Segment 1: WGN Business reporter Steve Alexander talks to John about what’s causing the big market rally today.

Segment 2: Tim Paradis, Future of Work correspondent, Business Insider, joins John Williams to talk about how AI is impacting the interview process.

Segment 3: Brad Stephens, Mayor, Rosemont, joins John Williams to talk about the annual Chicago Boat Show moving to Rosemont. Mayor Stephens, who also serves as an Illinois State Representative, also discusses the results of last night’s election and what the Trump victory means for Illinois.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about prevalence of AI in the workplace and how AI is being used in hiring.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about how companies can best navigate the workplace away from choppy post-election waters.

Segment 3: Dennis Rodkin, residential real estate reporter for Crain’s, joins John Williams to talk about a number of his recent stories including the latest Chicago housing market data, and an Astor Street mansion becoming the new highest-priced home listing in Chicago. Also, when showing a house, please close the toilet lid!

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

Guests at some Chicago hotels may soon have to pay an additional 1.5% surcharge that would help fund the activities of the city’s promotional arm, Choose Chicago. It would encompass what’s being called a “tourism improvement district” that would include hotels in Chicago’s central business district with at least 100 rooms. It’s hoped the plan would raise $50 million in new revenue to be used for tourism promotion. Crain’s reports the new district would require approval of the city council and the blessing of the hotels involved to move forward. Analysts have said Choose Chicago needs more funding to adequately do its job. 

Also, a criminal case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice involving former employees says Motorola Solutions was hacked by the Chinese military. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about how much the market has gone up the last few months, why Warren Buffett is continuing his stock-selling spree, first-time homebuyers shrinking to a historic low, and how much homeowners insurance differs between red and blue states.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about TechNexus’ co-working space at the Civic Opera Building being the city’s largest co-working space after a multi-floor expansion, and a local med-tech startup being named one of Time’s best inventions of 2024.

Segment 3: Michael Edwards, President and CEO, Chicago Loop Alliance, joins John Williams to talk about the Chicago Loop Alliance’s quarterly report that tracks pedestrian activity, hotel occupancy, office workers on-site, arts and culture, multimodal transportation, investment and more. Michael says the Loop growth has been significant and we are in a ‘downtown renaissance.’

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

A Chicago-based biotech startup has had one of the largest funding rounds for a local company so far this year. Pathos AI raised $62 million in a Series C round. The cash haul brings its valuation to $600 million. Pathos AI is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on re-engineering drug development through artificial intelligence. It has raised $102 million in three years and says the latest funding will help expand its team. 

Also, The co-working company, TechNexus, is expanding its Chicago footprint. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Jane Oates, Senior Policy Advisor and recent President, WorkingNation, talks to John Williams to break down the disappointing labor report, how sensitive the labor market is to economic uncertainties, the markets being disassociated with the data, and if this jobs number will impact Fed policy,

Segment 2: Jake Stotter, Vice President, Fenceworks, tells John about their business, why they are known as ‘The Guy on 41,’ the full service and the variety of products they offer, the current trends in fencing, what’s hot in the playground, basketball hoop and trampoline market, and how business has been since COVID.

Segment 3: Ryan Gamperl, Owner, Michael’s Grill and Salad Bar, joins John Williams to talk about their legacy business, how he developed a new cheese when the original cheese they used wasn’t melting properly, the innovation that went into creating the new product, where you can find Michael’s Premium Melting Cheese, and what you should order when you visit Michael’s Grill and Salad Bar in Highland Park.

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

A $75 million donation from the AbbVie Foundation will help University of Chicago Medicine build its new cancer hospital on Chicago’s south side. The new building will be called the AbbVie Foundation Center Cancer Pavilion and has a completion date in 2027. The freestanding facility will include 575,000 square feet of space with an estimated cost of $815 million. UChicago Medcine says the facility will give south side residents better access to cancer care. It’ll also attract patients from across the region. Experts say cancer death rates on the south side are nearly double the national average. It’s a leading cause of deaths in several neighborhoods, including Kenwood, South Deering and Woodlawn. The AbbVie Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aims to advance health equity.

Also, the food hall trend may be losing popularity even outside of downtown Chicago. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Darren Freihage, McDonald’s Owner Operator in Monee, joins John Williams to talk about how long he has been a McDonald’s Owner Operator, being a third generation McDonald’s worker, how business has been going, the McDonald’s brand being good to their family, some of the new products currently being offered, the addition of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the menu, what it means to be an Owner Operator in a town like Monee, and how great the town of Monee has been to their business.

Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about Microsoft earnings, a semiconductor research facility in upstate New York being selected as one of three national technology centers that will receive up to $825 million in funding for chip technology, and a report saying X’s crowd-sourced fact-checking program, called Community Notes, not addressing the flood of U.S. election misinformation on Elon Musk’s social media platform.

Segment 3: Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, chats with John about the economic policies of former president Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, what we should know about tariffs, and the impact of immigration on the economy.

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

You may be seeing some changes with signage soon in Chicago. A city council committee has approved amended regulations for signs along several shopping corridors, including Michigan Avenue, State Street and Wabash Avenue. The proposal will expand the sizes and types of signs allowed. Council members hope the changes draw in more shoppers to those areas, where e-commerce has cut into brick and mortar business. This is the first time in decades Chicago sign regulations have been updated. The Magnificent Mile Association tells Crain’s the new types of signs won’t change the overall character of the shopping corridors. 

Also, Northwestern University is taking steps to boost the number of tech startups launched at the school. Listen for more below:

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about what you need to know about Medicare Part D, her thoughts on Vice President Kamala Harris’ proposal for Medicare to cover long-term-care services at home, why gold is at an all-time high, and to answer all of your financial questions.