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