Info

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.
RSS Feed
Hitting Left
2026
May
April
March
February
January


2025
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2024
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2023
December
November
October
September
August
June
May
April
March
February
January


2022
December
November
October
September
August
July


2020
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: December, 2025
Dec 27, 2025
We’re closing out the year with a compelling guest. Carlos Martinez, London‑based writer, researcher, and co‑founder of Friends of Socialist China. Martinez is known for his sharp analysis of global politics, U.S.–China relations, and the shifting landscape of a multipolar world. His work challenges conventional narratives and opens space for deeper conversations about power, ideology, and the future of the left — exactly the kind of dialogue Hitting Left was built for.
Dec 20, 2025

On this edition of Hitting Left Mike is joined by Ilya Sokolov, the manager behind two powerhouse acts: the Roma punk energy of Fugu Dugu and the legendary klezmer innovators The Klezmatics. They talk about the politics of music, the labor of keeping bands alive, and how art rooted in tradition can still shake the walls of the establishment. 

Dec 5, 2025

Joining Mike on this edition of Hitting Left is Prexy Nesbitt. Prexy is a veteran activist, educator, and internationalist whose decades of work have connected Chicago’s struggles with global movements for justice. From fighting apartheid to challenging systemic racism here at home, his voice carries both history and urgency.

1