City Cast Chicago
Chicago’s daily news podcast, fresh every weekday at 6 a.m. Host Jacoby Cochran brings you timely conversations with news and culture makers; activists and artists; bus drivers and students; those who love and hate this place—all in 15 minutes a day. It’s a smart and delightful new way to connect with the city we share. Learn more and subscribe to our morning newsletter at citycast.fm/chicago.
Episodes
April 26, 2024 • 33 mins
Calls to oust CTA President Dorval Carter continue after a bus driver died behind the wheel after sitting unconscious for nearly an hour. Block Club Chicago’s Manny Ramos and Chalkbeat Chicago’s Samantha Smylie sat with host Jacoby Cochran to talk about what happened. They also discuss how Illinois and Chicago count migrant students, if Illinois lawmakers will extend the school closure moratorium, and the Bears stadium mock-ups.
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April 25, 2024 • 25 mins
We often hear about the Tribune Tower, the Chicago Cultural Center and of course the once-called Sears Tower, but do you ever wonder about the buildings that aren’t aesthetically pleasing to the eye? Tour guide Mike McMains from Tours with Mike designed the Ugly Buildings Tour to highlight the eyesores that hide behind and between Chicago’s famous skyscrapers and structures. Mike tells host Jacoby Cochran what makes a building ugly...
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April 24, 2024 • 16 mins
With one week left in Earth Month, you might be thinking about ways to make more environmentally conscious choices. One option is to eat less meat. Luckily, Chicago has long been a hub for vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Soul Veg City in Chatham has been serving up vegan soul food for more than 40 years. Earlier this year, executive producer Simone Alicea talked with owners Lori Seay and Arel Brown about their favorite spots in t...
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April 23, 2024 • 20 mins
City Council approved $70 million Friday to care for new arrivals. That’s in addition to the $150 million allocated in this year’s budget. Executive producer Simone Alicea and producer Michelle Navarro discuss the latest. Plus, we’ve got picks for Independent Bookstore Day and we’re talking about the pest control business and why Chicago could be a great place to start one.
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April 22, 2024 • 22 mins
Chicago’s most threatening natural disaster is severe flooding, the Illinois Answers Project reports. Many residents are still recovering from last summer’s torrential rain storms that experts say are only getting more frequent. Reporters Meredith Newman and Alex Nitkin have been working on a series about how the city, county, and state have prepared (or not prepared) for these disasters. They talk with host Jacoby Cochran about wh...
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April 19, 2024 • 29 mins
The Back of the Yards neighborhood is still recovering from a mass shooting that took place over the weekend. WTTW’s Joanna Hernandez and freelance writer for the Windy City Times Jake Wittich discuss what happens next. They also tell host Jacoby Cochran about the latest news stories like Chicago Pride Parade downsizing and a Belmont Cragin pastor who opened his doors to a group of migrants, among them an artist.
Good news: Chicag...
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April 18, 2024 • 22 mins
Is the Jane Addams museum haunted? How did Chance the Snapper end up in the Humboldt Park Lagoon? And why do so many Chicagoans hate ketchup? WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer investigates some of the city’s strangest stories and attempts to solve its most baffling mysteries in Chicago Mysteries, a new special that premiered Tuesday. Baer tells host Jacoby Cochran which tales were the most fun to explore and which ones remain unsolved.
Good Ne...
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April 17, 2024 • 27 mins
We’ve gifted it to someone, maybe gone to a tasting, or seen a vineyard before, but how much do we know about wine? Wine enthusiast and “Wine Convo Generator” author Chasity Cooper tells host Jacoby Cochran the best places for a tasting in the city and nearby wine trips to take. Plus, she teaches us some wine vocabulary to sound a little more like an expert the next time you go to a restaurant or your local bottle shop.
Spots ment...
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April 16, 2024 • 26 mins
Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic on I-190 to O’Hare airport Monday morning. Host Jacoby Cochran and executive producer Simone Alicea talk about what happened and discuss coming protests at the Democratic National Convention. We also respond to more of your CTA complaints and dreams, including this mock-up CTA plan and ideal CTA screen layout. Plus, what to do in Chicago when you have a bad day.
Good news: One Earth Film...
