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 longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! The Rascals start the podcast this week talking about former president Donald Trump and the multiple stories that detail why he is a threat to […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week the Rascals kick things off by breaking down former president Donald Trump’s interview with Bloomberg News at the Economic Club of Chicago. John and Eric were disappointed in the crowd’s […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week, the Rascals kick things off breaking down Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ‘flabbergasting’ and ‘maddening’ news conference on Monday where he announced new members of Chicago’s Board of Education. Another destructive hurricane is […]

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, political pundit Marj Halperin, and longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! This week the Rascals break down the debate between JD Vance and Tim Waltz. What do the Rascals think were the major takeaways? Plus, what are the most […]

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, political pundit Marj Halperin and longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! This week, the Rascals start the podcast discussing the ongoing rift between CPS and the CTU. Why does Mayor Johnson want CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to resign? Why is […]

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 […]

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 longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys! This week the Rascals break down the first (and only?) debate between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. What do […]

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 political pundit Marj Halperin! This week, the Rascals talk about a federal judge in Rockford ruling that Illinois’ concealed carry law can’t prohibit holders from having guns on public transportation. What do the Rascals think […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week, the Rascals start the podcast talking about Cate’s magnificent tie! And also, the DNC. How do the Rascals feel the city of Chicago handled the convention? What were the highlights? The […]

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, longtime Chicago journalist Cate Plys, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week, the Rascals break down all things Democratic National Convention. What were the highlights, lowlights, and big political takeaways? The Rascals have you covered! Was there […]

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 political pundit Marj Halperin! This week the Rascals start the podcast discussing the upcoming DNC in Chicago. Are the Rascals optimistic about the DNC? Is there concern about the […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, 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 Rascals mince about Kamala Harris choosing Minnesota governor Tim Walz to be her running mate. […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, 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 Rascals start the podcast recapping former president Donald Trump’s appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, 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 Rascals start the podcast talking about President Biden announcing on Sunday that he would not […]

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 […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader, and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. This week, the Rascals begin by discussing […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, 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 Rascals break down President Biden’s poor debate performance and what that means for the future of […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, 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 Rascals kick off the podcast talking about the upcoming debate between President Biden and Donald Trump. […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader, and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and political pundit Marj Halperin! This week the Rascals start the podcast by discussing Mayor Johnson launching a […]

This week’s Mincing Rascals was recorded in front of a live audience at Winter’s Jazz Club on Wednesday, June, 12, 2024. The Mincing Rascals for this special live show are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, Cate Plys, […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader, and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and political pundit Marj Halperin. This week, the Rascals start things off by discussing […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, 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 Rascals talk about the upcoming DNC in Chicago and the plan to virtually […]

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 things off talking about OpenAI being accused of […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, 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 Rascals talk about the 1-year anniversary of the inauguration of Mayor […]

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. The Rascals kick things off this week talking about the pro-Palestinian protests happening on college campuses around the country. […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, 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. The Rascals start today’s podcast talking about the pro-Palestinian protests that are happening on college campuses around the country. […]

Join John Williams and the cast of The Mincing Rascals at Winter’s Jazz Club (465 N. McClurg Ct.) on Wednesday, June 12 for a live taping of the podcast – plus Robert’s Pizza and jazz guitarist Andy Brown. Tickets are $42.75, inclusive of all fees. Get tickets here. Doors to Winter’s Jazz Club open at […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, 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. A lot of news to get to this week and the […]

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, 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. The Rascals start this week’s show talking about the protest earlier […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, political pundit Marj Halperin, 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 the show talking about COPA releasing the video […]

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 discuss the LSU women’s basketball team not being on the court during the playing of […]

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 things off this week talking about the delay […]

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 the show discussing the Bring Chicago Home real […]

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. The Rascals kick off the podcast this week recapping last Thursday’s State of the Union. What do the Rascals think […]

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, 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 start the pod talking about everyone’s favorite […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, 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. The Rascals kick off the podcast celebrating the career of the great Tom Skilling! […]

