The Prairie State Wire Podcast Podcast By Prairie State Wire cover art

The Prairie State Wire Podcast

The Prairie State Wire Podcast

By: Prairie State Wire
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About this listen

 The Prairie State Wire podcast features interviews with the most interesting newsmakers from across the great state of Illinois.2024 Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Florian Sohnke: Building Chicago’s Conservative Voice—Media, Schools, and the Fight for Urban Renewal

    Florian Sohnke: Building Chicago’s Conservative Voice—Media, Schools, and the Fight for Urban Renewal
    Jun 25 2025
    Florian Sohnke joined the podcast to discuss:
    • The origins and mission of the Chicago Contrarian as a conservative media outlet
    • The deep challenges facing Chicago: public finances, failing schools, and public transit
    • The growing but often overlooked conservative constituency in a deeply blue city
    Florian Sohnke is a freelance writer, editor, and speechwriter who founded the Chicago Contrarian five years ago to provide a consistent conservative voice in a city dominated by progressive politics. Under his leadership, the Contrarian has grown to over 20,000 monthly readers and 50,000 followers on social media, offering sharp commentary and policy solutions for Chicago’s most pressing problems. Sohnke has become a key figure in Chicago’s conservative media movement, championing fiscal responsibility, education reform, and the revival of urban Republicanism.
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    15 mins
  • Shannon Adcock on Woke Schools, Homeschool Battles, and Fighting Back

    Shannon Adcock on Woke Schools, Homeschool Battles, and Fighting Back
    Jun 11 2025
    Shannon Adcock joined the podcast to discuss:
    • How school lockdowns during COVID-19 prompted her political involvement and the founding of Awake Illinois
    • The group’s recent federal civil rights complaints over gender ideology in Illinois public schools
    • Rising attacks on homeschooling and the fight to protect parental rights in education
    Shannon Adcock is a Naperville mom and founder of Awake Illinois, a grassroots organization focused on parental rights, educational transparency, and ethical governance. A former school board candidate, Adcock began organizing in 2021 after witnessing what she saw as growing influence from teacher unions and radical ideologies in K–12 education. Awake Illinois now leads advocacy efforts across the state, including federal complaints and grassroots campaigns to oppose progressive education policies.
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    16 mins
  • Marsha McClary: Parental Rights and Education Reform in Illinois

    Marsha McClary: Parental Rights and Education Reform in Illinois
    May 28 2025
    Marsha McClary of Moms for Liberty joined the podcast to discuss:
    • Parental rights and educational choice
    • Men in women’s spaces
    • How gender confusion harms kids
    Marsha McClary is chair of the Moms for Liberty of Lake County Chapter. Moms for Liberty nationally is the largest parental rights organization in the United States with over 130,000 members across 48 states. She resides in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with her family of 7. Marsha is passionate about ensuring future generations in the United States have outstanding educational opportunities.
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    18 mins
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