Podcasts about Chicago Tribune

In this episode, Lee Strobel delves into the world of the supernatural, sharing insights from his new book 'Seeing the Supernatural'. He discusses the extensive research on near-death experiences, deathbed visions, and extraordinary healings, including detailed stories and scientific corroborations. Strobel also explores his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, and reflects on the role of angels, demons, and divine encounters in deepening one's belief. This podcast offers a profound exploration of faith and the supernatural, providing both encouragement for believers and evidence for skeptics.   00:00 Introduction to Near-Death Experiences 01:01 Introducing Lee Strobel and His New Book 03:06 Lee Strobel's Personal Testimony 08:19 Astounding Miracles: Barbara's Story 13:21 Scientific Studies on Miracles 20:28 Supernatural Experiences and Discernment 24:35 Near-Death Experiences: Evidence and Corroboration 30:24 Discerning Spiritual Experiences 30:35 Reports of visitation by Deceased Loved Ones  31:44 Biblical Examples and Skepticism 36:55 Dreams and Visions in the Middle East 42:05 Personal Angelic Encounter 49:07 Deathbed Visions 55:31 Encouragement and Faith    Lee's new book Seeing the Supernatural: https://a.co/d/fTZ32EU Lee's website: https://leestrobel.com/ About Lee Strobel Atheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel, the former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, is a New York Times best-selling author of more than 40 books and curricula that have sold 18 million copies worldwide. His books have received more than 25,000 five-star reviews on Amazon and have been translated into 40 languages.

Karina Atkins, former Chicago Tribune reporter, joins Jon Hansen to talk about crop insurance for farmers and how they can acquire it. Karina also explains why there is a limit on the types of crops that can be insured and comments on how farmers feel on the matter.

Chicago Tribune political writer Rick Pearson joins Patrick to discuss State Comptroller Susana Mendoza's decision not to seek re-election, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias' plans, and the woeful condition of the Illinois GOP. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Mulligan and David Haugh were joined by Chicago Tribune, Brad Biggs on the latest on the Bears, as they prepare for training cap in a week

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Rebe Huntman, author of the book My Mother in Havana. Rebe's memoir traces her search to connect with her mother—thirty years after her death—among the gods and saints of Cuba. A former professional Latin and Afro-Cuban dancer and choreographer, for over a decade Rebe directed Chicago's award-winning Danza Viva Center for World Dance, Art & Music and its resident dance company, One World Dance Theater. She collaborates with native artists in Cuba and South America, and has been featured in LATINA Magazine, Chicago Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune, and on Fox and ABC.   Rebe's essays, stories, and poems appear or are forthcoming in such places as The Southern Review, The Missouri Review, Parabola, Ninth Letter, The Cincinnati Review, and the PINCH, and have earned her an Ohio Individual Excellence Award as well as fellowships from the Macondo Writers' Conference, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, PLAYA Residency, Hambidge Center, and Brush Creek Foundation. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from The Ohio State University and lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Delaware, Ohio. Find her at www. rebehuntman.com and on Instagram @rebehuntman.   In my book review, I stated My Mother in Havana is a profound look at a woman who lost her mother at a young age and continues to grieve for years. It isn't until she goes to Havana that she finally finds peace.   I fully expected to learn that Rebe's mother was Cuban - but she's not. However, Rebe's research about mothers and symbols of motherhood led to her Cuba where the Virgin Mary and the Cuban goddess of love, Ochún, are often intertwined. She wanted to understand this connection - and by doing so, she found healing.   Rebe started life as a dancer and choreographer, and she shines a beautiful light on Cuban dances and rituals along with their gods and saints. I was mesmerized by her ability to throw off her Western upbringing and fully immerse herself in the culture as she tried to discover what makes a mother, what defines the divine feminine, and what she remembered of her own mother.   I loved learning about the Afro-Cuban culture, their spiritual views, and the broader concept of motherhood. I think anyone who is a mother - or has a mother - will enjoy this book.   Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1   Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290   You can follow Author Rebe Huntman Website: https://www.rebehuntman.com/ IG: @rebehuntman FB: @rebehuntmanauthor   Purchase My Mother in Havana on Amazon: Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Hnowtn Ebook: https://amzn.to/4mLUPCj   Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor IG: @terimbrown_author X: @terimbrown1   Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors   #rebehuntman #mymotherinhavana #memoir #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview *As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

