The John Howell Show Podcast

As the Chicago Bears finalize their deal to purchase the former Arlington Park racetrack, Mayor Lori Lightfoot won't rule out the use of public funds to keep the Bears in Chicago at Soldier Field. Gregory Pratt covers the Mayor and City Hall for the Chicago Tribune and he joins the John Howell show to discuss the strategies that Mayor Lightfoot is utilizing to keep the Bears.

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*Kim Komando, Host of the Kim Komando Show, joins the show to answer our tech questions (and school John on old technology.)

*Ald. Matt O’Shea promotes the Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast and discusses the state of crime in the city. 

*Bob McCoppin reviews the pros and cons of the Bears purchase of Arlington Park. 

*Plus, Ralph Martier shares his thoughts on Pritzker’s budget proposal.

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J.B. Pritzker proposed a budget yesterday that beefs up education for all ages, amongst other changes. He was good to be optimistic, but maybe not quite as much as he is, says our guest. John Howell speaks with Ralph Marteir, Executive Director of the Bipartisan Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.

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The Chicago Bears announced yesterday that they closed on the purchase of Arlington Park. There are still many questions and issues remaining to be resolved before any move is made official. John Howell is joined by Bob McCoppin, Chicago Tribune reporter focusing on news and trends in the suburbs. 

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*Jeff Greenfield, five-time Emmy winning network television analyst and author, says that Biden missed a huge opportunity by passing on a Super Bowl interview. 

*ABC’s Andy Field has the details on the FAA taking action on close calls. 

*Representative La Shawn Ford explains why lawmakers have proposed a drug-injection site to prevent overdoses and provide resources. 

*Plus, Bret Gogoel, WLS Defacto Sports Director, gives his thoughts on the Cubs and Sox at the start of Spring training.

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Super PACs have made large donations to big time Mayoral candidates during this election cycle. This “dark money” has become a contentious issue. John Howell is joined by Alisa Kaplan, Executive Director of Reform for Illinois. 

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John Howell is joined by Mike Emanuel, Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent. They review this week’s biggest national political stories, including the flying objects popping up around the country and the apparent rift between Mitch McConnel and Rick Scott.

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*Alex Stone from ABC News joins with the latest details on last night’s Michigan State University shooting. 

*Steve Bernas, President & CEO of the Better Business Bureau, warns of romance scams surging around Valentine’s day. 

*Danny Ecker from Crain’s Chicago Business explains why the Chicago Casino is waiting on the Chicago Tribune.

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On this valentines day evening, Travis Wilkinson is the Farm Manager at Southside Blooms and he joins the John Howell show to tell us all about how Southside Blooms trains south side youth to grow and market flowers with sustainability and year-round efforts.

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Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas joins the John Howell show to talk about his plans to help the city if he is elected as the next mayor of Chicago. Paul dives into his plans to combat crime, improve the CTA, help Chicago's Public School system, and more.

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