Joan Esposito (Featured Interviews)

Joan Esposito is joined by Stephanie Zimmermann, award-winning watchdogs and consumer investigations reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. 

Zimmermann discussed her eight-month study on grocery prices. She tracked 35 common items at four stores: Jewel, Mariano's, Target, and Walmart. Prices increased for most items, she said, with a $11 total shopping basket increase at Jewel and Mariano's. Specific items like ground beef, ...

Joan Esposito is joined by Jordan Wood, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate running to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. 

"I was born and raised in Lewiston, Maine, which is in the central part of the state, to a very working-class family," Wood told WCPT. "My father's a pastor, my mom a teacher, and when I was born my mom had to leave the workforce to provide childcare for my twin brother and I. I reme...

Joan Esposito is joined by Kylie Cheung, staff writer for the Abortion, Every Day Substack newsletter and author of Coercion: Surviving and Resisting Abortion Bans.

The book explores the impact of the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision and resulting state-level abortion bans. In the interview Cheung highlighted the rise in maternal and infant mortality rates, sepsis cases, and the physical and emot...

Joan Esposito is joined by John Fugelsang, actor, comedian, podcaster and radio host, TV pundit, and author of the forthcoming book “Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds.”

The book addresses the misuse of religion to justify cruelty and support for Donald Trump and aims to help readers expose the hypocrisy in fundame...

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).

Manner discussed the political and ethical implications of recent military personnel changes, highlighting the removal of high-ranking women and people of color. He criticized the administration's actions as legal but morally inappropriate, emphasizin...

Joan Esposito is joined by Alison Gash, professor of political science at the University of Oregon, author of “Below the Radar: How Silence Can Save Civil Rights,” and contributor to Washington Monthly. She is also the president of OurSchool, “a nurturing and creative anti-racist digital space for LGBTQIA+ young people and their communities to learn, celebrate, and thrive.”

Gash offered insights on rece...

Joan Esposito is joined by Dave Levitan, science journalist, author of “Not A Scientist: How Politicians Mistake, Misrepresent, and Utterly Mangle Science,” and deputy editor of Splinter.

Levitan discussed the deteriorating situation at the Environmental Protection Agency under Administrator Lee Zeldin. Zeldin's actions include reorganizing the Office of Research and Development and retaliating against employees wh...

Joan Esposito is joined by Sarah Pridgen, research manager at Rush University Medical Center, and Justin Schmitt, president of the USAA Foundation, which is a founding member organization of Face the Fight.

Launched in 2023 by founding partners USAA, Reach Resilience, and the Humana Foundation, Face the Fight has made strides by bringing together a like-minded coalition of organizations to help reduce veteran suicide through a...

Joan Esposito talks to Michael Kirk, PBS “Frontline” documentary filmmaker. His new film is “Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law.” 

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).

And find the Joan Esposito (Full Episodes) podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, YouTube, ...

Joan Esposito is joined by Yasmeen Bankole, candidate for Congress in the 8th Congressional District of Illinois. 

Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).

And find the "Driving It Home (Full Episodes)" podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and Amazon.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joan Esposito is joined by Kendall Scudder, new chair of the Texas Democratic Party.

Scudder discussed the aftermath of the Kerr County floods, criticizing Republicans for their lack of action and accountability. 

"Here's the thing," he said. "There have been years and years and years of Republicans in Texas, particularly, who are fighting to tear down governmental systems that were designed to help people, and people don...

Joan Esposito is joined by State Rep. Ann Williams (D-IL), who discussed the state legislature's spring session. Key actions included allocating over $160 million to the budget stabilization fund and creating a bridge reserve fund for short-term emergencies. Williams also addressed the potential impact of federal spending cuts. "The numbers that I last saw were over 330,000 Illinoisans would be cut in terms of their healt...

Joan Esposito is joined by David Atkins, Washington Monthly contributing writer. His latest piece is "The GOP’s Cruel Budget and the Authoritarianism Behind the ‘Big Beautiful Bill.'"

Joan is joined by Stewart Reynolds, AKA Brittlestar, social media personality and author of the 2025 book “Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism.”

Joan Esposito is joined by Camaron Stevenson, national correspondent in Washington, D.C. for Courier. He highlighted his recent "Below The Belt(way)" Substack articles "Pete Hegseth wants a war" and "Rep. Maxwell Frost on how Florida’s internment camp avoids the court."  

Joan Esposito is joined by Leah Litman, author of “Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes,” professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School, and co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast.

Joan Esposito is joined by former Illinois Congressman and political commentator Joe Walsh (pictured with Joan at last year's DNC in Chicago). 

Joan Esposito is joined by Bushra Amiwala, Democratic candidate for Congress in the 9th Congressional District.

Joan Esposito is joined by Jessica Valenti, author of the book Abortion. Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win and the Substack newsletter “Abortion, Every Day with Jessica Valenti.”