The ALL NEW Big Wakeup Call with Ryan Gatenby

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The Great Barrier Reef is a jewel of Australia and a designated UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. The Reef is alive and thriving and now people around the world are signing their supp…

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Chrissy Metz returned to The Big Wakeup Call to talk about her new movie, "Breakthrough." We discussed the challenges of playing a character based on an actual person, how she prepared …

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After a lengthy absence, Ed Begley Jr. called in to the show for a chat about Earth Day and what we can do to help take care of our planet as we take care of ourselves.  (From 4-20-20)

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Garrett Morris called in to talk about his new movie "Granddaddy Day Care" and share stories about working in Chicago, his time on SNL and owning a comedy club. (From 1-31-19)

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Legendary sportscaster Verne Lundquist called in for a chat about his new memoir PLAY BY PLAY: Calling the Wildest Games in Sports - From SEC Football to College Basketball, The Masters…

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Andrew Zimmern visited the show for a third time, and on this visit we discussed his new MSNBC series "What's Eating America," a travel show that connects the links between food and pol…

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 Parkinson’s disease affects nearly one million people in the U.S., with more than 90,000 newly diagnosed each year. John L. Lehr, President, CEO of the non-Profit Parkinson’s Foundatio…

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Vanessa Bayer, who was currently in her 5th season on Saturday Night Live, talks about the "Trainwreck Comedy Tour" coming to the Harris Theater in Chicago, an all-star evening featurin…

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 Monica Mohindra is the Director of the Veterans History Project (VHP) of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. In over 15 years with the Project, she has coordinated…

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The legendary Henry Rollins joined the show to talk about his role in a new four-part docuseries "Punk." We also discussed how music and fashion were attached to the English punk rock s…

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Songwriting icon Diane Warren discusses her legendary career.

(From 2016)

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William DeWitt is the Director of Global Security at Verkada, where he is building a best-in-class corporate security program. Prior to Verkada, Will spent nearly 12 years at Palantir, …

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Author Jacqueline Friedland’s books have been called ferociously insightful, wholly engrossing and unputdownable! Her newest is Counting Backward, which is being called "An Erin Brockov…

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I had a fun chat with author Tanisia Moore about her new book for children (and parents, too) "Wash Day Love."

Tanisia Moore views writing as her avenue for giving hope, sharing life's l…

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Tom Carroll is the writer director of “The Stress is Killing Me,” which is now available to rent/own on all North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms.  He is al…

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Annasophia Robb of The CW's Carrie Diaries discusses her new film DOWN A DARK HALL.  (From 8-17-18)

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MLB Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt called into talk about his serious battle with skin cancer (Stage 3 Melanoma) and a new initiative from CancerCare, "Your Cancer Game Plan."  It was also …

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Lauded by David Baldacci, Karin Slaughter, and Stephen King, among others "The Oligarch's Daughter" by Joseph Finder is already on the bestseller list. The hero, Paul Brightman, is a re…

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Celebrated New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry returns to the show to discuss the latest installment in his wildly popular Cotton Malone series—now in development as a streami…

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Jim Jefferies is coming to the Vic Theater in Chicago for two stand-up shows being taped for a new special.  We discuss the state of the world, the state of comedy, and the state of our…