City Cast Chicago

For most Chicagoans, the Loop is just where the office is (or used to be) or a place to take your family when they’re in town. But as downtown recovers from the pandemic, the Chicago Loop Alliance is working to make the Loop more welcoming to everyone. One way they’re trying to do that is by closing three blocks along State Street this summer for “Sundays on State.” Host Jacoby Cochran was there this past Sunday to talk about the Loop’s recovery with alliance president Michael Edwards.Michael Edwards, President and CEO, Chicago Loop Alliance (@ChiLoopAlliance)Hospitality Hiring Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hospitality-hiring-event-tickets-161536503029Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

For the last year, the housing market in most big cities has been in overdrive. The pandemic forced us inside our homes; they became our offices, our schools and the center of our social lives. That led families to seek more space, and low interest rates had longtime renters making the switch to homeowner.s One area of the city and surrounding area that is seeing homeowner growth? Black middle class families on Chicago’s South Side and south suburbs. Crain’s Chicago Business real estate reporter Dennis Rodkin explains what combination of factors is allowing these families to buy, and why that’s important for primarily Black areas.Guest:Dennis Rodkin, Real Estate Reporter, Crain's Chicago Business,Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

A former Chicago Public Schools principal has been accused of stealing of $200,000 from the school to pay her mortgage, which garnered a little bit of, “Yeah, what else is new in Chicago?” from this week’s guest, Jill Hopkins. Jill hosts “Jill Afternoons” on Vocalo Radio. She and host Jacoby Cochran break down that news, Scottie Pippen’s new gig as an Airbnb host, worries about COVID at camps, and they share some mutual admiration for Candace Parker.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Dario Durham and Sara Faddah come from very different food traditions. Faddah is originally from Jordan, and she cooks the Arab foods her grandmother made when she was a child. Durham is a born-and-bred Chicagoan, and grew up on soul food like mac ‘n cheese, cornbread and candied yams. So when they started dating in 2019, they began exploring each other’s food cultures, and building their own list of favorite dishes and restaurants as a couple. They both realized that meant expanding their tastes to restaurants all across the city. In fact, one in every neighborhood. They document their eating adventures in the new podcast, "77 Flavors of Chicago."Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

With the return of festivals, the reopening of restaurants, and a pause on travel restrictions, the last couple months have felt more like normal in Chicago. But on Tuesday, city officials announced travelers from Arkansas or Missouri must test negative for COVID-19 or quarantine for 10 days before coming to Chicago. The new travel advisory plus concerns over the delta variant and vaccine disparities are prompting warnings from the city’s public health officials that the pandemic isn’t over. WTTW Reporter Heather Cherone has been covering the city’s COVID-19 response since the beginning, and she helps us make sense of these new shifts.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

The New York Times recently reminded us — or told us for the first time — that Chicago is not immune from the climate crisis. The article “A Battle Between a Great City and a Great Lake” explains how Lake Michigan, that expansive, beautiful source of freshwater, has been fluctuating between not enough water and too much. When levels are too high, it wreaks havoc along the lakeshore, including on houses, offices, and residential buildings. It can also force nasty, untreated water from the Chicago River into the Lake. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to Justin Keller from the Metropolitan Planning Council about what this all means.Guest:Justin Keller-Manager, Metropolitan Planning CouncilFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCity Cast is growing! We'll be in 8 new cities! Check out where, and how you can join us. Read more about it here.

There were about 1,430 carjackings in Chicago in 2020, more than double the previous year’s total. And more than half of the people arrested in those incidents were under 18. A new investigation by the Better Government Association finds that many of these teens, some as young as 13, are being put on electronic monitoring and sent home instead of receiving services that could help curtail future criminal activity. BGA reporters Sidnee King and David Jackson explain what’s driving the carjacking trend, why these kids end up stuck in limbo, and how these alternative programs could help.Guests: Sidnee King, investigative reporter, Better Government AssociationDavid Jackson, senior investigative reporter, Better Government Association (@poolcar4)Love the show? Want something to change? Tell us about it. Take our listener survey and have a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card: https://chicago.citycast.fm/surveyFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Chicago started the week on a sad note. The city had its most violent weekend so far this year over the 4th of July holiday. And, unfortunately, that led to more finger pointing by officials rather than a unified front. WBEZ Senior Producer Meha Ahmad and host Jacoby Cochran talk through that story, and also how President Biden’s visit to the northwest suburb of Crystal Lake didn’t feel quite as exciting as past presidential visits. Plus! Moments of joy that include BBQ, neighbors and Nikole Hannah-Jones!Guest:Meha Ahmad, Sr. Producer, WBEZFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm*Take our audience survey!

Achieving a “work-life balance” has always been hard, but the pandemic blurred those worlds even more. The resulting burnout is prompting many companies to rethink how they work. One local example is City Bureau. The journalism nonprofit is trying out a four-day work week this summer to combat burnout and boost productivity. We ask City Bureau co-founder Bettina Chang and the organization’s people and culture director Cristina Salgado about what they hope to learn from the experiment and how they plan to spend their extra day off.Guests: Bettina Chang, Co-Founder/Executive Editorial Director, City Bureau (@bechang8)Cristina Salgado, Director of People and Culture, City Bureau We are always looking for ways to make the show better, and we need your help! Fill out our survey and you’ll be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card: https://chicago.citycast.fm/survey Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

On Chicago’s far Northwest Side, changing demographics and politics represent a divide of old vs. new. Many residents in these neighborhoods are cops, fire fighters, teachers and other city workers who are required to live inside the city’s borders. They like the suburban-like living that offers brick bungalows, backyards and a slower pace. Now, more Latino and younger, white, liberal families have been moving from more densely populated parts of Chicago to the Northwest Side for affordable single-family homes and good schools. Those shifting demographics and more progressive political leanings have created some drama, especially with current Alderman Jim Gardiner. Gardiner is divisive in the area--pitting neighbor against neighbor, and is even the subject of two lawsuits. Host Jacoby Cochran breaks down the current drama, and what issues drove the divides in the 45th Ward. Guests:Alex Nitkin--Editor and City Hall Reporter, The Daily LineAriel Parrella-Aureli--Reporter, Block Club ChicagoFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmHey! Take our Audience Survey