The Mincing Rascals this week are Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, political pundit Marj Halperin, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! This week, the John-less Rascals mince about the ongoing misadventures that have surrounded Mayor Brandon Johnson’s tenure. ShotSpotter, budget issues, staff changes, CTU v. CPS, etc. How do the Rascals think the Mayor has performed a year and a half into his job? Speaking of ShotSpotter, the debate over the gunshot detection technology continues in City Hall today. What do the Rascals think of how the administration has handled the ShotSpotter issue? Convicted former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is seeking a presidential pardon. Do the Rascals believe President Biden should pardon the former congressman? The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments from Jussie Smollett’s attorneys seeking to overturn his convictions of staging a fake hate crime. Do the Smollett attorneys have a point here? Switching to some national news, the Rascals discuss what is happening in Springfield, Ohio and the hateful rhetoric and lies being spread by J.D. Vance and Donald Trump.