John Williams

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

The 34th annual Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival returns on Saturday, November 22, filling Chicago’s iconic avenue with holiday wonder, glowing lights, and the joyful kickoff to the season. Lifeway Foods will be in full celebration mode, offering delicious samples of Lifeway Kefir during the day. At night, they’ll unveil a sparkling parade float, complete with snowy white trees, a bright red Farmer Cheese sleigh, and bottles of kefir dressed in Santa hats and reindeer antlers. In this week’s Best of the Midwest conversation, John welcomes back Lifeway President Julie Smolyansky, who shares not only the excitements of the parade and Lifeway’s remarkable growth, but also the many ways that kefir supports health. Julia explains the multiple acceptable pronunciations of “kefir,” the science behind probiotic-rich fermented dairy, and why so many doctors now describe the gut as the body’s “first brain,” deeply connected to stress, depression, anxiety, and overall well-being. From Mickey and Minnie leading the procession to Lifeway’s whimsical, glowing float rolling down Michigan Avenue, this year’s Lights Festival promises pure holiday magic and a whole lot of gut-friendly cheer.

Nat and Mikey, two schoolteachers from England, took a bold leap and a year off from their classroom to explore America the slow way… by hitchhiking, canoe, and curiosity. They landed in Denver, made their way to Montana, bought their first-ever canoe, and have been paddling down the Missouri into the Mississippi on their way to the Gulf. They also hope to figure out which of the Dakota’s is their favorite! With no experience and nothing but determination, Nat and Mikey have discovered a country not through headlines but through handshakes, kindness, and the everyday generosity of strangers. As of this recording, they’ve spent 94 days traveling over 2,000 miles. You can follow along with their journey and love letter to the American spirit at natandmikey.wordpress.com.

In this brief but heartfelt segment, John Williams honors his friend and fellow broadcaster Steve Bertrand for his years of service and his extraordinary presence on the airwaves. Bob Kessler also joins in to share memories and pass along well wishes. This segment is a celebration of friendship, craftsmanship, and the unmistakable spark Steve has brought to Chicago radio history. While no one’s life can be summed up in a mere collection of words, John weaves together a heartfelt tribute to his friend who, in retirement, will no doubt be traveling the world and creating lasting memories in no time.

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, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author the The Last Ward, and long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. The Rascals begin the podcast talking about ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ leaving Chicago. The Rascals discuss the government’s immigration effort and how the last 6 weeks have played out. Now, what’s next? Earlier this week, President Trump posted about crime and vacancies on Chicago’s ‘Miracle Mile’ and called for more troops to be sent in. Do the Rascals believe the president was completely out of line? Both Democrats and Republicans have released thousands of emails from the Jeffrey Epstein estate that include multiple references to Donald Trump. What are the big takeaways from the release of these documents? Dick Durbin and 7 other senators sided with the GOP to end the government shutdown. Eric explains why caving was the wrong move. Austin believes this shutdown proves that the FAA should be privatized. And finally, we are officially not doing red light, yellow light, green light, but somehow there are recommendations!

Jennifer Valade, Veteran Support Services, Salvation Army NCI Division, joins John Williams to talk about the services they provide to veterans, the needs of the veterans that they serve, the difficulty some veterans have in reaching out for help, how they encourage veterans to ask for help, what makes the Salvation Army’s services unique, the amount of veterans on their team, and The Salvation Army event taking place this Saturday. Jewel-Osco, the Chicago Bears, and Miller Lite are teaming up to benefit The Salvation Army and honor our veterans with free turkey dinners. Click here to register.

Your donations to The Salvation Army will help keep families in their homes, put food on their tables, and brighten the holidays for children. And all gifts stay local to the Chicagoland area. Last year, The Salvation Army provided nearly 1 million meals, 400,000 cases of emergency assistance, and over 160,000 bags of groceries to neighbors in need. Click here to donate to John’s kettle!

Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions.

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

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about President Trump announcing a deal to lower the price of weight loss drugs, why iron deficiency in adults may be more common than thought, and what can be done to improve access to physicians.