There is one national news publication that covers every angle of the movement to reform and strengthen American elections and governance -- The Fulcrum! David Meyers serves as publisher and executive editor, and he talks on the Mean about how The Fulcrum is making a difference in informing and motivating Americans to fight for their rights!
"One thing about working at the Polar Science Center is that you’re confronted with these kinds of realities each day, and sometimes it can be disheartening to know that there are animals whose lives are being affected by the changing environment and changing qualities of our climate. But what brings me hope is working with such passionate people about those things." As a technician at the Polar Science Center at the Univ. of Washington, Ben Cohen is studying the effects of climate change on Polar Bears - and what that also means for the rest of the world.
“Now more than ever, it’s local news's job to tell its people that it’s going to be okay. Y’know, to ease, to calm, to keep people safe. I’m seeing that first-hand, how important that really is.” WXOW Anchor/reporter Declan Levy talks about broadcast journalism and the value of local news in the middle of the Conornavirus pandemic.
“I think people are going to lose their lives because of the difference in coverage, honestly. I don’t see how it could be otherwise.” National award-winning journalist & columnist Melinda Henneberger sounds off on the media's performance in covering the Coronavirus crisis - and the differences across various national outlets.
“The value and valor is in the leap…Stop trying to control for perfection, and start trying to control for effort. That’s the one thing we can control in our lives.” Alyssa Rapp is a wildly successful CEO and entrepreneur - and now the author of the brand new book: Leadership & Life Hacks. On this episode of the Mean, Alyssa talks about the strategies that have made all the difference along her path - and how everyone can apply these simple keys in their own lives!
Once upon a time this conservative columnist supported Jimmy Carter. Now, after 23 years as the Chicago Tribune's lead opinion writer, he is one of the city's most controversial media figures. John Kass talks about his childhood on the South Side, how he learned the chase down political corruption and his idea of the perfect Chicago day. Plus, his defining principle on politics: "Coincidences are for suckers!"
Suburban women will be the #1 key to who wins the White House in 2020 according to polling guru Celinda Lake. The founder of Lake Research Partners, Celinda talks about how polling works, why it still matters, and what trends are likely to play out as we head toward the presidential election!
“It’s not enough anymore in American politics to be the smartest person or the most experienced or the best CEO or the guy who ran a city. If you can’t communicate, forget about it.” Mark McKinnon has advised everyone from City Councilmen to the President of the United States. He now hosts Showtime's hit show "The Circus. Mark visits with us from South Carolina, where he gives a preview of the Saturday primary - and grades each of the candidates' communications skills.
Jobi Cates fights for the forgotten. She fights for fairness for the folks who've done wrong and are serving inordinately long prison sentences as a result. Jobi fights for a more just justice system. She is an Illinois hero, who uses the lessons of her own life to teach others how to make the world a better place.
A master of health transformation and strength building, Brian Gryn shows people how they can eat clean to GET LEAN! He's an author, coach, entrepreneur -- and an incredible golfer! Learn the secrets to making "intermittent fasting" an easy and effective way to look and feel your best. Brian is the leader.
Search Marketing Specialist Patrick Berlinquette talks about how he turned the tables on Google -- and likely saved some lives in the process!
"It's (the GOP) morphed into a cult not with an ideology but a theology, and that means you follow the cult leader. And it means you are especially burdened if you are an apostate and you get shunned or even excommunicated.” Congressional Scholar Norman J. Ornstein ("The Dean")gets to the guts of the Senate Impeachment Trial and describes how the parties have changed since Watergate and the Clinton trial.
"My doctors were assuming that I was a medical student and somehow that meant that I understood, or it somehow meant that I was immune to the disease of addiction. I learned the hard way that I was not." Sarah Gad talks about her experiences with addiction, the Cook County jail system, recovery - and her 2020 candidacy for the U.S. Congress.
He is THE storyteller. Doug Levy has had a towering career in Chicago broadcasting. For years a popular DJ on the preeminent rock station, he parlayed his on-air talent into a business career where he ascended to be president of Univision Television and Radio. If you're in the mood to be both entertained and inspired, listen to my dear friend Doug as he shares a lifetime of wisdom, love and laughs.
Eddie Bocanegra is the preeminent expert on gun violence in the city of Chicago, because he grew up in it, served 14 years in prison for it -- and then decided to do something about it. The Senior Director of Heartland Alliance's READI Chicago program talks about how they are building a national model for slashing shootings by working with men to change their lives.
He went from being wrongly convicted and imprisoned to becoming an attorney at law fighting to exonerate other victims of a corrupt criminal justice system. Jarrett Adams was the very first guest on The Golden Mean, and he joins Michael for Episode #100 to share more of his inspiring life journey!
No one knows the digital news landscape better than Jimmy Greenfield - because he's lived it for 25 years in Chicago. Jimmy joins the show to talk about his career as a news and sports editor, including what it's been like to cover the Chicago Blackhawks and Major League Baseball. Michael also gets Jimmy to tell the story of how he came to write his classic book: "100 Things Cubs Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die."
"I want to believe, at the end of my life, that I had tried to do everything I could to fix things." Democracy Reform leader Madeleine Doubek talks about why she's dedicated to reforming and improving Illinois government. The head of CHANGE ILLINOIS, Doubek breaks down the fight for voting rights, gerrymandering reform, balot initiatives and fairness in taking the 2020 US Census. Listen to a pure leader!
"Being lost in what you're doing is really what it's all about. Great performers can't really explain why their performance was great when it was great, they just know that it felt right. And when it feels right, you're not thinking much, you're not trying much, but you're trusting it and you're letting go and allowing your instincts to surface." Dr. Jeffrey Fishbein talks about how patience, balance and never giving up leads to the deepest kind of success: fulfillment.
"Fearful." That's how Gilad Gordon described the feeling he had in 1973 when he attended the Watergate Impeachment Hearings. He was 16 years old. Forty-six later, on the morning of the Trump Impeachment Hearings, Gilad talks about what it was like - and how it compares to what we're going through now.