Wgn Radio - Extension 720 With Justin Kaufmann

What is the best Chicago Movie of all-time? We are down to the Final 4 and it’s time for you to pick a champion! Welcome to the No Holds Barred Ultimate Chicago Movie Cage Match. Two movies duke it out and only one can move to the next round. Tonight,  longtime Chicago theater stalwart Rachel […]

Jen Ripple, publisher, professional angler and owner and Editor-in-Chief of DUN Magazine, the international women’s fly fishing magazine, joins Justin to talk about and this weekend’s Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo. Jen talks about why it’s important to introduce more women to fishing, the reason why Chicago is such a great fishing town, why urban […]

Teaching artist, creative director and globally recognized street dance professional Leida “Lady Sol” Garcia joins Justin to discuss Collaboraction‘s Encounter series at Kennedy-King College. Lady Sol talks about her autobiographical solo show “Lady Sol’s Dance Diary, Vol. 1,” the impetus for putting this show on stage, why she chose to start her story in the […]

Writer Max Grinnell joins Justin Kaufmann to discuss the redevelopment of State Street (That Great Street!) and how it has evolved over time. Max talks about the history of State Street, why redeveloping State Street has been challenging and what State Street needs to become dominant again. This is the podcast for The Justin Kaufmann […]

What is the best Chicago Movie of all-time? We are down to the Final 4 and it’s time for you to pick a champion! Welcome to the No Holds Barred Ultimate Chicago Movie Cage Match. Two movies duke it out and only one can move to the next round. Tonight,  poet, radio host and activist Mario Smith continues […]

It’s “The Download on Chicago Business” sponsored by Signature Bank. Tonight, Justin speaks with Cameo Co-Founder and CEO Steven Galanis about their platform that allows you, for a fee, to hire a prominent person to make a customized video message for yourself or someone else. Steven talks about how the service works, where the idea for […]

Dr. Mary Rodgers, virus hunter from Abbott Laboratories, join Justin to discuss the Wuhan coronavirus as it continues to spread throughout Asia and across the world. Dr. Rodgers talks about what the virus hunters do at Abbott, what the coronavirus is, what we know about this particular strain of virus, the best way to contain an outbreak, the great […]

Tremendous Chicago improvisers TJ Jagodowski and Rush Howell join Justin to talk about their podcast, “Here’s the Situation, which is “a very real podcast about very hypothetical situations.” TJ and Rush talk about where the idea for this podcast comes from, what they enjoy about producing a podcast, where the premise for the podcast comes […]

Writer, actor, comedian and member of the great comedy ensemble The Kids in the Hall Bruce McCulloch, joins Justin to talk about his memories of playing shows in Chicago, when The Kids in the Hall realized they were reaching a wide audience, how his own comedy was born out of suburban angst, his experience working […]

Award-winning pastry chef Mindy Segal joins Justin to talk about Illinois finally legalizing marijuana, being a champion and pioneer for the issue for many years, how she became involved in the production of chef-driven edibles, why she doesn’t like to be called “chef,” her new line of cannabis-infused edibles, the amount of experimentation that goes […]

Bulls Outsiders co-host John Sabine joins Justin to discuss the current state of your Chicago Bulls. John talks about his love of the NBA, how he uses his comedic background with his work at NBC Sports Chicago, the chances former Bulls great Derrick Rose gets traded to a contender, how the 90’s Bulls were so […]

It’s “The Download on Chicago Business” sponsored by Signature Bank. Tonight, Justin speaks with John Lombardo, co-owner of Smashed Plastic Record Pressing, a new vinyl pressing plant located in Chicago. John talks about where the idea to start Smashed Plastic comes from, why there is a need for a local company to produce vinyl records, how […]

Kelly Leonard, Executive Vice President of The Second City and The President of Second City Theatricals, and Liz Kozak, Director of Editorial and Content Development at The Second City, join Justin to discuss, “The Second City: The Essentially Accurate History.” Kelly and and Liz talk about how much people really know about The Second City, […]

WTTW Producers Harvey Moshman and Chuck Coppola join Justin to discuss their documentary, “Eastland: Chicago’s Deadliest Day.” Harvey and Chuck talk about the details surrounding the Eastland disaster, why they decided to make this film, why the story of the Eastland interested them, what they learned about the disaster while making this documentary, why this […]

The Chicago Tribune’s award-winning investigative reporter Ray Long joins Justin to discuss all the big political news coming out of Springfield this week including ex-State Representative Luis Arroyo possibly pleading guilty in his federal corruption case, Speaker Madigan spending over $400, 000 in legal fees during the closing months of 2019, the explosive “rape in […]

What is the best Chicago Movie of all-time? Is it Blues Brothers? Ferris Bueller? The Untouchables? We are down to the Elite 8 and it’s time for you to decide! Welcome to the No Holds Barred Ultimate Chicago Movie Cage Match. Two movies duke it out and only one can move to the next round. […]

Conductor George Daugherty joins Justin to discuss this weekend’s performance at Symphony Center of Warner Bros. presents Bugs Bunny at the Symphony. George talks about bringing this production to Chicago, how the iconic Looney Tunes taught children about classical music, what drew him to this project, the challenge of performing these original scores live, what […]

“How to Speak Midwestern” author, writer and friend of the Justin Kaufmann Show Edward McClelland joins Justin to discuss his piece in Chicago Magazine about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame possibly being anti-Chicago. Is the history of Chicago music not as influential as we think? I mean NO CHAKA KHAN? This is the […]

Student CJ Gordon joins Justin to discuss Mikva Challenge, which develops youth to be empowered, informed, and active citizens who will promote a just and equitable society. CJ talks about how he got involved with Mikva Challenge, his upcoming trip where he will spend three days campaigning for Presidential candidates in the lead up to […]

Chalkbeat‘s Cassie Walker Burke joins Justin to break down some of the education stories happening now and what to expect in 2020. Cassie talks about the $33 million deal between Chicago schools and the city’s police department, Chicago’s problem with under-enrollment and the plan to solve it and why some CPS teachers haven’t seen their raises […]