Joan Esposito (Featured Interviews)

Joan Esposito is joined by Heartland Signal reporters Elinor Epperson and Kori Skillman, making their WCPT debut with the weekly segment, Stories You Might Have Missed From Heartland Signal. 

Here are few highlights from the conversation:
- Elinor reported on energy policy in Michigan’s 4th District, including the pause in a rooftop-solar assistance program and a ballot measure to bar utility contributions to political campaigns.
- Kori discussed Republican Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers’s proposal for literacy tests for SNAP and Medicaid recipients.
- Elinor noted that on November 3 Missouri voters will decide whether to repeal abortion protections passed in 2024; the measure, known as Amendment 3, also addresses gender-affirming care for minors.  
- Kori reported that Republican Iowa U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson asked supporters for gas money to fund her campaign bus, despite having voted against six House resolutions seeking to end U.S. hostilities with Iran.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

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Joan Esposito is joined by Andrew Grunwald, vice president of Political Strategy at The States Project, and Melissa Walker, principal strategist, Giving Circles, at The States Project.

The discussion focused on the influence of state legislatures and ways to support candidates and voters in close races. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Grunwald said The States Project invests resources and strategic support in candidates who can affect control of state legislative chambers, with attention to Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio, and Nebraska.
- They discussed how legislative control can shape policy, congressional maps, and the power of governors to enact their agendas.
- Walker described about 200 giving circles that organize community networks and political contributions for targeted state legislative races.
- Circles may also write postcards, phone-bank, and support voter outreach. Early fundraising helps candidates plan, while sustained personal contact with voters can help counter late attack ads.
- Walker said people can learn more or start a circle through The States Project website.

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Joan Esposito is joined by Melissa Bean, Democratic candidate for Congress in the 8th District of Illinois. The interview focused on Bean’s congressional race, voter turnout, and her priorities if elected. 

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Bean stressed that every vote matters, citing a past loss by 270 votes, and urged voters to make a specific plan to vote.
- She described the 8th Congressional District as more Democratic than when she previously ran and said voters were ready for change.
- She said a new PAC had announced six-figure spending in support of her opponent, Jennifer Davis.
- Bean criticized Davis’s opposition to abortion rights and argued her positions were out of step with the district.
- If elected, Bean said she would prioritize codifying ethical norms, anti-corruption measures, restoring congressional authority, and funding federal agencies.
- Her priorities also include securing Social Security and passing her Empowering Young Americans Plan and "my Vote Act, which would give everybody a PIN number and use technology so that once they voted, they can then go back and track to see when their vote was counted, and does it accurately reflect who they voted for?" 
- Bean discussed the need to protect elections and hold elected officials accountable. 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

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Joan Esposito is joined by Ron Roberts, host of "The Ron Show," a political talk show now airing on Heartland Signal station WMLB Atlanta. 

The conversation examined Georgia’s competitive midterm races and the factors shaping turnout and candidate support. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Roberts described Georgia as a purple swing state and said the close governor’s race could boost turnout and help Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in his bid for re-election.
- He said Mike Collins, Ossoff's GOP challenger, was unpopular with some Republicans and cited conservative voices who opposed or criticized him.
- He noted that Ossoff polls favorably on leadership and presidential potential, but warned that a Republican governor could appoint his Senate successor if he left office.
- He said Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms faced criticism tied to her Atlanta mayoral term, but her public-safety record and outreach beyond Atlanta may be improving perceptions in her campaign for Georgia governor. 

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Joan Esposito is joined by Congressman Jonathan Jackson, Democrat representing the 1st District of Illinois.