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, 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 kick things off by discussing the unseasonably warm weather in Chicago. […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times, 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. This week, the Rascals discuss the state of Illinois halting the construction of a migrant shelter in Brighton Park. How has […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Cate Plys, former staff writer at the Chicago Reader and political op-ed columnist at the Sun-Times and Tribune, and Axios reporter Monica Eng. On this week’s episode, the Rascals discuss the challenge of housing asylum seekers and and the […]

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 Mincing Rascals start the podcast this Thanksgiving week by […]

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, 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. There is a lot of news to get to this week! First, the Rascals talk […]

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. The Rascals start the show this week discussing the City Council fireworks surrounding Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city. […]

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 the podcast talking about the Michigan […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, political pundit Marj Halperin, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. This week the Rascals talk about the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal. Brandon says, “Lock ’em up,” while Eric is disappointed in his beloved Wolverines. Also, who knew […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, 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 this week talk about Rep. Jim Jordan’s quest to be the next Speaker […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Today, the Rascals start off this week’s podcast talking about the Israel-Hamas war. Austin is concerned about some of the statements from the Democratic Socialist Caucus of […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals discuss the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. What do the Rascals make of the congressional drama? The Trump civil fraud trial continues. Do the Rascals believe […]

This week’s Mincing Rascals was recorded in front of a live audience at The Second City on Tuesday, 9/26/23! Check out the photos here! The Mincing Rascals for this special show are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. The Rascals discuss the end of cash bail in Illinois. How will this provision of the SAFE-T ACT impact criminal justice? Mayor Brandon Johnson said he wants to open city-owned […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio, Block Club Chicago and the Chicago Blackhawks, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Today, the Rascals kick things off with the most important story of the week…what happened to the Bears?! Oh, […]

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 Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. This week, the Rascals talk about 2024 being “The Year of the Trial.” What is the likelihood of seeing former president Donald Trump actually go to […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The shooting at the Chicago White Sox game last week is still a mystery to many – including the Rascals.  With lots of unanswered questions, the guys talk about some possible answers.  Plus Mayor […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and WGN Radio investigative reporter and longtime journalist Anna Davlantes! The Rascals mince about the heatwave that is hitting the Chicago area. Are we going overboard on the heat coverage? The first GOP presidential debate […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. This week, the Rascals discuss Mayor Brandon Johnson firing Chicago public health chief Dr. Allison Arwady late Friday afternoon. What do the Rascals think of the way the […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Today, the Rascals talk about the dad of the suspect in the 4th of July Highland Park parade shooting seeking dismissal of the charges that he recklessly helped his son get a gun. How responsible […]

This week, The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. They are joined by attorney Michael Leonard, a partner at Leonard Trial Lawyers, who breaks down the latest Trump indictment. What were the big takeaways from the indictment? Austin and John also discuss the latest New York Times / Siena […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and WGN Radio investigative reporter and longtime journalist Anna Davlantes! This week, the Rascals talk about the latest on the Northwestern football hazing scandal. Northwestern President […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. This week, the Rascals talk about the end of cash bail in Illinois. Do the Rascals think this is a good idea or is it too early to […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. This week, The Rascals mince about the firing of Northwestern head football coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a hazing scandal. Did Northwestern make the right decision in firing Fitzgerald? The […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. This week, the Rascals break down the big NASCAR event that took place in Chicago over the weekend. Do the Rascals think the event was ultimately a success? Will […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and WGN Radio investigative reporter and longtime journalist Anna Davlantes! This week, the Rascals talk about the air quality in Chicago due to Canadian wildfires and the impact climate change is having on the environment. […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The small, but mighty Rascals talk about the upcoming NASCAR race that is taking over downtown in a couple of weeks. Neil wrote a hilarious column earlier this week and was shocked at the admission price. The […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Mark Jacob, freelance writer and former Metro editor at the Tribune. This week, the Rascals talk about former President Donald Trump pleading not guilty to federal charges in the classified documents case. What is the next chapter in this movie? Chicago […]

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 WGN Radio investigative reporter and longtime journalist Anna Davlantes! This week, the Rascals talk about Mayor Brandon Johnson saying, “If you don’t live in the city of Chicago, you don’t have a right […]

The Mincing Rascals cover the top topics in the news every week. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.

