves the day. Ben riffs. Political activist Bruce Williams returns with his analysis of California's governor recall election. Bottom line--looking good for Democrats. And attorney Jim Coogan breaks down the abortion law in Texas, the Supreme Court's ruling on that law and what it means going forward. And while he's here, one brief word about the White Sox. See Privacy Policy at https://art...

May 29, 2019: Robert Mueller has spoken. What happened at Lori Lightfoot's first City Council meeting? Legendary Chicago Journalist Monroe Anderson and Host of "Humanity in the Headlines" Atiba Buchanan talk Mueller, Trump and more AND it's our favorite grassroots activist Amisha Patel of Grassroots Collaborative with her mystery guest talk the latest on their Lincoln Yards lawsuit. Download Wedne...

Ben & Dr. D riff on the week’s news. Including, though not limited to, the opening of school, bullies in the City Council and anti-vaxxers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The Supreme Court lets Texas get away with basically outlawing abortion. Ben riffs. And firefighter Sam Holloway returns to talk about the "astro-turf" rebellion against vaccine mandates. Also, Miles Kampf-Lassin on the pitchfork rebellion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Sun-Times columnist/editor Rummana Hussain confronts the issue: How do you respond to an anti-vaxxer who says something absurd? Do you shame them? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The Republican hypocrisy is so outrageous you have to laugh. Ben riffs. And Monroe Anderson returns to talk anti-covid madness. And then he sticks around to join Delmarie Cobb and Norman Solomon as they debate whether Mayor Rahm should be approved as ambassador to Japan. Delmarie and Norman are leaders in the movement against Rahm. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Pri...

A pro-liberty revolt is brewing against mandating the vax. Ben asks--where were these lovers of liberty when the government was making them take drug tests? And Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, returns to talk school opening, masking and vaccine policies and educational "reformers". Also, a little Bulls talk... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal...

In These Times writer, Sarah Lazare talks about Testimony, the recently published novel she wrote based on a first draft her father, Peter Lazare, left behind after he had died. It's a dark mystery dealing with sleazy utility company magnates and corrupt regulators. And, well, if you want to know more, listen to Sarah talk to Ben about writing the novel, her father's legacy and the usefulness of p...

With the Bears about to, gulp, begin another season, we turned to V & V, our football experts to make predictions: Vincent E. Norment, President of the Marijuana Hall of Fame, and Victoria Williams, CEO of ACC of Illinois. Put it this way--they're a lot of more optimistic then Ben, who's cynical & jaded after too many years of watching wretched performances by the Bears. See Privacy Policy...

May 21, 2019: Lori Lightfoot's inauguration in review! Hosts of "Humanity in the Headlines" Atiba Buchanan and David Seaton talk Trump, Trump and Trump! Sun-Times Investigative Reporter Stephanie Zimmermann on her latest Watchdog car insurance rip-off investigation AND Host of "The Fight" Podcast Sergio Vicente talks how democrats can be better political fighters. Download Tuesday's Ben Joravsky S...

Oh What a Week: "A Mayor and her Policemen" See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

John Catanzara--president of the Fraternal Order of Police and one of Chicago's biggest Trump fans--compares mandatory vaccines to sending people to Nazi gas chambers. Sorry, MAGA, that's taking it too far. Ben riffs. In These Times journalist Sarah Lazare talks about the media and Afghanistan. Specifically, the habit of giving air time to the generals who got us into this war in the first place....

Ben discovers a copy of the Wall Street Journal on his front porch. His world will never be the same. Monroe Anderson asks: Does Trump control MAGA or does MAGA control Trump? And Miles Kampf-Lassin, editor of In These Times, has a question of his own: How can Democratic congressmen claim to be "moderate" when they're to the right of President Biden? Also, discussion of Afghanistan, budgets and va...

Ben returns from a vacation in MAGAVILLE only to discover--nothing's changed! Also, attorney Leonard Goodman talks about the Obama Center. And Juanita Irizarry, executive director of Friends of the Parks, talks about Amazon in the parks. Apparently, no one in charge of the park district knows what's going on in the parks. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...

Political science professor David Faris returns to talk about the upcoming governor's recall election in California. Somehow or other Democrats in the country's most progressive state have left the door open for a radical Trumper to replace Gavin Newsome as governor. David us leads us through each excruciating step. Also, the latest on the politics of COVID and the infrastructure showdown in Congr...

For years, John Schulian was an award-winning columnist for the Sun-Times. Then he essentially said, the hell with this. And went to Hollywood and made his name as an award-winning screen writer. He joins Ben to talk sports and politics and newspapers, among many other things. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-...

May 28, 2019: Pritzker's fair tax bill passed the house! Chicago Reader Columnist Maya Dukmasova returns to talk local politics. Sun-Times Reporter Tina Sfondeles gives us a Springfield legislation update and it's the long awaited return of the Illinois-Political-Know-It-Alls Jacob Kaplan and Dan Pogorzelski. Download Tuesday's Ben Joravsky Show! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

On August 3, Cook County Chief Judge Evans joined Maya Dukmasova and Ben at their monthly talk show at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia. Among the topics of discussion—are Mayor Lightfoot & Police Chief scapegoating judges for shootings in Chicago? Also, Evan’s talks about his days as Mayor Washington’s floor leader during Council Wars. And he has a thing or two to say about his old fourth ward r...