The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader, and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week the gang kick things of chatting with Rascal Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, who is covering the RNC (and pasta) in Milwaukee. What is Brandon seeing and hearing up in Milwaukee as he covers the GOP convention? New polling from 538 about the presidential election shows that the race is extremely close. What do the Rascals make of the current polls? Eric believes the Democrats are in disarray and in real trouble, while Marj thinks President Biden does have a path to victory. More and more members of Congress are asking President Biden to step down. Do the Rascals think Biden is going to stay in the race? And what do the Rascals think of Trump picking Senator JD Vance to be his running mate? Switching to some local news, the Rascals mince about Mayor Johnson tabling a plan to fine ‘teen trend’ party organizers, Mayor Johnson’s appointment of Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez as Zoning chair being delayed, Mayor Johnson wanting CPS to take out the equivalent of a payday loan to address its budget challenges, and the Johnson administration nixing a plan to remove a George Washington statue from city hall. And finally, back to national politics. The Rascals have a discussion on political rhetoric in light of the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump.