WGN - The John Williams Full Show Podcast

Envoy Scott Hurula, Corps Administrator and pastor at The Salvation Army Joliet Corps, and Salvation Army volunteer Novel Woods, join John Williams to talk about the importance of Salvation Army volunteers, and what you can do if you want to be a bell-ringer this season. Your donations to The Salvation Army will help keep families […]

Matt Singer, editor and critic at ScreenCrush, and author of ‘Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever,’ joins John Williams to talk about the 50th anniversary of the TV show starring famed movie critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. Matt explains how Siskel and Ebert impacted movie criticism, their influence on films in […]

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

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 continue to water your trees and shrubs and remember to cut your lawn down to 2 inches for the winter.

John Williams read a portion of a letter from listener Janelle from Michigan: Good morning, John.  I wanted to share this with you, after listening to it again this morning….. So interesting to look back and recall the thoughts and emotions so many people were experiencing that morning a little over a year ago.  It's also nice to reflect on where we […]

U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL 14) joins John Williams to talk about what she found when she visited the Broadview ICE detention center. Rep. Underwood details the inhumane conditions at the facility and also tells John what she expects from Operation Midway Blitz in the months to come.

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 why you should go for a brief walk after having your Thanksgiving meal, why he suggests getting a COVID shot and a flu shot in separate arms, Pfizer’s mRNA flu shot outperforming the standard flu vaccine in […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the best Thanksgiving food, why he thinks Chicago’s winter-parking rules are more of a cash grab, and his idea to get rid of divisions in the NFL.

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, and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. This week, the Rascals kick off the podcast with ‘News or Noise.’ What are the news stories that are […]

Davis Jaspers, Founder & CEO of VitaLife, joins John Williams to talk about their weight loss and wellness program, how they are able to figure out what the body needs, their focus on getting metabolism working the way it should, what their weight loss program looks like and the typical client they serve, if they […]

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 a podcast he recorded with Dr. James Kimmel about his new book, “The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World’s Deadliest Addiction and How to Overcome It.” Kelly […]

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou has some amazing advice on how to pre-clean your dishwasher before Thanksgiving. And, as always, Lou 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.

After 6 rounds of voting on 64 of Chicagoland’s favorite Christmas events and attractions, polls officially closed at 10 AM, November 24th. WGN Radio senior digital strategist and bracketologist Michael Piff joined John Williams to announce and call the winner of the Chicagoland Christmas Traditions Tournament, sponsored by Treetime Christmas Creations. Listen to the announcement […]

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the likelihood we see an interest rate cut in December, why the stock market likes the idea of a rate cut, where people should be putting their money considering the volatility in the market, why consumer sentiment is down, his thoughts […]

Dr. David J. Gunkel, Distinguished Research Professor, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Chair – Department of Communication, Northern Illinois University, joins John Williams to talk about AI generated music, what the AI landscape in the arts is like right now, how human artists are using AI in their music, the ethical problems that come with AI, who […]

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!

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk about President Donald Trump meeting New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, the Coast Guard changing their swastika policy, President Trump telling a reporter, ‘Quiet, piggy,’ and President Trump accusing several Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behavior,” after they posted a video telling military and intelligence officers to “refuse illegal orders.” […]

Kimberly Bares, CEO, Magnificent Mile Association, tells John Williams to tell us everything we need to know about this year's Magnificent Mile Lights Festival! Kimberly also talks about the economic impact and what it means for the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.

Judy Socha, who has organized the Addison blood bank for over 50 years, joins John Williams to talk about her personal connection to blood drives, the importance of people donating blood, why she continues her mission to help bring in blood, the wonderful people that she has met on her journey, the amount of blood they […]

It's time once again for our Best of the Midwest feature! Are you trying to come up with some holiday 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 north and visit with the always delightful Stephanie Klett, President […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the three things she’s going to add to her Thanksgiving routine, how to add color to your Thanksgiving meal, the most important tip to enjoy a healthy Thanksgiving, and how to R.E.S.E.T. your health the next day and beyond!

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

John Williams talks with Jeff Nydegger of JeffBuysYourHouse.com and Chris Kasper, both veterans of the U.S. Army. The two became friends while serving in the 864th Combat Heavy Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington. In 2003, while attached to the 101st Airborne, the two were among the first to cross the border into Iraq. They […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, political pundit Marj Halperin, and long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. This week, the Rascals start the podcast talking about Illinois launching Mobile ID for iPhones. Are the Rascals on board with the new technology feature? Next, Mayor […]

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias joins John Williams to talk about Illinois implementing Mobile IDs. Secretary Giannoulias explains how the digital technology works, why this technology is both convenient and safe, where you can use your digital ID right now, when the mobile ID will come to Android phones, and if passports will be coming to your […]

Tameka Patterson, MSW, LSW Divisional Pathway of Hope Project Manager, The Salvation Army, North and Central Illinois Division, joins John Williams to talk about the work she does at the Salvation Army, what they do to help families in tough circumstances, how many people they typically serve in a day, how each family they help […]

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.

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

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer, Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about it being cold and flu season and the importance of getting your flu vaccine. Dr. Kopin also talks about a new study that showed daily music listening being linked to a big drop in dementia risk, the […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about his choice for ‘Word of the Year,’ Border Patrol leaving the Chicago area, and the Chicago City Council Finance Committee rejecting Brandon Johnson’s head tax proposal.

Jen Jolly, tech reporter and founder of Techish.com, joins John Williams to talk about some of the top tech trends for 2025 and the best gadgets for the holiday season.

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. This week, Lou offers tips on how to prep your house if you are hosting Thanksgiving. Lou also answers your home improvement questions about window cleaning, outside hoses, and fruit flies. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each […]

WGN Radio Senior Digital Strategist and Bracketologist Michael Piff joined John Williams to give an update on our inaugural Chicagoland Christmas Traditions Tournament, sponsored by Treetime Christmas Creations, and breakdown the Final Four, which includes Illumination at the Morton Arboretum, Lake Zurich’s Miracle on Main Street, the Chicago Botanic Garden Lightscape and Holiday Magic at […]

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

Michelle Nichols, Director of Public Observing, The Adler Planetarium, joins John Williams to explain why Chicago recently saw one of the most vivid Aurora Borealis displays in decades. Michelle breaks down how solar flares and coronal mass ejections trigger auroras, why this event reached as far south as El Salvador, and why your phone can detect colors […]

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk about the latest news stories of the day including the Epstein files, immigration, and how the economy is shifting under the Trump presidency.

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!

The 34th annual Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival returns on Saturday, November 22, filling Chicago's iconic avenue with holiday wonder, glowing lights, and the joyful kickoff to the season. There in full celebration mode will be Lifeway Foods offering delicious samples of Lifeway Kefir during the day. At night, they’ll unveil a sparkling parade float, […]