The Ben Joravsky Show

Have we finally, at long last, reached the beginning of the end of the MAGA craze, when America says, you know, maybe it's not a good idea to let a demented authoritarian run the country. With Trump playing the role of Senator McCarthy and Jimmy Kimmel playing the role of Edward R. Murrow? Ben riffs. Congresswoman Robin Kelly explains why she thinks progressives should vote for her in the Democrat...

Mayor Johnson's political enemies take a poll and guess what? It discovers that nobody likes Mayor Johnson. Funny how that works. Ben riffs. Asha Ransby-Sporn makes her debut, discussing how the mayor's opponents work the press against the mayor. It doesn't hurt that the mainstream press is more than happy to go along for the ride. Get ready for lots of local political conversation--as well as som...

Breaking news! As the recording starts, word arrives that a judge has dismissed Trump's $15 billion defamation suit against the New York Times. Ben riffs. Denali takes the long view--to understand what Trump is doing as president today, you need to go back in time to the Biden years, when MAGA was preparing to seize control. So she takes the deep dive on a particularly ugly campaign waged in Georg...

The week’s news gets personal for Ben and Dr D, as you shall see. But first! A roundup of the week’s events, including Aurora and the flag, Kevin Ryan’s plea, JB in London, and then…Ice comes to Dr D’s neighborhood. And one woman’s courageous stand. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Turns out there are divisions in MAGA—who knew? Ben riffs. Mayor John Laesch explains what's going on in Aurora. Specifically... why he ordered flags flown at full mast after Trump ordered all flags everywhere lowered to half-mast to commemorate Charlie Kirk. Turns out Trump isn’t the absolute Boss of everything everywhere—though he thinks he is. John is the mayor of Aurora.. See Privacy Policy at...

Trump sues the New York Times for defamation. Ben riffs. Kevin Ryan talks about his long-shot campaign for the U.S. Senate. He’s a 33-year-old southwest side, Marine vet, public school history teacher, bartender, self described New Deal Democrat who wants to take money out of politics so billionaires don’t control the process. And what’s so wrong with that? Kevin’s taking his case to the voters, d...

In the spirit of peace and reconciliation, Ben gives a shoutout to a Tribune editorial. “If Americans cannot speak without fear of being shot, then democracy is dead.” David Faris talks about Charlie Kirk’s legacy. Was he the Jordan Klepper of the right? A modern day William F Buckley? A descendent of Joe McCarthy? Is being open minded a sign of political weakness? Do militants on the right believ...

Ben and Dr D have so much to discuss. The Sky. The Jackal’s Mistress. What movie made Dennis cry? Hint—it starts with an R but it’s not Rocky. Brendan takes on Toni. Meet Scotty G, the Antioch Republican. Not to be confused with Teddy D, the Wilmette Republican. Why DB will beat them both to win the Republican nomination to face JB. Also, could Kevin Ryan be Ben’s Daiber? Finally, a shoutout to Ke...

MAGA ties itself into knots trying to dislodge Trump from Epsteingate. Ben riffs Monroe talks Epstein, Biden, Kamala and Roger Taney. Who? He’s the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who wrote the opinion that slavery is legal. Is the current Supreme Court worse? Monroe advances that argument. How For the Love of Money by the O’Jays is misunderstood. And why its theme applies to the Bears. In the...

The Supremes say its okay to round up people for no crime other than the crime of being Hispanic, which is no crime at all. Ben riffs. Then Natalie Hopkinson connects the dots, so to speak. How Trump manipulates our stereotypes and prejudices to scare people into cheering or at least tolerating authoritarianism. And how the media helps him, frightening white America with sensational images of Blac...

Dennis decided to start collecting comedy albums and Ben was kind enough to join him to talk all about it. It’s the first episode of I Find That Funny. Stick around for Marlon—one of Dennis’s oldest friends—to make his debut. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Clever investors devise a scheme to make money off of tariffs--oh, those capitalists. Ben riffs. Meredith Shiner picks up where she left off with her latest essay in The New Republic--Trump's war on cities. Especially D.C. You know, real people live in D.C. As always Dems left their most dedicated voters hanging by allowing the District to be used as a bargaining chip. A few words about MAGA's hat...

