Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast

A summary conversation on news events and public affairs in Chicago.

Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast is a news podcast hosted by Chicago Contrarian, with 59 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Chicago Contrarian hosts Chicago Contrarian, The Podcast, a news show with 59 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #60

  CTA's new pilot program, Bears crawl closer to Indiana, SEIU enters BOE race.

  Aug 15, 20261h 4m

  After a surge of law enforcement on CTA trains, City Hall and the CTA rolled out a new pilot which includes CVIs and mental health experts on trains. The Chicago Bears held a press conference to update Chicago on its plans to build a stadium. Will the Bears leave? Countering their erstwhile friends, the CTU, the SEIU unveiled its endorsements and donations to BOE candidates. What will the SEIU's impact be on the elections?

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #59

  Giannoulias enters mayoral race, PPP fraud, CTU's sustainable community school model is a failure.

  Aug 8, 20261h 9m

  As expected, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias entered the 2027 mayoral race. Behind him is $22M in campaign funds. What does Alexi bring to the race? A former CPS official has been nabbed in a PPP scandal. A NBC5 investigation has revealed the CTU's coveted "sustainable community school" model is a failure. We'll discuss.

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  Episode #58

  Mayoral candidate Danielle Carter-Walters

  Aug 2, 20261h 16m

  In a wide-ranging interview, Chicago Flips Red co-founder and mayoral candidate Danielle Carter-Walters sits down with Contrarian's panel to discuss her campaign.

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  Episode #57

  Executive orders, lawsuits, and the CPS budget.

  Aug 1, 202659 min

  Mayor Brandon Johnson signed off on another Executive Order on gun violence. What is the mayor seeking to accomplish by setting "standards" for purchase rather than removing criminals from the streets? In what could be a last hurrah for the CTU, the CPS budget was passed by an 11-7 vote. What is in or not in it? The AFT filed a lawsuit against Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Is there merit to the suit or is it the CTU using the AFT to blame Pappas for its budget shortfall? We'll discuss.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #56

  The CTU joins the Chicago News Guild, Byron booted from the ballot, Chicago weighs a settlement to two convicted killers.

  Jul 25, 20261h 3m

  The CTU's bargaining unit was certified by the Chicago News Guild. Why would a union representing journalists form an alliance with the teacher's union? The Bombastic Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez was dismissed as an Independent candidate for the 4th congressional district race. Sigcho Lopez claims "democracy died" when he was tossed off the ballot. Was the ruling unfair or is BSL just facing rules his own party put into place? We'll discuss.

  ListenShow Notes

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