The Mincing Rascals this week are Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Eric and Austin discuss a variety of topics including the ongoing debt limit negotiations. What do Eric and Austin think of this problem that shows up every few years? Mayor Brandon Johnson presided over his first city […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio, Block Club Chicago and WCIU. The Rascals discuss Brandon Johnson’s ‘stirring’ inauguration speech. What were the big takeaways from the speech? Crain’s had a report on some Johnson allies pushing a $12 billion financial package, including […]

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 Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. This week the Rascals mince about a jury finding former President Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in E. Jean Carroll case. Will this change the mind of […]

This week, the Rascals mince about mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, 'ComEd 4' and more.

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio, Block Club Chicago and WCIU, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. This week, the Rascals talk about State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announcing she will not see another term. Were the Rascals surprised about the […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are….no one. Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel is here to share the sad news that there will not be a new Mincing Rascals podcast this week. Our fearless leader, John Williams of WGN Radio, is out of town and the man who puts it all together, Producer Pete […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals discuss the DNC picking Chicago to host the Democratic National Convention. Will the convention be good for Chicago? Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson didn’t announce his transition team until today. Why is that a […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. The Rascals today are also joined by Alice Yin, City Hall reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Today, the Rascals discuss the results of the mayoral election as […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. We are now less than one week away from Election Day and the Rascals chat about the mayoral race and the latest polling. What do the latest round of endorsements mean for the […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Mark Jacob, freelance writer and former Metro editor at the Tribune, and longtime freelance journalist Mark Guarino. This week the Rascals break down last night’s mayoral debate between Paul Vallas and Commissioner Brandon Johnson. What were the biggest takeaways from the debate and […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. Today, the Rascals talk about the mayoral race and break down yesterday’s public safety debate that was moderated by Eric and sometime Mincing Rascal Laura Washington. What […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. A lot to discuss on the episode this week including the upcoming NCAA tournament (It’s March!). Unfortunately, many of the Rascals favorite teams are unlikely […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Today, the Rascals break down the results of the Chicago mayoral election and offer their insights on what we can expect from a Paul Vallas v. Brandon Johnson runoff. Also, ‘Dilbert’ creator Scott Adams is […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Mark Jacob, freelance writer and former Metro editor at the Tribune, and longtime freelance journalist Mark Guarino. This week the Rascals break down the mayoral race as we are less than one week away from the election. What candidates are most […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio, WCIU TV and Block Club Chicago. This week, The Rascals discuss what a potential runoff of Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson for Mayor of Chicago could look like. Then they talk […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. This week, The Rascals discuss the latest mayoral poll showing that it’s a three-way race between Chuy Garcia, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and Paul Vallas. And what about Willie Wilson? Is he still a viable candidate? With […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. This week, the Rascals break down the latest mayoral forum hosted by WGN-TV. What were the biggest takeaways from the forum? North side alderman Tom Tunney […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. Today, the Rascals mince about a variety of stories making news including the DuPage County Sheriff refusing to comply with Illinois’ assault weapons ban. So, where […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, and Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The intimate gathering of the Rascals discuss Mayor Lightfoot’s campaign getting into a bit of trouble last week for trying to get CPS teachers to encourage students to volunteer for her reelection bid. Will voters hold this […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Mark Jacob, freelance writer and former Metro editor at the Tribune, and longtime freelance journalist Mark Guarino of the Washington Post and Good Morning America. This week the Rascals talk about WTTW’s ‘Chicago Tonight’ moving from 7 pm to 10 pm. Is […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW,  Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. Today, the Rascals talk about the vote for a new Speaker of the House. What does the failure to elect a new speaker […]

