This week, Thought Leader Adam Lutostanski (Head of Illinois Commercial Banking at Associated Bank) is with Steve Grzanich and they start things off with the September rate cut that’s on the table, how it could go either direction, and whether an emergency cut is necessary. They also discuss how this could effect companies sales.

On August 8th, 2024, 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 beginnings of Lollapalooza, the creation of Ricobene’s famous breaded steak sandwich, how Harry Caray became a spokesperson for Budweiser, and more.

Cindy Pearlman, senior writer for the New York Times and entertainment columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, joins Bob Sirott to talk about the MTV Video Music Awards nominees, what famous movies will be shown at the Las Vegas Sphere, O.A.R. at Ravinia, and a new movie featuring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. We also hear highlights from ‘Hard Knocks’ and Dean’s streaming picks.

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:

The Dave Matthews Band Chicago River Poop Incident, 20 Years Later: ‘Our Generation’s O’Leary’s Cow’: Dave Matthews’ tour bus emptied its 800-pound septic tank on people taking a cruise 20 years ago this week. One boat passenger thinks the band has paid an unfair price for its driver’s error, but gets why Chicagoans won’t forget: “It’s scatological and completely harmless.”

Divvy ‘Bike Sculpture’ On Oak Street Beach Made Entirely Of Bikes Dumped In The Lake: The Alternative Anglers Association created the sculpture out of 22 bikes fished out of Lake Michigan to call attention to how many bikes end up in the water.

Chappell Roan Made Lollapalooza History: The “Midwest Princess” drew the largest daytime crowd for the mega-festival, a spokesperson told Block Club.

Christkindlmarket Will Not Return To Wrigleyville In 2024: Instead of the holiday market, the Chicago Blackhawks will host the St. Louis Blues Dec. 31 at Wrigley Field for the annual NHL Winter Classic.

NewsNation Washington correspondent Joe Khalil joins Bob Sirott to talk about who Hamas’ new leader will be and what that could mean for potential ceasefire talks. He also discusses the possibility of an attack on Israel in the near future.

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 how a well-known Ukrainian de-miner is helping others who have been impacted by land mines and the passion Ukrainians have for the Olympics. 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 August 7th, 2024, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Steve McMichael’s sister, Kathy McMichael, joins Bob Sirott and Dave Eanet to talk about the celebration outside of Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael’s house over the weekend and how she helped her brother write his Hall of Fame speech. She also remembers what it was like growing up with Steve and her other siblings.

Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor & Market Strategist for Murphy & Sylvest, joins Bob Sirott to talk about what you can do after a stock market crash and what stocks people are investing in. He also discusses when the Fed could lower rates and why treasury investors are seeing a nice gain.