The John Howell Show Podcast

John Howell is joined by Dr. Bryan McLaughlin, Professor of Advertising at the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University, to discuss how the way some people consume the news can cause their anxiety to go into overdrive.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*Madeleine Doubek of CHANGE Illinois looks at how ranked-choice voting and other election reforms are on the way in IL.

*John receives listener feedback on a potential splitting of Illinois, and shares how Dennis Rodman has pulled a 180.

*Steve Galanis, Co-Founder and CEO of Cameo discusses their new live video feature, allowing you extended chats with celebrities

.*Mike Emanuel of Fox News tries to determine why the Biden Admin chose now to cancel student loan debt.

*Plus, comedian Tom Dreesen gets a good laugh out of John while talking about his upcoming event in Glen Ellyn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Howell speaks with Bradley Laborman, who has just thrown his hat into the ring for Chicago mayor. They discuss Laborman’s thoughts on a number of topics important to the city, including crime, monuments, private events on public lands, and CPD-community relations. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Biden announced his student debt forgiveness program this afternoon, and it’s come to mixed responses. Even some Democrats are being critical of the announcement. John Howell discusses what the program entails and what people from all sides of the political aisle are saying.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*John looks at DuPage County's "Vote Anywhere" election day procedures that have been put into place.

*Andrew Perez of The Lever talks about the little-known Chicago billionaire who handed his fortune to a Super PAC.

*A player in the Little League World Series is caught on a hot mic claiming that ESPN was conspiring against his team.

*Attorney Jeffrey Leving warns that Chicago must protect families from gambling addictions before opening a casino.

*Plus, a new tech-infused mini golf experience has opened in Oak Brook for the listeners who want to work on their short game.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Howell speaks with Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Bipartisan Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. The Chicago suburbs had a lot of leeway on how they spent their Covid relief dollars, and the reports of where the money went are starting to come out. Martire talks about the accountability and rules regarding this money, and the impact of the Covid relief money over all.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Howell is joined by Max Bever, Director of Public Information for the Chicago Board of Elections. There is a new Chicago elections map that will cut precincts significantly ahead of the November general election. Voters will likely have a new precinct and a new polling place, which will be mailed out in early September on a new voter registration card (and in reminders after that.) Bever explains why this was done and what to expect in the future. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*ABC News Correspondent Alex Stone provides an update on the high-profile missing girl case in Lake Tahoe.

*John breaks down a Daily Herald report showing the wildly different ways some Chicago suburbs have spent their Covid relief money.

*Kyle Cheney of POLITICO brings us up to date on all the arguments made by Trump's legal team in response to the Mar-a-Lago search.

*John presents a lesson in political extremism, pointing out a lefty and righty who may have gone too far.

*Plus, Salena Zito tries to determine what motivates voters, saying that this election will come down to Joe Biden.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Howell speaks with Retired Green Beret Lt. Col. Scott Mann. They speak about his forthcoming book, “Operation Pineapple Express: The Incredible Story of a Group of Americans Who Undertook One Last Mission and Honored a Promise in Afghanistan.” He outlines the tale of how he and a group of other retired Green Berets banned together to save an ally during America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. To find the book, available now for pre-order: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Operation-Pineapple-Express/Scott-Mann/9781668003534

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Howell speaks with Alexandra Block, Senior Attorney for Policing and Criminal Legal System Reform at the ACLU of Illinois. They are calling for the CPD Superintendent and Mayor to make police reform a priority. The “positive community interactions” quota is not enough, Block insists. We need real reform. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.