WGN - The John Williams Uncut Podcast

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. This week, Lou tells us it’s time for fall feeding of your established trees and bushes. Lou also answers questions about how to keep spiders out of your home, and the best way to clean […]

Attorney Rae Kaplan of Kaplan Law Firm joins John Williams to talk about new legislation for Parent Plus borrowers that could make payment plans less expensive.

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

Beverley Bass, the first female pilot at American Airlines, whose story about having the flight she was piloting diverted to Newfoundland on 9/11, joins John Williams to talk about having her story featured in the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Come From Away.’ Beverley tells John when she knew she wanted to become a pilot, how the […]

James Sanders, Chef and Owner, Sanders BBQ Supply Co., joins John Williams to talk about the restaurant being named one of the 50 best restaurants in the U.S.A. by the New York Times. James talks about when the Beverly restaurant opened, if he has been surprised by all the recognition they have received, what’s on […]

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!

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk break down what we know about the suspect that is in custody for the shooting death of Charlie Kirk.

Joe Walsh, former U.S. Congressman, podcaster, and director of ‘The Social Contract‘ Substack, joins John Williams to share his thoughts on the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Joe talks about when he first met Charlie, how he became a political mentor for Charlie, the way they were tied at the hip in the […]

It’s September, and we finally get to ask the question: What’s Sara reading in Reading? Yes, although long-time WGN Radio bookworm Sara Tieman has left the station, and the country, she’s still part of the book club from her new home in Reading, England! So, here are the September picks from Sara, along with John […]

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 east to beautiful Ohio and visit with Karen Raymore, […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the importance of enjoying things in moderation, why moving after a meal can help control your blood sugar, the best ways to wash your produce, why you shouldn’t rinse or clean your poultry (cooking is the food safety method), and what to know about forever […]

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 The Last Ward, and long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. This week the Rascals address the breaking news that conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot at an […]

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 reminds us to not put your sprinkler away! Bob also says now is the time to do that core aeration.

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. Harvey discusses what services you will need to have if you want to watch NFL games this year. Harvey also answers all of your tech questions. Request a FREE Tech Check […]

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 Supertramp founder Rick Davies dying of complications of multiple myeloma, the latest guidance on COVID vaccine eligibility, and what to know about side effects from weight loss drugs.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the Bears wanting to move to Arlington Heights, his thoughts on President Trump’s ‘Chipocalypse Now’ post, CBS changing their editing policies, and JB Pritzker deflecting a question about using weight loss drugs.

Marc Ganis, sports business expert and President and Co-Founder of Sportscorp Ltd., joins John Williams to talk about the Bears making it official that their intention is to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights. Marc also explains why he think it’s a bad idea to build a domed stadium, and what he believes should […]

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 says it’s time to get a jump on servicing your HVAC system and to get your chimney inspected. Lou also answers all of your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning […]

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

David Spade, the hilarious comedian, actor, and podcaster, joins John Williams to talk about the roles he’s probably most known for, how some of his famous SNL catch phrases are still used today, the podcast he’s doing with Dana Carvey, his work with the nonprofit, Farm 2 Veteran, the Illinois-Based nonprofit dedicated to feeding America's […]

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 her recent opinion piece in the Boston Globe that shows how AI is impacting the relationship between students and teachers.

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk about the ‘circus’ that was the RFK Jr. hearings yesterday, and today’s jobs report that shows a stalling labor market.

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, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we take a trip down I-57 and visit with Terri Reifsteck, Vice President […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the benefits of using weight loss drugs, how to build a healthy and delicious burger, if potatoes are healthy, how you can lower your risk of diabetes, and to answer all of your health and nutrition questions.

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, Publisher of Brandon Pope’s Screening Room, political pundit Marj Halperin,and longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! The Rascals kick off the podcast talking about the the level of crime in Chicago and if the problem merits the deployment of the […]

Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John Williams to talk about how September is typically a weak month for stocks, the strong market performance in August, what has been holding the market up, what we can expect from this Friday's labor report, and if […]

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about what’s causing business to pick up, his thoughts on the Fed possibly cutting rates later this month, why he pays off his credit card every Friday, how the Chicago area real estate market is doing right now, and why an ARM could be […]

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 with the cool, dry weather, it is now time to get your seeding done.

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

Dr. Kimbra Bell, MD, Medical Director for the new Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Outpatient Center, joins John Williams to talk about the grand opening of the new facility tomorrow. Dr. Bell talks about the variety of care that will be available at the center, why this type of facility is needed in Bronzeville, how many people […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the violent weekend in Chicago, why he thinks Democrats are sending the wrong message about the National Guard possibly being deployed to Chicago, and why Delta and United are being sued for selling windowless ‘window seats.’

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

Daryl Pass, Senior Manager of Recovery Support Services, Kenneth Young Center, joins John Williams to talk about International Overdose Awareness Day coming up on August 31st. Daryl explains how Kenneth Young Center gives space to those that have been impacted by overdose, his thoughts on a new city program that stocks newsstands with medication that can […]

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk about ICE agents possibly coming to Chicago next week, if the National Guard will come to the city, and various polls showing popular support for bringing in the National Guard to combat crime.

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, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we head to northwestern Illinois and visit with Ken Williams, Mayor of Oregon, […]

“Jungle” Jay Christie, owner, Safari Lake Geneva, joins John Williams to talk about what type of animals you can see when you visit, how Safari Lake Geneva differs from a traditional safari or a zoo, the way you can visit some of the smaller animals on foot, the best way to book an outing, and […]