WGN - The John Williams Uncut Podcast

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack. The Rascals start the podcast this week talking about why Cate thinks the Air & Water Show is stupid and dangerous. What about […]

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! Today, Bob joins Jon Hansen to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. 

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

Film critic Michael Phillips, host of the Filmspotting-produced podcast, ‘The Movie Racket with Michael Phillips,’ joins John Williams to talk about the first season of his new podcast, his thoughts on the movie ‘Once’ after the passing of Glen Hansard, the box office success of movies like ‘Michael,’ ‘Spider-Man,’ and ‘The Odyssey,’ and to talk […]

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the FDA approving a new mRNA flu vaccine.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about 21st Century phone manners, why he texts people before he wants to call them on the phone, what he’s paying attention to in Wisconsin primary election, the PR battle that Democratic candidates will have to face with the rise of socialist candidates.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com. Update: Today’s Speed Jokes were canceled because of severe storms that blew through the area.

Bond Almand, ultra-endurance cyclist, joins John Williams to talk about Bond’s Extreme Journey, a 10,000-mile bike ride to every NFL stadium! Bond explains why he’s doing the ride, the amazing things about crossing the country by bike, how many miles he’s riding per day, the partnership with Extreme Networks, and the scariest moment he’s seen […]

Andrei Turea, Co-owner & CEO, Green Attic Roofing, joins John to talk about how business has been going with all the storms, the biggest roofing problems people are dealing with right now, why solar makes financial sense, what to know about solar incentives from the state of Illinois, and how Green Attic Roofing will guide you […]

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Today, Lou offers some tips on caulking, filling, and paint touch-ups. And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions! 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.

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!

Highlights from the 2026 Chicago Ducky Derby to benefit Special Olympics Illinois. Live coverage featuring John Williams in the WGN Radio studios on the 18th floor of our building at the corner of Wacker and Columbus and intern Kaleigh Ibarra along the Chicago River: You can still donate to support a great cause by clicking […]

Ron Simon, Founding Partner, Ron Simon & Associates, joins John Williams to talk about how his firm specializes in food poisoning cases, the many cases they have handled against Taco Bell and Taylor Farms, the lack of transparency from Taco Bell and Taylor Farms, why his firm doesn’t file class action suits, and their representation […]

Dare we say it, but summer is almost over and it will soon be back-to-school season. But there’s still time for a good read. Here are some suggestions from our WGN Radio Book Club members: John Williams (weekdays 10am-2pm, including The Noon Business Lunch, plus the Mincing Rascals podcast) Little Blue Dot – How GPS Shaped The Modern […]

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, Steve Bertrand, host of Steve Bertrand on Books and proprietor of Steve Bertrand Travel, and award-winning journalist and political pundit Marj Halperin. The Rascals start the podcast this week talking about Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch apologizing for his actions that made a staffer uncomfortable […]

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. Bob says even though we have had a lot of rain recently, the soil is still dry.

Alaina Hampton, Democratic political strategist and an advocate for victims of sexual harassment and survivors of sexual violence, joins John Williams to talk about her recent op-ed in the Tribune calling for the resignation of Speaker Chris Welch in light of new allegations involving Welch's interactions with a former staffer and his handling of sexual […]

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about how hot the sellers market is in the Chicago area, Fed Chair Warsh keeping interest rates steady, a disappointing ADP job report, and to answer all of your mortgage and real estate questions. David hosts “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Saturdays from […]

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

Hannah Brandt, Washington correspondent for NewsNation, joins John Williams to talk about the Senate Judiciary Committee advancing Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about measles cases being on the upswing, what we should know about Cyclospora outbreak today, and the benefits and risks of testosterone replacement.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the greatest lines in songs, who he believes will be the next mayor of Chicago, and the Senate Judiciary Committee advancing Todd Blanche's nomination to be attorney general along party lines.

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. Today, Lou gives some tips on fertilization after the drenching rains over the weekend. And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

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

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the 16-year-old lifeguard who saved a 10-year old boy, and the latest on the war in Iran.

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 Op-ed in the Tribune, ‘Why are we still pretending Big Tech cares about our classrooms.’ Liz Shulman is the author of the forthcoming ‘By the Book: […]

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!

Restaurateur Dan Hart, President of Hart Alliance, to talk about the restaurants he runs in McHenry, why McHenry is a great place to do business, the benefits of being located close to the Fox River, some of the fan favorites at his restaurants, the challenge of running a restaurant in the current climate, what drove […]

Michelle DiCola, Chicago's director of traffic management in the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, joins John to talk about all the work that goes into making sure people that are attending events in Chicago do so safely.

Thomas Hillier, local history librarian at the McHenry Public Library, and Chairman, City of McHenry Landmark Commission, joins John Williams to talk about the unique history of McHenry, what originally drew people out to the area, how people used to come to McHenry for vacation, the three different sections of the town, and how McHenry […]

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 head to beautiful Mirror Lake State Park and visit […]

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about her favorite types of fruit, two fruits that are good for your heart health, tips to turn fruit into dessert, what you should know about the cyclospora outbreak, why you should still feel safe eating fruits and vegetables, and to answer all of your health […]

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, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972, and multi-media journalist Brandon Pope, author of Brandon Pope's Screening Room. This week, the Rascals begin the podcast talking about President Trump’s speech at […]

Attorney Rich Lenkov, Capital Member, Downey & Lenkov, and co-host of “Legal Face-Off” on wgnradio.com, joins John Williams to talk about a number of legal issues in the news including Illinois banning cell phones in public schools, Dr. Fauci’s testimony before a Senate committee investigating the origins of Covid-19, and Tony Romo’s being arrested on suspicion of operating […]

From July 2007: John Williams talks with Irish musician Glen Hansard. Hansard died today at age 56.

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

Gabriela & Claudia Siemionkowicz join John Williams to talk about their effort to get their mom back home after she was detained by ICE and is now in prison in Kentucky. If you want to help Gabriela and Claudia, you can donate to the Go Fund Me here.

Dr. Michael Lou, hospital medicine at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, joins John to give us an update on the cyclospora outbreak. Dr. Lou tells John about how its spread, how long it takes before you notice symptoms, why it’s difficult to trace, how cyclospora is typically treated, and what you can do to protect yourself from […]