You are in for a real treat on this episode. My guest this time is Greg Schwem. Greg is a corporate comedian. What is a corporate comedian? You probably can imagine that his work has to do with corporations, and you would be right. Greg will explain much better than I can. Mr. Schwem began his career as a TV journalist but eventually decided to take up what he really wanted to do, be a comedian. The story of how he evolved is quite fascinating by any standard. Greg has done comedy professionally since 1989. He speaks today mostly to corporate audiences. He will tell us how he does his work. It is quite interesting to hear how he has learned to relate to his audiences. As you will discover as Greg and I talk, we often work in the same way to learn about our audiences and thus how we get to relate to them. Greg has written three books. His latest one is entitled “Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines: A Comedian's Journey Through Cancer, Divorce and Other Hilarious Stuff”. As Greg says, “Don't worry, it's not one of those whiny, ‘woe is me,' self- serving books. Instead, it's a hilarious account of me living the words I've been preaching to my audiences: You can always find humor in every situation, even the tough ones. Greg offers many interesting observations as he discusses his career and how he works. I think we all can find significant lessons we can use from his remarks. About the Guest: Hi! I'm Greg Schwem. a Chicago-based business humor speaker and MC who HuffPost calls “Your boss's favorite comedian.” I've traveled the world providing clean, customized laughs to clients such as Microsoft, IBM, McDonald's and even the CIA. I also write the bi-weekly Humor Hotel column for the Chicago Tribune syndicate. I believe every corporate event needs humor. As I often tell clients, “When times are good, people want to laugh. When times are bad, people need to laugh.” One Fortune 500 client summed things up perfectly, saying “You were fantastic and just what everybody needed during these times.” In September 2024 I released my third and most personal book, Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines: A Comedian's Journey Through Cancer, Divorce and Other Hilarious Stuff. Don't worry, it's not one of those whiny, “woe is me,” self-serving books. Instead, it's a hilarious account of me living the words I've been preaching to my audiences: You can always find humor in every situation, even the tough ones. You can pick up a copy at Amazon or select book stores. Ways to connect with Greg: Website: www.gregschwem.com YouTube: www.youtube.com/gregschwem LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/gregschwem Instagram: www.instagram.com/gregschwem X: www.x.com/gregschwem About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:16 Hi everyone, and welcome to unstoppable mindset. Today we are going to definitely have some fun. I'll tell you about our guests in a moment, but first, I want to tell you about me. That'll take an hour or so. I am Michael Hingson, your host, and you're listening to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. And I don't know, we may get inclusion or diversity into this, but our guest is Greg Schwem. Greg used to be a TV reporter, now he's a comedian, not sure which is funnier, but given some of the reporters I've seen on TV, they really should go into tonight club business. But anyway, Greg, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here. I really appreciate you being here and taking the time   Greg Schwem ** 02:04 Well, Michael, it is an honor to be included on your show. I'm really looking forward to the next hour of conversation. I   Speaker 1 ** 02:10 told Greg a little while ago, one of my major life ambitions that I never got to do was to go to a Don Rickles concert and sit in the front row so that hopefully he would pick on me, so that I could say, Yeah, I saw you once on TV, and I haven't been able to see since. What do you think of that? You hockey puck, but I never got to do it. So very disappointed. But everybody has bucket list moments, everybody has, but they don't get around to I'm sorry. Yeah, I know. Well, the other one is, I love to pick on Mike Wallace. I did a radio show for six years opposite him in 60 minutes, and I always love to say that Wallace really had criminal tendencies, because he started out being an announcer in radio and he announced things like The Green Hornet and the Sky King and other shows where they had a lot of criminals. So I just figured he had to be associated with criminals somewhere in his life. Of course, everybody picked on him, and he had broad shoulders. And I again, I regret I never got to to meet him, which is sort of disappointing. But I did get to meet Peter Falk. That was kind of fun.   Greg Schwem ** 03:15 Mike Wallace to Peter Falk. Nice transition there. I know.   Michael Hingson ** 03:21 Well I am really glad you're with us. So why don't we start? We'll start with the serious part. Why don't you tell us, kind of about the early Greg schwim and growing up and all that sort of stuff, just to set the stage, as it were,   Greg Schwem ** 03:34 how far back you want to go? You want to go back to Little League, or you want to   Speaker 1 ** 03:37 just, oh, start at the beginning, a long time ago, right? I was a   Greg Schwem ** 03:41 very strange child. No, I you. You obviously introduced me as a as a comedian, and that is my full time job. And you also said that I was a former journalist, and that is my professional career. Yes, I went from, as I always like to say, I went from depressing people all day long, to making them laugh. And that's, that's kind of what I did. I always did want to be I majored in Journalism at Northwestern University, good journalism school. Originally, I always wanted to be a television reporter. That was as a professional career I was, I dabbled in comedy. Started when I was 16. That is the first time I ever got on stage at my school, my high school, and then at a comedy club. I was there one of the first comedy clubs in Chicago, a place called the comedy cottage. It was in the suburb of beautiful, beautiful suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, and they were one of the very, very first full time comedy clubs in the nation. And as a 16 year old kid, I actually got on stage and did five minutes here and five minutes there. And thought I was, I was hot stuff, but I never, ever thought I would do it for a living. I thought comedy would always be just a hobby. And I. Especially when I went to college, and I thought, okay, Northwestern is pretty good school, pretty expensive school. I should actually use my degree. And I did. I moved down to Florida, wrote for a newspaper called The Palm Beach post, which, don't let that title fool you. It's Palm Beach was a very small segment of of the area that it was, that it served, but I did comedy on the side, and just because I moved down there, I didn't know anybody, so I hung out at comedy clubs just to have something to do. And little by little, comedy in the late 80s, it exploded. Exploded. There were suddenly clubs popping up everywhere, and you were starting to get to know guys that were doing these clubs and were starting to get recognition for just being comedians. And one of them opened up a very, very good Club opened up about 10 minutes from my apartment in West Palm Beach, and I hung out there and started to get more stage time, and eventually started to realize at the same time that I was getting better as a comedian, I was becoming more disillusioned as a journalist in terms of what my bosses wanted me to report on and the tone they wanted me to use. And I just decided that I would I would just never be able to live with myself if I didn't try it, if I didn't take the the plunge into comedy, and that's what I did in 1989 and I've been doing it ever since. And my career has gone in multiple directions, as I think it needs to. If you're going to be in show business and sustain a career in show business, you have to wear a lot of different hats, which I feel like I've done.   Michael Hingson ** 06:40 So tell me more about that. What does that mean exactly?   Greg Schwem ** 06:43 Well, I mean, I started out as a what you would pretty much if somebody said, If you heard somebody say, I'm a comedian, they would envision some guy that just went to comedy clubs all the time, and that's what I did. I was just a guy that traveled by car all over the Midwest and the Southeast primarily, and did comedy clubs, but I quickly realized that was kind of a going nowhere way to attack it, to do comedy unless you were incredibly lucky, because there were so many guys doing it and so many clubs, and I just didn't see a future in it, and I felt like I had to separate myself from the pack a little bit. And I was living in Chicago, which is where I'm from, and still, still exist. Still reside in Chicago, and I started to get involved with a company that did live trade show presentations. So if you've ever been on a trade show floor and you see people, they're mostly actors and actresses that wear a headset and deliver a spiel, a pitch, like every, every twice an hour, about some company, some new product, and so forth. And I did that, and I started to write material about what I was seeing on trade show floors and putting it into my stand up act, stuff about business, stuff about technology, because I was Hawking a lot of new computers and things like that. This was the mid 90s when technology was exploding, and I started to put this into my stand up act. And then I'd have people come up to me afterwards and say, hey, you know those jokes you did about computers and tech support, if you could come down to our office, you know, we're having a golf tournament, we're having a Christmas party, we would love to hear that material. And little by little, I started transitioning my act into doing shows for the corporate market. I hooked up with a corporate agent, or the corporate agent heard about me, and started to open a lot of doors for me in terms of working for very large corporations, and that's pretty much what I've been doing. I stopped working clubs, and I transitioned, instead of being a comedian, I became a corporate humor speaker. And that's what I do, primarily to this day, is to speak at business conferences. Just kind of get people to loosen up, get them to laugh about what they do all day without without making it sound like I'm belittling what they do. And also when I'm not doing that, I work about eight to 10 weeks a year on cruise ships, performing for cruise audiences. So that's a nice getaway.   Speaker 1 ** 09:18 It's interesting since I mentioned Don Rickles earlier, years ago, I saw an interview that he did with Donahue, and one of the things that Don Rickles said, and after he said it, I thought about it. He said, I really don't want to pick on anyone who's going to be offended by me picking on them. He said, I try to watch really carefully, so that if it looks like somebody's getting offended, I'll leave them alone, because that's not what this is all about. It isn't about abusing people. It's about trying to get people to have fun, and if somebody's offended, I don't want to to pick on them, and I've heard a number of albums and other things with him and just. Noticed that that was really true. He wouldn't pick on someone unless they could take it and had a lot of fun with it. And I thought that was absolutely interesting, because that certainly wasn't, of course, the rep that he had and no, but it was   Greg Schwem ** 10:16 true. It is, and it doesn't take long to see as a as a comedian, when you're looking at an audience member and you're talking to them, it, you can tell very quickly, Are they enjoying this? Are they enjoying being the center of attention? A lot of people are, or are they uncomfortable with it? Now, I don't know that going in. I mean, I you know, of course. And again, that's a very small portion of my show is to talk to the audience, but it is something particularly today. I think audiences want to be more involved. I think they enjoy you talk you. Some of these, the new comedians in their 20s and 30s and so forth. Them, some of them are doing nothing, but what they call crowd work. So they're just doing 45 minutes of talking to the audience, which can be good and can be rough too, because you're working without a net. But I'm happy to give an audience a little bit of that. But I also have a lot of stuff that I want to say too. I mean, I work very hard coming up with material and and refining it, and I want to talk about what's going on in my life, too. So I don't want the audience to be the entire show, right?   Speaker 1 ** 11:26 And and they shouldn't be, because it isn't about that. But at the same time, it is nice to involve them. I find that as a keynote and public speaker, I find that true as well, though, is that audiences do like to be involved. And I do some things right at the outset of most talks to involve people, and also in involving them. I want to get them to last so that I start to draw them in, because later, when I tell the September 11 story, which isn't really a humorous thing. Directly,   Greg Schwem ** 12:04 i know i Good luck. I'm spinning 911 to make it I don't think I've ever heard anybody say, by the way, I was trapped in a building. Stick with me. It's kind of cute. It's got a funny ending. And   Speaker 1 ** 12:20 that's right, and it is hard I can, I can say humorous things along the way in telling the story, but, sure, right, but, but clearly it's not a story that, in of itself, is humorous. But what I realized over the years, and it's really dawned on me in the last four or five years is we now have a whole generation of people who have absolutely no memory of September 11 because they were children or they weren't even born yet. And I believe that my job is to not only talk about it, but literally to draw them into the building and have them walk down the stairs with me, and I have to be descriptive in a very positive way, so that they really are part of what's going on. And the reality is that I do hear people or people come up and say, we were with you when you were going down the stairs. And I think that's my job, because the reality is that we've got to get people to understand there are lessons to be learned from September 11, right? And the only real way to do that is to attract the audience and bring them in. And I think probably mostly, I'm in a better position to do that than most people, because I'm kind of a curious soul, being blind and all that, but it allows me to to draw them in and and it's fun to do that, actually. And I, and   Greg Schwem ** 13:52 I gotta believe, I mean, obviously I wasn't there, Michael, but I gotta believe there were moments of humor in people, a bunch of people going down the stairs. Sure, me, you put people get it's like, it's like when a bunch of people are in an elevator together, you know, I mean, there's I, when I look around and I try to find something humorous in a crowded and it's probably the same thing now, obviously it, you know, you got out in time. But I and, you know, don't that's the hotel phone, which I just hung up so but I think that I can totally see where you're going from, where, if you're if you're talking to people who have no recollection of this, have no memory where you're basically educating them on the whole event. I think you then you have the opportunity to tell the story in whatever way you see fit. And I think that however you choose to do it is there's no wrong way to do it, I guess is what I'm trying to get at.   Speaker 1 ** 14:55 Well, yeah, I think the wrong way is to be two. Graphic and morbid and morbid, but one of the things that I talk about, for example, is that a colleague of mine who was with me, David Frank, at about the 50th floor, suddenly said, Mike, we're going to die. We're not going to make it out of here. And as as I tell the audience, typically, I as as you heard my introduction at the beginning, I have a secondary teaching credential. And one of the things that you probably don't know about teachers is that there's a secret course that every teacher takes called Voice 101, how to yell at students and and so what I tell people is that when David said that, I just said in my best teacher voice, stop it, David, if Roselle and I can go down these stairs, so can you. And he told me later that that brought him out of his funk, and he ended up walking a floor below me and shouting up to me everything he saw. And it was just mainly, everything is clear, like I'm on floor 48 he's on 47/47 floor. Everything is good here, and what I have done for the past several years in telling that part of the story is to say David, in reality, probably did more to keep people calm and focused as we went down the stairs than anyone else, because anyone within the sound of his voice heard someone who was focused and sounded okay. You know, hey, I'm on the 44th floor. This is where the Port Authority cafeteria is not stopping. And it it helps people understand that we all had to do what we could to keep everyone from not panicking. And it almost happened a few times that people did, but we worked at it. But the i The idea is that it helps draw people in, and I think that's so important to do for my particular story is to draw them in and have them walk down the stairs with me, which is what I do, absolutely, yeah, yeah. Now I'm curious about something that keeps coming up. I hear it every so often, public speaker, Speaker experts and people who are supposedly the great gurus of public speaking say you shouldn't really start out with a joke. And I've heard that so often, and I'm going give me a break. Well, I think, I think it depends, yeah, I think   Greg Schwem ** 17:33 there's two schools of thought to that. I think if you're going to start out with a joke, it better be a really good one, or something that you either has been battle tested, because if it doesn't work now, you, you know, if you're hoping for a big laugh, now you're saying, Well, you're a comedian, what do you do? You know, I mean, I, I even, I just sort of work my way into it a little bit. Yeah, and I'm a comedian, so, and, you know, it's funny, Michael, I will get, I will get. I've had CEOs before say to me, Hey, you know, I've got to give this presentation next week. Give me a joke I can tell to everybody. And I always decline. I always it's like, I don't need that kind of pressure. And it's like, I can, I can, I can tell you a funny joke, but,   Michael Hingson ** 18:22 but you telling the   Greg Schwem ** 18:23 work? Yeah, deliver it. You know, I can't deliver it for you. Yeah? And I think that's what I also, you know, on that note, I've never been a big fan of Stand Up Comedy classes, and you see them all popping up all over the place. Now, a lot of comedy clubs will have them, and usually the you take the class, and the carrot at the end is you get to do five minutes at a comedy club right now, if that is your goal, if you're somebody who always like, Gosh, I wonder what it would like be like to stand up on stage and and be a comedian for five minutes. That's something I really like to try. By all means, take the class, all right. But if you think that you're going to take this class and you're going to emerge a much funnier person, like all of a sudden you you weren't funny, but now you are, don't take the class, yeah? And I think, sadly, I think that a lot of people sign up for these classes thinking the latter, thinking that they will all of a sudden become, you know, a comedian. And it doesn't work that way. I'm sorry you cannot teach unfunny people to be funny. Yeah, some of us have the gift of it, and some of us don't. Some of us are really good with our hands, and just know how to build stuff and how to look at things and say, I can do that. And some of us, myself included, definitely do not. You know, I think you can teach people to be more comfortable, more comfortable in front of an audience and. Correct. I think that is definitely a teachable thing, but I don't think that you can teach people to be funnier   Speaker 1 ** 20:10 and funnier, and I agree with that. I tend to be amazed when I keep hearing that one of the top fears in our world is getting up in front of an audience and talking with them, because people really don't understand that audiences, whatever you're doing, want you to succeed, and they're not against you, but we have just conditioned ourselves collectively that speaking is something to be afraid of?   Greg Schwem ** 20:41 Yes, I think, though it's, I'm sure, that fear, though, of getting up in front of people has only probably been exacerbated and been made more intense because now everybody in the audience has a cell phone and to and to be looking out at people and to see them on their phones. Yeah, you're and yet, you prepped all day long. You've been nervous. You've been you probably didn't sleep the night before. If you're one of these people who are afraid of speaking in public, yeah, and then to see people on their phones. You know, it used to bother me. It doesn't anymore, because it's just the society we live in. I just, I wish, I wish people could put their phones down and just enjoy laughing for 45 minutes. But unfortunately, our society can't do that anymore, so I just hope that I can get most of them to stop looking at it.   Speaker 1 ** 21:32 I don't make any comments about it at the beginning, but I have, on a number of occasions, been delivering a speech, and I hear a cell phone ring, and I'll stop and go, Hello. And I don't know for sure what the person with the cell phone does, but by the same token, you know they really shouldn't be on their phone and and it works out, okay, nobody's ever complained about it. And when I just say hello, or I'll go Hello, you don't say, you know, and things like that, but, but I don't, I don't prolong it. I'll just go back to what I was talking about. But I remember, when I lived in New Jersey, Sandy Duncan was Peter Pan in New York. One night she was flying over the audience, and there was somebody on his cell phone, and she happened to be going near him, and she just kicked the phone out of his hand. And I think that's one of the things that started Broadway in saying, if you have a cell phone, turn it off. And those are the announcements that you hear at the beginning of any Broadway performance today.   Greg Schwem ** 22:39 Unfortunately, people don't abide by that. I know you're still hearing cell phones go off, yeah, you know, in Broadway productions at the opera or wherever, so people just can't and there you go. There that just shows you're fighting a losing battle.   Speaker 1 ** 22:53 Yeah, it's just one of those things, and you got to cope with it.   Greg Schwem ** 22:58 What on that note, though, there was, I will say, if I can interrupt real quick, there was one show I did where nobody had their phone. It was a few years ago. I spoke at the CIA. I spoke for some employees of the CIA. And this might, this might freak people out, because you think, how is it that America's covert intelligence agency, you think they would be on their phones all the time. No, if you work there, you cannot have your phone on you. And so I had an audience of about 300 people who I had their total attention because there was no other way to they had no choice but to listen to me, and it was wonderful. It was just a great show, and I it was just so refreshing. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 23:52 and mostly I don't hear cell phones, but they do come up from time to time. And if they do, then you know it happens. Now my one of my favorite stories is I once spoke in Maryland at the Department of Defense, which anybody who knows anything knows that's the National Security Agency, but they call it the Department of Defense, as if we don't know. And my favorite story is that I had, at the time, a micro cassette recorder, and it died that morning before I traveled to Fort Meade, and I forgot to just throw it away, and it was in my briefcase. So I got to the fort, they searched, apparently, didn't find it, but on the way out, someone found it. They had to get a bird Colonel to come to decide what to do with it. I said, throw it away. And they said, No, we can't do that. It's yours. And they they decided it didn't work, and they let me take it and I threw it away. But it was so, so funny to to be at the fort and see everybody running around crazy. See, what do we do with this micro cassette recorder? This guy's been here for an hour. Yeah. So it's it. You know, all sorts of things happen. What do you think about you know, there's a lot of discussion about comedians who use a lot of foul language in their shows, and then there are those who don't, and people seem to like the shock value of that.   Greg Schwem ** 25:25 Yeah, I'm very old school in that. I guess my short answer is, No, I've never, ever been one of those comedians. Ever I do a clean show, I actually learned my lesson very early on. I think I think that I think comedians tend to swear because when they first start out, out of nerves, because I will tell you that profanity does get laughter. And I've always said, if you want to, if you want to experiment on that, have a comedian write a joke, and let's say he's got two shows that night. Let's say he's got an eight o'clock show and a 10 o'clock show. So let's say he does the joke in the eight o'clock and it's, you know, the cadence is bumper, bump up, bump up, bump up, punch line. Okay, now let's and let's see how that plays. Now let's now he does the 10 o'clock show and it's bumper, bump up, bump up F and Okay, yeah, I pretty much guarantee you the 10 o'clock show will get a bigger laugh. Okay? Because he's sort of, it's like the audience is programmed like, oh, okay, we're supposed to laugh at that now. And I think a lot of comedians think, Aha, I have just discovered how to be successful as a comedian. I will just insert the F word in front of every punch line, and you can kind of tell what comedians do that and what comedians I mean. I am fine with foul language, but have some jokes in there too. Don't make them. Don't make the foul word, the joke, the joke, right? And I can say another thing nobody has ever said to me, I cannot hire you because you're too clean. I've never gotten that. And all the years I've been doing this, and I know there's lots of comedians who who do work blue, who have said, you know, who have been turned down for that very reason. So I believe, if you're a comedian, the only way to get better is to work any place that will have you. Yeah, and you can't, so you might as well work clean so you can work any place that will have you, as opposed to being turned away.   Speaker 1 ** 27:30 Well, and I, and I know what, what happened to him and all that, but at the same time, I grew up listening to Bill Cosby and the fact that he was always clean. And, yeah, I understand everything that happened, but you can't deny and you can't forget so many years of humor and all the things that that he brought to the world, and the joy he brought to the world in so many ways.   Greg Schwem ** 27:57 Oh, yeah, no, I agree. I agree. And he Yeah, he worked everywhere. Jay Leno is another one. I mean, Jay Leno is kind of on the same wavelength as me, as far as don't let the profanity become the joke. You know, Eddie Murphy was, you know, was very foul. Richard Pryor, extremely foul. I but they also, prior, especially, had very intelligent material. I mean, you can tell and then if you want to insert your F bombs and so forth, that's fine, but at least show me that you're trying. At least show me that you came in with material in addition to the   Speaker 1 ** 28:36 foul language. The only thing I really have to say about all that is it? Jay Leno should just stay away from cars, but that's another story.   Greg Schwem ** 28:43 Oh, yeah, it's starting to   Greg Schwem ** 28:47 look that way. Yeah, it   Michael Hingson ** 28:49 was. It was fun for a while, Jay, but yeah, there's just two. It's like, Harrison Ford and plains. Yeah, same concept. At some point you're like, this isn't working out. Now I submit that living here in Victorville and just being out on the streets and being driven around and all that, I am firmly convinced, given the way most people drive here, that the bigoted DMV should let me have a license, because I am sure I can drive as well as most of the clowns around here. Yeah, so when they drive, I have no doubt. Oh, gosh. Well, you know, you switched from being a TV journalist and so on to to comedy. Was it a hard choice? Was it really difficult to do, or did it just seem like this is the time and this is the right thing to do. I was   Greg Schwem ** 29:41 both, you know, it was hard, because I really did enjoy my job and I liked, I liked being a TV news reporter. I liked, I liked a job that was different every day once you got in there, because you didn't know what they were going to send you out to do. Yes, you had. To get up and go to work every day and so forth. So there's a little bit of, you know, there's a little bit of the mundane, just like there is in any job, but once you were there, I liked, just never known what the day would bring, right? And and I, I think if I'd stayed with it, I think I think I could have gone pretty far, particularly now, because the now it's more people on TV are becoming more entertainers news people are becoming, yeah, they are. A lot of would be, want to be comedians and so forth. And I don't particularly think that's appropriate, but I agree. But so it was hard to leave, but it gets back to what I said earlier. At some point, you got to say, I was seeing comedians making money, and I was thinking, gosh, you know, if they're making money at this I I'm not hilarious, but I know I'm funnier than that guy. Yeah, I'm funnier than her, so why not? And I was young, and I was single, and I thought, if I if I don't try it now, I never will. And, and I'll bet there's just some hilarious people out there, yeah, who who didn't ever, who just were afraid   Michael Hingson ** 31:14 to take that chance, and they wouldn't take the leap, yeah,   Greg Schwem ** 31:16 right. And now they're probably kicking themselves, and I'm sure maybe they're very successful at what they do, but they're always going to say, what if, if I only done this? I don't ever, I don't, ever, I never, ever wanted to say that. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 31:31 well, and there's, there's something to be said for being brave and stepping out and doing something that you don't expect, or that you didn't expect, or that you weren't sure how it was going to go, but if you don't try, then you're never going to know just how, how much you could really accomplish and how much you can really do. And I think that the creative people, whatever they're being creative about, are the people who do step out and are willing to take a chance.   