Dan Barrins (Senior Vice President in the Commercial Real Estate Group at Associated Bank) joins Steve Grzanich in today’s Associated Bank Thought Leader conversation to talk about the impact tariffs will potentially have on commercial real estate, as well as the deceleration of construction costs and the takeaways from the recent Chicago CBD office report.

On April 17th, 2025, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Anna Davlantes, WGN Radio’s investigative correspondent, joins Bob Sirott to share what happened this week in Chicago history. Stories include the birth of Thillens Stadium, the opening of McDonald’s in Des Plaines, the election of Harold Washington, and more.

Karen Conti, Chicago trial attorney, joins Bob Sirott to talk about a possible change to a state cannabis bill and why the Menendez brothers are set to be resentenced. She also discusses why Harvey Weinstein is set to be retried in New York, and the FTC’s antitrust case against Meta.

Dr. Aileen Marty, Infectious Disease Specialist and Professor at Florida International University, joins Bob Sirott to talk about the latest health news. Dr. Marty shares what will be discussed in the CDC’s vaccine advisory meeting and the impact Long COVID has on aging.

Dean Richards, entertainment reporter for WGN, joins Bob Sirott to provide the latest news in entertainment. Bob and Dean share new details about the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, as well as a health update from Gerry Turner. They also talk about the death of Wink Martindale and what’s new on streaming services.

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:

After Another Pedestrian Killed Crossing DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Neighbors Say Better Signs Needed: Tourists and other visitors sometimes try to cross the drive near the Museum Campus instead of using the underpass, and confusing signs are to blame, neighbors say.

Plan To Allow Taller Buildings, Boost Development On Broadway In Uptown, Edgewater Moves Forward: Three Far North Side alderpeople have endorsed plans to rezone a stretch of Broadway to attract more housing and businesses. The controversial plan has been hotly debated among neighbors.

Camp Wandawega Opening ‘Bureau Of Tourism’ Boutique This Summer In West Town: The Wisconsin camp and retreat is bringing its rustic product line and a creative event space to Chicago. Owners are aiming for an early June opening.

On April 16th, 2025, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Social media strategist Scott Kleinberg joins Bob Sirott to explain how to troubleshoot and fix technology issues. Some of the issues he talks about include emails that won’t appear, slow devices, and lagging Wi-Fi.

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:

Portillo’s For Breakfast? You Can Try It Starting Tuesday: Italian beef isn’t on the menu, but a Polish sausage and egg sandwich and chocolate cake doughnut are. The chain is testing breakfast this summer at five area locations.

Chicago’s Biggest Foods, From 7-Pound Burritos To ‘Texas-Sized’ Doughnuts: These mind-blowing mega-foods aren’t for the faint of heart — or stomach.

Jackson Park Cherry Blossoms Are Finally Back After 2-Year Hiatus: “Erratic” spring weather kept the 200 or so trees from fully blossoming in 2023 and 2024, so visitors from around the city and the world are making up for lost time.