John Williams

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to give us the latest news about the ICE shooting in Minneapolis.

John Roberson, Executive Vice President of the Obama Presidential Center, joins John Williams to talk about what makes the Obama Presidential Center unique, what he considers to be the centerpiece of the presidential center, and what we should know about the 150 full-time positions they are currently hiring for.

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst, and co-host of the sports betting show, ‘Chicken Dinner’ joins John Williams to talk break down what we need to know about the big Bears v. Packers playoff game this weekend. Why are the Packers still favored to win the game? Sam tells us some of his favorite bets for the match-up and offers his prediction on who will win the game. Sam also gives us his Super Bowl prediction and to share his thoughts on the College Football Playoff.

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

Now that 2025 is officially in the books, John Williams wants you to decide which Speed Joke was the best one of the year!

In the past, we have identified the Best Speed Jokes of 2024 and 2023 in WGN Radio Tournament fashion. This year, we’re making it easier by having you vote for your favorite in our Best Speed Jokes of 2025 Listener Poll.

12 speed jokes were chosen as WGN Radio listener/Speed Jokes expert Marge Sipla’s favorites from each month, and John added 4 more to make it 16 total. Voting will begin Monday, January 12th at 10 AM. On Wednesday, January 14th, listeners will then vote on the Top 4 vote-getters. A champion will be crowned after the poll closes Friday, January 16th, at 10 AM.

Man went to an ice cream shop. Took him a few minutes to walk over to the counter as he groaned getting up on the stool and ordered a hot fudge sundae. The server said, “Crushed nuts?” and he said, “No. Bad knees.”

And now a note from John Williams…

Ala…We have a winner!  In fact, we had many.  And now that the final votes were cast and tabulated, we are happy to announce that the Joke of 2025 was sent from Floyd in Crown Point, the Crushed Nuts!  Thank you all for listening and laughing and SENDING in those jokes.  We are closing in on 6 years of fun and there are still some pretty good laughs out there.  Keep them coming! 

Thank you for your attention to this matter, John Williams, President, WGN Radio Speed Jokes Submission Committee

U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL 16) joins John Williams to talk about the ICE shooting in Minneapolis, how he feels the immigration effort by DHS is going, the latest on the situation in Venezuela, and if he believes the capture of Maduro was legal.

Kelly Leonard, Vice President, Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development at The Second City and host of the “Getting to Yes, And…” podcast, joins John Williams to review the new CNN documentary, ‘I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not.’

It’s time once again for our Best of the Midwest feature! Are you trying to come up with some winter vacation ideas that are only a quick getaway from the Chicago area? Well, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we head across the cheddar curtain and visit with the great Stephanie Klett, President and CEO, Visit Lake Geneva! This time around, Stephanie tells John everything you should know about Lake Geneva Winterfest 2026!

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to break down the new dietary guidelines that call for prioritizing high-quality protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—and avoiding highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates. Dawn tells us what she likes and what she doesn’t like about the new food pyramid.

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