Danny Salazar (Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager, Commercial Banking at Associated Bank) joins Steve Grzanich in the Associated Bank Thought Leader conversation to focus on the state of the economy and the economic forecast, but they start things off by discussing interest rates in the United States, as well as where they are headed globally.

On July 18th, 2024, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Dean Richards, entertainment reporter for WGN, joins Bob Sirott to provide the latest news in entertainment. Bob and Dean talk about a recent rendition of the National Anthem, Anthony Hopkins’ response of comments from Donald Trump, and when we’ll hear about the Emmy nominations. They also discuss why ‘Rust’ armorer is seeking a new trial and what’s new on streaming services.

Dr. Aileen Marty, Infectious Disease Specialist and Professor at Florida International University, joins Bob Sirott to talk about the latest health news. Dr. Marty gives an update on bird flu cases and what could classify it as a pandemic. She also explains how effective Paxlovid is and how to interpret an antibody COVID test.

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:

West Loop’s Free Parking Coming To An End As Hundreds More Metered Spots Planned: The $4.75-per-hour spaces have been planned for years but were postponed because of the pandemic. Two aldermen say it’s highly unlikely they can scale it back.

Chicago River Swim Event Denied Permit By City Over Safety Concerns: The event would have been the first open swim on the Chicago River in over a century. Organizers said they will work to find a suitable alternative plan.

Group Fighting To Protest DNC Gets Closer To The Action — But Organizers Say It’s Not Enough: A coalition of activist groups has rejected a second proposed protest route from the city as the legal battle over where the groups can march during the convention continues.

To learn more about the restoration of a mural, click on the headline: South Chicago Vietnam Vets Raising $100,000 To Restore Mural Honoring ‘Our Fallen 12’ Soldiers

Karen Conti, Chicago trial attorney, joins Bob Sirott to talk about if victims or victims’ families could file civil lawsuits from Donald Trump’s assassination attempt and if it’s surprising that the judge in Trump’s classified documents case dismissed it. She also discusses why Alec Baldwin’s trial was dismissed and what that means for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

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 why only certain locations in Ukraine have air conditioning and why Russian forces keep targeting Ukrainian subway stations after they are rebuilt. 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 July 17th, 2024, Steve Grzanich shares today’s potential market drivers:

Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor & Market Strategist for Murphy & Sylvest, joins Bob Sirott to talk about what investors and consumers have to look forward to following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s latest comments on the shifting of interest rates as they approach 2%.

Dean Richards, entertainment reporter for WGN, joins Bob Sirott to provide the latest news in entertainment. Today’s headlines include Stephen Colbert remarking on the attempted assassination of Former President Trump, Alec Baldwin going from one plaintiff to the next, and The Eagles getting an extended residency in Las Vegas and so much more!