Podcast appearances and mentions of John Kass

Chicago Way w/John Kass (06/22/26): Re-Issue: Episode #6 from 02/10/206. Cartoonist Scott Stantis joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to discuss what turns out to be the end of Rahm Emanuel’s tenure as Chicago Mayor, the 2016 primary season featuring Hillary Clinton vs. Bernie Sanders & Donald Trump vs. establishment everything, and meet two drivers […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (06/15/26): John Kass & Jeff Carlin are together to talk about the things we don’t talk about when violence happens, how Chicago Democrats let the Bears go to Indiana to save face, and why the Obama Presidential Center allegedly owes people money, already. Plus, Kasso remembers the first time meeting his […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (06/08/26): John is off this week, celebrating his son’s wedding, so we bring you a reissue from January of 2016. The first episode, featuring John Kass, Will Lee, and Jeff Carlin, talking about a strange hat controversy at a local TV station, bizarre news stories on TV, Will’s amazing story about […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (05/31/26): Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin with questions about Chuy Garcia’s old school political tactics, whether or not Brandon Johnson has the heart to run for re-election, and why his fellow alders are finally getting behind his proposal to hold parents of violent teens accountable? Also, […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (05/26/26): John Kass & Jeff Carlin celebrate the bravery it takes to face violent warm summer nights in Chicago in the face of gang wars and ‘teen takeovers.’ Plus, Kasso has a ‘Happy’ pet peeve. Follow Everything John Kass – JohnKassNews.com Follow @John_Kass Follow @JPCarlin Download this episode here by using […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (05/18/26): John Kass & Jeff Carlin are joined by former (possibly, future?) candidate for Mayor of Chicago, head of the public school systems in Chicago, Philadelphia and the Louisiana Recovery School District, Paul Vallas to talk about recent attacks on him, who he thinks might be behind it, and what he […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (05/11/26): John Kass & Jeff Carlin remember his late mother, Betty Kass, and as she would have wanted, move on to the ugly Obama Presidential Center building, Chicago alders wanting Walgreens to be criminally charged for closing stores, and Stephen Colbert smirking his way through a farce of an interview with […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (05/05/26): On this episode, revered Chicago restaurateur Jimmy Banakis joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to discuss how tipping became an american tradition and what it means to the industry. Plus, Kasso wonders if there is a trick to surviving Mother’s Day at a restaurant? Follow Everything John Kass – JohnKassNews.com […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (04/27/26): John Kass & Jeff Carlin tackle news of the week including a Chicago Police officer being killed in the line of duty, chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and news former Mayor Richard M. Daley is recovering from a stroke. Plus, Kasso wonders if the Chicago Teachers’ Union take […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (04/20/26): Nicholas S. Kass joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to talk about his latest piece, Keep the Kurds Out of the Iran War, in the American Conservative. Nick is John’s younger brother and served in the U.S. government for over 30 years at the White House/National Security Council, State Department, […]

Fran Spielman reunites with longtime City Hall rival and friend John Kass to discuss his latest health crisis and rehabilitation after what she describes as his third stroke. He reviews earlier medical emergencies including a stroke during open-heart surgery and a near-fatal diabetes episode, and reflects on how smoking, weight, stress, and conflict at the Chicago Tribune may have contributed to his decline. The conversation also covers Chicago politics, crime, the decline of legacy media, and Kass's staunch support for Donald Trump.

Chicago Way w/John Kass (04/13/26): John Kass is back with Jeff Carlin to catch up on some big news from John’s brother Nick, our friend Sal Carmada, and a budding feud on JohnKassNews.com. Plus, Kasso urges everyone to take of your heart, your spiritual heart. Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at john@johnkassnews.com, or Facebook, […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (04/06/26): Charles Lipson joins Jeff Carlin (John Kass is out this week) to talk about how war in Iran will alter President Donald Trump’s legacy as Commander-in-Chief Charles. Charles is the Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of Chicago and an author whose writings can be […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/30/26): This week, John Kass & Jeff are joined by Rafael Mangual, the Nick Ohnell Fellow and head of research for the Policing & Public Safety Initiative at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal. On the docket, why Democrats make excuses for violent crimes, ignore the pain […]

