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On today's show:
– Christopher Armitage, author, veteran, former law enforcement officer, activist, policy advisor, and publisher of The Existentialist Republic on Substack
– U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL)
– U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL)
– Heartland Signal’s Rich Eberwein with three stories you might have missed from our digital newsroom
– Anusha Thotakura, executive director of Citizen Action/Illinois
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.
On today's show:
– Aaron Kleinman, Heartland Signal‘s senior political analyst and author of the “Radio Free America” newsletter
– John Fugelsang, actor, comedian, podcaster and radio host, TV pundit, and author of “Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds“
– Lauren Miller, Texas mother who was forced to travel to Colorado for an abortion in 2022; plaintiff in Zurawski v. State of Texas; reproductive freedom and abortion rights activist; human rights advocate
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.
On today's show
– Pat Kreitlow, founder and editor of Up North News (Courier)
– Hadley Duvall, reproductive freedom and abortion rights activist
– Jason Meisner, federal courts reporter for The Chicago Tribune
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).
Follow us:
Website: https://heartlandsignal.com
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On today's show
– Professor Steven D. Schwinn of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
– Michael Dorf, Democratic lawyer, the Law Offices of Michael C. Dorf, LLC
– Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at ACLU Illinois
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).
Follow us:
Website: https://heartlandsignal.com
WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820
Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal
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Heartland Signal X: https://x.com/HeartlandSignal
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Threads: threads.com/@heartlandsignal
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heartlandsignal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On today's show
– Donna Chaffee, author of “First Great Sorrow: My Years with Robert F. Kennedy“
– Brian Endless, senior lecturer and director of African Studies and the African Diaspora at Loyola University Chicago
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).
Follow us:
Website: https://heartlandsignal.com
WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820
Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartlandsignal
Heartland Signal X: https://x.com/HeartlandSignal
WCPT 820 X: https://x.com/WCPT820
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandsignal
Threads: threads.com/@heartlandsignal
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heartlandsignal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On today's show
– Barbara McQuade, legal analyst, law professor, former United States attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, co-host of the “#Sisters in Law” podcast, and author of “Attack From Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America” (2024) and “The Fix:
Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government” (2026)
– David Hochberg, vice president of lending for Team Hochberg at Homeside Financial
– Heartland Signal’s Rich Eberwein with three stories you might have missed from our digital newsroom
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).
Follow us:
Website: https://heartlandsignal.com
WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820
Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartlandsignal
Heartland Signal X: https://x.com/HeartlandSignal
WCPT 820 X: https://x.com/WCPT820
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandsignal
Threads: threads.com/@heartlandsignal
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heartlandsignal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On today's show:
– Amanda Zurawski, reproductive rights activist who was the lead plaintiff in the landmark Zurawski v. State of Texas case
– Bill Scher, politics editor at Washington Monthly; his latest article is “The Iran War’s Biggest Loser? Definitely Netanyahu“
– Spencer Critchley, author of Patriots of Two Nations and host of the Dastardly Cleverness in the Service of Good podcast
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.
On today's show
Majid Padellan, AKA Brooklyn Dad Defiant and host of “The Defiant Weekly“
– William Campbell, host of “Here’s How: Ireland’s Political, Social and Current Affairs Podcast“
– Joel Ostrow, professor of political science at Benedictine University
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).
Follow us:
Website: https://heartlandsignal.com
WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820
Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartlandsignal
Heartland Signal X: https://x.com/HeartlandSignal
WCPT 820 X: https://x.com/WCPT820
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandsignal
Threads: threads.com/@heartlandsignal
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heartlandsignal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On today's show
– Jon Seidel, federal courts reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times; his latest articles have focused on Loretto Hospital and the “Broadview Six”
– John Lothian, founder and editor of John Lothian News
– Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner (Ret.), former acting vice chair of the National Guard Bureau, and member of National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A)
– Jill Wine-Banks, legal analyst, former general counsel of the U.S. Army, author of “The Watergate Girl,” co-host of #SistersInLaw and host of Just The Facts with Jill Wine-Banks
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).
Follow us:
Website: https://heartlandsignal.com
WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820
Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartlandsignal
Heartland Signal X: https://x.com/HeartlandSignal
WCPT 820 X: https://x.com/WCPT820
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandsignal
Threads: threads.com/@heartlandsignal
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heartlandsignal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On today's show:
– Chris Fitzsimon, host of the Stories from the States podcast
– Daniel Squadron, president and co-founder of Future Now and author of “The Fourth Branch: How State Government Can Save Our Union” (2026)
– Debra Kerr, president and CEO of Chicago’s Intuit Art Museum, along with the museum’s chief curator, Alison Amick
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.
From the publisher's feed
From Heartland Signal and WCPT AM 820 in Chicago, here are full episodes of "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" (weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central), a topical and interactive talk show that focuses on national, state and city politics.
A veteran Chicago broadcaster, Joan talks to politicians and professors, activists and authors, candidates and correspondents, as well as listeners who call in to share their views on the news of the day. Her goal is to Edify, Entertain and Elect — Democrats, of course.
Joan Esposito has hosted WCPT's afternoon show since 2019. Prior to that she spent 20 years as a Chicago television anchor and reporter for WGN Channel 9, ABC7 and NBC5, and had a stint as managing partner at media trainer J2SC. Joan is a long-time member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

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