Greg Schwem ** 31:59 Yeah, yeah. And I told my kids that too. You know, it's just like, if it's something that you're passionate about, do it. Just try it. If it doesn't work out, then at least you can say I tried   Speaker 1 ** 32:09 it and and if it doesn't work out, then you can decide, what do I need to do to figure out why it didn't work out, or is it just not me? I want   Greg Schwem ** 32:18 to keep going? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.   Speaker 1 ** 32:21 So what is the difference between being a nightclub comedian and a corporate comedian? Because they are somewhat different. I think I know the answer. But what would you say that the differences between them? I think   Greg Schwem ** 32:33 the biggest thing is the audiences. I think when you when you are a nightclub comedian, you are working in front of people who are there to be entertained. Yeah, they, they paid money for that. That's what they're expecting. They, they, at some point during the day, they said, Hey, let's, let's go laugh tonight. That's what we really want to do when you're working in front of a corporate audiences. That's not necessarily the case. They are there. I primarily do business conferences and, you know, association meetings and so forth. And I'm just one cog in the wheel of a whole day's worth of meetings are, for the most part, very dry and boring, maybe certainly necessary educational. They're learning how to do their job better or something. And then you have a guy like me come in, and people aren't always ready to laugh, yeah, despite the fact that they probably need to, but they just they're not always in that mindset. And also the time of day. I mean, I do a lot of shows at nine in the morning. I do shows after lunch, right before lunch. I actually do very few shows in the evening, believe it or not. And so then you you have to, you kind of have to, in the while you're doing your act or your presentation or your speech, as I call it, you kind of have to let them know that it is okay. What you're doing is okay, and they should be okay with laughing. They shouldn't be looking around the whole time wondering if other people are laughing. You know, can I, can I? Can I tell you a quick story about how I drive that point home. Why not? Yeah, it's, I'll condense it into like five minutes. I mentioned that I worked on that I work on cruise ships occasionally, and I one night I was performing, and it was the first night of the cruise. And if anybody's ever been on a cruise, note, the first night, first night entertainers don't like the first night because people are tired. You know, they're they're a little edgy because they've been traveling all day. They're they're confused because they're not really sure where they're going on a ship. And the ones that have got it figured out usually over serve themselves because they're on vacation. So you put all that, so I'm doing my show on the first. Night, and it's going very well. And about five, six minutes in, I do a joke. Everybody laughs. Everybody shuts up. And from the back of the room in total darkness, I hear hat just like that. And I'm like, All right, you know, probably over served. So the rule of comedy is that everybody gets like. I was like, I'll let it go once, yeah. So I just kind of looked off in that direction, didn't say anything. Kept going with my active going with my act. About 10 minutes later, same thing happens. I tell a joke. Everybody laughs. Everybody shuts up. Hat now I'm like, Okay, I have got to, I've got to address the elephant in the room. So I think I just made some comment, like, you know, I didn't know Roseanne Barr was on this cruise, you know, because that was like the sound of the Yeah. Okay, everybody laugh. Nothing happened about five minutes later. It happens a third time. And now I'm just like, this is gonna stop. I'm going to put a stop to this. And I just fired off. I can't remember, like, three just like, hey man, you know you're you're just a little behind everybody else in this show and probably in life too, that, you know, things like that, and it never happened again. So I'm like, okay, mission accomplished on my part. Comedians love it when we can shut up somebody like that. Anyway. Show's over, I am out doing a meet and greet. Some guy comes up to me and he goes, hey, hey, you know that kid you were making fun of is mentally handicapped. And now, of course, I don't know this, but out of the corner of my eye, I see from the other exit a man pushing a son, his son in a wheelchair out of the showroom. And I'm just like, Oh, what have I done? And yeah. And of course, when you're on a cruise, you're you're on a cruise. When you're a cruise ship entertainer, you have to live with your audience. So I couldn't hide. I spent like the next three days, and it seemed like wherever I was, the man and his son in the wheelchair were nearby. And finally, on the fourth day, I think was, I was waiting for an elevator. Again, 3500 people on this ship, okay, I'm waiting for an elevator. The elevator door opens. Guess who are the only two people the elevator, the man and his son. And I can't really say I'll wait for the next one. So I get on, and I said to this the father, I said, I just want you to know I had no idea. You know, I'm so sorry. I can't see back there, this kind of thing. And the dad looks at me. He puts his hand up to stop me, and he points to me, and he goes, I thought you were hysterical. And it was, not only was it relief, but it kind of, it's sort of a lesson that if you think something is funny, you should laugh at it. Yeah. And I think sometimes in corporate America, my point in this. I think sometimes when you do these corporate shows, I think that audience members forget that. I think very busy looking around to see if their immediate boss thinks it's funny, and eventually everybody's looking at the CEO to see if they're like, you know, I think if you're doing it that way, if that's the way you're you're approaching humor. You're doing yourself a disservice, if right, stopping yourself from laughing at something that you think is funny.   Speaker 1 ** 38:09 I do think that that all too often the problem with meetings is that we as a as a country, we in corporations, don't do meetings, right anyway, for example, early on, I heard someone at a convention of the National Federation of the Blind say he was the new executive director of the American Foundation for the Blind, and he said, I have instituted a policy, no Braille, no meetings. And what that was all about was to say, if you're going to have a meeting, you need to make sure that all the documentation is accessible to those who aren't going to read the print. I take it further and say you shouldn't be giving out documentation during the meeting. And you can use the excuse, well, I got to get the latest numbers and all that. And my point is, you shouldn't be giving out documentation at a meeting, because the meeting is for people to communicate and interact with each other. And if you're giving out papers and so on, what are people going to do? They're going to read that, and they're not going to listen to the speakers. They're not going to listen to the other people. And we do so many things like that, we've gotten into a habit of doing things that become so predictable, but also make meetings very boring, because who wants to look at the papers where you can be listening to people who have a lot more constructive and interesting things to say anyway?   Greg Schwem ** 39:36 Yeah, yeah. I think, I think COVID definitely changed, some for the some for the better and some for the worse. I think that a lot of things that were done at meetings COVID and made us realize a lot of that stuff could be done virtually, that you didn't have to just have everybody sit and listen to people over and over and over again.   Speaker 1 ** 39:58 But unless you're Donald Trump. Up. Yeah, that's another story.   Greg Schwem ** 40:02 Yes, exactly another podcast episode. But, yeah, I do think also that. I think COVID changed audiences. I think, you know, we talked a little bit earlier about crowd work, right, and audiences wanting to be more involved. I think COVID precipitated that, because, if you think about it, Michael, for two and a half years during COVID, our sole source of entertainment was our phone, right? Which meant that we were in charge of the entertainment experience. You don't like something, swipe left, scroll down, scroll, scroll, scroll, find something else. You know, that kind of thing. I'm not I'm not entertained in the next four or five seconds. So I'm going to do this. And I think when live entertainment returned, audiences kind of had to be retrained a little bit, where they had to learn to sit and listen and wait for the entertainment to come to them. And granted, it might not happen immediately. It might not happen in the first five seconds, but you have to just give give people like me a chance. It will come to you. It will happen, but it might not be on your timetable,   Speaker 1 ** 41:13 right? Well, and I think that is all too true for me. I didn't find didn't find COVID to be a great inconvenience, because I don't look at the screen anyway, right? So in a sense, for me, COVID wasn't that much of a change, other than not being in an office or not being physically at a meeting, and so I was listening to the meeting on the computer, and that has its nuances. Like you don't necessarily get the same information about how everyone around you is reacting, but, but it didn't bother me, I think, nearly as much as it did everyone else who has to look at everyone. Of course, I have no problems picking on all those people as well, because what I point out is that that disabilities has to be redefined, because every one of you guys has your own disability. You're light dependent, and you don't do well when there's dark, when, when the dark shows up and and we now have an environment where Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb, and we've spent the last 147 years doing everything we can to make sure that light is pretty ubiquitous, but it doesn't change a thing when suddenly the power goes out and you don't have immediate access to light. So that's as much a disability as us light, independent people who don't   Greg Schwem ** 42:36 care about that, right? Right? I hear, I agree, but it is but   Speaker 1 ** 42:41 it is interesting and and it is also important that we all understand each other and are willing to tolerate the fact that there are differences in people, and we need to recognize that with whatever we're doing.   42:53 Yeah, I agree.   Speaker 1 ** 42:57 What do you think about so today, we have obviously a really fractured environment and fractured country, and everyone's got their own opinions, and nobody wants to talk about anything, especially politics wise. How do you think that's all affecting comedy and what you get to do and what other people are doing?   Greg Schwem ** 43:18 Well, I think Pete, I think there's, there's multiple answers to that question too. I think, I think it makes people nervous, wondering what the minute a comedian on stage brings up politics, the minute he starts talking about a politician, whether it's our president, whether it's somebody else, you can sense a tension in the room a little bit, and it's, it's, I mean, it's funny. I, one of my best friends in comedy, got to open for another comedian at Carnegie Hall a couple of years ago, and I went to see him, and I'm sitting way up in the top, and he is just crushing it. And then at one point he he brought up, he decided to do an impression of Mitch McConnell, which he does very well. However, the minute he said, Mitch McConnell, I you could just sense this is Carnegie freaking Hall, and after the show, you know, he and I always like to dissect each other's shows. That's what comedians do. And I just said to him, I go. Why did you decide to insert Mitch McConnell in there? And I, and I didn't say it like, you moron, that was stupid, yeah, but I was genuinely curious. And he just goes, well, I just really like doing that bit, and I like doing that voice and so forth, but, and it's not like the show crashed and burned afterwards. No, he did the joke, and then he got out of it, and he went on to other stuff, and it was fine, but I think that people are just so on their guard now, yeah, and, and that's why, you know, you know Jay Leno always said he was an equal opportunity offender. I think you will do better with politics if you really want. Insert politics into your act. I think he would be better making fun of both sides. Yeah, it's true. Yeah. And I think too often comedians now use the the stage as kind of a Bully, bully pulpit, like I have microphone and you don't. I am now going to give you my take on Donald Trump or the Democrats or whatever, and I've always said, talk about anything you want on stage, but just remember, you're at a comedy club. People came to laugh. So is there a joke in here? Yeah, or are you just ranting because you gotta be careful. You have to get this off your chest, and your way is right. It's, it's, you know, I hate to say it, but that's, that's why podcast, no offense, Michael, yours, is not like this. But I think one of the reasons podcasters have gotten so popular is a lot of people, just a lot of podcast hosts see a podcast is a chance to just rant about whatever's on their mind. And it's amazing to me how many podcast hosts that are hosted by comedians have a second guy have a sidekick to basically laugh and agree with whatever that person says. I think Joe Rogan is a classic example, and he's one of the most popular ones. But, and I don't quite understand that, because you know, if you're a comedian, you you made the choice to work solo, right? So why do you need somebody else with you?   Speaker 1 ** 46:33 I'm I'm fairly close to Leno. My remark is a little bit different. I'm not so much an equal opportunity offender as I am an equal opportunity abuser. I'll pick on both sides if politics comes into it at all, and it's and it's fun, and I remember when George W Bush was leaving the White House, Letterman said, Now we're not going to have anybody to joke about anymore. And everyone loved it. But still, I recognize that in the world today, people don't want to hear anything else. Don't confuse me with the facts or any of that, and it's so unfortunate, but it is the way it is, and so it's wiser to stay away from a lot of that, unless you can really break through the barrier,   Greg Schwem ** 47:21 I think so. And I also think that people, one thing you have to remember, I think, is when people come to a comedy show, they are coming to be entertained. Yeah, they are coming to kind of escape from the gloom and doom that unfortunately permeates our world right now. You know? I mean, I've always said that if you, if you walked up to a comedy club on a Saturday night, and let's say there were 50 people waiting outside, waiting to get in, and you asked all 50 of them, what do you hope happens tonight? Or or, Why are you here? All right, I think from all 50 you would get I would just like to laugh, yeah, I don't think one of them is going to say, you know, I really hope that my opinions on what's happening in the Middle East get challenged right now, but he's a comedian. No one is going to say that. No, no. It's like, I hope I get into it with the comedian on stage, because he thinks this way about a woman's right to choose, and I think the other way. And I really, really hope that he and I will get into an argument about to the middle of the   Speaker 1 ** 48:37 show. Yeah, yeah. That's not why people come?   Greg Schwem ** 48:40 No, it's not. And I, unfortunately, I think again, I think that there's a lot of comedians that don't understand that. Yeah, again, talk about whatever you want on stage, but just remember that your your surroundings, you if you build yourself as a comedian,   48:56 make it funny. Yeah, be funny.   Speaker 1 ** 49:00 Well, and nowadays, especially for for you, for me and so on, we're we're growing older and and I think you point out audiences are getting younger. How do you deal with that?   Greg Schwem ** 49:12 Well, what I try to do is I a couple of things. I try to talk as much as I can about topics that are relevant to a younger generation. Ai being one, I, one of the things I do in my my show is I say, oh, you know, I I really wasn't sure how to start off. And when you're confused these days, you you turn to answer your questions. You turn to chat GPT, and I've actually written, you know, said to chat GPT, you know, I'm doing a show tonight for a group of construction workers who work in the Midwest. It's a $350 million company, and it says, try to be very specific. Give me a funny opening line. And of course, chat GPT always comes up with some. Something kind of stupid, which I then relate to the audience, and they love that, you know, they love that concept. So I think there's, obviously, there's a lot of material that you can do on generational differences, but I, I will say I am very, very aware that my audience is, for the most part, younger than me now, unless I want to spend the rest of my career doing you know, over 55 communities, not that they're not great laughers, but I also think there's a real challenge in being older than your audience and still being able to make them laugh. But I think you have to remember, like you said, there's there's people now that don't remember 911 that have no concept of it, yeah, so don't be doing references from, say, the 1980s or the early 1990s and then come off stage and go, Man, nobody that didn't hit at all. No one, no one. They're stupid. They don't get it. Well, no, they, they, it sounds they don't get it. It's just that they weren't around. They weren't around, right? So that's on you.   Speaker 1 ** 51:01 One of the things that you know people ask me is if I will do virtual events, and I'll do virtual events, but I also tell people, the reason I prefer to do in person events is that I can sense what the audience is doing, how they're reacting and what they feel. If I'm in a room speaking to people, and I don't have that same sense if I'm doing something virtually, agreed same way. Now for me, at the same time, I've been doing this now for 23 years, so I have a pretty good idea in general, how to interact with an audience, to draw them in, even in a virtual environment, but I still tend to be a little bit more careful about it, and it's just kind of the way it is, you know, and you and you learn to deal with it well for you, have you ever had writer's block, and how did you deal with it?   Greg Schwem ** 51:57 Yes, I have had writer's block. I don't I can't think of a single comedian who's never had writer's block, and if they say they haven't, I think they're lying when I have writer's block, the best way for me to deal with this and just so you know, I'm not the kind of comedian that can go that can sit down and write jokes. I can write stories. I've written three books, but I can't sit down and just be funny for an hour all by myself. I need interaction. I need communication. And I think when I have writer's block, I tend to go out and try and meet strangers and can engage them in conversation and find out what's going on with them. I mean, you mentioned about dealing with the younger audience. I am a big believer right now in talking to people who are half my age. I like doing that in social settings, because I just, I'm curious. I'm curious as to how they think. I'm curious as to, you know, how they spend money, how they save money, how what their hopes and dreams are for the future, what that kind of thing, and that's the kind of stuff that then I'll take back and try and write material about. And I think that, I think it's fun for me, and it's really fun to meet somebody who I'll give you a great example just last night. Last night, I was I there's a there's a bar that I have that's about 10 a stone's throw from my condo, and I love to stop in there and and every now and then, sometimes I'll sit there and I won't meet anybody, and sometimes different. So there was a guy, I'd say he's probably in his early 30s, sitting too over, and he was reading, which I find intriguing, that people come to a bar and read, yeah, people do it, I mean. And I just said to him, I go, and he was getting ready to pay his bill, and I just said, if you don't mind me asking, What are you reading? And he's like, Oh, it's by Ezra Klein. And I go, you know, I've listened to Ezra Klein before. And he goes, Yeah, you know? He says, I'm a big fan. And debt to debt to dad. Next thing, you know, we're just, we're just riffing back and forth. And I ended up staying. He put it this way, Michael, it took him a very long time to pay his bill because we had a conversation, and it was just such a pleasure to to people like that, and I think that, and it's a hard thing. It's a hard thing for me to do, because I think people are on their guard, a little bit like, why is this guy who's twice my age talking to me at a bar? That's that seems a little weird. And I would get that. I can see that. But as I mentioned in my latest book, I don't mean because I don't a whole chapter to this, and I I say in the book, I don't mean you any harm. I'm not trying to hit on you, or I'm not creepy old guy at the bar. I am genuinely interested in your story. And. In your life, and and I just, I want to be the least interesting guy in the room, and that's kind of how I go about my writing, too. Is just you, you drive the story. And even though I'm the comedian, I'll just fill in the gaps and make them funny.   Speaker 1 ** 55:15 Well, I know that I have often been invited to speak at places, and I wondered, What am I going to say to this particular audience? How am I going to deal with them? They're they're different than what I'm used to. What I found, I guess you could call that writer's block, but what I found is, if I can go early and interact with them, even if I'm the very first speaker, if I can interact with them beforehand, or if there are other people speaking before me, invariably, I will hear things that will allow me to be able to move on and give a relevant presentation specifically to that group, which is what it's really all about. And so I'm with you, and I appreciate it, and it's good to get to the point where you don't worry about the block, but rather you look at ways to move forward and interact with people and make it fun, right,   Greg Schwem ** 56:13 right? And I do think people, I think COVID, took that away from us a little bit, yeah, obviously, but I but, and I do think people missed that. I think that people, once you get them talking, are more inclined to not think that you're you have ulterior motives. I think people do enjoy putting their phones down a little bit, but it's, it's kind of a two way street when I, when I do meet people, if it's if it's only me asking the questions, eventually I'm going to get tired of that. Yeah, I think there's a, there has to be a reciprocity thing a little bit. And one thing I find is, is with the Gen Z's and maybe millennials. They're not, they're not as good at that as I think they could be. They're more they're they're happy to talk about themselves, but they're not really good at saying so what do you do for a living? Or what you know, tell me about you. And I mean, that's how you learn about other people. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 57:19 tell me about your your latest book, Turning gut punches into punchlines. That's a interesting title, yeah, well, the more   Greg Schwem ** 57:26 interesting is the subtitle. So it's turning gut punches into punch punch lines, A Comedian's journey through cancer, divorce and other hilarious stuff.   Speaker 1 ** 57:35 No, like you haven't done anything in the world. Okay, right? So   Greg Schwem ** 57:38 other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln. Yeah, exactly. See, now you get that reference. I don't know if I could use that on stage, but anyway, depend on your audience. But yeah, they're like, What's he talking   Speaker 1 ** 57:50 who's Lincoln? And I've been to Ford theater too, so that's okay, yes, as have I. So it was much later than, than, well, than Lincoln, but that's okay.   Greg Schwem ** 57:58 You're not that old, right? No. Well, okay, so as the title, as the title implies, I did have sort of a double, double gut punch, it just in the last two years. So I, I got divorced late in life, after 29 years of marriage. And while that was going on, I got a colon cancer diagnosis and and at this end, I was dealing with all this while also continuing work as a humor speaker, okay, as a comedian. And I just decided I got it. First of all, I got a very clean bill of health. I'm cancer free. I am finally divorced so and I, I started to think, I wonder if there's some humor in this. I I would, I would, you know, Michael, I've been on stage for like, 25 years telling people that, you know, you can find something funny to laugh at. You can find humor in any situation. It's kind of like what you're talking about all the people going down the stairs in the building in the world trade center. All right, if you look around enough, you know, maybe there's something funny, and I've been preaching that, but I never really had to live that until now. And I thought, you know, maybe there's something here. Maybe I can this is my chance now to embrace new experiences. It was kind of when I got divorced, when you've been married half your life and all of a sudden you get divorced, everything's new to you, yeah, you're, you're, you're living alone, you you're doing things that your spouse did, oh, so many years. And you're having to do those, and you're having to make new friends, yeah, and all of that, I think, is very humorous. So the more I saw a book in there that I started writing before the cancer diagnosis, and I thought was there enough here? Just like, okay, a guy at 60 years old gets divorced now what's going to happen to him? The diagnosis? Kind. Made it just added another wrinkle to the book, because now I have to deal with this, and I have to find another subject to to make light of a little bit. So the book is not a memoir, you know, I don't start it off. And, you know, when I was seven, you know, I played, you know, I was, I went to this school night. It's not that. It's more just about reinvention and just seeing that you can be happy later in life, even though you have to kind of rewrite your your story a little   Speaker 1 ** 1:00:33 bit. And I would assume, and I would assume, you bring some of that into your ACT every so   Greg Schwem ** 1:00:38 very much. So yeah, I created a whole new speech called Turning gut punches into punchlines. And I some of the stuff that I, that I did, but, you know, there's a chapter in the book about, I about gig work, actually three chapters I, you know, I went to work for Amazon during the Christmas holiday rush, just scanning packages. I wanted to see what that was like. I drove for Uber I which I did for a while. And to tell you the truth, I miss it. I ended up selling my car, but I miss it because of the what we just talked about. It was a great way to communicate with people. It was a great way to talk to people, find out about them, be the least interesting person in the car, anyway. And there's a chapter about dating and online dating, which I had not had to do in 30 years. There's a lot of humor in that. I went to therapy. I'd never gone to therapy before. I wrote a chapter about that. So I think people really respond to this book, because they I think they see a lot of themselves in it. You know, lots of people have been divorced. There's lots of cancer survivors out there, and there's lots of people who just suddenly have hit a speed bump in their life, and they're not really sure how to deal with it, right? And my way, this book is just about deal with it through laughter. And I'm the perfect example.   Speaker 1 ** 1:01:56 I hear you, Oh, I I know, and I've been through the same sort of thing as you not a divorce, but my wife and I were married for 40 years, and she passed away in November of 2022 after 40 years of marriage. And as I tell people, as I tell people, I got to be really careful, because she's monitoring me from somewhere, and if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it, so I got to be a good kid, and I don't even chase the women so. But I also point out that none of them have been chasing me either, so I guess I just do what we got to do. But the reality is, I think there are always ways to find some sort of a connection with other people, and then, of course, that's what what you do. It's all about creating a connection, creating a relationship, even if it's only for a couple of hours or an hour or 45 minutes, but, but you do it, which is what it's all about?   Greg Schwem ** 1:02:49 Yeah, exactly. And I think the funniest stuff is real life experience. Oh, absolutely, you know. And if people can see themselves in in what I've written, then I've done my job as a writer.   Speaker 1 ** 1:03:03 So do you have any plans to retire?   Greg Schwem ** 1:03:06 Never. I mean, good for you retire from what   1:03:09 I know right, making fun of people   Greg Schwem ** 1:03:12 and making them laugh. I mean, I don't know what I would do with myself, and even if I there's always going to be I don't care how technology, technologically advanced our society gets. People will always want and need to laugh. Yeah, they're always going to want to do that. And if they're want, if they're wanting to do that, then I will find, I will find a way to get to them. And that's why I, as I said, That's why, like working on cruise ships has become, like a new, sort of a new avenue for me to make people laugh. And so, yeah, I don't I there's, there's no way. I don't know what else I would do with   Speaker 1 ** 1:03:53 myself, well and from my perspective, as long as I can inspire people, yes, I can make people think a little bit and feel better about themselves. I'm going to do it right. And, and, and I do. And I wrote a book during COVID that was published last August called Live like a guide dog. And it's all about helping people learn to control fear. And I use lessons I learned from eight guide dogs and my wife service dog to do that. My wife was in a wheelchair her whole life. Great marriage. She read, I pushed worked out well, but, but the but the but the bottom line is that dogs can teach us so many lessons, and there's so much that we can learn from them. So I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to create this book and and get it out there. And I think that again, as long as I can continue to inspire people, I'm going to do it. Because   Greg Schwem ** 1:04:47 why wouldn't you? Why wouldn't I exactly right? Yeah, yeah. So,   Speaker 1 ** 1:04:51 I mean, I think if I, if I stopped, I think my wife would beat up on me, so I gotta be nice exactly. She's monitoring from somewhere

