WGN - The John Williams Full Show Podcast

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the 16-year-old lifeguard who saved a 10-year old boy, and the latest on the war in Iran.

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 her recent Op-ed in the Tribune, ‘Why are we still pretending Big Tech cares about our classrooms.’ Liz Shulman is the author of the forthcoming ‘By the Book: […]

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!

Restaurateur Dan Hart, President of Hart Alliance, to talk about the restaurants he runs in McHenry, why McHenry is a great place to do business, the benefits of being located close to the Fox River, some of the fan favorites at his restaurants, the challenge of running a restaurant in the current climate, what drove […]

Michelle DiCola, Chicago's director of traffic management in the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, joins John to talk about all the work that goes into making sure people that are attending events in Chicago do so safely.

Thomas Hillier, local history librarian at the McHenry Public Library, and Chairman, City of McHenry Landmark Commission, joins John Williams to talk about the unique history of McHenry, what originally drew people out to the area, how people used to come to McHenry for vacation, the three different sections of the town, and how McHenry […]

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 head to beautiful Mirror Lake State Park and visit […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about her favorite types of fruit, two fruits that are good for your heart health, tips to turn fruit into dessert, what you should know about the cyclospora outbreak, why you should still feel safe eating fruits and vegetables, and to answer all of your health […]

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, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972, and multi-media journalist Brandon Pope, author of Brandon Pope's Screening Room. This week, the Rascals begin the podcast talking about President Trump’s speech at […]

Attorney Rich Lenkov, Capital Member, Downey & Lenkov, and co-host of “Legal Face-Off” on wgnradio.com, joins John Williams to talk about a number of legal issues in the news including Illinois banning cell phones in public schools, Dr. Fauci’s testimony before a Senate committee investigating the origins of Covid-19, and Tony Romo’s being arrested on suspicion of operating […]

From July 2007: John Williams talks with Irish musician Glen Hansard. Hansard died today at age 56.

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

Gabriela & Claudia Siemionkowicz join John Williams to talk about their effort to get their mom back home after she was detained by ICE and is now in prison in Kentucky. If you want to help Gabriela and Claudia, you can donate to the Go Fund Me here.

Dr. Michael Lou, hospital medicine at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, joins John to give us an update on the cyclospora outbreak. Dr. Lou tells John about how its spread, how long it takes before you notice symptoms, why it’s difficult to trace, how cyclospora is typically treated, and what you can do to protect yourself from […]

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

Stephen Woldenberg, SVP of Sales for Learning Resources Brands, joins John to talk about how the company filed a lawsuit on Friday over Trump’s new tariffs.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou tells John how to get rid of fog on your windows, and how long you need to water your small to medium sized bushes and trees. Lou also answers all of your home improvement […]

Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John to talk about the difference between income and assets, what you should know about annuities, what's driving the market this lately, if he's concerned about the imposing new tariffs on Canada, and if he's still optimistic […]

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

Matt Dietrich, Spokesperson for the Illinois Board of Elections, joins John Williams to talk about the work that the Illinois Board of Elections does to ensure that noncitizens aren’t able to register to vote.

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, talks to John about how the market is becoming less forgiving, why the markets are looking past tariffs, if he’s concerned about inflation, employment being historically strong, and why he believes this could be a buying opportunity.

Julia McCartha, Cinemark Public Relations, joins John Williams to talk about how many theaters they have that show Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ in 70mm IMAX, how people are traveling great distances to come to Woodridge to see the film in the IMAX format, and how the IMAX experience differs from the standard theater experience.

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!

Asher Perlman, Comedian, Writer, and Cartoonist, joins John Williams to talk about his career being a writer for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, what it was like working at the show after they knew it was going to be going off the air, how he creates his cartoons, how the comedy landscape has been changing, […]

WGN Radio Chicago Blackhawks studio host Charlie Roumeliotis joins John Williams and Andy Masur to talk about the return of the great Patrick Kane to the Hawks! Charlie says that the Hawks feel like Patrick Kane can still produce at a high level, why this deal makes sense for the team moving forward, if he believes […]

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 trip north and visit with the always […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the best way to choose eggs, her thoughts on gluten-free diets, what you need to do if you want to build muscle, how older people can benefit from lifting weights, and to answer all of 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, Steve Bertrand, host of Steve Bertrand on Books and proprietor of Steve Bertrand Travel, and award-winning journalist and political pundit Marj Halperin. The Rascals begin the podcast talking a bit about the new book, ‘Regime Change,’ and the smoke-filled air that has been hanging around Chicago. […]

Chicago native Curtis Granderson, TBS baseball analyst and former MLB All-Star, joins John Williams to talk about his lengthy professional baseball career, the upcoming MLW Wiffle Ball series returning to Curtis Granderson Stadium at UIC, the Youth Collector Clubs Initiative that amplifies collector educational efforts, his thoughts on this year’s Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, […]

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. Bob says that you should still keep watering and if the humidity comes back, to keep an eye […]

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 viral video that shows a person at a Cubs game slapping the fan in front of him for not standing for the national anthem, if political candidates should run for multiple offices at the same time, the candidates lining up to become […]

Dr. Michael Bauer, Medical Director, Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, talks to John Williams about the latest on the cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US, the FDA approving a daily pill that could lower cholesterol level, and a new study that shows regular coffee consumption may be linked to a lower risk of stroke, […]

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

Emily Austin, Associate Professor of Classics and the College, The University of Chicago, joins John Williams to talk about Christopher Nolan’s new movie ‘The Odyssey’ and what we should know about the original text of the poem.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou says that it’s time for dead branch pruning. Lou also answers all of your home improvement questions. 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.

Michael Evans Behling, star of The CW's hit drama ‘All American,’ joins John Williams to to talk about how many times he’s been to the Chicago area having grown up in the Midwest, what the show ‘All American’ is all about, the transitions in the show over the course of 8 seasons, his experience running […]

America's Toy Scout, Joel Magee, joins John Williams to take some calls and answer questions about your old toys. Do you have any collectibles sitting around that house that could be worth money? Joel has the answers. Joel will be in the Chicago area this week and you can find all the details here.

Niall Stanage, White House Reporter, The Hill, joins John Williams to talk break down President Trump’s speech about election interference.