Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is making the rounds on different podcasts, and this past weekend, he brought the podcasters to the West Side.
The JAAM Podcast is a group of friends from Chicago who talk about politics and culture, while Hasan Piker is a left-wing political commentator who is popular on the streaming platform Twitch.
Mayor Johnson has appeared on both shows, and in return, he walked with Piker and the JAAM tea, down the Soul City Corridor on Chicago Avenue in the West Side's Austin neighborhood.
They talked about a variety of topics, including the legacy of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson. But the most popular question was saved for last. That question was whether the mayor thought he could stop the Chicago Bears from leaving the city.
"This is what I love, man, about our movement. It's like, we want to make sure there's health care for all and Bears games on the lakefront, and everything else in between," the mayor said. "Listen, I haven't given up on that yet, man. There's still no better place in the country, in the state of Illinois, for the Bears to play than the lakefront."
The Bears have been negotiating a plan for a possible new stadium in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and are also being courted by the State of Indiana for a possible new stadium in Hammond.
Johnson also told Piker that he has been in contact with newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He said they are working on "forming a mayors' coalition to fight back against federal outreach."
CBS News Chicago asked a political science expert if Johnson's appearances on these shows is an effective strategy to reach young voters.
"It makes sense that politicians today, if they want to engage with youth, they have go to where the youth are, and whatever shows and whatever podcasts attract this demographic, that's where you'll go," said University of Illinois Chicago political science professor Alexandra Filindra.
The professor also said young people largely do not see themselves reflected in the traditional leadership of either political party, and in general are less politically involved.
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Brandon Johnson
West Side
South Austin