Podcast appearances and mentions of John Williams

Jason went to John Williams' Greatest Scores at the Minnesota Orchestra last night and he would like you to put a little effort in your 'fits, please. Colleen thinks Chicago is the superior sandwich town to Minneapolis -- c'mon we need some good sammies! Plus, Ryan Gosling's "La La Hand" gets fixed and Tom Holland prepares to play Fred Astaire. And we take a moment to lament the Emmys snub of "Half-Man." Jason vacation stories: Racist Golden Girls. Johnny Depp returns to Hollywood in "Ebenezer" -- are we ready for his comeback? Oprah is getting Jason excited to read "Theo of Gold." And BIG FAT THEATER REVIEW: Colleen saw "Iceboy!" Chicago's hottest play!SCREEN QUEENS: "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross," "The Man Will Burn," Jason's YouTube rabbit hole of Minnesota on "Letterman," and Will Ferrell on "Good Hang." Plus, WEEKLY TRIVIA FACE-OFF: Dolly Parton edition! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Sinica, a rare treat: an in-person recording from Beijing with two dear friends who happen to be two of the very best in the business on technology and China — Samm Sacks and Paul Triolo, fresh off the exhibition floor of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. We dig into Xi Jinping's first in-person WAIC appearance and his most extensive statement on AI to date, the launch of the World AI Cooperation Organization, Moonshot's release of Kimi K3, the Trump administration's reported push to shut Chinese open-weight models out of the U.S. market, the coming age of agents, the untranslatable problem of ānquán, and what to expect from the first U.S.-China AI dialogue in September.8:51 – The view from the floor: heat, humidity, robot boxing grandmas, WeChat-gated free water, and the "AI+" vibe — why WAIC 2026 felt less like an AI conference than a sector-by-sector snapshot of China's entire economy being supercharged with AI, with attendance swelling to some 200,000 tickets16:32 – Why Xi showed up: what the leader's first in-person WAIC appearance and his most extensive AI statement to date signal, and why domestic drivers matter as much as geopolitics18:01 – Chapter and verse: which phrases from the speech will be put to work in the system — "secure and orderly development" and the governance of agents, and Xi's strikingly extensive language on AI safety after China was frozen out of the Paris process22:26 – The ānquán problem: one word meaning both "safety" and "security," the three buckets of AI risk, and how China's safety community has moved from bias and deepfakes toward CBRN and loss-of-control concerns — Black Mirror versus Star Trek28:14 – Shanghai's baby: how WAIC's ownership structure differs from the CAC-run World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Chen Jining's very visible host duties, and whether the center of gravity in AI policy is shifting to the Yangtze River Delta30:05 – WAICO: what the new World AI Cooperation Organization with its 29 founding members is actually for, Xi's concrete deliverables for the Global South — 5,000 AI training slots, regional cooperation centers, the MAZU early-warning system — and healthy skepticism about follow-through34:39 – Kimi K3: what's technically significant in Moonshot's big new model, why it's the fourth arguably frontier-class Chinese release in a single month, the two-way traffic in distillation accusations, and what it all says about the state of the frontier gap four years into export controls40:33 – Washington reacts: the reported menu of options for shutting Chinese open-weight models out of the U.S. — entity listings, a draft executive order, supply-chain security authorities — and why none of the tools actually fit the problem49:36 – Strange bedfellows: David Sacks versus the "closed lab duopoly," the FUD strategy, why some 80% of Andreessen Horowitz portfolio companies reportedly run on Chinese open models, and how gating U.S. frontier models while Chinese weights flow freely supercharges the AI sovereignty argument worldwide54:55 – The model is infrastructure, the agent is the product: the ByteDance–ZTE agentic phone, the CAC's new initiative on agent trust and interoperability, and why agents fused into operating systems upend both super-app walled gardens and China's data protection regime1:02:27 – An exegesis of kěkòng: the many meanings of "controllable," the long history of ānquán kěkòng in Chinese tech policy, and the unanswered question of who — CAC, NDRC, or somebody new — actually owns AI safety in either system1:08:54 – The road to September: what to expect from the first U.S.-China AI dialogue, why Mythos tops the Chinese grievance list, the securitization feedback loop that starves trust-and-safety advocates of resources on both sides, and why recursive self-improvement makes this feel like a last, best chancePaying It ForwardPaul nominates Tony Peng, whose Substack RecodeChinaAI offers sharp, well-written analysis of the application side of China's AI industry — part of an impressive new generation of independent China tech writers. Samm gives a shout-out to Professor Zhu Yue of Tongji University Law School, published in Science and doing pioneering work at the intersection of disability law and AI law.RecommendationsSamm: The Land and Its People by David Sedaris — laugh-out-loud funny, especially the "Enough is Enough" chapter; Transcription by Ben Lerner, a perfect small novel about fathers, sons, memory, and technology as enabler or disabler of connection; and Didion and Babitz, on Joan Didion and Eve Babitz and the 1970s California rock scene.Paul: The Party's Interests Come First by Joseph Torigian — dense but beautifully written, and essential for understanding the current Chinese leadership.Kaiser: A fiction-only summer! Stoner by John Williams, a small life told most grandly in some of the most beautiful sentence-level writing anywhere; Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, an epistolary novel dense with distilled wisdom from a dying Iowa minister; and Wang Xiaobo's The Golden Age (黄金时代) in Yan Yan's excellent new translation — bawdy, hilarious, and super Beijing-y despite its Cultural Revolution setting.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 begin the podcast talking a bit about the new book, ‘Regime Change,’ and the smoke-filled air that has been hanging around Chicago. Do […]

Emily Austin, Associate Professor of Classics and the College, The University of Chicago, joins John Williams to talk about Christopher Nolan’s new movie ‘The Odyssey’ and what we should know about the original text of the poem.

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 that it’s time for dead branch pruning. Lou also answers all of your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

Lead Reporter for Locked On Sooners and SoonersWire.com, John Williams, joined Brandon Drumm to talk about the #Oklahoma #Sooners #SEC Media Day Extravaganza. Why are the Sooners so confident heading into 2026 season? Who will be standouts or upcoming names to know for 2026 season and is the Sooners middle roster as good as 2025? How can #OU get to that point and more! Want the best Sooners' intel and info in the industry? Want to be a part of a community of THOUSANDS of Sooner fans that you can talk with on a daily basis? Become a member of OU Insider and stay updated daily with insights from the OUI staff!!

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.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, and publisher of Love, Money + Real Estate on Substack, joins John Williams to talk about new research that shows that none of the 50 most populous U.S. metros are truly affordable for a minimum-wage worker, and why America's housing deficit held flat in 2024. Segment 2: Jim […]

Thirty years later, we can still hear it: the roar of Atlanta's 1996 Summer Olympics, the crowd noise bouncing off concrete, and the way the city felt like the center of the world. We kick things off with the fun parts people love to remember, from landing tickets the old-school way to watching basketball in the Georgia Dome and soaking up the larger-than-life spectacle of the Centennial Olympic Games.Then we go behind the curtain. Jimmy shares what it was like working on Olympic-related audio and video production at a local studio, including a high-pressure edit of Mickey Hart's opening ceremony drum track that quietly shaped what millions saw on TV. We also talk about Muhammad Ali lighting the torch, John Williams' Olympic music, and why these moments hit so hard when you know the work and the stakes behind them.The heart of the conversation is personal and heavy: walking out of Centennial Olympic Park and hearing the 1:20 a.m. explosion that became the Olympic Park bombing. I tell my remembrance of the night, what we learned afterward, and why Richard Jewell's treatment in the media still feels like a warning label on modern headlines.We wrap with the show's signature blend of culture and music history: a jaw-dropping Empire State Building stunt documentary, a few sports oddities, plus rock talk on the Rolling Stones' new album Foreign Tongues. They can still bring it 63 years after their first single release.Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at musicinmyshoes@gmail.comSend us a one-way message. We can't answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

