A deranged Trump blames Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner for getting murdered. Ben riffs. Pedro Lira reports from Texas. Will Republicans pick up 5 congressional seats through gerrymandering? Or will their machinations work against them? What does it take to get rural Texans to vote Democratic? The dangers of pipe dreams. And a quick look at Crockett v Talarico in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Pedro is state director for the Texas Working Families Party.

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As we prepare to record, word breaks of senseless slaughter at a Chanukah festival in Australia. Ben riffs. State Representative Kam Buckner joins him. Ensuing topics include Hoosier redistricting, head tax v property tax, transit bill and Bears beat Browns to set up next week’s game against Packers. Kam loves the Bears DGAF attitude. A few words about park district bologna sandwiches. Kam is a state representative from the 26th district and a former defensive lineman for the Fighting Illini and the Morgan Park High School Mustangs.

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A federal grand Judy says sorry, Donnie when it comes to prosecuting Letitia James. Ben riffs. And Maya returns! To talk about her epic profile of Cook County Judge Timothy Evans, one of the most important local politicians in recent history. He went from Machine alderman to Mayor Washington’s floor leader to one of the reasons Richard M Daley got elected mayor to Chief Judge and the unlikely criminal justice “reformer,” if such a word can ever be used in relation to Cook County. Maya is a writer for Injustice Watch. For years, she and Ben were colleagues at the Reader and co-hosts of First Tuesday.

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Michael Madigan goes Blago—pleading with Trump for mercy. Ben riffs. Monroe considers the case of Mamdani. When should Dems defer to Trump? Should Mayor Johnson be more like Mamdani? And what to make about Trump’s hate of Somalia? A few words about Brian Glenn, MTG’s boyfriend, who’s torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool.

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Trump ends the War on Drugs for those who kiss his ass. Ben riffs. Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle takes us from A to Z on recent US policy toward Honduras. Starting with the coup of 2009 and continuing to Trump’s commutation of Juan Orlando Hernandez’s sentence for drug trafficking. It’s a sickening spectacle. Matt is an interpreter and human rights activist.

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MAGA weighs in on bombing boats and killing people in the Caribbean. Ben riffs. Sarah Bingaman—Western Illinois’s voice of the people—returns to describe the challenge of building a Democratic base in rural Illinois. You have to listen to people. Don’t be needlessly argumentative. You’d be surprised by what you have in common. And for goodness sakes, don’t assume you will lose—you can win! Sarah is a political activist in Lee County.

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A NYT headline about Obamacare is absurd even by NYT standards. Ben riffs. David Faris defends the voters, sorta. He covers Trump’s gas guzzling energy policy and Trump’s get rid of healthcare policy. Also, a few words about Hegseth, Fox News and what’s it gonna take to win an election. David is a political science professor at Roosevelt University and a columnist for The Nation. His views are his own.

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Ben & Dr D decide it’s time to tell you what you need to know. Including…what gas station in Springfield squeezes the most money from the suckers who play video gambling. Hint…it’s not Quick ‘n Easy. There’s got to be a better way to pay for our obligations than soaking suckers. On to Chicago…a crew of Mayor Rahm flunkies try to scare voters against Mayor Johnson by invoking the name of Byron Sigcho Lopez. Apparently, Mamdani’s name was taken. And Toni Preckwinkle releases a poll.

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