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April 15, 2024 • 25 mins
Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill to create a statewide guaranteed income program that would provide $1,000 monthly payments to qualified residents. If it passes, the state would follow Chicago, Evanston, and Cook County, which have recently run pilots providing these no-strings-attached cash benefits. “Guaranteed” is a podcast that follows participants in these pilots across Chicagoland. Earlier this year, “Guaranteed” hos...
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April 12, 2024 • 32 mins
Earlier this week, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability released body cam footage, numerous bystander videos, and 911 calls related to police shooting and killing Dexter Reed during a traffic stop in March. Invisible Institute’s Maira Khwaja and Crain Chicago’s Corli Jay are here to discuss the fallout including COPA questioning officers’ accounts of what led to the traffic stop. Plus, we discuss the latest court ruling reg...
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April 11, 2024 • 24 mins
New CTA schedules dropped over the weekend, but riders probably won’t see much difference. That’s despite promises in February from CTA head Dorval Carter that the agency would restore service to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. While we wait to see if service will improve, producer Michelle Navarro talked with CTA riders about their transit pet peeves.
Good news: Market Box Chicago
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April 10, 2024 • 24 mins
Food halls with multiple vendors have proliferated around Chicago the past several years. But to be honest, no one on the City Cast Chicago team had given them much thought. Then, a listener texted about a new food hall on the North Side, so we decided to make a food hall guide. Host Jacoby Cochran, executive producer Simone Alicea, and newsletter editor Sidney Madden visited six spots and they talk about what to eat, what to know ...
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April 9, 2024 • 27 mins
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is hoping to keep the expansion of O’Hare Airport on track. Host Jacoby Cochran and executive producer Simone Alicea talk about what’s happening at the country’s fourth-busiest airport, how we got here, and what’s next. We’re also watching for a massive emergence of cicadas this month and we discuss your parking complaints.
Good news: Chicago Latino Film Festival
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April 8, 2024 • 22 mins
Last month, the city of Chicago filed a lawsuit against gun manufacturer Glock, arguing that the company has done nothing to prevent individuals from modifying their popular semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons. ProPublica’s Midwest reporter Vernal Coleman tells host Jacoby Cochran about a similar lawsuit in Gary, Indiana, where the city has been trying to hold gunmakers accountable for the illegal sale of guns for ...
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April 5, 2024 • 37 mins
Chicago’s first school board elections take place this November. But now that we have a district map, election plan, and potential candidates are gathering signatures, one big question remains: Will school board members eventually be paid for their service? Currently, state law prohibits paying board members, but host Jacoby Cochran asks professor Arionne Nettles and Tribune’s Gregory Royal Pratt if Illinois should reconsider this ...
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April 4, 2024 • 28 mins
We see them everywhere, and Chicagoans may think of them as “rats with wings,” but do pigeons get a bad rap? Host Jacoby Cochran and producer Michelle Navarro visit a Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue foster home to learn more about our feathery friends and why they deserve love and care.
Good news: The Big Kid Show at Dorian’s tonight at 8 p.m.
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April 3, 2024 • 21 mins
Fine dining can be intimidating and expensive, but Chicago is home to many award-winning restaurants that stand out. Last year, we talked to lifestyle journalist Ari Bendersky, writer of Something Glorious newsletter, to learn more about Chicago’s creative and expansive fine dining scene. He tells host Jacoby Cochran about his favorite spots and shares tips for those who are looking to have their first fine dining experience.
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April 2, 2024 • 23 mins
It's April, which means it’s street sweeping season. Producer Michelle Navarro joins host Jacoby Cochran to talk about what you need to know to avoid getting a ticket. Plus, we’re digging into a new report analyzing data from 911 calls made in 2022, which indicates that most of the calls weren’t related to urgent safety needs. Also, water taxis have returned to daily service for the first time since the pandemic.
We mentioned this ...
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April 1, 2024 • 33 mins
From the art that’s moving us to the events we’re watching to the bites we’re dreaming about, host Jacoby Cochran, executive producer Simone Alicea, and producer Michelle Navarro have your guide to what’s going on this month in Chicago. Plus, Simone and Michelle play a little April Fools’ joke on Jacoby.
Events mentioned:
Chicago Latino Film Fest
Sweet Gnome Chicago
Solar Eclipse
C2E2
Expo Chicago
The Art of our Storyteller...
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