Noon Business Lunch

Ryan Burrow has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

The Chicago Sky have announced a partnership with Moonshot to become the first team in the WNBA to use national security technology to protect players from online hate, harassment and abuse.  Moonshot, which focuses on countering online threats, will remove concerning content, credible risks, and take actions to mitigate harm to avoid online abuse.  Moonshot says 92-percent of women in public life experience online abuse, 31-percent are sexually harassed online.

Video streaming service Netflix is reportedly talking with music streaming Spotify to partner on projects like live concerts and music awards show. Listen for more below

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about what she likes and dislikes about President Trump’s tax bill, the market reaction to what’s in the bill, the weakness in housing and jobs data, and why now is a perfect time to reevaluate your 401(k). Terry also answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about what you need to know if you want to grow as an employee, the financial situation in Chicago and what needs to be done to help the city become more safe, inclusive, and prosperous.

Segment 2: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, tells John why the market is hitting record highs, what sectors seem to be doing well, investors believing in the economy, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell saying tariffs are keeping interest rates steady, what will happen with tariffs, how much he thinks interest rates should be cut, and how an interest rate cut could impact the economy.

Segment 3: Rich Gentile, Founder, Santa for a Day, tells John about the mission of Santa for a Day, and everything we should know about their Christmas in July fundraiser coming up at SPACE in Evanston!

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

A Chicago investor has bought the retail space at Tribune Tower. Crain’s reports North American Real Estate purchased the 47,000-square-foot space for an undisclosed price. Tribune Tower at 435 N. Michigan was redeveloped into high end condos in 2016, it used to be home to the newspaper’s editorial offices and WGN Radio. The report says North American Real Estate has purchased several properties on the retail corridors of Michigan Avenue and State Street. The firm says it’s had lots of interest from retailers who want a presence in those areas as downtown foot traffic recovers. The retail space at Tribune Tower is 36% leased. The Museum of Ice Cream is one of the occupants. 

Also, electric vehicle maker Rivian is laying off more than 100 salaried manufacturing employees.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about a new study that shows that in many markets buyers need a $17,000 raise to afford a home, and how many people have a side hustle.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about two Chicago companies were named to TIME’s most influential companies list, and Chicago hosting a quantum computing conference in July.

Segment 3: Jeannine Fontana, Owner, Sonny Acres Farm, joins John to talk about their location in West Chicago, the amusement rides they have for kids, their outdoor grill kitchen, the farm fresh store, the wedding venue they are building, and how people typically spend their time at Sonny Acres Farm! As Jeannine says, ‘You can pretty much do anything at Sonny Acres Farm!’

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the stock market reaching all-time highs, why he believes the market is fairly priced, what needs to happen to happen for the market to move even higher, when we might see an impact on tariffs, if he expects two rate cuts by the Fed this year, the need for the housing market to start moving, and the latest on President Trump’s tax bill.

Segment 2: Jake Stotter, Vice President, Fenceworks, talks to John about how long the company has been in business, the types of products they sell for your backyard entertainment, what makes them stand out from the competition, how business has been going, the way people are investing in their homes, and where you can see all the products they offer.

Segment 3: Kyle Schulz, Chief Growth Officer, World Business Chicago, tells John everything we need to know about the announcement that Universal Destinations & Experiences will build a year-round horror experience called Universal Horror Unleashed!

Segment 1: Mike Leonard, Executive Vice President, Wintrust Commercial Banking, joins John Williams to talk about Wintrust’s footprint throughout the area, why it’s important to be embedded in neighborhoods, the importance of community involvement, the pride they take in the work they do, and the passion they have about bettering the communities they are in.

Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about a federal judge siding with Facebook parent Meta in dismissing a copyright infringement lawsuit, the latest on the TikTok ban, legislation being introduced in Congress that would block Chinese artificial intelligence systems from federal agencies,

Segment 3:  Sarah Foster, Economic Analyst, Bankrate, joins John to talk about a new survey that shows more than 1 in 4 Americans feel they need to make $150,000 or more to live comfortably.

Segment 4: Margaret Frisbie, Executive Director, Friends of the Chicago River, talks about what the organization does, their mission to bring the Chicago River system back to life, the restoration programs that the group is involved in, the amount of people that believe the river is part of the community, the quality of the water, and their support of swimming in the Chicago River.

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

Three suburban Mariano’s grocery stores will close as part of a plan by parent company Kroger to cut costs and trim operations. 60 locations across the country will close over the next year and a half, including Mariano’s stores in Buffalo Grove, Bloomingdale and Glenview. The Buffalo Grove store on Half Day Road will shut down on August 8, the store on Gary Avenue in Bloomingdale will close on August 15 and the Glenview store on Capital Drive will shut down on August 22. Affected employees will be offered jobs in other locations. Kroger says the closures are part of a larger company-wide decision to run more efficiently and ensure the long-term health of its business. 

Also, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago has a new chairman. Listen for more below:

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about new home sales falling in May, if this means there are buying opportunities, and the latest on Social Security and if you should take benefits earlier. Terry also answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about what you need to know about getting hired in a tough job market.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about the benefits of the ‘paint a simple picture’ style of leadership.

Segment 3: James Rodriguez, Senior Reporter, Business Insider, joins John Williams to talk about the boomer home dilemma. James explains how millennials aren’t ready to inherit their parents homes, and how Gen Xers felt being left out of the conversation.

Segment 4: Sylvie Sadarnac, actor, storyteller, and private guide, talks about the new tour, ‘Inside The Bear,’ celebrating all things ‘The Bear’ in advance of tomorrow’s season 4 premiere.