Best Ben Joravsky Podcasts (2024)

1
Meredith Shiner—"Eat Your Vegetables" 1:01:18

5h ago1:01:18

1:01:18

Fun is over, the Sun-Times proclaims. Ben riffs. Meredith Shiner talks all things politics. Including her New Republic essay about the mainstreams. Their reality is not our reality. Meredith and Ben cover everything from Trump on reproductive rights to Nancy Pelosi to Keith Olbermann’s dramatic reading of the aforementioned New Republic essay to Ra…

1
Mueze Bawany—Hard Knocks 1:03:42

11h ago1:03:42

1:03:42

Mueze Bawany talks all things Bears. But first Ben gets something off his chest about the ingratitude and indifference the Bulls show for their great players from the past. Then it’s onto Caleb Williams, Ian Wheeler, Coach Matt, cutting players, office furniture, where to get a good fade in Chicago and other things on our mind. Mueze is a teacher a…

1
Alden Loury—Foster Park Forever 1:06:19

11h ago1:06:19

1:06:19

WBEZ editor and demographer Alden Loury talks about the Sun-Times/BEZ expose on Mayor Rahm’s school closings. Bottom line—a lot of broken promises. He also analyses the connection between closing schools and losing people. And he gets personal about his glory days at Foster Park school on the south side back in the ‘80s. See Privacy Policy at https…

1
Miles Kampf-Lassin—Big Test 50:54

4h ago50:54

50:54

Miles Kampf-Lassin covers the convention from top to bottom. Including the failure of the mainstreams to give Mayor Johnson credit for anything. Also, the many mixed messages of the Dems. And a word or two about Tesla, China and the contradictions of contemporary capitalism. Miles is an editor/writer for In These Times. See Privacy Policy at https:…

1
David Faris—Moving Forward 59:15

3h ago59:15

59:15

With the DNC behind us, David Faris breaks down the race. What worked for the Dems at their convention, what didn’t. What did Kamala Harris achieve in her speech. Why do Dems keep calling Bill Clinton to the stage. Trump’s return to North Carolina. And the impact of the uncommitted movement. David is a political science professor at Roosevelt Unive…

1
Kina Collins—“DNC Wrap" 1:00:58

2h ago1:00:58

1:00:58

Obviously, Kamala Harris does not listen to Ben’s show. Or she would have invited a Palestinian-American to speak at the DNC. Ben riffs. And then Kina Collins takes the deep dive on the convention. Covering everything from the roll call to the Walz family to the unforced error of alienating the uncommitted movement to the great debate between polic…

1
Heidi Henry—“Coach Walz Democrats" 58:48

17h ago58:48

58:48

Palestinian-American Democrats want to speak at the convention. Ben riffs. Heidi Henry, a Heartland Mama, explains how Dems can win in her MAGA country legislative district. Thanks in part to 8,000 new voters. One more time—8,000 new voters! Most of whom are not MAGA. Are you listening, Democrats? Heidi lays out how she can flip a MAGA district. Al…

1
Monroe Anderson--"Back 2 Back Obamas" 1:00:22

3h ago1:00:22

1:00:22

Barack and Michelle take the DNC stage. Ben riffs. Then Monroe returns to talk all things convention. Including..do something (but don't mention Gaza) and roll call (Ben weeps) and Black cowboys in South Dakota, and going high as opposed to going low and whether Barack still has the magic, and Michelle's Black Jobs jab and Barack's little dickie ja…

1
Mark Wallace—“Back on the Block" 57:15

5h ago57:15

57:15

Ben’s back from Michigan. But he still has Michigan on his mind. Especially something he saw amidst the Trump signs along the highway. Ben riffs. Mark Wallace riffs right back. Then they talk about day one of the Democratic Convention. Particularly…should Dems go high or low in their speeches. Mark hosts a local podcast. See Privacy Policy at https…

