Bob Sirott

President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Steve Bernas joins Bob Sirott to talk about why you should be cautious of any last-minute Father’s Day purchases, gym membership scams, and how an Evanston woman lost thousand to a Kevin Costner impersonator. He also shares details about social media videos asking for money and deceptive passport and visa websites.

Columnist and film critic Richard Roeper joins Bob Sirott to talk about the death of Mike Love and the impact The Beach Boys’ music has on many generations. They also discuss the creative rivalry between The Beach Boys and The Beatles and why Brian Wilson moved to St. Charles in the 90s.

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:

Chicago Braces For Surge In Immigration Raids As Mayor Brandon Johnson Urges City To ‘Resist’: The mayor’s chief of staff said federal agents received notice to deploy to five Democrat-led cities, including Chicago — where recent actions have already drawn thousands to the streets in protest.

Trail To Taproom Connects Chicagoans With Nature, Beer And An Awesome Van: The new tour company offers day trips to nature sites, followed by a group taproom hang. The next excursion is Saturday to Southwest Michigan.

Church Wants To Buy Pilsen’s Shuttered St. Adalbert Church, But Former Parishioners Push Back: The People Church presented plans to buy the church and landmark the sanctuary, but former parishioners who fought for years to save it and preservationists said all buildings on the property should be landmarked and preserved.

West Side Campus For Formerly Incarcerated People To Add Housing, Community Spaces: The $15 million expansion of Saint Leonard’s Ministries will convert its dorm-style residences into single-bedroom units and a two-flat into more housing.

Thought Leader Adam Lutostanski (Head of Illinois Commercial Banking at Associated Bank) is with Steve Grzanich this week to talk about the current status of the financial markets and the impact on business leaders and owners. Later on, they discuss how tariffs may be impacting those same leaders, especially in Chicago.

On June 12th, 2025, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Bob Sirott pays tribute to Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene and his nostalgic article about summer: “Of Summer Days, Summer Nights and Pebbles in a Jar.” He reads a few of his favorite excerpts and how he remembers spending his summers as a kid.

Karen Conti, Chicago trial attorney, joins Bob Sirott to discuss the state of California’s lawsuit against President Trump and why Mike Madigan was denied a new trial. She also shares details about talk of jury misconduct in Harvey Weinstein’s trial and the new ruling concerning payments to college athletes.

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:

Uber Overcharged Riders Nearly $1.8 Million In Congestion Fees, City Records Show: Block Club found that Uber had been charging the city’s Downtown congestion fee outside the window the fee is to be applied. Over 1.2 million rides saw the charge errantly applied, a records review found.

Did You Get A Decade-Old Traffic Ticket In The Mail? It’s Not A Scam: The good news is the recent notices are part of the city’s ticket debt relief program. The bad news is you still probably have to pay them.

As Adorable Coyote Pups Frolic In Graceland Cemetery, Dogs Are Banned — For Now: Dogs are banned due to “aggressive behavior” exhibited by coyotes trying to protect their pups, the cemetery said. Humans are also being urged to steer clear of the coyotes.

Dr. Aileen Marty, Infectious Disease Specialist and Professor at Florida International University, joins Bob Sirott to talk about the latest health news. Dr. Marty discusses the increase in whooping cough cases and who should get the pneumonia shot.

Anna Davlantes, WGN Radio’s investigative correspondent, joins Bob Sirott to share what happened this week in Chicago history. Stories include Abraham Lincoln’s letters to the Chicago Tribune, Jeff Tweedy’s solo debut album, Michael Jordan’s first NBA appearance, and more.