Chicago's Morning Answer with Dan Proft

0:30 – Minnesota Fraud  37:30 - CPS School Board approves property tax hike  01:00:17 - Brandon Johnson changes tune on curfews for NYE  01:14:35 - Retired Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel urges people to avoid the Loop and downtown for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Follow Tom on X @ChiefWeitzel 01:33:29 - Wirepoints founder Mark Glennon breaks down Brandon Johnson’s budget mess, fraud allegations in Minneapolis, and the future of Gov. Tim Walz 01:53:10 - Andy Poliakoff, Executive Director of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA), applauds the Department of Transportation’s nationwide crackdown on commercial driver’s license mills and noncompliant training programs 02:11:46 - RIP White Eagle See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Somali Fraud in Minnesota  36:59 - SCOTUS & National Guard in Chicago 57:01 - NARCAN in Illinois Public Libraries  01:16:15 - Steven Bucci of The Heritage Foundation breaks down the strategic ties between Venezuela and Cuba — and where Russia–Ukraine peace talks stand. 01:35:20 - Powerline’s John Hinderaker on Minnesota’s sprawling fraud scheme — and the political fallout for Tim Walz. Check out John’s latest at powerlineblog.com 01:55:04 - City leaders admit CPD costs are rising — yet police budget cuts are still being floated. 02:08:30 - Happy KwanzaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Bari Weiss pulled 60 min segment  36:34 - Will BLM Brandon veto the City Council budget? 01:16:00 - Will the Bears follow in the Chiefs’ footsteps? 01:38:16 - Founder of Wirepoints Mark Glennon: Illinois Is Forcing Ideology on Its Employees. Follow Mark at his substack substack.com/@markglennon 01:55:54 - More Crime on the CTA 02:09:00 - Senior Editor for The Spectator’s US edition, Neal Pollack: Nicki Minaj 2028?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - TP USA AmericaFest 38:05 - Chicago City Council passes budget  57:33 - The Gary Bears?!? 01:16:15 - Steven Bucci, visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, weighs in on Venezuela, the Russia–Ukraine talks — and even Saturday night’s Bears game. 01:33:33 - Retired FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence agent Eric O’Neill on the Brown University shooter manhunt — and insights from his new book Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime. 01:51:26 - FTA rejects CTA Safety Plan 02:07:46 - The Gary Bears?!? - Part IISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Brown/MIT: They got their guy  31:57 - Immigration angle 56:48 - Retired FBI supervisory special agent James Gagliano faults Brown University’s lack of functioning cameras for delaying the shooter investigation and the death of an MIT professor days later. 01:14:57 - Writer and photographer Chris Arnade, currently walking around the world, asks why Americans are unhappy — even in the most successful country in human history. Chris is also the author of  Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America and his substack Chris Arnade Walks the World 01:32:42 - Senior fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism, Wesley J Smith: Illinois Swallows the Hemlock of Assisted Suicide. Follow Wesley on X @theWesleyJSmith 01:47:29 - Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement, on why strong vetting is essential to protecting American values from radical Islamism. Dr Jasser is running for congress in Arizona’s 4th district - z4az.com 02:07:34 - 2025’s Final Open Mic Friday!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Trump's Prime Time Christmas Address to the Nation 40:05 - Sports & Politics 01:03:27 - Former Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau reacts after a judge trims the village’s lawsuit he calls an attempt to silence him.  01:23:25 - Best Protest Song of 2025 - Round 1 01:50:17 - 15th ward Alderman Ray Lopez breaks down the budget battle at city hall. For more on Ray’s work for the 15th ward - the15thward.org 02:04:09 - Jeffrey A. Tucker, founder of the Brownstone Institute and senior economics columnist for the Epoch Times, critiques Trump’s prime-time address — and discusses a generation shaped by DEI policies. Check out Jeffrey’s most recent book Spirits of America: On the Semiquincentennial 02:24:14 -  Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Jed Babbin on Venezuela and the tense Russia/Ukraine peace negotiations. Follow Jed on X @JedBabbinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Brown U presser update 15:35 - JD Vance responds to Susie Wiles calling him "conspiracy theorist" in Vanity Fair profile 34:22 - FBI didn't believe it had probable cause for the Mar-a-Lago raid 54:35 - Robert Gomez, Beat Kitchen owner, losing Riverwalk site 01:13:44 - Stephen Moore: ignore the distorted unemployment