The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972, and political pundit Marj Halperin! Today, the Rascals start the podcast talking about the death of civil rights activist and Chicago icon Jesse Jackson. The Rascals reflect on the complicated legacy of the long-time activist. Next, the Rascals debate Chicago Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Chicagoans. Also this week, Stephen Colbert said bosses at CBS told him that he couldn’t interview James Talarico, who is running for the senate in Texas citing the ‘equal-time’ rule. What do the Rascals make of the Colbert-FCC-CBS drama? Nancy Guthrie is still missing and Eric believes the media coverage is way overblown. What do the other Rascals think? Getting back to local news, the Rascals discuss the debate between Cook County board president Toni Preckwinkle and Ald. Brendan Reilly. Does Reilly stand a chance in this race for board president? And finally, it’s time for red light, yellow light, green light! What are the Rascals recommending (or not recommending) this week?

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, and recently retired newsman Steve Bertrand, host of the ‘Steve Bertrand on Books‘ podcast. This week the Rascals kick off the podcast talking about Chicago babysitting rates. Babysitters get paid how much?! Next, the Rascals discuss the SAVE America Act and the GOP push for voter ID. Should Democrats throw a bone to the GOP on this issue for ICE reforms? The Rascals also discuss the latest on the Epstein Files. Do the Rascals believe that President Trump committed any crimes? Switching gears to attraction / distraction. What to make of the latest news regarding the Super Bowl halftime show, the Olympics, and the racist video that President Trump shared last week. Locally, what about a Chicago City Council committee approving a revised ordinance that would authorize Chicagoans to use their cellphones to provide recorded evidence of bus, bike lane and crosswalk parking violations. Do the Rascals think this is a good idea? And before we leave, it’s time for red light, yellow light, green light! What are the Rascals recommending (or not recommending) this week?

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? Or nothing? And how are the Rascals feeling about the race to replace Sen. Durbin? Also, what’s going on with the government shutdown? What do the Democrats want? What do the Republicans want? The Rascals break it down. Next, the Rascals discuss Tom Homan announcing that 700 federal agents will be leaving Minnesota. What’s next for the Trump administration’s immigration efforts? Locally, Mayor Brandon Johnson wants Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke to prosecute federal agents for crimes they committed while working in Chicago. ‘Abolish Ice’ is a finalist in Chicago’s annual Name a Snowplow contest. Curiously, none of the anti-Brandon Johnson names made the cut. John thinks Johnson missed an opportunity to have some fun with the contest. Also, this week, State Rep. Kam Buckner has introduced a bill to bring autonomous cars to Illinois. Are the Rascals on-board with self-driving vehicles? And finally, the Illini Republicans posted a controversial image on social media depicting the recent federal agent shooting and killing of Alex Pretti. But, why?

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, and political pundit Marj Halperin! The Rascals begin the podcast talking about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minnesota over the weekend. What were the biggest takeaways from the news this week? A Chicago teacher was placed on administrative leave after making a Facebook post supporting ICE. Do the Rascals think the teacher should have been put on leave? Also this week, the actor John Cusack wrote an op-ed in the Sun-Times about the need for paywall-free news coverage. Do the Rascals think newspapers should offer free content for major news stories? Next, the United Center will start selling THC drinks at concessions in early February. Where are the Rascals on offering THC beverages at the UC? Mayor Brandon Johnson is once again pushing for a progressive income tax. Do the Rascals believe this revenue proposal is a good idea? This leads into the race to replace Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate. What candidate is likely to replace Senator Durbin? And finally, it’s time for red light, yellow light, green light! What are the Rascals recommending (or not recommending) this week?

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.

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, and long-time Chicago journalist Cate Plys, publisher of Roseland, Chicago: 1972. This week, the Rascals start the podcast talking about the Chicago Bears beating the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs and head coach Ben Johnson’s celebration after the victory. Do the Rascals think Johnson acted appropriately? Next, the Rascals discuss Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski releasing an ad featuring Joe Abraham, the father of Katie Abraham, who was killed in a drunken-driving accident by an undocumented immigrant. What do the Rascals make of the ad? Will this ad move the needle in the Republican primary? This leads into a discussion about President Trump threatening to cut off funds to sanctuary cities and their states starting next month. The Rascals then break down the latest news about the killing of Renee Good and other ICE activities in Minneapolis. Should it be legal to take a video of a federal law enforcement official who is trying to do the job? Also, what’s going on with Greenland (and hot dog carts)? And finally, it’s time for red light, yellow light, green light. What are the Rascals recommending (or not recommending) this week?

