City Cast Chicago

Lisa Beasley has toured with Second City, performed on Comedy Central, and stolen scenes on the hit show “South Side.” Her latest show at the Laugh Factory, “Lisa Beasley’s Unpolitical Woman Comedy Show,” may be her funniest creation yet. The show features a cast of Lisa’s friends and impressive characters like “women’s ministry pastor” Kevin Jackson, a reincarnated Margaret Thatcher, and Mayor Lo...

Just in the past couple weeks, one person was found dead and at least three others have been seriously injured at the “Playpen” in Lake Michigan — a popular boating spot east of Oak Street beach. As boaters, kayakers, swimmers, and casual Chicagoans make their way out to the water for the last few weeks of summer, host Jacoby Cochran talks to Mike McElroy, vice president of the Chicago Harbor Safe...

Tonight is the season finale for "American Ninja Warrior" — the show with all the running, jumping, and swinging through crazy obstacles. But you can learn to be a ninja year round from a coach who’s been on the show. Mike “The Stallion” Silenzi has been on nine times (including this season), and he runs Ultimate Ninjas in northwest suburban Libertyville. It’s a gym dedicated to training for obsta...

It is the first week of school for Chicago Public School students, but unfortunately for thousands of students and parents who rely on the district's school buses service, many are still without routes. WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp breaks down that story, and Injustice Watch editor Jonah Newman discusses a report that recommends closing the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, an...

Host Jacoby Cochran and librarian Ashley Rayner head to Ridge Park in Beverly to talk about Ashley’s history growing up in the neighborhood to now raising her own children blocks away from her childhood home. She also shares her favorite things to do, see, and eat in her neighborhood. They also talk spots in Morgan Park and Mount Greenwood. Spots Ashley Recommends: Afro Joe's Ain't She Sweet Cafe...

What happens to a community when industry leaves? That’s the central question driving Steven Walsh’s documentary “Southeast: A City Within a City.” Growing up in the East Side neighborhood, Walsh saw what unemployment and disinvestment did to the area, and he wanted to find out how it got there. The filmmaker talks with host Jacoby Cochran about why he loves his neighborhood and how his grandfathe...

In a post-Roe world, the role of abortion doulas has become more critical than ever. Abortion doulas support people before, during, and after an abortion. City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran talks to producer Meg Dalton about her experience as a doula in New York and Connecticut, and Meg plays tape of Ama Warnock, an abortion doula in Chicago, about how doulas support people looking to end their...

It’s the first day of school for Chicago Public Schools. And while the past couple years have been marked by battles between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union over pandemic safety protocols, this school year is starting less contentiously with scaled-back COVID-19 measures. Stacy Davis Gates was elected president of the CTU this spring. She sits down with host Jacoby Cochran to talk about what te...

Douglass Park neighbors say the city is unfairly prioritizing festivals and events over residents who use the park. The park won’t be fully repaired until after Riot Fest this fall, so neighbors are pushing for more of a voice in event permitting. Host Jacoby Cochran talks about that story with the Center for Public Integrity’s María Inés Zamudio and City Bureau’s Alejandra Cancino. Plus, they tal...

Host Jacoby Cochran and producer Simone Alicea head to the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary in Uptown to talk about some of Simone’s favorite things to do, see, and eat in her neighborhood. They also talk spots in Edgewater and Rogers Park.  Spots We Talked About: Montrose Bird Sanctuary Graceland Cemetery Green Mill Cocktail Lounge Immm Rice and Beyond Lickity Split Check out all great suggestions f...

We expect summertime to be hot in Chicago, but extremely hot days are coming earlier and more often. During a May heat wave, three residents at a senior apartment complex in Rogers Park died from what’s suspected to be heat-related causes. The tragedy prompted Ald. Maria Hadden to push a law to keep residents safe in extreme heat. The law passed in June. The 49th Ward alderwoman tells lead produce...

Chicago Public Schools start the new school year on Monday, Aug. 22. Earlier this month, the district announced its COVID protocols for the upcoming school year. They include recommended masking, free weekly testing, some quarantining guidelines, and a test-to-stay program for unvaccinated students. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady tells us why students and paren...

Monkeypox is a public health emergency in Illinois. There are more than 600 cases reported in Chicago. The person leading the response to monkeypox and all public health issues is Dr. Allison Arwady. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to the public health commissioner about what we need to know to protect ourselves against the virus, and why messaging is so important to prevent the spread. More on Monkeypo...

Chicago Police say they’re adding more officers to CTA trains across the city after recent violence. A Mississippi grand jury declined to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham, the woman in the Emmett Till murder case. Plus, controversy over a death in police custody, and gas prices are on the way down. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to Sylvia Snowden, host of CAN TV's Political Forum, and Angel Idowu, WTTW’s a...

We‘re a month away from the end of our Summer Bucket List Challenge. Host Jacoby Cochran and lead producer Carrie Shepherd discuss who, uh, poorly they're doing at hitting all the spots. Plus, participants Annie A. and Dea B. tell City Cast where they've visited this summer, and how the list has exposed them to more of Chicago. Check out who's winning the Bucket List Challenge! Some Good News: Lit...

The Bud Billiken Parade is turning 93 this weekend. It’s the largest Black parade in the country. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to Shermann “Dilla” Thomas about the history of the Bud, and Shkunna Stewart from Bring Out the Talent Dance Co. about her family’s history of dancing in the parade.  Some Good News: Taste of Andersonville Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicago Sign up for our newsletter: chi...

The Illinois State Fair kicks off on Thursday. It’s meant to highlight the importance of agriculture in Illinois, but it’s also where politicians schmooze with voters and other members of their party. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to politics reporter Amanda Vinicky on what to expect, especially since we’re just a few months out from the election. Some Good News: Karaoke Storytellers The Moth Follow u...

The Disney+ series “Ms. Marvel” tells the story of a 16-year-old Muslim girl, Kamala Khan, from Jersey City who suddenly gains superpowers. The show explores everything from Avenger fandom to Khan’s Pakistani heritage, even diving deep into the real-life Partition of India in 1947. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to a poet and screenwriter who has artistic ties to Chicago, Fatimah Asghar, about writing...

Across the U.S., big cities, including Chicago, are facing a small schools crisis as enrollment drops. Chalkbeat is out with a new story. ICE is finding new ways to target undocumented immigrants in Chicago. A new report from Block Club Chicago and Injustice Watch finds that Chicago police stop thousands more Black drivers in traffic stops than they report. Host Jacoby Cochran chats with Becky Vev...

From the indie flick “I Love My Dad” to Jordan Peele’s blockbuster “Nope,” there are a lot of films to check out in theaters right now. Host Jacoby Cochran chats with film critic Reggie Ponder about some of the films playing in and around Chicago this weekend.  Update: An earlier version of this podcast misidentified one of the actor's roles in "I Love My Dad." Films and Showtimes: Nope I Love My...

When Joe Bergantino and Ricky Gonzalez put an offer on a new house in January, the Rogers Park couple wrote the owner a letter, promising to keep the house’s funky aesthetic. The house is what’s known to many North Siders as the “Candyland House” or “Barbie House” for its pink, yellow, teal, and white striped exterior. That color scheme extends to the interior, too. Bergantino and Gonzalez have be...

With gas prices off the charts lately, some people are considering making the switch to electric vehicles. But for many, buying an electric vehicle isn’t exactly affordable — with the average price hitting $66,000 last month. So how can the EV market become more accessible to the average person? In Illinois, EV buyers can get a rebate up to $4,000 for their purchase. Host Jacoby Cochran speaks to...

If you have a vacant lot on your block, then you know what it’s like to constantly pass by the overgrown weeds and the trash. The city owns more than 10,000 of these lots alone. City Cast listener Makema Adkins has one of these city-owned lots behind her condo on the Near West Side, where she’s lived for over a decade. Two years ago she started the process of buying the lot to build a bigger home...

Google’s coming to the Thompson Center, two Chicago Public School teachers keep their jobs after allegedly being fired for encouraging students’ activism, and some Lake Michigan love! Lead Producer Carrie Shepherd talks about all that and more with WBEZ reporter Susie An and Block Club Chicago reporter Mina Bloom as part of City Cast Chicago’s weekly roundup.  Don't forget...it's still summer! Tak...

On Wednesday, officials announced Google will be moving into the Thompson Center in The Loop. The state closed on its sale of the famed building to JRTC Holdings, LLC for $105 million, and Google will move in. The company will “entirely redevelop” the building into an office suite for Google employees. The Thompson Center, designed by the late architect Helmut Jahn and opened in 1985, has long bee...