Guests: John Kass & Matthew Mehan Host Scot Bertram talks with John Kass, an independent Chicago-based columnist and host of The Chicago Way podcast, about his legendary journalism career in Chicago and what the city's mistakes can teach the rest of the country. And Matthew Mehan, associate dean and associate professor at the Van Andel Graduate School of […]

Guests: John Kass & Matthew Mehan Host Scot Bertram talks with John Kass, an independent Chicago-based columnist and host of The Chicago Way podcast, about his legendary journalism career in Chicago and what the city’s mistakes can teach the rest of the country. And Matthew Mehan, associate dean and associate professor at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C., discusses the importance of children in American political life and his report "The Higher Purpose of Children in American Society."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/23/26): Former State Rep. Tom Morrison is here to talk about his ‘complete ​blueprint for winning ​a local or state race’ at CandidateMasterclass.com and why it is so important as the country prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, everyone takes an active role […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/17/26): This week, the Honorable Judge James R. Brown (ret.) returns to the podcast with Brendan Philbin, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, to discuss a federal civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of Judge Brown, who was removed from his judicial recall appointment after Illinois Supreme Court justices retaliated […]

Our friend John Kass, the venerable columnist, always says what he feels. During this episode, he takes the conversation with Lissa & Thom to a whole new level. Kass is full of caution on surviving a stroke, avoiding media overload, and his passion for coaching culinary arts.   You'll learn why he's sworn off Fox News, CNN, and others — and how he plans to double down on writing at John Kass News.

Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/10/26): Dan Proft, co-host of “The Morning Answer” radio program 5-9 a.m. on WIND AM 560, is this week's guest joining John Kass & Jeff Carlin to discuss the Illinois governor’s race, specifically the Republican primary that has seen second-time candidate Darren Bailey take umbrage with Dan being paid to work […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/03/26): John Kass is back. John joins Jeff Carlin to talk about what’s kept him away and what’s next. Plus, Kasso wonders if we really appreciate what we have? Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at john@johnkassnews.com, or Facebook, or on X (Twitter). Tell your friends about us. Join the great adventure. […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (02/23/26): Nicholas Kass steps in for Jeff Carlin & John Kass as illness plagues the Kasso-sphere to present one of his favorite JohnKassNews.com columns, Riding a Good Horse in the Snow, Part 2. Nick is a regular contributor and, most notably, a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer, diplomat, and Intelligence expert […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (02/16/26): Mike “Houli” Houlihan, a well-known Irish-American actor, filmmaker, stand-up comedian, and former Chicago Sun-Times columnist, joins Jeff Carlin while John Kass regains his voice. Houli has a new piece on JohnKassNews.com and is always working on multiple projects at Hibernian Media. Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at john@johnkassnews.com, […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (02/09/26): Charles Lipson is back playing pinch-hitter for John Kass, who lost his voice educating bright young minds at Hillsdale College, and joins Jeff Carlin with a dive into how we quantify trust. Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at john@johnkassnews.com, or Facebook, or on X (Twitter). Tell your friends about us. […]