Ben and Dr D take on all the issues, including…The new alliance between Mayor Johnson and Governor Pritzker to stand up against Trump’s invasion. And the governor talks about his weight. And all the latest local updates. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Boss Donnie and his baby boys make big bucks off of Crypto. Ben riffs. State Senator Rachel Ventura explains why she's recording today's show in her car--in contrast to the Trumps flaunting their disdain for ethics and propriety. Rachel offers one riff after another on AI, crypto, the need for progressive taxation, the impact of tariffs on farmers, the five to eight ratio and more--like why she do...

As Trump prepares to invade Chicago, a federal judge rules that the invasion of Cali was unconstitutional. Ben riffs. Nick Uniejewski makes his show debut. He’s running against Senator Sara Feigenholtz, an entrenched incumbent in a North Side district that’s not had a contested Democratic primary since—get ready for this—Ben was in high school. In short, a long time ago. Why he’s running. What are...

After experimenting with making nice to MAGA, Gavin Newsom goes for the jugular. Ben riffs. Jack White talks fascism, Trump, racism and the military occupations. Also, a conversation about the MAGA attempt to deny the existence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade elicits this confession from Jack: "I don't know how to combat stupid." But he goes on to do a good job at it, nonetheless. Jack is a form...

Ben and Dr D have a week’s worth of news to discuss. But first! Ben apologizes to Cameron Maine for calling him British. He’s Australian. Cameron explains how he turned a passion for gaming into a career covering Illinois politics for WMBD in Peoria. Then back to the beat for B and D…News on Pritzker, Trump, Alderman Sposato, Darren Bailey and more.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...

Trump says he can do anything he wants--like invading Chicago. Ben riffs. Rummana Hussain predicts Chicago's reaction to an invasion. Then it's all things Jussie--again. As Ben and Rummana pick up a conversation they've been having for--get ready--six years! Yes, six years of Jussie talk. The pretext this time around? A new Netflix documentary that promises to reveal the truth about Smollettgate....

Trump makes a Daley-like power move against Intel. Ben riffs. Kam Buckner talks about Trump's threat to send the national guard to Chicago--or just about any blue state city with a Black mayor. How Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson should respond. Redistricting battles state by state. Winning statehouse seats is the key to saving democracy. Why Kam thinks the Bears are squirrelly when it comes t...

An article in the Nation shows how the best-and-brightest Dems screwed up 2011 redistricting so bad, we're still paying for it. Ben riffs. Then David Faris goes deeper into the topic--as he co-wrote that Nation article with David Daley. In short, everything you need to know about how the game of redistricting. Stick around for a maestro David Faris riff on what Trump is doing to D.C. and why. Davi...

The NYT political writers are up to their old tricks—scaring anxious liberal Boomers. Ben riffs. On the eve of his rally with Bernie Sanders, Robert Peters explains why he’s running for Congress from the Second District and what he intends to do if he wins. Why he’s proud to have co-sponsored the bill to end cash bail. On being Black and Jewish. And more. Robert is the state senator from in and ar...

As MAGA Republicans in the Texas statehouse threaten to jail their Democratic colleagues for opposing their newly gerrymandered map, Bill Daley calls for Illinois to essentially give more legislative districts to Republicans. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson talks Daleys and Republicans. And Trump's demand that the Smithsonian concentrate on the good side of slavery. Whatever that is. Governor Newsom tr...

Ben returns from Michigan with good news. Sorta. Mick Dumke, lover of all things Michigan, takes the Mitten State political trivia challenge--which counties voted for Kamala over Trump? Proving...as goes Michigan, so goes the country. Can Abdul El Sayed defeat Congresswoman Haley Stevens in next year's Democratic senate primary? Think of it as Bernie Sanders versus Hillary Clinton with Israel and...

As soon as Trump drops bombs on Iran, the "no-war" wing of MAGA falls into line--just like we knew they would. Ben riffs. Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor returns! Talking about the Trump shit show--shoulda voted for Kamala, people. And America's fear and hatred of Black women. And why we never run out of money to bomb people, but call money spent on schools a waste. And how Mayor Johnson is doing a bet...

A liberal friend complains about Epsteingate getting too much attention. Ben riffs. Flint Taylor tells the long, sordid story of the torture of Black prisoners by Jon Burge and his cronies on the police force. It’s a crime that was made possible because powerful people in a position to stop it, were looking the other way. Flint is the “lefty lawyer” who represented Jackie Wilson, who recently sett...