WGN - The Download with Justin Kaufmann Podcast

Former Chicago Bears great Doug Plank joins Justin to recap the Bears disappointing loss to the Tennessee Titans. Doug talks about quarterback Matt Barkley’s performance, the receivers dropping a lot of balls, the off-field issues that are plaguing the team, the newest rash of injuries and what we should expect next Sunday against the 49ers. Follow Justin on Twitter and give him a like on Facebook. The Download with Justin Kaufmann airs Monday through Friday from 7 pm to 11 pm […]

It’s Thanksgiving Eve and The Download has got your entertainment needs covered whether you are working, traveling or just getting ready for the big celebration tomorrow. On tonight’s show, Justin speaks with Paul Morello of the Greater Chicago Food Depository about all the good work they do for Thanksgiving and throughout the rest of the year in their quest to end hunger and we end the show with a touching discussion on what we are thankful for this holiday season. […]

The Carry Out is the nightly segment where Justin reads the newspapers so you don’t have to. Tonight’s top stories include the busy holiday travel weekend, federal auto safety regulators pushing for smart phone companies to block certain apps when the user is on the road, protestors joining forces on Michigan Avenue on Friday, a judge rejecting a bid by Fenwick High School to overturn the outcome of a game, Ben Carson being picked by Donald Trump to be the […]

MarySue Barrett, President of The Metropolitan Planning Council, is back for another visit to talk with Justin about what the election of Donald Trump means for the Chicago area. MarySue talks about federal funding in the Trump administration and the plan to improve infrastructure in the area, how much federal funding will be used to fight inequality and if there will be political implications for Illinois after the state went for Hillary Clinton. Follow Justin on Twitter and give him […]

Former Chicago Bears great Doug Plank joins Justin for his weekly visit to recap the Bears loss to the New York Giants and to break down all the top stories coming out of Halas Hall this week including the injuries to Jay Cutler and Zach Miller, the suspensions of Alshon Jeffery and Jerrell Freeman and this Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. Follow Justin on Twitter and give him a like on Facebook. The Download with Justin Kaufmann airs Monday through […]

Filmmaker K. Rocco Shields joins Justin to discuss her debut feature film, “Love is All You Need?” K. talks about her vision for the film, trying to engage the world in a way that creates empathy, the importance of creating change, the pushback she felt after making the film, dealing with death threats, seeing the film’s ability to inspire and transform, the fight to get the film made and what she hopes to accomplish with the movie. Follow Justin on […]

Best-selling author Mary Roach joins Justin to discuss her fascinating new book, “Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War.” Mary talks about how military science is used to keep military personnel alive, what attracted her to exploring the science of war, the importance of clothing such as zippers and underwear to the armed forces, the Navy’s research into shark repellent, how middle-aged men make the sleep choices for soldiers and how much these scientific studies for the military end […]

“Saved by the Bell” Executive Producer Peter Engel joins Justin to discuss his new memoir, “I Was Saved by the Bell: Stories of Life, Love and Dreams That Do Come True.” Peter talks about his successful career producing television, when he fell in love with television, how he was able to get into the business, the temperament needed to be a producer, when he knew “Saved by the Bell” would be a hit, how the show created a whole new […]

We are going to pack all that we can into our shortened show this evening! On tonight’s episode of The Download, activist Andy Thayer chats about his role in the protest movement and the election of Donald Trump, legendary Chicago hip hop duo The Cool Kids talk about why they decided to make music together again, “Saved by the Bell” Executive Producer Peter Engel shares some stories about the iconic television show from his new book, “I Was Saved by […]

They are back! Chuck Inglish and Sir Michael Rocks from the amazing Chicago hip hop duo The Cool Kids join Justin to talk about their careers, why they are getting back together, how they have grown since they stopped working together, the evolution of their music, how the Chicago rap scene has changed, being considered the elder statesmen of the local hip hop community, being pioneers when it came to digital technology, the changing music industry, adapting to making music […]