On November 22nd, 2024, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Before Thanksgiving, McDonald’s Operators of Chicagoland are hosting their 24th annual ‘Food for the Body & Spirit giveaway’. The event was founded by Chicago’s BMOA (Black McDonalds Operators Association) to help families in need during the holiday season. In 2020, the event expanded to the wider Chicago-area community of McDonald’s owner/operators.

The two-week, 17-activation holiday series lasting from November 5th to November 22nd. More than 7,300 turkeys will be distributed to families across the greater Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana. Our Jon Hansen joined the team in Elmwood Park Thursday morning, with owner/operators Ellen and Saleh Al-Hajje, special assistant to the chief of Elmwood Park police Carlos Rodriguez and several more McDonald’s teammates.

• Jon’s ready to hand out his first turkey dinner at the Elmwood Park McDonald’s. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Jon and the McDonald’s team were ready anyone that drove up and walked up to the Elmwood Park location. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• HYPED TO HELP! Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• The full team that helped out, including Elmwood Park McDonald’s owner/operators Ellen and Saleh Al-Hajje. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• ‘WE NEED ANOTHER ONE!” Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Here comes the snow. Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Snow won’t stop this squad in Elmwood Park. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Representatives from Ronald McDonald House were also in Elmwood Park to help. Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Jon Hansen with Elmwood Park special assistant to the chief of police Carlos Rodriguez. Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Elmwood Park McDonald’s Owner/Operator Saleh Al-Hajje handed out hot cocoa, and we all appreciate him for doing so. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• One more team photo after the last turkey was handed out. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio

As the event wrapped up, Jon called in to WGN Radio to give Bob Sirott and WGN Radio listeners an update:

Gene & Jude’s general manager Dan Ciancio joins Bob Sirott to talk about the history of Gene & Jude’s and what they are known for. He also shares details about why they have a smaller menu and some famous people who have stopped by.

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:

Passages Wine And Books Opens In West Town As A Place To Gather And Unwind: The bookstore on Chicago Avenue stocks fiction, romance, mystery and other genres. Owner Amanda Sadowski is finalizing licensing with the city to sell wine and other beverages, plus small bites.

Senn High School Makes Drastic Cuts To Arts Program, Frustrating Families: ‘A Bait-And-Switch’: The Edgewater school is cutting the arts class time by nearly half after a CPS audit found students in the program often didn’t have enough credits from other required classes to graduate.

ComEd Laid Him Off. Now, Urban Historian Shermann ‘Dilla’ Thomas Is Launching His Own Show: The history program will highlight “the positive aspects of Chicago and its amazing history.” It’s one of many projects Thomas will focus on after ComEd laid him off following a decade with the company, he said.

The Ultimate Guide To Shopping Local In Chicago For The Holidays In 2024: Block Club’s reporters rounded up hundreds of gift ideas from local businesses across the city.

VP of Public and Board Relations of the BBB Tom Johnson joins Bob Sirott to talk about how much online shopping scams have increased in the last year. He also shares details about a phone scam warning from McHenry County and what you should know about utility scams.

Journalist and editor of ‘Ukrainian Freedom News’ Joseph Lindsley joins Bob Sirott from Ukraine to deliver the latest news on the Ukraine-Russia War, including Russia’s use of an intercontinental ballistic missile and Ukraine’s strategy for targeting Russian territory. 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.

Melissa Cooper (Director of Treasury Management Sales and Onboarding at Associated Bank) joins Steve Grzanich in this week’s Associated Bank Thought Leader conversation to talk about the U.S. Treasury Department’s new steps to crack down on fraud with new detection processes, including machine learning artificial intelligence.

On November 21st, 2024, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

John VanderHaagen, director of communications at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, joins Bob Sirott to talk about their new immersive light event, Enlighten. From the group that puts on Illumination at the Morton Arboretum, Enlighten at Meijer Gardens runs on select dates from November 27th to January 4th in Grand Rapids, MI. Tickets available on meijergardens.org.

Anna Davlantes, WGN Radio’s investigative correspondent, joins Bob Sirott to share what happened this week in Chicago history. Stories include the demolition of Harpo Studios, the first Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, the opening of C.D. Peacock in the Palmer House, and more