John Howell

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'sSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bret Gogoel welcomes Rick DiMaio, Chicago Meteorologist & Professor of Aviation and Meteorology at Lewis University, to discuss how operational meteorology impacted the September 11th, 2001 attacks. The devil, it seems, is in the details. DeMaio also discusses the incoming Fall weather. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 are involved.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chicago Bears will kick off their 2023 season against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday. Bret Gogoel welcomes Zach Pearson, Reporter for BearReport.com, to provide some insight on what to expect this weekend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 School System. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Misericordia Heart Of Mercy is a not-for-profit focused on providing quality care for people with mild to profound disabilities. Bret Gogoel welcomes Julie O'Sullivan, Misericordia Foundation Director of Creative Arts Marketing Manager, to discuss Misericordia's largest fundraising event of the year. To learn more information, you can visit www.misericordia.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arlington Heights village officials have committed to working with the Chicago Bears, local businesses, and residents alike to continue redeveloping the  Arlington Racetrack. Bret Gogoel welcomes Christopher Placek, Reporter for the Daily Herald, to discuss what actions have been taken to continue forging a path forward to a new stadium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrea Darlas is joined by Russell Lissau, Writer for the Daily Herald, to tell us a story about a baseball card collector's adventure in autograph hunting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrea Darlas welcomes Amy Danzer, the Program Director of Printer's Row Lit Fest, to discuss one of the city's most popular festivals designated to celebrate the abundance of literature. For more information visit https://printersrowlitfest.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• 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 not as bad as headlines made it sound.  • Plus, performers at the Illinois State Fair had some interesting contract riders. John reviews some of the most outrageous things that were included.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can the police better respond to their community, and how can the community assist officers when they're out on the street? John Howell is joined by Retired Chief Tom Weitzel to have a conversation on ways residents can effectively engage and improve relationship with the officers in their community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• Max Burns, founder of Third Degree Strategies, joins John Howell to discuss Vivek Ramaswamy’s complicated week of media visits. • Ronnie Marmo shares his love of comedy and his one-man show, “I am Lenny Bruce,” which will be playing in Skokie next week. • Nate Bukaty, Play-by-play announcer for MLS Season Pass, previews this weekend’s Chicago Fire game vs the DC United. • Plus, Jason Nathanson discusses this weekend’s very different box office releases.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skye Blue, a 23-year-old star wrestler and Chicagoland native, joins John Howell ahead of her AEW tag team match this evening. She shares what sparked her love for wrestling, how she got her start, her tips for others wanting to get into the game, and more.  All Elite Wrestling is in Chicago this week, with events at the United Center on Saturday and Sunday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• 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 Street Polish sausages in Chicago. • Plus, John poses the question to his listeners: how old is too old to serve in public office? Should there be age or term limits for certain offices?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Governor J.B. Pritzker has appointed a former state senator and longtime ally of Mike Madigan to a state board. John Howell is joined by Dan Petrella, Reporter for the Chicago Tribune, to make sense of this decision that has raised many eyebrows.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

• ABC News’ Jim Ryan joins John live from Tampa with the latest details on Hurricane Idalia. • Michelle Nichols, Director of Public Observing at the Adler Planetarium, shares facts about tonight’s rare super blue moon, as well as how to best observe this phenomenon. • Sam Charles from the Chicago Tribune has the latest details on the White Sox shooting. • Plus, Mike Emanuel, Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent, joins John to discuss the latest national political stories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.