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Hitting Left

Mike gets together each week, often with special guests in studio and from around the country, to discuss current topics involving politics, education and social justice "from the Left side of the plate." The topics covered may be local, national or international but always with a Chicago sensibility and perspective.
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Now displaying: 2019
Dec 20, 2019

Floyd Webb is a producer and director, known for The Search for Count Dante (2020), Yasuke-San (2022) and Daughters of the Dust (1991). Susan Kerns is Co-Director of the Chicago Feminist Film Festival and associate professor at Columbia College, Chicago.

Dec 13, 2019

Block Club's Jen Sabella and 39th ward aldermanic chief of staff for Samantha Nugent co-host The Girl Talk at the Hideout each month.

Dec 6, 2019

CTU President Jesse Sharkey joins us to discuss strikes, bargaining and the politics of teacher unionism.

Nov 22, 2019

Four of Chicago's important independent and alternative journalists join us for a conversation about the decline of legacy print journalism and more conversation about Chicago politics.

Nov 15, 2019

Jerry Harris joins us in a conversation about globalism, nationalism, imperialism, neoliberalism and the meaning of each in today's world. 

Nov 8, 2019

This week we create our weekly morning political talks, just the two of us. We talk about the just ended Chicago teachers strike and Mike looks back on seven decades of a political life.

Nov 1, 2019

Chicago poet, teacher and founder of Louder than a Bomb.

Oct 25, 2019

Journalist and film maker Assia Boundaoui joins us in a very unstructured conversation about growing up Muslim in Bridgeview, Illinois where the citizens of the town were under constant FBI surveillance for decades. Boundaoui has made a film about the story of Bridgeview called The Feeling of Being Watched.

Oct 18, 2019

On the second day of the Chicago teacher strike we are joined in studio by veteran political strategist Don Rose and founder of the Civics Lab Tom Tresser. The strike, the mayor, TIFS and even a little national presidential politics are our topics.

Oct 11, 2019

Reporter Jackie Serrato discusses her article for South Side Weekly on the 50th anniversary of the Rainbow Coalition and Fred Hampton. Yonnatan Shapira was an Israeli air force polite and refuser. 

Oct 1, 2019

Brother Mike is joined by veteran Chicago activist Prexy Nesbitt.

Sep 27, 2019

The founder of the Young Lords Cha Cha Jimenez and Daniel Kay Hertz, Chicago's new executive director of policy in the Lightfoot Department of Housing, author of The Battle of Lincoln Park, Urban Renewal and Gentrification in Chicago join us live in studio. 

Sep 20, 2019

Mary D. Williams and Tim Tyson are from North Carolina and strong voices for social and racial justice. They teach together. Ms Williams is a singer of gospel and freedom songs and Tim is the author of a number of books. The most recent is The Blood of Emmett Till.

Sep 13, 2019

Alderman Vaquez joins us for a lively conversation about what he's learned about being a socialist, an alderman, providing services to his constituents, legislating and building coalitions. 

Sep 6, 2019

Marie Newman joins us live in the studio at Lumpen Radio again as she takes on 3rd Congressional representative Dan Lipinski. This is not your grandfathers 3rd. It's a deeply blue, working class and diverse district and progressive district.

Aug 30, 2019

Mike is away this week. Co-hosting is reporter Jackie Flores and our guest is artist/teacher/activist Nicole Marroquin. Talking Mexican history in Chicago and the '68 Harrison High school student walk-out.

Aug 23, 2019

Brother Fred's away and leading Chicago political strategist Joanna Klonsky joins brother Mike and guest Alaina Hampton. She's a Springfield whistle-blower on Democratic Party sexual harassment.

Aug 16, 2019

How past Chicago mayors, alderman and multi-national corporations combine to threaten the health and safety of Black and Brown communities of color and all working people. They don't build coal-fired power plants and million square food distribution centers in rich people's neighborhoods.

Aug 9, 2019

Jackie Seratto Flores writes for the Chicago Reporter. Rosanna Rodriguez is a community organizer and socialist Chicago City Council member from the 33rd Ward. We're talking immigration, ICE raids and the movement in Puerto Rico.

Aug 2, 2019

Ken Davis is a long time Chicago media guy who hosted the respected weekly news summary, Chicago Newsroom. Professor Simon Balto is a historian and author of Occupied Territory: Policing Black Chicago from Red Summer to Black Power (Justice, Power and Politics). He is also writing a book on Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton.

 

Jul 26, 2019

Ja'Mal Green is a Chicago community activist, the youngest ever to run for Chicago mayor. An ally of Mayor Lightfoot and a mentor to young African Americans in entrepreneurship. We are also joined by old friend, educator and newly appointed executive director of Illinois Humanities.

Jul 19, 2019

Loreen Targos is an union organizer at the EPA and Jake Lewis is the Communications Director for the Chicago Federation of Labor. 

Jul 12, 2019

Erika Wozniak is a current CPS teacher, candidate for alderman in the recent election and union activist came to talk about the need for social workers in CPS. Sue Garza is 10th ward council member, chair of the Workforce Committee and chair of the Council's Progressive Caucus.

Jun 28, 2019

People's attorney Joey Mogul talks about the fight to establish a memorial to the victims of Chicago police torture. Rick Perlstein is author of several volumes tracing the Republican party since Goldwater.

Jun 21, 2019

Troy LaRaviere joins us to talk about schools, staffing, funding and Rahm's tenure as Mayor. Troy ran for Chicago mayor and shares some lessons. 

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