Bob Sirott

Jen Sabella, the Director of Strategy and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. She provides details on:

Flu Hospitalizations In Chicago Hit 3-Year High: The rise is driven by a new variant called subclade K that’s led to outbreaks across the globe. There’s still time to get a free vaccination, health officials say.

Did Chicago Police Help ICE? City Says No, But Watchdogs Hosting Public Hearing: Police district councils submitted more than 2,000 signatures from community members calling for a probe into how police and federal agents have interacted over the past year.

CTA State And Lake Station Closing Monday For 3 Years As Rebuild Begins: The new State and Lake station is set to debut in 2029 featuring modern amenities and a glass canopy. Trains will not stop at the station during the duration of construction.

Doing Dry January? Here Are 3 Sober Drink Crawls To Try: Choose your route — tea, kombucha or NA cocktails — and explore Chicago’s neighborhoods, booze-free.

Dean Richards, entertainment reporter for WGN, joins Bob Sirott to provide the latest news in entertainment. Bob and Dean talk about the renewal of “Mayor of Kingstown” and “Emily in Paris,” as well as a gift from Neil Diamond to Hugh Jackman. They also share details on a message from Mickey Rourke, rumors about Andy Cohen, and Dean’s interview with Jim Belushi.

Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor & Market Strategist for Murphy & Sylvest, joins Bob Sirott to talk about how the markets are reacting to the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and catching up on economic reports. He also explains whether or not jobs numbers could sway a rate cut and the decrease in oil prices.

On January 6th, 2026, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Chief Medical Officer of Northwestern Medicine’s Northwest region of hospitals Dr. Irfan Hafiz joins Bob Sirott to talk about the increase in flu cases across the country, why measles cases are on the rise, and the benefits of taking longer walks versus the frequency of them. He also discusses myths that surround foods that you should and shouldn’t eat if you have cancer and the progress doctors have made on finding a drug to help lower lipoprotein.

Dean Richards, entertainment reporter for WGN, joins Bob Sirott to provide the latest news in entertainment. Bob and Dean talk about the weekend box office and the success of “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” They also discuss highlights of the Critics Choice Awards, Mickey Rourke’s money troubles, Billy Joel’s surprise appearance, and a “Stranger Things” documentary.

Jon Hansen, host and executive producer of the Block Club Chicago Podcast, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Jon has details on:

Chicagoans March Against Trump’s Removal Of Venezuelan Leader: ‘Solely About Oil And Power’: Hundreds marched Downtown Saturday to denounce President Donald Trump’s military operation in Venezuela, while Venezuelans living in Chicago described “mixed reactions” to the ouster of the country’s leader, Nicholás Maduro.

Chicago Recorded Fewest Murders In 60 Years In 2025, Bucking Trump’s ‘Murder Capital’ Insult: Chicago ended 2025 with 416 murders, according to preliminary data, a 29 percent drop from last year. Here’s why the mayor, top cop and experts say violent crime is down.

Beverly Businesses Damaged After Car Crashes Into Building On New Year’s Day: A 41-year-old man has been charged in connection with the early-morning crash, police said. Beverly Phono Mart, FoundHERS Suite and Ephemera Gallery are closed until further notice.

McCormick & Schmick’s Closes In The Loop: Parent company Landry’s Restaurant Group opted not to renew its lease for the Wacker Drive location, the steak and seafood chain’s only Chicago outpost.

On January 5th, 2026, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

WGN-TV Meteorologist Mike Janssen joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to talk about videos of recipes he makes for the Bears games every weekend, including this weekend’s Soul Rolls recipe. He also shares how he started creating his videos, how he got his start in making recipes, and the forecast for this weekend’s Bears game against the Detroit Lions.

Chicago Tribune food critic Louisa Chu joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to talk about some of the most memorable dishes and drinks of 2025, including the New Moon Burger from Funeral Potatoes and the Chaotic Good from void. She also shares what she thinks will be some top food trends for 2026, like the comeback of the deli.