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The John Williams Podcast from 720 WGN

Location:

Chicago, IL

Genres:

News

Description:

The John Williams Podcast from 720 WGN

Twitter:

@wgnkingjohn

Language:

English


Episodes
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Connell McShane: Reaction from White House about racist Trump post has not been good enough

2/6/2026
Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins guest host Tom Gimbel to talk about the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, and the racist meme that President Trump posted on his Truth Social account.

Duration:00:10:29

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John Williams brings you a round of Speed Jokes, The Best Of, 2.6.26

2/6/2026
Enjoy this edition of “The Best of Speed Jokes.” What was your favorite joke of the week? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com!

Duration:00:04:02

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State Rep. Briel: New bill is not targeting your campfire

2/5/2026
State Representative Amy Briel (D-Ottawa) joins John Williams to clear up some information regarding a proposed bill that would require permits and possibly pay up to a $5 fee for open burning in unincorporated areas.

Duration:00:13:56

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Craig Bolanos: What to know about Trump Accounts for kids

2/5/2026
Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about what we should know about new Trump Accounts. Craig also explains why the market has been dipping lately, why he remains extremely bullish on 2026, what he thinks of gold prices, and what he wants investors focused on right now.

Duration:00:14:01

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Betting analyst Sam Panayotovich: Best wagers for Super Bowl LX

2/5/2026
Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst and co-host of the sports betting show ‘Chicken Dinner,’ joins John Williams to talk about some of his favorite bets for the Super Bowl game between the Seattle Seahawks v. New England Patriots.

Duration:00:12:51

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John Williams brings you a round of Speed Jokes, Part MCII, 2.5.26

2/5/2026
John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Duration:00:03:08

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The Mincing Rascals 2.4.26: Senate race, government shutdown, Waymo, snowplow names

2/4/2026
The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, multi-media journalist Brandon Pope, author of Brandon Pope’s Screening Room, and long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. This week, the Rascals kick off the podcast talking about JB Pritzker donating $5 million to Juliana Stratton’s senate campaign? Is this anything? […]

Duration:00:59:18

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Athletes to watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics

2/4/2026
WGN Radio News Director and Olympic correspondent Ryan Burrow joins John Williams to tell us what we need to know about the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. And make sure to listen to Ryan’s podcast, “Quest for Gold,” so you are fully prepared to watch this year’s games!

Duration:00:08:56

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How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics

2/4/2026
Longtime Chicago radio veteran Harvey Wells, founder, Lower Tech Bills, talks to John about how he helps customers lower their internet, cell phone, and television costs. Today, Harvey tells us what you need to know about watching this year’s Winter Olympics.

Duration:00:08:12

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David Hochberg: Why student loan delinquencies are exploding

2/4/2026
Mortgage and real estate expert David Hochberg joins John Williams to talk about U.S. condo prices plunging, and why student loan delinquencies are exploding. Also joining John and David in-studio today is Stacey Wahlberg, President & Co-Founder, Cal’s Angels! Stacey tells John the personal story about how Cal’s Angels started, how they fund cancer research […]

Duration:00:19:47

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John Williams brings you a round of Speed Jokes, Part MCI, 2.4.26

2/4/2026
John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Duration:00:02:51

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Dr. Jeffrey Kopin: Why prehab before surgery is important

2/3/2026
Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, Chief Medical Officer, Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, joins John Williams to talk about the most common causes of knee and joint pain, new data suggesting that flu cases are rebounding, the rare medical condition that the great Catherine O’Hara discovered many years before her death, and if we need to […]

Duration:00:10:04

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Green Attic Roofing can turn your roof into power

2/3/2026
Andrei Turea, Co-owner & CEO, Green Attic Roofing, joins John to talk about why they started the company, their focus on energy efficiency, the way technology is continuing to evolve, the opportunity for commercial property owners to turn their roofs into an asset, what you should know about various rebate programs, how business has been […]

Duration:00:10:22

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Eric Zorn: Uneasy about Pritzker bankrolling Stratton’s campaign

2/3/2026
Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about a number of stories making news this week including Governor J.B. Pritzker $5 million donation to Juliana Stratton’s senate campaign, and journalist Don Lemon getting arrested by a team of federal agents after he’d offered to turn himself in.

Duration:00:18:54

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Rep. Kam Buckner: Illinois needs to be a leader on autonomous vehicles

2/3/2026
State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) joins John Williams to talk about new legislation that would authorize a pilot program for autonomous vehicles in some Illinois counties.

Duration:00:09:25

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John Williams brings you a round of Speed Jokes, Part MC, 2.3.26: Best Speed Jokes of January

2/3/2026
Marge Sipla, Speed Jokes spirit animal, cataloger and Member of the Speed Jokes Committee, joins John Williams and the gang to give us her favorite Speed Jokes of January 2026! What was your favorite joke this month? Keep sending your jokes to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com

Duration:00:03:57

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Chris Holtmann is changing the perception of the DePaul basketball program

2/2/2026
Chris Holtmann, Head Coach, DePaul’s Men’s Basketball, joins John Williams to talk about the early success the team has had this year, how attendance has improved since he took the helm, how wins and losses impact his family, the work he’s doing to turn around the program, the importance of recruiting kids that are a good fit […]

Duration:00:17:06

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Lou Manfredini: Check all filters in your home

2/2/2026
The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou explains why now is the perfect time to check ALL the filters in your home. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

Duration:00:11:01

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John Williams brings you a round of Speed Jokes, Part MXCIX, 2.2.26

2/2/2026
John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to JohnWilliams@wgnradio.com.

Duration:00:02:35

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Connell McShane: Trump’s tone on Alex Pretti shooting has shifted again

1/30/2026
Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the big stories of the week including Don Lemon being arrested, a new pick for Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and Donald Trump posting about Alex Pretti.

Duration:00:08:35