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.
64episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
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.
Transcribe →Oh, What a Week—Alexi The Tease
3w ago00:42:58Tap to summarizeAmidst the local news, Ben & Dr D offer a few words about Trump’s latest lunacy—his prime time televised oration about election fraud, a problem he made up. Alexi G sorta announces his campaign for mayor by releasing commercial promoting his re-election campaign for Secretary of State. Say what? Also, should a background in corporate America qualify someone to be mayor? And more Caleb Wilson updates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette--The $2 Billion President
4w ago00:55:41Tap to summarizeThe late great editorial cartoonist Pat Oliphant had an interesting aversion to politicians. Ben riffs. Dylan returns just one day after he testified before the senate on waste and fraud in the Trump administration. All those inside deals and conflicts of interest that helped Trump make over $2 billion last year. His crypto deals and his hotel deals and his coin-meme deals and so on. Is Trump accurate when he says, “no one cares”? Also, the performative antics of senate hearings. Dylan is acting VP of policy and government for POGO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Denali Dasgupta—Just Like A Chicago Alderman
4w ago01:11:19Tap to summarizeThe late Senator Lindsey Graham would have fit right in as a Chicago alderman. Ben riffs. Denali adds her thoughts on parking meters, privatization scams, TIFs, handouts to the rich, and the DSA. Denali is an independent researcher and political activist.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Joanna Klonsky--Platner’s Fall
4w ago00:56:25Tap to summarizeGraham Platner steps down, allowing Dems in Maine to select another candidate to run against Senator Susan Collins. Ben riffs. Joanna Klonsky explains what Platner’s rise and fall says about the Democratic Party’s effort to break from centrists and find “real” people, who aren’t spineless, to run for office. How vetting works, or in this case, doesn’t work. The obsession with convincing white males to vote Democratic, though they've been voting Republican since LBJ signed the Civil Rights Bill. And a few words about Platner’s enablers, who kept on spinning, even after he was accused of rape. Joanna 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 →Oh, What A Week—Everyone Wants To Be Mayor
Jul 1100:54:01Tap to summarizeBen and Dr D catch up on what’s going on. Alderman Marty Quinn—aka, Madigan’s guy—says take this job and shove it. Mike Quigley says—I wanna be mayor! And noticeably absent from the growing list of announced mayoral candidates are the guys most likely to wind up in the runoff, if they do run—Mayor Johnson and Alexi G.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Paul Nolley—Here Comes The Underdog
Jul 1000:50:47Tap to summarizeTrump’s Supreme Court soldiers do their MAGA thing. Ben riffs. Paul Nolley returns to talk about his campaign for Congress in the 16th district. He’s a Democrat and it’s a R +11 district, but he sees an upset victory in plain sight. Why? Cause the issues are on his side. Starting with health care. His opponent—incumbent Darin LaHood—is so nervous he agreed to debate. Usually, MAGA candidates in red districts try to coast in on Donnie’s coattails.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette—Ignorance Is Bliss
Jul 800:49:17Tap to summarizeA New York Times poll shows that the less voters know about Trump, the more they like him. Ben riffs. Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette talks waste and fraud. He’s spent his working life in pursuit of bi-partisan solutions to waste and fraud and what has he received for his efforts as of late? His recommendations get ignored by the Trump administration and he’s been vilified and maligned by Musk’s cultists, of the human and robot variety. Dylan is vice president of Policy and Government Affairs for the Project on Government Oversight. This recording originally dropped on May 29, 2025. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Adolfo Mondragon--Anchor Baby
Jul 601:00:10Tap to summarizeWhy do hyphenated Americans—Mexican, Italian, Irish, Polish. Greek, you name it—root for the country on the left side of that hyphen? Ben riffs. Adolfo elaborates. And that leads them to the Supremes coming close—too close—to erasing the 14 amendment. So much for being textualists. Next thing you know, Ben & Adolfo are breaking down the meaning of Country Road. You know—“almost heaven, West Virginia…” Which US fans sing at soccer games. Adolfo is a lawyer—born & raised on the South Side!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →Kevin Blackistone--Red-Card Journalism
Jul 301:05:30Tap to summarizeCan the U.S. media objectively cover the U.S. soccer team? Ben riffs. Kevin Blackistone adds a riff of his own. And then they’re off. Talking soccer and colonialism, Caitlin Clark and MAGA, Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson’s take down of Clarence Thomas and Trump’s desecration of Kevin’s beloved hometown of Washington, DC. Kevin is a writer, TV commentator, and journalism professor.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →