Chicago Stories

"Order vs. Disorder." "Non-Linear Accelerations." "Mirroring Mother Nature." Mayor Emanuel was joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and author Thomas Friedman for a spirited conversation about the complex forces shaping our world, where they came from, and how to sustainably navigate where they're going.

It's been 50 years since Lyndon Johnson's presidency, but his impact continues to reverberate across our culture, politics, and society to this day. Tune in as historian and director of the LBJ Presidential Library Kyle Longley takes a deep dive with Mayor Emanuel into incredible complexities and legacy of the larger-than-life 36th President of the United States.

Everyone knows about the connections between politics and performance, but it turns out mayors and theater critics have a lot in common as well. At the start of both Chicago Theatre Week and the Year of Chicago Theatre, the great drama critic Chris Jones sat down with Mayor Emanuel to talk all things theater, from his favorite up-and-coming companies, to the politics of theater in new book "Rise Up," the impact of the Internet, and—of course—what makes Chicago the greatest theater town in the world.

Famed political and moral philosopher Martha Nussbaum stopped by City Hall for a conversation with Mayor Emanuel about ideas and ideals, the role of philosophers in the public arena, and the churning emotions of our political moment she laid out in latest book, "The Monarchy of Fear."

Ben Bernanke's goal during the Financial Crisis was simple: get people back to work. Doing it was a lot more complicated. Tune as Mayor Emanuel and the former Fed Chair take a deep dive into the heady days of the Great Recession, its turbulent politics and policy successes, along with a look at its powerful legacy, and much, much more.

"I look at space as I would look at the way in which one choreographs a work." Renowned visual and performance artist Nick Cave dropped by City Hall to talk to Mayor Emanuel about how he approached his immersive new work at the CTA's Garfield Green 'L' Station, as well as look back at the origins of his iconic "Soundsuits," how failure continues to be necessary to his artistic development, and much more.

What makes a good leader? Do we create false leaders? What role does context play in leadership? Gen. Stanley McChrystal joined Mayor Emanuel for a fascinating conversation on the myths and realities of leadership and how they continue to shape our society today. Tune in as they also discuss striking the right balance between civilian leadership and the military, share a captivating retelling of Al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and advocate for creating a universal national service.

You know Pat McGann, whether you know him or not. On this week's episode Mayor Emanuel sits down with the Beverly-native to hear how he went from selling boxes to telling jokes, along with his take on Chicago humor, how his family's an endless supply of material, and why comedy resonates so strongly today.

Trump! House Dems! Rural voters! Liberal hubris! Ohio! 2020! Legendary political strategist James Carville dropped by City Hall for some lively shop talk with Mayor Emanuel on everything under the political sun, from strategy and values, to the importance of story, their take on past political figures, along with a whole lot more.

Recorded in Begyle Brewing Company on Chicago's "Malt Row," Mayor Emanuel and beer writer Josh Noel plunged into Josh's new book, Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out, to explore the story behind craft brewing, the community it created, which new Chicago taprooms to keep an eye on, all while sipping a few samples along the way.