John Williams

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk about President Trump announcing that he wants to dismantle the Department of Education. What’s next for the department?

Enjoy this edition of “The Best of Speed Jokes.” What was your favorite joke of the week? Keep sending your jokes to [email protected]!

Thom Dillion, owner of JT Medicare Solutions, joins John Williams in-studio to talk about what people are most worried about right now, the cuts made to employees of Social Security, and what you should know about signing up for Medicare right now. For all those looking for Thom’s assistance – they can reach out to JT Medicare Solutions at 800-227-1012 or go to JTMedicareSolutions.com.

Illinois State Representative Margaret Croke (D-Chicago), joins John Williams to talk about a new bill she’s proposing that would combat the sale of restaurant reservations by third-parties.

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, John is joined by Carol Hoffman, Executive Director, Shawnee Forest Country, Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau! Carol tells John about the cities and towns covered by Southernmost Illinois, where you would stay when you visit the area, the 30th anniversary of the The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.

For trip planning assistance contact the Southernmost IL Tourism Bureau: 618-833-9928, or southernmostillinois.com

Kelly Leonard, Vice President, Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development at The Second City and host of the “Getting to Yes, And…” podcast, joins John Williams to talk about a recent podcast he did with the University of Chicago Crime Lab and how Second City is embedded in a program using improv to practice communication skills. Kelly also talks about visiting Quantico with the FBI National Academy and leading them through improv.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to [email protected].

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week, the Rascals start the podcast by congratulating new dad Jon Hansen! Next, the Rascals discuss the first few months of the Trump administration. What are the biggest takeaways? And what do the Rascals make of the Democratic response to how the GOP is running the country. Attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships are rising as people protest Elon Musk and DOGE. Do the Rascals believe this is a good way to protest Musk’s involvement in government. Also this week, Chief Justice Roberts rebuked President Trump’s attack on a judge and Steve Bannon suggested on NewsNation that Trump would run again in 2028. Are these stories that need to be taken seriously? Many Democrats are mad at Sen. Chuck Schumer over his leadership and support of the GOP-led funding bill. Do the Rascals think Schumer made the correct call? Many fine journalists at the Sun-Times have accepted buyouts including Richard Roeper, Mark Potash, Rick Morrissey, and Rick Telander. The Rascals wonder if the paper will survive. And finally, it’s time for Red Light. Yellow Light. Green Light! What are the Rascals recommending or not recommending?

Best-selling author Joshua Hammer joins John Williams to discuss his new book, “The Mesopotamian Riddle.” Joshua talks about how he finds his stories, the amount of research that went into the book, the challenge to make the story accessible, what original writing was like, how the growth of cities led to humans using script, and the intriguing stories of the three people who went on a twenty-year quest to decipher the ancient script cuneiform.

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.