John Williams

Author and registered dietician nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner joins John Williams to talk about the health benefits of sweet potatoes, her thoughts on ‘superfoods,’ the most common nutrient deficiencies and the food you can eat to prevent those deficiencies. Dawn also answers all of your nutrition questions.

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

The Mincing Rascals this week are Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! This week, our small but mighty Rascals start the podcast discussing last week’s election results and the flurry of nominees to fill President-elect Trump’s Cabinet. What do the Rascals make of these controversial choices? The Rascals now have had a week to dissect the election results. Why did Harris lose? And do the results give Trump a mandate? Switching to local politics, what is the latest on Mayor Johnson’s property tax proposal? And what does the future hold for CPS CEO Pedro Martinez? And finally, what do the Rascals make of the Bears reconsidering the site of the old Michael Reese Hospital for a new stadium?

Envoy Scott Hurula of the Salvation Army joins John Williams to talk about his work running the Salvation Army kettle campaign, what your donations mean to the army, who typically rings bells for the Salvation Army, and their work helping immigrants who are coming to Chicago. Go to registertoring.com to find out more.

Click here to help John fill his virtual Red Kettle and help our neighbors in need this holiday season!

Mark Jacob, former editor at the Chicago Tribune & Sun-Times, sometimes Mincing Rascal, and co-author of the new book, ‘Globetrotter:  How Abe Saperstein Shook Up the World of Sports,’ joins John Williams in-studio to talk about why he decided to write about Abe Saperstein, the things that Abe Saperstein did that shook up the world of sports, when Abe came up with the idea of the Harlem Globetrotters, the racism that members of the Globetrotters had to endure, the year that Wilt Chamberlain played with the Globetrotters, the way Abe pioneered the 3-point shot, and Abe’s impact on the game of baseball.

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 talks about how confused the plants are with unseasonably warm weather and why he recommends getting your leaves off of the grass.

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

As John Williams said to kickoff his conversation with Roy Spencer from Perma-Seal, “Baby, it’s cold INSIDE.” It’s that time of year and Roy explains why it’s not about how much insulation your home has, but how Perma-Seal addresses the root of the problem.

Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about how cannabis can help people suffering from dementia, the importance of working on our balance, why you should get vaccinated for the flu and COVID right now, and his thoughts on a new report that shows about 41 percent of U.S. adults with hypertension are unaware they have it. Doctor Kopin also answers all of your medical questions.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about WGN’s Christmas Movie bracket, his disappointment with the election results, why he believes the election was accurate and fair in both 2024 and 2020, and how the electoral college brings on voter apathy. Eric also tells John why he’s found new teams to root for since both the Bears and his beloved Michigan Wolverines are having bad seasons.