“Off the Record” is a series of conversations with prominent Chicagoans in their communities. Tonight on Extension 720, Justin is joined by actor, writer and comedian Abby McEnany at Colectivo Coffee in Andersonville. Abby talks about what Andersonville was like when she first moved to the area twenty years ago, how the neighborhood his changed over the years, if the area is still perceived as a lesbian neighborhood, the amount of business turnover, the sense of community and activism in […]

Grammy Award, Tony Award and Academy Award-winning composer and Disney legend Alan Menken joins Justin on Extension 720 to discuss his incredible career, his early days in New York City, making the decision to go all-in on a life in music, creating “Little Shop of Horrors” and the buzz surrounding it, how that show was built to be an Off-Broadway production, the moment he realized he could make a living making music, his role in the Disney renaissance with his […]

Tonight on Extension 720: What’s old is new again. Legendary Composer Alan Menken talks about his iconic music, from “Little Shop of Horrors” to “Little Mermaid.” Also, several old-guard alderman are facing first-time challengers in this year’s runoff. We explore Chicago with Jessica Washington Gutierrez, William Calloway and Andre Vasquez. And we continue our tour of Chicago neighborhoods with a trip to Bucktown with Ethan Michaeli and Andersonville with Abby McEnany. It’s Extension 720 with Justin Kaufmann. Brand new. This […]

Tonight on Extension 720 with Justin Kaufmann: Oh, the places I’ve been. Tonight, we tackle the theme “place.” We start a new segment called “That Used to Be….” which is probably the simplest concept in Chicago media history. We give you an address and you tell us what place used to be there. Winners get prizes. Tonight’s special guest: Chicago raconteur Scott Goldstein! Also tonight, we continue our tour of Chicago neighborhoods. Erin Shea Smith takes us to B-Sides Coffee + Tea to […]

“Off the Record” is a series of conversations with prominent Chicagoans in their communities. Tonight on Extension 720, Justin is joined by journalist and content director Erin Shea Smith at B-Sides Coffee + Tea in Beverly. Erin talks about the new businesses that are popping up in the area, the politics of the 19th Ward, what is most important to the residents of Beverly, the way the new residents mix with the older residents, the impact that Jerry Joyce had […]

The Daily Line‘s Heather Cherone and A.D. Quig are the absolute best in the business and they join Justin to break down the April 2nd Chicago runoff election including the mayoral race between Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle and the 15 aldermanic runoff races including the hotly contested races in the 5th, 6th, 15th, 25th, 30th, 33rd, 40th and 47th Wards. This is the podcast for Extension 720. The show originates from Chicago on WGN Radio and features newsmakers, tastemakers and trailblazers.  Hosted […]

It’s the debut of a new segment on Extension 720 with Justin Kaufmann. Tonight, Chicago raconteur Scott Goldstein joins Justin for, “That Used to Be…” The idea is simple: We give you an address and you tell us what place used to be there. Remember the location of Biddy Mulligan’s? The Rainbow Roller Rink? Gabby Hartnett Recreation? It’s “That Used to Be…!” This is the podcast for Extension 720. The show originates from Chicago on WGN Radio and features newsmakers, […]

WGN‘s Kevin Powell joins Justin to preview the 2019 baseball season and the top stories we should be paying attention to on both sides of town. Kevin talks about the expectations facing both the Sox and Cubs. Will Yu Darvish bounce back? What can we expect from the Cubs bullpen? How will the dynamic Cubs lineup look entering the season? Is Joe Maddon really on the hot seat? How will Eloy Jimenez fit in? What will the Sox rotation look […]

“Off the Record” is a series of conversations with prominent Chicagoans in their communities. Tonight on Extension 720, Justin is joined by talk show host, poet and activist Mario Smith at the swanky Sophy Hotel in Hyde Park.  Mario talks about the amount of development going on in Hyde Park, how much the neighborhood has changed, how much more can be done, what issues are most important to the residents of Hyde Park, the legacy of Rahm Emanuel, the issues […]

It’s the “The Download on Chicago Business” sponsored by Signature Bank. Tonight, Justin speaks with serial entrepreneur Pete Kadens about why he decided to retire at the age of 40, when he realized that he was spending way too much time at work, why he doesn’t believe that a CEO can have a balanced life, the challenge of adjusting his life goals, the addictive nature of being an entrepreneur, the importance of “relationship wealth,” the secret to building a successful startup, […]