Curious City

Latest Episodes:

What is that supply tent outside of Cook County Jail? Sep 10, 2025

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Almost every night, a group of volunteers sets up a table of supplies. Their goal is to assist everyone who is being released; from bottled water to a ride home. But sometimes, it’s a challenge when people are released well after midnight.

Apple slices are a nearly forgotten piece of Chicago pastry history Sep 03, 2025

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Apple slices were a favorite Chicago pastry decades ago. Not many bakeries sell them today, but the dessert still has avid fans who hold on to its nostalgic flavor.

Do pigs need rescuing? Aug 28, 2025

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The story of Pigasus, who unknowingly accepted the Youth International Party (Yippie) nomination for president in Daley Plaza in 1968, shows that sometimes pigs need rescuing. “My heart hurt for the pig,” said April Noga, executive director of Chicagoland Pig Rescue, of Pigasus’s run for president. “Because I put myself in the pig’s shoes of being pulled around a rally and then detained and not knowing what's going on. And used as, not entertainment but used as a prop. Because the pig is a sentient being.”In our last episode, we dispelled a rumor that Pigasus was barbecued. Reporter Andrew Meriwether searched Grayslake and Libertyville for the farm where she lived out her days following the ‘68 campaign. In today’s episode, Noga tells us why pigs still need rescuing. She explains that Chicagoland Pig Rescue gets as many as 20 calls a month, from overwhelmed people in need of rehoming a small-breed pet pig, to concerned citizens who have spotted an injured, large-breed pig on the side of the road. “Every case is a little different,” Noga said. Noga explains how she started Chicagoland Pig Rescue and how pig rescuing and fostering works. She also introduces us to Ramona, a three-year old potbelly mix who was rescued from a home where she was neglected. Noga described Ramona — who is one of six pigs in Noga’s “house herd” — as an "automatic foster fail."

What happened to Chicago’s presidential pig? Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

During the demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, activists trotted out a pig named Pigasus for president. Her campaign was cut short after she and protesters were arrested by the Chicago Police. Rumors swirled that Pigasus was barbecued, but what really happened to her?

What’s the oldest book in circulation at the Chicago Public Library? Aug 20, 2025

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Curious City went out to find the oldest book in circulation at the Chicago Public Library. Turns out, the title is over 200 years old, and you can still check it out.

School is in session, and we put the CPS butter cookie to the test Aug 14, 2025

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Summer is coming to an end, and it’s time to go back to school. Today, the number of Chicago Public School students complaining about school lunch might only be matched by the complaints over homework assignments. So it may come as a surprise that decades ago CPS students actually looked forward to eating cafeteria lunch. In our last episode, WBEZ’s Sarah Karp found that privatization of food services and revamped health guidelines shifted the menu for CPS students. During Karp’s reporting, many alumni kept mentioning an old lunchtime staple, the famed CPS butter sugar cookie. This was a cookie served district wide and baked fresh by lunchroom staff during the 1960s-1980s. The cookie has long been discontinued in schools, but there’s still a cult following. Dozens of copycat recipes pop up on a simple internet search, and one woman even turned it into a business. Curious City decided to put this cookie to the test. With the help of CPS culinary instructor Jeffrey Newman and a dupe recipe, we re-created this classic lunchroom treat. Is it worth all the hype? Will current CPS students like it? Or is this merely a dose of childhood nostalgia?

School lunch used to pass the test Aug 13, 2025

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Some Chicago Public School alumni say school lunch used to be delicious, which might shock current students. How did school lunch go from delicious to disappointing?

What’s the history of Chinese gangs in Chicago? Aug 07, 2025

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Chicago is known for crime bosses like Al Capone, but the city is also home to two Chinese gangs that were once fierce rivals. This story first aired in 2018.

What a failed robbery from 1951 tells us about Chicago crime Aug 06, 2025

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A courageous Chicagoan once helped foil a robbery by men in butcher smocks — a little-known gang from a bygone era of crime in the city.

The other organizations empowering Chicago’s Chinatown Jul 31, 2025

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Community organizations are helping Chinatown residents preserve what long-standing family associations helped build.