Attorney Rae Kaplan of Kaplan Law Firm joins John Williams to talk about a new deadline for Parent Plus borrowers. And as always, Rae answers all of your student loan questions.

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the Senate voting to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, and the latest on the negotiations to end the war with Iran.

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the uncertainty in the market, how he hasn’t seen any economic data that would mean a recession is looming, when he thinks we might fully recover from the war in Iran, if he thinks the Fed is making the right policy decisions, why he expects more rate cuts at the end of the year, and what he’s telling investors right now.

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

Attorney Rich Lenkov, Capital Member, Downey & Lenkov, and co-host of “Legal Face-Off” on wgnradio.com, joins John Williams to talk about a jury in California found that Meta and Google were to blame for harm caused to a woman who compulsively used social media as a small child.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 guide to pesticides in fruits and vegetables. And as always, Dawn answers all of your food and nutrition questions.

Lawrence Colburn, owner of Preservation in Geneva, joins John Williams to talk about his contemporary American restaurant, why he decided to open a restaurant in Geneva after working downtown, the gorgeous outdoor space at the restaurant, the accessible wine list, his favorite dishes at the restaurant, what he expects for business during the upcoming summer season, and how the restaurant scene in Geneva is unrivaled in the suburbs.

It’s time once again for our Best of the Midwest feature for 2026! Are you trying to come up with some quick getaway ideas that are only a quick trip from the Chicago area? Well, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we talk a trip west and visit Allamakee County in Iowa! Val Reinke, the Executive Director of Allamakee County Economic
Development & Tourism, tells John about where Allamakee County is located, why being in the center of the driftless region is so unique, the communities that make up Allamakee County, the biggest attractions in the area, the breathtaking views along the Mississippi River, the best places to stay when you visit, the popularity of fishing and birdwatching in the county, where you should eat and drink, and why it’s a great place to unplug and relax. Sound good? Well, go to the WGN Radio Contest page and enter to win a getaway package!

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

After 4 weeks of voting on 160 Chicago pizza places, 128 Mom & Pops and 32 Local Chains, the polls are closed and we have our 2026 Chicago Pizza Madness Champions.

Chicago’s Very Own Eats co-host and WGN Radio bracketologist Michael Piff joined John Williams and Andy Masur to announce and call the winners. Listen below:

Congrats to Bartolini’s of Midlothian for winning our Mom and Pops Championship, and Rosati’s for winning our Local Chains Championship! We also appreciate Uncle Jerry’s and Antioch Pizza Shop, and the communities that support them, for all of their work, energy and enthusiasm to make the runs that they did in our 2026 Tournament.

And thank you to our sponsor, Chicago Brick Oven, for their support throughout our tournament. For round-by-round results in both “Mom & Pops” and “Local Chains” brackets, go to our main 2026 Chicago Pizza Madness page.

Updated brackets are below:

For more on Chicago Pizza Madness and all things Chicago food, subscribe to Chicago’s Very Own Eats on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. All episodes are available on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast page at WGNRadio.com.