John Williams

Lyric Opera of Chicago Music Director Enrique Mazzola joins John Williams to talk about the job a conductor does, if he considers himself a performer, what we should know about the Lyric Opera, how it’s one of the most important cultural centers in the city, the importance of telling stories, how programming at the Lyric has attracted younger audiences, why the audience is a big part of the performance, and what we should expect when he conducts Così fan tutte this month. Check out the rest of the season’s highlights here.

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the best and safest way to do a plank, the variety of sit up exercises you can do, and the best menu ideas for your Super Bowl party.

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 political pundit Marj Halperin! The Rascals begin the podcast talking about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minnesota over the weekend. What were the biggest takeaways from the news this week? A Chicago teacher was placed on administrative leave after making a Facebook post supporting ICE. Do the Rascals think the teacher should have been put on leave? Also this week, the actor John Cusack wrote an op-ed in the Sun-Times about the need for paywall-free news coverage. Do the Rascals think newspapers should offer free content for major news stories? Next, the United Center will start selling THC drinks at concessions in early February. Where are the Rascals on offering THC beverages at the UC? Mayor Brandon Johnson is once again pushing for a progressive income tax. Do the Rascals believe this revenue proposal is a good idea? This leads into the race to replace Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate. What candidate is likely to replace Senator Durbin? 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 explains why it’s a good idea to look into long-term care insurance, how you can obtain a will of a deceased parent, and when you would likely need an executor of a will.

The great writer, director, and actor Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned in ‘Groundhog Day’) joins John Williams to talk about the film and the festivities the city of Woodstock (where the movie was filmed) has planned for Groundhog Day this year. Stephen talks about working with Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, the importance of injecting a film with surprises, how many times they shot the iconic street scene between Ned and Phil, the challenge of keeping continuity while filming, and why the power of art keeps people returning to Woodstock to celebrate Groundhog Day. People can find the full schedule of events at WoodstockGroundhog.org.

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

Christopher Parente, Partner, Cheronis & Parente, joins John Williams to talk about why Marimar Martinez, who was shot and wounded by a Customs and Border Protection agent during Operation Midway Blitz, wants body camera footage and other evidence related to the incident to be released to the public.

WGN Radio News Director and Olympic correspondent Ryan Burrow joins John Williams to tell us what we need to know about the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. And make sure to listen to Ryan’s podcast, “Quest for Gold,” so you are fully prepared to watch this year’s games!

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about how someone typically catches a cold, the flu shot preventing you from getting really sick, the American Academy of Pediatrics departing from the CDC with childhood vaccine revisions, and colorectal cancer now being the leading cause of cancer death in people under 50. Dr. Kopin also answers all of your medical questions.