WGN - The John Williams Uncut Podcast

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 […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to break down the new dietary guidelines that call for prioritizing high-quality protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—and avoiding highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates. Dawn tells us what she likes and what she doesn’t like about the new food pyramid.

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, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, multi-media journalist Brandon Pope, author of Brandon Pope's Screening Room, and political pundit Marj Halperin! The Rascals begin the podcast this week talking about the ICE shooting in Minneapolis that left […]

Jenn Jolly, tech reporter, founder of Techish.com, and host of the Techishly Jenn podcast, joins John Williams to talk about the hot tech items to see at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about consumer debt continuing to be high, what expects from mortgage interest rates in 2026, his thoughts on jobs data and inflation, and what he makes of U-Haul’s Growth Index. David hosts “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm on […]

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 what we need to know about battery disposal since the Portable and Medium-Format Battery Stewardship Act went into effect on January 1st. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the rise in flu cases in the area, how people typically get the flu, why it’s so important to stay home if you are feeling sick, the rise in vaccine hesitancy, and to answer all of your […]

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

U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL5) joins John Williams to talk about what Congress can do about the situation with Venezuela, if there was justification for capturing Maduro, and if he’s going to run for mayor of Chicago.

Author, terrorism analyst, and DePaul University history professor Dr. Thomas Mockaitis joins John Williams to discuss the U.S. seizing Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro to put him on trial in New York for drug trafficking and other federal crimes.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Now that the holidays are over, Lou gives us some deep cleaning tips to get your house back in order. Lou also answers all of your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday […]

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

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 December 2025! What was your favorite joke this month? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joins John Williams to discuss investigations into state employees who improperly received PPP loans during the pandemic. The conversation also explores immigration enforcement, concerns over federal agents operating in Illinois communities, and recent court rulings involving the National Guard and the balance of power between state and federal government