City Cast Chicago

It’s farmers market season, and we’re here to talk about what you need to know to make the best of it. Executive producer Simone Alicea and host Jacoby Cochran talk about what to do and what not to do when it comes to planning ahead, picking up what’s in season, and their favorite markets in the city.  Good news: Wicker Park Plant Sale and Garfield Park Conservatory Annual Seedling Sale  Want some...

Pro-Palestinian protests have continued at several college campuses across Chicago despite an increased presence of police and counter-protesters. Dozens of protesters were arrested over the weekend at the School of the Art Institute. The City Cast team breaks down the latest. Plus, the temporary Bally’s casino is pulling in less money than expected, and we show love to some amazing teachers in ho...

You might not hear them yet, but cicadas have already started emerging in Illinois. Over the next few weeks, overlapping broods are expected to emerge in a rare event where we could see trillions of cicadas. And while the insects might be loud and even a little gross, Insect Asylum founder Nina Salem says we should welcome our new neighbors. Salem tells executive producer Simone Alicea about why t...

This week as pro-Palestinian protests picked up on campuses across the country, Chicago area students also began setting up encampments demanding universities divest from direct support of Israel as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 34,000 people. Crain’s Chicago reporter Leigh Giangreco and Block Club Chicago’s Maxwell Evans are here with the latest, including what student organizers are saying an...

Applications are now open for the Mayor’s Youth Commission, a group of Chicagoans ages 14 to 19 who work to advise the mayor and city leaders. Last year, host Jacoby Cochran sat down with Benjamin Kagan, chair of the commission’s public health group, and Precious Adedokun of the community safety group to learn what it’s like to be a teenager advising public officials and city actors. The next info...

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Chicago community.  May means summertime Chi is almost here — depending on who you ask, that is. In the meantime, we’ve got the tips you need to make the most of May in Chicago from Cinco de Mayo to Memorial Day. Need a mocktail recommendation? We’ve got you. Looking f...

State lawmakers are considering a proposal that would merge CTA and other regional transit agencies. Executive producer Simone Alicea and producer Michelle Navarro talk about how it would work. They also discuss former Fotrox and Dom’s Kitchen and Market employees filing a lawsuit following the stores’ closure. Plus, we talk about your favorite and most-hated grocery store chains and how birria an...

There’s been a lot of grocery news lately: Foxtrot and Dom’s closing. The Kroger-Albertsons merger. Not to mention all the communities in Chicago that don’t even have a grocery store. But big grocery chains aren’t the only option for Chicagoans to get fresh food. Matthew Ruffi is the board president of Chicago Market and senior program director for Link Up Illinois. He tells host Jacoby Cochran ab...

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,...

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...

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 Br...

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.  Want some more City Ca...

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 tal...

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...

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 w...

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...

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 b...

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 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...

 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 Wa...

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 ta...

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 Want...

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 accountabl...

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...

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. Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to si...