1
Denali Dasgupta—Small Mercies 1:03:32

6h ago1:03:32

1:03:32

A lot of things happened this weekend—to put it mildly. Ben riffs on everything from the Trump shooting to Vance as VP to Amber Rose as MAGA spokeswoman to opening night of MAGA’s convention. Denali Dasgupta tells you what you need to know about the 2025 Project blueprint—a document she read so you won’t have to. Also, the Denali Book Club examines…

1
Mike Nellis—Not Every White Dude’s For Trump 57:02

5d ago57:02

57:02

Trump comes to Chicago and insults Black people. Ben riffs. Mike Nellis explains how he and some friends created White Dudes for Harris. How they were so successful that Musk shut them down, Okay, we don’t know if Musk shut them down. Probably just a coincidence that their Twitter account died. Mike talks about whether Trump’s attempt to “other” Ka…

1
Delmarie Cobb—Tim Time 54:10

10d ago54:10

54:10

Kamala Harris selects a running mate. Ben jumps for joy. Delmarie riffs on Ben’s joy. Then they take the deep dive on why MAGA hates Black women, Trump’s appearance at NABJ, and why Black people think the Trump shooting was fake. And much more. Delmarie is a political strategist and founder of Ida’s Legacy—an organization dedicated to the promotion…

1
David Faris—Told You 1:03:08

1h ago1:03:08

1:03:08

1
Brandon Johnson—Back in the Day 47:00

4h ago47:00

47:00

The Mayoral runoff, life under Lori, Joe Biden in the POTUS race, baseball player Tim Anderson and MORE with Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. Originally ran April 29, 2019. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
Miles Kampf-Lassin—Summer of Kamala 1:02:39

6h ago1:02:39

1:02:39

Biden to Harris. Ben riffs. Miles Kampf-Lassin talks Biden, Harris, Gaza, Bernie, AOC, Sean O’Brien at the MAGA convention. And more. Miles is an editor/writer at In These Times. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
Anderson and Joravsky—Fake News 58:01

14d ago58:01

58:01

The Tribune calls Ben “great”. Ben riffs. Then Ben and Monroe talk some local news—should Mayor Johnson remove the George Washington statue from City Hall? How about replacing it with a statue of Hercules Posey? Then it’s on to national news. The Trump shooting, the MAGA convention, JD Vance. And more… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac…

1
Trae Crowder—JD Vance Before He Was A Virgin 43:02

9d ago43:02

43:02

When Trae Crowder met JD Vance it was the early days of Trump. And JD came across as a relatively sane moderate who thought Trump was awful. As any normal person would. Then Vance obviously concluded to get along you gotta…well, let Trae tell you everything you need to know about the deal that Vance, now Trump’s running mate, must have made with th…

1
Sergio Vicente—A Gold For Imane 51:23

2d ago51:23

51:23

Sergio Vicente explains why MAGA hates Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer who just won the gold medal. Basically, they don’t like strong women. Speaking of strong women—a word or two about Kamala. And some advice for his beloved left. Sergio hosts The Fight, the world’s greatest combat sport podcast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy an…

1
David Masciotra—Kamala Before Kamala 1:09:28

2d ago1:09:28

1:09:28

Before Kamala, before Barack, before Bernie there was Jesse. Jesse Jackson, that is. Ran a lefty campaign for president in 1984 and 1988 when all the mainstream Dems were telling Black and lefty voters—shut up, don’t embarrass us. David Masciotra tells the lessons of Jackson and how they’re more relevant than ever. David is the author of I Am Someb…

1
Rummana Hussain—Vanilla Politics 58:30

6d ago58:30

58:30

Rummana Hussain asks what it says about American politics for everyone to assume that Vice President Harris must select a white male running mate. Also, a few words about the insistence of a New York Times liberal columnist that women not be excited to elect a woman president. Why are liberals so scared to be liberals? And more. Rummana is an edito…

