Thing To Do Editor at TimeOut Chicago Lauren Brocato joins Bob Sirott to talk about their list of the best burgers in America and how Chicago ended up in the number one spot. She also shares how their writers curated the list and some of her other favorite burgers. Bob lists some of the pop-up events happening this month that he is looking forward to, like Panda Fest.

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on:

State, City Sue South Side Vegetable Oil Plant Over ‘Foul Odors,’ Pollution: Pullman Innovations in South Deering — already the subject of a class-action suit filed by fed-up neighbors — has violated conditions of its operating permit, the new lawsuit alleges.

Phase Three Brewing Opening Its First Chicago Taproom At Former Metropolitan Space In Avondale: The suburban brewery will open a taproom at Rockwell on the River later this year and eventually have a kitchen for food, which Metropolitan did not have.

Operator Of COVID-19 Testing Labs Pleads Guilty For Role In $900 Million Fraud Scheme: Mohamed “Siraj” Sirajudeen admitted to paying a former Loretto Hospital executive millions for COVID-19 specimens that he used as part of a scheme to bill the government for fake coronavirus tests.

Sponsored by Great Lakes Credit Union – Committed to financially empowering local communities. For more info go to GLCU.org.

Cindy Pearlman Gaber, senior writer for the New York Times and entertainment columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, joins Bob Sirott to talk about what’s new at the movies today, Jim Carrey’s role as George Jetson, and a second wedding for Tom Holland and Zendaya. Jason Lesniewicz, senior director of cultural tourism at Choose Chicago, also joins Bob to share details about events happening over the weekend, including the Windy City Comedy Fest, the Bud Billiken Parade, Northalsted Market Days, and more.

Marianne Murciano, Bob Sirott’s wife and founder of Savvy-Planet, joins Bob to talk about how you can prepare for wildfire season. She shares details about how you can prepare a smoke kit, run an air purifier, and check for air leaks.

Marianne joins Bob for a weekly segment Fridays following the 8:30 am newscast. For more savvy tips, go to Savvy-Planet.Com. Share your own savvy tip: [email protected]. Follow Marianne on Twitter (@marimur), Instagram (@havanagirl), and on Facebook (SirottAndMurciano).

On August 7th, 2026, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Joseph Lindsley, Editor in Chief of Under Fire News, joins Bob Sirott to discuss what it’s been like to spend his summer outside of Ukraine and how it’s given him a new perspective on the war with Russia. He also talks about the issue of Russia’s army recruitment strategies and their recent attacks on Kyiv.

Quinn Myers, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Quinn has details on:

Thousands Of Books Are Piling Up In Chicago Libraries Due To Staffing Shortage: The backlog has librarians scrambling to find space and keep track of books in the system. Library workers say it’s a ripple effect of a delivery driver shortage — and patrons have started checking out fewer books.

New River North Podcasting Studio Link Label Aims To Be One-Stop Shop For Content Creation: The studio offers recording space with editing, social media and marketing services for new and established content creators.

Ravenswood Neighbors Fight To Save Treehouses From City’s Permit Rules: Nate Hutcheson’s treehouse on the parkway in front of his house has been a “little delight” for kids of all ages for a decade. The city says it’s out of code and will be removed if he doesn’t get a permit.

Sponsored by Great Lakes Credit Union – Committed to financially empowering local communities. For more info go to GLCU.org.

President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Steve Bernas joins Bob Sirott to talk about why it’s important to log out of public computers, the scam within a scam, and deepfake AI videos that advertise supplements and healthcare. He also shares details about fake emails from streaming services and why you should wait before taking a picture of a QR code.

Cindy Pearlman Gaber, senior writer for the New York Times and entertainment columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, joins Bob Sirott to share details about the new season of “Ted Lasso,” Jane Seymour’s new series on Acorn TV, and a box set from Elvis Costello. She also discusses the health update from Patti Scialfa and new music from Susanna Hoffs.

Duston Detrick, Vice President and Business Banking Relationship Manager at Associated Bank, joins Steve Grzanich on this week’s Thought Leader conversation to discuss banking trends shaping 2026, including digital banking and AI-powered fraud detection, as well as small business growth strategies and market confidence. Detrick also shares insights on how businesses can adapt and compete in the evolving economy.