Jessica Mayle, Regional Spokesperson and Public Affairs Specialist at Transportation Security Administration, chats with WGN’s John Williams about Real ID compliance at the airport. Jessica explains the Global Entry program and how it can be used as an acceptable form of ID. Jessica also talks about the ID requirements for TSA PreCheck.

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to discuss the current tariff and economic situation in the United States. Connell also talks about how small business are affected by today’s economic decisions.

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

Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips joins John Williams to talk about the 50th anniversary of ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail,’ and to share his thoughts on the Oscars introducing a Best Stunt Design category.

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, John Williams has some great recommendations for your trip! Today, we head down south to the great state capital of Illinois! Joining John today is Amy Beadle, Marketing Manager, Visit Springfield, who talks about all the great things happening in Springfield this spring and summer. Amy tells John about all the Abraham Lincoln-related sights you can see, the upcoming International Carillon Festival, where people can stay when they visit, the great food and shopping in the area, and all the amazing outdoor activities available.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the importance of diet and exercise, why you should separate diet and exercise, a new study that shows that people who drank 8 or more drinks per week had 133% increased risk of having brain injury that is associated with memory and thinking issues (compared to those who didn’t drink). Dawn also answers all of your health and nutrition questions.

Marge Sipla, Speed Jokes spirit animal, cataloger and Member of the Speed Jokes Committee, joins John and the gang to give us her favorite Speed Jokes of April 2025! What was your favorite joke this month? And as always, John 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 of the Illinois Policy Institute (sign up for his new Substack!), longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and political pundit Marj Halperin! The Rascals begin the podcast discussing the odds that Governor Pritzker becomes president, former governor Rod Blagojevich makes a run for Illinois senator, or Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton takes Senator Durbin’s seat. Eric explains why he is upset that Governor Pritzker and Senator Duckworth already put their fingers on the scale in favor of Stratton in the race to replace Senator Durbin. But what about Pritzkers’ fiery speech in New Hampshire over the weekend? A news story broke earlier this week that suggested Amazon was going to display tariff costs on items. A few hours later, Amazon said that was never the plan. Will Jeff Bezos ultimately decide to display tariff costs? President Trump did an interview with ABC news where he discussed tourism, tariffs, and the detainment of Abrego Garcia. What were the big takeaways from the interview? The Chicago Teachers Union is encouraging students and staff to miss school for a political rally. Austin gets us up to speed on the controversy. Legislation is pending in Illinois that would ban large retailers from using single-use plastic or styrofoam. What do the Rascals think of the proposed legislation? And finally, it’s time for red light, yellow light, green light! What are the Rascals recommending (or not recommending) this week?

Elder law attorney Kerry Peck joins John Williams to answer all your questions about elder law, trusts, wills, and elder abuse. Kerry tells John about ‘signature for sex’ cases, and to share his thoughts on Bill Belichick’s interview with CBS. Does Kerry believe Belichick is cognitively impaired?

Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Bob says it’s time to start your weekly mowing, and it’s still not too late to do your spring cleanup.