1
Steve Krafft—“Watergate 5-0" 51:23

6d ago51:23

51:23

Fifty years ago today, President Nixon resigned. Ben riffs. Steve Krafft gives the state of the state of Arizona and the country post Biden stepping down. A different world. Other topics include…The difference between Republicans and MAGA. The pressures on FOX TV to call the election for Trump. Baby Bobby voters. What’s wrong with local TV news. An…

1
Litesa Wallace—"Cole Hocker Wins” 51:13

5d ago51:13

51:13

In a moment of uncharacteristic giddiness, Ben likens Cole Hocker’s come-from-behind win in the Olympics 1500 meter race to what Kamala will do to Trump come November. Litesa Wallace explains why she’s not as optimistic. Speaking from personal experience from her days in the Illinois legislature, Litesa analyses MAGA’s hatred for feeding school chi…

1
Monroe Anderson--"On the Go, Monroe" 53:45

6d ago53:45

53:45

Tim Walz makes his debut. But Ben's still fixated on some insane tweet from Trump. Does this bode well for MAGA? Monroe weighs in from an undisclosed hangout. He's talking Kamala, Walz, Shapiro, Trump and the inside story of what happened last week with Trump at the National Association of Black Journalists. Also, does Monroe agree with the gloom-a…

1
Gregory Pratt— Fifth Floor 49:59

7d ago49:59

49:59

Gregory Pratt talks mayors. In particular…is everyone from the CTU to corporate Chicago treating Mayor Johnson differently than his predecessors? Duh. Well then—how? Also, Greg compares Mayor Lightfoot to President Biden. Greg is a political reporter for the Chicago Tribune and author of the book: The City is Up For Grabs. See Privacy Policy at htt…

1
Toni Oh--Recapturing the Flag 51:08

8d ago51:08

51:08

Four years ago, Toni Oh came on this show to explain why he, a decorated Marine, did not stand for the national anthem. It's one of our most popular episodes. Now he explains why and how he's changed his attitude about standing for the anthem. And why he's sick and tired of MAGA cultists claiming that they're the real patriots. See Privacy Policy a…

1
Alderwoman Nicole Lee--Kamala’s Movement 49:36

24d ago49:36

49:36

Alderwoman Nicole Lee talks all things politics, including...the Asian-American community in the USA is not a monolith. Something the Dems need to understand as they move forward. Also, why she endorsed Kamala Harris before just about any other Illinois Democrat. And a word or two or three about the White Sox stadium. Nicole is, after all, the alde…

1
David Faris--Turning Black 1:00:20

10d ago1:00:20

1:00:20

David Faris examines the state of MAGA. Are they losing their minds or is this a carefully choreographed political strategy designed to win the election? Case in point...Trump's declaration that Kamala Harris was Indian before she was Black. If it's a strategy--as opposed to deranged racism--it's probably bound to fail. David explains why. David Fa…

1
Pat Whalen--"JB Makes His Move" 1:02:05

11d ago1:02:05

1:02:05

Governor Pritzker makes his move to convince Kamala to select him as VP. Ben riffs. Pat Whalen riffs on Ben's riff. Then they're off, covering everything from MAGA disarray to Trump's racism to who Kamala should select as VP. Ben's answer to the that is--anyone but Shapiro. Pat's answer is...oh, just listen, lazies. Also, why Ben wishes Shannon Sha…

1
Monroe Anderson—“Journalists Beware" 59:52

13d ago59:52

59:52

Trump comes to Chicago to speak to Black journalists. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson talks about MAGA’s attacks on journalism, Black journalists in particular and Black America in general. Having said all this—should the National Association of Black Journalists invited him to speak to their convention? Also, a few words about weird versus dangerous. A…

1
Nicole Cantello—"Gotcha!” 46:45

14d ago46:45

46:45

Illinois MAGA discovers the CTU has appealed its property tax assessment. Ben riffs. Nicole Cantello briefly riffs on Ben’s riff. Then she explains what Trump wants to do to federal employees. And that is—fire them and replace them with MAGA flunkies. Time to learn about Schedule F, folks. Nicole is president of the American Federation of Governmen…

