John Williams

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the positives and negatives of weight loss drugs, what a freeze on Medicaid means and if people will be impacted, and his thoughts on RFK Jr’s hearing to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about President Trump’s first week in office, the confirmation hearings for Trump’s Cabinet picks, and the ICE raids that have been happening across the country including the city of Chicago. Eric also gives his unpopular(?) opinion that local TV should get rid of their meteorologists.

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

The Career Vision Podcast officially kicks off with host Michael Piff turning the tables on WGN Radio midday host John Williams and producer Pete Zimmerman. John and Pete have been teamed up for a few years, but their careers at WGN Radio span decades.

In the first episode of the Career Vision Podcast, we learn about what they were like in high school, when they realized radio was what wanted to do, how they got started at WGN Radio, lessons they have learned, skills they have developed, how they approach their weekday radio show in the country’s third biggest market, and how teaming up has reinvigorated them both at this point their careers. Listen for more below.

Our sponsor, Career Vision and the Ball Foundation help students and professionals discover their strengths and navigate their career opportunities. Learn more at CareerVision.org.

And you can subscribe to the Career Vision Podcast with Michael Piff on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Julie Giese, president of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race, joins John Williams to talk about this year’s race, how this year’s race will differ from previous races, why they reduced prices for the 2025 event, her reaction to some of the skepticism about the grand scale of the event, why NASCAR loves doing a street race, what they expect attendance to be for the race, if entertainment and music will be part of the weekend, and their revenue agreement with the city of Chicago. Get your tickets now!

NewsNation National Correspondent Alex Caprariello joins John Williams to give us the latest on the ICE raids that took place in Chicago and across the country over the weekend.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. This week, Lou talks about thermostat temperature, his recommendation if you are in the market for a new thermostat, and why it’s always a good time to know the age of your roof, water heater, and furnace.

Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

Sara Tieman is not only an ace Promotions & PR Manager for WGN Radio, but she is also a voracious reader who stops by every now and again to tell John about some of the best books she’s reading. Sara, John, Steve Alexander, and Bob Kessler discuss the best books they read in 2024 and their favorites in the new year.

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

The great writer, director, and actor Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned in ‘Groundhog Day’) joins John Williams to talk about the iconic film and the festivities the city of Woodstock (where the movie was filmed) has planned for Groundhog Day this year. Stephen recalls some of the scenes in the movie, the comedic partnership with Bill Murray, some advice he received from director Harold Ramis, and why he keeps coming back to celebrate ‘Groundhog Day.’