John Williams

Philippe Largent, State Director, AARP Illinois, joins John Williams to talk about the work he does with AARP, Illinois earning the ‘Age Friendly State’ designation, what is needed for people to age well, and the effort to make Illinois the most livable state for people as they get older.

Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about  Air Canada canceling flights to the U.S due to low demand, if AI spending will translate into profits, the broadening of the stock market and why that’s good news, if he expects a Fed rate hike before the end of the year, how the war in Iran is continuing to impact the economy, the concern over stubborn inflation, and what investors need to be doing as they prepare for retirement.

Sara M. Krzyzaniak, MD, Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and assistant dean of graduate medical education, joins John Williams to talk about her career, when she became interested in emergency medicine, the personality type of a good ER doctor, her recent TED talk about AI and the future of medicine, how AI is changing our lives, the concerns she has about AI and ‘de-skilling’ or ‘never-skilling,’ the importance of knowing the flaws of AI and using it responsibly, and why she believes AI won’t replace your doctor.

Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the big trends surrounding the midterm elections. What are the big races that we should be paying the most attention to?

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

Karen Kent, President of UNITE HERE Local 1, joins John Williams to talk about the biggest sticking point between hotel workers and the hotels, the current status of the negotiations, and the need for significant wage increases to compete with other cities.

36th Ward Alderman Gilbert Villegas joins John Williams to talk about Mayor Johnson’s proposed budget for 2027. Ald. Villegas tells John why he disagrees with Johnson about a corporate head tax, how raising taxes will ultimately be passed on to the consumer, and what he thinks the city needs to do to be more fiscally responsible.

Legendary sportswriter Peter King joins John Williams to discuss his new book, ‘The Game.’ Peter talks to John about his illustrious 40-year career covering the NFL, how the sport has changed throughout the years, how the game has surged in popularity since its humble beginnings, the way FOX reimagined covering the NFL, some of the great Mike Ditka moments in the book, and the Chicago Bears on the NFL Mount Rushmore.

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 of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, and Steve Bertrand, host of Steve Bertrand on Books and proprietor of Steve Bertrand Travel. The Rascals start the podcast talking about Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial attack ad featuring his Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother. Eric calls the ad ‘repulsive.’ What do the rest of the Rascals think? Sticking to the national scene, the Rascals break down the now viral video of Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed answering a question from a heckler named Tommy. And how are the Rascals feeling about recent polling with the midterm elections coming up in less than two weeks? Pivoting to local stories, Mayor Johnson unveiled his proposal for the 2027. What sticks out to the Rascals? Next, Austin gets us up to speed on the Chicago School Board election. Why should we care about this particular election? And finally, it’s time for red light, yellow light, green light. What are the Rascals recommending this week? And thanks to Jack for sending his green light for Tom Piazza’s book, ‘Living in the Present with John Prine.’ Want your recommendation heard on the Rascals? Send an audio recording to [email protected]