WGN - The John Williams Full Show Podcast

Attorney Rae Kaplan of Kaplan Law Firm joins John Williams to talk about a new deadline for Parent Plus borrowers. And as always, Rae answers all of your student loan questions.

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the Senate voting to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, and the latest on the negotiations to end the war with Iran.

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the uncertainty in the market, how he hasn’t seen any economic data that would mean a recession is looming, when he thinks we might fully recover from the war in Iran, if he thinks the Fed is making the right policy decisions, […]

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 a jury in California found that Meta and Google were to blame for harm caused to a woman who compulsively used social media as a small child.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 guide to pesticides in fruits and vegetables. And as always, Dawn answers all of your food and nutrition questions.

Lawrence Colburn, owner of Preservation in Geneva, joins John Williams to talk about his contemporary American restaurant, why he decided to open a restaurant in Geneva after working downtown, the gorgeous outdoor space at the restaurant, the accessible wine list, his favorite dishes at the restaurant, what he expects for business during the upcoming summer […]

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 talk a trip west and visit Allamakee County in […]

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

After 4 weeks of voting on 160 Chicago pizza places, 128 Mom & Pops and 32 Local Chains, the polls are closed and we have our 2026 Chicago Pizza Madness Champions. Chicago’s Very Own Eats co-host and WGN Radio bracketologist Michael Piff joined John Williams and Andy Masur to announce and call the winners. Listen […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, and Steve Bertrand, host of the ‘Steve Bertrand on Books‘ podcast. This week’s John Williams-less podcast begins with the gang discussing the […]

Elder law attorney Kerry Peck joins John Williams to answer all your questions about elder law, trusts, wills, and elder abuse.

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst and co-host of the sports betting show “Chicken Dinner,” joins John Williams to break down the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. Sam also gives some thoughts on the upcoming MLB season.

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. Will last week’s freeze cause damage? And when will you start to see your plants pop? Is it […]

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 deadly shooting of Loyola student Sheridan Gorman.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer, Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about coming to the end of flu season, the viruses that we need to be aware of right now, what we should know about tuberculosis, a higher-dose Wegovy shot being approved by the FDA, and what you can […]

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

Chicago trial attorney Karen Conti, Founding Partner, Conti & Dolan Law, and host of the Karen Conti Show on WGN Radio, joins John Williams to discuss the deadly shooting of Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman and a Venezuelan migrant being charged with the murder.

Michael Jacobson, President and CEO, Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, joins John Williams to talk about why the IHLA supports a tax hike on downtown hotel rooms.

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 of cleaning and sealing your stone counters. 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. And today is a special batch as March, 23rd, 2026 marks six years since John started telling jokes! Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Craig Ferguson, actor, comedian, and host of ‘Scrabble,’ Thursdays on the CW, joins John Williams to talk about how long he’s been living and working in the United States, what it was like when he became a U.S. citizen, how the Scrabble board game translates to TV, if he has any desire to return to […]

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about his last two weeks reporting from the Middle East, how many residents in the Middle East are worried about the long-term damage of the war in Iran, the possibility we see U.S. troops on the ground, and what the administration hopes […]

Sam Toia, President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, tells John why the Illinois Restaurant Association believes that the phase-out of the subminimum wage will eliminate many restaurant jobs.

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!

Chris Balke, Owner, All City Brick Staining, talks to John about their business and how they help customers transform and revitalize brick surfaces with their expert staining services. Chris explains who their biggest customers are, if there is a popular color right now, how long a typical job takes, how business is going right now, […]

Author and journalist Danny Funt joins John Williams to discuss his book, ‘Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling.’ Danny tells John about how much the average gambler lose a month, how difficult it is to outsmart a point spread, when the prop bet was created, how people who bet in-game are more […]

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. The Rascals kick off the podcast talking about the results of yesterday’s Illinois primary. What were the major takeaways from the results? The Chicago Teachers Union wants students […]

Chicago Tribune chief political reporter Rick Pearson joins John Williams to recap last night’s Illinois primary election. What were Rick’s biggest takeaways?

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. 

Darren Bailey joins John Williams to talk about winning the GOP nomination for Illinois governor and how he plans to defeat Governor Pritzker in November. What does he plan to do differently this time?

With our international correspondent Sara Tieman back in the States for a visit, the Book Club scheduled a quick get-together to discuss some of the latest books they’ve been reading. John Williams (weekdays 10am-2pm, including The Noon Business Lunch, plus the Mincing Rascals podcast) The Sea Captain’s Wife: A True Story of Mutiny, Love, and Adventure at the […]

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 new medical guidance that suggests that more adults should consider starting cholesterol-lowering medications earlier to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke.

John Williams, Steve Alexander, Lou Manfredini, and the great WGN listeners reflect on the life and legacy of WGN Radio legend, the one and only Orion Samuelson, who passed away at age 91.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about election day in Illinois, the races that he’s most interested in, the Chicago City Council expected to vote on restoring Chicago’s subminimum wage, and what he thinks of CTU wanting students to take a day off of school to engage in civic engagement. […]

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst and co-host of the sports betting show “Chicken Dinner,” joins John Williams to give us his picks for the men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament.

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

Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, joins John Williams to talk about a new Washington Post editorial backing four key reforms to change Chicago's financial trajectory.

Jackson Potter, Vice President, Chicago Teachers Union, joins John Williams to talk about the effort to close schools on May 1st so students and teachers can take part in a civic day of action.