POPULARITY
*Bill Scher joins the show to plead with Joe Biden to not run for a second term, noting that they rarely go well. *5th District Congressman Mike Quigley recaps his trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Vladimir Zelensky. *Chicago Sun-Times reporter Brett Chase shares how two CPS teachers escaped termination for their General Iron protests. *Mark Konkol of the Patch breaks down how speed cameras targets poor neighborhoods that pay too much and receive too little. *Plus, John says to be wary if you win Friday's Mega Millions. He tells tales of past winners who have lost it all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
John Howell is joined by Mark Konkol to discuss his recent opinion piece in Patch. According to Konkol, Democrats are lining up to support assault weapon bans while ignoring poverty and letting society decay. He speaks to why he believes this is the case, as well as the differences between the parties in these views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
*Ozzie Guillen made headlines multiple times this week, and Jeff Agrest of the Sun-Times breaks down what happened. *Dr. Veronica Pear at UC Davis tells John how we can make red-flag laws most effective against gun violence. *Mark Konkol shares his frustration with Democrat officials who go after assault weapons while ignoring killer poverty. *POLITICO Reporter Marianne LeVine discusses the steps that Senators are taking to address future transfers of presidential powers. *Plus, Doug Bandow of the CATO Institute talks Biden's Middle East trip, and Chicago musician Edwin Daugherty remembers Capt. Walter Dyett.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
*Mark Konkol tells the story of the son of a mayor who is now running for Mayor of Chicago *Max Bever from the Chicago Board of Elections talks about polling places ahead of the election. *Dr. Jean Kim discusses the question: are psychopaths born or made? *Frederick Collins discusses his bid for mayor of Chicago. *Plus, Jason Nathanson has the latest on a Maverick lawsuit, and Derricke Dennis talks about the trouble in paradise between Elon Musk and Twitter.
*Chicago Tribune Chief Political Analyst discusses Ken Griffin dumping another $25 million into Richard Irvin's campaign. *Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times talks about Olin Kruetz attacking a co-worker, saying that Kruetz will eventually have to address it. *Mark Konkol of Patch shares why he believes Chicago missed a big opportunity with 'Chicagwa.' *Curtis Shaw Flagg of The Laugh Factory Chicago tells John how the comedy industry is having to worry about safety more than ever. *Plus, Jim Miller of Hawthorne gives his picks for the Kentucky Derby, and John rails against the idea of student loan forgiveness.
*Rob Karr of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association details a bill that has been proposed to help combat smash and grab robberies. *Jerry Nowicki of Capitol News Illinois describes JB Pritzker's event to honor the Illinois State Police amidst rising crime in the state. *Chicago Tribune Chief Political Analyst Rick Pearson tells John why we likely won't see Darren Bailey ads in the Chicago area. *Stephen Moore stops by to discuss how people are flocking to Republican metropolitan areas in droves. *Plus, Mark Konkol breaks down what led to a major increase in Michael Madigan's campaign funds, which will now be used in his legal defense.
Who has donated the most money to Michael Madigan? Well, it's Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. Mark Konkol from Patch.com joined Big John today to talk about the governor trying to distance himself from Madigan. https://patch.com/illinois/chicago/madigan-defends-himself-swollen-campaign-fund-thanks-gov
*Tom Nichols of The Atlantic advises rooting against an escalation of hostilities with Russia, even if things get worse. *Josh Siegel, energy reporter for Politico tries to determine why the Biden administration is going easy on Russia's energy industry. *Mark Konkol calls out J.B. Pritzker for his $7million connection to Mike Madigan, calling it the 'elephant in the room.' *Georgia State Law Professor Eric Segall discusses whether or not it was time for Neil Gorsuch to leave the Supreme Court. *Plus, Josh Nelson of Sox Machine brings John up to date on the state of the MLB lockout, and the serial stowaway pleads guilty.
*Jason Meisner of the Chicago Tribune recaps the Patrick Daley Thompson trial ahead of Monday's closing arguments. *President of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist discusses how inflation continues to surge. *Michael O'Hanion of the Brookings Institution shares how the Cuban Missile Crisis could provide a roadmap to solving crisis in Ukraine. *Mark Konkol of Patch does a deep dive to show what neighborhoods are home to the most dibs complaints. *Plus, Rob Martier previews the Chicago Auto Show and John finds another win for Darwinism
The First Look for Charity gala is back! Chicago Auto Show Chairman Bill Haggerty gives Bruce and Judy a sneak peek at the First Look for Charity gala and Chicago Auto Show! Bruce is not going to miss Neil Young on Spotify. The Bears have found their new general manager. Rob Martier shares if Ryan Poles will bring a Superbowl Championship to Chicago next season. Bruce and Judy try to figure out how much Chicago slang they know. Patch.com's Mark Konkol shares how you can deal with your pandemic depression. Bruce and Judy reminisce on their high school days as the SAT goes digital.
