The Big Picture (Featured Interviews)
Each week Edwin Eisendrath and his guests get specific about politics, government, campaigns, and the kind of country all this work is meant to build. Join us live every Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT Chicago to be part of the conversation. About Edwin Edwin Eisendrath served two terms in Chicago’s City Council before being appointed Midwest Region Director of HUD by President Bill Clinton. He was subsequently appointed Federal Receiver in charge of the takeover and turnaround of the Chicago Housing Authority. Off the campaign trail, Edwin has worked in higher education and as a consultant to universities here and around the world. After the 2016 election cycle he knew he had to focus back home. He brought business and labor leaders together to rescue the Chicago Sun-Times and its subsidiary, the Chicago Reader. He ran the company as its CEO until both publications were saved. Back in the 1990s Bill Clinton’s campaign slogan, "It’s the economy, stupid," captured the biggest concern of the era. Today American democracy itself is under attack. So Edwin launched an effort called, "It’s the democracy, stupid." In addition to his radio show on WCPT, Edwin has built a community around his political ideas on Substack, hosts a weekly show on Lincoln Square, and publishes on Substack. Edwin is also a frequent guest on political shows and remains deeply involved in democracy work. He is a proud Chicagoan, married to the journalist Jennifer Schulze.
Episodes
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Rita Hart, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party.
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL)
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party.
Due to a technical issue, Edwin conducted the interview over the telephone.
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Amy Maxmen, national public health reporter at KFF Health News.
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Clara Jeffery, editor-in-chief of Mother Jones. her latest piece is "It’s Time for Soft Secession: How blue states can use their economic clout to stand up to Trump’s agenda—starting with California."
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
See omnystudio.co...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Dave Roberts, publisher of Volts, a newsletter about clean energy and politics.
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Edwin Eisendrath talks to Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic; his latest piece is “The Commander in Chief Is Not Okay.”
This conversation is also available on Substack.
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Bobby Kogan, senior director of Federal Budget Policy at the Center for American Progress.
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
And find “The Big Picture (Full Episodes)” podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.
See omnystud...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Ellen L. Weintraub, former commissioner and four-time chair of the U.S. Federal Election Commission, and currently a senior fellow at End Citizens United.
Weintraub discussed the impact of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision on election integrity and campaign finance, and criticized the Court's consistency in protecting people's rights to spend money in politics.
"We now have a system whe...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL).
Casten discussed the bipartisan Mental Health in Aviation Act, a bill he introduced with Republican Congressman Pete Stauber of Minnesota. It passed the House earlier this month and awaits action in the Senate. The legislation seeks to expand access to mental health care for pilots and remove the stigma of seeking mental health counseling without fear of being grounde...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Elizabeth Jacobs, professor emerita of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and a founding member of the advocacy group Defend Public Health.
Jacobs discussed the Trump administration's undermining of public health through the actions of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. She detailed the Trump administration's four main lines of attack on public health, which she said are "not confi...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL).
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
And find “The Big Picture (Full Episodes)” podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Claudia Sahm, chief economist at New Century Advisors, and former Federal Reserve economist.
Sahm discussed the economic impact of the Trump administration's policies, highlighting the regressive nature of tariffs and their potential to reshape trade and the economy. Sahm also talked about the administration's aggressive use of executive power and the uncertainty it creates. She explained th...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Jill Wine-Banks, legal analyst, former general counsel of the U.S. Army, author of "The Watergate Girl," co-host of #SistersInLaw, and host of Just The Facts with Jill Wine-Banks.
Wine-Banks criticized the FBI's mishandling of the Charlie Kirk shooting case and the broader distrust in government agencies, highlighted the Supreme Court's role in undermining legal norms, and expressed concern ...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Simon Rosenberg, Democratic strategist and author of the Hopium Chronicles.
Rosenberg discussed the rise of political violence on the right, citing the Charlie Kirk shooting and ideology on the right "that encourages violence," including the QAnon, whose end state, Rosenberg points out, is "the assassination and killing of Democratic leaders on the mall and the hanging of people like Nancy Pelosi ...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Samantha Tarazi, chief executive officer of Voting Rights Lab.
"We track and analyze voting and elections laws," Tarazi told WCPT, "and also propose changes to those laws via legislation in all 50 states. We look at and highlight how to strengthen our elections, and we also sound the alarm when election threats emerge. And I think there are a number of things to be focusing on right now in that ca...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL).
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
And find “The Big Picture (Full Episodes)” podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Jen Bendery, senior politics reporter for HuffPost.
Bendery discussed the significant reduction in the federal workforce, noting that 199,000 jobs have been cut since January, decimating the 2.3 million-strong workforce. She highlighted the role of Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought in driving the cuts.
Bendery also criticized the Trump administration's disregard for the...
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of six critically acclaimed books, including “Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.”
Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).
Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Texas Democratic State Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer.
"We are not a Republican state; we're a non-voting state," Martinez-Fischer told WCPT, offering a "Texas 101" primer on state legislative politics and President Donald Trump's mid-decade congressional redistricting scheme that Texas is trying to become the first state to adopt.
"We have the largest African American population in the country....
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