John Williams

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 the The Last Ward, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week the Rascals begin the podcast talking about Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino returning to the Chicago area. The Rascals unpack the latest immigration enforcement […]

John Williams hosts the annual Salvation Army Radiothon. Our Virtual Red Kettle was stuffed thanks to our amazing WGN listeners and all of our generous sponsors. Special thanks to the one and only David Hochberg, The Salvation Army’s Major Caleb Senn, good ol’ #97 Chris Zorich, the always delightful Corey McPherrin, formerly from your TV, […]

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

Adam Petraglia, Executive Director and Founder, Bricks of Hope, joins John Williams to talk about the incredible story that led him to start Bricks of Hope, the organization’s mission to deliver LEGO toys to sick children, what is so special about LEGO toys, how the community is aligned with their mission, his favorite LEGO kit, and […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about his favorite holiday song, Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino returning to Chicago, President Trump’s Chief of Staff doing an interview with Vanity Fair, and Governor Pritzker signing the ‘Medical Aid in Dying’ bill into law.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the wonderful staff at their hospital and the great care they provide the community, the amount of flu that is on its way to Illinois, what you can do to try and avoid the flu, and […]

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

Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John to talk about some year-end tips and things to be aware of before 2026, a reminder about your RMD, the economic data being released later this week, the Supreme Court decision on President Trump’s tariffs, what […]

The great film critic Michael Phillips joins John Williams to talk about the life and legacy of the great Rob Reiner, the award-winning Hollywood actor and director, who along with his wife, Michele, were found stabbed to death in their home on Sunday.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou talks about dripping water to avoid your pipes freezing, and the best setting for your thermostat during the winter. Lou also answers all of your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning […]

Cate Plys, long-time Chicago journalist, Mincing Rascals panelist, and publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972 on Substack, joins John Williams to talk about how Chicago can make the city’s trash fee more equitable.

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

Attorney Rae Kaplan of Kaplan Law Firm joins John Williams to talk about The Education Department announcing a proposed settlement with the state of Missouri that it said would terminate the SAVE plan. What does this mean for student loan borrowers? Rae breaks it all down.

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk about Indiana lawmakers voting against a redistricting effort favored by President Trump, and what we should know about the seizure of an oil tanker near Venezuela.

Craig Bolanos, Co-Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John to talk about the possibility of the Dow reaching 50K, his concern over the labor market in 2026, why people should be excited about their 401(k) prospects in 2026, how many rate cuts does he see in the next year, why he’s watching AI closely, what […]

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!

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins Wendy Snyder to talk about how every meal does not have to be perfect, the benefits of watercress, the healthiest type of spread, if grocery store rotisserie chicken is good for you, and what foods can help your metabolism. Dawn also answers all of your health and nutrition questions.

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward, and multi-media journalist Brandon Pope, author of Brandon Pope's Screening Room. The ‘kids table’ Rascals begin the podcast by breaking down the last drama surrounding the Chicago budget. Will there […]

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the impact of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates again. What does this mean for you? David hosts “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm on WGN Radio. You can call him at 855-56-David, […]

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

John is on vacation, but provides an update on this week’s podcast recording.

Ashley Joyce, Chairman of Duchossois Capital Management and the Duchossois Family Foundation, joins Wendy Snyder to talk about next week’s Salvation Army Radiothon and their generous $25,000 matching donation. Ashley tells Wendy about what the Salvation Army means to the Duchossois family, the importance of giving during the holiday season, how long the Duchossois family […]

Noted pet expert Steve Dale, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about his new book, “Ask the Dog.”

Jim Summaria and Mark Plotnick join Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about their newest book, ‘70’s Chicagoland Rock Concerts.’ Jim and Mark talk to Wendy about their first concerts, Jim describes how he became interested in rock-n-roll photography, the Chicago area venues that hosted the top artists of the time, and […]

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

Dr. Stephen Jumic, hospital medicine at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about flu cases increasing, how dangerous the flu can be, the importance of getting vaccinated, if you should get a vaccine if you already had the flu, and if it’s too late to get a […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about this weekend’s Songs of Good Cheer event at The Old Town School of Folk Music (get tickets here), his favorite Christmas songs, and why he’s in favor of the medical aid in dying bill that is still sitting on […]

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

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. This week, Lou tells us what you can do to prevent ice dams. Lou also answers all of your home improvement questions and absolves himself from any blame for the […]

Alexander Zalben, Editor of Comic Book Club, joins Wendy Snyder in for John Williams to break down the 2026 Golden Globe nominations.

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

Wendy Snyder (in for John Williams) is joined by legendary television journalist Bill Kurtis to talk all about his new book, Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News. Kurtis shares fascinating stories from his storied career while promoting his interview with WGN’s Larry Potash at the Museum of Broadcast Communications on Saturday, December 6th, 2025.

Tom Appel, Publisher, Consumer Guide Automotive and host of the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast, joins John Williams to talk about the Trump administration rolling back fuel economy standards. Tom breaks down what this means.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about why you should not eat lunch while you a working, and the one habit that could decrease your risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, and weight gain. Dawn also answers your health and nutrition questions.

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, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, political pundit Marj Halperin, and long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. This week, the Rascals start the podcast discussing Northwestern University paying $75 million to the federal government over the next three years to to get federal funding […]

Captain Christine Coreano, Corps Officer, The Salvation Army Oakbrook Terrace, North and Central Illinois Division, joins John Williams to talk about her career in the Salvation Army, how food insecurity is an issue in every community, who their food programs serve, the reliance on food donations, their desire to meet every need in the community, […]

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about mortgage rates coming down a bit, if he thinks the Fed will cut interest rates later this month, how homes have appreciated in the area, how much credit card debt Americans are holding, why he insists on paying off credit card debt every […]

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

Clem Martin from Christ the King Jesuit College Prep joins John Williams on this Marquette Bank Giving Tuesday to talk about how long the school has been around, the students who make up Christ the King, where most of the students come from, the support they receive from Marquette Bank, and the unique Corporate Work […]

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about what you can take to combat the common cold, the World Health Organization issuing the first-ever guidelines for use of GLP-1 weight loss medications, and what you can do to protect yourself from Norovirus.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about Northwestern University agreeing to pay $75 million to the Trump administration to restore frozen funding, and the controversy surrounding a Sept. 2 attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. And don’t forget! You can still get tickets to Eric’s wonderful Christmas event, “Songs […]