Segment 1: Robert Bruno, professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the director of the Project for Middle Class Renewal, a research-based initiative tasked with investigating labor policies in today’s economy, joins John to talk about the state of labor in 2024 and how would labor fare under each of the respective presidential tickets.

Segment 2: Jon Reed, Senior Energy Editor, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about a new CNET solar policy analysis. How solar friendly is Illinois?

Segment 3: Andy Totten, McHugh Construction’s Vice President of Sports, Entertainment and Special Use, tells John about the big sports and entertainment projects they have been involved with, what they have planned for the west side with the 1901 project, the work they did for the DNC, and how business has been going generally.

Segment 4: Kyle Wenzel, Owner/Operations Manager, Harbor Brewing Company, talks to John about their business in Lake Villa, how the business started, the beers the currently have on tap, what the vibe is like when you visit, how well their wedding venue is doing, and where you can find their beer outside of the brewery.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about markets continuing to stay strong and the latest news on Social Security clawbacks. Terry also answers all of your financial questions.

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

CDK Global, the suburban software firm that serves U.S. car dealerships, says the cyberattack that impacted its operations earlier this year does not appear to have involved the theft of dealership employee or consumer data. The Hoffman Estates-based company was hit by a ransomware cyberattack in June. Bloomberg says the company conducted a thorough third-party review of the incident and found no compromise of personally identifiable information. CDK says dealers can reassure clients that their data remains secure. CDK reportedly paid a nearly $25 million ransom to end the attack. Dealerships use CDK software to manage everything from scheduling to sales and orders. 

Also, Kroger, the parent company of Mariano’s in Chicago, is listed in a new report highlighting retailers who charge high fees for cash-back transactions. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about unemployment rising, the difficulty some people are going to have finding a job, and his thoughts on a new law in Australia that give employees the right to ignore work calls after hours.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, talks to John about how a possible Harris-Walz administration will impact various employment areas.

Segment 3: Tiffany Thompson, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University and Alexis Flamburis, College of Pharmacy, Midwestern University, join John Williams to talk about, “The College Tour,” a TV series on Amazon Prime that tells the story of colleges and universities around the world. This season, the series highlights Midwestern University and Alexis and Tiffany talk about their appearance on the show, what led them to start their journey at Midwestern University and their educational experiences at Midwestern University.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John to talk about the Dow Jones hitting a record high today, Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s recent comments on likely Fed policy decisions, why some economists remain bearish about the market, the likelihood we see a recession, Tim Walz not having a brokerage account and having to take out retirement money to pay for his daughter’s college education, and housing finally on the upswing.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Chicago Inno’s Fire Awards recognizing the top tech startups / organizations of the year), the fastest growing companies in Chicago, and a new Chicago health care VC fund investing $21M in digital health startups.

Segment 3: Rich Gamble, Interim President and CEO, Choose Chicago, tells John about the success of the DNC, how the city can capitalize on the success of the convention, the upcoming International Manufacturing and Technology Show coming to the city in a few weeks, and the announcement that the NAACP convention coming to Chicago next year.

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

A new robotics center at Northwestern University has been awarded $26 million from the National Science Foundation. The funding will help launch a new engineering program to develop dexterous robot hands with the ability to assist humans with manufacturing, caregiving, handling precious or dangerous materials, and more. Carnegie Mellon University, Florida A&M and Texas A&M will partner with Northwestern on the robotics initiative. 

Also, Chicago-based Rōti has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Co-Founder and CEO of Wealth Management Group, joins John to talk about how the market is reacting to Jerome Powell’s comments about interest rate cuts today, why we should be patient during market swings, the recent revision to the jobs data, the economy definitively slowing, where he sees mortgage rates down the road, and his belief that we are in a good economic position for business and your portfolios.

Segment 2: Matt Schultz, LendingTree chief credit analyst, talks with John about a new survey that shows half of credit card holders have disputed a claim, with 96% being successful.

Segment 3: Elogeia Hadley, creator of the Facebook group Black Business Connections, talks about why she started this group to give support to Black businesses in the Aurora area.

Segment 1: Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst, Bankrate, chats with John about a new Bankrate study that shows ATM fees have reached a 26-year high while overdraft fees inch back up, too.

Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John to talk about former President Trump sharing AI-generated Taylor Swift images, and Ford shifting its EV strategy.

Segment 3: Carl Prouty, “The Technologist” at Abt Electronics in Glenview, talks to John about the pros and cons of washer dryer combos, the growth of AI in consumer electronics, and some of the top items for back-to-school.

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

The Instagram account of McDonald’s was hacked Wednesday as part of a scam involving cryptocurrency. Bloomberg reports it involved the blockchain platform Solana and a coin named after the McDonald’s mascot Grimace. A screenshot showed a post that suggested participants were scammed out of $700,000. The coin scheme solicits buyers and when it reaches a certain level, creators dump their holdings and make off with a profit. The schemes usually target celebrities, influencers and major corporations. McDonald’s called it an isolated incident and apologized. 

Also, a Chicago-based healthcare startup has landed new funding to help with its growth. Listen for more below:

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

There’s a report that KKR & Co. is in talks to buy The Parking Spot, the Chicago-based owner and operator of parking facilities near airports. Bloomberg reports the talks are in an advanced stage. The proposed deal is valued at about $1.4 billion. It could be announced in the coming weeks but could still fall apart. The Parking Spot has locations near more than 45 airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and San Francisco International Airport.

Also, car maker Stellantis has confirmed it’s delaying plans to reopen the assembly plant it operates in Belvidere. Listen for more below: