John Williams

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Our small, but mighty podcast crew start the episode talking about Texas lawmakers coming to Illinois to avoid voting on a new legislative map that would favor the GOP. Governor Pritzker even went […]

Brian Hoogeveen, The Cash Man from Americash Jewelry & Coin Buyers, joins Jon Hansen to discuss items that could be worth money. Brian talks about the value of items such as a Ryne Sandberg autographed bat, 1940’s silver quarters, and a Morgan dollar from the 1800’s! And as always, Brian urges you to ‘check it out before you […]

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.

NHL Hall of Famer and Blackhawks great Jeremy Roenick joins Jon Hansen to talk about the centennial season for your Chicago Blackhawks, the rich history of the team, why he’s excited about the future of the Blackhawks, his charity Helping Hands Network, the work he is doing with Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery, and his spirit […]

Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins Jon Hansen to talk about mortgage rates easing up, the impact of President Trump firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the overall health of the economy right now. David hosts “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm on WGN Radio. […]

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

Chicago Tribune chief political reporter Rick Pearson joins Jon Hansen to talk about Texas lawmakers coming to Illinois (and other states) to avoid a redistricting vote that would favor Republicans. Governor Pritzker says that it’s possible that Illinois may try to counter the GOP effort in Texas.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, joins Jon Hansen to talk about the dangers of wildfire smoke and what you need to know to protect yourself. Dr. Kopin also tells John about the importance of getting an early screening for colon cancer.

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

Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio), vice chair of the Texas Black Caucus, joins Jon Hansen to talk about why she and other Texas legislators chose to leave the state to combat the Texas GOP effort to redraw five congressional districts in favor of Republicans.

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 indoor air quality, the benefits of using air purifiers, and why you should changer your air filters every month. Lou, as always, answers your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each […]

Marge Sipla, Speed Jokes spirit animal, cataloger and Member of the Speed Jokes Committee, joins guest host Jon Hansen and the gang to give us her favorite Speed Jokes of July 2025! What was your favorite joke this month? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com

Kellie Meyer, Washington Correspondent, NewsNation, joins John Williams to talk about to break down the latest on President Trump’s trade deals and tariff deadlines.

Attorney Rae Kaplan of Kaplan Law Firm joins John Williams to talk about loan caps for medical students and graduate students, why you will see an explosion in the private loan industry, and some recent good news about income based repayment plans. Rae also answers all of your student loan questions.

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!

Mack Liederman, Reporter, Block Club Chicago, joins John Williams to talk about a new proposal from the Chicago Park District that would move a portion of DuSable Lake Shore Drive underground. What is the likelihood this ever happens?

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about why your diet is likely to be in low in nutrients (fiber, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, magnesium, omega 3) and what you can do to eat more. Dawn also answers all of your food an nutrition questions.

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 north to beautiful Lake Delton and visit with Bob […]

The great actor, author, woodworker and citizen Nick Offerman joins John Williams to talk about his history in the town of Minooka, all the activities he took part in while in high school, the movie and TV projects he’s most known for, getting his big break on ‘Parks and Recreation,’ the similarities between his personality […]

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