On December 6th, 2024, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Doug Boles, joins Wendy Snyder – in for Bob Sirott – to talk about what brings people back to the Indy 500 every year and what’s new at the race in 2025. He also shares details about how people can follow the race via the Indianapolis Motor Speedway app and where you can buy tickets for the Indy 500.

Official historian of Rankin/Bass Productions, Rick Goldschmidt, joins Wendy Snyder – in for Bob Sirott – to talk about the 60th anniversary of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’ He mentions when it first aired and how Burl Ives came to join the cast.

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

Simmons Pro Shop, The North Side’s Last Independent Bowling Store, Closing Wednesday: Brian Simmons is shuttering the 78-year-old shop to focus on his health before selling the building. The closure leaves just one independent bowling shop in the city.

Sotto Brings Elevated Flavors To The Basement Of Italian Village: The restaurant will open Thursday in the basement of the famous, family-owned Loop business, offering a full dinner menu.

Wicker Park’s Josephinum Academy To Buy School Building, But Athletic Field Could Become Housing: The sale will allow the 134-year-old Catholic school for girls to stay open. The northern section of the property could be converted into almost 30 housing units, according to preliminary plans.

Chicago’s Spotify Wrapped: What We Listened To The Most In 2024: The city’s top songs include “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan and “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar.

President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Steve Bernas joins Wendy Snyder – in for Bob Sirott – to talk about the increase in gift card drain fraud and a gold bar investment scam.

Dean Richards, entertainment reporter for WGN, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to provide the latest news in entertainment. Wendy and Dean talked about the selection for the Best Movie of 2024 by the National Board of Review and Dean’s interview with Marissa Bode. They also share details about Taylor Swift’s new book and Valerie Bertinelli’s message to internet trolls.

Journalist and editor of ‘Ukrainian Freedom News’ Joseph Lindsley joins Wendy Snyder – in for Bob Sirott – from Ukraine to deliver the latest news on the Ukraine-Russia War, including Joseph’s article that talks about people he thinks can help bridge the gap between Ukraine and Washington officials, as well as stories of the traveling Ukrainian musicians. You can find more updates on Joseph’s website, ukrainianfreedomnews.com. To donate to Joseph and his team’s efforts to distribute supplies throughout Ukraine, click here. View the Ukrainian Freedom News YouTube page here.

On December 5th, 2024, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

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

Chicago Neighborhoods, Mapped By Residents: Here’s Where Locals Think Official Boundaries Should Be: Last winter, researchers at the University of Chicago distributed a survey that asked residents to define their neighborhood boundaries. The survey got more than 5,500 responses and identified more than 100 unique neighborhoods.

‘Plow The Sidewalks’ Pilot Left Out Of City Budget, Angering Disability Rights Advocates: Facing an almost $1 billion budget gap, Mayor Brandon Johnson did not allocate funding to launch the pilot next year. But advocates want to see $1 million set aside to get it off the ground.

Karen Conti, Chicago trial attorney, joins Jon Hansen – in for Bob Sirott – to talk about Eileen O’Neill Burke’s swearing in as Cook County State’s Attorney and what some of her responsibilities are. She also explains if documentaries about court cases do more good than bad.