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and author of the The Last Ward on Substack, multi-media journalist Brandon Pope, author of Brandon Pope’s Screening Room, and political pundit Marj Halperin! The Rascals begin the podcast this week talking about the ICE shooting in Minneapolis that left a woman dead. The Rascals talk about the shooting, the response by DHS, and what they thought after watching the video of the incident. Continuing on the national front, the Rascals talk about the U.S. capturing President Nicolás Maduro and the latest on the situation in Venezuela. What’s next? The Rascals break it all down. Also, what’s going on with the desire by the Trump administration to acquire Greenland? Next, Austin tells us, why you can’t start a Chicago-style hot dog cart in Chicago. And finally, Rep. Mike Quigley announced that he will be running for Chicago mayor. Do the Rascals see him as a viable candidate?

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, recently retired newsman Steve Bertrand, and political pundit Marj Halperin! The group kicks things off with a wide-ranging discussion on American politics, President Trump’s recent actions, public perception of the economy, and why many voters feel disconnected discussions on the economy. John then answers a letter from a listener who is on the fence about continuing to listen to the program. 

The conversation turns to the power and limits of the presidency, with sharp analysis of executive authority, Supreme Court decisions, and the long-term implications of challenges to birthright citizenship. The panel also examines the political optics surrounding foreign policy, including Ukraine, Russia, and global power dynamics.

Closer to home, the group weighs in on Chicago politics, the future of the Bears, and whether a new stadium could finally take shape with shovels in the ground in 2026. The end of the episode features Red Light, Yellow Light, and Green Light recommendations from the panel. As always, the Rascals don’t shy away from tough conversations bringing humor, insight, and sharp perspective to another packed episode.

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, recently retired newsman Steve Bertrand, and multi-media journalist Brandon Pope, author of Brandon Pope’s Screening Room. The Rascals open the podcast with Steve Bertrand’s return to the panel and have a candid discussion about what it’s like leaving the anchor desk and the growing difficulty of maintaining objectivity in covering the Trump Administration. From there, the group revisits the controversy over whether major networks should air presidential addresses without advance transcripts. Should broadcasters continue to carry speeches they can’t fact-check in real time? The conversation deepens with an intense breakdown of CBS News pulling a 60 Minutes segment on the U.S. sending Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, raising alarms about journalistic independence. Shifting to local headlines, the Rascals examine the Chicago Bears’ threat to relocate to Northwest Indiana, debating stadium financing, public subsidies, and whether Bears fans would ultimately follow the team across state lines to Hammond. Would Chicago really stomach losing the Bears to Indiana? The Rascals also weigh in on Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw’s appearance at a Turning Point USA event and the risks athletes face when engaging in polarizing politics. Closing the episode is a discussion on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s newly passed city budget, including higher bag taxes, expanded gambling, ambulance debt collection, and whether Chicago is relying too heavily on nickel-and-dime revenue fixes instead of long-term solutions. Tune in to find out where the Rascals land on all these issues and more. 

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center and the The Last Ward, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week the Rascals begin the podcast talking about Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino returning to the Chicago area. The Rascals unpack the latest immigration enforcement efforts. Next, the Rascals discuss President Trump’s ‘disgusting’ response to the death of Rob Reiner. Do the Rascals think some of Trump’s supporters will deflect because of the reaction to Reiner’s death? Also, the Trump administration unveiled new plaques that attack Joe Biden and Barack Obama and other political foes. President Trump will address the nation tonight to tout his achievements and his plan for 2026. Eric believes the major television networks shouldn’t run the speech tonight. Switching back to local news, the Rascals break down the latest on the budget battle between Mayor Johnson and the Chicago City Council. Last week Governor Pritzker signed the ‘Medical Aid in Dying Bill’ into law. Where were the Rascals on this bill? Vanity Fair did an extensive interview with President Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles where she was critical of members of the administration. Will anything come from this eye-opening interview? Finally, it’s time for red light, yellow light, green light. What are the Rascals recommending (or not recommending) this week?