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.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of the LaSalle Network, joins John Williams to talk about the Bears crushing loss and how it relates to business success or failure. Tom also talks about what you can do to find more happiness at work.

Segment 2:  Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John Williams to talk about the markets continuing to power ahead, big market drivers reporting earnings this week, if the upcoming election will impact the market, consumer confidence rising, and what recent economic data will mean for Fed policy.

Segment 3: Iconic beauty entrepreneur Bobbi Brown joins John Williams in-studio to talk about growing up in Chicago, her career in the cosmetic world, how she ended up starting her company, why she launched Jones Road, what it’s like competing against her own name, who best represents her vision, the beauty mistakes women often make, why she loves aging, the top products Jones Road sells, her thoughts on styling for men, and tomorrow’s Jones Road Beauty Block Party.

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

Voortman Steel is breaking ground today for its first U.S.-based manufacturing and assembly plant and office. It’s located in Monee on 27 acres and includes a 100,000 square foot fabrication shop and 20,000 square feet of office space. It’s located at 25715 S Ridgeland Avenue in Monee. Voortman is a global industrial manufacturer and is headquartered in The Netherlands. The Village of Monee is 35 miles south of Chicago and is also home to Amazon, Triton Manufacturing and Whiting Corporation among others. 

Also, University of Chicago researchers may have found a functional cure for Type 1 diabetes. Listen for more below:

TUNE IN Thursday, October 31st to hear from Voortman Steel President Ben Morrall and members of the Monee community, as we spotlight the village for Your Hometown this month.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about how Airbnb and VRBO’s are impacting housing costs, how much people are spending on Halloween in 2024, and Target lowering the price of its Thanksgiving meal bundle.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Google opening its first Midwest retail store in Oakbrook, a drone startup helping a suburban hospital transport medical supplies, and a Chicago startup working on bubble technology.

Segment 3: Joe Chura, President and Founder, Go Brewing, tells John about their non-alcoholic beer, the launch of new Pumpkin beer, where you can find their beer in the area, how business has been going this year, their unique taproom in Naperville, and the booming N/A industry.

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

North Chicago-based AbbVie is buying Aliada Therapeutics for $1.4 billion. It’ll give AbbVie access to Aliada’s Alzheimer’s disease candidate. AbbVie has been making moves to bolster its neuroscience focus. It bought neuroscience and cancer drug developers earlier this year. Aliada’s Alzheimer’s drug is in early-stage development and could be a major new therapy. It utilizes a protein in the blood that carries iron to transport an antibody that degrades and eliminates brain plaque connected to Alzheimer’s.

Also, a New York Attorney General investigation into Capital One’s proposed acquisition of Discover Financial Services could slow the deal. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Jason Turner, Chief Investment Strategist for Wintrust Wealth Management, chats with John about the market performance this week, the market starting to broaden out, what might happen in a post-election economy, consumer sentiment rising, why the Fed’s upcoming decision on interest rates will be so important, and his concern about inflation.

Segment 3: Melissa Hurley, Vice President, Cable Communications, Inc., talks to John about their small family owned-business in Chicago, how their business has evolved since her mom started the company, some of the big projects they are working on, the number of people they employ, the challenges of being a small, women-led business, and the importance of having a great relationship with their employees.

Segment 4: Giovanni Labbate, award-winning owner of Tievoli Pizza Bar in suburban Palatine, tells John about about the origin of their name, competing in the prestigious World Pizza Championship in Italy next April, the kind of pizza they serve, and how they stand apart from other pizza places.

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

Chicago-based True Value says nearly half of its workforce could be laid off if its acquisition by Do It Best falls through. The company has filed a notice with the State of Illinois that says 900 employees will be laid off at its office in Chicago. The location is home to corporate employees and retail support staff. Do It Best has offered $153 million for True Value, which filed for bankruptcy just ahead of the acquisition announcement. True Value says it has 1,950 employees with about 1,300 in warehouse, distribution and manufacturing positions. 

Airbnb will institute anti-party measures again this year for Halloween. More below:

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, talks to John about market volatility, where the markets could be after the election, the importance of balance when building your portfolio, and how many Fed rate cuts does he expect before the end of the year.

Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about Federal regulators giving a strong push to electric-powered air taxis, musicians from ABBA, Radiohead and The Cure joining actors and authors in signing a protest letter against the mining of their artistry to build artificial intelligence tools, and a Polish radio station triggering controversy after dismissing its journalists and relaunching with AI-generated “presenters.”

Segment 3: Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst, Bankrate, talks to John Williams about a new survey that shows 62% of Americans feel behind on emergency savings.

Segment 4: Miles McCabe (aka Halloween Influencer, Brick Thunder), joins John Williams to talk about how he started collecting Halloween animatronics at age 9, how he turned his passion into becoming a highly successful Halloween Content Creator, and how he was able to turn his passion into opening a professional haunted house. Click here to get a ticket to 5 Points Haunted House this Halloween season!