John Williams

Restaurateur Dan Hart, President of Hart Alliance, to talk about the restaurants he runs in McHenry, why McHenry is a great place to do business, the benefits of being located close to the Fox River, some of the fan favorites at his restaurants, the challenge of running a restaurant in the current climate, what drove him to the restaurant business and what it takes to run a successful restaurant business.

Michelle DiCola, Chicago’s director of traffic management in the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, joins John to talk about all the work that goes into making sure people that are attending events in Chicago do so safely.

Thomas Hillier, local history librarian at the McHenry Public Library, and Chairman, City of McHenry Landmark Commission, joins John Williams to talk about the unique history of McHenry, what originally drew people out to the area, how people used to come to McHenry for vacation, the three different sections of the town, and how McHenry keeps its small town charm.

It’s time once again for our Best of the Midwest feature for 2026! Are you trying to come up with some quick getaway ideas that are only a quick trip from the Chicago area? Well, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we head to beautiful Mirror Lake State Park and visit with Bob Prosser, owner of Ishnala Supper Club in Lake Delton Wisconsin! Bob talks about how many people have enjoyed an Old Fashioned this year, why consistency is so important to the success of the business, how business has been going, what the most popular menu items are this summer, how people come from all over the country to enjoy the supper club, and how long they expect to be open for this season.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about her favorite types of fruit, two fruits that are good for your heart health, tips to turn fruit into dessert, what you should know about the cyclospora outbreak, why you should still feel safe eating fruits and vegetables, and to answer all of your health and nutrition questions.

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, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972, and multi-media journalist Brandon Pope, author of Brandon Pope’s Screening Room. This week, the Rascals begin the podcast talking about President Trump’s speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. What do the Rascals think of Trump’s performance? The Rascals also discuss Dr. Anthony Fauci’s testimony before a Senate committee investigating the origins of Covid-19. What were the Rascals main takeaways from the hearing? Rahm Emanuel gave a lengthy interview interview with Politico this week as he continues to ramp up his profile ahead of the 2028 presidential election. Do the Rascals think that Rahm is a legitimate candidate for president? And I know it’s early, but who do the Rascals think will be the Democratic candidate for president in 2028? And what about JB Pritzker? Speaking of Governor Pritzker, this week he signed a “bell-to-bell” school cellphone ban into Illinois law. Do the Rascals like the law? Next, Austin breaks down his recent Substack entry, ‘How Chicago stops voters from deciding what matters.’ Also making news in Chicago this week, is the sudden closing of grocery stores on the South and West sides. Do the Rascals think city-owned grocery stores are a good idea? Finally, it’s time for red light, yellow light, green light. What are the Rascals recommending (or not recommending) this week?

Attorney Rich Lenkov, Capital Member, Downey & Lenkov, and co-host of “Legal Face-Off” on wgnradio.com, joins John Williams to talk about a number of legal issues in the news including Illinois banning cell phones in public schools, Dr. Fauci’s testimony before a Senate committee investigating the origins of Covid-19, and Tony Romo’s being arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

From July 2007: John Williams talks with Irish musician Glen Hansard. Hansard died today at age 56.

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