Stay ConnectedChicago’s daily news podcast, fresh every weekday morning. 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. City Cast Chicago is a smart and delightful new way to connect with the city we share. Learn more and subscribe to our newsletter at chicago.citycast.fm.
Named Best Podcast by Chicago Reader 2022
Before he became the host of The Late Show, or The Colbert Report, and before The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert honed his craft in Chicago. Colbert went from Northwestern University’s theater department to The Second City, where he is now joining the board of directors. Colbert tells host Jacoby Cochran about his early days with the historic theater, his lasting impressions of the city, and how he went from being afraid of going shirtless on stage to performing a duet with his pants.
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After seeing how impactful the pandemic was for their young kids, two Chicago moms decided that a great way for kids to look back at this historical moment was to start a time capsule. They created “Once Upon Our Time Capsule,” a project that collects individual time capsules from kids across the city. We talk to Stacey Gillett and Stephanie Hodges about why they thought it was important that children memorialize this year, and what this could mean for the kids opening the capsules five years from now.
Guests: Stacey Gillett, Co-creator, Once Upon Our Time Capsule (@staceywgillett)
Stephanie Hodges, Co-creator, Once Upon Our Time Capsule
Find out how to make your own time capsule: https://www.ourtimecapsule.org/
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Along the lakefront at Oakwood Beach lies a mermaid carved from limestone. She’s been watching over Lake Michigan since 1986, but for some Chicagoans her origin story, or even her existence, was a mystery. Host Jacoby Cochran got to visit the mermaid for the very first time with one of its creators,Roman Villarreal. They talk about how the sculpture actually came to be and who the inspiration was. Oh, also about how this mermaid will likely live in Chicago for another 300 years.
Guests:
Paul Dailing: Writer
Román Villarreal: Artist
Atlas Obscura: The Secret Mermaid
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Host Jacoby Cochran breaks down what happened in Chicago this week with The Triibe co-founder and editor-in-chief Tiffany Walden. They talk about the debate over renaming Lake Shore Drive after Jean Baptiste DuSable, rent relief for Chicagoans, and a potential plan to improve the intersection at 79th Street, Stony Island Avenue, and South Chicago Avenue. They also make a discovery about a popular steppin’ track and share their strong opinions about lions in the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Guest: Tiffany Walden, Co-founder/Editor-in-Chief, The Triibe (@Waldens_Block)
Find the 2021 Triibe Guide: https://reshapethenarrative.com/
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When Collaboraction opened its doors 25 years ago, they had no idea just how much their theater would change throughout the years. Having worked with around 3,000 artists on more than 60 productions, the Chicago-based theater was determined to continue its work of creating inclusive productions that inspire social change during the pandemic. Putting together virtual productions and discussions, the theater sparked much-needed discussions about race during the height of the BLM protests last summer. We look back at the theater’s history and on how much it has evolved with Collaboraction’s Anthony Moseley and Dr. Marcus Robinson.
Guests: Anthony Moseley, Artistic Director, Collaboraction (@AnthonyMoseley)
Dr. Marcus Robinson, Executive Director, Collaboraction (@4MarcusRobinson)
Find out how to attend Collaboraction's 25th-anniversary party tonight:
https://www.collaboraction.org/moonset-sunrise-event
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When Chicago attorney Joanne Molinaro went vegan in 2016, she worried that she wouldn’t be able to eat her favorite Korean dishes that she grew up with. It’s why she started the “Korean Vegan” blog. She initially focused on her recipes, but over time felt like she needed to connect cooking with personal stories about her family, heartbreak, and other ups-and-downs from her life. These stories have resonated on TikTok, where Molinaro has more than 2 million followers. Molinaro explains what shifted for her and tells host Jacoby Cochran about her favorite Korean dishes and vegan spots in Chicago.
Guest: Joanne Molinaro— Attorney, food blogger, and author (TikTok: @thekoreanvegan)
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In 2017, a Department of Justice investigation into Chicago Police called out foot chases as a precursor to excessive force saying they “too often end with officers unreasonably shooting someone.” But until now, the department hasn’t had a policy to guide officers on when they can chase people and when they can’t. CPD enacted an interim policy earlier this month that’s undergoing public comment. But critics say it doesn’t go far enough. Nusrat Choudhury with the ACLU of Illinois explains how we got here and where the policy goes next.
Guest: Nusrat Choudhury, Legal Director, ACLU of Illinois (@ACLUofIL)
Read about the interim foot-pursuit policy and submit a public comment through July 15: https://home.chicagopolice.org/reform/policy-review/
Read the 2017 DOJ report: https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/925846/download
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Only a handful of cities know what it’s like to have two professional sports teams in the same league. In Chicago, the crosstown rivalry between the White Sox and the Cubs is about more than baseball. It can be a cultural divide that makes Chicagoans feel like they have to choose a side publicly. That’s why Len Kasper turned heads this season when he became the radio voice of the White Sox after 16 seasons broadcasting for the Cubs. Kasper offers his perspective on the rivalry and his predictions for this year’s Crosstown Classic in August…and maybe even the World Series.
Guest: Len Kasper, Co-host, Sox Degrees; White Sox radio play-by-play announcer
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Host Jacoby Cochran and Lead Producer Carrie Shepherd break down some “news you can use,” something they each learned from City Cast Chicago this week, and a “moment of joy” that made them happy. And, they sing. Of course.
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Chicago is known for its public art. Almost every neighborhood is painted with murals showing the people who live there, the politics that shaped the place, and activists who have fought to retain its character. Even though murals and street art are born from graffiti, some say tagging the art breaks an unwritten rule and disrespects the artist. One of those people is Chicago Sun-Times editorial board member Ismael Perez, who wrote the recent editorial, “Chicago should take such pride in its wealth of murals, and yet, they are being defaced." Host Jacoby Cochran tours two of those defaced murals in Pilsen with Perez and talks to him about how the neighborhood felt like a "hug" when Perez arrived from Texas.
Guest: Ismael Perez, Editorial Board Member, Chicago Sun-Times (@_ismaperez)
Chicago should take such pride in its wealth of murals, and yet, they are being defaced
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