Joe Ferguson, President of the Civic Federation

In this episode, Fran Spielman interviews Mickey Bergman, a former Israeli paratrooper turned international hostage negotiator. They discuss his incredible career, emotional intelligence, specific hostage cases, and the intricate dynamics of international negotiations. Mickey shares fascinating stories from the field, the challenges he faces, and how he manages the stress of his high-stakes job.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As CEO of Gaming U.S.A. Corporation and editor of the Gaming Industry Daily Report, Alan Woinski has watched cities like Detroit and New Orleans struggle to complete their ambitious casino projects. He believes that the financial hurdles now confronting Bally’s—including an $800 million construction funding gap and a buyout offer from its largest shareholder that’s roughly half of what it was two years ago—are infinitely worse.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's been 28 years since the DNC was in Chicago, so this week, Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman welcomes Leslie Fox, former Executive Director of 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, to discuss what we can expect from a convention in the city and what's changed in the nearly three decades since.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman is joined by SoundThinking, Inc. CEO Ralph Clark to discuss ShotSpotter's future in Chicago. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman is joined by Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson to discuss Chicago's political culture, ethics reform, and the challenges facing the city from a fiscal and governance perspective. Ferguson shares insights from his transition from inspector general to overseeing city finances, underscores the importance of effective government service delivery, and critiques current city leadership on several fronts, including ethics, budgeting, and stakeholder engagement.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman and WBEZ's city government reporters Mariah Woelfel and Tessa Weinberg, are joined by Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson to reflect on his first year in office. Mayor Johnson covers his progress, political struggles, and personal moments that have shaped his approach to governing Chicago. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara is lifting the curtain on the backstage maneuvering that culminated in Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. J.B. Pritzker behind told to stay away from the funeral of slain Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca's funeral.The back-and-forth that only intensified the grieving family's anguish did not start and end with State Comptroller Susana Mendoza delivering the stay-away message directly to the mayor.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Marc Ganis, co-founder and CEO of Chicago-based Sportscorp Ltd., joins Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman to discuss the Chicago Bears' ambitious plans to build a new dome stadium on Chicago's lakefront. They explore the potential economic and community impacts, the hurdles of financing a multi-billion-dollar project, and the political landscape that could shape the future of this significant development. Dive into the debate on public versus private stadium ownership, the challenges ahead for the Bears and the White Sox, and what it all means for Chicago’s sports landscape.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Chicago Teachers Union is demanding an annual pay raise of 9% or the consumer price index-whichever is less—and won't rule out a strike, even with one of their own in the mayor's office, union president Stacy Davis Gates said Thursday."We're a labor union. We're not a political party Leven though] people...want to redefine the Chicago Teachers Union in all types of ways," Davis Gates told the Sun-Times.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gin Kilgore, acting executive director of Friends of the Parks, is not about to go along with, what she called Bears President Kevin Warren’s “Buy now. This deal won’t last” sales pitch.“We need to slow down...Involve a lot of stakeholders…We need a lot of scrutiny because this isn’t just about the lakefront…It’s about public financing. It’s about community development...When I think about how long it takes to build a park or a school, it just boggles the mind. That just because you’re a billionaire or a power broker that, all of a sudden, you can snap your fingers and say, `This is the timeline….That the norms and the rules don’t quite apply to us as they do with other people.’ That’s the part that has, just really honestly, stunned me…It seems like we have to, `Buy now or you’ll lose this deal forever.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.