Suzanne Mettler co-author of Rural Versus Urban: The Growing Divide That Threatens Democracy, talks about the economic foundations of the divide, how rural resentment against elites grew, the importance of local party organizations in addressing the divide and much more.بقلم Robin Johnson

Michael Pack, award-winning film producer and president of Manifold Productions, talks about his new documentary, The Last 600 Meters, which tells the story of the 2004 battles of Najaf and Fallujah.بقلم Robin Johnson

Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-17), who represents the Illinois QuadCities region, talks about the shutdown, it's impact on those facinghealth insurance premium increases and cutoff of food stamps, prospectsfor a negotiated compromise, the ongoing debate about the future of theDemocratic party, and more.…

Claire Ainsley, Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal at the Progressive Policy Institute, discusses a new publication she co-authored, Build Back Belief, which focuses on how center-left parties in the West can win back working class voters.بقلم Robin Johnson

Paul Glastris, editor of the Washington Monthly, talks about the magazine's criteria for ranking American colleges and universities, how it differs from other ratings including US News, how they rate their "Best Bang for the Buck" colleges to help students and parents examine schools based on marketable degrees at affordable prices, and more.…

Brenden Moore, statehouse reporter for Capitol News Illinois, looks atprospects for action on transit, energy and affordability legislation,as well as potential responses to ICE and National Guard deployments inChicago.بقلم Robin Johnson

Chris Cournoyer, former State Senator from eastern Iowa, discusses her tenure as Lt. Governor, how her appointment came about, her focus and responsibilities and her current campaign for State Auditor including the office's fit with her tech background and her priorities for the office.بقلم Robin Johnson

Pulitzer-prize winner Art Cullen Laments the Decline of Small Town Iowa in Latest Bookبقلم Robin Johnson

Adam Jentleson, former top aide to Sens. Harry Reid and John Fetterman, discusses his book Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and Crippling of American Democracy.بقلم Robin Johnson

بقلم Robin Johnson

Jonathan Cohen discusses his book, Losing Big: America's Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling.بقلم Robin Johnson

Stephen Franklin, former labor reporter for the Chicago Tribune, takes alook at the state of American labor this holiday weekend and discusseshis book Three Strikes: Labor's Heartland Losses and What They Mean forWorking Americans. The book examines three labor disputes in oneIllinois town, Decatur, that captured the change in labor-managementrelat…

Stephen Macedo, co-author with Frances Lee of In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us, discusses the failure to heed pre-Covid plans for managing a pandemic, how voices of dissent were treated, lack of cost and benefit considerations, impact of policies by class difference, school closures, the origins of Covid, and impact on our democracy. An …

Are you tired of the hyper-partisanship in our politics and looking forsomething new? Lindsay Williams Drath, CEO of the Forward Party,explains the party's mission, stakeholders, origin, strategy and much more.بقلم Robin Johnson

State Rep. Taylor Collins (R-Mediapolis), Chair of the House HigherEducation Committee, discusses actions taken by the legislature andboard of regents on affordability, intellectual freedom, andtransparency, as well as priorities for the the future includingcommunity college bachelor degrees.بقلم Robin Johnson

Carter Hendren, a top Republican operative when the Illinois GOP was dominant in the Governor's office, looks back at why the Republicans were more competitive, why he believes in patronage, which elections changed the, course of Illinois politics, what needs to be done to reform the state, and much more.…

Marc Dunkelman talks about his new book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress--And How to Bring it Back.بقلم Robin Johnson

Rahm Emanuel, former Member of Congress, Chicago Mayor, and Ambassador to Japan who also served in the Clinton and Obama administrations, talks about how to revitalize the Democratic party, whether the party is still a 'big tent' party, NAFTA and free trade agreements, education and whether the Iowa caucuses should again lead off the presidential n…

Joan Williams discusses her new book, Outclassed: How The Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back. We discuss topics from her book including messaging suggestions, masculinity challenges, how the language of those with college degrees pushes away working class voters, and much more.بقلم Robin Johnson

Eminent Historian Harold Holzer's Inspirational Message for July 4thبقلم Robin Johnson