Mike is joined in studio on this edition of Hitting Left by co-host Joanna Klonsky. Joanna is a political strategist and consultant. Also joining Mike is Ray Long, recently retired political reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Tribune political reporter Olivia Olander joins Patrick to discuss failures in meeting the state's clean energy goals and if the Climate Equity & Jobs Act (CEJA) is working for ratepayers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicago is known for classic food staples like a beef sandwich or the Chicago dog, but we also have access to a wide variety of international cuisines, sometimes just a neighborhood over. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to the Chicago Tribune's Ahmed Ali Akbar and Louisa Chu about their favorite restaurants where the food and the ambiance make them feel like they are on vacation without leaving the city.  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Kori Rumore, a journalist at The Chicago Tribune, joins John Landecker to talk about Abraham Lincoln’s angry letter directed at the Chicago Tribune and why he was so upset. Kori also chats with John about the first Dairy Queen founded in Joliet and how the famous ice cream restaurant got its name.

Chicago Tribune reporter Dan Petrella joins to discuss a near-record campaign finance fine against Senate President Don Harmon and if Illinois will ever get serious about campaign finance and ethics laws. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicago Tribune chief political reporter Rick Pearson joins Bob Sirott to explain the main points of President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” and the email concerning seniors and social security. He also shares his thoughts on Elon Musk’s “America Party.”

