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
Thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers who have been staying at city shelters are facing potential evictions next week because of a limit on shelter stays imposed by the Johnson administration. The looming deadline is leading to confusion and fear. Executive Producer Simone Alicea and host Jacoby Cochran break down the latest details. Plus, CTA wants your help in transforming 10 blocks of public land under the Red Line tracks in Uptown and Edgewater.
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Good News: Respect the Mic Open Mic
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Less than 10% of Chicago’s waste is recycled, according to the city's Streets and Sanitation Department. That’s despite a goal to keep 50% of waste out of landfills by 2025 and as other cities boast even higher rates. Axios’ Monica Eng has been covering the city’s waste management struggles for years. She tells host Jacoby Cochran what’s driving Chicago’s abysmal recycling rates and offers some tips for all of us to do better.
Learn more about the city’s new food scrap drop-off program.
Some Good News: Chicago Documenters Orientation
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Earlier this week as temperatures plummeted, the city activated its emergency operation plan, opening more warming centers and overnight shelters. Harvey World Herald founder Amethyst Davis and Sun-Times education reporter Nader Issa are here to discuss how local organizations are also stepping in to provide more support for unhoused Chicagoans. Plus, we are talking about a Harvey apartment complex that was boarded up with residents still inside, the White Sox exploring a new South Loop stadium, and why Metra lights their train tracks on fire.
Good News: Latinxs for Palestine Storytelling Event and Fundraiser
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Feel like everyone you know has been sick lately? It’s not just you: Flu and COVID rates have been up in Chicago since the holidays. Axios reporter Carrie Shepherd talks with host Jacoby Cochran about the latest numbers and public health advice. Plus, they offer tips on where to find soup and other sick day comforts in Chicago.
Good News: Big Marsh Park Polar Adventure Days!
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It’s a great week for food in Chicago with Restaurant Week 2024 starting Friday. Hundreds of restaurants across the city will feature special tasting menus, giving Chicagoans the chance to try new spots and dishes. It’s also a great time to try foods that were created here in Chicago that you may have not tried yet. Last year, host Jacoby Cochran sat down with Monica Eng and David Hammond, authors of "Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites" to talk about favorite Chicago foods, their origin stories, and places you can try them out.
Good news: Check out Chicago Show Calendar to catch a show this week
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Chicago Magazine put out a list of 13 predictions for this year. They include the Cubs playoff fate, Madigan’s corruption case outcome, and even who will win the 2024 presidential election. Producer Michelle Navarro and host Jacoby Cochran read the list and share which they agree with, which they aren’t feeling, and make their own 2024 predictions. Plus, tickets for Chicago Theatre Week 2024 are on sale. We preview a few shows we’re excited to see!
Good News: Tomorrow Never Knows Fest
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Back in October, the city projected it would spend more than $360 million in 2023 to care for the thousands of asylum-seekers living in Chicago. Now the administration says it only spent $138 million. Why were these figures so different and what does this mean for the Johnson administration’s plan to house migrants in 2024? WTTW’s Heather Cherone is here with receipts to help us make sense of the city’s spending plan. Plus, we discuss what’s next for convicted former Alder Ed. Burke, a planned strike at Second City, a rat hole in Roscoe Village and an ice skating rink in Englewood.
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated across the country, but his legacy is particularly special to Chicago. In January of 1966, King moved to North Lawndale to work with the Chicago Freedom Movement to raise awareness of dangerous living conditions, housing segregation and discrimination faced by Black Chicagoans. Historian and author Tammy Gibson tells executive producer Simone Alicea about Martin Luther King Jr.’s time in Chicago and the Chicago Freedom Movement’s legacy today.
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Whether for health or environmental reasons, many Chicagoans may be looking to eat less meat and more plant-based foods in 2024. And even though the city is known for hot dogs and Italian beef, Chicago has also been a hub for vegan and vegetarian restaurants for decades. Soul Veg City in Chatham has been serving up vegan soul food for more than 40 years. Owners Lori Seay and Arel Brown talk with executive producer Simone Alicea about their favorite spots in the city and how to start small.
Some good news: Name a city snowplow
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Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s corruption trial has been delayed about six months because of a U.S. Supreme Court case out of Northwest Indiana.The case centers on former Portage Mayor James Snyder, who was convicted of bribery in 2021. The judge in Madigan’s case wants to avoid retrial and wait on a decision, which is expected this summer. Executive producer Simone Alicea and producer Michelle Navarro talk about the case’s implications on corruption trials in Chicago and Illinois, dibs protocols in winter storm season, and board games with Chicago roots.
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