WGN - The John Williams Full Show Podcast

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972, and award-winning journalist and political pundit Marj Halperin. This week, the Rascals start the podcast talking about the feud between Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor Pritzker over the Bears stadium and other issues in […]

Nick Nagele, Co-Founder, Whiskey Acres Distilling Company in DeKalb, IL, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the release of their special limited-edition America’s 250th Anniversary bourbon. It’s truly history in a bottle! And keep your ears tuned just in case extra tickets are released for John Williams’ Speed Jokes Anniversary […]

Brian Hoogeveen, The Cash Man from Americash Jewelry & Coin Buyers, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to discuss items that could be worth money. Looking to sell an old coin that you have around the house? What about that gold that you’ve been meaning to sell? Do you have some World War II or World's […]

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, who joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Bob says to keep your eyes out for fungus colonies with the […]

It's time to “Ask a Plumber.” Center Guard Plumbing's Mike Epping joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to answer listener questions about water leaks, cleaning faucets and drains, replacing hoses, and toilet flushing.

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

Joabe Barbosa, an avid runner originally from Brazil who is a Roosevelt University doctoral candidate in clinical psychology, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about being a great ambassador for the city as he continues to run the streets of Chicago, and the good news he received on his effort to […]

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, Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we head west and visit […]

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about how concerned we need to be about hantavirus and Ebola, how some people on weight loss medication are seeing ‘muscle wasting,’ the importance of being able to talk candidly to your primary […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins Jon Hansen to talk about the feud between Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on the Bears stadium and what’s going on in Springfield, why the Democrats need to get their act together ahead of the election, and his thoughts on the primary election in Kentucky and […]

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours 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 tells Jon the importance of understanding what your homeowners insurance actually covers. Lou also explains why now is the perfect time to start getting your garage organized. Listen to HouseSmarts […]

Former U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about why he favors the FAA’s restrictions on flights at O’Hare airport. The former congressman also tells Jon why he believes Mayor Brandon Johnson has failed the city and shouldn’t run for reelection.

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

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the economic impact of President Trump’s visit to China, the fragile nature of the job market, if he’s concerned about the ongoing war in Iran and the possibility of stagflation, the three things he’s currently worried […]

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about President Trump’s visit to China. What did President Trump achieve from the visit? Connell also tells Jon how Republicans are shifting their talking points on higher gas prices.

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!

Libbey Dean, White House Correspondent, NewsNation, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to tell us everything we need to know about President Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Austin Happel, Research Biologist at the Shedd Aquarium, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about a Chicago resident pulling an American eel from the Chicago River.

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, Jon Hansen has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we head on over to ‘the beginning of northern’ Michigan […]

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,  Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972, and Steve Bertrand, host of Steve Bertrand on Books and proprietor of Steve Bertrand Travel. The Rascals start with the attractions and distractions of Donald Trump from musing about Venezuela as the 51st […]

Two-time Emmy-nominated actor and Chicago native Matt Walsh joins John Williams to talk all about his role on Veep, improv, and why the show rewards a second viewing. Walsh shares stories from growing up on the South Side, his die-hard fandom for the Chicago Bears (but not a baseball team… yet) and testing material at college […]

After some crazy storms in the Chicago area, Green Attic Roofing co-owner/CEO Andrei Turea joined John Williams to discuss the signs you should look for before getting your roof checked out. Green Attic will also guide you through the insurance process, talk to the adjusters, and they offer solar as well. Listen for more below: […]

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, who joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Now that the threat of frost has passed, we finally have the “green” light to work on […]

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 explain why more Americans are struggling with student debt post-pandemic and what options still exist for federal loan relief. And as always, Rae answers all of your student loan questions.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about what we should know about the hantavirus in general, things to take into consideration pertaining to your health when on a cruise, observations from waste-stream analyses, and more.

Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John to talk about what the outcome could be following the powerhouse lineup of prominent US executives joining Trump on trip to China, the current market uptrend, CPI coming out today and what it shows, quarterly corporate earnings, […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about gerrymandering districts across the county, the ‘Trump Phone,' whether or not Mayor Brandon Johnson should be involved in the location of where The Bears move to, being able to track your friends and family with your phone and more.

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

Kelly Leonard, Vice President, Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development at The Second City and host of the “Getting to Yes, And…” podcast, joins John Williams to talk about his recent journey with open heart surgery. Kelly also talks about a podcast he recorded with an education expert from England, Daisy Christodoulou, about their new book […]

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

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com!

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 […]