The John Howell Show Podcast

*Legal Analyst Royal Oakes talks with John about red flag laws and which states do/do not have them.

*Jeffrey Maurer shares how indiscriminately forgiving student loan debt would make the Democrats' image problem even worse.

*Congresswoman Cheri Bustos discusses how Illinois and the Midwest could help with rising fuel prices.

*Henry Olsen of The Washington Post informs John that Joe Biden was actually correct in his comments about Taiwan.

*Plus, Mike Emanuel stops by for his weekly visit, and two 2020 Chicago rioters are headed off to arson grad school.

Big John Howell is joined by Congresswoman Cheri Bustos of Illinois’ 17th district to talk about the future of ethanol use in Illinois. Rep. Bustos discusses E15 usage, how it is a beneficial replacement for fossil fuels, who can use it, and how Illinois can contribute.

Big John Howell is joined by Jeffrey Maurer, former senior writer for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” to discuss the problem with forgiving student debt. Democrats have an image problem, according to Maurer, and forgiving debt blindly will make it worse. They discuss the potential messages this would send about the party and the potential disaster this would cause.

*John takes the pulse of listeners after 14 students and one teacher were killed at an elementary school in Texas.

*Strategist Jim Manley shares why he believes that Joe Biden is planning on running again in 2024.

*Steve Bernas of the BBB of Chicago & Northern IL warns of scammers that are taking advantage of the baby formula shortage.

*Bill Scher at Real Clear Politics talks with John about the primaries taking place today, and how Trump's influence plays into them.

*Pamela Althoff of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois discusses the potential 185 new dispensary licenses coming to the state.

*Plus, Matt Weidinger of American Enterprise Institute portrays how federal Covid relief is helping to driving inflation.

Jim Ryan, ABC News Correspondent from Dallas, joins John Howell with the latest on the tragic elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. As of now, there are 15 dead, including 14 children and one teacher.

Big John Howell is joined by Democratic strategist Jim Manley who thinks that Biden will, in fact, run for re-election in 2024. They discuss how the democrats are positioned, how conventional political thought may affect another bid for Presidency, and what Dems may do in the meantime.

*Gregory Pratt of the Chicago Tribune looks back at Lori Lightfoot's first three years in office, nothing some big missed opportunities.

*Former CIA officer Alex Finley discusses her new book, "Victor in Trouble" which is inspired by the idea that Putin wants to destabilize Democracy.

*Jon Seidel of the Chicago Sun-Times tells John about the latest leak from the Mike Madigan wiretap audio.

*Stephen Moore of Freedom Works talks about the billions of Covid relief dollars that have disappeared into the pockets of scammers.

*Plus, Dr. Cynthia Buckley breaks down the corrected IL census data, and John Dempsey recaps Justin Thomas's PGA Championship win.

Dr. Cynthia Buckley, Professor of Sociology at University of Illinois, joins John Howell to discuss the recent corrections to the Illinois Census numbers. Illinois was undercounted, meaning that we’ve gained residents rather than lost them. This is good and bad news. Dr. Buckley and John discuss this, plus who was least likely to fill out their Census, and what these numbers mean.

According to former CIA officer-turned-satirist Alex Finley, the answer is clear: To weaken democracy everywhere. John Howell spoke with Finley about her latest novel "Victor in Trouble" is inspired in part by this troubling notion.

As a mayoral candidate, Lori Lightfoot preached reform. Three years later, activists and aldermen alike have a lot to say about how she has (and has not) spent her time in office. The Chicago Tribune’s Gregory Pratt joins John Howell to talk about this, Lightfoot’s potential re-election, and more.