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, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune. The Rascals start off today’s podcast talking about Mayor Johnson’s decision to end the ShotSpotter contract. What do the Rascals think about the decision? Special Prosecutor Robert Hur’s report investigating President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents contained some damaging information on the president’s memory. So, what will come from the report? Will President Biden step aside? Should President Biden step aside? How are the democrats doing damage control on the questions about Biden’s age? The Illinois Senate is proposing legislation that would give mentally capable patients who are terminally ill an option of ending their own lives. Where are the Rascals on this legislation? DTom Suozzi won a special election in New York to replace disgraced former congressman George Santos to give the democrats an additional seat in Congress. Do the Rascals think that victory has broader implications for the November election? And finally, let’s talk Oscar movies. Last week, the Rascals shared their thoughts on ‘Barbie.’ This week, the Rascals break down ‘The Holdovers’ and ‘Maestro.’

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, political pundit Marj Halperin, and Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune. This week the Rascals start the show talking about last week’s 24-hour strike by the Chicago Tribune Guild. Did the strike move any needles? President Biden has declined to be interviewed before the Super Bowl. Do the Rascals think the President is making a mistake? Next, the Rascals discuss Chicago’s first-ever elected school board. Should there be a fully-elected school board? Congress has still not come to an agreement on a border bill. Does this look worse for the GOP or for Democrats? Marj wrote a letter to the editor that appeared in the Sun-Times on Monday that suggests that Mayor Johnson needs to be more transparent on the talks with the White Sox about moving the team to ‘The 78.’ And finally, ahead of the Oscars, the Rascals will talk about some of their favorite movies nominated for Best Picture. Today, the Rascals tell us what they thought of “Barbie.”

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, and Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune. Eric kicks off the show showing solidarity with the Chicago Tribune Guild, who are going on strike for 24 hours starting tomorrow. Members of the Illinois State Board of Elections voted 8-0 to keep former President Donald Trump on the primary ballot. What do the Rascals think of this decision? The Chicago City Council voted 24-23 (with Mayor Johnson casting a deciding vote) on a resolution calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Is anyone from Chicago served well by this resolution? For this episode, the Rascals are also joined by Eric Umansky, editor-at-large at ProPublica, who talks about how Chicago became a leader in police body-cam transparency. And finally, Cate expresses her frustration with trying to get hold of an actual customer service person at Microsoft! This leads to a discussion about AI and how fast technology is changing.

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, and Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune. Today, the Rascals debate the proposed ordinance in Chicago that would ban natural gas in newly constructed homes and buildings. Is this a good idea for the city? Another proposal the city of Chicago is floating is a “Plow the Sidewalks” pilot program. Should the city be responsible for clearing sidewalks after a big snow? The Chicago Rat Hole has become a viral sensation and tourist destination. But has the Rat madness gone too far? Former President Trump won the New Hampshire primary. Is this the end for Nikki Haley? And I know it’s only January, but who do the Rascals think will win between the likely rematch between President Biden and Donald Trump? Mayor Johnson’s administration has picked Feb. 1 as the new date to begin evicting migrants from city shelters under an imposed 60-day limit to stays. Eric points out that the average high temperature in Chicago on February 1st is 32 degrees. Will this eviction deadline be pushed back? And finally, the Rascals discuss the possibility the White Sox move from Bridgeport to the new development, ‘The 78.’ Do the Rascals like the idea leaving Guaranteed Rate?

The Mincing Rascals this week are Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, political pundit Marj Halperin, and Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune. The Rascals start this week’s show by discussing the results of the Iowa caucuses. Is there a path for DeSantis or Haley? Or is the GOP race already over? How excited are the Rascals for another Trump v. Biden rematch? A big local story over the weekend was when the widow of Jerry Krause was booed during the Bulls’ Ring of Honor ceremony. Cate believes the Bulls should have seen this coming! What do the rest of the Rascals think? The Rascals talk about the controversial topic of bike lanes in Chicago. Where do the Rascals stand? And trivia: Which Mincing Rascal doesn’t know how to ride a bike?? Oh, and finally, the Rascals discuss the books and TV shows they enjoyed in 2023.

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune. John kicks of the pod by congratulating Eric on his Michigan Wolverines winning the CFP National Championship. Congrats, Eric! You rooted like a champion. Crime is a topic in Chicago once again after a crash-and-grab robbery attempt in the Gold Coast on Monday. Should the city install barriers on sections of Michigan Avenue in an effort to combat these incidents? How are the Rascals generally feeling about crime in the city? There have been a couple of times in recent weeks where a person drove their car into a retention pond. Is GPS and the dependence on technology the cause of this type of accident? The Rascals are also joined this week by David Schultz, Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies, Hamline University, to talk about former president Donald Trump’s eligibility to be on the ballot for the 2024 election.

Happy New Year! The Rascals are back for 2024. 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, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune. The Rascals kick off the pod discussing new laws in Illinois for 2024 including the provision of the assault weapons ban that requires requires individuals who owned assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and other devices to register those devices. Darren Bailey posted a picture on X saying he will not comply to the ban. What to the Rascals make of the photo? Austin points out that Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias also has been posting some pictures, too. Since the Rascals last met, former alderman Ed Burke was found guilty of racketeering in his federal corruption trial. Will he eventually spend time in prison? Meanwhile, former Speaker of the House Mike Madigan had his trial date postponed until October 8th. Former president Donald Trump was disqualified from the primary ballot in Colorado and Maine pending appeals. Do the Rascals believe Trump should be on the ballot? Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned for how she has handled antisemitism on campus and accusations of plagiarism in her academic work. The Rascals talk about how this whole situation played out and what led to the resignation. And finally, how about those Wolverines, Brandon?

Happy Holidays to all of our loyal Mincing Rascals listeners! While the Rascals are enjoying some well-deserved holiday time with family and friends, we bring to you a Mincing Rascals “Best Of” episode. This podcast features John, Eric Zorn, Brandon Pope, Austin Berg and Jon Hansen discussing a variety of issues including the NASCAR race in Chicago, the migrant crisis, the end of cash bail in Illinois, and recent decisions by the Supreme Court. Enjoy the show and share with your friends!

Happy Holidays to all of our loyal Mincing Rascals listeners! While the Rascals are enjoying some well-deserved holiday time with family and friends, we bring to you a Mincing Rascals “Best Of” episode. This podcast, from March 1st, 2023, features John, Eric Zorn and Austin Berg discussing the Chicago mayoral election. The big takeaway: John is not very good at predicting! Enjoy the show and share with your friends!

Mincing Rascals Countdown video:

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, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, political pundit Marj Halperin, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, and Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune. This week the Rascals offer some predictions for 2024. Will the voters vote for the so-called ‘Mansion Tax?’ Will Chicago remain a sanctuary city? Will there be homes for migrants? Will Donald Trump or Joe Biden win the presidential election? Will Travis and Taylor still be together at the end of 2024? Some other topics the Rascals mince about this episode include the Ed Burke corruption trial, the latest abortion ruling in Texas, and the amount of money that disgraced NY congressman George Santos has made (according to him) on Cameo.