City Cast Chicago

As many of us enjoy delicious food over the Thanksgiving holiday, we wanted to take a moment to look back on a story about a Chicagoan working to feed his neighbors. Dion Dawson was asked in 2020 what he wanted to do to help his Englewood community. He responded that he wanted to feed 100 families. Fast forward a year, and Dion's Chicago Dream is running a community fridge that the organization keeps full of fresh produce, and delivering groceries to families from Maywood to Evanston. Dion tells host Jacoby Cochran it was his own food insecurity growing up that made him want to help feed his neighbors and give back to the neighborhood he loves.Get involved with Dion's Chicago Dream.**This story was originally published Aug. 9, 2021**Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Last year, the Wabash Arts Corridor commissioned two murals in the South Loop to celebrate the centennial of women’s suffrage. While one mural has been installed, the other has been blocked by a nearby parking lot owner who said it was “too political.” Lead producer Carrie Shepherd visited the site at Wabash and Harrison and has been looking into what happened. She explains what happened and how it fits into Chicago’s larger conversation about the purpose of public monuments and public art. We also hear from the artist behind the blocked mural.Guests: Carrie Shepherd — Lead Producer, City Cast ChicagoDorian Sylvain — ArtistFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

A group of South Shore neighbors pooled their money to buy and restore a historic vacant apartment building in their neighborhood. Mayor Lori Lightfoot remains on the fence as alders continue to spar over the city’s next ward map. And one Chicagoan may have caught the biggest carp in Illinois at the Humboldt Park lagoon, leaving the rest of us wondering, “Where the hell did this 72-pound behemoth come from?” Block Club Chicago’s Maxwell Evans and Crain’s Chicago Business’ A.D. Quig stop by to talk about these stories and more. Plus, Thanksgiving is next week so we’re talking favorite side dishes and the City Cast Chicago team says what they’re thankful for this year!Guests:Maxwell Evans — Hyde Park, Woodlawn, and South Shore reporter, Block Club ChicagoA.D. Quig — Politics and government reporter, Crain's Chicago BusinessStories discussed:South Shore neighbors restore a historic vacant apartment buildingSoutheast Sider helps a couple from Indiana stranded in ChicagoWhy you should care about the Cook County Assessor’s raceMan catches gigantic carp in Humboldt Park lagoon

The film “Passing,” now streaming on Netflix, is based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel of the same name. Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry are two light-skinned Black women who grew up on Chicago’s South Side—just like Larsen. One of the women is “passing” as white while the other is heavily involved with the Harlem community where she now lives. Writer and Larsen scholar Amina Gautier explains how Chicago played an integral role in the author’s life and in the story. Guest:Amina Gautier—Writer and University of Miami ProfessorA little bit of news, y'all:Comment as Chicago Police develop a new gang database, after the old one was found to be riddled with errors and proven to be racially biasedFind a park with ice skating near youFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

The Illinois Restaurant Association says even as establishments continue to reopen since the start of the pandemic, 100,000 restaurants have closed nationwide, and the industry is still down 70,000 jobs in Illinois. Worker advocates say one way to fix that shortage is to get rid of the subminimum wage. That’s the minimum hourly rate employers have to pay tipped workers like waiters and bartenders because the law assumes the combination of the lower wage and tips will equal the full minimum wage. One of those advocates is Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage. Jayaraman was in Chicago this week visiting restaurants that have abandoned the subminimum wage—at least for now. She talks to host Jacoby Cochran about the campaign. And we hear from a worker who left the industry and says she’s not going back.Guests:Saru Jayaraman — President, One Fair WageJewel Simmons — Former Chicago restaurant workerFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

When the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine for kids between the ages of 5 and 11 a little more than two weeks ago, parents quickly tried to secure spots to get their kids vaxxed. Even before the approval, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady assured parents and guardians that getting the vaccine “was not going to be the Hunger Games,” the way it often felt when the vaccine was approved for adults. A health care reporter details the early days of the pediatric vaccine roll-out, and we talk to a family in suburban Palos Park about how they’re feeling now that two teens are fully vaxxed and two kids are partly vaxxed. Guests:Lisa Schencker—Health care business reporter, Chicago TribuneThe Narciso FamilyWhere to find the vaccineFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

The Chicago Blackhawks are trying to regain the trust of fans after it was revealed last month that the team didn’t respond appropriately to a player’s allegations of sexual assault. Two hockey fans say this case represents a toxic culture that the sport must confront. Former Chicago Sun-Times reporter Evan Moore and sports reporter Jashvina Shah have been looking at toxic behavior in hockey for years because they love the sport and want it to change. Their new book “Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It” is out now. Moore and Shah tell host Jacoby Cochran what they think contributes to the toxicity.Guests:Evan Moore—Co-author, “Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It”Jashvina Shah—Co-author, “Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It”Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

When Kristen Kaza and Elijah McKinnon opened the events space Reunion in 2016 in Humboldt Park their mission was to create "a haven for Queer and minority creatives." Kaza and McKinnon have hosted comedy nights, dance parties, art exhibits, and other events that celebrate the LQBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. They announced in October they are closing Reunion. Kaza and McKinnon talk to host Jacoby Cochran about the importance of spaces that cultivate community, and allow patrons to feel like they belong.Events from Nov. 11-Nov. 19:“The Sweetest Gift: A Farewell To Reunion Chicago” 

Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez announced last week that students would not have classes Friday for “Vaccination Awareness Day,” but some parents were caught off guard and wondered how they were going to use a work day to get their kids vaxxed. Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand in his trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He faces seven charges, including first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree intentional homicide for his killings of two men during protests in Kenosha last year. And activists and McDonald’s employees are calling on CEO Chris Kempczinski to be fired for what they say is racist behavior by the executive. City Cast Chicago’s Carrie Shepherd, Simone Alicea, and Jacoby Cochran break down those stories.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs told state lawmakers this week they need more staff and better access to housing and healthcare. The numbers back up the critical need to take care of veterans. The rate of suicides among veterans is nearly double that of the civilian population, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. But Northwestern University professor Michelle Shumate says mental health treatment and suicide hotlines aren’t enough to help veterans as they transition to civilian life. Shumate has been researching how organizations that help with housing, food, and jobs can contribute to better mental health for veterans. She shares what she hears from veterans about what they need.Guest: Michelle Shumate —Delaney Family University Research Professor, Northwestern UniversityChicago Veterans Day Events:The city is hosting a ceremony at Soldier Field at 11 a.m.Auditorium Theatre is hosting tours for veterans and their families from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Vax Info for CPS Families:CPSCity Cast Chicago newsletterFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm