WGN - The John Williams Uncut Podcast

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

Noted pet expert Steve Dale joins John Williams, to talk about his new book, “Ask the Dog!” He takes a listener question and teaches us the S.T.O.P. method when meeting new dogs.

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 AI in schools and the challenges it presents, teaching Shakespeare to a new generation, co-writing an op-ed with a student for the Chicago Tribune, and she previews her new […]

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!

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,' joins John Williams to talk about updates in the Nancy Guthrie case, why it’s so captivating to the country, and discusses Trump’s EPA revoking a scientific finding that has long been the bases to fight climate change.

WGN Radio News Director Ryan Burrow, who also produces and hosts Quest for Gold, a weekly podcast on preparations for the Olympic Games, joins John Williams for a lively discussion on how the Olympics are judged.

Jessica Kartalija, national correspondent for NewsNation, joins WGN’s John Williams from Arizona to provide the latest on the Nancy Guthrie case. Jessica talks about the black glove found near Nancy’s home, Ring camera footage from January 11th that has been requested by the FBI, the lack of DNA evidence, and whether any of the family […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about a particular food that is great for maintaining strong heart health and a snack that can help decrease your sweet cravings and improve the overall quality of your diet. Dawn also answers listeners’ questions.

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

WGN Radio’s John Williams and his wife, Brenda, attended Lake Geneva’s Winterfest at the end of January, and was shown around by our friend and Visit Lake Geneva President/CEO Stephanie Klett. Stephanie joined John on WGN Radio to talk all about John’s experience for our latest Best of the Midwest feature. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/7973580/7973580_2026-02-12-204920.64kmono.mp3 As you listen, […]

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 recently retired newsman Steve Bertrand, host of the ‘Steve Bertrand on Books‘ podcast. This week the Rascals kick off the podcast talking about Chicago […]

Recently retired newsman, the great Steve Bertrand, joins John to tell us everything we need to know about his new ‘Steve Bertrand on Books‘ podcast.

Ryan Kelly, Co-Chairman, Chicago Auto Show, joins John Williams to give us all the details on the 2026 Chicago Auto Show!

Carl Prouty, “The Technologist” at Abt Electronics in Glenview, tells John what we should know about door security camera technology in light of the recently released security images of the “person of interest” in the Nancy Guthrie case. How do these security systems work? Where do the images live once they are recorded? How are people notified […]

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 pacemaker technology, and a new study about coffee intake and dementia risk.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about average babysitting rates in the state of Illinois, a new ordinance that would authorize Chicagoans to take pictures of bus, bike lane, and crosswalk parking violations, what he thought of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, and to share his thoughts on the […]

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 how proper attic insulation is the single best way to improve the energy efficiency in your home. Lou also answers all of your home improvement questions! Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning […]

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst and co-host of the sports betting show ‘Chicken Dinner,' joins John Williams to recap the Super Bowl and to review some of the best wagers he made for the game.

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

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins guest host Tom Gimbel to talk about the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie and the racist meme that President Trump posted on his Truth Social account.

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!

State Representative Amy Briel (D-Ottawa) joins John Williams to clear up some information regarding a proposed bill that would require permits and possibly pay up to a $5 fee for open burning in unincorporated areas.

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about what we should know about new Trump Accounts. Craig also explains why the market has been dipping lately, why he remains extremely bullish on 2026, what he thinks of gold prices, and what he wants investors focused on right now.

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst and co-host of the sports betting show ‘Chicken Dinner,' joins John Williams to talk about some of his favorite bets for the Super Bowl game between the Seattle Seahawks v. New England Patriots.

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 long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. This week, the Rascals kick off the podcast talking about JB Pritzker donating $5 million to Juliana Stratton’s senate campaign? Is this anything? […]

WGN Radio News Director and Olympic correspondent Ryan Burrow joins John Williams to tell us what we need to know about the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. And make sure to listen to Ryan's podcast, “Quest for Gold,” so you are fully prepared to watch this year's games!

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 what you need to know about watching this year’s Winter Olympics.

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about U.S. condo prices plunging, and why student loan delinquencies are exploding. Also joining John and David in-studio today is Stacey Wahlberg, President & Co-Founder, Cal's Angels! Stacey tells John the personal story about how Cal’s Angels started, how they fund cancer research […]

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 the most common causes of knee and joint pain, new data suggesting that flu cases are rebounding, the rare medical condition that the great Catherine O’Hara discovered many years before her death, and if we need to […]

Andrei Turea, Co-owner & CEO, Green Attic Roofing, joins John to talk about why they started the company, their focus on energy efficiency, the way technology is continuing to evolve, the opportunity for commercial property owners to turn their roofs into an asset, what you should know about various rebate programs, how business has been […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about a number of stories making news this week including Governor J.B. Pritzker $5 million donation to Juliana Stratton’s senate campaign, and journalist Don Lemon getting arrested by a team of federal agents after he’d offered to turn himself in.

State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) joins John Williams to talk about new legislation that would authorize a pilot program for autonomous vehicles in some Illinois counties.

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 January 2026! What was your favorite joke this month? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com

Chris Holtmann, Head Coach, DePaul's Men's Basketball, joins John Williams to talk about the early success the team has had this year, how attendance has improved since he took the helm, how wins and losses impact his family, the work he’s doing to turn around the program, the importance of recruiting kids that are a good fit […]

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 the perfect time to check ALL the filters in your home. 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.

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the big stories of the week including Don Lemon being arrested, a new pick for Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and Donald Trump posting about Alex Pretti.

Dr. Amar Pattani, family dentist at Main Street Smiles at 312 W Main Street in Barrington, joins John Williams to answer all of your general dentistry questions. Should you wet your toothbrush before applying toothpaste? Should you have a soft or firm toothbrush? How important is flossing? Dr. Pattani gives us all the answers.

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!