Wgn - The John Williams Uncut Podcast

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.

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and political pundit Marj Halperin! The Rascals begin the podcast talking about the possibility of Jesse Jackson Jr. running for congress. Should a convicted felon be allowed to run for federal office? Mayor Brandon Johnson is considering several […]

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 tells John that the ground is dry because the excessive heat has hardened the soil.

Ray LaHood, former GOP member of Congress and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Barack Obama, joins John Williams to talk about a bipartisan effort to to remove the influence of lawmakers in the redrawing of state legislative boundaries. LaHood says that the Illinois legislative map is ‘an embarrassment’ and ‘an outrageous abuse of one […]

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 Northwestern Memorial Hospital being named one of the best hospitals in the U.S., Cubs great Ryne Sandberg losing his battle to prostate cancer, what we should know about prostate cancer, and a new study that shows being physically active […]

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the death of Cubs great Ryne Sandberg, the recent layoffs at the Chicago Tribune, why Substack isn’t necessarily a good replacement for news, and to share his thoughts on Jesse Jackson Jr. possibly making another run for congress.

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.

Tom Appel, Publisher, Consumer Guide Automotive and host of the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast, joins John Williams to talk about why manufacturers are kicking the can on so many projects right now, the latest on the impact of tariffs, what’s happening with the EV market, why Tesla is still hurting, and how a trade deal with Japan will impact […]