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Greta Johnsen

Greta Johnsen

Weekend Anchor/Reporter

Greta anchors weekends and reports on everything from Pi Day to innovative ways of saving endangered ferrets. She also co-hosts WBEZ’s Nerdette Podcast. Prior to joining WBEZ in 2014. Greta hosted Morning Edition at WCQS in Asheville, North Carolina and at KUAC in Fairbanks, Alaska. Greta has a BA in English from Saint Olaf College and a MS in Journalism from Northwestern University. In her abundant free time, Greta enjoys reading, knitting, and walking her corgi.

Recent Stories

Nerdette

Fall TV With Linda Holmes And Jim DeRogatis

Two of our favorite podcast hosts and pop culture opinion-havers stop by to nerd out about fall TV.

Nerdette

Luvvie Ajayi Is Judging You

A chat with the pop culture writer full of well-intentioned side eye. Plus, a conversation with the star of HBO's Vice Principals.

WBEZ News

Chicago Politics Professor Paul Green Dies At 73

Chicago political science professor, author, and public speaker Paul Green died yesterday at the age of 73 of a sudden brain aneurysm.

Nerdette

Dr. Eugenia Cheng On Why Math Is Magic

Eugenia Cheng teaches math to artists.

WBEZ News

Muslim Convention Brings Measured Criticism of Trump

The 57th annual Islamic Society of North America convention is taking place in suburban Chicago. Special guests at a luncheon were Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Muslim couple whose son died serving in the U.S. Army and who were criticized by Donald Trump.

Nerdette

What Would ModCloth’s Podcast Top Look Like On Your Favorite Host?

When podcasters and fashion collide.

Nerdette

G. Willow Wilson on Ms. Marvel and Millennials

G. Willow Wilson writes Marvel’s Ms. Marvel comic series. She tells us how a comic about an American Muslim teenager with superpowers came to be, what it’s like to write stories about outsiders, and why millennials can be hard to understand.

Nerdette

Victoria Schwab On Monsters, Mayhem And Magic

The YA author on her Master’s in Monsters and why her newest book feels the most personal.

WBEZ News

Another Violent Weekend In Chicago

After another violent weekend in the city of Chicago, one of the latest to be killed is the son of a Chicago Police Officer.

Nerdette

Messing With Nature: Exploring The Future Of Food, Fertility And More

This week, a special episode. We talk to five entrepreneurs and scientists doing pretty futuristic sounding stuff.

WBEZ News

Black Lives Matter Take On Police Killing of Paul O’Neal

Two days after the agency that investigates police misconduct released videos of the death of 18 year-old Paul O’Neal, about 300 protesters took to downtown Chicago.

Nerdette

Hari Kondabolu On Turning Politics Into Comedy

Comedian Hari Kondabolu chats why comedy isn’t the same as activism, and how to laugh in a deeply divided America.

Nerdette

Jessi Klein On Grown-Up Tomboys, Motherhood, And Backpacks

Jessi Klein, head writer for Inside Amy Schumer, talks about the awkwardness of being a grown-up tom boy.

WBEZ News

Pay Now Illinois To State: Stop Gap Budget Not Enough

Social service providers are suing Governor Bruce Rauner. They say Illinois’ temporary spending plan isn’t sufficient.

Nerdette Recaps Game Of Thrones With Peter Sagal

611 Epilogue: Nerdette Recaps Game Of Thrones With Peter Sagal

The endgame is set to begin. Is Daenerys' coalition of the willing the squad to beat? What can Cersei do after her conflagratory masterpiece, and is she beholden to the second half of her miserable prophecy? What new brutality can we expect from Those Who Do Not Sow? What of Jon? Littlefinger? Arya? Sam? And will any of it matter against an army that grows as quickly as their enemies fall?

Nerdette Recaps Game Of Thrones With Peter Sagal

The Winds Of Winter: Nerdette Recaps Game Of Thrones With Peter Sagal

A whole lot happened on the season finale of Game of Thrones. Listen to the analysis of each twist and turn from the action-packed episode.

WBEZ News

Chicago Cop Blames CPD For Poor Mental Health Tools

A Chicago police officer who shot and killed two people says the City isn’t properly training police in mental health response.

WBEZ News

Photos: Chicago's 47th Annual Gay Pride Parade

Chicagoans came out in force to celebrate the LGBT pride, reveling, but also remembering the recent mass shooting in Orlando that left 49 people dead.

Nerdette

Lindy West And Andi Zeisler On Fierce Feminism

Lindy West on fat-shaming, fighting trolls and finding your voice.

Nerdette Recaps Game Of Thrones With Peter Sagal

609 Battle Of The Bastards: Nerdette Recaps Game Of Thrones With Peter Sagal

And only one bastard remained. Also, is dragon muscular atrophy a thing? Is smirking becoming its own language?

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