The Crisis Cast is a conversational journey in business leadership during a crisis. Our cast of experts review crisis management scenarios and provide resources for navigating uncharted waters. Each episode is moderated by renowned crisis communicators Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin.
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Crisis Cast Flashback: Paul Ciolino "Emptying Death Row"
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This week, we revisit a powerful conversation from Season 3 of The Crisis Cast. Listen in on the lessons learned from his forensic consortium. Our guest, Paul Ciolino, convinced Governor George Ryan to rethink the death penalty in Illinois. Ciolino is a private investigator turned DNA expert who advocates for those wrongly convicted. In this episod…
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On Friday October 4th mass resignations from the CPS school board rocked Chicago's political landscape. Then on Monday October 7th, Mayor Brandon Johnson's made a quick turnaround to appoint new board members. During this episode of the Crisis Cast municipal finance expert Paul Vallas joins Lissa & Thom to offer perspective and a dose of reality on…
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G.H. Merritt - Pushing For A NEW Illinois
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We’ve talked a lot about candidates on the 2024 ballot, but voters in seven Illinois counties are voting this fall on whether they’d like to become their own state. 23 counties have already said, "yes." During this episode, Thom Serafin talks with G.H. Merritt, the Chairman of NEW Illinois. Merritt says this is not a divide between Democrats and Re…
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Anthony Beale - ShotSpotter Shutdown
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At midnight, Monday September 23rd — ShotSpotter, the gun detection technology in place for more than six years in the city of Chicago was shut down as the contract expired. The city council voted to extend the contract, but Mayor Brandon Johnson exercised his veto power. During this episode, Lissa & Thom are joined by Chicago's 9th Ward Alderman A…
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Crisis Cast Flashback: Paul Kendrick "Candidate Camp"
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Time travel can be enlightening. During this trip through our show archives, we go back to the heals of the 2022 midterm elections. Paul Kendrick is the Executive Director of Rust Belt Rising, a grass roots grooming organization for Democrats. Their mission is training candidates and their organizations to connect with working families. During this…
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Crisis Cast Whiteboard: Debates & Debacles
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Here's a conversation that is both predictive and reflective on the potency of debates. Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin are in our chat room examine the stakes for Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in what may be their only Presidential debate. We'll ask the question, "Is the Commission on Presidential Debates obsolete?" Plus, how often has a single debate…
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Austin Berg - The "NEW" Chicago Way
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It's time to hear from a voice dedicated to writing Illinois' comeback story. Austin Berg has lived all over the Land of Lincoln, and is one of our state's most compelling change agents. During this episode, Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin get to the heart of how Austin engages action on governance issues, as VP of Marketing for the Illinois Policy In…
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Forrest Claypool - The Daley Show
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During any crisis, the "cool" heads prevail. In this episode we'll cover some Chicago's most daunting and outrageous challenges -- like an airport bulldozed in the middle of the night. Forrest Claypool has held the highest leadership post at three of the most critical municipal institutions: the park district, the public schools, and the Chicago Tr…
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Rick Pearson – Chicago's Image On The Line
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During this episode, Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin lean in on one particular question. "What will the nationwide narrative on Chicago be following the 2024 Democratic National Convention?" To get some answers, there's no better source than Rick Pearson, Chief Political Writer for the Chicago Tribune. Our conversation examines DNC conventions from th…
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Crisis Cast Whiteboard - Walz, Jobs, and the L-G-D-F
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Lissa & Thom have a ton on their mind. What's the Fed's next move on interest rates? How much fear has been stoked by the jobs report? What's Governor Tim Walz all about? That's a ton to process, but we'll cover it all in rapid fire. Plus, a Crisis Cast primer on the state of Illinois' L-G-D-F. Gather round for a Crisis Cast Whiteboard on the issue…
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Eddie Johnson & Garry McCarthy – ShotSpotter and The Secret Service
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Here comes some rare enlightenment from two of Chicago's former police superintendents, in the same conversation. Thom Serafin welcomes Eddie Johnson & Garry McCarthy to share what everyone is missing about reducing crime in Chicago. They also reveal the statistics on the ShotSpotter systems that get buried in politics. Plus, you'll hear a real tim…