The interview focused on Jackson's criticism of political attacks involving sexual violence and his concerns about election safety. Here are a few highlights from the conversation.
- Jackson talked about an essay he wrote for Ms. Magazine, "A Nation That Weaponizes Childhood Trauma Has Lost Its Moral Compass," and a letter urging colleagues to repudiate the use of sexual violence or survivors’ histories in political attacks. He said about 11 members signed the letter and that most did not.
- Jackson sharply criticized Republican candidate for Ohio governor Vivek Ramaswamy for the now notorious ad attacking Ramaswamy's Democratic opponent Amy Acton 
- He expressed concern about the safety of the midterms and cited actions by federal authorities and the president’s rhetoric as reasons for that concern.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

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Joan Esposito is joined by Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley, Democrat representing the 5th District of Illinois. The interview focused on threats against public officials and concerns about political use of federal power ahead of the midterm election.

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Quigley described two suspicious mailings to his office, one containing powder; authorities said the powder was not toxic, and an arrest was made.
- He said threats and intimidation are affecting staff and public servants, and suggested that congressional mail may need regional screening.
- He criticized FEMA’s denial of Illinois assistance while Indiana received aid, describing it as politically motivated.
- He warned that the president could use federal agencies or voting-related concerns to challenge election results, and called for stronger election protections.

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Joan Esposito is joined by Dr. Elicia John, behavioral scientist and assistant professor of marketing at American University in Washington, D.C., and Dr. Lez Trujillo Torres, consumer researcher and assistant professor of marketing at University of Illinois Chicago; together they have authored a recent study on the U.S. census.

The discussion examined how race is constructed across contexts and shapes global markets. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Dr. John described race as a changing system of categorization that reinforces social hierarchies and power, shaped by historical and economic forces.
- John and Dr. Trujillo Torres emphasized that race manifests differently across countries and time; racial categories are not universal or fixed.
- Governments and markets use race-related data and categories to guide services, consumer targeting, and resource allocation; these practices can also reinforce disparities.
- Colorblind policies do not necessarily remove underlying systems that produce harm. Differences in national contexts also make it difficult to transfer policies directly between countries.

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Joan Esposito is joined by Nicole Foy, immigration reporter for ProPublica; she recently authored the investigative article, "We Found That More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days."

Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Foy said ProPublica has documented more than 500 U.S. citizens detained, including more than 100 detained amid questions about citizenship or status; most of that group were people of color.
- The reporting identified more than 60 people who were filming when arrested and more than 70 children caught up in arrests. 
- Reported cases raise concerns about Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, use of force, and First Amendment rights to protest and record officers.
- Identification documents have not always prevented detention, and some people have struggled to recover documents or phones held by the government.
- Foy said body camera use remains uneven, and access to footage is uncertain amid long federal records-request waits.

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Filling in for Joan Esposito, Rickey Hendon is joined by Willie Wilson, 2027 candidate for Chicago mayor.

The interview focused on Wilson’s positions on Chicago taxes, education, economic development, and more. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- Wilson opposes the proposed head and delivery taxes, arguing that businesses pass costs on to consumers and that added costs can hurt affordability and jobs.
- He said tariffs had increased his business costs by $800,000 to $900,000 per month and similarly raise consumer prices.
- He advocated suspending gas taxes and described funding repeated gas and food giveaways.
- He called for students to demonstrate reading, writing, and trade skills before advancing grades, and criticized school spending amid low attendance and enrollment.
- He argued Chicago should retain the Bears, citing their economic contribution and the potential benefits of hosting a Super Bowl.
- He presented himself as a pro-business mayoral candidate not beholden to unions or special interests. 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

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Filling in for Joan Esposito, Rickey Hendon is joined by Pennie McCoach, president and business agent of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 308, which represents rail workers for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). 

The discussion focused on improving safety for CTA workers and riders, with dedicated transit police presented as a key solution. Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- McCoach said three transit workers had died in the past 90 days and emphasized that workers and riders need safer conditions.
- She said the contract is up in December, but her immediate priority is safety; the mayor’s budget, as she understood it, included no additional transit security.
- She reported that 50 sheriff’s deputies had been deployed and fewer than 200 CPD officers were assigned to cover the bus and rail system. She said the unions support a dedicated transit police force and questioned renewing the CPD contract without consulting them.
- McCoach cited improvements from the sheriff’s department and said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart was expected to provide recommendations on dedicated transit police in December. 

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