We close out 2024 and our fifth season with some humorous wisdom from our archives.

Al Gini is an archaeologist of ideas, and renowned author. In this episode of The Crisis Cast, he shares his adventures in training future leaders as professor of Business Ethics at Loyola University of Chicago.  

You'll meet his Uncle Joe, a teacher of survival through laughter.  Prof. Gini schools us on what we truly need from politicians and what we might do about historical figures and their monuments. Al Gini has authored seven books on ethics and more, including 10 Virtues of Outstanding Leaders and The Importance of Being Funny. This episode was originally released in November of 2020.

We got a wake-up call during this episode of the Crisis Cast. On a show about problem solving during a crisis, Father Greg Sakowicz reminds us, "Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved."

Father Greg is rector of Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, and gives Lissa, Thom, and all of us some mysteries to ponder. During his 40-plus years as a priest, Father Greg has fed his passion for humor and stories through his radio show and his weekly essays to parishioners. This episode leans into slowing life down enough to keep the kindness of Christmas alive year round.

There's one powerful statement you'll always hear from the leader of Illinois' 2nd largest city. "Don't tell me. Show me."

Richard Irvin is in his 2nd term as the Mayor of Aurora, and touts the city's innovative approach to empowering its citizens. During this episode of the Crisis Cast, Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin revisit Mayor Irvin's interests in statewide office and explore his passion pitch for the Bears to make Aurora home. Plus, we'll have a conversation about gratitude with some guidance on why the Democratic Party shouldn't take Black voters for granted.

As we approach the season of giving, we're proud to bring you a conversation that explores innovation in serving community needs.

During this episode, Thom Serafin digs into how one non-profit group built an alliance with the City of Chicago -- to keep the un-housed warm during the winter. Beth Amodio, CEO of One Warm Coat, shares the reinvention of how volunteers get activated. Plus, you'll hear how an interactive map is uniting churches, youth groups, and more in collecting and distributing coats and more.

You can read the story of this week's Crisis Cast heroes here.

In the last gasp before election day 2024, we're pulling back the curtain on political polling. Once again we welcome Rod McCulloch of Victory Research to our Crisis Cast chat room. We'll hear what's changed in polling over the long haul, and what's different about each of the last 3 Presidential elections. You'll learn about how pollsters deal with voter cynicism, what's REALLY wrong with negative campaigning, and why he gives candidates the harsh reality.

This week, we revisit a powerful conversation from Season 3 of The Crisis Cast. Listen in on the lessons learned from his forensic consortium.  Our guest, Paul Ciolino, convinced Governor George Ryan to rethink the death penalty in Illinois. Ciolino is a private investigator turned DNA expert who advocates for those wrongly convicted.  In this episode, Lissa & Thom dig into corrupt systems and the high-profile cases Paul Ciolino has investigated.  You'll hear about his first hand encounters with Anthony Porter, Amanda Knox, Arturo Gatti, and more. This episode was originally released in April of 2022.