Whatever happened to the phrase "there are"?

I'm sure I'm not the only one to have noticed this, although I don't hear anyone else railing about it...
But whatever happened to the phrase, "there are"?

Lately what I notice people saying--including professional broadcasters--is "there's" followed by something plural.

"There's lots of reasons for...."

"There's opinions on all sides..."

It's gotten so ubiquitous that I don't think people hear it anymore for what it is: illiterate speech. There: I've said it.

Would you ever dream of saying "There is opinions on all sides"? Of course not. But that's exactly what you are saying if you say "there's opinions on all sides."

So, my question for the day: what's wrong with "there are"?