Walter Jacobson's Perspective

Walter Jacobson’s Perspective 3-27-25: Not goodbye, but see you later

No talkie talkie by me this morning about Chicago or Springfield or Washington government and politics. And no crabbing by me about some elected or appointed public official who’s now misbehaving him- or herself. I’m here this morning to talk about myself being 87-years-old and concerned, carefully concerned, because in the news business we’re always carefully concerned about everything. In my case, right now, it’s about thinking what might be an interesting and fair subject for me the next time I have time on the air. I can use a pause. I need to cool it. My 40-year-old children, Julia and her husband Sam, live in upstate New York, near Albany, where they own and operate a cannabis farm. They’ve just had their first baby, whom they’ve named Lola. I’ve not yet met Lola and want very much to be with her and Julia and Sam. And I’ve asked for and been granted by WGN some time off to go to New York. I need to cool it. So, you thousands of listeners to Bob Sirott on WGN every weekday morning 6:00 to 10:00, please excuse my absence for a while. Not to say goodbye, but to say see you later. And hey, Elon Musk, you cool it. Stop causing President Trump the trouble you’re causing his new administration. Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7340547/Walter_Jacobson_s_Perspective_3-27-25_2025-03-26-215447.64kmono.mp3 Recent editions Walter Jacobson’s Perspective Walter Jacobson: Not goodbye, but see you later .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} WGN Radio staff says ‘See you later’ to Walter Jacobson .cls-3{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson to air final Perspective on WGN Radio .cls-5{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Good luck, Beatriz, in the Spelling Bee .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: I just can’t stop thinking about baseball .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more

Walter Jacobson’s Perspective 3-20-25: Good luck, Beatriz, in the Scripps Spelling Bee

In my opinion, the easiest and most comfortable news to report is good news. And I’ve just come across some very good news that was in the news last week. You may have heard it. But even if you have, and for sure if you have not, I’m here this morning to report it again. It’s the news about a young woman being declared the winner of Chicago’s annual public school spelling bee and is now on her way to compete in the national and famously difficult Scripps Spelling Bee in Washington DC. She is Beatriz Whitford-Rodriguez, 13 years old, in the eighth grade at Skinner North Classical School in the West Town neighborhood near Lincoln Park. Along with several thousand students from 175 public schools in Chicago, Beatriz worked her way to spell the word sauerkraut, sau-er-kraut, which may not be the hardest word in the English language to spell, but it sure is hard enough to puzzle me. After reading the news about Beatriz winning the Chicago Public Schools Spelling Bee, I gave myself one chance to spell sauerkraut: sau-er-kraut. I love to eat sauerkraut, but to be honest in reporting this news, I must admit getting stuck. Oh my, did I get stuck on those two letters “a” and “u.” So I want to say to Beatriz, good luck in the Scripps Spelling Bee. And thank you for the good news to report about you winning the public school spelling bee in Chicago. Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7331405/Walter_Jacobson_s_Perspective_3-20-25_2025-03-20-140905.64kmono.mp3 Recent editions Walter Jacobson’s Perspective Walter Jacobson: Good luck Beatriz in the Spelling Bee .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: I just can’t stop thinking about baseball .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Musk’s behaving like he thinks he’s President .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Walgreens closing stores is bad news .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Same old money games on Capitol Hill .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more

Walter Jacobson’s Perspective 3-13-25: I just can’t stop thinking about spring fever and baseball

There are big and important stories in the news today about that endlessly awful war being waged by Russia and Ukraine. And about disease and starvation around the world. And about $10.00 for a dozen eggs here at home. But I just can’t stop thinking about spring fever and baseball. Our Chicago White Sox and my Chicago Cubs who, in 1952, 75 years ago when I was a little boy talking my way into a job as a Cubs batboy. Wow! What’s big and important about baseball is that now for the first time in 50 years those Yankees in New York are being permitted by their owners to look, oh, kind of hippie on TV wearing mustaches, beards, and hair long enough to cover their collars. Looking quite hippie. In my opinion, the Yankee owners are doing the right thing, not because we need more hippies in the major leagues, but because we need to pay more attention to the damage Elon Musk is doing to our government and politics, getting himself in the news day after day about how rich and powerful he is in firing the thousands of government employees working in federal offices about which he knows nothing. It is time for Elon Musk to be tuned out. Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7319766/Walter_Jacobson_s_Perspective_3-13-25_2025-03-12-203206.64kmono.mp3 Recent editions Walter Jacobson’s Perspective Walter Jacobson: I just can’t stop thinking about baseball .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Musk’s behaving like he thinks he’s President .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Walgreens closing stores is bad news .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Same old money games on Capitol Hill .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Politicians, newspapers, TV – shut up .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more

Walter Jacobson’s Perspective 3-6-25: Elon Musk is behaving like he thinks he’s President of the United States

He is quite a character, that Elon Musk, believing it’s true what the media says, that he is the richest person in the world. And now Elon Musk is behaving like he thinks he’s President of the United States. And I believe it’s fair for me to say that because I’ve been listening to Mr. Musk on the radio and watching him on television ordering, yes ordering, as only the president or someone empowered by the president can order hundreds of thousands of government employees to make and keep a record day by day, every day, a record of what a government employee is doing so that Musk and Trump can know when work time is being wasted and they can play politics with it. While those popular Tesla cars that Mr. Musk is producing and selling are being described by people who buy and drive them as dangerous. Windshield wipers and seat belts not working. Engine noises too loud and distracting. Escalating speeds too sudden and scary. Musk is collecting those records and firing thousands of government employees to the tune of Musk speeches about saving taxpayer dollars, while so many thousands more who are not being fired are now quitting their Tesla jobs. And I, as a reporter, Mr. Musk, am waiting to hear on the radio and to watch on TV whatever it is that you and your pal in the Oval Office of the White House are planning to do next. Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7311300/Walter_Jacobson_s_Perspective_3-6-25_2025-03-06-221900.64kmono.mp3 Recent editions Walter Jacobson’s Perspective Walter Jacobson: Musk’s behaving like he thinks he’s President .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Walgreens closing stores is bad news .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Same old money games on Capitol Hill .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Politicians, newspapers, TV – shut up .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: President Trump is changing our lives .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more

Walter Jacobson’s Perspective 2-27-25: The news about Walgreens closing stores in Chicago is bad news

The news about Walgreens closing stores in Chicago is bad news, and day by day it’s getting worse. The latest being that in the next few weeks, five Walgreens in Chicago neighborhoods will be closing their doors, locking them closed, and covering up their windows, while having no plans to unlock the doors or uncover the windows ever again, because, Walgreens says, business is bad and the stores are losing too much money. The worst of the news is that all five stores being closed are on the West and South Sides of Chicago, serving Black and brown minority residents, including senior residents, who soon will have to walk a mile or more to pick up their medical prescriptions. Seniors living in South Shore, Bronzeville, and Little Village who are sad and frightened about losing their Walgreens. What Walgreens is not saying is that it’s millions of dollars in yearly profits are enough, maybe even more than enough, to pay for deliveries, or at least keep their stores open a few hours a day to fill and deliver urgent prescriptions. What I say is: Hey, dear Walgreens, how about doing something really good? Those stores in minority neighborhoods, keep them open indefinitely. Or to be really, really good, keep them open permanently. Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7299873/Walter_Jacobson_s_Perspective_2-27-25_2025-02-27-041713.64kmono.mp3 Recent editions Walter Jacobson’s Perspective Walter Jacobson: Walgreens closing stores is bad news .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Same old money games on Capitol Hill .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: Politicians, newspapers, TV – shut up .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: President Trump is changing our lives .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Walter Jacobson: I’ve had enough of Mark Zuckerberg .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more