Jens Ludwig, the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, Pritzker Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab, an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and author of ‘Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence,’ joins John Williams to talk about why he started the Crime Lab, the reasons the U.S. hasn’t made any real progress solving gun violence, why we need a different approach to gun violence, the impact that gun violence has on a city, his thoughts on gun detection technology and the importance of getting people out of their homes and having ‘eyes on the street.’

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou says you can get more power out of your shower with a simple, two-step process. And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions.

Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to [email protected].

Brian Hoogeveen, The Cash Man from Americash Jewelry & Coin Buyers, joins Jon Hansen to discuss items that could be worth money. Looking to sell an old watch or jewelry that you have around the house? What about a highly sought-after trading card? Do you have some World War II or World’s Fair memorabilia? Brian answers your questions!

If you think you have items you’d like to have appraised, visit topcashbuyer.com or call (630) 969-9600

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins Jon Hansen to talk about how President Trump has impacted market movement, Trump’s belief that his tariff policy will ultimately be effective, polls showing that most people disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, and what that means for him politically.

Enjoy this edition of “The Best of Speed Jokes.” What was your favorite joke of the week? Keep sending your jokes to [email protected]!

Satish N. Nadig, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Abdominal Organ Transplant and Director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center, joins John Williams to talk about performing the first double-lung and liver transplant for advanced lung cancer in the U.S. Dr. Nadig tells John about the procedure, how transplants are dependent on ‘man’s humanity to man,’ the importance of organ donations, how concerned they were about performing the procedure successfully, how many people were involved, and the prognosis for the patient moving forward.

Jim Wojdyla, Marketing Director, Volo Museum, joins John Williams to talk about the history of the Volo Museum, how the museum has expanded through the years, the types of cars they sell at the auto museum, and the other attractions at the museum like the Titanic exhibit, and Jurassic Gardens.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the importance of protein in your diet, how much protein you need for optimal health, and a new study that shows daily five flights of stairs (50 stairs) was associated with 20% decreased risk of heart disease! As always, Dawn answers all of your health and nutrition questions.

It’s time once again for our Best of the Midwest feature! Are you trying to come up with some vacation ideas that are only a quick getaway from the Chicago area? Well, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we venture a few miles south to Pullman and chat with Joe Szabo, Historic Pullman Foundation President Emeritus and Chairman of the 2025 Pullman Railroad Days! Joe talks about the significance of the Pullman neighborhood in Chicago, why a Pullman railcar was so unique, the easiest way to get to Pullman, and what you can expect to see when you visit the 2025 Pullman Railroad Days.