WGN - The Download with Justin Kaufmann Podcast

It’s Tuesday night so that means it is time to come together and collectively complain and bemoan about #TheWorst things in society…for prizes! Tonight, Justin is joined by the amazing Robyn Scott. Do you know what’s The Worst? Kites. A lot of effort for not that much fun. Join this millennium and get a drone like the rest of society. Follow Justin on Twitter and give him a like on Facebook. The Download with Justin Kaufmann airs Monday through Friday from 7 […]

We have another exceptional show for you this evening! On tonight’s episode of The Download, Justin welcomes Skills for Chicagoland’s Future CEO Marie Lynch to discuss their 2016 job placements numbers, the “access gap” and other issues surrounding unemployment and underemployment in Chicago, we explore Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood through a new WTTW documentary, Ron Burke, the Executive Director of the Active Transportation Alliance gets us prepared for this weekend’s MB Bike the Drive, we learn about the One Summer Chicago initiative which provides […]

WTTW Producer Dan Andries, Community Engagement Director Jessica Lawson and Digital Content Producer Jessica Pupovac join Justin to talk about the WTTW documentary, “My Neighborhood: Pilsen.” Dan, Jessica and Jessica talk about why WTTW created a documentary about Pilsen, how this documentary tells the story of Pilsen that hasn’t been told before, the reaction to the documentary from people in the community, the history of community activism in Pilsen,the importance of learning about a community from the people that live […]

The Carry Out is the nightly segment where Justin reads the news so you don’t have to. Tonight’s top stories include multiple fatalities being reported after an explosion in Manchester after an Ariana Grande concert, President Trump visiting the Middle East, North Korea and Iran saying they are ready to test ballistic missiles, three White House staffers being identified as the source for White House leaks, former NSA adviser Michael Flynn planning on pleading the 5th at any testimony in […]

K. Sujata, President/CEO, Chicago Foundation for Women, joins Justin to discuss the 100% Project, where the idea for the 100% Project comes from, trying to reach the goal of ending gender bias in Chicago by the year 2030, why we are seeing less women getting involved in the Chicago startup community and what it means for women and girls that President Trump’s proposed budget will slash a number of safety-net programs. Follow Justin on Twitter and give him a like on […]

The hilarious Jon Glaser joins Justin to chat about the 2nd season premiere of his Adult Swim series, “Neon Joe: Werewolf Hunter.” Jon talks about how the series was born after a comedy bit during an appearance on Jimmy Fallon, the pilot of the show being patterned after “Jaws,” the approach they used for writing the series, the relationship he has with Adult Swim and his show next week in Chicago at Thalia Hall. Follow Justin on Twitter and give […]

Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin joins Justin to discuss what can be done to curb the use of social media for broadcasting crimes. Commissioner Boykin talks about his meetings with Facebook this week, the ways to get people to report crimes that they see on social media, the role that government can play in hindering online crime and harassment and the positive and negative consequences that social media has on the community. Follow Justin on Twitter and give him a […]

As usual, the Download is ending the week in style! On tonight’s episode, Justin chats with Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin about how to curb violence being streamed on social media, journalists Carol Felsenthal and Lee Bey recap another crazy week in news, pioneering electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre talks about his great career and upcoming show at the Auditorium Theatre and we end the show with our monthly visit from local innovator and genius Steve Gadlin as he steps into […]

Composer and electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre joins Justin to discuss his groundbreaking career, his memories of performing in Chicago, what it was like for him to work on his “Oxygene” series, how he created a unique style of electronic music, his interest in blending textures and creating soundscapes, the importance of using visuals to accompany the music, being influenced by art and movie, the future of EDM and his show this Monday night at the Auditorium Theatre. Follow Justin on […]

The one and only Jerry Pritikin aka “The Bleacher Preacher,” joins Justin to talk about being in attendance for Jackie Robinson’s first game at Wrigley Field, which happened on this day in 1947. Jerry reflects on witnessing history, if he realized the impact of the event despite being only 10-years-old, the amount of people in and around Wrigley Field that day and the crowd’s response when Jackie Robinson came to bat for the first time. Follow Justin on Twitter and […]