John Williams

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins Jon Hansen to talk about a new study that shows hot food temperature can make you feel more full, the importance of gut health, what to know about prebiotics and probiotics, and the benefits of kefir. And of course, Dawn answers all of your health and 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, Jon Hansen has some great recommendations for your fall trip! Today, we head to beautiful Wisconsin and chat with Christine Rebout, Executive Director, Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau! Christine tells us why Janesville is a perfect place to visit this fall, what you can see when you visit the Ice Age National Scenic Trail that goes through downtown, what you should know about Skelly’s Corn Maze & Fall Festival, what you can eat and drink on your trip, the best local orchards or wineries to visit, and where you can stay if you want to spend a few days exploring Janesville!

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

Chris Herren, former NBA Player, joins Jon Hansen to talk about his life since he’s playing career ended, how he battled addiction throughout the years, the progress being made to tackle addiction, and his work building a community around substance use prevention and recovery, and his talk tomorrow at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage. Find more information about “Prevention Starts With All: The Chris Herren Story” here.

The Mincing Rascals this week are Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, political pundit Marj Halperin, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! This week, the John-less Rascals mince about the ongoing misadventures that have surrounded Mayor Brandon Johnson’s tenure. ShotSpotter, budget issues, staff changes, CTU v. CPS, etc. How do the Rascals think the Mayor has performed a year and a half into his job? Speaking of ShotSpotter, the debate over the gunshot detection technology continues in City Hall today. What do the Rascals think of how the administration has handled the ShotSpotter issue? Convicted former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is seeking a presidential pardon. Do the Rascals believe President Biden should pardon the former congressman? The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments from Jussie Smollett’s attorneys seeking to overturn his convictions of staging a fake hate crime. Do the Smollett attorneys have a point here? Switching to some national news, the Rascals discuss what is happening in Springfield, Ohio and the hateful rhetoric and lies being spread by J.D. Vance and Donald Trump.

Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins Jon Hansen to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Bob talks about the lack of rain and heat and how it’s changing the structure of the soil. Bob also explains why you need to keep mowing right now.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx joins Jon Hansen to talk about the first anniversary since the end of cash bail in Illinois. State’s Attorney Foxx tells Jon how the process for detention has been more thoughtful, how the results so far have been promising, what she would say to the critics of the policy, and her thoughts on the ongoing debate over ShotSpotter, the gunshot detection technology.

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

Charlie Roumeliotis joins Jon Hansen and Dave Eanet to talk about being named the new studio host of WGN Radio’s Chicago Blackhawks pre- and postgame shows and intermissions for the upcoming 2024-25 hockey season. Welcome to the team, Charlie!

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, joins Jon Hansen to talk about a new study that found that AFib is three times more widespread than doctors thought and to give a quick update on COVID infections and the new vaccines.