Noon Business Lunch

Segment 1: Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor and Market Strategist, Murphy & Sylvest, joins John to talk about the decent economic data released this week, how tariffs have been impacting the market, what we know about any trade deals, the likelihood of seeing a recession, how he’s seeing economic growth, what he’s telling his clients right now, the importance of having a diversified portfolio.

Segment 2: Alex Gailey, Analyst, Bankrate, joins John Williams to talk about a new study that shows the top vacation spots where short-term rental prices jump the most in the high season. Alex also offers some tips on how you can save money when you are planning a vacation this year

Segment 3: Elliot Richardson, Co-founder and President, Small Business Advocacy Council, joins John Williams to talk about the bills they are most interested in that will impact small businesses during this legislative session in Springfield.

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

Chicago-based United Airlines has announced a new partnership with JetBlue that will allow the airline to return to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. The partnership, called Blue Sky, will allow United and JetBlue to sell seats on each other’s websites and let customers earn frequent flier miles on both carriers. The partnership will also give United more access to Boston and extend its reach to Florida and the Caribbean. United left JFK in 2015 then briefly returned in 2021. It left again in 2022 because it was unable to secure long term slots there. 

Also, home prices in the Chicago area are up again. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Ivan Gomez, Owner, Mijo’s Authentic Mexican Food, joins John Williams to talk about the history of their restaurant, how long they have been in Fox Lake, how the restaurant concept started, what you should order when you visit, and the soul of Mijo’s being the taco.

Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about Nvidia delivering another quarter of robust growth, Victoria’s Secret taking down its US website and shut down its online customer service operations after a security incident, and Elon Musk announcing he will be leaving government.

Segment 3: Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, joins John Williams to talk about the Court of International Trade striking down most of President Trump’s tariffs, and if the standard interpretation of consumer sentiment is still valid.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the implications of AI on the economy, why now is time to do something about your student loans, and President Trump’s reaction to the term ‘TACO Trade.’ And as always, Terry answers your financial questions.

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

The financial outlook for the City of Chicago has been changed to negative by Fitch Ratings. In its revision, Fitch says there’s been a lack of meaningful progress in closing a nearly $1 billion structural budget gap. The agency has suggested Chicago could face a future downgrade unless it stabilizes its finances. Fitch says the situation could be made worse if the city loses any part of the $3 billion in federal funding currently at risk. Losing that funding could force the city to deplete its reserves or come up with short term fixes.

Also, United Airlines travelers will soon have less time to check in for their flights. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about about the importance of showing up for meetings, and what you can learn if you accidentally missed a scheduled appointment. Tom also tells about the recent shift of power from the employees to the employer.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about, ‘The Great Delay,’ a phenomenon where more young adults are holding off on workforce entry because of an uncertain job market.

Segment 3: Kristen Daniels, Executive Director, Bernie’s Book Bank, joins John to talk about the mission of Bernie’s Book Bank, why providing books to children who might not have access is so important, and their upcoming Book Lovers’ Lunch!

Segment 1: Liza Lefkowski, Vice President of Merchandising and Stores, Wayfair, joins John Williams to talk about the 1 year anniversary of their first brick and mortar store in Wilmette!

Segment 2: Joe Cicero, Director of Marketing and Promotions for the McHenry Outdoor Theater, joins John to talk about the 74th season of the theater! Joe tells John how the theater is nostalgia at its finest, why they are a success when other outdoor theaters have gone away, the importance of being supported by the community, and some of the special events they have programmed for this year.

Segment 3: Tom Appel, Publisher, Consumer Guide Automotive, and host of the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast, joins John Williams to talk about EV sales accelerating, what the new Trump tax bill could mean for the EV market, the latest on Tesla, and what we should know about the 2026 Toyota RAV4.

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

Oberweis Dairy is planning an expansion just a year after it was acquired out of bankruptcy by a new owner. Hoffman Family of Companies purchased the 100-year-old company last June and has spent the last year upgrading stores and buying real estate. Crain’s reports Oberweis plans to open 15 to 17 stores in the next two years, including five to seven in the Chicago area. Five more will open in the St. Louis area. The company will also expand into southwest Florida. Oberweis began in 1915 delivering milk via horse-drawn-wagon.

Also, A suburban manufacturing plant is closing. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Wendy Reed, Partner at Just Rite IT, joins John Williams to talk about what Just Rite IT does, how they help customers with their technology needs, the most important need for businesses right now, the typical problems they solve, how they ease the day-to-day burden for their clients, and the ways they can save their customers money.

Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about Google unleashing another wave of AI technology to accelerate a year-long makeover of its search engine, and tech and music industry leaders testifying about the dangers of deepfakes made with artificial intelligence.

Segment 3: Suzy Welch, best-selling author, tech entrepreneur, and award-winning professor at NYU Stern, joins John Williams to talk about her new book, “BECOMING YOU: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career.” Suzy talks about how AI is changing the world we live in, how she ended up writing her new book, why she’s not interested in happiness, how you can figure out your purpose, the importance of finding out what you are good at and how much money you want, and who could benefit from the methodology in the book.

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

One of the country’s top business schools is launching a program to attract more veterans. Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management has announced The Matt Caldwell Veterans Program. It will focus on increasing veteran student recruitment and provide financial support and scholarships for veterans. The program will be paid for with funds from Kellogg’s $600 million fundraising campaign. Caldwell is a Kellogg alum. He served in the U.S. Army during combat operations in Iraq and Kosovo.

Also, Motorola Solutions is reportedly in talks to acquire wireless-radio manufacturer Silvus Technologies. Listen for more below: