03/31/21: Meet Chicago’s newest billion-dollar company

04/28/21: How the 2020 Census impacts Illinois’ balance of power: Illinois will lose a congressional seat after data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the state was just one of three to see population decline. Political columnist Greg Hinz joins host Amy Guth to discuss what it means for the state’s national political influence. Plus: United sees interest in European vacation spots jump, crop prices soar to 8-year high as food inflation fears return, five CPS high schools listed among the top 100 in the U.S., and Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list is back with 59 Chicago restaurants. by Crain's Daily Gist

16 min listen

05/12/21: Why dealers are paying top-dollar for used cars: Used car values are soaring as dealers struggle to find pre-owned vehicles. Contributor Judy Crown joins host Amy Guth to discuss. Plus: The Navy Pier Flyover is finally finished, an Oprah-backed startup wants to help grocers peer into their produce, The owner of Barnes & Noble is buying Paper Source and Biden is set to nominate Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan. by Crain's Daily Gist

16 min listen

06/03/21: Here’s why your home isn’t selling: Even in Chicago’s hot market, not all homes are selling fast. Reporter Dennis Rodkin joins host Amy Guth to take reader questions and recap the latest news in real estate. Plus: Travel restrictions loosen as Chicago's latest COVID measures show the lowest test positivity rate since the pandemic began, Illinois senators approve a plan for a fully elected Chicago school board, ComEd bribery defendants ask a judge to toss some charges and Radio Flyer takes e-bikes and scooters for a spin. by Crain's Daily Gist

37 min listen

05/06/21: Why new homes are getting more expensive: Strong demand and skyrocketing lumber prices are increasing the price of newly constructed homes by an average of $28,000 in the Chicago-area. Reporter Dennis Rodkin joins host Amy Guth to discuss. Plus: Chicago says farewell to CME's last commodity trading pits, local retail sales poised to rise 6 percent this year, billionaire Sam Zell's firm announces $3.4 billion deal for a industrial property company and a nationwide study finds the J&J pause didn’t significantly hurt public perception of COVID vaccines. by Crain's Daily Gist

39 min listen

05/03/21: Why some Chicago businesses oppose a potential ‘Vax Pass’: Festivals and events are set to return in Chicago after the city significantly loosened COVID restrictions. But a plan to introduce a vaccine passport as a way to incentivize young people to get vaccinated has some businesses worried. Reporters Stephanie Goldberg, A.D. Quig and Ally Marotti join host Amy Guth to discuss. Plus: Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson indicted, an effort to rename Lake Shore Drive after DuSable advances, Boeing faces FAA audit of latest manufacturing flaw in 737 Max and Amazon spending $1B on pay raises for workers. by Crain's Daily Gist

34 min listen

05/10/21: How COVID spurred a shortage of everything from chicken to new cars: Missteps at the beginning of the pandemic are now leading to serious shortages in just about everything, sending prices soaring. Reporters Ally Marotti and John Pletz join host Amy Guth to discuss how tight supply could threaten to slow the nation’s economic recovery. Plus: Illinois could fully reopen as soon as June 11, a large electric vehicle plant is coming to Joliet, big names preparing bids for Medline, grocery prices are going up, and a proposed weed bill calls for three lotteries to increase the number of pot stores in the state. by Crain's Daily Gist

33 min listen

05/11/21: What business leaders think of Chicago’s economic future: The most recent Executive Pulse Survey from Crain’s-Harris Poll finds the majority of business leaders are hopeful the economy will pick up in the next six months. Harris Poll CEO William Johnson joins host Amy Guth to discuss what’s top of mind for business owners and C-suite executives as the city opens back up. Plus: City to fund $60M in Michael Reese site infrastructure, Helmut Jahn leaves architectural legacy in Chicago and around the world, Gallagher reportedly in talks to buy Aon and Willis assets and Rush and BMO launch $10 million health equity institute. by Crain's Daily Gist

18 min listen

05/24/21: The city is calling out businesses for a lack of diversity: Chicago’s political leaders are taking bold steps to bring attention to the lack of diversity in some of the city’s most powerful industries, from financial services to journalism. Crain’s Wendell Hutson and Ally Marotti join host Amy Guth for a reporters’ roundtable. Plus: McDonald's hit with $10 billion discrimination suit from Byron Allen, Tribune Publishing shareholders vote to sell company to hedge fund, CNA Financial paid $40 million in ransom after March cyberattack and Illinois will repay the $2 billion it borrowed from the Federal Reserve without using COVID relief funds. by Crain's Daily Gist

35 min listen

06/15/21: Why businesses are paying more for cyber insurance: Insurers are raising premiums as a growing number of ransomware attacks has more businesses looking for digital protection. Reporter Steve Daniels joins host Amy Guth to discuss. Plus: O’Hare is recovering slower than other major airports, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s energy plan could be a lucrative opportunity for ComEd, large mall owner files Chapter 11 and a look at three Chicago shopping areas with three different post-pandemic recovery paths. by Crain's Daily Gist

19 min listen

06/07/21: How businesses are preparing for a full reopening: Restaurants are getting ready for the removal of coronavirus restrictions June 11, as downtown landlords see a boost with life slowly returning to Chicago’s central business district. Reporters Alby Gallun and Ally Marotti discuss in a roundtable with host Amy Guth. Plus: Pritzker criticizes new ethics rules for state lawmakers; Staples offers $1 billion for Office Depot's consumer unit in new bid; Boeing plans to test ‘curtain of air’ to fight COVID in jet cabins and warns China that a trade impasse threatens its global sway. by Crain's Daily Gist

35 min listen

06/22/21: How employers can support mental health as workers return to the office: The pandemic has only made worker burnout worse. Now, as companies begin to return to the office, leaders will need to do more to keep workers engaged and motivated. Chicago Comes Back columnists Emily Drake and Todd Connor join host Amy Guth to discuss. Plus: How a newcomer to the hospital business plans to save Mercy, a scaled-back Air & Water Show is planned for this summer, Pfizer CEO urges Biden to form a coalition to cut drug costs, and here’s why you can expect long wait times and high prices when ordering an Uber or Lyft in Chicago right now. by Crain's Daily Gist

27 min listen

06/14/21: Real estate’s moment of reckoning: Chicago is facing calls to reduce downtown buildings’ carbon footprint and landmark the homes of the city’s Black historical figures. Reporters Danny Ecker and Dennis Rodkin join host Amy Guth to discuss how the movements highlight the real estate industry’s role in climate change and systemic racism. Plus: Another lawsuit has been filed over Illinois' remap, COVID restrictions are lifting but some restaurants aren't ready, ethanol production outlook rises to the highest level since February 2020, and the park district's indoor pools will remain closed throughout the summer—but not because of COVID. by Crain's Daily Gist

29 min listen

05/13/21: These are Chicago’s hottest housing markets: Homes are selling fast across the region, but where are they selling the fastest? Reporter Dennis Rodkin joins host Amy Guth to discuss and recap this week's real estate news. Plus: White House enlists McDonald's to promote vaccines, Joffrey Ballet expanding to South Loop, city’s marketing chief made permanent head of World Business Chicago and a 29-story Loop office building goes back on the market. by Crain's Daily Gist

34 min listen

05/17/21: Will businesses need to police who's vaccinated?: Vaccinated individuals no longer have to wear masks indoors and they won’t count toward capacity limits under the city’s reopening plan. But how will businesses be able to tell who got the shot? Reporters Danny Ecker and Stephanie Goldberg join a reporters roundtable with host Amy Guth to talk about what could be a logistical nightmare. Plus: Lollapalooza will be back this summer, Civic Federation hits Pritzker's plan to close corporate loophole, Mariano's parent, Kroger gave its CEO $22 million after ending hazard pay for workers, Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg will be a spokesman for Chicago weed giant PharmaCann. by Crain's Daily Gist

33 min listen

06/10/21: The housing market is having a Goldilocks moment: he Chicago-area real estate market is in a relative sweet spot. But how long can it last? Reporter Dennis Rodkin joins host Amy Guth to discuss and recap this week’s housing news. Plus: Worldwide travel loosens up, Illinois forms a high-speed rail commission, a Wacker Drive skyscraper hits the market, and new weed licenses could be issued by the end of the summer. by Crain's Daily Gist

27 min listen

05/25/21: Home sales soar even as prices go sky-high: The Chicago-area saw home sales and prices explode in April. Residential real estate reporter Dennis Rodkin joins host Amy Guth to explain why the market is hotter than it’s been in years. Plus: McDonald's reopening plan is running into opposition from franchisees, Gallagher set to fill Chicago’s Aon vacuum, Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush aims to restart biomedical research disrupted by pandemic and employers are left to take the lead when it comes to wearing masks at work. by Crain's Daily Gist

17 min listen

05/05/21: Are business leaders asking the right questions?: Good leadership means knowing when to ask questions and not answer them. Chicago Comes Back columnists Todd Connor and Emily Drake of the Collective Academy join host Amy Guth to discuss how to make the space for more meaningful workplace conversations. Plus: Illinois is aiming for a full reopening by July, complaints soared at United during COVID, Chicago pot firm plans deal to enter Virginia market and getting high on 'medicated' Skittles is no laughing matter for Mars Wrigley. by Crain's Daily Gist

33 min listen

05/19/21: With eviction ban set to end, will $1.5B in renter aid be enough?: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces $1.5 billion in rent relief as the state says it will lift its freeze on evictions in August. Crain's commercial real estate reporter Alby Gallun talks with host Amy Guth about what it means for renters and landlords. Plus: Lightfoot says Chicagoans should keep wearing masks, General Iron owner hits city with $100 million lawsuit, Fulton Market developer plans massive apartment and office project, Peapod founders have a new grocery-tech venture that helps consumers who have special diets find the right foods. by Crain's Daily Gist

17 min listen

06/01/21: How Chicago businesses are addressing calls for racial justice: A health care coalition is launching a new report card that aims to help hospitals and clinics reduce systemic racism and health disparities. Meanwhile, a real estate developer is putting money behind the mayor’s alternative plan to renaming Lake Shore Drive after Black explorer Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Stephanie Goldberg and A.D. Quig discuss in a reporters’ roundtable with host Amy Guth. Plus: Amtrak details its big expansion plan, Rivian pushes back launch of its battery-powered truck by a month, Boeing to pay $17 million to settle FAA enforcement cases and a big film studio campus is planned for the South Side. by Crain's Daily Gist

33 min listen

04/29/21: What’s next for Chicago’s wild housing market?: While home values continued to skyrocket in other major metros around the country, the Chicago-area saw price growth ease in February. Reporter Dennis Rodkin joins host Amy Guth to discuss what it means for the local market in a recap of this week’s real estate news. Plus: Chicago is considering a vaccine passport for events, Google's local HQ hits the market, Durbin leads push for more breeder oversight as dog adoptions rise and Illinois moves to lure crypto businesses. by Crain's Daily Gist

30 min listen

05/04/21: Landlords get creative to lure workers back to offices: Many landlords are shelling out incentives and creative leasing perks to shore up their tenant rosters after the pandemic pushed office vacancy to an all-time high. Reporter Danny Ecker joins host Amy Guth to discuss. Plus: CPS CEO Janice Jackson resigning, Basecamp employees quit after CEO bans political talk, CVS and Walgreens have wasted more vaccine doses than most states combined and here are 10 new Chicago restaurants with buzz. by Crain's Daily Gist

21 min listen

05/26/21: Why marijuana edibles are creating buzz: THC-infused snacks and candies are increasingly making up a huge share of total weed sales. Reporter John Pletz joins host Amy Guth to explain why Chicago’s deep roots in the food business may give local pot entrepreneurs an edge over the competition. Plus: Lightfoot administration faces more turnover, Chicago more than doubles rent relief funding, Fulton Market development sites hit the market and United Airlines launches its own vaccine lottery. by Crain's Daily Gist

17 min listen

06/02/21: What to know about Illinois’ new $42B state budget: Lawmakers approved a state budget that doesn’t contain tax increases. Political columnist Greg Hinz joins host Amy Guth to explain. Plus: The great supply chain crisis of 2021 is now starting to impact the construction business, First Midwest in $6.5 billion deal with Indiana bank, Ulta's new CEO confronts a beauty business altered by COVID-19 and Chicago clears the way for Mercy Hospital’s new owner. by Crain's Daily Gist

