Podcast
The Ben Joravsky Show
Hosted by Ben Joravsky · EN
Chicago journalist Ben Joravsky starts each show by riffing on the news of the day with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty. Then he talks politics with activists, elected officials, journalists and all sorts of political know-it-alls. We talk Chicago, Illinois, national (lots of national), international and lefty politics. Find The Ben Joravsky Show wherever you download podcasts.
63episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Delmarie Cobb--Courting The Black Vote
3d ago00:31:07Tap to summarizeIt must be election time—lefties are suddenly discovering the Black vote. Ben riffs. Delmarie Cobb talks Michigan Democratic primary. And Alexi G’s explanation for why he’s running for two offices at once. And she makes another pitch for a south side Bears stadium and third airport. Delmarie is a political strategist in Chicago. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Grey Lucas--It’s Not A Data Center, Yet
5d ago01:05:19Tap to summarizeData center lovers scoff at NIMBY to justify putting one in somebody else’s backyard. Ben riffs. Grey Lucas goes A to Z on the Quantum Center that the state’s building on the old steel yard at 87th and the lake. Starting with…what is a quantum center? Why put it there as opposed to anywhere else in the universe? Will it bring with it a data center? And more. Grey is an investigative reporter whose work on the quantum center is in the Chicago Reader.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Oh, What a Week—Petition Time!
1w ago00:53:59Tap to summarizeChicago mayoral hopefuls begin gathering petitions; Mayor Rahm has words for Mayor Mamdani; Is Alexi running, and more See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Monroe Anderson and Jack White—Fauci Takes The Fifth
1w ago01:08:03Tap to summarizeDr. Fauci decides it’s a good idea not to answer Rand Paul’s questions about COVID. Ben riffs Monroe and Jack cover all the issues. Including Fauci, Paul, Trump’s war in Iran, White House journalists dinner, Johnny Cochran and The Odyssey. Monroe is—well, everyone knows Monroe. Jack was a writer and editor for Time. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Robert Vargas--Tenacious Lies
1w ago00:58:37Tap to summarizeNYT reporters call Trump’s election-theft conspiracies what they are—tenacious lies Ben riffs. Robert Vargas separates truth from fiction in the matter of crime. If crime in Chicago has gone down during Mayor Johnson’s tenure, why do so many people think it’s gone up? Ben says it’s cause Chicagoans have been brainwashed. Robert says it’s more nuanced than that. Robert is a sociology professor at the University of Chicago. His views are his own.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Cliff Johnson—Just Like John Grisham
2w ago00:54:32Tap to summarizeEric Zorn sets Ben straight on Alexi Gin-OO-lee-us. Ben riffs. Meet Cliff Johnson, Democratic candidate for the first congressional district in Mississippi. He explains why Mississippi is inching toward being Democrat. So it’s closer to Georgia than Tennessee, politically speaking. A few words about John Grisham, Oprah and Elvis and where they come from. Cliff is a longtime civil rights lawyer and director of the MacArthur Justice Center in Mississippi. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Governor JB Pritzker--Team Fight
2w ago01:04:02Tap to summarizeA “moderate” beats a “centrist” in Arizona—clearly, Dems have identity issues. Ben riffs. And Governor Pritzker returns. Talking everything from his re-election campaign to his presidential ambitions to his views on Israel to Trump’s war on Blue States. You can’t cave, you have to fight. A few words about the Bears stadium and data centers and more. Governor Pritzker is, of course, the governor of Illinois. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Serena Mathews--Money Makes The World Go Round
2w ago00:55:44Tap to summarizeNo sooner does the World Cup end, then they’re scheming to make even more money at the next one. Serena returns to summarize the highs and lows of the tournament. Among the lows—anything that has to do with Trump or Infantino. Among the highs—Mexico’s game against England. Also, the Balogun red card scandal explained. Intent does not matter, America. Serena is a student of the game. See you next year, Serena, for the women’s World Cup.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Marj Halperin—Never Enough
2w ago01:06:08Tap to summarizeAlways broke schools lay off 760 or so teachers as aldermen whine about not giving enough property tax handoffs to rich people. Ben riffs. Marj Halpern tells you what you need to know about plans to develop the south loop. Including…the Chicago Fire soccer stadium, a possible new stadium for the White Sox and, say what for existing Sox Park? Bottom line—could be another parking meter deal in the making. Marj is co-founder of One Community Near South and a longtime writer and political strategist in Chicago.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →David Faris—All The President’s Fools
3w ago00:58:13Tap to summarizeMichael Cohen and Trump break up to make up—again. Ben riffs. David figures out where Cohen—and Lindsey Graham—fit in the pantheon of fools who flock to Trump. Selling their souls for what? Money? Power? Access? A pat on the head from the boss? Updates on Trump’s war in Iran. And the congressional vote on funding Israel. “The party is dedicated to a policy its base despises.” David is a political science professor at Roosevelt university and a columnist for The Nation. His views are his own. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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