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
Two illicit massage parlors on Archer Avenue were raided within weeks of each other — including one next door to 12th Ward Ald. Julia Ramirez’s office. Creative producer Michelle Navarro lives in the ward and has noticed the proliferation of sketchy-looking establishments in her neighborhood. She and host Jacoby Cochran ask Ramirez what’s happening at these “spas,” why there are so many in the area, and who’s responsible for regulating them. Plus, they discuss how the Moving Archer Forward project fits into all of this.
Good news: Chicago Latin Jazz Fest
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The Chicago Police Department will be without a permanent police superintendent starting July 15, as current superintendent Larry Snelling announced his retirement late last week. We break down Snelling’s tenure and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s potential timeline with Araceli Gomez-Aldana and Leigh Giangreco. Plus, the number of same-sex couples on the Far Southeast Side is growing, and we’ve got even more good news for you.
Good News: Karaoke Storytellers, Argyle Night Market
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See if your Chicago knowledge serves you well! In the first-ever Your City Could Be Better trivia episode, City Cast CEO David Plotz goes head to head with journalist and historian Alexandra Petri to see who knows more about U.S. history, geography, and celebrities ahead of the country’s semiquincentennial. Sean McPherson, trivia wiz and City Cast Twin Cities host, leads four riveting rounds of questions covering everything from The Declaration of Independence to the hottest college rivalries, and all 13 City Cast cities make an appearance. See how you stack up!
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This week, Mayor Brandon Johnson pitched the Protecting Renter’s Ordinance, which the city calls a “comprehensive modernization” of Chicago's 40-year-old residential landlord and tenant law. We break down the details with contributors Jill Hopkins and Leigh Giangreco. Plus, the Obama Presidential Center announces “The People’s Fourth,” and we’re talking go-to treats for those 90-degree days.
Good News: Mandala Arts Red Line Project
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As summer really takes off, the food fests, fireworks shows, and WNBA All Star Weekend have us really excited for July. Here’s your guide to getting the most out of the month. Also included: a breakdown of the mayoral petition process and ‘what’s in our bags.’
Good News: Pride South Side
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Extreme heat warnings, corn sweat, and potential thunderstorms could make this the most volatile weather week of the summer so far. Executive producer Simone Alicea and host Jacoby Cochran have tips to beat the heat. Plus, thousands of Chicagoans will be making that annual trip to Northwest Indiana this week for fireworks, and thousands more will be bingeing the final season of “The Bear.” So, we went ahead and did both!
Good News: Offsite for Fatimah Asghar's Daughter of the Mountains
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Chicago’s infamous parking meters are up for sale. In a City Council committee meeting last week, alders got more insight into the mayor’s earlier bid to buy them back. We also heard from representatives of the prospective buyers. Host Jacoby Cochran is breaking down the contentious meeting with contributors Leigh Giangreco and Al Scorch. Plus, another day, another candidate for mayor, and y’all have got some corrections and recommendations for me.
Good News: Big Cheese Poetry Slam; Big Kids Show
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Earlier this month, Advocate Health Care broke ground on a new hospital at the south end of the forthcoming 440-acre Quantum Shore Campus. The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park has already started construction at the former U.S. Steel South Works site. This $9 billion, 128-acre tech campus is backed by major public and private partners and is set to reshape the southeast side. A new multimedia investigative series, “Quantum Entanglements,” is peeling back the layers to discover how this highly speculative technology is already transforming the community. We are joined by cohosts Damon A. Williams and Daniel Kisslinger.
Good News: Shedd Aquarium Action Days: Saturday at Calumet Beach
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The Federal Communications Commission has ABC 7 Chicago and other local stations in its crosshairs as the FCC has ordered an accelerated review of several affiliate broadcast licenses. This is yet another anti-DEI political attack from the Trump administration. We’re discussing the ongoing fallout with contributors Yareni Murillo and PJ Walker. Plus, we’ve got iconic toys, ‘The Bear,’ and free coffee on the menu.
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Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who has been floated as a potential candidate for mayor, recently received $255,000 from a local union. This has sparked conversation about what the Secretary’s growing political war chest will be used for. Host Jacoby Cochran sits down with contributors Brandon Pope and Anna DeShawn to discuss. Plus, the city breaks ground on the Elise Malary Plaza, and we discuss pieces of art across Chicago we’d “borrow for life.”
Good News: Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire
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