WGN - The John Williams Uncut Podcast

Sean Connolly, Board Member with the Illinois Chapter of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, joins John Williams to talk about the upcoming Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Walk, the largest suicide prevention event in the United States. Sean tells John about the purpose and impact of the walk, the connection between mental health and suicide, […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about Mayor Brandon Johnson saying the Bears should be called the Arlington Heights Bears if they move to the suburbs, the continuing debate over redistricting, and Governor Pritzker’s appearance on ‘Meet the Press’ regarding the Texas Democrats fleeing to Illinois to avoid a vote […]

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about heart attack warning signs (and the importance of knowing where the nearest defibrillator is), a pancreatic cancer vaccine showing promise in an early trial, when you need another COVID shot, and when a new COVID vaccine will be available.

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 explains why now is a great time to do some drain maintenance on your showers, tubs, and sinks. Lou and John also chat about a viral online hoax that claims a person is living inside […]

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

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the overall health of the markets and the economy, how market volatility has almost collapsed, why it’s a good time to rebalance your portfolio, Trump nominating CEA chair Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve board, what’s […]

Chris Anchor, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Forest Preserve District of Cook County, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the safety of swimming in the Chicago River. Chris said he would definitely swim in the river after years of improvements.

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the Texas legislators coming up to Chicago to avoid voting on a new map that would favor the GOP. Connell gets us up to speed on the latest developments.

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! Are you trying to come up with some vacation ideas that are only a quick getaway from the Chicago area? Well, Jon Hansen has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we take a trip west and visit the scenic river town of Clinton, […]

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

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Our small, but mighty podcast crew start the episode talking about Texas lawmakers coming to Illinois to avoid voting on a new legislative map that would favor the GOP. Governor Pritzker even went […]

Brian Hoogeveen, The Cash Man from Americash Jewelry & Coin Buyers, joins Jon Hansen, filling in for John Williams, to discuss items that could be worth money. Brian talks about the value of items such as a Ryne Sandberg autographed bat, 1940’s silver quarters, and a Morgan dollar from the 1800’s! And as always, Brian urges you to […]

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.

NHL Hall of Famer and Blackhawks great Jeremy Roenick joins Jon Hansen to talk about the centennial season for your Chicago Blackhawks, the rich history of the team, why he’s excited about the future of the Blackhawks, his charity Helping Hands Network, the work he is doing with Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery, and his spirit […]

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins Jon Hansen to talk about mortgage rates easing up, the impact of President Trump firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the overall health of the economy right now. David hosts “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm on WGN Radio. […]

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

Chicago Tribune chief political reporter Rick Pearson joins Jon Hansen to talk about Texas lawmakers coming to Illinois (and other states) to avoid a redistricting vote that would favor Republicans. Governor Pritzker says that it’s possible that Illinois may try to counter the GOP effort in Texas.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, joins Jon Hansen to talk about the dangers of wildfire smoke and what you need to know to protect yourself. Dr. Kopin also tells John about the importance of getting an early screening for colon cancer.

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

Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio), vice chair of the Texas Black Caucus, joins Jon Hansen to talk about why she and other Texas legislators chose to leave the state to combat the Texas GOP effort to redraw five congressional districts in favor of Republicans.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou talks about indoor air quality, the benefits of using air purifiers, and why you should changer your air filters every month. Lou, as always, answers your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each […]

Marge Sipla, Speed Jokes spirit animal, cataloger and Member of the Speed Jokes Committee, joins guest host Jon Hansen and the gang to give us her favorite Speed Jokes of July 2025! What was your favorite joke this month? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com

Kellie Meyer, Washington Correspondent, NewsNation, joins John Williams to talk about to break down the latest on President Trump’s trade deals and tariff deadlines.

Attorney Rae Kaplan of Kaplan Law Firm joins John Williams to talk about loan caps for medical students and graduate students, why you will see an explosion in the private loan industry, and some recent good news about income based repayment plans. Rae also answers all of your student loan questions.

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!

Mack Liederman, Reporter, Block Club Chicago, joins John Williams to talk about a new proposal from the Chicago Park District that would move a portion of DuSable Lake Shore Drive underground. What is the likelihood this ever happens?

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about why your diet is likely to be in low in nutrients (fiber, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, magnesium, omega 3) and what you can do to eat more. Dawn also answers all of your food an nutrition questions.

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

The great actor, author, woodworker and citizen Nick Offerman joins John Williams to talk about his history in the town of Minooka, all the activities he took part in while in high school, the movie and TV projects he’s most known for, getting his big break on ‘Parks and Recreation,’ the similarities between his personality […]

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, longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and political pundit Marj Halperin! The Rascals begin the podcast talking about the possibility of Jesse Jackson Jr. running for congress. Should a convicted felon be allowed to run for federal office? Mayor Brandon Johnson is considering several […]

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 tells John that the ground is dry because the excessive heat has hardened the soil.

Ray LaHood, former GOP member of Congress and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Barack Obama, joins John Williams to talk about a bipartisan effort to to remove the influence of lawmakers in the redrawing of state legislative boundaries. LaHood says that the Illinois legislative map is ‘an embarrassment’ and ‘an outrageous abuse of one […]

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 Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about Northwestern Memorial Hospital being named one of the best hospitals in the U.S., Cubs great Ryne Sandberg losing his battle to prostate cancer, what we should know about prostate cancer, and a new study that shows being physically active […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the death of Cubs great Ryne Sandberg, the recent layoffs at the Chicago Tribune, why Substack isn’t necessarily a good replacement for news, and to share his thoughts on Jesse Jackson Jr. possibly making another run for congress.

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

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

Tom Appel, Publisher, Consumer Guide Automotive and host of the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast, joins John Williams to talk about why manufacturers are kicking the can on so many projects right now, the latest on the impact of tariffs, what’s happening with the EV market, why Tesla is still hurting, and how a trade deal with Japan will impact […]

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk about the ‘Epstein-inspired’ week, Jerome Powell fact-checking Donald Trump yesterday during a visit to the Fed yesterday, if the thinks the Epstein story goes away, the job that Speaker Mike Johnson has been doing, and if President Trump will eventually be damaged by the Epstein story.