After 6 rounds of voting on 64 of Chicagoland’s favorite Christmas events and attractions, polls officially closed at 10 AM, November 24th.

WGN Radio senior digital strategist and bracketologist Michael Piff joined John Williams to announce and call the winner of the Chicagoland Christmas Traditions Tournament, sponsored by Treetime Christmas Creations. Listen to the announcement below:

Congrats to the Village of Lake Zurich and their “Miracle on Main Street” event for winning our inaugural tournament! Thank you to runner-up Brookfield Zoo Chicago for their efforts in promoting the tournament, as well as the other organizations and villages that participated. And thank you to Treetime Christmas Creations for their support of our tournament.

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the likelihood we see an interest rate cut in December, why the stock market likes the idea of a rate cut, where people should be putting their money considering the volatility in the market, why consumer sentiment is down, his thoughts on the job data that was just released, and the importance of being a good, long-term investor.

Dr. David J. Gunkel, Distinguished Research Professor, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Chair – Department of Communication, Northern Illinois University, joins John Williams to talk about AI generated music, what the AI landscape in the arts is like right now, how human artists are using AI in their music, the ethical problems that come with AI, who holds the copyright for AI generated music, and what AI art can tells us about the future of human creativity.

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 talk about President Donald Trump meeting New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, the Coast Guard changing their swastika policy, President Trump telling a reporter, ‘Quiet, piggy,’ and President Trump accusing several Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behavior,” after they posted a video telling military and intelligence officers to “refuse illegal orders.” Connell helps us separate the news from the noise.

Kimberly Bares, CEO, Magnificent Mile Association, tells John Williams to tell us everything we need to know about this year’s Magnificent Mile Lights Festival! Kimberly also talks about the economic impact and what it means for the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.

Judy Socha, who has organized the Addison blood bank for over 50 years, joins John Williams to talk about her personal connection to blood drives, the importance of people donating blood, why she continues her mission to help bring in blood, the wonderful people that she has met on her journey, the amount of blood they have collected in Addison, and why she loves to share how much good donating blood can do.

It’s time once again for our Best of the Midwest feature! Are you trying to come up with some holiday 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 north and visit with the always delightful Stephanie Klett, President and CEO, Visit Lake Geneva! Stephanie tells John about all the great holiday events you can do in Lake Geneva for the holiday season! You won’t want to miss the magical journey of the Santa Cruise, Grand Geneva Resort’s Christmas in the Country, the Lake Geneva Electric Christmas Parade, and the World’s Tallest Glass Tree at Yerkes Observatory. And don’t forget about all the fabulous shopping, too!

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the three things she’s going to add to her Thanksgiving routine, how to add color to your Thanksgiving meal, the most important tip to enjoy a healthy Thanksgiving, and how to R.E.S.E.T. your health the next day and beyond!

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