*Mark Konkol of Patch fact-checks Governor Pritzker's claim on the use of federal relief dollars. *Derrick Blakley at The Center for Illinois Politics takes a deep dive into the two billionaires who are bankrolling the Illinois GOP. *50th District Representative Keith Wheeler talks about his effort to reach across the aisle for the promotion of small business. *Tom Schuba of The Chicago Sun-Times reports that CPD leaders have said that they've lost faith in Superintendent David Brown. *Plus, Mike Emanuel of Fox News breaks down President Biden's press conference and Evan Bleier of Inside Hook tries to explain how bad Mike McCarthy is at his job.
*Ben Weingarten of Real Clear Investigations does a deep dive comparison between Jan. 6th vs. the 2020 summer riots. *Mark Konkol at Patch asks where the outrage from top Democrats is over the Chicago Teacher's Union vote? *Zack Pearson, reporter for Bear Report discusses the rumor that Ryan Pace could be promoted after the season. *John and Canada's own Rob Martier recap a vacation-gone-wrong that has left several Canadien social media influencers stranded. *Plus, the Lyric Opera has been cancelled, so John presents the 'Lyric Oprah' to help fill the void
12-15-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by congratulating Stephen Curry for becoming the NBA's All Time leader in three point shots made. John gets something off of his chest he has been bothered by since Thanksgiving week when he blasts "reporter" Mark Konkol for lying about Matt Nagy being fired as Head Coach of the Chicago Bears after the Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions. John despises those that make up statements for personal promoting. This claim had no base for the beginning and John challenges Mark Konkol's rights to be able to put out a blatant falsity of a report. The Bears will fire Matt Nagy at some point, even if it is not after this season, which is expected. John takes this energy to the NBA and continuous reports that Damian Lillard is going to be traded, all reports that similarly have no merit. John explains that these reports come from the fans posed as media members who simply want this player on their favorite team. The Portland Trail Blazers seem to be building their team around Lillard and do not seem intent on moving him, something that is hard to believe based on all of the false reporting out there. Finally, John chronologizes the history of the three point shot in the NBA and how it has come from non-existent, to a novelty, to the center of the National Basketball Association and why Steph Curry may set a record that may never again be broken.
In his final hour, Mark Grote listened and reacted to Patch.com writer Mark Konkol's interview on the Bernstein & Rahimi Show earlier in the day in which he discussed his report that Bears coach Matt Nagy will be fired after Chicago's game at Detroit on Thursday. After that, Herb Howard of The Bigs joined the show to discuss Nagy's future. Later, Grote also took calls, including one from an incensed Bears fan known as Skillet from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
In the third hour, Danny Parkins and Matt Spiegel were joined by Score football expert Hub Arkush to explain why he thought Patch writer Mark Konkol's report was "silly" in claiming Bears coach Matt Nagy has been informed he'll be fired later in the week. That being said, if the Bears lose to the Lions on Thursday, Arkush understands it's absolutely on the table that Nagy could be fired Thanksgiving evening. Also, how old is too old to black out on Blackout Wednesday? And then, the White Sox added Kendall Graveman to their bullpen. Is it a lock that Craig Kimbrel's departure will follow? Later, the guys discussed how former NFL coach Bill Parcells was excellent on the "Manningcast" on Monday night. But was there any reason to have Kevin Hart? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark Konkol of Patch discusses his report that Matt Nagy has been informed that Thursday will be his last game as Bears HC.
Mark Konkol of Patch joins the show to discuss his report that Thursday will be the last game Matt Nagy coaches.
In the second hour, Dan Bernstein was joined by Patch reporter Mark Konkol, who reported earlier in the day that Bears coach Matt Nagy has been informed he'll be fired later in the week. After that, Bernstein listened and reacted to Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson's comments dismissing the team's rah-rah style amid a five-game losing streak. Bernstein also listened to sports talk host Jordan Schultz's comments on the Parkins & Spiegel Show in which he explained how Nagy has lost the Bears locker room. Later, Kalyn Kahler of Defector joined the program to discuss the latest Bears dysfunction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Patch.com reporter Mark Konkol joins John Williams to explain his tweet and story reporting that Chicago Bears Coach Matt Nagy will be fired after the team’s Thanksgiving Day game. Coach Nagy has said the report is not accurate.
A report has surfaced from Mark Konkol of The Patch that Matt Nagy will be fired on Friday. Robert Schmitz and Bill Zimmerman discuss it's report and its validity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A report has surfaced from Mark Konkol of The Patch that Matt Nagy will be fired on Friday. Robert Schmitz and Bill Zimmerman discuss it's report and its validity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Patch.com reporter Mark Konkol joins John Williams to explain his tweet and story reporting that Chicago Bears Coach Matt Nagy will be fired after the team’s Thanksgiving Day game. Coach Nagy has said the report is not accurate.
Head Coach Matt Nagy could be on his way out after Thanksgiving. Mark Konkol, writer for Patch, was the first to break the news and stated "I stand by what my source told me." He joins Wendy Snyder to explain.
*John and ABC's Jim Ryan break down the latest from the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. *Author Gordon Chang describes his belief that Joe Biden needs to wake up to the very real threat of China. *Mark Konkol of Patch claims that Ken Griffin has exposed the crack in Pritzker's campaign. *Plus, Kim Gordon shares how her family had a brush with Chicago violence.