The Mincing Rascals this week, due to not being able to assemble the team and folks being out on vacation, did not put together a new episode. With that being said, we did decided to package together a couple of our favorite moments from the last few episodes and share those conversations with you. The […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW. Today, the Rascals chat about the impending snowstorm. Are we looking forward to a White Christmas? Could a poorly handled snowstorm in Chicago impact Mayor Lightfoot’s chances to win re-election? Why is Willie Wilson […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio, Block Club Chicago and WCIU, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals break down a new poll that shows Congressman Chuy Garcia being ahead of Mayor Lightfoot by 7 points in the mayoral […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Today, the Rascals break down the results of the Georgia Senate runoff election. Is it concerning that Sen. Warnock won by so little? Or was it little? Heather doesn’t believe it was actually close. […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW. This week, the Rascals break down the candidates who have filed petitions to run for mayor of Chicago. Will everyone who filed petitions end up being on the ballot? Ald. Ed Burke did […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Today, the Rascals eschew the normal political / news banter to share some […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Mark Jacob, freelance writer and former Metro editor at the Tribune, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals talk about former president Donald Trump announcing that he will be running for another term. How does the panel feel about […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Mark Jacob, freelance writer and former Metro editor at the Tribune, and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. Today, the Rascals break down the midterm elections. What were the top storylines after last night? Has the media done a […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. The Rascals discuss Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover and his plans to charge for verification. Eric is not leaving Twitter and still finds value from it. The […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, longtime freelance journalist Mark Guarino of the Washington Post and Good Morning America, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. The Rascals discuss the ongoing Kanye West controversy and companies dropping Ye after his antisemitic comments. Is this the end of Ye? There is […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Mark Bazer, Host of “The Interview Show.” The Rascals talk about the Chicago Tribune endorsing all Democrats in the upcoming election. Austin was surprised that the Tribune endorsed Alexi Giannoulias for Secretary of State […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. So much news. The Rascals start off by discussing the merits of newspapers endorsing political candidates. Do the Rascals believe newspapers should […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and veteran Chicago journalist Carol Marin, co-director at DePaul Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence. This week, the Rascals discuss Eric’s article in The Picayune Sentinel about CWBChicago’s anonymous reporting and should it stay that way. Next, […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and A.D. Quig, reporter for the Chicago Tribune. The Rascals talk about the misinformation being spread about the SAFE-T Act and the Pretrial Fairness Act. Will the Illinois General Assembly need to tweak these bills? A new poll out […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The small, but mighty Rascals talk about former President Trump’s endorsement of QAnon. COPA released video of Chicago police shooting an unarmed man in Pilsen. Why did the police lie when the […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Mark Jacob, freelance writer and former Metro editor at the Tribune. This week, the Rascals talk about GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey moving to Chicago to immerse himself in the city. The Rascals offer […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. As Heather would say, there is simply too much news! This week, the Rascals talk about the Bears revealing what […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, longtime freelance journalist Mark Guarino of the Washington Post and Good Morning America, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio, Block Club Chicago and WCIU, and Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald. A lot to mince about this week including the Justice Department saying former President Trump […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. This week, the Rascals talk about the Biden administration announcing their plan for student loan debt forgiveness. How are the Rascals feeling about this? […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago and Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW. This week, the Rascals discuss last night’s primary in Wyoming and Rep. Liz Cheney losing to a Trump-backed […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio and Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel. Eric and John talk about the FBI searching the Mar-a-Lago home of President Trump. What does this mean for the former president and what will it mean for the upcoming election? Also joining the Rascals this week to offer […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, longtime freelance journalist Mark Guarino of the Washington Post and Good Morning America, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. On this episode, the Rascals start by talking about last night’s primary races and the victory by abortion rights supporters in Kansas. What will this […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. This week, the Rascals discuss State Sen. Darren Bailey refusing to answer questions about Congressman Adam Kinzinger and the Jan. 6th Commission. Is Bailey trying to distance himself from Donald Trump ahead […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, longtime freelance journalist Mark Guarino of the Washington Post and Good Morning America, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Laura Washington from the Chicago Tribune and ABC7. This week, the Rascals talk about the race for Illinois governor. Was it a mistake for Governor Pritzker to help […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW, and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio, Block Club Chicago and WCIU. Today, the Rascals open the show talking about NASA releasing new images from the James Webb Space Telescope. Science! We get an update on Alderman […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals discuss the mass shooting in Highland Park. The red flags were there, but why wasn’t more done to prevent the shooter from obtaining guns? Gov. J.B. Pritzker is mandating grocers […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are Jon Hansen of WGN Radio, Block Club Chicago and WCIU, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW, and Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU. This week, the Rascals talk about the results of last night’s Illinois primary […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Laura Washington from the Chicago Tribune. This week, the Rascals mince about the Chicago City Council delaying the vote on a higher threshold for speed cameras and the hijinks that went […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. Today, John, Heather and Austin talk about the GOP race for governor and the latest polling showing State Senator Darren Bailey with a commanding lead over Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, the arguments made for ranked-choice voting, the latest on […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals discuss Mayor Lori Lightfoot announcing her run for another term, how Mayor Lightfoot has performed since she was elected, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin revoking a special event permit and is […]

The cast of the Rascals discuss the week's top local and national news stories.

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals chat about the horrific shooting in Texas, Governor Abbott of Texas name-dropping Chicago violence in his Wednesday press conference, the dueling GOP forums that took place last night between the […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Brandon Pope, host of ‘On the Block‘ on WCIU, Heather Cherone, political reporter for WTTW, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals break down a variety of stories including Mayor Lightfoot’s wish to impose a curfew in Chicago after an uptick of violence downtown, the […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals chat about people protesting outside of the private homes of Supreme Court justices, the race for Illinois governor and candidate Richard Irvin not answering questions about Roe v. […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Brandon Pope from WCIU, and Rachel Hinton from the Better Government Association. The Rascals discuss the leaked Supreme Court draft that shows the court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, how the candidates running for Illinois governor have responded to the possible […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. This week, the Rascals discuss the Chicago City Council voting to give residents free gas, the universal basic income pilot program that has just opened to applications, the ongoing debate over student […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. This week, the Rascals kick off the conversation by discussing their thoughts on the latest mask-optional ruling on public transportation and what the Biden Administration […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. This week, the Rascals mince about Willie Wilson officially announcing a run for mayor of Chicago, the latest on the Chicago casino bids and aldermanic prerogative, the amount of money wagered on […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, veteran journalist and communications consultant Kristen McQueary, and the Dean of City Hall, legendary reporter Bill Cameron! Today, the Rascals mince about a variety of topics including Alderman Ray Lopez announcing a run for Chicago mayor, who might also toss […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW. and Brandon Pope from WCIU. Today, The Rascals mince about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, Mayor Lightfoot saying the Columbus statue will return to Grant Park, the possibility that the Democratic Convention comes to Chicago in 2024, Mayor Lightfoot […]

It’s a special Tuesday edition of the Rascals! The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, and Chicago Tribune editor and writer Lisa Donovan. Today, the Rascals discuss Eric’s suggestions for improving college basketball games, the bids for a Chicago casino being narrowed down from five to three, Willie Wilson giving away […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, and Chicago Tribune editor and writer Lisa Donovan. The mincing commences with a discussion on the upcoming March Madness basketball tournament. The Rascals then talk about the Chicago police officers involved in the shootings of Adam Toledo and […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals this week mince about rising gas prices, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the indictment of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, a former attorney for the City of Chicago suing […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. This week, the rascals mince about President Biden’s State of the Union address, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the race for Chicago mayor including Arne Duncan announcing that he will not run, […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, Chicago Tribune editor and writer Lisa Donovan. and Brandon Pope from WCIU. Today, the Rascals discuss Governor J.B. Pritzker filing an appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court on school mask mandates, the lack of clarity over masking in schools, the ongoing […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals chat about the conviction of Alderman Patrick Daley Thompson, who Mayor Lightfoot might appoint as Alderman Thompson’s successor, the ongoing debate over mask mandates in the state, the race […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. and Brandon Pope from WCIU. The Rascals have a lot on their minds today including the continuing debate over “Dibs,” Chicago’s new marketing campaign, “Chicago Not in Chicago,” the longtime Mother McAuley teacher that was fired for using […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. The Rascals talk about the snow in Chicago area today and the anniversary of the 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard, the rash of antisemitic vandalism that appeared […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago, Chicago Tribune editor and writer Lisa Donovan, and Brandon Pope from WCIU. Today, the Rascals chat about Justice Stephen Breyer retiring from the Supreme Court, the possible replacements for Justice Breyer (and no, it won’t be […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. The Rascals talk about the rollout of free COVID tests, former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke being released from prison next month after spending more than three years […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute and Chicago Tribune editor and writer Lisa Donovan. The Rascals talk about the deal reached between CPS and CTU, Lori Lightfoot contracting COVID-19, if principals should be able to decide if their school should […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, Heather Cherone of WTTW, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. The Rascals talk about the upcoming anniversary of the January 6th insurrection (the insurrectionists ruined […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and The Daily Herald, and Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune. They begin their discussion with a review of the fast recent spread of the COVID omicron variant. Then, they talk about the shooting that took place outside of Nordstrom in […]