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Richard Porter - Live from Republican Nat'l Convention
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In this special edition of the Crisis Cast, Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin take us to Milwaukee and the floor of the RNC. Their guest is Richard Porter, a national committeeman for the Republican Party of Illinois. Porter joined us moments after it was announced Ohio Senator J.D. Vance would be joining the Republican ticket as Donald Trump's running ma…
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Ray Long - Madigan, Burke, and Colliding Courts
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Lissa Druss is on assignment this week. Meanwhile, Thom Serafin digs into the trials and sentences of some key political figures like Mike Madigan and Ed Burke. Some of this lead straight to an intersection with the Chief Justice John Roberts' Supreme Court. Once again, we welcome Ray Long investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune. The two-tim…
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Ray Long - A Debate At Helm's Deep
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The firestorm that has engulfed 2024's first Presidential debate is still burning. We needed a cool head in the room, to consider the aftermath of President Joe Biden's performance vs. former President Donald Trump. That calming voice, came in the form of the Chicago Tribune's Ray Long. During this episode, Lissa & Thom work through the complicatio…
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Crisis Cast Flashback - Kelly Richmond Pope "Discovering Your Strength"
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Severe and sudden loss is how Kelly Richmond Pope realized her inner strength. As an educator and entrepreneur, she has uncovered the truths inside fiscal fraud. Her day job is teaching accounting forensics at DePaul University - but she is also the award-winning director of the documentary All The Queen's Horses. The film tells the story of the la…
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Steve Cochran – Finding Your Megaphone
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The traditional broadcast world has endured a seismic shift or two – or ten. Steve Cochran has been in front of a microphone and up and down the dial for all of it. For the better part of three decades he's been a fixture on Chicago radio. That includes audio brands like WLUP, WMVP, WIND, WLS, and more than 16 years on WGN. During this episode of t…
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Crisis Cast Flashback: Aurelia Pucinski - Smarter Than The Boss
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From retail politics to sitting on the judicial bench, Aurelia Pucinski's life in public service is brimming with wisdom. This Crisis Cast flashback offers a fascinating glimpse into our legal system from a discussion that took place just a week prior to the now infamous 2020 election. Judge Pucinski references her presence on the ballot, and her s…
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Sgt. Allen Lynch – Unimaginable Heroism
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Allen Lynch spent his childhood in Chicago's south suburbs with fond memories of walks to his grandmother's house in Roseland. Lynch was often bullied, and at age 18, to test his strength he enlisted in the U.S. Army. That was 1964, and one year later the United States had troops on the ground in Vietnam. In 1966, Sgt. Allen Lynch began a tour of s…
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Crisis Cast Whiteboard – Debating the Biden-Trump Debate(s)
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Two presidential debates between Joe Biden and Donald Trump are on the books. The first will be June 27th at CNN studios in Atlanta. It will have a unique nod to Chicago, because it will take place without an audience on a television set. That was the case in 1960, when WBBM-TV hosted John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon for the first-ever televised d…
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Crisis Cast Flashback: Sheila Bedi - Driving Toward Justice
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The timing of this conversation left us pondering pathways to change. It was the spring of 2021, and occurred during the days surrounding the verdict in the killing of George Floyd, and the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Chicagoan Adam Toledo. Renowned civil rights attorney Sheila Bedi joined Lissa and Thom to discuss her work surrounding the Chicag…
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Shia Kapos - What Is A Progressive?
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During this episode, a critical look at Illinois’ strategic players with reporter Shia Kapos, author of Politico’s morning newsletter: the Illinois Playbook. Shia offers up her definition of the city's new brand progressive politics. Lissa & Thom dig in on how she sees the City of Chicago responding to a summer full of global visitors. Plus, we get…
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During this episode, we’ll share the story behind a new film that documents the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023. The documentary is called #NOVA, and it reveals the massacre of hundreds of psy-trance music enthusiasts at a festival on 10/7. Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin are in our chat room to hear the personal story of first responder…
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Crisis Cast Whiteboard: Are The Bears Bluffing?
