
The Chicago Way
Mild mannered Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass and WGN Radio's Jeff Carlin explore the week in news, politics and other thngs done the Chicago Way in this WGN Plus podcast from WGN Radio in Chicago.
WGN Plus
Show overview
The Chicago Way has been publishing since 2024, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 104 episodes. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language News & Politics show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 days ago, with 19 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 52 episodes published. Published by WGN Plus.
From the publisher
Mild mannered Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass and WGN Radio's Jeff Carlin explore the week in news, politics and other thngs done the Chicago Way in this WGN Plus podcast from WGN Radio in Chicago.
Latest Episodes
View all 104 episodesChicago Way w/John Kass: Hopium and the well-dressed chili powder thief
Chicago Way w/John Kass: ‘Tips’ for Mother’s Day
Chicago Way w/John Kass: A different time in D.C.
Chicago Way w/John Kass: On the hunt for politicization in U.S. intelligence
Chicago Way w/John Kass: A time for reflection
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Trump’s Iranian tightrope
Chicago Way w/John Kass (04/06/26): Charles Lipson joins Jeff Carlin (John Kass is out this week) to talk about how war in Iran will alter President Donald Trump’s legacy as Commander-in-Chief Charles. Charles is the Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of Chicago and an author whose writings can be […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Alders warn us ‘wrong place, wrong time’ but they created this
Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/30/26): This week, John Kass & Jeff are joined by Rafael Mangual, the Nick Ohnell Fellow and head of research for the Policing & Public Safety Initiative at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal. On the docket, why Democrats make excuses for violent crimes, ignore the pain […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: A blueprint for getting involved in the Republic
Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/23/26): Former State Rep. Tom Morrison is here to talk about his ‘complete blueprint for winning a local or state race’ at CandidateMasterclass.com and why it is so important as the country prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, everyone takes an active role […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Authoritarianism cometh from Springfield
Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/17/26): This week, the Honorable Judge James R. Brown (ret.) returns to the podcast with Brendan Philbin, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, to discuss a federal civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of Judge Brown, who was removed from his judicial recall appointment after Illinois Supreme Court justices retaliated […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Dan Proft responds to Darren Bailey’s whining
Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/10/26): Dan Proft, co-host of “The Morning Answer” radio program 5-9 a.m. on WIND AM 560, is this week’s guest joining John Kass & Jeff Carlin to discuss the Illinois governor’s race, specifically the Republican primary that has seen second-time candidate Darren Bailey take umbrage with Dan being paid to work […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Back from the brink, again
Chicago Way w/John Kass (03/03/26): John Kass is back. John joins Jeff Carlin to talk about what’s kept him away and what’s next. Plus, Kasso wonders if we really appreciate what we have? Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at [email protected], or Facebook, or on X (Twitter). Tell your friends about us. Join the great adventure. […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Winter returns on a good horse in the snow
Chicago Way w/John Kass (02/23/26): Nicholas Kass steps in for Jeff Carlin & John Kass as illness plagues the Kasso-sphere to present one of his favorite JohnKassNews.com columns, Riding a Good Horse in the Snow, Part 2. Nick is a regular contributor and, most notably, a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer, diplomat, and Intelligence expert […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Keeping Chicago’s Irish heritage alive
Chicago Way w/John Kass (02/16/26): Mike “Houli” Houlihan, a well-known Irish-American actor, filmmaker, stand-up comedian, and former Chicago Sun-Times columnist, joins Jeff Carlin while John Kass regains his voice. Houli has a new piece on JohnKassNews.com and is always working on multiple projects at Hibernian Media. Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at [email protected], […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Quantifying trust
Chicago Way w/John Kass (02/09/26): Charles Lipson is back playing pinch-hitter for John Kass, who lost his voice educating bright young minds at Hillsdale College, and joins Jeff Carlin with a dive into how we quantify trust. Check out more from Kass at JohnKassNews.com or contact me at [email protected], or Facebook, or on X (Twitter). Tell your friends about us. […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: A lesson from Princeton on the summer of 1861
Chicago Way w/John Kass (02/02/26): RealClear Politics’ Tom Bevan is here to discuss how we got ourselves to tenuous climate in American politics, what we can learn from his Princeton senior thesis, and why Don Lemon is going to be okay, even if he tells you different. Plus, Kasso wonders if there is a more […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: On the brink
Chicago Way w/John Kass (01/26/26): Retired police chief Tom Weitzel (Riverside) joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to talk about his work with Awake Illinois to stop SB2820 (Introduced by Sen. Laura Fine [D-Glenview]) from being passed. SB2820 would ban anyone who previously worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from being a law enforcement […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Still no compassion from the media or politicians for a father’s loss
Chicago Way w/John Kass (01/19/26): To mark the tragic anniversary of his daughter’s death, Glenview native Joe Abraham joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to talk about his gut-wrenching experience losing his daughter Katie when she was killed in a hit-and-run crash, allegedly caused by a Guatemalan national who was in the country illegally and […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: The good, the bad, and the ugly of the Illinois’ judiciary
Chicago Way w/John Kass (01/12/26): Thom Serafin, long-time political strategist, Communicator in Chief of Serafin & Associates, & newly collaborating with Mercury Illinois, joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin with some much needed perspective on who are the Cook County Bar Association & the Chicago Council of Lawyers, and why are they upset over a […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Charles Lipson looks at how 2026 might unfold
Chicago Way w/John Kass (01/05/26): This week, Charles Lipson joins John Kass & Jeff Carlin to start off the new year. Charles is the Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of Chicago and an author whose writings can be found in the Spectator, Spectator World, The Telegraph, and more. On […]
Chicago Way w/John Kass: Like frogs in a pot, happy New Year
Chicago Way w/John Kass (12/30/25): Happy New Year from the Chicago Way. John Kass & Jeff Carlin look at the end of the year and who might be eligible for the first-ever Moutza of the Year. Obvious contenders are Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, but […]