The Ben Joravsky Show

For the last few years, state Senator Rob Martwick's been one of the leading sponsors of legislation to turn the Chicago school board from mayoral appointed to voter elected. The House and Senate approved a bill to do just that. It now goes to Governor Pritzker to be signed. Will Chicago finally have an elected school board? Martwick talks about where the bill stands, what it took to get here, wha...

New York sets new standards for election incompetence, introducing the concept of dummy ballots. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson talks Bill Cosby and Nina Turner v. James Clybourn. And Jim Coogan joins Monroe for Trump corruption talk. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The papers are filled with stories about crime. And Ben has no answers. Even though he feels compelled to have some answers. And four days after taking the buy out from the Tribune, Eric Zorn interrupts his "retirement" to talk everything from the Tribune to newspapers to Mayor Lightfoot to John Kass to Trump to the Blackhawks sex scandal to other things I just can't remember now. Proving...the ma...

Sun-Times editor/columnist returns to talk about colorism in movies, bully bosses, In The Heights, the Cubs awful new uniforms and why random hipsters love the Sox. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Ben moderates a townhall meeting of north side activists with 48th ward Alderman Harry Osterman on the issue of a police oversight board. Or, more specifically: Will one be created in the face of opposition from Mayor Lightfoot? It doesn't look that way. But Osterman reminds optimistic and does his best to avoid saying anything critical of the mayor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy...

Mayor Lightfoot publicly bullies Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor. Even Mayors Daley & Rahm didn’t go that far—publicly. Ben riffs. Then Alderwoman Taylor returns to talk about what happened. And why she wants an apology from the mayor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Washington Post columnist Kevin Blackistone returns to talk about the effort to save The Chicago Reporter, a publication dedicated to improving race relations. Also, Kevin & Ben riff on the saga of Kwame Brown's fight against trash talking bullies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor goes toe to toe with Mayor Lightfoot. Ben riffs on it. Monroe Anderson & Miles Kampf-Lassin tag team on conversation about voting rights, NYC mayors race, lefty outreach to Black voters and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

President Obama cautions Dems to take what they can get on voting rights—which is nothing if they follow his advice. Ben riffs. Dennis Kosuth from the nurses union on a pending strike. And Alderman Raymond Lopez returns to talk crime, police oversight and the politics of dealing with Mayor Lightfoot. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com...

Political scientist David Faris returns to cover all the national news. Manchin, Sinema, AOC and more. Where are we going and what should Democrats do. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

May 7, 2019: Mitch McConnell, the Mueller Report and Illinois gets closer to recreational marijuana legalization. Chicago Reader Writer Maya Dukmasova and our dear friend Marc Sims returns AND it's all things Trump's legal woes with Ace Attorney Jim Coogan of Dwyer and Coogan. Download Tuesday's Ben Joravsky Show! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt...

Ben & Dr. D run through the week’s madness. That includes Mayor Lightfoot’s Jack Nicholson imitation, Bears make like Jackie Gleason, Dusable drive gate and much more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Chicago takes a step toward school board democracy and the Sears Tower gets so scared, it jumps into the lake. Ben explains. And Laurie Glenn and Juanita Irizarry return to talk about Dusable Drive, elected school board, the buyouts at the Tribune and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

As befits one of the world's smartest analysts of movies, Sergio Mims has an opinion on just about everything film-related. On the heels of last week's show about the best records of `71, Sergio takes the deep dive on the great movies of 1971. From French Connection ("racist") to Clockwork Orange ("ahead of its time") to Shaft ("overrated"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cali...

Eric Zorn takes the buyout at the Tribune. Ben takes it from there. Monroe Anderson talks Trump, Putin, and Biden. And Troy LaRaviere, president of the Chicago's Principals Association, talks critical race theory, anti-vaxxers, Eric Adams and collective bargaining rights for principals. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-no...

Mayor Lightfoot writes an email to staffers that’s straight out of The Shining. Or Pink Floyd. Ben riffs. Maya Dukmasova talks elected school board. And Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa covers all the local issues from Dusable Drive to mayoral mind games. Also, New York City mayor’s race. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-...

For the last 20 or so years, Mick Dumke--ace investigative reporter--has been telling anyone who would listen that the best year for popular music was 1971. And now with media outlets picking up on his theme--c'mon, Apple, don't act like you thought it up on your own--Ben convinced Mick to go on the record about the best records. It didn't take much convincing, folks. Ben & Mick geek out with...

April 30, 2019. Bye bye Rosenstein and Biden's speech in Pittsburgh. Bye bye Rauner and our Chicago Reader Colleague Maya Dukmasova returns to talk politics. Ben's Green Party friend and Firefighter Sam Holloway joins us and we welcome Radio Host Doris Davenport. Download Tuesday's Ben Joravsky Show!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.co...

Ben & Dr. D take the deep dive on the week’s news. Everything from re-opening to Michael J. Madigan to fraudulent Republicans to conniving politicians to everything! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Ben sort of weighs in on the mayoral race in NewYork City. Miles Porter on baseball & Miles Kampf-Lassin on national politics. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Vice President Harris tells Guatemalan refugees "don't come" to the USA. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson talks Trump. And political strategist Jason Lee returns to talk, among other things, about voter suppression in Texas and what the Democrats can do about it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Did Donald Trump wears his pants backwards? Ben breaks down the evidence. And Dave Glowacz returns for another Chicago City Council update from the May meeting. We play clips of the debate and riff on what it's all about. Everything you need to know about what's going on in Chicago. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-se...

William Bike just wrote a great book called The Forgotten 1970 Cubs. It's about the Cubs team that's no longer forgotten, if for no other reason than William wrote a book about them. Get ready for the deep dive on Leo Durocher, Ernie Banks, Joe Pepitone, and much, much more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-in...

June 6, 2019: More 2020 POTUS candidate madness! Ben's thoughts on Lori Lightfoot and the One Central city development deal. Former Sun-Times owner Edwin Eisendrath talks D-Day. President of The Chicago Federation of Labor talks fair work weeks and minimum wage in Illinois and Activist Anne Shaw joins us for a discussion on Asian-American politicians. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac...

Sun-Times columnist/editor Rummana Hussain returns for another rundown. She's got lots to say about Naomi Osaka, the press, bigotry against Muslims & Jews and all sorts of other stuff. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .