WGN - The John Williams Uncut Podcast

Lyric Opera of Chicago Music Director Enrique Mazzola joins John Williams to talk about the job a conductor does, if he considers himself a performer, what we should know about the Lyric Opera, how it’s one of the most important cultural centers in the city, the importance of telling stories, how programming at the Lyric […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the best and safest way to do a plank, the variety of sit up exercises you can do, and the best menu ideas for your Super Bowl party.

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 political pundit Marj Halperin! The Rascals begin the podcast talking about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minnesota over the weekend. […]

Elder law attorney Kerry Peck joins John Williams to answer all your questions about elder law, trusts, wills, and elder abuse. Kerry explains why it’s a good idea to look into long-term care insurance, how you can obtain a will of a deceased parent, and when you would likely need an executor of a will.

The great writer, director, and actor Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned in ‘Groundhog Day') joins John Williams to talk about the film and the festivities the city of Woodstock (where the movie was filmed) has planned for Groundhog Day this year. Stephen talks about working with Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, the importance of injecting a film with surprises, how many […]

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

Christopher Parente, Partner, Cheronis & Parente, joins John Williams to talk about why Marimar Martinez, who was shot and wounded by a Customs and Border Protection agent during Operation Midway Blitz, wants body camera footage and other evidence related to the incident to be released to the public.

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!

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about how someone typically catches a cold, the flu shot preventing you from getting really sick, the American Academy of Pediatrics departing from the CDC with childhood vaccine revisions, and colorectal cancer now being the leading cause […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the latest on the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti and why he’s not excited for the upcoming Winter Olympics.

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

Dr. Muddassir Siddiqi, President of College of DuPage and Dr. Joe Cassidy, Founder of Innovation DuPage and the Vice President Workforce Innovation and Community Education at College of DuPage, join John Williams to talk about COD’s role in supporting workforce and economic development across the country. Dr. Cassidy and Dr. Siddiqi tell us how community […]

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 thermostat settings during this cold snap, what you should know about whole house humidifiers, and to answer all of your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

Chuck Klosterman, writer and best-selling author, joins John Williams to discuss his new book, “Football.” Chuck talks to John about his interest in football, why he thinks football is the most important sport, why we care so much about football, the impact TV had on the sport of football, who he thinks is the best […]

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 the news coming out of the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the status of what’s going on with Greenland.

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst and co-host of the sports betting show ‘Chicken Dinner,' joins John to recap the Bears loss to the Rams, what he expects the over / under to be for Bears wins next season, the difficulty in NFL teams sustaining success, what we should be looking for when we are […]

We don’t need to tell you that it is cold outside. Which means, it is a great time to curl up in your favorite chair, under a warm blanket, and enjoy some great books. Our book lovers – John Williams, Steve Alexander, Bob Kessler and Sara Tieman – have put together lists of their favorite […]

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!

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the best nutritious food to help keep you warm, the health benefits of soup, a new study that shows what little things you can do to add a year to your life, the foods you can eat that could lower your risk of death from […]

The great film critic Michael Phillips joins John Williams to break down the 2026 Oscar nominations. What were the biggest snubs and surprises? And click here for some other movie recommendations from Michael.

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

WGN Radio is proud to announce that the RTDNA Foundation and their 2026 First Amendment Awards has honored Steve Bertrand with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The foundation's awards celebrate the efforts to promote responsible journalism and preserve the constitutionally guaranteed rights to do so. Past honorees include local reporters, network anchors, members of the U.S. […]

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 recently retired newsman Steve Bertrand. The Rascals kick off the podcast talking about the Bears losing to the Rams in the playoffs and the controversy over the Sun-Times headline, “Good, Better, […]

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign computer science professor Dr. Sheldon Jacobson joins John Williams to talk about the future of college athletics in the time of NIL and the transfer portal.

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 the latest on flu cases in Illinois, and a new study that concluded that there is no link between Tylenol/acetaminophen and autism.

Nicholas Grossman, Professor of Political Science, University of Illinois, joins John Williams to talk about President Trump’s continued interest in acquiring Greenland. Professor Grossman explains the relationship between Denmark and Greenland, what the island of Greenland is like, if China and Russia present a viable threat, if it’s possible for the U.S. to buy Greenland, and […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the controversy surrounding the Sun-Times headline after the Bears loss to the Rams, if the success of the Bears will impact the team’s desire to move, and President Trump’s attempt to acquire Greenland.

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 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.