Joan Esposito (Featured Interviews)

Joan Esposito (Featured Interviews)

From Heartland Signal and WCPT AM 820 in Chicago, here are featured interviews from "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" (weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central, a topical and interactive talk show that focuses on national, state and city politics. A veteran Chicago broadcaster, Joan talks to politicians and professors, activists and authors, candidates and correspondents, as well as listeners who call in to share their views on the news of the day. Her goal is to Edify, Entertain and Elect — Democrats, of course. Joan Esposito has hosted WCPT's afternoon show since 2019. Prior to that she spent 20 years as a Chicago television anchor and reporter for WGN Channel 9, ABC7 and NBC5, and had a stint as managing partner at media trainer J2SC. Joan is a long-time member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

Episodes

April 10, 2026 26 mins

Joan Esposito is joined by Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, immigration attorney and CEO of Lincoln-Goldfinch Law in Austin, Texas.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

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Website: https://heartlandsignal.com

WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820

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Joan Esposito is joined by U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ).

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

Follow us:

Website: https://heartlandsignal.com

WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820

Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartl...

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Joan Esposito is joined by Christopher Armitage, author of The Existentialist Republic newsletter on Substack.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

Follow us:

Website: https://heartlandsignal.com

WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820

Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandS...

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Joan Esposito is joined by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL), who represents the 11th District of Illinois. 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

Follow us:

Website: https://heartlandsignal.com

WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820

Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSig...

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April 8, 2026 24 mins

Joan Esposito is joined by Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner (Ret.), former acting vice chair of the National Guard Bureau, and member of National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A). 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

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Website: https://heartlandsignal.com

WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook....

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Joan Esposito is joined by Nancy Gertner, retired federal Judge and current senior lecturer at Harvard Law School. 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

Follow us:

Website: https://heartlandsignal.com

WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820

Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/...

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Joan Esposito is joined by U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL).

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

 

Follow us:

Website: https://heartlandsignal.com

WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820

Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@h...

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Joan Esposito is joined by Aaron Kleinman, head of research at Heartland Signal and author of the "Radio Free America" newsletter.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Joan Esposito is joined by Chris Taylor, judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and candidate for Wisconsin Supreme.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Joan Esposito is joined by Chicago Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward).

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Joan Esposito is joined by Garrett Epps, legal affairs editor at the Washington Monthly; his new article is “Birthright Citizenship: Supreme Court Could Create an Exploitable Noncitizen Class.”

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Joan Esposito is joined by Anne Kim, senior editor at Washington Monthly and the author of the book “Poverty for Profit: How Corporations Get Rich Off America’s Poor.” Her new article for Washington Monthly is "Women Are Getting Slammed in Trump’s Economy."

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

...

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March 31, 2026 23 mins

Filling in for Joan Esposito, Jennifer Schulze is joined by Tom Skilling, WGN-TV chief meteorologist emeritus.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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March 31, 2026 26 mins

Filling in for Joan Esposito, Jennifer Schulze is joined by Craig Aaron, president and co-CEO of Free Press and Free Press Action. 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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March 30, 2026 15 mins

Joan Esposito is joined by Carlos Roa, editor-in-chief of IQ Latino and contributor to Te Lo Cuento News, with the latest from Venezuela.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Joan Esposito is joined by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL). 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Joan Esposito is joined by Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, one of the organizers of the March 28 No Kings protests happening across the country.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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March 26, 2026 23 mins

Joan Esposito is joined by Reed Bible, retired special agent and supervisory special agent for the Chicago and San Diego Districts of ICE, retired attorney, and current co-host of “The Lightning Strike,” Sundays from 8 to 10 a.m. Central on WCPT. 

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.co...

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Ahead of the May 5 Ohio primary election, Joan Esposito is joined by David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal editor-in-chief and opinion columnist.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Joan Esposito is joined by Rich Logis, founder of Leaving MAGA. He has a new memoir out, "One Betrayal Too Many: Why I Left MAGA."

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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