The Mincing Rascals are Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and now, The Daily Herald, and Brandon Pope of WCIU and Ebony Magazine. They begin this week’s roundtable discussing Mayor Lightfoot’s policy taking effect Jan 3., which will require that all restaurant and bar patrons present proof of vaccination. […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. They begin by discussing the several tornadoes that tore through six states last Friday, devastating Mayfield, KY and bringing an Illinois Amazon warehouse to the ground. Then, the Mincing Rascals decide how fair […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Brandon Pope of Ebony Magazine and WCIU, Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune, Heather Cherone of WTTW and Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago. They discuss crime in Chicago and how alert each of them feel they should be. They go on to discuss a legislation proposed […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. They discuss a slew of topics that start locally, with the Jussie Smollett trial for staging an attack against himself. Then, the world braces itself for the spread of the newest COVID variant, […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of the Picayune Sentinel, Lisa Donovan of The Chicago Tribune, Brandon Pope of WCIU and Ebony Magazine, and Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago. They kick off the podcast by discussing the hard hitting topic of Thanksgiving stuffing and mac and cheese. Then the […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of the Picayune Sentinel, Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute, Brandon Pope of WCIU and Ebony Magazine and Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago. They start by discussing the strange on-goings within Kenosha County Courthouse, where deliberations are being made by the jury of […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of the Picayune Sentinel, Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago, Brandon Pope of WCIU and Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune. Listen in as the Rascals discuss the ongoing testimony of Kyle Rittenhouse. They go on to discuss Congressman Adam Kinzinger after his announcement not […]

It’s a Mincing Rascals Double Feature. This week we bring you not one, but TWO episodes. The first 30-minute special you’ll hear was recorded in front of 1000 WGN Radio listeners at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove last Saturday, October 30th. Then you’ll hear the normal edition of the Rascals which we recorded Wednesday, […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of the Picayune Sentinel, and Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune. The Rascals begin the discussion by breaking down the investigation surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks and the sexual assaults that happened in 2010. Then, the Rascals preview what they expect to happen during the Kyle […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of the Picayune Sentinel, Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune, Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute and Heather Cherone of WTTW. The Rascals discuss the vaccine stalemate between the Chicago police and Mayor Lightfoot. But the same weekend that the Fraternal Order of Police took […]

The Mincing Rascals are Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel, Brandon Pope of Ebony Magazine and WCIU, Heather Cherone of WTTW and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. They begin by discussing the Chicago high school battling uncertainty after a protest against Latin music at the school’s dance. And […]

