WGN - The John Williams Full Show Podcast

Christopher Parente, Partner, Cheronis & Parente, joins John Williams to talk about how former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s testimony earlier in the week about his client, Marimar Martinez, who was shot by Federal agents last October, possibly contributed to Noem being removed from her position leading DHS.

Jared Gans, staff writer, The Hill, joins John Williams to talk about the latest news coming out of Iran.

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the disappointing and surprising job report data, how the attack on Iran is impacting the economy, why we need to pay attention to the price of oil, why he’s still expecting economic growth this year, how the markets are reacting 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!

Dave Masa, Owner, Radon Reduction Systems, joins John Williams to talk about the Illinois Radon Protection Act and the importance of ensuring consistent radon testing standards in Illinois schools.

John Bryan joins John Williams to talk about why he’s suing the city of Yorkville over a proposed data center in the area, saying the project will destroy his quality of life.

Longtime Chicago radio veteran Harvey Wells, founder, Lower Tech Bills, talks to John about how he helps customers lower their internet, cell phone, and television costs. Harvey discusses skinny bundles, and what to know about Paramount-Warner Bros. merger and what it might mean for your streaming costs.

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, long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972, political pundit Marj Halperin, and Steve Bertrand, host of the ‘Steve Bertrand on Books‘ podcast. This week, the Rascals start the podcast discussing the U.S. attack on Iran. Do the Rascals think the attack was warranted? Next, […]

Xavier Walton, National Correspondent, NewsNation, joins John to break down the results of the U.S. Senate primary in Texas. What were the big takeaways?

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about how the war in Iran has impacted interest rates, the housing market stabilizing in the Chicago area, and how young people are typically buying property. David also answers all of your questions. David hosts “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Saturdays from 10am […]

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 possibility of seeing a single nasal spray vaccine that could protect against all coughs, colds and flus, a new study showing some of the health risks of GLP-1’s, and how AI will impact healthcare.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about how he keeps a record of his old columns, if we should honor Jesse Jackson by renaming a park or airport for him, his thoughts on Iran, and the likelihood that Chicago lands the DNC in 2028.

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

Author, terrorism analyst, and DePaul University history professor Dr. Thomas Mockaitis joins John Williams to discuss the latest news about the U.S. attack on Iran. Dr. Mockaitis tells John everything we need to know. Will this attack make it unsafe for Americans across the globe?

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Since the calendar has switched to March, it’s time to take care of some of that early spring pruning! And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday […]

Marge Sipla, Speed Jokes spirit animal, cataloger, and member of the Speed Jokes Committee, joins John Williams and the gang to give us her favorite Speed Jokes of February 2026! What was your favorite joke this month? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com

Author and journalist Sophie Elmhirst joins John Williams to discuss her book, ‘A Marriage at SeaA True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck.’

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about today’s inflation report and how the market is reacting to the news, why inflation remains a bit sticky, what will likely happen with tariffs, and Bill and Hillary Clinton’s testimony before House Oversight Committee this week regarding their ties to Jeffrey […]

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!

Kemi-Bo Jacobs, starring as Agnes in ‘Hamnet' at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, joins John Williams to talk about the production, how the Chicago Shakespeare Theater is a magical place to perform, what you can expect when you see this production, what is so wonderful about this play, the influence of the source material […]

Kirstin Dahm, Director of Parks and Recreation, Oak Forest Park District, joins John Williams to talk about the vibrant park program in Oak Forest, the types of events and activities they program, their mission to serve the community, some of the most popular programs that are available for their residents, how they are able to […]

After the last meeting when the WGN Radio Book Club discussed their favorite books of 2025, our book lovers – John Williams, Steve Alexander, Bob Kessler, Steve Bertrand and Sara Tieman – have returned to discuss the books they’ve been reading during the first couple of months of 2026. John Williams (weekdays 10am-2pm, including The Noon […]

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, multi-media journalist Brandon Pope, author of Brandon Pope's Screening Room, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week, the Rascals start things off by breaking down President Trump’s State of the Union. What were the big takeaways from the speech? Next, the Rascals discuss […]

Elder law attorney Kerry Peck joins John Williams to answer all your questions about elder law, trusts, wills, and elder abuse. Kerry implores listeners to make sure to plan ahead because you never know what’s coming.

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

John Williams tells the (hilarious) tale of almost burning down the place where his elderly parents are living.

Dr. Sadiya Khan, Director, Center for Population Science and Aging, Northwestern Medicine, joins John Williams to talk about the public splash around weight loss medications and how they interact with the heart, the heart-related benefits of weight loss drugs, the risks or side-effects people should be aware of, who is the appropriate candidate for GLP-1 […]

Dr. Priya Freaney, Medical Director, Women's Heart Care Program, Northwestern Medicine, joins John to talk about women’s cardiovascular health, why heart disease doesn’t look the same in women as it does in men, the symptoms that are more common in women, the risk factors that are unique to women, and the most important steps women […]

Dr. Kannan Mutharasan, Medical Director, Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute South Region, Northwestern Medicine, joins John Williams to talk about heart health month, the most common form of heart disease, when someone should consider seeing a cardiologist, the importance of understanding risk factors, and what people can do to lower their risk of heart disease.

Dr. Rod Passman, Director, Center for Arrhythmia Research, Northwestern Medicine, joins John Williams to talk about how many people in the U.S. are living with atrial fibrillation, the most common symptoms of AFib, how AFib is sometimes asymptomatic, who is at most risk of Afib, the role wearables have in detecting AFib, what you can […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the Chicago Tribune’s ‘non-endorsement endorsement’ of political candidates, why he’s not a fan of newspapers endorsing political candidates, his thoughts on Darren Bailey’s campaign for governor, Juliana Stratton’s new campaign ad featuring a number of people (including Sen. Tammy Duckworth) saying, ‘F-Trump,’ and […]

Peter Greenberg, ‘Eye on Travel‘ host and CBS News travel editor, joins John Williams to talk about the latest on Global Entry and TSA PreCheck availability and what travelers should expect during the partial government shutdown. Peter also gives us an update on the situation in Mexico.

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 explains the importance picking the right countertops and sink when you are doing a kitchen remodel. 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.

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 the decision.

Grammy nominated jazz vocalist and composer Michael Mayo joins John Williams in-studio to talk about how long he’s been making music and performing, the influence his parents had on his career, how singing is the way his family communicates, the journey of finding his voice, the influences that shaped his latest record, ‘Fly,’ his love […]

Comedian Lio Cundiff joins John Williams to talk about how he jumped into Lake Michigan to help save a baby who had been blown into the water.

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about SCOTUS striking down President Trump’s tariffs, the uncertainty of what the ruling will mean for the economy, the latest on the Epstein files, the likelihood the US may start a war with Iran, and the disappointing GDP number released today.