Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about her bedtime milk and cookies recipe and to answer all your health and nutrition questions.

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 north to beautiful Wisconsin and visit with Mindy Simons, Executive Director, Hayward Lakes Visitors and Convention Bureau! Mindy tells us where Hayward Lakes is located, the 56,000 acres of water in the county, the abundance of outdoor activities available, the amazing spring fishing in the Hayward Lakes area, the best places to stay when you visit, where you can eat and drink, and why the spring is a great time to spend some time in the area.

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. Today, the Rascals start the podcast discussing President Trump’s fiery rhetoric, the latest developments on the war with Iran, and if any of the desired objectives have been met. Turning to Illinois, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to an Illinois’ law barring concealed carry of guns on public transit. How do the Rascals feel about this decision? The civil trial against CPD and ex-Officer Eric Stillman for the Adam Toledo shooting in Chicago began earlier this week. Eric gets us up to speed on the case and what we need to know. Related: Check out Austin’s latest Substack, ‘How to bring professional excellence to the Chicago Police Department.’ Lastly, the Rascals visit a previous topic of discussion to hear Austin’s opinion. What does Austin think of the CTU asking for a day off for students to take part in a day of civil engagement?

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. 

Chicago entrepreneur Glen Tullman, the visionary behind the new magic venue ‘The Hand and The Eye,’ joins John Williams to talk about his background, the historical importance of the building, his lifelong passion for magic and the wonder it can create, Chicago’s long history with magic, and what we need to know about the experience when you visit The Hand and The Eye.

Joe Khalil, NewsNation’s Washington, D.C. correspondent, joins John Williams to talk about the ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran and what we learned from Secretary Hegseth’s press conference this morning.

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

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about how AI is being used in hospitals, his thoughts on a colon cancer blood test called Shield, and why it’s still important to get COVID, flu, RSV, and shingles vaccines.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about Michigan winning the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear a challenge to Illinois’ concealed carry ban on public transit, the civil trial in Adam Toledo’s family lawsuit against Chicago Police Department, and the latest on the deadline President Trump has given to Iran.