In this episode Alyssa tells Vanessa from Reel Relationships about an Indiana Blogger named John Kass. Support the show by subscribing, leaving a five-star review, telling all your friends and following on Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram.  Show Notes: Chicago Reader: Be Like Mike Neil Steinberg's Blog: In defense of John Kass Chicago Reader: Mission accomplished: John Kass has been deplatformed Chicago Reader: John Kass is a real chumbolone Chicago Reader: John Kass, journalism's ‘meat puppet' master Robert Feder: Tribune colleagues blast John Kass column as 'antithetical to our values' Robert Feder: John Kass signs off at Chicago Tribune: 'An adventure happens' Robert Feder: Robservations: Tribune's John Kass fires back at 'cancel culture' critics Robert Feder: Robservations: John Kass boosts ‘enemy of the people' slur against media Chicago Reader: John Kass's Humor Finally Reaches the 21st Century Robert Feder: Robservations: 'Totally pumped' John Kass off and running with new blog Chicago Reader: We're taking John Kass's bike bullying seriously Chicago Sun-Times: Cook County judge removed after rebuke of conspiracy-filled blog post Streetsblog Chicago: More Mental Kass-turbation About the Lake Shore Drive Divvy Rider Chicago Sun-Times: Our year in Chicago: Moving back to the city LA Times: The Obama and Ayers that Chicago knows Chicago Magazine: How Bikes and Bike-Share Threaten a Way of Life Chicago Tribune: Honor freedom with a beer can, chicken Chicago Tribune: Something grows in the big cities run by Democrats: An overwhelming sense of lawlessness Chicago Tribune: What happened to an America where you could freely speak your mind? Chicago Tribune:Is this still a free country? The new movie ‘No Safe Spaces' raises frightening doubts Eric Zorn: Wee John Kass keeps poking the bear, so the bear dutifully pokes back Eric Zorn: Former Tribune columnist John Kass has applied for a U.S. trademark on “The Chicago Way.” Chicago Tribune: Surprise. Women love liver sausage, too. Orlando Sentinel: Governor, quit dissing yogurt Chapo Trap House: Staring into the Abyss With John Kass Chapo Trap House: John Kass Confronts the Jesters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chicago Way w/John Kass (02/02/26): RealClear Politics' Tom Bevan is here to discuss how we got ourselves to tenuous climate in American politics, what we can learn from his Princeton senior thesis, and why Don Lemon is going to be okay, even if he tells you different. Plus, Kasso wonders if there is a more […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (01/26/26): Retired police chief Tom Weitzel (Riverside) joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to talk about his work with Awake Illinois to stop SB2820 (Introduced by Sen. Laura Fine [D-Glenview]) from being passed. SB2820 would ban anyone who previously worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from being a law enforcement […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (01/19/26): To mark the tragic anniversary of his daughter’s death, Glenview native Joe Abraham joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to talk about his gut-wrenching experience losing his daughter Katie when she was killed in a hit-and-run crash, allegedly caused by a Guatemalan national who was in the country illegally and […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (01/12/26): Thom Serafin, long-time political strategist, Communicator in Chief of Serafin & Associates, & newly collaborating with Mercury Illinois, joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin with some much needed perspective on who are the Cook County Bar Association & the Chicago Council of Lawyers, and why are they upset over a […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (01/05/26): This week, Charles Lipson joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to start off the new year. Charles is the Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of Chicago and an author whose writings can be found in the Spectator, Spectator World, The Telegraph, and more. On […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (12/30/25): Happy New Year from the Chicago Way. John Kass & Jeff Carlin look at the end of the year and who might be eligible for the first-ever Moutza of the Year. Obvious contenders are Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, but […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (12/24/25): Merry Christmas, Kyrie Elaison. John Kass reads ‘O Holy Night,’ his annual Christmas column. Blessings to all! Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at john@johnkassnews.com, or Facebook, or on X (Twitter). Tell your friends about us. Join the great adventure. Subscribe today! Follow Everything John Kass – JohnKassNews.com Follow @John_Kass Follow […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (12/19/25): Greetings, good tidings, and cheer from John Kass & Jeff Carlin at The Chicago Way podcast. In this last collab before the traditional Christmas column reading, John sets the table for a Kass family soup competition. Plus, Kasso shares the story of our dearly departed Zeus the Wonderdog enjoying too […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (12/15/25): Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center at the Illinois Policy Institute, join John Kass & Jeff Carlin with a look at just how badly Mayor Brandon Johnson has managed Chicago’s finances and the inane ideas the Mayor has come up with to fill a nearly $1.2 billion […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (12/08/25): Pastor Corey Brooks joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to discuss how his fundraising effort to walk across