WCPT 820 Interview: Autumn Billings of Reason

Joan Esposito is joined by Autumn Billings, assistant editor at Reason. Billings has written recently about Flock cameras, including the article "The Shaky Evidence That Flock Cameras Reduce Crime Rates." On September 2 Reason published the article "Wisconsin Cops Used Flock Over 100 Times To Track…

WCPT 820 Interview: Thomas Hicks, former chair of Election Assistance Commission

Joan Esposito is joined by Thomas Hicks, former chair of the federal Election Assistance Commission; he was fired on July 9 when President Donald Trump dismissed all three serving commissioners.  The discussion examined Hicks’s dismissal from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, election admin…

WCPT 820 Interview: Author-Professor Jeffrey Winters

Joan Esposito is joined by Jeffrey A. Winters, professor of political science at Northwestern University, and author of he 2026 book "The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracy." The discussion examined how oligarchic power is embedded in U.S. democratic institutions and possible reforms…

WCPT 820 Interview: Bill Scher of Washington Monthly

Joan Esposito is joined by Bill Scher, politics editor at Washington Monthly; his latest article is "Will It Be a Blue Wave?" They also talked about his piece, "How To Build A Big Tent" and Republican attacks on Michigan Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed for his associations with …

WCPT 820 Interview: Stephanie Zimmermann of the Chicago Sun-Times

Joan Esposito is joined by Stephanie Zimmermann, award-winningconsumer investigations reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times.  Zimmermann has recently written a series of articles under the banner, "Chicago's Baltic Bond: Lithuania, America and Democracy," which she talks to WCPT about.  "I did a whol…

WCPT 820 Interview: Kristina Zahorik of the DNC

Broadcasting from Duke’s Ale House & Kitchen in Crystal Lake, Illinois, for an event with the Democratic Party of McHenry County, Joan Esposito is joined by Kristina Zahorik, Democratic National Committee Midwest Caucus vice chair.  Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from …

WCPT 820 Candidate Interview: Suzanne Ness

Broadcasting from Duke’s Ale House & Kitchen in Crystal Lake, Illinois, for an event with the Democratic Party of McHenry County, Joan Esposito is joined by Illinois State Rep. Suzanne Ness, candidate for re-election in the 66th District.  Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekday…

WCPT 820 Interview: Bobby Kogan of Center for American Progress

Joan Esposito is joined by Bobby Kogan, senior director of Federal Budget Policy at the Center for American Progress. They talked about federal budget practices, budget transfers favoring defense, and the effects of reduced domestic spending. Here is a brief summary of the conversation: - Kogan sa…

WCPT 820 Interview: Ned Resnikoff

Joan Esposito is joined by Ned Resnikoff, urban policy analyst who writes the newsletter “Public Comment.” Last month he wrote the piece "It Is Past Time for You to Quit Elon Musk's X." Resnikoff is also author of the forthcoming book, “Build or Die: How America Is Suffocating Its Cities and What …

WCPT 820 Interview: Dr. Judy Stone

Joan Esposito is joined by Dr. Judy Stone, infectious diseases physician, journalist and author. Last month she wrote a piece for Forbes called "Covid-19 Cases Surge—Here’s What’s Different This Summer That Will Help."She is a senior Forbes pharma and health care contributor, a former columnist for…