The Mincing Rascals are Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago in for John Williams, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel, Brandon Pope of Ebony Magazine and WCIU and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. They begin by discussing the Facebook outage that kept users off Instagram and WhatsApp, too. And, the Rascals debate whether or […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel, Heather Cherone of WTTW, Brandon Pope of WCIU and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. They start by discussing the Bears’ purchase agreement of the Arlington Heights racetrack, and Mayor Lightfoot’s mixed response. Then, the Rascals go over the city’s […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel, Brandon Pope of WCIU and Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago. They begin local by discussing the decision by Benet Academy to rescind a job offer after finding out that the candidate was in a gay marriage. Then, the Rascals […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Picayune Sentinel, Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals talk about the failure of the recall of California Governor Gavin Newsom. And the group goes on to discuss the non-believers of COVID who ultimately lost […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, founder of upcoming newsletter, The Picayune Sentinel, Heather Cherone of WTTW, Brandon Pope of WCIU and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. They talk about the visiting four-year-old who was shot and killed by a stray bullet, after which Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn and Kristen McQueary formerly of Chicago Tribune and Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago. They begin by discussing a judge’s order barring a mother from visiting her 11-year-old because she is not vaccinated. Then, the Rascals weigh the cases worth pursuing by Chicago police, […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, formerly of Chicago Tribune, Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune, Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute and Brandon Pope of WCIU. The Rascals begin by introducing details for this year’s Thomas Jefferson show, taking place Oct 30 at Tivoli Theater. Then, they talk about the […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, “feisty” Eric Zorn formerly with Chicago Tribune, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago, and Heather Cherone from WTTW. They begin by discussing the Biden Presidency thus far. That leads to a discussion about the situation happening over in Afghanistan […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn formerly with Chicago Tribune, Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute, Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago, and Brandon Pope of WCIU. They begin by discussing Chicago’s weekend shootings, one of which ended with Chicago Police Officer Ella French being killed and her partner […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of thoroughly vindicated former Chicago Tribune columnists, Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago, Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune and Brandon Pope of WCIU. They begin by discussing Dr. Alison Arwady’s explanation for what made Lollapalooza a safe event last weekend, and who should continue […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn formerly of Chicago Tribune, Brandon Pope of WCIU and Heather Cherone of WTTW. They begin by discussing Simone Biles’ decision to remove herself from Olympics competitions and the backlash she’s received as a result. They go on to talk about the city’s current COVID […]

This week, The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, formerly of Chicago Tribune, Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. They begin their roundtable discussion by weighing the pros and cons of holding Lollapalooza as planned, at full capacity next week. They move on to discuss […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, formerly of The Chicago Tribune, Austin Berg of The Illinois Policy Institute, Jon Hansen of both Block Club Chicago and WGN Radio, and Brandon Pope of WCIU. The Rascals begin by discussing whether or not Chicago Public Schools should keep their School Resource Officers […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, formerly of The Chicago Tribune, Heather Cherone of WTTW and Austin Berg of The Illinois Policy Institute. The Rascals begin by discussing the most violent weekend of the year in Chicago, and who people are looking to for answers. Then, the group addresses the […]

This week, the Mincing Rascals are Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago and WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, formerly of The Chicago Tribune, Lisa Donovan of The Chicago Tribune and Heather Cherone of WTTW. They begin their discussion with sharing how they’ll be referring to Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive in everyday conversation. […]

This week, The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of The Chicago Tribune, Austin Berg of The Illinois Policy Institute and Brandon Pope of WCIU. The Rascals begin by evaluating the efforts of Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the City Council to bring justice and safety. Then, the group explores the usefulness […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of Chicago Tribune, Heather Cherone of WTTW, Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. They begin this week’s discussion with Eric Zorn’s decision to leave the Tribune, taking a buyout. And Governor J.B. Pritzker’s announced a $10 million […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn and Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune, and Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago. They kicked off the discussion by going off on a tangent talking about woman’s softball. Then they get back on course and talk about how Chicago goes in to phase five […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn and Lisa Donovan of Chicago Tribune, Brandon Pope of WCIU and Jon Hansen of Block Club Chicago. They discuss Mayor Lightfoot and her work in reducing gun violence, as well as her efforts in the riots a year ago this week, which followed the […]

The Mincing Rascals are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn of Chicago Tribune, Brandon Pope of WCIU, Heather Cherone of WTTW and Austin Berg of Illinois Policy Institute. They begin this week’s discussion by hashing out what’s next since the acquisition of Chicago Tribune by hedge fund Alden Global Capital. Then, the Rascals talk […]