John Williams

Tony LaPalio, Founder / CEO, Senior Tech Support, joins John to talk about the invaluable services they provide, why he started the business, how they help older adults use technology, what they typically do for their clients, the counties they serve in the area, the high number of repeat customers they help, and their plans for expansion down the road.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the magical White Sox season, the Chicago City Council finance committee approving a $260M police misconduct settlement, Chicago’s declining crime rates, and why he doesn’t think candidates who are running for two offices are ‘double-dipping.’

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about how concerned we should be about a potential case of pneumonic plague in Russia after a laboratory worker who studied the disease died. Dr. Kopin also talks about how long you should stay isolated if you have the flu, and to encourage everyone to get your influenza vaccine.

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

Bob Kustra, former Illinois lieutenant governor, state legislator and president of Boise State University, joins John Williams to talk about his Tribune Op-ed about the four beluga whale deaths at the Shedd Aquarium and why he believes ‘the time for imprisoning them for our entertainment or “education” has passed.’

Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson joins John Williams to talk about his recent Op-ed in the Tribune about why he supports data centers in his town.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. With the beautiful weather this week, Lou says it’s time to tackle your fall pruning! And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions.

Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

Marge Sipla, Speed Jokes spirit animal and member of the Speed Jokes Committee, joins John Williams and the gang to give us her favorite Speed Jokes of September 2026! John has a few that he likes, too! What was your favorite joke this month? Keep sending your jokes to [email protected]

Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John Williams to talk about what’s going on with the market, what to expect from the economic data that will be released soon, how the war in Iran continues to impact the economy, what’s the safest thing to do for people saving for retirement, the latest on the trade war with Canada, and what you need to know about taxes before the end of the year.

TUNE IN to WGN Radio and listen to The Alpha Wealth Hour on Sundays at 7 AM. Catch up on previous episodes on WGNRadio.com, and subscribe to it on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Dr. Jennifer Obel, a retired oncologist who writes about the intersection of medicine, ethics and public policy, joins John Williams to talk about her Tribune Op-ed about the Cornell sexual assault case and what she wants every young woman to know if they’ve been a victim of sexual assault.