Joan Esposito (Featured Interviews)

Joan Esposito is joined by Kat Abughazaleh, Democratic candidate for Congress in the 9th District of Illinois. The primary election is March 17, 2026.

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).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filling in for Joan Esposito, Richard Chew is joined by Matt Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters. Gertz's latest article for Media Matters is "Donald Trump is the greatest threat to our free speech rights." 

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).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filling in for Joan Esposito, Richard Chew is joined by Majid Padellan, AKA Brooklyn Dad Defiant.

Padellan is the proud papa of five children, author of the political humor books "The Liddle'est President" and "The Bigliest Loser," publisher of the Defiant Dispatches on Substack, and host of the weekly "Storytime with BDD" on YouTube. He is focused on delivering truthful takes and sounding the alarm on authoritarianism.

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).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filling in for Joan Esposito, Richard Chew is joined Thom Hartmann, host of “The Thom Hartmann Program” and author of the new book, “The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink.” 

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).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filling in for Joan Esposito is joined by Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent at Mother Jones and author of the books “Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It” and “Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America.”

His most recent articles for Mother Jones are "The Trump Administration’s Latest Power Grab: Your Voter Data" and "Project 2026: Trump’s Plan to Rig the Next Election."

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).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filling in for Joan Esposito, Ed Yohnka is joined by Aziz Z. Huq, Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School. 

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).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joan Esposito is joined by Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner (Ret.), former acting vice chair of the National Guard Bureau, and member of National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A).

Manner discussed the Pentagon's proposal to use Charlie Kirk's death as a recruitment tool, condemning it as inappropriate politicization of the military. He criticized the Trump administration's removal of senior military officers, particularly women and people of color, and the purging of Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers, which he warned could lead to unlawful actions and endanger lives. Manner emphasized the need for congressional approval for military appointments and highlighted the importance of maintaining the military's apolitical nature. He also noted the potential for reinstating removed officers in future administrations and the legal consequences for retired officers who break the law.

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).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joan Esposito is joined by Jacob Weinberg, Democratic candidate for Arizona state Senate.

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).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joan Esposito is joined for the hour by John Fugelsang, actor, comedian, podcaster, radio host, TV pundit, and author of the New York Times bestselling book "Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds."

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).

And find the Joan Esposito (Full Episodes) podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and Amazon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joan Esposito is joined by Mike Sozan, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Sozan discussed the growing authoritarianism in the United States under President Donald Trump, citing as examples the implementation of the Project 2025 "rulebook" and the weaponization of the Charlie Kirk assassination to attack political opponents. He highlighted Trump's attempts to control media and praised some Republicans and conservative media for criticizing the president's overreach. Sozan emphasized the importance of mockery and joyfulness in resisting authoritarianism and praised governors like J.B. Pritzker for standing against Trump's actions.

He also criticized mainstream media for not leading the charge for democracy. "It's been incredibly disappointing to see how the mainstream media has reacted in general, how so many of the major media companies like Paramount/CBS or Disney/ABC have just given in to this president and his administration, even when there was no legal basis why they had to do that," Sozan told WCPT. 

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).

And find the Joan Esposito (Full Episodes) podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and Amazon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.