City Cast Chicago

Latest Episodes:

'Abbott Elementary's' Chris Perfetti Fulfills Dream with Steppenwolf's 'King James' Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

Actor Chris Perfetti wasn’t a big basketball fan growing up. But he was a big Steppenwolf Theatre fan. So when he got the chance to star in the world premiere of “King James” at the famous Lincoln Park theater, he took it. The play is only partly about LeBron James and basketball; it’s more about friendship and the way sports help forge bonds. Perfetti also stars as Jacob in the hit ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary,” and talks with City Cast Chicago Host Jacoby Cochran about working on the play and the show.

"King James" is running through April 10. Find out more and get tickets at Steppenwolf.org.

Some Good News: The National Museum of Mexican Art's exhibit “Frida Kahlo, Her Photos” opens on Friday.

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What Illinois Can Teach Texas About Cannabis Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

Recreational weed has been available in Illinois since 2020. Meanwhile, in Texas, a Democratic gubernatorial challenger is pushing to legalize cannabis while the Republican incumbent resists the idea. That may sound familiar to Illinois voters. Gov. JB Pritzker ran on legalizing marijuana four years ago, and while the rollout has been rocky, he’s counting it as a big win heading into this year’s election. City Cast Houston’s Lisa Gray and City Cast Chicago’s Jacoby Cochran talk about the status of legal weed in both states, and Jacoby offers his tips on what Texas should watch out for as they inch toward legalization. It’s a crossover episode!

Some good news: Chicago Trans Visibility Pageant

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Do Chicagoans Get Answers at Town Halls? Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

Homicides this year in Chicago are on track to be similar to last year, one of the deadliest years in decades, and carjackings are up 50 percent. Some residents want more police on the streets, on the CTA, and in neighborhoods. But there’s also pressure to invest in mental health facilities, community development, and alternatives to police. In an attempt to address concerns, the city is hosting a series of town halls across Chicago. So far, there has been a virtual meeting for North and Northwest Side residents, and in-person events at Garfield Park on the West Side and Chicago State University on the South Side. These town halls aren’t new, so are residents really getting the answers they are looking for? Producer Simone Alicea has been covering the town halls and answers that question.

Public Safety Town Halls

Some Good News:

Jacoby hosts "The Moth" at Evanston SPACE

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New 11th Ward Alder, Casino Finalists, and Perfect Parking Mar 25, 2022

Show notes

This week the City Cast Chicago team is together in person bringing you the best podcast and newsletter in Chicago. Lead producer Carrie Shepherd, producer Simone Alicea, and host Jacoby Cochran talk about how they treat themselves. And they're sharing the stories that captured their attention this week, including the first Asian American woman to join the city council and the new casino set to come to the city. We've got some great moments of joy for you like Carrie's perfect parking job and Jacoby’s visit to the East Side neighborhood to check in with Stephen Walsh the director of the documentary, “Southeast: A city within a city.” Check out our September 2021 episode with Walsh.

Stories discussed:

Lightfoot's pick for 11th Ward Alder: Nicole Lee

Sports Betting Brings Tax Windfall — And a Surge in Problem Gambling

Illinois' child welfare system remains troubled despite cash influx

Council members ask for environmental reviews on city bids

Call or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

A Chicago Heiress, Miniature Murder Scenes, and the Birth of Forensic Science Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

Frances Glessner Lee was from one of early Chicago’s most prominent families, living on one of the cities wealthiest blocks — Prairie Avenue, now a historic neighborhood in the South Loop. She also basically created forensic science. Lee created miniature death scenes that would help police better investigate crimes by considering all the different scenarios that could happen. And to say these recreations were detailed is an understatement. Lee would dress the corpses. The doorknobs and the keys for the doors actually worked. There was a tiny little mouse trap, and if a tiny little mouse had stepped on it, it would have actually gone off. In an unusual move for the time, Lee's parents educated her and her brother in the same way, preparing her to work in a male-dominated field. City Cast’s Simone Alicea learns more about Frances Glessner Lee from Glessner House executive director Bill Tyre ahead of a celebration of the mother of forensic science.