This week, Mike, Russell, and Clarissa discuss venture capitalist Peter Thiel's interview with The New York Times' Ross Douthat about transhumanism and the end times. Then, CT's Andy Olsen joins the show to discuss asylum-seeking Iranian Christians who were detained by ICE agents in Los Angeles. Finally, CT writer Megan Fowler discusses with Russell and Clarissa what to look for in a good (and a bad) summer camp. Find us on YouTube.     REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: New York Times interview between Peter Thiel and Ross Douthat. Andy Olsen's article in CT: ICE Goes After Church Leaders and Christians Fleeing Persecution. Video of ICE agents detaining Iranian Christian couple. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack.  Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS:   Andy Olsen is the senior features writer at Christianity Today. He previously oversaw the print magazine team. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, among other outlets, and has been recognized by the Religion News Association and the Evangelical Press Association. Megan Fowler is a religion reporter at Christianity Today. She is also an associate editor at byFaith magazine, and her writing has appeared in The Gospel Coalition and Common Good.  ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper   Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we continue the Summer Echoes Series with a story by Kimberly Elkins. Kimberly is the author of the novel, WHAT IS VISIBLE, which was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and named to several Best of 2014 lists. She's written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Iowa Review, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Glamour, Slice, The Cincinnati Review, and Best New American Voices. She was a Finalist for the National Magazine Award, and has also won a New York Moth StorySlam. You can find her on X @GoodWordGirl. Kimberly's story was originally published in The Cincinnati Review and is the most unique essay I think we've ever gotten. It uses second person point of view and still, it's vulnerable. It's short. It's mighty. It's amazing.Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Audio production by Matt Cundill, Evan Surminski, Chloe Emond-Lane, and Aiden Glassey at the Sound Off Media Company. Theme music is by Justina Shandler.There's more writing class on our website including stories we study, editing resources, video classes, writing retreats, and live online classes. Join our writing community by following us on Patreon. A transcript of this episode is available here.Check out all the classes we offer on our website, writingclassradio.com.Join the community that comes together for instruction, an excuse to write, and the support from other writers. To learn more, go to www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio. Or sign up HERE for First Draft for a FREE Zoom link.There's no better way to understand ourselves and each other, than by writing and sharing our stories. Everyone has a story. What's yours?

In this episode, Fran Spielman welcomes Ray Long, a recently retired investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune with over 45 years in journalism. Long discusses his career journey, including his early days covering City Hall with Spielman, memorable stories from his stint as a reporter, and significant events like the turbulent tenure of Mayor Richard M. Daley. They also touch on Long's moderate upbringing, his transition from aspiring radio personality to print journalism, and his experience writing a book on political heavyweight Mike Madigan without direct interviews. 

