The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, political pundit Marj Halperin, and longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! This week the Rascals kick off the show starting about the drones that have been flying over multiple states. What do the Rascals make of the story and the hysteria that it has created? This week, the Chicago City Council passed Mayor Johnson’s 2025 budget. What are the Rascals chief takeaways from Johnson’s budget and the council shenanigans leading up to its passage? Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register for a pre-election poll that showed him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris. Eric finds this very ominous. And what about the chances RFK Jr. will be confirmed to lead HHS? And that’s a wrap for the 2024 Rascals! We’ll have “Best of” shows through the holidays and be back for your podcast listening pleasure in January! Thanks to each and every one of you!

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

Film and television writer Joshua Zetumer joins John Williams to talk about creating the new Hulu series, “Say Nothing.” Joshua tells John what drew him to the story, when he became interested in the IRA, why he wanted to keep the show faithful to the book by Patrick Radden Keefe, where the show and the book diverge, the complex nature of the conflict in the region, and his mission to portray the conflict authentically.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the Chicago City Council approving Mayor Johnson’s budget proposal, Donald Trump suing the Des Moines Register over a poll that showed him losing to Kamala Harris, and his opinion that college football should get rid of conferences.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the amount of pickleball injuries he has seen, the importance of balance as we age, the alarming number of adults that suffer from chronic pain, President-elect Trump’s comments on the future of the polio vaccine, and if he believes we are giving kids too many vaccines.

Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John talk about what he expects from the Fed announcement this week, his economic outlook for 2025, why he is bullish on the market, and his year-end tips for investors.

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

Actress Jade Harlow joins John Williams to talk about the new Hulu holiday movie, “Christmas on the Ranch,” which was partially filmed at WGN Radio! Jade tells John what it was like filming at WGN, the number of local people that worked on the production, the role that horses play in the story, how she approached this particular role, and the great chemistry she had with her co-star.

Colin Hinkle, owner of Soaring Badger Productions, a Chicago drone company specializing in video and photography production services, talks to John about the mysterious drones flying over a handful of states. Colin explains why these drone sightings can have a negative impact on the people who use drones safely, the danger of shooting drones down, and why he believes these drones aren’t be using for nefarious reasons.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. And as always, Lou answers all of your home improvement questions. Lou talks about ceiling fans and air flow, and why you should consider a water filter and an indoor air purifier for your home. If you want to know more about Lou, check out this amazing Block Club feature!

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