Episodes

  • The Mincing Rascals 2.18.26: Jesse Jackson, powerful Chicagoans, Colbert-FCC feud, Nancy Guthrie coverage

    The Mincing Rascals 2.18.26: Jesse Jackson, powerful Chicagoans, Colbert-FCC feud, Nancy Guthrie coverage
    Feb 19 2026
    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 […]
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    Less than 1 minute
  • The Mincing Rascals 2.11.26: SAVE Act, ICE reforms, Epstein files, Super Bowl halftime show

    The Mincing Rascals 2.11.26: SAVE Act, ICE reforms, Epstein files, Super Bowl halftime show
    Feb 11 2026
    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 […]
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    Less than 1 minute
  • The Mincing Rascals 2.4.26: Senate race, government shutdown, Waymo, snowplow names

    The Mincing Rascals 2.4.26: Senate race, government shutdown, Waymo, snowplow names
    Feb 5 2026
    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? […]
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    Less than 1 minute
  • The Mincing Rascals 1.28.26: Alex Pretti death, paywall-free news, millionaire tax

    The Mincing Rascals 1.28.26: Alex Pretti death, paywall-free news, millionaire tax
    Jan 28 2026
    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. […]
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    Less than 1 minute
  • The Mincing Rascals 1.21.26: Bears loss, NIL, parking meter deal, Greenland, CTA safety

    The Mincing Rascals 1.21.26: Bears loss, NIL, parking meter deal, Greenland, CTA safety
    Jan 22 2026
    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, […]
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    Less than 1 minute
  • The Mincing Rascals 1.14.26: Bears victory, Ted Dabrowski ad, Greenland

    The Mincing Rascals 1.14.26: Bears victory, Ted Dabrowski ad, Greenland
    Jan 14 2026
    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 […]
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    Less than 1 minute
  • The Mincing Rascals 1.7.26: ICE shooting, Maduro capture, Chicago mayoral race

    The Mincing Rascals 1.7.26: ICE shooting, Maduro capture, Chicago mayoral race
    Jan 7 2026
    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 […]
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    Less than 1 minute
  • The Mincing Rascals 12.30.25: U.S. and Chicago politics, Bears stadium progress in 2026

    The Mincing Rascals 12.30.25: U.S. and Chicago politics, Bears stadium progress in 2026
    Dec 31 2025
    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 […]
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    Less than 1 minute