James Gardiner, Aussie Bears fan, joins Jon Hansen, filling in Lisa Dent, to talk about his Bears fandom. He shares how he was introduced to American Football, his introduction to the Chicago Bears in 1985, and his continued support for the team ever since. Gardiner has been to Chicago to see the Bears play seven times, with this weekend being his latest and the coldest as the temperatures are set to be below freezing.

Ron Brown, news anchor for WGN Radio, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for Lisa Dent, to share his weekly movie reviews. Brown shares his thoughts on Primate, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, Die My Love, dishes out some Brownie Points, and more.

Lou Manfredini joins Jon Hansen, filling in for Lisa Dent, for Lou’s To Do List, sponsored by Perma-Seal. Lou answers any questions you have about projects on your to-do lists.

Jon Hansen, filling in for Lisa Dent, checks in with the newsroom to hear their stories including the trend of carrying around books, puzzles, embroidery kits, and other non-digital entertainment in something being called an “analog bag.”

Tarik Shahzad, birding hobbyist, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for Lisa Dent, to share his record-breaking 2025. Shahzad captured 296 bird species for Cook County’s Big Year competition, more than any other birder in Cook County history. He broke the previous record, his own, set in 2024 by two birds. The 27-year-old shares how birding is more than capturing as many birds on camera as possible, it’s a conservation effort.

Ben Szalinksi, Illinois Statehouse reporter for Capitol News, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for Lisa Dent, to discuss the finer details of what the Chicago Bears are asking of the state of Illinois in order to start the construction of their potential new stadium in Arlington Heights.

Bill Snyder, WGN-TV weather producer, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for Lisa Dent, to talk about the sudden burst of snow that the Chicagoland area experienced, what they call it, and why meteorologists missed it in their forecasts.

Jon Hansen, filling in for Lisa Dent, is joined by Deanna Goodwin, VP of marketing, communications and development for Visit Lake Geneva, to talk about Lake Geneva’s Winterfest.

See how fun Winterfest in Lake Geneva can be with the photo gallery below!, with photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva.

• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva
• Lake Geneva WInterfest is January 28th – February 1st. Photos provided by Visit Lake Geneva

Pat Brady, SVP of Mercury Public Affairs, former chairman for the Illinois Republican Party, and former federal and state prosecutor, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for Lisa Dent, to discuss the Republican primary race for Illinois governor. Brady shares his thoughts on who leads the race in the early months of campaigning.

Jon Hansen, filling in for Lisa Dent, checks in with the newsroom to hear their stories including John Mellencamp announcing a concert tour with a trailer that stars Sean Penn.