The Ben Joravsky Show

On April 6, Ben and Maya hosted a virtual First Tuesday, featuring Anjanette Young and Shapearl Wells. Young is the social worker whose west side house was raided by police. They burst through the front door with a no-knock warrant as Young stepped from her shower without clothes on. Then they handcuffed her and search her house only to discover they were at the wrong address. Wells is the host of...

Political scientist David Faris returns just in time to try and make sense of what makes no sense. The rise of Matt Gaetz as a force in the Republican Party. The underlying racism of Georgia's anti-voting laws. And a new and surprisingly benevolent view of Senator Joseph Manchin. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-...

Ben & Dr. D. take the deep dive on the week's local news. Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker have their differences. The curious politics of the elected school board. Why does the Illinois Policy Institute suddenly "care" about kids in Chicago. And Ben takes heat from the listeners cause he says Mayor Lightfoot's not as bad as Mayor Rahm. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

The Republicans have decided to win back the White House and the Senate by deterring Black people from voting. As opposed to proposing policies that would encourage Black voters to vote Republican. Now Corporate America has to decide which side it's on. Ben riffs on what's a stake. Also, Antonio Harvey--owner of Legends Brand--talks cannabis, normalization, the hypocrisy of the War on Drugs, taxin...

With MAGA all over the map--for instance, opposing IDs on airplanes but requiring them at the polls--Ben says the time has come for a MAGA for Dummies Handbook. Also, Dave Glowacz--of Inside Chicago Government--returns with more action-packed recordings of everyone's favorite legislative body: The Chicago City Council. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice a...

Over the weekend, Republican Governors Brian Kemp and Greg Abbott got upset at Black people who were protesting their attempts to make it more difficult for Black people to vote in Georgia and Texas. So they started canceling cultures--that will teach Black people for not voting MAGA! Also, Steve Cohen & Paula Froehle--co-founders of the Chicago Media Project--talk about their latest films: A...

Historians Elliot Gorn & Rosemary Feuer are part of a campaign to memorialize Mother Jones, the great 20th century labor leader and radical. Chicago has a history has of radical union and organizing efforts that's largely been forgotten. Is it too controversial to pay tribute to a radical leader? Gorn & Feurer discuss... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privac...

March 20, 2019 was the day. Ben was riffing on Trump trashing McCain and our Elizabeth Warren poll results, In These Times Writer Miles Kampf-Lassin talks the 2019 Runoffs AND 38th Ward Alderman/Trump voter Nick Sposato joins us for one hell of an interview. Click the link and Download Wednesday's Ben Joravsky Show! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N...

President of the Chicago Principals Association Troy LaRaviere returns to evaluate the condition of public schools in the wake of their pandemic reopening. The evaluation shows big differences between schools in white and Black communities. Also, on a totally unrelated topic...turns out Troy's an exceedingly knowledgeable fan of Prince. Thus, the great debate: What are the greatest Prince songs of...

Sun-Times editor/columnist Rummana Hussain returns to riff on everything from Allen v. Farrow to the Chicago City Council. Ben makes a confession--yes, he loved Woody Allen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Ben and Dennis run through the week that was in Chicago and or Illinois politics. Mayor Lightfoot, Governor Pritzker, MAGA & more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

President Biden introduces his plan to spend trillions of dollars fixing roads and bridges and other stuff that everybody uses. And what do Republicans do? They oppose it. More evidence, as if any is needed, at the insanity of the MAGA GOP. Also, Maya Dukmasova--Reader writer--returns to talk policing, Derek Chauvin, Chuy Garcia and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor...

They're counting the union organizing vote at the Amazon warehouse in Alabama. That gives Ben an opportunity to riff on unions, Amazon, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, unionizing the Reader, Mayor Rahm and more. Also, Jill Wine-Banks drops in to talk about the paperback edition of her book (Watergate Girl), Trump, Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, G. Gordon Liddy, Sidney Powell and the Derek Chauvin trial. See Priva...

Ben and Dr. D return after a much needed week off and discover not much has changed. The world is still insane. And let's count the ways. Also, Rosie Rees--Indivisible Evanston activist--talks all things filibuster. Its history. How Republicans have used it as a tool to clobber Dems. And why Biden & the Dems should get rid of it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...

Last week, Meyers Leonard--of the Miami Heat--made a colossal ass of himself by spouting off a deragatory comment about Jews, while playing a video game. We brought together podcasters Rachel Joravsky & Miles Porter to talk about antisemitism in sports. Is it prevalent or is Leonards a dumb-ass anomaly? Also, a word or two about the gaming culture. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva...

Rod Blagojevich was impeached and removed as Illinois Governor. He was later convicted of corruption, including attempts to sell a U-S Senate seat. He received a 14 year sentence and remains in prison.  Reporter Dave McKinney covered it all as a statehouse reporter. Today he works for public station WBEZ in Chicago and he has launched a podcast titled "Public Official A"  Dave...

SPOILER ALERT: Benny J, Director of the Black Harvest Film Festival Sergio Mims and election lawyer/movie buff Adolfo Mondragon give their reviews of the brand new film "The Irishman" Go see the film and download this Benny J bonus interview... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Political strategist Jason Lee grew up in Texas and worked several campaigns there. So he's a good source to explain the bizarre MAGA politics that grip that state in which Governor Abbott responds to a brutal freeze by blaming the Green New Deal. Also, the lessons of Georgia. And Ben riffs on why Nate Cohn is so annoying. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Noti...

Professor and author of "The Kids are All Left" ,David Faris returns to talk about the latest political news. Specifically, why are Dems so timid. Will they never learn from their mistakes? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

A flashback to the summer of 2019--June 30, to be exact. Recreational marijuana legalization, reproductive rights, gaming legislation and more with (then) State Senator Toi Hutchinson and State Representative Jehan Gordon Booth. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Oscar Sanchez and many of his allies on the southeast side went on a hunger strike for about a month to protest the city gearing up to allow General Iron to move its metal crushing operation from an affluent north side neighborhood to their working class community. He explains why he did it and what's at stake for residents of an area that already deal with too much pollution. See Privacy Policy a...

Leila Taylor is the author of "Darkly: Black History and America's Gothic Soul" You can learn more about her work at https://www.strandbooks.com/product/darkly-blackness-and-americas-gothic-soul/_/searchString/gothic%20soul See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

MAGA is always complaining about liberals preventing them from saying any dumb or insulting thing they want. They call liberals “snowflakes”and cry about “cancel culture”. But if you say something that offends their sensibilities, they look to cancel your culture. As they’re doing to Cardi B. Also, the latest news about Speaker Welch. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...

Chicago Sun-Times editor/columnist Rummana Hussain returns to discuss her latest column, on attempts to rewrite a Chicago City Council resolution about discrimination against Muslims in India. Also, she discusses the curious attitude that many white law enforcement personnel have about white suspects in violent crimes. Specifically, the man who allegedly shot eight people in Atlanta. See Privacy P...

Ben reveals his theory as to why some people want the vaccine and others don't. Hint--the theory has something to do with Bernie Madoff. Also, guess who jumped to the front of the line to get the shot? Well, maybe... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .