Mayor Brandon Johnson’s latest budget forecast estimates that Chicago will face a 538-million-dollar shortfall in 2024. Bret Gogoel welcomes Leigh Giangreco, Reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business, to discuss the city’s financial position and how it compares to the last administration’s

Choose Chicago is excited to announce the launch of the first ever mobile Chicago Brew Pass, which allows Chicago-natives and tourists alike to earn points and prizes while enjoying local craft beer. Bret Gogoel welcomes Jason Lesniewicz, Choose Chicago’s Director of Cultural Tourism, to elaborate on how to use the Brew Pass and what breweries…

Stacy Gavis Gates, the President of the Chicago Teachers Union, is receiving backlash after sending her child to a private school, despite her history of speaking out against school choice programs. Bret Gogoel is joined by Paul Vallas, Policy Adviser for the Illinois Policy Institute, who shares his opinion on the CTU and the Chicago…

True-Crime junkies or casual news viers alike, society is fascinated by a prison break. Bret Gogoel is joined by Brad Garrett, ABC News Crime and Terrorism Analyst in Washington, to explain our fascination with jail breaks, the minds of an escapee, and the process of catching them.

• Josh Gerstein, POLITICO’s Senior Legal Affairs Reporter, examines how Trump’s co-defendants are already starting to turn against him. • Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune’s Chief Political Correspondent, asks why President Biden spent so much time campaigning this Summer in an already blue Illinois. • ABC’s Alex Stone reports that Burning Man, according to attendees, was…

Have you ever noticed something you’ve browsed for online reappear as a suggested advertisement? The culprit is digital cookies, not to be mistaken for their confectionary counterpart. Kim Komando, America’s Digital Goddess, joins John Howell to explain how to stay safe digitally by utilizing a virtual private network, otherwise known as a VPN, and dual-factor authentication. 

The South Barrington Park District has halted a property sale to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church after receiving strong community pushback. John Howell is joined by the Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau to explain some of the factors that led for this proposed land sale to head to court. 

• Alex Stone explains the red flag fire warnings on Maui today and the concerns over back to school planning. • Mina Bloom from Block Club Chicago shares why both sides are frustrated with restaurant surcharge arguments: the restaurants and the customers. • The Chicago Tribune’s Nick Kindelsperger shares his list of the best Maxwell…

The Burr Ridge Police recently warned residents of possible coywolf sightings, but wildlife experts have disputed these concerns. Chris Anchor, Senior Wildlife Biologist at the Forest Preserves of Cook County, joins John Howell to explain the low probability of a wolf-dog hybrid roaming loose, and he shares overall safety information.

A lawyer for one of the women struck by gunfire at last Friday’s White Sox game denies that she brought a firearm into Guaranteed Rate Field. Sam Charles, who covers the Chicago Police Department and Criminal Justice Topics for the Chicago Tribune, joins John Howell to explain the latest details of this investigation. 

• Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow at the CATO Institute, discusses the delicate relationship between America, Ukraine, and Russia. • The Chicago Tribune’s Rick Kogan joins the show to remember the life of Wendella’s Bob Borgstrom. • Steve Bernas from the Better Business Bureau warns us about a Kane County Sheriff’s Office phone scam. • Plus,…

Today, the FBI dismantled and neutralized Qakbot malware, a ransomware botnet believed to be responsible for millions of dollars stolen from unsuspecting online victims. John Howell is joined by Alex Stone, ABC News Los Angeles, to share details on this significant technological operation against cybercriminals.

John Howell is joined by the Chicago Tribune’s Ray Long, who (literally) wrote the book on Mike Madigan.  Howell and Long discuss how the conviction of Tim Mapes has uncovered the lies he told to protect his boss, Michael Madigan, and what that may reveal about the federal case against Madigan.