number — skilled workers are still in demand, and good-paying jobs are out there. Get more Steve @StephenMoore 01:29:26 - Paul Jacobs of Food for the Poor reminds us that with just one week until Christmas, some of the most meaningful gifts are the ones that change a life — providing food, safe water, and hope to children across Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 1,000 children are still waiting. Give today at 560TheAnswer.com. 01:47:05 - Chicago Bears great Matt Forte on faith, purpose, and the lessons behind his new book Stay in the Game: Making the Most of Every Season. Matt is also co-host of the Sports Spectrum Podcast – sportsspectrum.com and founder of The What’s Your Forté Foundation –  whatsyourfortefoundation.org 02:08:52 - Thomas Baker, retired FBI special agent, on the Brown University shooter manhunt and the legal controversy surrounding Mar-a-Lago. Thomas is also the author of The Fall of the FBI: How a Once Great Agency Became a Threat to DemocracySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Trump defends Truth Social post on Reiner 20:23 - VT Rep. Becca Balint rips Trump on House floor over Truth Social post on Reiner 37:31 - Providence Police Chief Oscar Lopez won't disclose what shooter allegedly yelled upon opening fire 01:01:18 - Liel Leibovitz, editor at large for Tablet, on the mass shootings at Bondi Beach and Brown University: “Every single one of the left's core values destroyed in one fell swoop” Liel also hosts the Rootless podcast 01:16:39 - In-depth History with Frank from Arlington Heights  01:20:17 - Casey Mulligan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the Small Business Administration, breaks down the economics of Obamacare, calling it “a sack of broken promises.” 01:38:05 - Founder of Wirepoints Mark Glennon calls for a culture change in Chicago’s approach to crime, saying too many repeat offenders are being left on the streets. Check out Mark’s substack - substack.com/@markglennon 01:54:01 - Rev. Robert A. Sirico, co-founder and President Emeritus of the Acton Institute, checks the morality of Illinois new right to die law and the silence from the west on Jimmy Lai 02:07:41 - Cook County judges given new guidelines for dealing with cross-dressers, homosexuals in courtSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - A day of terror 13:14 - Aussie Hanukkah Bondi Beach shooting 36:33 - Brown U shooting 54:25 - Assisted suicide 01:15:46 - Steven Bucci, visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, unpacks the ISIS killing of Americans in Syria, the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker bound for Cuba, and Nicolás Maduro’s strange—and telling—reaction to the tanker seizure at a rally in Venezuela. 01:34:22 - Ronald D. Vitiello, Senior DHS/CBP Advisor and former ICE leader, highlights the dangers of mass asylum under Biden — calling out a Democratic-run immigration system lacking integrity. 01:51:34 - Theodore Dalrymple, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor at City Journal, questions immigration, terrorism, and whether the BBC can still be trusted. Theodore is the author of many books, including Buried But Not Quite Dead: Forgotten Writers of Père Lachaise 02:10:18 - FBI veteran and Unabomber profiler James Fitzgerald on the chilling Reiner murders and the nationwide hunt for the Brown University shooter. James is also co-host the “Cold Red” podcast coldredpodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Who's your white knight? 13:21 - Sports & Politics 33:12 - Finding the kids 59:31 - Race 2 Dinner for the low, low price of $5000 you can get identitarian absolution 01:06:22 - Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow reflects on navigating the Safe-T Act and offers praise for Cook County’s Eileen O’Neill Burke. 01:37:06 - Paul Jacobs of Food for the Poor explains how your support brings food, water, and hope to children across Latin America and the Caribbean — join in this Christmas season of giving. 01:48:44 - Jessica Melugin, Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, raises concerns about Trump’s AI Executive Order — but sees it moving in the right direction. 02:02:07 - Open Mic Friday!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - DHS.Gov/Wow 15:28 - Border/migrants/deportations 37:49 - BLM Brandon on Trump threats over CTA funding per lack of safety 55:14 - Dr. Jonathan Ellen, primary care pediatrician, epidemiologist, and former CEO of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, on Trump's move to slash the childhood vax schedule 01:11:39 - Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady, Markets Specialist for Market Day Report, says Trump may be bragging about the economy, but families are getting hammered by insurance premiums and grocery prices — and the administration needs to wake up to it. Check out Scott’s Market Day Report! – 10:30am CT to 1pm CT- and The Cow Guy Close – 1pm CT to 1:30pm CT – both at RFD-TV 01:29:02 - Daniel DePetris, fellow at Defense Priorities and syndicated foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune and Newsweek, breaks down the high-stakes Ukraine–Russia peace talks, the brewing U.S.–Venezuela showdown, and Trump’s new National Security Strategy. Follow Daniel on X @DanDePetris 01:46:27 - CAMPUS BEAT 02:08:59 - Jonathan Butcher of The Heritage Foundation engages with tough questions about his new book The Polarization Myth: America’s Surprising Consensus on Race, Schools, and Sex.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Pritzker signs legislation barring ICE from within 1000 feet of courthouses 14:46 - City Budget 39:56 - Mid Terms 58:14 - Founder & Principal Broker for HealthInsuranceMentors.com, C Steven Tucker, previews the new GOP health care proposal 01:17:09 - Aussies ban social media access for teens 01:58:17 - Professor for the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Morgan Marietta, gives a key phrase that could decide the SCOTUS Birthright Citizenship case 02:22:30 - Noted economist Stephen Moore is surprised at low polling numbers because this economy is “smoking” Get more Steve @StephenMooreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - BLM Brandon shutdown 19:02 - Pritzker release...and JB knew too 37:13 - Dan's adds to his protest songs mixtape 59:32 - Crockett  01:16:13 - In-depth History with Frank from Arlington Heights  01:18:54 - CEO of Independent Women’s Voice and the president of Suasion Insights, Heather Higgins: The filibuster must fall to save the republic. Follow Heather on X @TheHRH 01:38:00 - Founder of Wirepoints, Mark Glennon, takes aim at WTTW’s Heather Cherone and other political activists posing as journalists — and their funders — asking bluntly, “What is wrong with you?” Check out Mark’s substack substack.com/@markglennon 01:52:43 - The Golden Age of Travel 02:12:07 - Host of the “The Hollywood in Toto Podcast ”, Christian Toto, on the Netflix/WB deal, the Kennedy Center Honors and his best movies of 2025. For podcast updates and more hollywoodintoto.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Ed Bambas 9:32 - Somali Maine State Rep. Mana Abdi on coming to America 32:20 - Europe has a problem 56:55 - Why Dan Proft is Single 01:13:04 - Visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, Steven Bucci, challenges Don Jr.’s predictions about Trump’s next moves in Ukraine. 01:36:45 - Carissa Codel, morning anchor "Ozark's First" on Fox 49, reading viewer comments critical of her size 01:47:28 - Eddie Johnson, former CPD Superintendent, calls for the Safe-T Act’s repeal, insisting that “some people just need to be off the streets.” 02:06:37 - RealClearPolitics’ national political correspondent, Susan Crabtree, breaks down the arrest of the Jan 6 bombing suspect and calls it a win for Kash Patel and the FBI. Check out Susan’s newest book Fool’s Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us AllSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Narco boats 15:01 - CPS sexual abuse settlement 34:19 - Minnesota 01:16:20 - James A. Gagliano, retired FBI supervisory special agent and doctoral candidate in homeland security, defends the bureau’s handling of the J6 pipe bomber case — insisting it wasn’t botched, it was a cold case that needed fresh eyes. James also served as mayor of the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York 01:36:40 - USMC LtCol. (ret.) Jonathan P. Myers breaks down the failures of the Afghanistan evacuation and Project Allies that he says set the stage for last week’s shooting of two National Guardsmen in D.C. LtCol Myers is also the author of American to the Corps: Iraq, Bosnia, Benghazi, Snowden: A Marine Corps Intelligence Officer’s Incredible Journey 01:52:41 - Founder and CIO of Perry International Capital Partners, Jim Perry, highlights how Trump’s five-point plan is unfolding — and why the economy is thriving as a result. For more on Perry International Capital Partners perrycapitalpartners.com 02:11:51 - Open Mic Friday!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - BLM Brandon offers waterworks in defense of corp head tax 14:14 - Omar on MN fraud: lack of guardrails 36:24 - More Batmans 53:52 - Adam B Coleman, founder of Wrong Speak Publishing, on the virtues of marriage and why the internet is toxic to men and women looking for love. Adam is also the author of   The Children We Left Behind: How Western Culture Rationalizes Family Separation & Ignores the Pain of Child Neglect 01:17:42 - Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Rick Hess, sorts through the Department of Ed’s Big Breakup. Rick is also the author of Letters to a Young Education Reformer 01:36:41 - Trump from Oval Office on boat strikes: drugs via water down 91%...starting on land soon 01:51:27 - Anti-ICE ad sponsored by Women's March in Charlotte 02:12:35 - Former Congressman Dan Lipinski maps the road ahead for Trump’s trade agenda — and warns Democrats are pushing in the wrong direction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Eileen O'Neill Burke 1 year in  17:34 - Trump Cabinet Meeting: on Somalians..."we don't want them in our country" 39:22 - Our Afghan "friends" 01:05:38 - Ken Burns documentary "The American Revolution" with Matt Walsh commentary  01:20:12 - Noah Rothman, senior writer at National Review: The Problem with the Republican Party? All the Democrats. Noah has a new book coming out in spring ‘26!  Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence in America 01:40:11 - Noted economist Stephen Moore says Trump’s dream of scrapping the income tax is worth chasing — but argues those tariff dollars would be better spent slashing the payroll tax. Get more Steve @StephenMoore 01:55:33 - Christine Smith, Chief Investigation Officer at the Center for Client Safety, exposes the Hope Clinic’s push to dodge ASTC oversight in Granite City, IL — and what that means for women’s safety. For more on the Center for Client Safety centerforclientsafety.org 02:11:40 - Natalya Murakhver, co-founder of Restore Childhood, previews her new documentary  15 DAYS: The Real Story of America’s Pandemic School Closures. To learn more and watch the film 15daysfilm.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - How is this race so close? 17:12 - Cook Co property taxes 37:03 - Trump on Somalia and other countries whose people "we don't need" 01:00:00 - Cutting ties with the (Boy) Scouts 01:17:13 - In-depth History with Frank from Arlington Heights 01:20:09 - Paul Jacobs of Food for the Poor on delivering food, water, and hope to vulnerable children across Latin America and the Caribbean. Give today and your donation will be matched x3!! For more info visit 560theanswer.com 01:36:15 - Founder of Wirepoints, Mark Glennon, reacts to plans for permanent guaranteed income: normalize government reliance while taxes explode? What could go wrong.. Check out Mark at substack.com/@markglennon 01:53:14 - Justin Logan, director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute: Peace in Ukraine Is Going to Be Ugly. Trump Is Right to Pursue It. Follow Justin on X @JustinTLogan 02:09:08 - Best selling author Lionel Shriver on leaving the UK, immigration, and the  The ‘affordability’ delusion. Check out Lionel’s most recent novel  Mania: A NovelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Trump announces passing of National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom on Thanksgiving 17:00 - Chad Robicheaux, Marine vet who served in Afghanistan...knew it would be a problem 39:48 - Wajahat Ali: blame all Afghan refugees then blame and deport all white men 01:02:46 - Campus Beat  01:21:01 - Steven Bucci, visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, breaks down how immigration vetting actually works—and the inherent challenges that come with it. 01:41:39 - Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Howard Husock, dives into his new book The Projects: A New History of Public Housing 01:57:47 - President of the Center of the American Experiment and Powerline contributor John Hinderaker breaks down Trump’s immigration plans—and whether he can truly pull them off. Get John’s latest at powerlineblog.com 02:16:13 - Rafael Mangual, senior fellow and head of research for the Manhattan Institute’s Policing and Public Safety Initiative, makes the case for longer, more consistent sentencing for repeat offenders. Rafael is also the author of  Criminal (In)Justice: What the Push for Mass-Decarceration and Depolicing Gets Wrong, and Who It Hurts MostSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:30 - Trump's turkey pardons… 16:06 - Pritzker willing to tweak SAFE-T Act 34:51 - Dan's Thanksgiving Tips 43:15 - Aftyn Behn: I don't want kids, I want power 54:16 - It’s a DOGE Eat DOGE World 01:13:35 - Pastor Corey Brooks—Senior Pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago and founder of Project H.O.O.D.—warns that America has strayed from its moral foundation and urges a renewed embrace of wholesome American values. Follow Corey on his Walk Across America @CoreyBBrooks on X and projecthood.org 01:31:09 - Economist Stephen Moore predicts another government shutdown amid the escalating battle over healthcare. Get more Steve @StephenMoore 01:50:50 - Daniel Patino, Radio Manager and On-Air Fundraiser for Food for the Poor, on bringing Thanksgiving hope to vulnerable children across Latin America and the Caribbean through food, clean water, and compassion.Give today at 560theanswer.com 02:08:00 - Open Mic Friday!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.