WGN - The John Williams Full Show Podcast

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the big stories of the week including the news coming out of the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the status of what’s going on with Greenland.

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst and co-host of the sports betting show ‘Chicken Dinner,' joins John to recap the Bears loss to the Rams, what he expects the over / under to be for Bears wins next season, the difficulty in NFL teams sustaining success, what we should be looking for when we are […]

We don’t need to tell you that it is cold outside. Which means, it is a great time to curl up in your favorite chair, under a warm blanket, and enjoy some great books. Our book lovers – John Williams, Steve Alexander, Bob Kessler and Sara Tieman – have put together lists of their favorite […]

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 John Williams to talk about the best nutritious food to help keep you warm, the health benefits of soup, a new study that shows what little things you can do to add a year to your life, the foods you can eat that could lower your risk of death from […]

The great film critic Michael Phillips joins John Williams to break down the 2026 Oscar nominations. What were the biggest snubs and surprises? And click here for some other movie recommendations from Michael.

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

WGN Radio is proud to announce that the RTDNA Foundation and their 2026 First Amendment Awards has honored Steve Bertrand with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The foundation's awards celebrate the efforts to promote responsible journalism and preserve the constitutionally guaranteed rights to do so. Past honorees include local reporters, network anchors, members of the U.S. […]

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 recently retired newsman Steve Bertrand. The Rascals kick off the podcast talking about the Bears losing to the Rams in the playoffs and the controversy over the Sun-Times headline, “Good, Better, […]

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign computer science professor Dr. Sheldon Jacobson joins John Williams to talk about the future of college athletics in the time of NIL and the transfer portal.

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 latest on flu cases in Illinois, and a new study that concluded that there is no link between Tylenol/acetaminophen and autism.

Nicholas Grossman, Professor of Political Science, University of Illinois, joins John Williams to talk about President Trump’s continued interest in acquiring Greenland. Professor Grossman explains the relationship between Denmark and Greenland, what the island of Greenland is like, if China and Russia present a viable threat, if it’s possible for the U.S. to buy Greenland, and […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the controversy surrounding the Sun-Times headline after the Bears loss to the Rams, if the success of the Bears will impact the team’s desire to move, and President Trump’s attempt to acquire Greenland.

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

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk about the new food pyramid and how that will impact the cost of food, the popularity of President Trump’s immigration policies, and the debate over the ICE shooting of Renee Good.

Craig Bolanos, Co-founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to explain why he believes 2026 will be a good year for the market, the attacks on Fed independence, the streak of positive economic data, the importance of a diversified portfolio, and what he’s telling his clients right now. For more information, go to GetRetiredStayRetired.com.

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst and co-host of the sports betting show ‘Chicken Dinner,' joins John Williams to tell us what we need to know about the betting scandal that involved former DePaul basketball players, who he likes in the College Football Championship game, and his thoughts on the big Bears v. Rams game. Go […]

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!

Attorney Rich Lenkov, Capital Member, Downey & Lenkov, and co-host of “Legal Face-Off” on wgnradio.com, joins John Williams to talk about the Supreme Court ruling that Illinois Congressman can challenge the mail-in ballot deadline.

Nat and Mikey, two schoolteachers from England, took a bold leap and a year off from their classroom to explore America the slow way… by hitchhiking, canoe, and curiosity. They landed in Denver, made their way to Montana, bought their first-ever canoe, and have been paddling down the Missouri into the Mississippi on their way […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to review the new dietary guidelines, if coffee can count as part of your daily water intake, the health benefits of interval walking, why you should get a device to monitor your steps, and to share her thoughts on what she learned from a former New York Times […]

Marisa de la Torre, Managing Director and Senior Research Associate at the UChicago Consortium, joins John Williams to talk about a study she co-authored that breaks down how students' absence rates have changed since the pandemic.

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, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, and long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. This week, the Rascals start the podcast talking about the Chicago Bears beating the Green Bay […]

Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, joins John to explain why there are no licensed hot dog carts in Chicago.

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. Today, Harvey tells us about some of the benefits of Amazon Prime, where you will be able to watch and stream all of the NFL playoff games this weekend, what […]

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 the strong market performance so far this year, what he anticipates for interest rates this year, the positive economic news coming out recently, and what you should know about new 2026 tax rules.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the amount of flu cases they are seeing at the hospital, the importance of getting your flu shot, other ways you can help protect yourself from illness like getting enough sleep, and the promising early results […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about his beautiful tribute to his father, Jens, who recently passed away. Eric also talks about ex-mayor Lori Lightfoot’s credit card debt, and Ben Johnson’s behavior after the Bears victory over the Green Bay Packers.

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, once again, explains what you need to know about recycling single use batteries. Lou also says there is still some household cleanup that you can take advantage of before it gets really cold again. Listen […]

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

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to give us the latest news about the ICE shooting in Minneapolis.

John Roberson, Executive Vice President of the Obama Presidential Center, joins John Williams to talk about what makes the Obama Presidential Center unique, what he considers to be the centerpiece of the presidential center, and what we should know about the 150 full-time positions they are currently hiring for.

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst, and co-host of the sports betting show, ‘Chicken Dinner' joins John Williams to talk break down what we need to know about the big Bears v. Packers playoff game this weekend. Why are the Packers still favored to win the game? Sam tells us some of his favorite bets for […]

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!

Now that 2025 is officially in the books, John Williams wants you to decide which Speed Joke was the best one of the year! In the past, we have identified the Best Speed Jokes of 2024 and 2023 in WGN Radio Tournament fashion. This year, we’re making it easier by having you vote for your […]

U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL 16) joins John Williams to talk about the ICE shooting in Minneapolis, how he feels the immigration effort by DHS is going, the latest on the situation in Venezuela, and if he believes the capture of Maduro was legal.

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 review the new CNN documentary, ‘I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not.'

It's time once again for our Best of the Midwest feature! Are you trying to come up with some winter vacation ideas that are only a quick getaway from the Chicago area? Well, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we head across the cheddar curtain and visit with the great Stephanie […]