21 min listen

06/21/21: The growing buzz around weed and hard seltzer: As Chicago-based White Claw tries to stay ahead in an increasingly-crowded hard seltzer space, suburban towns are reconsidering whether to approve recreational marijuana sales as the pot market continues to boom. Reporters Ally Marotti and John Pletz talk weed and hard seltzer with host Amy Guth. Plus: How the Chicago Bears' bid to move to the suburbs highlights issues at Soldier Field, Chicago area's last remaining coal-fired power plants are set to close, Cook County will likely again delay the property tax payment deadline and Mayor Lightfoot’s ‘Chi Biz Strong’ COVID recovery package moves closer to law. by Crain's Daily Gist

27 min listen

06/28/21: What business in a post-pandemic economy looks like: Businesses across industries are charting the city’s comeback story. This month’s Crain’s Forum looks at how entrepreneurs and leaders used the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to transform the way they do work in Chicago. Forum Editor Cassandra West and reporters Wendell Hutson and A.D. Quig join host Amy Guth with more. Plus: City closes mass vaccination sites at United Center and many city colleges, big residential plan pitched for former DePaul College Prep campus, dozens of former Sears stores are set to hit market and the U.S. Supreme Court backs Chicago-based TransUnion on consumer lawsuits by Crain's Daily Gist

30 min listen

06/23/21: Why McDonald’s is doubling down on digital growth: McDonald’s is rolling out a nationwide rewards program and slashing options from its value menu in a bid to boost sales. Crain's reporter Ally Marotti joins host Amy Guth to discuss. Plus: The grocery-store boom is poised to live on even as pandemic fades, GM and Ford are locked in an electric vehicle spending race, another Chicago company hits $1 billion valuation, and airlines seek criminal charges against unruly passengers. by Crain's Daily Gist

15 min listen

06/08/21: Hedge fund’s move to cut costs at Tribune may backfire: Tribune Publishing’s new owner will likely try to turn a profit by slashing newsroom staff. Reporter Ally Marotti joins host Amy Guth to discuss how further cost-cutting will make it difficult for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers to hold on to readers. Plus: A new report shows your property's share of local government debt, private-equity firms to buy Medline in $30 billion deal, Chicago Fire plans facility on Northwest Side and a ghost kitchen company owned by the co-founder of Uber is embroiled in a North Side NIMBY fight. by Crain's Daily Gist

18 min listen

05/20/21: As prices explode, should you buy a home?: Low mortgage rates and a shortage of properties for sale has caused home prices to skyrocket. Do new homebuyers stand to lose money in the long run by buying in a sellers’ market? Dennis Rodkin joins host Amy Guth to recap this week’s real estate news and take listener questions. Plus: Agents group sues Allstate for multiple breaches of contract, WeWork chairman says demand for shared office space exceeds pre-pandemic levels, market research firm Ipsos reduces its downtown footprint, and Bank of America will raise minimum wage to $25 an hour. by Crain's Daily Gist

36 min listen

07/12/21: What's hot in commercial real estate right now: Leases are in demand for third-party logistics firms in Chicago. Crain's commercial real estate reporters Danny Ecker and Alby Gallun join host Amy Guth to talk about the state of office and industrial space. Plus: CTA ridership is recovering fast, but trains and buses are still only half as full as before the pandemic; Michelin-starred Mag Mile restaurant Spiaggia is closing permanently; Illinois gets a second bond upgrade; and Target backs off a Water Tower Place outpost. by Crain's Daily Gist

35 min listen

06/17/21: Downtown condo sales are set to explode: Enticingly low prices are attracting buyers and laying the groundwork for a big increase in downtown condo sales. Reporter Dennis Rodkin joins host Amy Guth to explain in a recap of this week’s real estate news. Plus: Progressive hikes auto rates in Illinois as drivers take to the roads again, U.S. News ranks Lurie among the state’s top children's hospitals, Southwest says systems have been restored after 1,400 flights were disrupted due to a glitch, and chicken sandwich battles continue to rage as poultry prices soar. by Crain's Daily Gist

29 min listen

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03/31/21: Meet Chicago’s newest billion-dollar company

03/31/21: Meet Chicago’s newest billion-dollar company

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