John Williams

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 south down I-55 to the state capital of Illinois and chat with Amy Beadle, Marketing Manager, Visit Springfield! Amy talks about the 100th anniversary of Route 66 and the must-see events, the 17th season of the ‘History Comes Alive’ experience, the variety of museums to visit, their free concerts on Thursdays, and the best places to stay, eat, and drink when you spend time in Springfield.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the benefits of strength training, the importance of a balanced exercise routine, her two new recipes for Broccoli Salad and Cookie Dough Dates, the top foods for healthier blood pressure, 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, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, and award-winning journalist and political pundit Marj Halperin. The Rascals start this week’s podcast talking about the Trump administration creating a $1.776 billion fund to pay people who say they were victims of government “weaponization.” Next, the Rascals break down the Texas Senate primary runoff which saw Attorney General Ken Paxton defeat Senator John Cornyn. What do the Rascals read into the results? And does James Talarico have a chance to turn the senate seat blue in November? Closer to home, the Rascals discuss the latest on the ‘Broadview Six’ and why the case fell apart before going to trial. Austin then get everyone up to speed on CTU members voting down an effort to raise dues. Memorial Day has come and gone and Chicago is entering ‘teen takeover’ season. What should the city do to combat these takeovers? Also, Marj recommends watching Stephen Colbert hosting ‘Only in Monroe.’

Noted Chicago attorney Christopher Parente, Partner, Cheronis & Parente, joins John Williams to talk about the latest on the ‘Broadview Six.’ Christopher tells John about the original charges against the ‘Broadview Six,’ why the judge threw the case out, why he believes the case against the ‘Broadview Six’ was brought up due to direction from Washington D.C. and possibly the White House, his reaction to U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros calling prosecutors courageous, and what he plans to do next.

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, who joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Bob tells us what to do for your lawn during this dry spell.

Elder law attorney Kerry Peck joins John Williams to answer all your questions about elder law, trusts, wills, and elder abuse. 

Historian Joseph Ellis has said that the Declaration of Independence contains the thirty-five “most potent and consequential words in American history.” True enough. Thomas Jefferson’s self-evident truths – that all men are created equal and that they are right to expect an unfettered pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness – are aspirational if not timeless. But those words were just a preamble to a list of complains. The Declaration gave us the why, and the US Constitution, the how America would govern itself.

But something was missing. In its original form, the US Constitution didn’t enumerate a Bill of Rights – a literal list of what those inalienable rights would include. That Bill of Rights, our first ten amendments, is to this day – with all due respect, Mr. Ellis – arguably our most important document. It’s what we fought for and still fight over: speech, religion, guns, due process, fair trials, protection from cruel and unusual punishment…

And so now, on the eve of America’s 250th birthday, WGN Radio presents The Ten (American) Commandments. With historian Clay Jenkinson, John Williams looks at the Bill of Rights. In a ten-part series, they discuss the strengths, weaknesses and challenges presented by this 235 year-old document.

Part 1 drops Monday, June 1, 2026.

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

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about why people care so much about their local sports teams, the Chicago Teachers Union members voting down an effort to raise union dues to pay for political campaigns, and the latest on the Texas primary between Texas AG Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn.