John Williams

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, and Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack. This week the Rascals break down the results from the midterm elections, both nationally and locally. What were the biggest […]

Michael Swanson, Executive Director of Social Services, The Salvation Army North & Central Illinois Division, joins John Williams to talk about his work at the Salvation Army, what the Salvation Army does to help address poverty across the Chicago area, the approach of the Pathway of Hope program, how families benefit from Pathway of Hope, […]

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with 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.

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about midterm election results and what that means for mortgages and the economy, why he’s concerned about a possible recession, and to answer all your real estate questions. David hosts “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm on WGN Radio. […]

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the big stories on election day, why the Democrats are likely to sweep all the major Illinois races, four local issues that we should be paying attention to including the Chicago School Board, the ballot referendums in the Chicago area, and how many […]

Quentin Youmans, MD, cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, joins John Williams to talk the importance of staying active, why he recommends 30 minutes of activity a day for the best heart health, how to build a heart-healthy lifestyle, Senator Chris Murphy suffering a stroke over the weekend, the signs that you might be having a […]

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the biggest races he’s watching this election day, how weather could be an issue in many states, the swing of the Hispanic vote in Texas, and what is likely to happen if Democrats gain control of Congress.

Marge Sipla, Speed Jokes spirit animal and member of the Speed Jokes Committee, joins John Williams and the gang to give us her favorite Speed Jokes of October 2026! John has a few that he likes, too! What was your favorite joke this month? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou says now is the time to start cleaning around the house before your Thanksgiving festivities. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the upcoming midterm elections and what is likely happen in the Senate, President Trump canceling and then rescheduling trips to Kansas and Iowa this weekend, and the ballot controversy in Alaska.

With Halloween upon is and the autumn chill, well, not quite here yet, it is time to convene the WGN Radio Book Club (or is it the Boo Club?) for their suggestions on new titles to read during the long (even if they may still be mild) nights ahead. John Williams (weekdays 10am-2pm, including The Noon […]

Enjoy this edition of “The Best of Speed Jokes.” What was your favorite joke of the week? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com!

Pingree Grove Village Clerk Laura Ortega joins John Williams to talk about how long she’s been living in Pingree Grove, what the community is like, the recent boom in housing, how the area has grown over the years, the excitement over the new Jewel / Osco development, the huge draw of Goebbert’s Farm, and the […]

Brook Carey, original co-owner, the Milk House in Pingree Grove, joins John Williams to talk about when Milk House opened, the support they have received from the Pingree Grove community, the honor of having an ‘Illinois Maker’ award, how the shop is a labor of love, the most popular flavors, how they like to work […]

Tony LaPalio, Founder / CEO, Senior Tech Support, joins John to talk about what Senior Tech Support does, the average age of their customers, what customers have the most difficulty navigating, their focus on training and education, why he recommends YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV, and to answer all of your questions regarding your […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the best time to enjoy your Halloween candy, her favorite thing to do with leftover Halloween candy, her recipe for Freezer Sweetpotatoes, and to answer all of your health and nutrition question.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, and award-winning journalist and political pundit Marj Halperin. The Rascals begin the podcast discussing their predictions for the midterm elections. Next, the Rascals discuss the New York Times […]

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with 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.

Elder law attorney Kerry Peck joins John Williams to answer all your questions about elder law, trusts, wills, and elder abuse.

Michelle Hoersch, Chief Planning Officer EngAging Illinois and Ryan Gruenenfelder, Senior Director of Advocacy and Outreach, AARP IL, join John Williams to talk about Illinois being designated as an ‘Age Friendly’ state, how Illinois became an age-friendly state, the 10-year plan to make Illinois a better place to age, what specific programs are making Illinois […]

Ron Traub, AARP Illinois Executive Council Member, and Neil James, Executive Director, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, join John Williams to talk about the importance of socially connected communities, what a livable and ‘age friendly’ community looks like, and what factors make a community livable.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the health benefits of laughter, if flu season is starting earlier than normal, when doctors recommend getting MMR vaccine, his thoughts on Christina Applegate’s MS misdiagnosis, and to answer all of your medical questions.

Chicago-based jazz vocalist Paul Marinaro joins John Williams to talk about the upcoming holiday show with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra at City Winery!

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about Cook County’s advisory referendums on the ballot this election, his thoughts on the upcoming mayoral election, and why he favors ranked-choice voting.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou recommends buying a particular light bulb that might be the last light bulb you will ever buy. And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday […]

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Philippe Largent, State Director, AARP Illinois, joins John Williams to talk about the work he does with AARP, Illinois earning the ‘Age Friendly State’ designation, what is needed for people to age well, and the effort to make Illinois the most livable state for people as they get older.

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about Air Canada canceling flights to the U.S due to low demand, if AI spending will translate into profits, the broadening of the stock market and why that’s good news, if he expects a Fed rate hike before the end of […]

Sara M. Krzyzaniak, MD, Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and assistant dean of graduate medical education, joins John Williams to talk about her career, when she became interested in emergency medicine, the personality type of a good ER doctor, her recent TED talk about AI and the future of […]

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the big trends surrounding the midterm elections. What are the big races that we should be paying the most attention to?

Enjoy this edition of “The Best of Speed Jokes.” What was your favorite joke of the week? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com!

Karen Kent, President of UNITE HERE Local 1, joins John Williams to talk about the biggest sticking point between hotel workers and the hotels, the current status of the negotiations, and the need for significant wage increases to compete with other cities.

36th Ward Alderman Gilbert Villegas joins John Williams to talk about Mayor Johnson’s proposed budget for 2027. Ald. Villegas tells John why he disagrees with Johnson about a corporate head tax, how raising taxes will ultimately be passed on to the consumer, and what he thinks the city needs to do to be more fiscally […]

Legendary sportswriter Peter King joins John Williams to discuss his new book, ‘The Game.’ Peter talks to John about his illustrious 40-year career covering the NFL, how the sport has changed throughout the years, how the game has surged in popularity since its humble beginnings, the way FOX reimagined covering the NFL, some of the […]

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, and Steve Bertrand, host of Steve Bertrand on Books and proprietor of Steve Bertrand Travel. The Rascals start the podcast talking about Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial attack ad featuring his Democratic […]

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with 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.

Carl Hulse, Chief Washington Correspondent, New York Times, joins John Williams to talk about how much he learned from covering local politics at the start of his career, what he sees as the biggest stories in the midterm elections, what states are likely to flip from R to D, why he’s paying close attention to […]

Michael O’Brien, Chicago Sun-Times High School Sports Editor, joins John Williams to preview the 2026 high school football playoffs. Who are the teams to beat in 8A and 7A? Michael offers some of his predictions.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Ron Brown, WGN Radio news anchor and reporter, joins John Williams to talk about AARP Illinois announcing that Illinois is being designated as an ‘Age-Friendly State.’

Michael Jacobson, President and CEO, Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, joins John Williams to talk about the Chicago hotel workers strike, what’s holding up the negotiating process, how the bargaining works, what a typical hotel worker makes, the lucrative benefits that hotel workers receive, how disruptive this has been for hotel operations, and what needs to happen so […]

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about Jalen Hurts being diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs, and the importance of not sitting down for an extended period of time.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about a variety of topics that are making news including the Chicago hotel workers strike, the viral interaction between Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and a heckler at a town hall event over the weekend who identified himself as Tommy, the Chicago Tribune poll […]

Kyle Deaton, Kenosha resident and big Milwaukee Brewers fan, joins John Williams to share his disappointment with the Brewers organization about the way they have handled his 2015 purchase of the ‘Timeless Ticket.’