Sabrina Haake is a federal trial attorney with twenty years of experience specializing in First and 14th Amendment defense. Her essays have been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Reader, and Raw Story. Her Substack newsletter is The Haake Take. Sabrina Haake reflects on how the Age of Trump and his return to power have negatively impacted the interpersonal relationships and mental and emotional health of the American people -- and how they need to hold on to hope and a belief in human decency when it is so easy to so succumb to cynicism and despair in these dark times. She also ponders how and why so many “good” “everyday” Germans were able to sustain living in a state of denial about how their society was succumbing to evil in human history during the 1930s and beyond. And Sabrina Haake shares her personal life journey of overcoming poverty and abuse and how that has impacted her moral framework, public voice, and commitment to democracy and a more humane society. WHERE CAN YOU FIND ME? On Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaunceydevega On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chauncey.devega My email: chaunceydevega@gmail.com HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW? Via Paypal at ChaunceyDeVega.com: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thechaunceydevegashow   https://www.patreon.com/TheTruthReportPodcast

“Yes, the world feels like a hot mess right now. But what if the real power lies not in fixing the chaos ‘out there,' but in finding our footing ‘in here'?” That was the heart of my recent conversation on More Than a Few Words with the always wise and wonderfully grounded Deborah Sunderland. We didn't talk strategy or spreadsheets this time—we talked soul. How we, as women business owners, can navigate the storms of our external world by coming back to the steady center within ourselves. Because let's be honest: things are weird out there. Between the economy, politics, and everything in between, it's easy to feel like we're being tossed around in a storm we didn't sign up for. But as Deborah gently reminded me—and now, I'll remind you—we've been through a lot, and we're still standing. That resilience? It's no small thing. Key Takeaways for Women Business Owners: You've already weathered storms. Recognize your resilience. The past few years have tested everyone, and you've made it through. That alone deserves a moment of appreciation. Your mindset is your power tool. Our brains are sneaky little things—they'll default to fear and scarcity unless we redirect them. When you catch yourself spiraling, pause and ask: “What thought is driving this feeling?” and then: “How might this actually be for me?” Emotions aren't the enemy—resistance is. Don't stuff it down. Feel it fully. Most emotions pass in 90 seconds if we stop wrestling with them. Anger, fear, frustration—they're signals, not stop signs. Shift the conversation with yourself. The most important conversations aren't in the boardroom—they're in your own mind. Be kinder, more curious, and less judgmental toward yourself. And hey, extend that grace to others too (yes, even the annoying customer service rep). Your breath is free medicine. Use it. Three deep breaths can shift your entire nervous system. It's not woo—it's biology. Take those moments of calm and reclaim your focus. Try This Today: Grab a notebook and write down: “How am I OK right now?” List at least 5 things. (Yes, “I'm breathing” counts!) Close your eyes and take 3 slow, deep breaths. Let your body know: “I am safe right now.” Before reacting to someone, ask: “How might they be doing their best?” It'll change the tone—and the outcome—of your conversation. About Debra Debra's genius is creating a clear vision for CEO's and their teams – making that vision a reality. With decades of C-level executive and team coaching, Debra challenges leaders by inviting them to create a collaborative, vibrant, responsible, and joy-filled culture, which fosters highly desirable results. Her practice is shared in a diverse range of industries: hi-tech, wealth management, engineering, healthcare, marketing and more. Debra specializes in awakening leaders to transformatively solve their upper limiting beliefs, sabotaging behaviors, and unconscious biases, moving them into sustainable excellence and self-awareness. She coaches through the tough and uncomfortable work of removing the blockages preventing leaders from fully living their genius, equipping them with the thoughts and skills to bring their goals to fruition. She challenges leaders to own their results in all areas of life, to be present in the here and now, stepping out of leading with reactivity and into conscious leadership. The CEO's chief purpose is to raise up their teams to practice radical responsibility and curiosity. Organizations achieve their optimal outcomes when they shift out of drama and create win-for-all solutions. Debra graduated from Miami University, holds a degree in Psychology and is certified in The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, the Integrative9 Enneagram, Corporate Goal Coaching, and CTI Co-Active training. Debra's work has been featured on Fox National/Local News, Crain's Chicago Business, the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun- Times, and 190 N Television. As a continual learner, Debra is a graduate of the Inner MBA – Mindful NYU program. Her base is Nashville and Chicago.    

In this episode on Seeing Them Live, Charles shares one of his ticket stub stories taken from the pages of his book, Ticket Stub Stories:  A Memoir of Live Music'. This story details his experience at a Nirvana concert in October 1993. Charles recounts the second show of a Nirvana concert he attended where the band, upset by a critical review in the Chicago Tribune, did not perform their hit 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.' Discover how Kurt Cobain's frustration led to a memorable, albeit puzzling, night for fans, and learn how an intriguing interview with the Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, may have subtly influenced Kurt Cobain's behavior and actions at the concert.BANDS: MEGG, Nirvana, The Used, U2VENUES: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago PATREON:https://www.patreon.com/SeeingThemLivePlease help us defer the cost of producing this podcast by making a donation on Patreon.WEBSITE:https://seeingthemlive.com/Visit the Seeing Them Live website for bonus materials including the show blog, resource links for concert buffs, photos, materials related to our episodes, and our Ticket Stub Museum.INSTAGRAM:https://www.instagram.com/seeingthemlive/FACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550090670708

Min 5: THE BEAR 4: EL OSO QUIERE UNA ESTRELLA (MICHELÍN) La cuarta temporada de The Bear (Disney +) retoma el pulso en la cocina del restaurante The Bear, ahora convertido en un establecimiento de alta gastronomía bajo el mando de Carmy (Jeremy Allen White). Todo parte de una reseña pública del Chicago Tribune que cuestiona su propuesta culinaria, sumiendo al equipo en una crisis financiera y creativa . Los diez episodios muestran cómo Carmy y el resto del personal, especialmente Sydney (AyoEdebiri) y Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), afrontan el reto de salvar el negocio en un plazo límite impuesto por los inversores. NOTA EDC: 3'5 estrellas Min 16: IRONHEART (DISNEY PLUS) Ironheart ofrece una historia íntima y de carácter local dentro del MCU, con un retrato cautivador de una joven genio enfrentada a su dolor, ambición y moral ambigua. Aunque adolece de ritmo y desarrollo en sus antagonistas, la actuación de Thorne, la mezcla de tecnología y magia, y los dilemas éticos planteados, la convierten en una miniserie llamativa para quien busque más que puro espectáculo. Ideal para espectadores interesados en personajes complejos, aunque menos recomendada para quienes esperen el ritmo tradicional de Marvel. NOTA EDC: 3 estrellas Min 20: EL JUEGO DEL CALAMAR 3: EL FINAL DE UNA SAGA UNIVERSAL Tras el fracaso de la rebelión que cerró la segunda temporada, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) regresa a la competición con un único propósito: desmantelar el sistema desde dentro. La temporada 3, que consta de seis intensos episodios, introduce nuevos juegos letales como un brutal “escondite” y una versión extrema del Squid Game en plataformas aéreas. Entre los jugadores destacan una madre embarazada, un vigilante norcoreano convertido en desertor, y viejos y nuevos personajes cuyas historias personales atraviesan dilemas de supervivencia y moralidad. NOTA EDC: 3,5 estrellas Min 26: LOS SIN NOMBRE (MOVISTAR +) Claudia (Miren Ibarguren), una ginecóloga destrozada por la desaparición de su hija Ángela años atrás, recibe una llamada estremecedora: “Mamá, soy yo, Ángela. ¡Ven a buscarme!” Esto la impulsa a reabrir su pasado y retomar la investigación junto al ex-inspector Salazar (Rodrigo de la Serna) y una joven llamada Laura (Milena Smit), a quien Ángela salvó tiempo atrás. Su búsqueda los lleva hasta el corazón de una secta siniestra con tintes sobrenaturales y motivos eugenésicos, ocultos tras símbolos, tatuajes y resurrecciones inexplicables. Conversión a miniserie de la peli de culto para los seguidores del género que dirigió Jaume Balagueró en 1999. NOTA EDC: 3 estrellas Min 32. BSO "PEDRO X JAVIS" Y 5 REGALOS MUSICALES Y en el diván de las series nos proponemos hacer virtud de los regalazos musicales que nos ha dejado el comentadísimo y desigual documental de los Javis sobre Pedro Almodóvar. Le hemos propuesto a Ángel Luque degustar las cinco interpretaciones en directo que han hecho de temas clave de su filmografía artistas como Naty Peluso, Luz Casal, Antonio Banderas o Amaia...Todos con una explicación previa del cineasta manchego.

The Full Go returns as Jason welcomes the Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe to the podcast! The two talk about the Bulls' draft, Nikola Vucevic's future, and how the Josh Giddey extension will work out.  Please visit ⁠www.rg-help.com⁠ to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Host: Jason Goff Guest: Julia Poe Producer: Kyle Williams Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Post-Dispatch podcasts page: https://go.stltoday.com/0hfn43 Please consider subscribing: https://go.stltoday.com/9aigz5 After his barehanded play on a slow-rolling grounder ended Tuesday night's game against the Cubs with a stirring, 8-7 Cardinals victory, third baseman Nolan Arenado talked about how much it meant to play meaningful, tense, important games against an archrival. He said he woke up excited, and hadn't been this eager to get to the ballpark in almost two years. A day early, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he wouldn't be the "hype man" for the series. The oldest rivalry in Major League Baseball between two teams that have not left their cities, Cubs-Cardinals was long defined by one team's brand as champion and the other as lovable losers, but that's so Y2K, man. Now the rivalry happens in cycles, and for the first time in several years the Cardinals and Cubs were snug in the standings when they played this past week at Busch Stadium. Does that give the rivalry renewed verve, or does the change in schedule make it just another division series?  Chicago Tribune baseball writer and Cubs beat writer Meghan Montemurro joins the Best Podcast in Baseball for a conversation at Busch Stadium (listen to that determined A/C) about the current state of the rivalry and if it has the same heat in Chicago that it experienced from the St. Louis side this past week. The pressure is on the Cardinals to chase down the Cubs, and the pressure on the Cubs, with only one guaranteed year of standout player Kyle Tucker, appears to be on winning and advancing in October now.  How should that shape their trade deadline decisions? How can they shape the Cardinals' trade deadline decisions? Cubs president Jed Hoyer is in the final year of his contract, and Cardinals president John Mozeliak is in the final year of his tenure leading the Cardinals' baseball operations. Change is coming, potentially to both teams, adding another twist to the rivalry. Plus, BPIB host Derrick Goold, asks Montemurro about his theory that maybe instead of the National League Central rivals spurring the Cubs to spend like a bigger market it will be their neighborhoods on the South Side as the White Sox welcome in a new investor. A split four-game series at Busch Stadium between the Cardinals and Cubs left nothing settled between the two teams, and the final game of the series (a 3-0 victory and second consecutive shutout by the Cubs) ended with both teams emptying their dugouts to almost confront each on the field. Tempers cooled quickly, but the stage is set for their next week within two weeks for Fourth of July at Wrigley Field. Will there be fireworks? The Best Podcast in Baseball, in its 13th year as one of the leading baseball podcasts, is sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis. It is a production of StlToday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Derrick Goold.

For the first time in more than four decades, a sitting Illinois governor will be seeking a third term. On top of that, the debate's continuing over whether JB Pritzker might seek even higher office. A longtime chief politics reporter for the Chicago Tribune discusses what Pritzker's decision means for Illinois in this week's Politics News Roundup.

My conversation with Jarvis begins at about 40 mins Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Get Jeff's new book The Web We Weave Why We Must Reclaim the Internet from Moguls, Misanthropes, and Moral Panic Jeff Jarvis is a national leader in the development of online news, blogging, the investigation of new business models for news, and the teaching of entrepreneurial journalism. He writes an influential media blog, Buzzmachine.com. He is author of “Geeks Bearing Gifts: Imagining New Futures for News” (CUNY Journalism Press, 2014); “Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Improves the Way We Work and Live” (Simon & Schuster, 2011); “What Would Google Do?” (HarperCollins 2009), and the Kindle Single “Gutenberg the Geek.” He has consulted for media companies including The Guardian, Digital First Media, Postmedia, Sky.com, Burda, Advance Publications, and The New York Times company at About.com. Prior to joining the Newmark J-School, Jarvis was president of Advance.net, the online arm of Advance Publications, which includes Condé Nast magazines and newspapers across America. He was the creator and founding managing editor of Entertainment Weekly magazine and has worked as a columnist, associate publisher, editor, and writer for a number of publications, including TV Guide, People, the San Francisco Examiner, the Chicago Tribune, and the New York Daily News. His freelance articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country, including the Guardian, The New York Times, the New York Post, The Nation, Rolling Stone, and BusinessWeek. Jarvis holds a B.S.J. from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He was named one of the 100 most influential media leaders by the World Economic Forum at Davos. Join us Monday's and Thursday's at 8EST for our Bi Weekly Happy Hour Hangout's !  Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube  Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll  Follow and Support Pete Coe Buy Ava's Art  Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift

Laura Rodríguez Presa is a prominent and one of the youngest bilingual reporter based in Chicago, working for the Chicago Tribune. She focuses on in-depth storytelling about the Latino community and often collaborates with fellow journalists on investigative series—such as the acclaimed “Aging in the Shadows,” which highlights challenges faced by undocumented seniors in Illinois. She is an amazing and beautiful person whom I met while working with our new neighbors (immigrants) arriving from all over the world. She often covers stories of the most vulnerable, and many times, based on her own lived experiences. She tells her story from her childhood to her current accomplishments. I am proud to call her a friend and can't wait to see what the future holds for her! 

In this inaugural “Legal Tuesday” edition of The Rainmaking Podcast, Scott Love introduces a new series focused specifically on legal professionals, offering expert insight for lawyers navigating complex transitions. Scott speaks with Hilary Gerzhoy, a seasoned ethics lawyer and thought leader on professional responsibility, who shares valuable guidance on avoiding ethical pitfalls during lateral partner moves. She outlines real-world examples of landmines, such as premature client contact, improper solicitation of team members, and breach of fiduciary duty—each of which can derail a move or trigger legal retaliation. The conversation covers essential considerations for departing lawyers, including how to handle sensitive communications, what firms can legally withhold, and how to protect client relationships ethically. The episode is especially timely for law firm partners considering a move, and serves as a cautionary guide to avoid becoming tomorrow's legal headline. This Tuesday edition of the podcast delivers focused legal guidance, while Thursday episodes will continue serving broader professional services audiences. Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ YouTube: https://youtu.be/LAtWIzixoeY ----------------------------------------

Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips joins John Williams to talk about the 50th anniversary of ‘Jaws.’ Michael and John talk about their memories of when they first saw the film, the well-placed laughs in the movie, the cultural impact of the film at the time, the challenges of making the movie, and why the film still holds up today.

Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips joins John Williams to talk about the 50th anniversary of ‘Jaws.’ Michael and John talk about their memories of when they first saw the film, the well-placed laughs in the movie, the cultural impact of the film at the time, the challenges of making the movie, and why the film still holds up today.

Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips joins John Williams to talk about the 50th anniversary of ‘Jaws.’ Michael and John talk about their memories of when they first saw the film, the well-placed laughs in the movie, the cultural impact of the film at the time, the challenges of making the movie, and why the film still holds up today.

In this episode, Payton unpacks a chilling event at O'Hare Airport in 2006, when a silent, metallic disc was seen hovering above a terminal before vanishing into the clouds, leaving a perfect hole behind. No radar. No answers. Just witnesses and a mystery the FAA refused to investigate. Links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderwithmyhusband NEW MERCH LINK: https://mwmhshop.com Discount Codes: https://mailchi.mp/c6f48670aeac/oh-no-media-discount-codes Twitch: twitch.tv/throatypie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intothedarkpod/ Discount Codes: https://mailchi.mp/c6f48670aeac/oh-no-media-discount-codes Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUbh-B5Or9CT8Hutw1wfYqQ Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/into-the-dark/id1662304327 Listen on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36SDVKB2MEWpFGVs9kRgQ7 Case Sources: Chicago Magazine - https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/march-2007/do-you-believe/ Daily Mail - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12462335/2006-Chicago-OHare-UFO-Alcubierre-warp-drive-Applied-Physics-physicists.html History - https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=0PSTkEN5n_A&t=32m10s WTTW - https://www.wttw.com/chicago-mysteries/mystery/was-a-ufo-once-spotted-at-ohare-airport Chicago Tribune - https://www.chicagotribune.com/2007/01/01/in-the-sky-a-bird-a-plane-a-ufo-2/ https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/03/20/ohare-ufo-sighting-in-2006-one-of-the-most-famous-reported/ Simple Flying - https://simpleflying.com/chicago-o-hare-airport-reported-ufo-sighting-2006/ National Aviation Reporting Center on Anamolous Phenomena - https://web.archive.org/web/20141107022114/http://www.narcap.org/reports/TR10_Case_18a.pdf The National UFO Reporting Center - https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=53392 Globe Air - https://www.globeair.com/g/ground-control Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Illini alum and Cubs beat writer for the Chicago Tribune Meghan Montemurro joins the fellas. We chat about PCA, Cubs playoff moves, and more. Plus, the Illini landed a 4-star recruit for football! Find out who will be joining Bret Bielema's squad this year.

“Let me tell you about the very rich”, Scott Fitzgerald once said. “They are different from you and me”. One way they are different, the New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos reports, is that they own yachts - very very big, expensive yachts. In The Haves and The Have-Yachts, Osnos' dispatches about today's ultrarich, he takes us on board these boats to reveal the obscenity of our new gilded age. From Mark Zuckerberg's obsession with Augustus Caesar to the thin-skinned grievances of figures like Marc Andreessen and Elon Musk, Osnos explores how the personal quirks and anxieties of just 19 American plutocrats - the 0.00001% - are now reshaping our entire society. He argues we're living in an era of "flamboyant oligarchy," where billionaires openly flaunt their wealth. Citing the extraordinary tableau of tech moguls lining up in homage to Trump at his inauguration, Osnos describes our age as "the complete and total fusion of politics and plutocracy in the United States." five key takeaways1. We're Living in an Era of "Flamboyant Oligarchy" Unlike past wealthy elites who stayed hidden ("a whale that never surfaces doesn't get harpooned"), today's billionaires openly compete for attention and flaunt their wealth, fundamentally changing the relationship between extreme wealth and public life.2. Just 19 People Could Control 18% of America's Wealth The 0.00001% - currently 19 Americans - control 1.8% of national wealth today. If current trends continue, this could reach 18% within 40 years, representing an unprecedented concentration of economic power in human history.3. Personal Quirks Have Massive Social Consequences Billionaires' individual obsessions and blind spots shape society at scale - from Facebook being blue because Zuckerberg is colorblind, to his Augustus Caesar fixation influencing how he thinks about power and empire-building.4. The Complete Fusion of Politics and Plutocracy Trump's inauguration, featuring tech moguls "lined up in homage," represents the total merger of political and economic power in America - what Osnos calls a "sultanistic oligarchy" where billionaires have elevated Trump to rule on their behalf.5. Billionaires Are Surprisingly Thin-Skinned and Aggrieved Despite their wealth, figures like Musk and Andreessen are easily offended and resentful about public criticism, leading them not to retreat but to actively seek control over politics and media to reshape the narrative in their favor. BiographyEvan Lionel Richard Osnos (born December 24, 1976) is an American journalist and author who has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2008, specializing in politics and foreign affairs coverage in the United States and China. Osnos continues to be one of America's most prominent foreign correspondents and political journalists, known for his deep reporting and narrative storytelling that bridges international and domestic affairs.Current PositionsOsnos is currently a staff writer at The New Yorker, a CNN contributor, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, based in Washington D.C.Early Life and EducationOsnos was born in London when his parents, Susan (née Sherer) Osnos and Peter L.W. Osnos, were visiting from Moscow, where his father was assigned as a correspondent for The Washington Post. He graduated with high honors from Harvard University with a Bachelor's Degree. Career HighlightsEarly Career: In 2002, he was assigned to the Middle East, where he covered the Iraq War and reported from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, and elsewhere. In 2005, he became the China correspondent. Chicago Tribune: Prior to The New Yorker, he worked as the Beijing bureau chief of the Chicago Tribune, where he contributed to a series that won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. The New Yorker: Osnos joined The New Yorker in September 2008 and served as the magazine's China correspondent until 2013, maintaining a regular blog called "Letter from China" and writing articles about China's young neoconservatives, the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, and the Wenzhou train crash. Major Publications* "Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China" (2014): Won the 2014 National Book Award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. * "Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now" (2020): Published in October 2020, based on lengthy interviews with Biden and revealing conversations with more than a hundred others, including President Barack Obama. * "Wildland: The Making of America's Fury" (2021): Published in September 2021, about profound cultural and political changes occurring between September 11, 2001, and January 6, 2021. The book was a New York Times bestseller. * "The Haves and Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich" (2025): His latest book, published in June 2025, exploring American oligarchy and the culture of excess. Awards and RecognitionOsnos has received the Asia Society's Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia, the Livingston Award for Young Journalists, and a Mirror Award for profile-writing. He received two awards from the Overseas Press Club and the Osborn Elliott Prize for excellence in journalism from the Asia Society. Personal LifeHe has been married to Sarabeth Berman since July 9, 2011. He lives with his wife and children near Washington, This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Ray Long, the great investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune, and author of the book, ‘The House that Madigan Built,’ joins John Williams to talk about former Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan being sentenced to over 7 years in prison. Was Ray surprised by the severity of the sentence?

Ray Long, the great investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune, and author of the book, ‘The House that Madigan Built,’ joins John Williams to talk about former Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan being sentenced to over 7 years in prison. Was Ray surprised by the severity of the sentence?

Ray Long, the great investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune, and author of the book, ‘The House that Madigan Built,’ joins John Williams to talk about former Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan being sentenced to over 7 years in prison. Was Ray surprised by the severity of the sentence?

WGN Radio's Dave Plier and retired WGN Radio newsman Roger Badesch talk about the history behind radio and television call letters including WGN ‘World's Greatest Newspaper', which made its first appearance in the Chicago Tribune nameplate on August 29, 1911, and dozens of other Chicago call signs that graced the airwaves over the past 100 years on both radio and television.

Dan Wiederer and guest Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune discuss how Bears head coach Ben Johnson is obsessed about every detail of the offense. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Wiederer and guest Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune turn their attention to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. How's the relationship between Williams and coach Ben Johnson coming along? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Wiederer and guest Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune look at the Bears' position battle at left tackle. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tempers flare as Governor Pritzker joins two Democratic Governors in testimony before the House Oversight Committee. Chicago leaders brace for massive “No Kings” protest as President Trump threatens to send military troops to quell protests in Democratic cities. Reset goes behind those headlines and more in our Weekly News Recap. This week's panelists include AXIOS Chicago reporter Carrie Shepherd, Chicago Tribune immigration reporter Laura Rodríguez Presa and Chicago Sun-Times reporter covering government and politics Mitchell Armentrout. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

From 'Take The North' (subscribe here): Dan Wiederer is joined in this episode by fellow Chicago Tribune reporter Sean Hammond! Together, the pair walks through the highlights of the Bears' recently concluded offseason program. What progress has quarterback Caleb Williams made? What have the early impressions of head coach Ben Johnson been? Does rookie offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo have a real shot at earning the starting left tackle job? They discuss that and much more in this rapid-fire conversation! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Wiederer is joined in this episode by fellow Chicago Tribune reporter Sean Hammond! Together, the pair walks through the highlights of the Bears' recently concluded offseason program. What progress has quarterback Caleb Williams made? What have the early impressions of head coach Ben Johnson been? Does rookie offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo have a real shot at earning the starting left tackle job? They discuss that and much more in this rapid-fire conversation! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe inflation disaster never happened, the opposite it happened. Tariff revenue is at record highs. [DS]/[CB] energy policies destroyed the economy, Trump is now reversing this and energy has always been the key. Energy allows for manufacturing. Trump is going to transform the entire economic system. The [DS] is panicking. Their plan for riots is going to fail. The are pushing the insurgency and trying to create the narrative it is Trumps fault, the riots, looting and burning is because of Trump bringing in law enforcement. FBI is now following the money trail of the rioters, stingrays have been deployed to track the rioters. Mapping has begun a long time ago. The money trail leads back the D's and their NGOs, Trump Card.   Economy May Inflation Data Lower than Expected – May Tariff Revenue Reaches Record Highs    “Tariff Revenues”: [SOURCE] The Second Chart is USA Inflation: [SOURCE]  tariffs are not raising prices  What drove inflation before was energy prices, the Green New Deal (globally Build Back Better). That era is over with Trump in charge of MAGAnomics. [Source] Source: theconservativetreehouse.com https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1933122501657178608   table. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/TonyLaneNV/status/1933158241774833963 https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1933252988153266227        Political/Rights https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1933236074136170658  repeated commands. @SecretService thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately. Secretary Noem met with Senator Padilla after and held a 15 minute meeting. https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1933253782504452184 https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1933163439351898147   https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1932861044847779966 Chicago Mayor Urges City To ‘Resist' Looming Trump Immigration Crackdown Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson urged city residents on Wednesday to “resist” the Trump administration as it escalates its immigration enforcement operations nationwide, according to the Chicago Tribune. Speaking at a Wednesday news conference, Johnson condemned President Donald Trump's decision to deploy federal troops to help control the riots in Los Angeles, which were triggered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the city. The mayor referred to the federal crackdown as a “war on our culture” and urged city residents to take action, the Tribune reported. Source: dailycaller.com https://twitter.com/MM967449/status/1933159839531933996 "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Citizens have the freedom to gather together in a non-violent manner for purposes such as protests, meetings, or demonstrations to express their views or advocate for causes. The emphasis on "peaceably" means the assembly must not involve violence or disruption that endangers public safety.