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Bears President Kevin Warren and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson gathered us all together for a presser on their "Dome By The Lake" on Wednesday. This struck our Crisis Cast crew as an odd rollout. Why was it shoe-horned into a space just prior to the NFL draft? During this episode of the Crisis Cast, Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin ask the question – "Ar…
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Crisis Cast Flashback - War in Ukraine Through Italy's Eyes
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Just two months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we had a fascinating conversation with Lissa's cousin, Daniela. She's a veteran journalist on the economic beat, based in Rome. Daniela gave us an early lesson in how the war reverberates very differently across Europe. At that point, Italians were caught in the middle, particularly because 50% …
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Mitch Rosen - Scoring The Radio Game
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For more than two decades, veteran radio programmer Mitch Rosen has led Audacy's WSCR. "The Score" is Chicago's leading destination for sports talk. During this episode of the Crisis Cast, Thom Serafin finally gets his job interview to join "The Score" lineup of personalities. Lissa Druss stops Thom from pitching 10 hours of daily Sox talk on the C…
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Frank Calabrese - The NEW Neighborhood Divide
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While the March '24 primary revealed a disappointing truth in voter participation – it reinforced a shift in ideology within Chicago's neighborhoods and some collar suburbs. Research and public policy analyst Frank Calabrese returns to the Crisis Cast to share what his maps predict about voter trends. During this episode, Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin…
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Crisis Cast Flashback - Youth Mental Health Crisis
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In the spring of 2021, Lissa & Thom introduced us to a foursome of teens from Naperville Central High School on a mission. They saw their peers suffering through depression, and took action. Through a support group called Beyond Charity – they went on a mission to stop the stigmas associated with mental illness. During this episode of the Crisis Ca…
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David Haugh - Take Me "Where" To The Ballgame
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As the 2024 major league baseball season opens, Lissa & Thom take a look at the crisis facing the Chicago White Sox. We have one of the coolest heads in the room join us for a conversation about where the South Siders might call home. David Haugh has been the co-host of the morning show on WSCR since 2018. Known for his deep reporting and wise writ…
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Craig Wall - Fighting For Trust
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Once again, we dive into Lissa & Thom's roots in journalism to further explore the challenges of 21st century newsrooms. During this this episode, the Crisis Cast probes a guide to being tenacious, but fair with ABC7's political reporter Craig Wall. With more than 25 years of covering Chicago news and politics, Wall shares how the exponential numbe…
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Ray Long - Mining The Minds of Madigan
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Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Ray Long makes a return visit to the Crisis Cast to prep Lissa & Thom for the upcoming trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. During this episode we take a deeper dive into the "minds" that surrounded Madigan, and his unparalleled career in state government. Long also unpacks the recent sentencin…
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Crisis Cast flashback: Carol Moseley Braun
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We celebrate the first week of Women's History Month by revisiting a conversation with the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Carol Moseley Braun was also the first woman to represent Illinois as a U.S. senator. Three years ago, the Chicago native visited with Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin the morning after attending the inauguration of Pre…
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Shamus Toomey - Defining Journalism's Future
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On so many episodes, we've explored and dissected the peril of shrinking local news rooms. This conversation will feel different. Shamus Toomey is among the defining innovators in the growth of journalism. As publisher and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, Shamus has forged the unthinkable – a team of reporters that has tripled in size since Novemb…
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David Hochberg - The Credit Utilization Crisis
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In part two of our dialogue with David Hochberg, we confront the reality that is plaguing America. We are reaching 70% capacity on credit utilization. As Hochberg puts it, "We are running out of room to spend on stuff we don't need, with money we don't have." During this episode of the Crisis Cast, Lissa & Thom continue their conversation about the…
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David Hochberg - A Saver For Life
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Once upon a time David Hochberg's father planted a seed. "Pay yourself first, and you'll never go broke." It led to his first passbook savings account at age seven, and a pre-teen career in scrap metal, turning trash into cash. Along the way, he developed a passion for helping home-buyers protect their financial health. During this episode of The C…
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Richard Irvin - The Day That Changed Everything
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As a veteran of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Richard Irvin confronted a moment with one question, "Is this the day I'm going to die?" During this episode of the Crisis Cast, we'll learn how those seconds have defined every day that has followed. Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin will also explore what drove the Mayor of Aurora to run for governor – and…
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Venezuela to Chicago – One Migrant Family's Journey
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In this special edition of the Crisis Cast, we'll hear the personal account of a dangerous trek across multiple borders. We invite you to listen in on Thom Serafin's intimate conversation with a couple from Venezuela, who traveled on foot and on top of train cars in search of the American Dream. We'll hear why they left their homeland, what life in…
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Ben Szalinski - Springfield's Next Generation
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There's a post-Madigan era emerging at Illinois' Capitol building – and beyond. During this episode, we examine which crisis in state government is top mind – and who are the dominant legislators with solutions. Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin are joined by the Daily Line's Ben Szalinski. Ben is covering the next generation of state leaders, while rep…
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Ilyce Glink - Best Money Moves for 2024
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One download with Ilyce Glink is never enough. We dive into part two of our recent chat with Ilyce. In this episode, all eyes and ears are on the long view of the economy. 2023 was a year of acceleration, and 2024 has a whole new set of speed bumps. Is the Fed on the right path managing inflation? How do you best manage your money in an election ye…
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Ilyce Glink - A "Silent" Depression?
