The Mincing Rascals

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. […]

THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT. 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. TICKETS ARE […]

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, local and national, every week.

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 […]