City Cast Chicago

The city’s Asian American population has grown 31% over the last decade, the largest of any racial group in Chicago, according to Census numbers. Chinatown, home to the city’s largest Asian American population, however is spread across three different wards, none of which have an Asian American alder person. In fact, there isn’t an Asian American on City Council, which can make the community feel left out while alder people are drawing up a ward map behind closed doors that will help each of them get re-elected. Asian American–led organizations that serve the community say it’s time they have a voice on City Council. Grace Chan McKibben, executive director at the Coalition for Better Chinese American Community, explains the reasons why a majority Asian American ward is so important. Guest — Grace Chan McKibben, Executive Director at the Coalition for Better Chinese American CommunityFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

The Chicago Police Department says it needs to fill 1,000 vacancies on the force. Part of their strategy is a new team focused on recruitment, and the city budget expected to pass Wednesday includes about $230,000 for advertising. That’s up from $2,400. So why are cops leaving the force? And is it as dire as some city officials would have the public believe? WBEZ criminal justice reporter Patrick Smith breaks it down.Guest: Patrick Smith— Criminal Justice Reporter, WBEZFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

The Inspector General’s office has a broad mandate. Their job is to “promote economy, effectiveness, efficiency, and integrity by identifying corruption, waste, and mismanagement in city government.” Basically, that means trying to clean up bad behavior in a city that is known for political corruption. Joe Ferguson led that office for 12 years, through three different mayors, a federal investigation of Chicago’s Police Department, and numerous scandals that have revealed racism, sexism, political patronage, and resulted in indictments of sitting alder people. He retired this month. Ferguson tells us how he kept pushing for more transparency and better government (even when it seemed like nothing would change), and answers the question: Is Chicago really more corrupt than other cities?Guest: Joe Ferguson — Former Inspector General, City of ChicagoRelated Links:OIG Public Information PortalRelated News Links:Chicago Creative Worker Assistance ProgramFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Many people rely on public restrooms during the day, including delivery and ride-share drivers, cabbies, and people who are unhoused. Last year during the height of the pandemic, access to public restrooms decreased as businesses and many public buildings like libraries and park field houses closed. That got Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Emily Hoerner wondering how many public restrooms are in Chicago and who’s most affected when they can’t access those spots. We talk to Hoerner about her investigation.Guest: Emily Hoerner — Investigative Reporter, Chicago TribuneHere’s the Tribune’s map of public restrooms. Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police have competing lawsuits over the vaccine mandate for city employees. Despite a judge ordering union President John Catanzara to stop encouraging officers on social media not to report their vaccine status, the back-and-forth continued this week as 21 Chicago police officers were placed on no-pay status for failing to comply. WTTW host Brandis Friedman joins host Jacoby Cochran and producer Simone Alicea to talk about the drama. They also discuss efforts to reform state parole laws, the Chicago Sky championship parade and a couple more moments of joy!Guest: Brandis Friedman — Host, WTTW's Chicago Tonight and Black VoicesSome stories mentioned today:The Chicago Sun-Times' latest on the court battle over the vaccine mandateThe Associated Press' look at how police use force against children, following the ProPublica/Nashville Public Radio investigation into one Tennessee county.WTTW on a proposal to reinstate parole in IllinoisSimone's City Cast Chicago map (plus her poll on "The Nightmare Before Christmas")Block Club Chicago's profile of FroSkateFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

On a chilly November night in 1987, Chicagoans watching the 9 p.m. news on WGN were met with a disturbing sight. They saw a person in a rubber mask bouncing in front of a spinning metallic background over some garbled sound. Two hours later, Doctor Who fans saw something similar on WTTW. Someone had hacked into the stations’ broadcast signals. But to this day, we have no idea who did it…or why. The new film “Broadcast Signal Intrusion” was inspired by the real-life Max Headroom mystery. It stars Harry Shum Jr. and was directed by Jacob Gentry. Ahead of the film’s theatrical release tomorrow, Shum and Gentry tell us why the incident remains fascinating for internet sleuths and why the videos are so unsettling.Guests: Harry Shum Jr. — Actor/Producer, “Broadcast Signal Intrusion"Jacob Gentry — Director, “Broadcast Signal Intrusion”“Broadcast Signal Intrusion” is out in select theaters tomorrow. It’s also one of the virtual offerings from the Chicago Film Festival, available through Sunday.A little bit of news, y’all:A public viewing for the late historian Timuel Black will take place today in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.The Chicago Public Library is screening Halloweentown I & II Saturday in the East Side neighborhood.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

When there’s an emergency, the last thing you want to worry about is whether an ambulance will show up. But the Chicago Fire Department has just 80 ambulances for a population of nearly 3 million people. While the department says that’s sufficient, the latest audit from the city’s watchdog shows CFD is failing to meet national standards for medical response times. A long wait for an ambulance could mean life or death, so why doesn’t the department add more to its fleet? CBS Chicago investigative reporter Dana Kozlov has spent years asking the city that question. She explains the scope of the problem and why it persists. Dana Kozlov — Investigative Reporter, CBS Chicago  Check out Dana’s 2020 investigation into the city’s ambulance shortage. Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

The Avalon Regal Theater in South Shore pays homage to two old venues that served as entertainment hubs for Black Chicagoans. From the 1920s to the 1960s, the Regal Theater was where the biggest names in music, from Louis Armstrong to Aretha Franklin, performed. The Bronzeville venue closed in 1968, and the building was demolished five years later. And, the Avalon Theater in South Shore has been everything from a Church to a movie theater. Jerald Gary is the entrepreneur and neighborhood booster who is trying to bring the excitement of those former spots into one, new destination for music, comedy, and live theater. It’s a pricey venture, but Gary tells us why he thinks it’s so critical.Guest: Jerald Gary— Owner, The Avalon Regal TheaterFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Now that the Bears have inked a deal to buy the old Arlington racetrack in suburban Arlington Heights, fans are waiting to see if the football team will really move. The Bears ultimately want a new stadium — either on the lake or in the burbs —and it’s estimated a new stadium could cost about $2 billion. Most, if not all, of that would likely fall on taxpayers. But football stadiums don’t actually make money for cities, according to University of Chicago sports economist Allen Sanderson. In fact, he calls them “economic losers.” He explains why and what we can learn from past changes to Soldier Field. Guest: Allen Sanderson — Professor, University of Chicago Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

A 14-year-old student and a 45-year-old security officer were shot and injured Tuesday as classes were letting out at Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Bronzeville. The shooting is prompting renewed questions about school resource officers. Host Jacoby Cochran reflects on that along with Block Club Chicago’s Jamie Nesbitt Golden and WCIU’s Brandon Pope. They also look at the rest of the week’s news, including electric scooters coming back to Chicago, the continued success of the Chicago Sky, and their opinions on scary movies ahead of Halloween.Guests: Jamie Nesbitt Golden — Bronzeville and Near South Side reporter, Block Club ChicagoBrandon Pope  — Reporter/Anchor, WCIU Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm