In a discussion by journalists Dave Glowacz and Ben Joravsky, Dave and Ben listened to audio from January 2021's meetings of the Chicago City Council finance committee, public safety committee, and the full council.

In the standard version of the episode, Dave played excerpts from the Jan. 25 meeting of the council's finance committee. Dave's clips highlighted aldermen's frustration with Metra, as the transit agency sought tax-increment financing (TIF) for rail crossings in Ald. Walter Burnett's 27th Ward.

In the audio, aldermen explained why they wanted to hold Metra's TIF funding hostage due to perceived laxity by the rail agency.

In the premium version of the episode, Dave played excerpts from the Jan. 22 meeting of the council's public safety committee—which devoted over five hours to Chicago's carjacking epidemic. An audio clip of Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) and Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) showed the tension between those who want to catch bad guys and those who want to improve the lives of the disenfranchised.

"It seems like," Ben said, "in the city of Chicago we're incapable of doing both."

Dave also played a clip of a testy exchange between public safety chair Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29) and Ald. Anthony Beale (9) over the delay of a proposed community policing outpost in Beale's ward.

Also in the premium version is audio of the City Council's full meeting on Jan. 27. Dave played pre-meeting remarks by members of the council's Latino Caucus, and post-meeting remarks by Mayor Lori Lightfoot—who seemed to have differing definitions of "transparency" when it comes to the redrawing of ward boundaries.

Finally, in the premium version of the episode, Dave played audio from Jan. 27 concerning passage of a measure that prevents Chicago police from working with federal agents on immigration enforcement. In the clip, Alds. Ray Lopez (15) and Anthony Napolitano (41) spoke against the measure—drawing a sharp rebuke from Mayor Lightfoot.

Length 8.2 minutes standard, 50.5 minutes premium.

Music: "12th Street Rag" by All Star Trio

Standard audio:

Premium audio: