PM Chicago (12/1) – City Hall’s Millions in Uncollected Debts

On this episode of PM Chicago: Bret Gogoel reviews the list of City Hall’s millions of dollars of uncollected debts. Bill Cameron, Host of Take 1 on WLS, joins the show to preview this weekend’s episode and share his thoughts on this week’s biggest stories out of Chicago. Plus, the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce’s Robin Hammond shares all of the details of the Clark Street Cookie Crawl. 

Tags:

The Closing Bell with Bret Gogoel (12/1) – Avoiding Doom Spending in a Tempting Market

On today’s edition of the Closing Bell: Michelle Marvin from the Hyatt Oak Brook brings us all the details on the Santa Suite and Prancer’s Pub Pop-up, two holiday activities to get into the spirit. ABC’s Jason Nathanson stops by with the details on the Golden Bachelor and the new  Squid Game reality competition show. Plus, what is “doom spending,” and how can we avoid it?

Tags:

Episode 84: Ways to be Dazzled this Holiday Season

On this episode of Show & Tell with Andrea Darlas, we present to you four ways to be dazzled this holiday season in Chicago. First, James Hadley from Cirque du Soleil shares all the details of their show, “Twas the Night Before…” running at the Chicago Theater. Scott Speck from the Joffrey Ballet regales us with tales of the history of the Nutcracker and walks us through the creative staging of  Christopher Wheeldon’s Chicago-Set “The Nutcracker.” See this at the Lyric Opera now through December 27. Andy Mientus brings the Christmas cheer along with puppets! “Jim Henson’s Emmett Otter’s Jug-Band” Christmas plays now through the end of the year at the Studebaker Theater. Finally, the Chicago Botanic Garden is lit up for the fifth year in a row as Lightscape returns! Jodi Zombolo, Associate Vice President, Visitor Events & Programs at the Garden, joins us with the details! 

Guest Info: 

• James Hadley, Cirque du Soleil Senior Artistic Director, dazzles us with the details of their show, Twas the Night Before…, which is running in a limited engagement from December 7-28 at the Chicago Theater. For tickets, visit www.chicagotheatre.com/cirque.

The Joffrey Ballet’s music director, Scott Speck, Joffrey’s music director,  joins Andrea to talk about the everlasting magic of the Nutcracker and the and lesser-known details of the score. The Joffrey Ballet is presenting Christopher Wheeldon’s Chicago-Set “The Nutcracker” from December 2-27 at the Lyric Opera. For tickets, visit www.joffrey.org/nutcracker.

• Andy Mientus, who is Starring in the title role of Emmett, tells us all about “Jim Henson’s Emmett Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas,” playing now through the end of the year  at the Studebaker Theater. Visit www.fineartsbuilding.com/studebaker for details. 

Lightscape lights up the Chicago Botanic Garden for the fifth year, and Jodi Zombolo, Associate Vice President, Visitor Events & Programs at the Garden, joins us with the details! The Lightscape is at the Garden now until January 7. For details, visit www.chicagobotanic.org/lightscape.

Tags:

Mother McAuley A Cappella Choir on the Steve Cochran Show

Mother McAuley All-Girls Catholic School Choir graces the Steve Cochran Show to perform a few classic holiday songs. Also, Choir Director Julie McKee talks to Steve and Andrea about her return to teach at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School after graduating, fun vocal exercises, and the unique diversity among choir members.

PM Chicago (11/30) – A Look at the White Sox Infield & the School Bus Shortage

On this episode of PM Chicago: the Chicago Tribune’s LaMond Pope joins Bret Gogoel to take a look at the White Sox infield and some trade rumors. Reema Amin from Chalkbeat Chicago looks at the bus shortage in Chicago and the outlook for the remainder of the school year. Plus, groups are using modular homes to combat the affordable housing crisis.

