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

Christina Hunger, a speech-language pathologist and author of “Your Dog Can Talk: A Step-By-Step Guide to Button Training,” joins John Williams to talk about how her career in speech pathology led her to teach her dog how to communicate. Christina explains how the teaching process works, the huge potential for language learning, how many words her dog Stella has in her vocabulary, and the importance of consistency when teaching your dog.

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

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to break down what we can expect from the meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Pastor Corey Brooks, Founder and Senior Pastor at New Beginnings Church of Chicago and the Founder and CEO of Project H.O.O.D, joins John Williams to talk about the progress he’s making in the effort to build his opportunity center on the South Side and why he’s walking across America to raise awareness and funds for his cause. You can donate to the effort here.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the ‘Japanese walking’ trend. Dawn explains the benefits of this type of walking. Dawn also talks about a new study about ultra-processed foods, and answers all of your fitness 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 take a short trip north and visit once again with Cari Greving, Executive Director of Visit Racine County! Cari tells John where Racine is located in the great state of Wisconsin, why fall is a great time to visit, the big events happening at Racine Zoo, the tour and taste experience at Spirits of Norway Vineyard, the best hotels and accommodations in the area, and the exciting activities they have planned around Halloween. Oh, and don’t forget to get a kringle!

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

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and political pundit Marj Halperin! The Rascals begin the podcast talking about the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office declining to file charges against the Chicago police officers who fired dozens of shots at Dexter Reed. Do the Rascals agree with the decision by State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office. The Rascals also catch us up on the latest movements of the Texas legislators who came to Illinois to avoid voting on a GOP-favored map. And what about the responses to the redistricting debate from Governor JB Pritzker and California Governor Gavin Newsom? This week, Mayor Brandon Johnson said that if the Bears move to the suburbs, they should be called the Arlington Heights Bears. What do the Rascals make of those comments? Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief financial officer, says Illinois’ regressive tax structure is ‘crime of the century’ that needs to be solved. The Rascals break it down. New York City is proposing a 15mph speed limit on e-bikes. Do the Rascals think Chicago should propose the same limit? The Trump administration will begin a review of current and planned exhibitions at the Smithsonian so that they align with President Trump’s vision. The Rascals have thoughts. Also this week, President Donald Trump said he was nominating economist E.J. Antoni as the new Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner. The Rascals explain why the find this nomination very troubling. And finally, it’s time for red light, yellow light, green light! What are the Rascals recommending (or not recommending) this week.

Bill Daley, former White House Chief of Staff and co-chair of ‘Fair Maps Illinois,’ joins John Williams to talk about the effort he’s leading with Ray LaHood to remove partisanship from how Illinois legislative maps are drawn. Bill explains how they are trying to create maps that are more representative of the population of the state and how a fair map will mean more competitive races in general elections.