1
Meredith Shiner—Freaky MAGA 1:07:57

27d ago1:07:57

1:07:57

1
Jasmine Wright—“Covering Brandon and Kamala” 1:00:50

18d ago1:00:50

1:00:50

The mainstreams give JB credit for a mega-south side project—Mayor Who? Ben riffs. Jasmine Wright talks about returning to her hometown to write a feature on Mayor Johnson. She also takes the deep dive on Vice President Harris, who she covered for years at CNN. Jasmine is a politics reporter for NOTUS. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac…

1
Marc Sims—“JB for VP?” 1:04:57

24d ago1:04:57

1:04:57

Kamala calls JB re V.P. Ben riffs. Marc Sims talks Kamala, Black Trumpers, identity politics, conspiracy theories, crime, self hate and more. Marc hosts the podcast Just A Few Questions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

1
Monroe Anderson--"The Weasle" 1:07:40

20d ago1:07:40

1:07:40

Elon Musk says he's not really giving $45 million a month to Trump. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson explains Musk to Ben. Also explains Alderman Bill Conway and JD Vance and Lincoln Park liberals and Nikki Haley and Haley for Harris and few other things. Also, an I told you so about Kamala Harris replacing Biden. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/…

1
Tom Near—North Side Without Money 1:04:25

26d ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Tom Near is a professor of Evolutionary Biology at Yale University—and the chair of the department. But back in the 1980s, he was a gang member in a rough-and-tumble neighborhood near Diversey and Clybourn on the North Side. Yes, kiddies—there was a time before gentrification on the North Side. Tom talks about how he and the neighborhood changed. H…

1
Maya Goldberg-Safir and Alissa Hirsh—-The W Crossroad 49:33

27d ago49:33

49:33

Maya Goldberg-Safir and Alissa Hirsh talk all things WNBA, including…the difference between men and women as sports fans. Male fragility in the press box. And where the league is going. Maya blogs about the Sky. And Alissa covers the Sky for The Next. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com…

1
Rummana Hussain--Usha's Role 1:04:16

28d ago1:04:16

1:04:16

Rummana Hussain explains Usha Vance's role in the Trump/Vance campaign. That is--she's using her background as an Indian-American woman to convince voters her husband, Senator JD Vance, is not a racist even if he's running with Trump. Good luck with that. Also, the roles of spouses in the campaigns of their spouses. Don't get Ben started on Bill Cl…

1
Brendan Shiller—Back in Chicago 49:45

1M ago49:45

49:45

With all eyes on the presidential race, Ben shifts his attention back to Chicago. At least for today. Brendan joins Ben to talk…Musical committee chairs in the council. Why do some alders hate on Byron Sigcho Lopez? What does the zoning committee chair do and why do we need a mayoral ally to do it? Aldermanic privilege— myth or reality? And the sho…

1
Jim Coogan—COVID and JD 1:03:56

1M ago1:03:56

1:03:56

Gotta give JD Vance credit—he’s a great apple polisher. Ben riffs. Jim Coogan riffs on Ben’s riff. Meet Peter Thiel. On other topics… Is a case of COVID President Biden’s exit excuse? Jim explains how the MAGA Supremes teamed up with Judge Cannon to enable Trump to avoid trials until after the election, if he faces trials at all. Jim is a trial law…

1
Alderman David Moore—The Lion and the Jackass 48:27

1M ago48:27

48:27

Alderman David Moore camps out in a tent in his ward as a tactic to fight violence. Ben riffs. And Alderman Moore explains what he’s doing with that tent and why. Also, he talks ShotSpotter and his defer-and-publish showdown with Alderman Daniel La Spata. And he offers a parable about the Lion, the Jackass and blue grass that’s especially relevant …

1
Mueze Bawany—Biden and Basketball 1:08:02

1M ago1:08:02

1:08:02

Mueze Bawany takes on all the issues. Talking…Biden and Dems. Fascism and Trump. Bears on the eve of the season. Men and women as basketball fans. And Ben’s beloved Bulls. A high school football coach and unapologetic lefty, Mueze is Chicago’s foremost authority on football. Aside from his inexplicable attraction to the Knicks, he also knows a thin…

1
David Faris—Coattail Catastrophe 1:02:41

1M ago1:02:41

1:02:41

David Faris spares no details pointing out the ripple effect if Trump beats Biden in a landslide—the White House, House and Senate. And the Supreme Court, which MAGA already controls. In short, Trump’s coattails. David is a political science professor at Roosevelt University and a columnist for Slate and Newsweek. His views are his own. See Privacy…

1
Rummana Hussain—In Denial 1:02:07

1M ago1:02:07

1:02:07

As Rummana Hussain and Ben sat down to talk, it was the day after an excessive night of Fourth of July fireworks as Americans ostensibly celebrate their independence from one king, while preparing to elect another. Then President Biden declared he was staying in the race regardless of what anyone thought of said. Oh, brother. Is everyone supposed t…

1
Kina Collins—"Good News" 1:12:04

1M ago1:12:04

1:12:04

Hey, Dems, look on the bright side—at least people are paying attention to Biden. Ben riffs. Kina Collins breaks down the election—crazies, cowards and the couch. Who’s on the couch and why. And everything wrong with Dems with the Cisneros-Cuellar congressional race as exhibit A. That said, Kina says—please, vote against Trump! Also, some unsolicit…

1
Tara Dickman and Laurie Glenn—“As In France" 1:03:39

2M ago1:03:39

1:03:39

Laurie and Tara explain what’s going on in France, politically speaking, and what it means for politics right here in the USA. A must listen to learn the basics of French politics and to hear Ben butcher the pronunciation of Macron, Le Pen, Bardella, Melenchon and a few other French names. Stick around as Ben and Laurie debate Biden and Harris. Sho…

1
Monroe Anderson—“Nancy Weighs In" 1:05:18

2M ago1:05:18

1:05:18

Nancy Pelosi gives a master class in passive aggressiveness as she more or less gently tries to tell President Biden it’s time to step down. Ben riffs. Monroe Anderson seconds that motion. Again, more or less. And then explains why some people are reluctant to endorse Kamala Harris. Also, why won’t Chicago admit that NASCAR is a bust. See Privacy P…

1
Peter Cunningham —“Back In Time" 1:02:38

2M ago1:02:38

1:02:38

Biden in 2023 = Daley in 2006. Ben riffs. He can’t help himself! Always making everything about Chicago politics. Speaking of which, Peter Cunningham riffs on Ben’s riff. Going back to his ‘06 Daley talking points as though time has stopped. Then he explains why he’s sticking with Joe. And what Biden has to do to beat Trump. Also, a few words about…

1
Chris Pennant—The Sky Way 1:01:48

2M ago1:01:48

1:01:48

Chris Pennant ponders a few of the big bball political questions of the day, including…what is it that makes basketball-hating, hockey-loving, Trump-voting MAGA men fall in love with Caitlin Clark? Also, why are the experts who run the Bulls and the Sky incapable of signing any player who can shoot the three? Is this some kinda perverse Chicago thi…

1
A Chicago Legend—Edward "Buzz" Palmer 1:04:48

2M ago1:04:48

1:04:48

1
Julie Lynn—The Ballot Game 59:19

2M ago59:19

59:19

Julie Lynn explains why ballot initiatives on abortion are not quite the game changers Dems think they are. As if Dems didn’t have enough problems. More to the point, they will not protect abortion as a right once Trump gets elected and bows to the zealots and bans it. Julie is a communications consultant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr…

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Ben Joravsky Podcasts

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