Tags:

The Closing Bell with Bret Gogoel (11/30) – Musk’s Choice Words for Advertisers

On today’s edition of the Closing Bell: Ayesha White, Founder and CEO of Ellevator, discusses why she founded her organization and the dissolution of DEI efforts. Kim Gordon sits down with Dr. Maura Quinlan to discuss the increase of an STI in the state of Illinois. Plus, Elon Musk has told advertisers to “go f**k themselves.”

Tags:

PM Chicago (11/29) – The Pros and Cons of a City-Run Grocery Store

On this episode of PM Chicago: the Chicago Tribune’s Talia Soglin joins Bret Gogoel to discuss a proposed city-run grocery store and the challenges it is facing in Chicago. Nick Gale brings us a conversation between Steve Cochran and Mary Otts-Rubenstein, who is helping migrant families that include children with disabilities. In sports, we analyze the question: will the Bears ever hire another fiery, former Bear to lead the team?

Tags:

The Closing Bell with Bret Gogoel (11/29) – Major League Pickleball Takes a Big Pay Cut

On today’s edition of the Closing Bell: John Pletz from Crain’s Chicago Business explains the issue start-up backers are finding with remote workers. ABC’s Mike Dobuski has the details on a group of prominent authors who are suing the company behind ChatGPT. Plus, Major League Pickleball is reportedly asking its players to take a major pay cut – why?

Tags:

‘I don’t know how to fix immigration, but I know how to help.’ – Lakeview Resident Mary Otts-Rubenstein

Mary Otts-Rubenstein, a Lakeview mother, joins the Steve Cochran Show to share her motivations behind aiding migrants with disabilities, offer advice to those eager to assist but unsure how, and recount heartwarming stories about the families she has supported.

Discover ways to contribute: https://www.thebumblebeeagency.com/

PM Chicago (11/28) – Pritzker Says That “Illinois is Back”

On this episode of PM Chicago: Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas joins Bret Gogoel to discuss a new tool that helps residents break down their property tax bill. Greg Hinz from Crain’s Chicago discusses Pritzker’s comments on Illinois and their impact on the nation. Plus, the Bears won an ugly football game last night – what does this say about the future of the franchise?

Tags:

The Closing Bell with Bret Gogoel (11/28) – Donating Safely on Giving Tuesday

On today’s edition of the Closing Bell: the Better Business Bureau’s Tom Johnson joins Bret Gogoel with tips on donating safely this Giving Tuesday and how to avoid “porch pirates.”  Kim Gordon sits down with Tim Coonan, Founder of Big Shoulders Coffee, in a Small Business Spotlight. Plus, a new mascot has been unveiled for the Pop-tart Bowl, and the crew has a lot of questions.

Tags:

Unleashing Potential this Giving Tuesday: PROJECT H.O.O.D. building resilient communities and transforming lives

This Giving Tuesday, the Steve Cochran Show wants to take a moment to spotlight a truly inspiring organization that is working tirelessly to put an end to senseless violence, break the cycle of recidivism, and build stronger, more supportive communities, one neighborhood at a time.  – PROJECT H.O.O.D.

Learn about the impactful work of Pastor Corey Brooks and his team of volunteers at https://www.projecthood.org/.

Are the Philadelphia Eagles unstoppable?

Jr. NFL Analyst “Primetime” David Clauss joins the Steve Cochran Show to discuss the significance of the Bears’ recent win over the Vikings, Alabama’s stunning game-winning touchdown against Auburn, and his predictions for week 13.

How long will the Israel-Hamas ceasefire last?

International Relations professor at the University of Illinois Nicholas Grossman joins the Steve Cochran Show to discuss if the Gaza ceasefire will hold, the challenging dilemma faced by civilians in Gaza regarding whether to evacuate or remain at home, and the future of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Chill-Be-Gone: Understanding why you feel colder as you age

Chief Medical Officer at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital Dr. Kevin Most joins the Steve Cochran Show to discuss whether blood thinners can make you feel cold, how the cold frigid air can affect your immune system, and he explains how buying golf clubs could potentially make you smarter.

