WGN - The John Williams Uncut Podcast

Libbey Dean, White House Correspondent, NewsNation, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to tell us everything we need to know about President Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Austin Happel, Research Biologist at the Shedd Aquarium, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about a Chicago resident pulling an American eel from the Chicago River.

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, Jon Hansen has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we head on over to ‘the beginning of northern’ Michigan […]

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 of The Picayune Sentinel,  Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972, and Steve Bertrand, host of Steve Bertrand on Books and proprietor of Steve Bertrand Travel. The Rascals start with the attractions and distractions of Donald Trump from musing about Venezuela as the 51st […]

Two-time Emmy-nominated actor and Chicago native Matt Walsh joins John Williams to talk all about his role on Veep, improv, and why the show rewards a second viewing. Walsh shares stories from growing up on the South Side, his die-hard fandom for the Chicago Bears (but not a baseball team… yet) and testing material at college […]

After some crazy storms in the Chicago area, Green Attic Roofing co-owner/CEO Andrei Turea joined John Williams to discuss the signs you should look for before getting your roof checked out. Green Attic will also guide you through the insurance process, talk to the adjusters, and they offer solar as well. Listen for more below: […]

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, who joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Now that the threat of frost has passed, we finally have the “green” light to work on […]

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

Attorney Rae Kaplan of Kaplan Law Firm joins John Williams to explain why more Americans are struggling with student debt post-pandemic and what options still exist for federal loan relief. And as always, Rae answers all of your student loan questions.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about what we should know about the hantavirus in general, things to take into consideration pertaining to your health when on a cruise, observations from waste-stream analyses, and more.

Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John to talk about what the outcome could be following the powerhouse lineup of prominent US executives joining Trump on trip to China, the current market uptrend, CPI coming out today and what it shows, quarterly corporate earnings, […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about gerrymandering districts across the county, the ‘Trump Phone,' whether or not Mayor Brandon Johnson should be involved in the location of where The Bears move to, being able to track your friends and family with your phone and more.

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

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 his recent journey with open heart surgery. Kelly also talks about a podcast he recorded with an education expert from England, Daisy Christodoulou, about their new book […]

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

Executive VP and General Manager Michael Larson of the Schaumburg Boomers joins John Williams to preview opening night and another season of affordable, high-quality baseball in the northwest suburbs. Michael recaps last year's near-championship run, spotlights returning standouts, and explains how players spend their winters in pro leagues around the world. He also runs through this year's […]

Renee Mustered, creator of the grief support app Vilomah, joins John Williams to share how the loss of her son led her to build an always-available companion for anyone navigating loss. She explains the meaning of the word “vilomah” (“against the natural order”), talks about her own journey through grief, and describes how the app's […]

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to recap his Mother's Day weekend and share timely tips for getting your outdoor spaces ready for summer including how to battle ant invasions with safer sprays and baits, and why communication and quality materials matter most when you're building a new home.

Liz Shulman, English teacher at Evanston Township High School and in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, joins John Williams to talk about how the last semester of school has gone this year, her decision to have her students use paper rather than computers, how kids have become so dependent on technology, […]

John reads a story that proves that there is good in the world. And sometimes the internet can be great.

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 when the company expects to see refunds. Stephen also tells John if the company is expecting even more refunds after federal judges ruled yesterday that Trump’s global 10% tariffs were illegal.

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the Pentagon releasing never-before-seen files containing unidentified anomalous phenomenon, the latest news on the search for Nancy Guthrie, and what we should know about the war in Iran.

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!

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 take another quick trip across the cheddar curtain and […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about a recent talk she did about Craving Swaps, the best way to wash your fruits and vegetables, and to answer all of your health and nutrition questions.

Peter Greenberg, ‘Eye on Travel‘ host and CBS News travel editor, joins John Williams to talk about the rise in travel apprehension, if you should buy your airfare tickets now because of rising fuel prices, when he expects pricing to calm down, and why Spirit Airlines shut down.

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 award-winning journalist and political pundit Marj Halperin. Today, the Rascals begin the podcast discussing the Obama Presidential Center. Tickets went on sale today. Eric is not excited about the museum, but […]

Attorney Rich Lenkov, Capital Member, Downey & Lenkov, and co-host of “Legal Face-Off” on wgnradio.com, joins John Williams to talk about Cook County Board of Review commissioner Samantha Steele being found not guilty of DUI. Rich says the prosecution did not meet the burden of proof.

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. Bob says the window is now open to do your seeding!

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about consumers racking up credit card debt because of high food and gas prices, and what you should know about bridge and construction loans. David answers all of your questions. David hosts “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm on […]

Michael Strautmanis, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of The Obama Foundation, joins John Williams to talk about tickets going on sale for the Obama Presidential Center. Michael tells John some of the highlights at the museum (and many things you can do for free), the incredible art that you can see, and why it’s a milestone […]

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

Gregory Pratt, Investigative Reporter, Chicago Tribune, joins John Williams to talk about the newsroom winning a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Operation Midway Blitz.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about what we should know about the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, and a new study that showed that an active ingredient found in popular weight-loss drugs may also help reduce alcohol use.

Julia Mueller, Staff Reporter, The Hill, joins John Williams to talk about today’s Indiana primary election and what the results could mean for the Trump administration.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele’s DUI trial, why he believes spelling bees are useless, the Chicago Tribune winning a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of Operation Midway Blitz, and the pushback he’s receiving from readers about the SAFE-T Act.

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

John Williams recaps his weekend spending time with listeners at City Kids Camp. A lot of fun, a lot of hard work, and almost 40 free throws made. Join John Williams along with Lisa Dent for the 2026 City Kids Camp Radiothon on Friday, May 29. Click here for more information and how you can […]

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. With planting season getting underway, Lou offers some helpful tips to prep your garden. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

Noted Chicago attorney Christopher Parente, Partner, Cheronis & Parente, joins John Williams to talk about his experience seeing Bruce Springsteen and his son Oliver ending up with Bruce’s harmonica.