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A host of TikTokers have coined a name for the current economy as an economic "silent depression." While the monicker continues to churn in social media, Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin wanted to explore how it started. More importantly -- is it real? During this episode we get into one of our favorite pasttimes: crisis identification. Once again, The C…
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Garry McCarthy - Public Safety's Critical Year
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In 2024, all eyes will be on the streets of Chicago -- particularly in August, when the city hosts the Democratic National Convention. We open our 5th season of the Crisis Cast with a voice that's been in the trenches when public safety is on the line. Garry McCarthy has led the design and enforcement of public safety during two national political …
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Fr. Richard Fragomeni - The Search For Christmas
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As the Crisis Cast closes out our fourth season, we enter the winter solstice with an abundance of light. During this episode Lissa & Thom welcome Father Richard Fragomeni, who shares T.S. Eliot's final poem on Christmas. The Cultivation of Christmas Trees is a poem that challenges the reader to rediscover the wonder of a child. During this episode…
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Brian Bernardoni - An Army of Good
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We are in the midst of a crisis that sends one in seven Chicago children to bed hungry. It's called post-pandemic poverty. The problem is absolutely global and national, too. In the U.S. since 2020, eight million people have fallen into poverty. The Crisis Cast went searching for hope, and action. Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin found that in Brian Be…
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Dagmar Braun Celeste - Women & The Priesthood
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Dagmar Braun Celeste was born in Nazi-occupied Austria, she authored her own Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies, which led her to collaborative human rights work with both Rosalyn Carter and Mother Theresa. Dagmar eventually made her home in Ohio, and fed her passion for politics as the state's First Lady. In 2002, she was secretly ordained as a …
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Dr. Tasha Green Cruzat - Driving Emotional IQ
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This year at Thanksgiving, we are grateful for the dedication of those compelled to change the lives of young people. Dr. Tasha Green Cruzat is leading solutions to our youth mental health crisis. Among the most staggering statistics is 30% of female students nationally reported seriously considering attempting suicide in the past 12 months. Dr. Cr…
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Ben Bradley - The "New" News Paradigm
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Many of the television newsroom characters have moved on, but there are fresh eyes and ears still holding truth to power. One of them is Emmy Award-winning reporter Ben Bradley of WGN. During this episode, Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin get Ben's take on the shifting tides of news gathering and consumption. Plus, we'll flash back to his job at the 19…
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Crisis Whiteboard - Migration Task Force
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In a span of just 14 months, more than 20-thousand migrants have arrived in Chicago. Add that to the thousands of residents who are already unhoused and tensions keep rising. During this episode of the Crisis Cast, Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin get out our whiteboard to brainstorm solutions to this crisis. The bus loads of asylum seekers keep coming a…
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Hanania & Lipinski - The Reagan Democrats
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Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin are back to do more work examining what divides us — and what might bring us together. Their guests are an award-winning columnist, and a 23rd Ward Alderman turned U.S. Congressman. Together, Ray Hanania and Bill Lipinski host the Two Guys on Politics podcast. In this episode, we answer dozens of potent questions. How d…
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Bob Berlin - Guarding & Guiding Victims' Rights
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Bob Berlin is a career prosecutor. For more than three decades, he's been focused on guarding the rights of crime victims. As DuPage Country State’s Attorney, he’s on the front lines of a new provision of the Safe-T Act. In September of 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled to eliminate cash bail in the state. In this episode, Lissa Druss & Thom S…
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Greg Hinz - Covering The Rooms Where It Happened
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Crain’s Greg Hinz has been tracking the political scene in Illinois for a half-century. As Greg steps back from his regular column at chicagobusiness.com, Lissa & Thom get a download on his past adventures and his next adventure. For Hinz, politics is the business of getting things done. During this visit to the chat room, Greg weighs in on the pol…
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Nick Kass - Question Everything
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For more than 30 years Nick Kass was guiding intelligence at the highest levels of U.S. government -- from the Department of State to the CIA, and the White House. Nick's mantra is simple: question everything. Based in Bucharest, this Chicago native is now Senior Fellow for European Affairs at the Center for the National Interest. Thanks to Nick's …
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