Joan Esposito (Featured Interviews)

Joan Esposito is joined by Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL).

The 6th District congressman discussed Governor J.B. Pritzker's August 25 speech urging President Donald Trump to not send federal troops into Chicago. 

"What Governor Pritzker did is exactly what needs to be done, to tell people that we are going to look out for the least of these, that we are going to honor the oaths we took to the Constitution, to the basic moral principles that we were raised by, and the president needs to be reminded of that, because he's not reminded that by the people in his Cabinet and he's not reminded of that by the Republican leadership in the House and Senate that seems to prefer cowardice and sycophancy to doing their job," Casten told WCPT.

The vice ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, Casten criticized Trump's recent attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, calling the move stupid and questioning its legality.  

"We are the world's reserve currency," Casten explained. "We are carrying massive amounts of debt, and yet, every time we issue new treasuries to raise more debt to keep our country going, people buy that debt because they trust that the United States is governed by the rule of law. They trust it at the end of the day, we have a independent monetary policy that will do the right thing, and that this is a better bet than any other place in the world. What Trump is doing, even if it's legal, is sending a signal to the rest of the world that you really can't trust the United States to be a country of laws going forward, because if you want to do business here, you've got to do business with Donald Trump."

He also highlighted the need for bipartisan oversight.  "Unfortunately, the only place where there seems to be bipartisan commitment to stand up to Trump is on [Jeffrey] Epstein," Casten said, referring to the late, convicted sex offender, "and we'll have to see how that plays out in the House. But maybe that's the break of the dam. It would be a strange thing, indeed, if we were to say thank you, Jeffrey Epstein, for saving our republic. But maybe we will."

Casten expressed concern over the potential for a government shutdown in October, suggesting that Democrats may not be as willing to give House Republicans the votes they need to pass a continuing resolution, or CR, to keep the government open. 

"I don't know how that conversation is going to go this time around, because when the White House continues to disobey congressionally mandated laws, and the House of Representatives and the Senate refuse to do oversight, what is the value of giving the White House the authority to spend money without oversight? It's like giving your kid access to your checkbook and finding out that they go out and buy a keg for all their friends every night; at some point you stop giving them the checkbook. And I'm not suggesting that therefore the Democrats will shut the government down. I'm just saying that I feel more uncertain about how that process is going to play out than I felt at any point in my service so far, because the basic currency of trust that we will jealously defend the prerogatives of the Congress -- we'll have our differences of policy, but we will not cede power to the executive or judicial branches. And there's been such a willful emasculation of Congress [in] the Mike Johnson era that the basic trades that are in a CR, I'm not sure they're on the table."  

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 Texas Democratic State Rep. Ann Johnson.

Johnson discussed Texas House Democrats' recent quorum break that delayed passage of the congressional redistricting bill advanced by state Republicans, which she and other Democrats argue is racially motivated. The Republican-controlled House passed the new map last Wednesday, and the Senate followed suit late Friday.

Johnson highlighted the historical significance of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, which has been held by a Black Democrat since 1973 and has now been redrawn to favor Republicans. She also criticized state Republicans' tactics, including shielding the record, limiting public input and "not playing by anybody's set of rules, just really being bullies," Johnson said. 

She emphasized the need for voter participation and expressed optimism that Democrats could regain power in Texas, citing past successes and the current national attention on gerrymandering.

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 Illinois State Rep. Kam Buckner, 26th District.

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 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

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.

Filling in for Joan Esposito, Doris Davenport is joined by Dante King, university professor, author, human resource management consultant, and DEI expert. He was director of Workforce, Learning and Development for J.P. Morgan Chase and worked as an HR Business and Learning Consultant for Wells Fargo. He has taught at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, Stanford Medical School and Johns Hopkins. Dante is the author of the books Diagnosing Whiteness and Anti-Blackness and The 400-Year Holocaust: White America's Legal, Psychopathic, and Sociopathic Black Genocide - and the Revolt Against Critical Race Theory.

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.

Filling in for Joan Esposito, Doris Davenport is joined by Illinois Democratic State Rep. La Shawn Ford, candidate for Congress in the 7th District of Illinois. He has represented the 8th House District in Illinois since 2007 and is vying to replace retiring 15-term Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) in Congress.

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 Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, immigration attorney and CEO of Lincoln-Goldfinch Law in Austin.

She highlighted the difficulties families face in locating detained individuals due to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's inefficient tracking system and the practice of transferring detainees across the country. Lincoln-Goldfinch also noted the impact of ICE raids on communities, particularly in sectors like agriculture, construction, and health care, where immigrants are heavily employed. Additionally, she discussed the potential long-term economic and societal effects of current immigration policies and the importance of the midterm elections in shaping future immigration laws.

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 Emma Fisher, deputy director and chief operating officer at Climate Cabinet. 

Fisher discussed the organization's mission to support under-the-radar climate champions and help them win elected office in order to enact policies that tackle climate change. 

"And the reason is because state and local offices hold the power to decide most of our important climate policies," Fisher told WCPT. "For example, state governments regulate the electric grid and fund transportation, and they have policy levers that control up to 75 percent of our emissions in the U.S. But usually we think about the federal government when we think about making big policy change to tackle climate change. So we're really focused on these under-the-radar places that are really making the key decisions that have unfortunately been dominated by fossil fuel lobbyists for too long. So we're working to level the playing field and get great climate champions in office and then help them pass policies that cut pollution and increase affordability."

Fisher highlighted a successful campaign in Naperville, Illinois, where they helped elect a "climate majority" to city council. 

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 Yumeka Brown, Democratic candidate for Congress in the 2nd District of Illinois. 

Brown currently serves as Matteson Village clerk and commissioner with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Her son's waterborne illness, blastomycosis, inspired her advocacy for clean water.

Brown emphasized her commitment to serving working families and her grassroots campaign. "We truly believe that going to Congress as independent as possible will give us the ability to fight for the people who need the help the most," she told WCPT.  

Brown added: "I have been a part of the schools that are broken, the communities that have so much violence. So I have lived experiences as to what this district is, and also what it can be."

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 Dr. Kevin King, radiation oncologist at City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago.

King discussed the importance of early detection and prevention of prostate cancer through screenings (like the PSA test), starting at age 50, or earlier for high-risk individuals. He emphasized the effectiveness of early treatment options such as prostatectomy and radiation therapy. He also highlighted the need for better communication from doctors to patients about cancer diagnoses, ensuring they understand their options and maintain hope. He noted the correlation between benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and prostate cancer but stressed that not all BPH cases lead to cancer. Lastly, he touched on the consumer demand for proactive health tests, balancing the benefits of early detection against the risks of over-testing.

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.