Send us Fan MailJoin the Crew as they conduct a 2nd attempt for the drawing of the prize giveaway after reaching 200 SUBSCRIBERS!  They are very excited to give away some Star Wars merch for reaching that milestone, as promised.  Thanks to all of the love and support!Mike then has a couple of surprises that he's been holding onto for awhile.  That's right, he has some Black Series Helmets to open up.  Two of them, to be specific.  Which ones are they?  Come see!Finally, Mike looks to promote a #ROMANTASY novel, written by a friend [and former co-worker] of his.  The name of the first book is #StarsAndStone, which is the first of a trilogy called The Corinian Series.  If you enjoy a good #fantasy, or romantasy novel, come check it out and support the author, LK Martiny. #StarWars #Jedi #Sith #Rebel #Empire #Republic #Force #cosplay #lightsaber #toy #nerd #geek #photography #tv #film #gamer #comic #book #movie #scifi #LucasFilm #scifi  #playstation #xbox #pcgaming #LEGO #legobuild #build #CloneWars #Rebels #Animation #Maul #Mandalorian #Grogu #MandalorianAndGrogu #Disney #Jedi #Sith Social Media Handles:TikTok: @DetBlockAA23Twitter: @DetBlockAA23PodInstagram: detention_block_aa_23FB Group: Detention Block AA-23: A Star Wars PodcastYouTube: Detention Block AA-23: A Star Wars #PodcastDon't forget to #SUBSCRIBE to our #YouTube channel for #podcast episodes and other content! #Prize #giveaway at 200 subs! Goal = 500!Sponsors:Under Pressure #BrewingGolden Valley, MNMirror Twin BrewingLexington, KYSource: #Comics & #GamesRoseville, MNStar Wars ComicsStar Wars Games: X-Wing & Armada strategy games; Star Wars: Legion strategy #gameTwin Cities Geek - Magazine & Online #CommunityMy Star Wars Life - FB Group (Join Now!)#StarWars #Jedi #Sith #Rebel #Empire #Republic #Force #cosplay #lightsaber #toy #nerd #geek #photography #tv #film #gamer #comic #book #movie #scifi #LucasFilm #scifi  #playstation #xbox #pcgaming #LEGO #legobuild #build #CloneWars #Rebels #Animation #Maul #ShadowLord #Disney #Jedi #SithSocial Media Handles:TikTok: @DetBlockAA23Twitter: @DetBlockAA23PodInstagram: detention_block_aa_23FB Group: Detention Block AA-23: A Star Wars PodcastYouTube: Detention Block AA-23: A Star Wars #PodcastDon't forget to #SUBSCRIBE to our #YouTube channel for #podcast episodes and other content! #Prize #giveaway at 200 subs! Goal = 500!Sponsors:Under Pressure #BrewingGolden Valley, MNMirror Twin BrewingLexington, KYSource: #Comics & #GamesRoseville, MNStar Wars ComicsStar Wars Games: X-Wing & Armada strategy games; Star Wars: Legion strategy #gameTwin Cities Geek - Magazine & Online #CommunityMy Star Wars Life - FB Group (Join Now!)

Niall Stanage, White House Reporter, The Hill, joins John Williams to talk break down President Trump’s speech about election interference.

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!

Michael Evans Behling, star of The CW's hit drama ‘All American,’ joins John Williams to to talk about how many times he’s been to the Chicago area having grown up in the Midwest, what the show ‘All American’ is all about, the transitions in the show over the course of 8 seasons, his experience running […]

Niall Stanage, White House Reporter, The Hill, joins John Williams to talk break down President Trump’s speech about election interference.

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!

Michael Evans Behling, star of The CW's hit drama ‘All American,’ joins John Williams to to talk about how many times he’s been to the Chicago area having grown up in the Midwest, what the show ‘All American’ is all about, the transitions in the show over the course of 8 seasons, his experience running […]

Niall Stanage, White House Reporter, The Hill, joins John Williams to talk break down President Trump’s speech about election interference.

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!

America's Toy Scout, Joel Magee, joins John Williams to take some calls and answer questions about your old toys. Do you have any collectibles sitting around that house that could be worth money? Joel has the answers. Joel will be in the Chicago area this week and you can find all the details here.

Michael Evans Behling, star of The CW's hit drama ‘All American,’ joins John Williams to to talk about how many times he’s been to the Chicago area having grown up in the Midwest, what the show ‘All American’ is all about, the transitions in the show over the course of 8 seasons, his experience running […]

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 up to beautiful Grand Rapids and chat with […]

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.

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 to John about the best temperature to set your thermostat at for maximum efficiency and how to improve the indoor air quality in your home. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at […]

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 up to beautiful Grand Rapids and chat with […]

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.

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 to John about the best temperature to set your thermostat at for maximum efficiency and how to improve the indoor air quality in your home. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at […]

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

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 up to beautiful Grand Rapids and chat with […]

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 to John about the best temperature to set your thermostat at for maximum efficiency and how to improve the indoor air quality in your home. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at […]

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

Segment 1: Tifair Hamed, Chief Growth Officer at P33, joins John to tell us everything we should know about TechChicagoWeek 2026. Tifair says to think about this event as the ‘Lollapalooza for Innovation.’ Segment 2: Scott Stein, Editor at Large, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about Samsung’s summer Galaxy Unpacked event. What are the big things we […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg (on his birthday), Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack and Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. The Rascals begin the podcast by talking about government transparency regarding the health and welfare […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg (on his birthday), Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack and Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. The Rascals begin the podcast by talking about government transparency regarding the health and welfare […]

Dr. Chitaru Kurihara, thoracic surgeon and surgical director of the Lung Transplant Program at Northwestern Medicine, joins John Williams to share details surrounding the first known quadruple-organ transplant involving retransplanted lung that Northwestern surgeons performed.

Elder law attorney Kerry Peck joins John Williams to answer all your questions about elder law, trusts, wills, and elder abuse. Listen in while Kerry discusses trust planning and how to set yourself up for success, how to spot elder-targeted fraud, how to teach your parents how to spot phishing attempts, and more. Kerry also answers listeners […]

Jeremy Foster, Manager of Pollen Bank at the Chicago Botanic Garden, joins John Williams to talk about the rare Amorphophallus Titanum, also known as “corpse flower,” that is currently in bloom at the garden, and why people flock from miles around to experience the pungent smell of the rare flower.

Craig Bolanos, Co-founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the markets, President Trump's handling of the housing assistance bill and the gradual impact on housing inventory and borrowing costs. Craig and John also cover gas prices, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, SK Hynix and SpaceX. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8516200/8516200_2026-07-15-151700.64kmono.mp3

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 join him and WGN Radio’s Mr. Fix-It this weekend at Lurvey Home & Garden in Des Plaines, on Saturday, July 18th […]

Dr. Chitaru Kurihara, thoracic surgeon and surgical director of the Lung Transplant Program at Northwestern Medicine, joins John Williams to share details surrounding the first known quadruple-organ transplant involving retransplanted lung that Northwestern surgeons performed.

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 join him and WGN Radio’s Mr. Fix-It this weekend at Lurvey Home & Garden in Des Plaines, on Saturday, July 18th […]

Craig Bolanos, Co-founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the markets, President Trump's handling of the housing assistance bill and the gradual impact on housing inventory and borrowing costs. Craig and John also cover gas prices, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, SK Hynix and SpaceX. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8516200/8516200_2026-07-15-151700.64kmono.mp3

Jeremy Foster, Manager of Pollen Bank at the Chicago Botanic Garden, joins John Williams to talk about the rare Amorphophallus Titanum, also known as “corpse flower,” that is currently in bloom at the garden, and why people flock from miles around to experience the pungent smell of the rare flower.

Elder law attorney Kerry Peck joins John Williams to answer all your questions about elder law, trusts, wills, and elder abuse. Listen in while Kerry discusses trust planning and how to set yourself up for success, how to spot elder-targeted fraud, how to teach your parents how to spot phishing attempts, and more. Kerry also answers listeners […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg (on his birthday), Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack and Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. The Rascals begin the podcast by talking about government transparency regarding the health and welfare […]

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

Michael Peregrine, Retired Law Firm Corporate Governance Attorney and Chicago Tribune columnist, joins John Williams to talk about his latest column in the Tribune about Richard Speck on the murder anniversary.