John Williams

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 east and travel to the heart of Amish country and visit with with Sonya Nash, Executive Director of Visit Shipshewana! Sonya tells John how far away Shipshewana away from the Chicago area, the best places to stay when you visit, the big concerts coming to town, the amazing food to eat on your trip, what to expect from the Amish culture, the abundance of shopping in Shipshewana, the family-friendly entertainment available, and all the great things to do if you want to be more active!

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, Brandon Pope, of WCIU, and longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! The Rascals start off the podcast talking about the protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. What are the major takeaways from the protests? ABC News didn’t renew the contract of correspondent Terry Moran this week after he criticized President Trump and Stephen Miller in a now deleted post on X. Did ABC make the right decision in letting Moran go? Former Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan will be sentenced Friday on federal corruption charges. Do the Rascals believe Madigan will serve prison time? And if so, how much time? President Trump wants to give a $1,000 investment account to newborns born in the U.S.A. What do the Rascals think of this proposal? And of course, the Rascals end the podcast with red light, yellow light, green light! What are the Rascals recommending (or not recommending) this week.

Patrick Evans, Lead Writer for the Legal Sports Report, joins John Williams to talk about FanDuel adding a 50-cent surcharge on Illinois bets to offset state taxes. Patrick explains what this all means and how it might impact the industry. Does Patrick think FanDuel would ever leave Illinois?

Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law at the University of Minnesota, joins John Williams to talk about ABC News firing correspondent Terry Moran after he criticized Stephen Miller and President Trump on social media. Jane also breaks down The Pew Research Center news media tracker on how Americans use and trust 30 media outlets.

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 tells us why you shouldn’t be watering your lawn at night.

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

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

Carl Prouty, “The Technologist” at Abt Electronics in Glenview, joins John to talk about some gift ideas for Father’s Day. Also, Carl tells John about Abt’s newest attraction: The Bear, a remarkably preserved skeleton of an 85,000-year-old cave bear! Customers can also make history by helping name the Cave Bear through a social media contest running from June 9–15, 2025. One lucky participant will win a $100 Abt Gift Card. For full details and to submit your entry, please visit Abt’s Instagram page @abtelectronics.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about Sly Stone dying after a prolonged battle with COPD, if he’s concerned about the ability to get flu shots this fall, and to share his thoughts on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removing the 17 independent vaccine experts from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.