the entire United States in a year is going, why he has zero confidence in Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, what former mayor Daley said to him, and where he’s been eating along […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (12/01/25): This week, retired Police Chief, Tom Weitzel (Riverside), joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to talk about who is to blame for the release of veteran convict Lawrence Reed –who allegedly poured gasoline over 26-year-old Bethany MaGee at random, setting her on fire aboard a Blue Line train– and what […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (11/24/25): Thanksgiving is upon us, but senseless violence continues to plague the city, and John Kass wonders if the judges who let career violent criminals back on the street to destroy more lives will ever be held accountable? Kasso is thankful for a good cup of Kribi Coffee and supports their […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (11/17/25): Paul Vallas is here to talk about his latest column- “Chicago's Killing Fields”, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s awful policies, and the time he played the role of Barney. Plus, Kasso remembers his time in the saddle and a good horse. Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at john@johnkassnews.com, or Facebook, or […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (11/11/25): Chicago Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) is here to explain his amnesty plan to John Kass & Jeff Carlin and discuss why he’s not surprised Chuy Garcia used old-school machine politics to retire on another public pension and coronate his ‘Leftino” successor. Plus, Kasso welcomes Kribi Coffee into the fold. Check […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (11/03/25): Charles Lipson, the Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of Chicago, joins John Kass and Jeff Carlin this week to discuss what Zohran Mamdani’s role as a leader of the modern Democratic Party will look like, how the U.S. is going to respond to the […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (10/28/25): This week, John Kass & Jeff Carlin wax philosophically about how the U.S. found itself in revolutionary times and where do we go from here. Plus, Kasso wonders if New York is ready for what it’s voting for? Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at john@johnkassnews.com, or Facebook, or on X […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (10/20/25): RealClear Politics' Tom Bevan is here with a post-op on what impact the “No Kings” rallies (Chicago’s rally featured one of Illinois’ top gamblers -Gov. JB Pritzker (D), for whom Tom has a some choice words) will have, why he thinks this government shutdown will break the 2018-2019 shutdown record […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (10/13/25): This week, Garry McCarthy -former Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent and current Chief of Police for Willow Springs, IL- joins John Kass and Jeff Carlin to discuss a disturbing dispatch call involving CPD, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Cook County Sheriffs, & Illinois State Police […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (10/06/25): Fall is officially here and so is story time. John Kass tells Jeff Carlin about standing outside Wrigley Field in 1984 and the series of events that lead him there. Plus, Kasso gets an apology. Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at john@johnkassnews.com, or Facebook, or on X (Twitter). Tell your […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (09/29/25): This week, the Honorable Judge James R. Brown (ret.) joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to talk about the moment former Chief Judge Timothy Evans gathered bond court judges to direct them to go against the rule of law and let violent offenders off easy, lest the judges be reassigned. […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (09/22/25): Dan Proft, co-host of “The Morning Answer” radio program 5-9 a.m. on WIND AM 560, is this week’s guest joining John Kass & Jeff Carlin with a breakdown of the FCC meddling in the Jimmy Kimmel fiasco and what it will take to push the JB Pritzkers of the world […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (09/15/25): Charles Lipson, the Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of Chicago, joins John Kass and Jeff Carlin to talk about the cold-blooded murder of Charlie Kirk and how free speech in the UK is under threat. Plus, Kasso wonders if the Democrat culture of assassination […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (09/01/25): Newly minted candidate for Illinois Governor Ted Dabrowski of Wirepoints joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to lay out his plan for convincing the center left & independent voters of the state to help him beat Gov. JB Pritzker in next year’s election. Plus, Kasso wonders if this is the […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (09/01/25): This week, former Cook County and federal prosecutor Bob Milan joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to talk about his original plan from 10 years ago to bring in National Guard troops to tamp down the weekly number of shootings in Chicago and how this strategy might work today. Plus, […]

Chicago Way w/John Kass (08/25/25): Glenview native Joe Abraham joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to talk about his gut-wrenching experience losing his daughter Katie when she was killed in a hit-and-run crash, allegedly caused by a Guatemalan national who was in the country illegally and is suspected of driving under the influence, Julio Cucul […]