About the Guest(s):Ramon Santillan is the founder of PersuasiveInterview.com, a nationally recognized interview and salary negotiation coach. With a background as a tax consultant for some of the world's biggest brands, Ramon shifted his focus to coaching professionals on how to sell themselves effectively and negotiate their worth. His expertise has been featured in notable publications such as US News, CBS, Yahoo, and the Chicago Tribune. Ramon specializes in empowering job seekers, particularly those from neurodivergent backgrounds, to excel in interviews and secure fulfilling careers.Episode Summary:In this riveting episode of the Who You Know Show, host Trevor Houston is joined by renowned interview coach Ramon Santillan. Together, they delve deep into the nuances of job interviews, personal branding, and the art of persuasion. Ramon shares his unique perspective on why individuals should focus on offering help rather than just selling themselves during interviews, urging listeners to redefine their approach to job seeking.Throughout the conversation, Ramon highlights the importance of preparation, connection, and confidence in the job search process. Using his vast experience, he underscores the significance of having the right people know your name and leveraging those connections to bypass traditional application hurdles. Ramon also touches on his passion for helping neurodivergent individuals transform perceived disabilities into superpowers, emphasizing the need for authenticity and confidence in navigating the corporate world. Resources:Ramon Santillan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/interviewcoach/Trevor Houston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorhouston/Career Transition Summit: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/67/04404igv LinkedIn e-book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://online.flippingbook.com/view/714118097/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/who-ya-know-show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trevor Houston is a licensed financial professional offering insurance/financial products through various carriers. For more info visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://cpwstrategies.com Chapters:(0:00) From Tax Consultant to Interview and Negotiation Coach(2:40) Overcoming Educational Barriers in Pursuit of an Accounting Career(4:52) The Importance of Being Known by the Right People(12:06) Mastering Job Interviews Through Storytelling and Strategic Questions(17:36) Empowering Neurodivergent Individuals to Secure Meaningful Career Paths(22:10) Mastering Job Interviews Through Confidence and Conversation(29:28) Networking Strategies for Job Seekers(31:42) Finding the Right Job by Knowing What You Want and Don't Want(35:32) Unlocking the Hidden Job Market Through Conversations(36:43) Job Market Dynamics and the Value of Experience(40:05) The Importance of Preparation and Conversation in Interviews(42:39) Prioritizing Problem-Solving Over Personal Interests in Job Interviews(45:34) Overcoming Stigma and Embracing Neurodivergence as a Superpower(50:32) Overcoming Job Experience Barriers Through Problem-Solving and Volunteering(55:45) The Importance of Negotiating for Better Compensation(59:18) Coaching College Students to Present as Professionals in Interviews

Pope Leo XIII sought to find a way forward for the Catholic church at a time when the world was rapidly changing and the church was often at odds with those changes. Research: Aubert, Roger-François-Marie. "Leo XIII". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leo-XIII “ELECTION OF POPE LEO XIII.” New York Times. Feb. 21, 1878. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1878/02/21/issue.html Jedin, Hubert and John Patrick Dolan. “History of the Church: The Church in the Industrial age.” Burns & Oates. 1981. https://books.google.com/books?id=h5LYAAAAMAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s Masci, David. “A look at popes and their encyclicals.” Pew Research Center. June 9, 2015. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/06/09/a-look-at-popes-and-their-encyclicals/ Miller, James Martin. “The life of Pope Leo XIII : containing a full and authentic account of the illustrious pontiff's life and work.” G.H. Harr. Omaha, Nebraska. 1908. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/lifeofleo1300milluoft/page/n5/mode/2up O’Reilly, Bernard. “Life of Leo XIII, from an authentic memoir furnished by his order.” Sampson Low, Marston & Co. London. 1903. https://archive.org/details/lifeofleoxiiifro0000orei/page/n9/mode/2up Pope Leo XIII. “AETERNI PATRIS.” 1879. https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_04081879_aeterni-patris.html Pope Leo XIII. “INSCRUTABILI DEI CONSILIO.” 1878. https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_21041878_inscrutabili-dei-consilio.html Pope Leo XIII. “RERUM NOVARUM.” https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html Pope Leo XIII. “Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae.” 1899. https://www.papalencyclicals.net/leo13/l13teste.htm “Religious.” Chicago Tribune. February 24, 1878. https://www.newspapers.com/image/349728621/?match=1&terms=Pope%20Leo%20XIII “Vatican country profile.” BBC. Nov. 17, 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17994868 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicago Tribune theater critic, author and editorial page editor Chris Jones joins John Williams to talk about the 2025 Tony Awards including ‘Purpose’ winning best play after it was first produced at Steppenwolf, and the success of ‘Oh, Mary.’ Chris also talks about the live production of ‘Good Night, and Good Luck,’ and why the story still resonates today.

On the finer practice of friendship, tending to ourselves in order to be present, and learning what it means to be a good friend.  (0:00) - Introduction and Author Background (2:48) - Discussion on the Book's Title and Theme (5:02) - Reflections on Meredith's Role in the Book (7:56) - Navigating Joy and Sorrow in Friendships (12:45) - Exploring Spirituality and Recovery (16:13) - Healing and Overcoming Envy (21:05) - Supporting a Friend Through Illness (26:39) - Maintaining Friendships After Loss Christie Tate is a Chicago-based writer and essayist. She has been published in The New York Times (Modern Love), The Rumpus, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Eastern Iowa Review and elsewhere. Kiese Laymon selected her essay, Promised Lands, as the winner of the New Ohio Review's nonfiction contest, which was published Fall 2019. In this episode, we discuss B.F.F., her latest book, which strikes a deep chord of love and understanding.

Chicago Bears Minicamp begins this week. Today the CHGO Bears crew looks at some early cut candidates including Tyler Scott, Ryan Bates, Zacch Pickens and Dominique Robinson. Is this the end of the road for these Bears depth pieces. Later we talk to the Chicago Tribune's Jeremy Gorner to talk about the most recent update on the Bears plan for a new stadium. The Bears were unable to pass legislature by the May 31st deadline. Where do plans for a stadium in Arlington Heights stand now? Join Mark Carman and Greg Braggs Jr. on the CHGO Bears Podcast.

Tom Haberstroh, Amin Elhassan and producer Anthony Mayes recap Tom's amazing golf weekend where he joined a certain North Carolina legend's inner circle. Amin Did His Own Research and discovered a Chicago Tribune columnist of questionable origin that's applying the Ballsack method to long-form journalism. Then they dive headfirst into the swirling narratives emerging as hot button issues out of the Western Conference Finals: SGA's free throw merchantry and the fallacy of allowing teams to foul when up three. Basketball Illuminati is now part of the Count The Dings Network. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Count The Dings Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to support the show, get ad free episodes and exclusive content at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/CountTheDings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ILLUMINATI MERCH HAS RETURNED⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Check it out here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bit.ly/CTDMERCH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to Basketball Illuminati! On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠basketballilluminati@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@bballilluminati⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@basketballilluminati Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My interview with Jarvis starts at 25 mins Stand Up is a daily podcast that I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more  Get Jeff's new book The Web We Weave Why We Must Reclaim the Internet from Moguls, Misanthropes, and Moral Panic Jeff Jarvis is a national leader in the development of online news, blogging, the investigation of new business models for news, and the teaching of entrepreneurial journalism. He writes an influential media blog, Buzzmachine.com. He is author of “Geeks Bearing Gifts: Imagining New Futures for News” (CUNY Journalism Press, 2014); “Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Improves the Way We Work and Live” (Simon & Schuster, 2011); “What Would Google Do?” (HarperCollins 2009), and the Kindle Single “Gutenberg the Geek.” He has consulted for media companies including The Guardian, Digital First Media, Postmedia, Sky.com, Burda, Advance Publications, and The New York Times company at About.com. Prior to joining the Newmark J-School, Jarvis was president of Advance.net, the online arm of Advance Publications, which includes Condé Nast magazines and newspapers across America. He was the creator and founding managing editor of Entertainment Weekly magazine and has worked as a columnist, associate publisher, editor, and writer for a number of publications, including TV Guide, People, the San Francisco Examiner, the Chicago Tribune, and the New York Daily News. His freelance articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country, including the Guardian, The New York Times, the New York Post, The Nation, Rolling Stone, and BusinessWeek. Jarvis holds a B.S.J. from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He was named one of the 100 most influential media leaders by the World Economic Forum at Davos. Join us Monday's and Thursday's at 8EST for our Bi Weekly Happy Hour Hangout's !  Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube  Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll  Follow and Support Pete Coe Buy Ava's Art  Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift  

When you dream of places you've never seen and lives you've never lived, what if it isn't your imagination — but someone else's reality bleeding into yours?Download the FREE WORD SEARCH and CROSSWORD For This Episode: https://weirddarkness.com/DreamDivideJoin the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.IN THIS EPISODE: A calm resident spirit suddenly begins making the children in one home sick. (Resident Spirit) *** The most sensational murder in 1930 revolved around the mob in Chicago… but the murder victim wasn't a made man, it was a reporter from the Chicago Tribune. (Who Killed Jake Lingle?) *** In 1961, Joan Risch vanished from her Massachusetts home, leaving behind two children, a distraught husband, and a kitchen streaked with blood. (Blood On The Kitchen Floor) *** Imagine receiving an email from one of your closest friends talking about what happened just yesterday… but that friend who emailed you had died several months ago. (Emails From The Dead) *** Pregnancy and the paranormal. Are the two related? I'll share four accounts from pregnant women who might have you believing there is a connection. (Pregnancy and the Paranormal) *** Why do some people dream about future events? Why are some dreams full of hidden meaning? Can some of our dreams be glimpses of events taking place in an alternate reality, a parallel Universe? (Are Dreams Glimpses Of a Parallel Universe?) *** Plus, a very creepy original story suggested to me by a fellow Weirdo, called “Happy Sun Daycare”.CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:00:53.591 = Show Open00:03:00.594 = Are Dreams Glimpses Of A Parallel Universe?00:09:51.369 = Resident Spirit Giving Me a Heads Up00:15:26.816 = Emails From The Dead00:19:51.616 = Pregnancy And The Paranormal00:27:48.981 = Who Killed Jack Lingle00:52:04.902 = Blood On The Kitchen Floor01:00:27.635 = Happy Sun Daycare (Short Horror Fiction)01:24:04.247 = Show CloseSOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…“Resident Spirit Giving Me a Heads Up” by SpiritWaiting for Your Ghost Stories: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/te4z639n“Who Killed Jake Lingle?” by Troy Taylor for American Hauntings: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/a7e74xy8“Blood On The Kitchen Floor” by Gary Sweeney for The Line Up: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4y3mhx4s“Emails From The Dead” by Les Hewitt for Paranorms: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/42f4rn6h“Pregnancy and the Paranormal” (link no longer available)“Are Dreams Glimpses Of A Parallel Universe?” by Ellen Lloyd for Message to Eagle:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/vay5md3a“Happy Sun Daycare” by Chelsea Adams: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/abw7j7xd=====(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: September, 2018EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/DreamDivide