On September 15th, 2025, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Sam Toia, President of the Illinois Restaurant Association, joins Bob Sirott to talk about claims that Portillo’s is struggling and why Sam thinks that they expanded too quickly. He also shares highlights about the various Chicago Gourmet events you can check out. Dan Levy, host of the Barguments podcast, also joins Bob to share details about the Far South Side Food Truck Festival and which vendors you can find there.

Marianne Murciano, Bob Sirott’s wife and founder of Savvy-Planet, joins Bob to talk about why a “party pooper” might have social anxiety and what you can say to help them feel more at ease.

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:

SW Side In ‘Trouble’ If Warehouse Park Doesn’t Replace Ford City Mall, Ald. Says As Some Neighbors Oppose Plan: Bridge Industrial is the only company that has approached Ald. Derrick Curtis with plans to redevelop the mall, he said. “I don’t know the next time someone will want to come in and invest anything near $200 million on this project,” he said. 

‘Jeopardy!’ Tryouts Bring Quiz Show Hopefuls To Griffin Museum Of Science and Industry: Fans of the quiz show flocked to the museum, but only 20 percent passed the 10-question written test that put them in the running to be a contestant.

Dorothy’s Bakery Opening In Lincoln Park After Building A Following At Farmers Markets: Brian and Taylor Bruns will open their first shop in mid-September, offering sourdough breads, bagel sandwiches, pastries and espresso drinks five days a week.

Cindy Pearlman, senior writer for the New York Times and entertainment columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, joins Bob Sirott to talk about this weekend’s Emmy Awards, Nicholas Cage’s new TV role, and Brendan Fraser’s role in “Rental Family.” She also shares details about the new “Spinal Tap” movie, a project starring Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer, and this weekend’s Run Travis Run Chicago 5k.

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

Columnist and film critic Richard Roeper joins Bob Sirott to discuss the events that led up to the Charlie Kirk shooting and how the media handles showing violent videos to the general public versus searching out uncensored violent clips online. They also talk about the 24th anniversary of 9/11 and why we might see more memorials and tributes for the 25th anniversary.

Ron Romero, CEO and Founder of the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66, joins Bob Sirott to talk about their upcoming Hall of Fame inductions and how their building is being renovated after last year’s tornado damage. He also shares whom they will be honoring and a history of the museum.

President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Steve Bernas joins Bob Sirott to explain how scammers are tapping into our credit cards and mobile phones, receiving calls for a loan you didn’t apply for, and an investment fraud alert from the FTC. He also shares details on how you can get a free webcam from the BBB and fake calls claiming to be Comcast.

Stephanie Lulay, Executive editor and Co-Founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. She provides details on:

As North Park Homeless Encampment Cleared, Residents Say They Have Nowhere To Go: “We’re just gonna move to the next park. It’s just going to keep happening again and again unless they start … giving us actual resources instead of just moving us,” said a resident of a Legion Park camp that was cleared.

As ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ Continues, Neighbors Report A Surge In ICE Sightings, But Few Arrests Confirmed: A few arrests on Tuesday, including one in Little Village, have been confirmed, but it’s hard to say exactly how many detentions have occurred, organizers said.

Chicago’s Olivia Curry Hopes To Be The Female Middleweight Boxing Champion Of The World: A professional boxer and film editor, Curry is excited to be elevating women’s boxing and even more thankful to represent Chicago in her upcoming title fight.