The battle of the billionaires rages on! Ken Griffin is butting heads with Governor Pritzker again. He says he will support Pritzker's opponent in the next election. Mark Konkol thinks Griffin should back another Democrat in the primary. He joins John to discuss.
*Mark Konkol of Patch.com claims that Pritzker's violence executive order smells a lot like a campaign promise. *John R. Lott of the Crime Prevention Resource Center gives his takeaways from today's Supreme Court arguments on their 2nd amendment case. *The Daily Herald's Marni Pyke describes the power shifts that are taking place at the Illinois Tollway. *Dan Mihalopoulos shares the latest report coming out from the Chicago Park District lifeguard scandal. *Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel tries to discern what happens to the Biden agenda after the Virginia election. *Plus, the latest from the Kyle Rittenhouse case and has Chuy Garcia taken down the Irish Machine?
Former Illinois Governor and host of "The Lightning Rod" podcast on 890 WLS, Rod Blagojevich, joins Bruce and Judy to talk about his new documentary on Hulu, 'Being Blago.' Bruce tells Judy all of the secret bathrooms in Chicago. Patch writer Mark Konkol thinks Governor Pritzker's gun violence executive order smells like a campaign promise. Bruce explains the Chicago Bears' PSL nightmare to Judy. Find out why Bruce hates all versions of Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas.'
*Stacy St. Clair of the Chicago Tribune shares the latest on the terminology that will be allowed in the Kyle Rittenhouse case. *Senior Politico Writer Marc Caputo tries to discern why the JFK assassination records were not released today. *Mark Konkol of Patch shares how the FOP may be getting help from the Madigan Machine. *Matt Rosenberg discusses his new book, "What's Next Chicago?: Notes of a Pissed-Off Native Son." *The Chicago Tribune's Blackhawks writer Phil Thompson details the fallout from the organization's independent sexual assault investigation. *Plus, Doug Bandow tells John why no one can afford a fight over Taiwan.
The City of Chicago and the Magnificent Mile Association welcome people back to Chicago with 'Meet at the Mile.' Head to the Magnificent Mile to experience Chicago like you used to. Judy is completely over Tom Brady and Aaron Rogers. Does Rahm Emmanuel deserve to be an Ambassador to Japan? Bruce St James talks to Patch.com's Mark Konkol to break down Rahm Emmanuel's Senate confirmation hearing. Bruce and Judy can't believe that Alec Baldwin accidentally shot a crew member on set. Firefighters are suing the city of Chicago. Ian Unterman talks to Bruce and Judy about his new hit show, 'Dopesick' on Hulu.
Illinois lawmakers cancelled their Thursday session, but the John Howell Show takes no days off: *John Keilman of the Chicago Tribune details how the expanded good Samaritan law is being tested in a drug-induced homicide. *Ben Schreckinger of Politico's new book, "The Biden's" asks whether the First Family is corrupt, or merely crazy? *Patch's Mark Konkol shows that Rahm Emanuel was no ambassador of truth at his Senate confirmation hearing. *Jerry Nowicki at Capitol News-Illinois breaks down the busy docket for Illinois lawmakers after cancelling their Thursday session. *Plus, Ted McClelland at Chicago Mag describes how Illinois came to be a one-party state.
The man who was shot on the Eisenhower speaks, but is afraid to show his face. Shaun explains how victims living in fear relate to the Democrats' "defund the police" movement. Then, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Mark Konkol joins Shaun to talk about how Toni Preckwinkle just won't take a hint. Plus, Adam Rizzieri, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer with Agency Partner Interactive, discusses the Facebook whistleblower, what it is, what it means, and why you should care about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark Konkol goes to CPD Superintendent David Brown's hometown of Dallas, Texas, to find out more about the life and legacy of David Brown #KonkolontheRoad. Read it: https://tinyurl.com/ku42cpbr
ABC's Senior investigator Aaron Katersky says no one is immune to America's gun violence issues. Do you remember back in the day when AC wasn't everywhere? Is Lollapalooza going to be chaos? The 2021 Olympic Games kicked off this weekend; ABC correspondent Jim Ryan updates us live from Tokyo. Patch.com's Mark Konkol calls in to talk about Governor Pritzker's failures.
Former police officer Derek Chauvin will be sentenced for the murder of George Floyd today. Pulitzer Prize winner from Patch.com Mark Konkol explains why rap music is the voice of the streets. The vote to change Lake Shore Drive is today. Different seasons bring different challenges; Rich Guidice Head of the OEMC gives tips to stay safe in the summer heat. Windy City Live's Ryan Chiaverini weighs in on the NCAA Supreme Court ruling.
Trust in the military is dropping, so who can you trust now? Do you know what small bad habits are sabotaging your productivity in the morning? Thousands of parentless immigrant children have been trying to cross the border, but they're being sent to adult detention camps when they get here. Where are they supposed to go? Jason Lesniewicz of Choose Chicago says for St Patrick's Day to plan a staycation and stay the whole weekend! "Illinois has failed to roll out the vaccine effectively from the beginning," according to Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Mark Konkol. The Barn Steakhouse is keeping it old school with its hospitality and food.