Friday's celebration is sold out. But you can book tours at the Glessner House, where a recreation of one of Lee's models will now be available to see.

Some Good News:

Jurassic Park Concert at CSO

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IL’s Aging Undocumented Population is Living — and Dying — In the Shadows Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

By 2030, Illinois could be home to 55,000 people over the age of 65 living without citizenship, according to a 2020 Rush University survey. Despite living in the country for decades and paying taxes, many undocumented seniors (two thirds of which are Mexican immigrants) lack access to federal social safety nets, public housing, and secure employment. According to the Chicago Tribune’s Laura Rodriguez Presa and Injustice Watch’s Carlos Ballesteros, “this generation of immigrants faces the prospect of having lived and died in the shadows.” We sit down with both journalists to understand the uphill battle for thousands of vulnerable older adults.

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Facebook Could Owe You $400. Here’s Why. Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

Chicago attorney Jay Edelson filed a lawsuit against Facebook in 2015, claiming the social media giant violated his client’s privacy, specifically Illinois’ biometric privacy law, considered one of the strictest in the country. Facebook settled the class-action lawsuit in February 2021 for $650 million, and that settlement was upheld in a federal court of appeals late last week. That means eligible Illinois residents could get a $397 check from Facebook in the next 60 days. Edelson explains the lawsuit, and how privacy laws continue to change.

Wonder if you're an eligible claimant? Check here.

Pandemic Life Two Years Later Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

Gov. JB Pritzker’s stay-home order went into effect two years ago today. It’s been two years of change, uncertainty, and loss. Since City Cast Chicago launched last year, we’ve talked to public health leaders, teachers and parents, and business owners about how they’ve managed during the pandemic. We look back on some of those conversations, and we hear your stories about the early days of the pandemic.

Thanks to all of our listeners who shared their stories. You can also go back and revisit our conversations with Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago’s top public health official, a CPS teacher and a parent, and a restaurant manager.

Here's where you can find the COVID-19 vaccine around the city.

A little bit of news: The city is hosting a community meeting on public safety Wednesday at Chicago State University. There will be other meetings around the city over the next two weeks.

BONUS: How J.P. Graziano Became the Gucci of Giardiniera via It's All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast Mar 19, 2022

Show notes

We're doing a pod swap this week with our good friends at Block Club Chicago.

In this episode, "It's All Good" host Jon Hansen and Block Club reporter Mack Liederman talk about the Grazianos, a family-run, generations-old wholesale business that sells sandwiches, beef kits, giardiniera and designer T-shirts. Now, the shop is enjoying its most profitable years ever.

Take a listen then subscribe to "It's All Good."

Willie Wilson’s Gasathon, 'The Billboard' Play, and Music Fest Fever Mar 18, 2022

Show notes

As we celebrate one year of the City Cast Chicago podcast and newsletter, we are so excited to look back on another week in our favorite city. Block Club Chicago’s Atavia Reed and WBEZ’s Natalie Moore are showing Englewood some love today as we talk Natalie’s new play “The Billboard: A Play About Abortion” which is set at a “fictional Black women’s health clinic” in the neighborhood. And we recount Atavia’s visit to the Go Green Community Fresh Market, a new grocer finally serving the community after years of hard work. With spring around the corner, we are also dreaming about festival season. The trio hops around the city as we discuss some of our favorite music, literary and “green” festivals.

Stories This Week:

"The Billboard: A Play About Abortion"

Newly Opened Go Green Community Fresh Market In Englewood Hailed As A ‘Milestone’ After Years Of Work

Versa reversal: ‘Women-powered’ Chicago festival canceled

Major traffic jams caused by Willie Wilson’s $200K gas giveaway

Chicago Festival and Event Guide