Justin Kaufmann

Poet, radio host and educator (and one of our favorite guests) Mario Smith joins Justin on Extension 720 to talk about the “Love Love Love – Chicago Celebrates the Music of Donny Hathaway” event taking place on Monday, August 5th at Millennium Park. Mario talks about where the idea to celebrate Donny Hathaway comes from, why he wanted to honor Donny Hathaway, the importance of honoring the legacy of such an underappreciated artist, how Donny Hathaway’s music was the embodiment […]

Tonight on Extension 720: In 2018, Alaina Hampton came forward to call out sexual harassment in Mike Madigan’s organization. How has life changed for the democratic consultant since? Also, the new film “Official Secrets” is based on the real-life story of British whistleblower Katharine Gun. Gun put her career on the line to expose an NSA memo leading up to the Iraq War. Gun joins me. Also, another mass shooting in California has many wanting lawmakers to change gun laws. […]

It’s the “The Download on Chicago Business” sponsored by Signature Bank. Tonight, Justin speaks with Crowdspring founder and CEO Ross Kimbarovsky about why building a brand identity is imperative for a small business, how Crowdspring is able to help small businesses create their brand, why Crowdspring is disrupting the design industry, the most important thing to look for when creating a logo, when the time might be right to change your logo, how much of your budget should be used to […]

Famed U.K. whistleblower Katharine Gun joins Justin on Extension 720 to talk about, “Official Secrets,” the new movie based on her real life story. Gun leaked a secret memo exposing an illegal spying operation by the United States of America, looking for information with which to blackmail United Nations diplomats tasked to vote on a resolution regarding the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Katharine talks about Keira Knightley portraying her in the film, if she believes the film does a good […]

Alaina Hampton, who accused a former aide to House Speaker Mike Madigan of sexual harassment last year, joins Justin on Extension 720 after new revelations about how under-the-table payments were made to the aide after he was fired. Alaina talks about if she was surprised when she read the new story, the retaliation culture that permeates politics, if she knew what the repercussions would be once she came forward, how her life has changed since she made the accusations, if […]

Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson joins Justin on Extension 720 to discuss the future of gun regulation in the state of Illinois. Richard talks about the ISRA’s lawsuit that is seeking to overturn a new state law that imposes stringent requirements on firearms dealers in the state, alleging that it violates both the Illinois Constitution and the state’s Administrative Procedures Act. Richard also discusses the role that the federal government plays in making gun laws, why he […]

Tonight on Extension 720: Exploring Chicago’s history from Maxwell Street to the Old Town Ale House! We continue our neighborhood tour by heading north to Old Town and a chat with the legendary Bruce Elliott at the Old Town Ale House, we discuss the rich history and the future of Chicago dinner theater with writer Phil Potempa and we end the show with some great live blues music courtesy of Low-reen and the Maxwell Street Market Blues Band! This is […]

Writer and author Phil Potempa joins Justin on Extension 720 to discuss Chicago’s dinner theater history. Phil talks about the excitement over the new show Teatro ZinZanni, the strength of the dinner theater scene in Chicago, how Drury Lane and other theaters in the area have reinvented themselves, the celebrities that appeared at Chicago dinner theater shows, the contributions that Bill Pullinsi made to the Chicago dinner theater scene and what we can expect from the dinner theater scene in […]

Joining Justin tonight on Extension 720 is Low-reen and the Maxwell Street Market Blues Band!  Band members Lori Lewis, Sair Stewart Muhammed and Kevin Shanahan talk about their upcoming show as part of The Big Deal at Maxwell Street Market, why they named the band after the Maxwell Street Market, how the band came together, how the Maxwell Street Market has evolved, the importance of blues music to the market and why they want to keep the legacy of Maxwell […]

“Off the Record” is a series of conversations with prominent Chicagoans in their communities. Tonight on Extension 720, Justin is joined by the legendary Bruce Elliott at the Old Town Ale House in Old Town. Bruce tells us about when he moved to the neighborhood, how the neighborhood was a center for counter-culture, how Old Town has changed through the years, what Old Town is like today, the amount of crime in the neighborhood, the legacy of the Old Town […]