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 recently retired newsman Steve Bertrand. The Rascals kick off the podcast talking about the Bears losing to the Rams in the playoffs and the controversy over the Sun-Times headline, “Good, Better, Bust,” the day after the loss. What do the Rascals think of the headline? Sticking to sports, what do the Rascals make of the transfer portal / NIL era in college sports? Next, the Rascals discuss Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson saying that he is not going to buy back its parking meters. The Rascals also break down the news coming out of the World Economic Forum in Davos. So, what’s going on with Greenland? And finally, the Rascals talk about the recent Op-ed from Paul Vallas about safety on the CTA. Oh, and Steve Bertrand gives a special shoutout for the Blackhawks honoring Jonathan Toews, and PCA and Caleb Williams making the rounds at a couple of recent sporting events.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign computer science professor Dr. Sheldon Jacobson joins John Williams to talk about the future of college athletics in the time of NIL and the transfer portal.

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 the latest on flu cases in Illinois, and a new study that concluded that there is no link between Tylenol/acetaminophen and autism.

Nicholas Grossman, Professor of Political Science, University of Illinois, joins John Williams to talk about President Trump’s continued interest in acquiring Greenland. Professor Grossman explains the relationship between Denmark and Greenland, what the island of Greenland is like, if China and Russia present a viable threat, if it’s possible for the U.S. to buy Greenland, and how he expects this standoff to end.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about the controversy surrounding the Sun-Times headline after the Bears loss to the Rams, if the success of the Bears will impact the team’s desire to move, and President Trump’s attempt to acquire Greenland.

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

NewsNation Now anchor Connell McShane joins John Williams to talk about the new food pyramid and how that will impact the cost of food, the popularity of President Trump’s immigration policies, and the debate over the ICE shooting of Renee Good.

Craig Bolanos, Co-founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to explain why he believes 2026 will be a good year for the market, the attacks on Fed independence, the streak of positive economic data, the importance of a diversified portfolio, and what he’s telling his clients right now. For more information, go to GetRetiredStayRetired.com.

Sam Panayotovich, Fox Sports Betting Analyst and co-host of the sports betting show ‘Chicken Dinner,’ joins John Williams to tell us what we need to know about the betting scandal that involved former DePaul basketball players, who he likes in the College Football Championship game, and his thoughts on the big Bears v. Rams game. Go Bears.