John Williams

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

Executive VP and General Manager Michael Larson of the Schaumburg Boomers joins John Williams to preview opening night and another season of affordable, high-quality baseball in the northwest suburbs. Michael recaps last year’s near-championship run, spotlights returning standouts, and explains how players spend their winters in pro leagues around the world. He also runs through this year’s packed promotions calendar including a Back to the Future night along with the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Calarco brothers “Step Brothers”-style bobblehead and invites fans to grab tickets at BoomersBaseball.com

Renee Mustered, creator of the grief support app Vilomah, joins John Williams to share how the loss of her son led her to build an always-available companion for anyone navigating loss. She explains the meaning of the word “vilomah” (“against the natural order”), talks about her own journey through grief, and describes how the app’s AI “angel support,” guided meditations, journaling tools, and movement practices can help users feel seen. To learn more about the app, go to https://vilomah.app/

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to recap his Mother’s Day weekend and share timely tips for getting your outdoor spaces ready for summer including how to battle ant invasions with safer sprays and baits, and why communication and quality materials matter most when you’re building a new home.

Liz Shulman, English teacher at Evanston Township High School and in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, joins John Williams to talk about how the last semester of school has gone this year, her decision to have her students use paper rather than computers, how kids have become so dependent on technology, why she continues to feel hopeful about learning, her thoughts on the new AI Alpha Schools, why she thinks that phones should be banned at school all day, and her desire to limit the usage of computers.

John reads a story that proves that there is good in the world. And sometimes the internet can be great.

Stephen Woldenberg, SVP of Sales for Learning Resources Brands, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court ruling against President Trump’s tariffs, joins John Williams to talk about when the company expects to see refunds. Stephen also tells John if the company is expecting even more refunds after federal judges ruled yesterday that Trump’s global 10% tariffs were illegal.

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the Pentagon releasing never-before-seen files containing unidentified anomalous phenomenon, the latest news on the search for Nancy Guthrie, and what we should know about the war in Iran.

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

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 take another quick trip across the cheddar curtain and visit with Savannah Schindler, Director of Communications, Visit Beloit. Savannah tells John about Beloit’s minor league baseball team, the great options for local craft beer and wine, a new Pub & Play that offers beautiful views of the Rock River, the best places to stay when you visit, and the big events they have coming up this summer.