Dr. Kevin Most’s Steve Cochran Show Notes:

Why do we feel colder as we age

  1. We all know that as people age, we see them with a need for that extra blanket or a sweater, why?
  2. There is more than one reason, and taken in total it is not surprising
  3. Our skin is much thinner, and having thinner skin allows for the heat to leave our core easier.
  4. Couple that with less fat which acts as insulation and those two reasons will cause arms and legs to feel colder
  5. We lose muscle mass as we age, and muscles when used use more oxygen and creates the heat that keeps us warm.
  6. We know that our circulation is not as robust as it is when we are younger, so less blood flow to our extremities makes us feel colder
  7. Diabetes also impacts our blood flow to our extremities and the damage done over years impacts the flow
  8. What can you do- Stay active- this helps maintain muscle mass as well as generates heat
  9. Maintain a healthy diet to slow the impact of diabetes as well as to maintain your muscle mass.
  10. Light weightlifting, with things as simple as a bottle of water or can of soup – increases the blood flow to your extremities and maintains muscle mass
  11. In the winter, layer clothes and wear mittens not gloves as the isolation of fingers in gloves will make them feel colder.

Colds in the winter, why?  Cold air has an impact on our immune system

  1. Estimates are that individuals in the US suffer 1 billion colds a year
  2. Colds are caused by viruses and these viruses are around all the time, so why more in the winter?
  3. Some viruses actually are better prepared to survive cold weather, such as influenza
  4. We know with more indoor gatherings the chance of being closely exposed increases
  5. With holidays we see great amounts of travel which allows viruses to travel across the country or around the world to spread more easily.
  6. Probably one of the most important reasons was just identified recently, that is the impact on cold weather on our upper respiratory tract and more importantly our nose
  7. Researchers have shown that decreases of 9 degrees inside our nose kills 50% of the cells in our nose that fight viruses and bacteria, this is a common decrease when exposed to cold temperatures
  8. The cold air damages the immune response that occurs in our nose, so being exposed to a virus or a bacteria when the immune system is damaged leads to more infections.
  9. The nose is amazing, it identifies a virus or bacteria and tells the immune system to turn on defenses, the goal being to limit the chance of serious infection, another reason why nasal vaccines work
  10. The nose will produce cells to fight off infection once identified, but in the cold up to 50% of those cells are damaged or destroyed, thus more infections and severe infections.
  11. Why did influenza cases and common colds drop dramatically during the pandemic? Washing hands, distancing for sure but also masking kept our noses warmer.
  12. Should we all wear socks on our noses, probably not but walking in cold weather with a scarf may help you immune system , block frostbite and decrease your chance of catching a cold

Want to increase your cognition?  Buy some golf clubs?? 

  1. A study out of the University of Eastern Finland has shown a few interesting things
  2. Walking about 3.7 miles or playing 18 holes of golf improved cognitive function immediately following the exercise
  3. The study showed the impact of age appropriate aerobic exercise
  4. Previous studies showed that exercise is a strategy that slows cognitive decline.
  5. The study looked at individuals over the age of 65, who participated in 3 bouts of intense aerobic exercise in a real life environment, using EKG heart monitors
  6. The researchers then assessed cognitive function with a test that measured attention, processing speed and demanding skills
  7. Both types of exercise completed at the correct pace showed improvement in the cognitive tests immediately after the exercise

PM Chicago (11/27) – What is the Best Holiday Gift the State of Illinois Could Give Voters?

On this episode of PM Chicago: Madeleine Doubek, Executive Director of CHANGE Illinois, shares her thoughts on the necessity of an efficient, streamlined government in Illinois. Ret. Chief Tom Weitzel from Riverside discusses how crimes are spreading out into the suburbs. Plus, Dan Petrella from the Chicago Tribune joins to share his reporting on when Pritzker’s admin looked into tented basecamps for migrants.

Tags: