City Cast Chicago

Been seeing more monarch butterflies lately? Now is the time when Illinois’ state insect migrates south toward Mexico. Along the way, many will stop in a yard in Pilsen, where Claudia Galeno-Sanchez has created a garden of native plants to help the pollinators. We took a tour of her butterfly sanctuary last year, and she explains how the butterflies’ journey reminds her of her own immigration story.Celebrate native plants and monarch butterflies this weekend at Celebración de los Árboles at Morton Arboretum and at the Festival de la Monarca in East Chicago, Indiana.Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter. Follow us @citycastchicagoYou can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg reports police failed to accurately track 911 response times nearly half time. The lack of data makes it difficult to quantify disparities that South and West Siders say affect their neighborhoods. Lead producer Simone Alicea and host Jacoby Cochran take a closer look at the report. We also have updates on WBBM’s Chicagoland Creature Championship and want to hear your questions about student loans.  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter. Follow us @citycastchicagoYou can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Next week, Chicago Public Schools will kick off election season for local school councils. The councils help drive big decisions across Chicago’s schools like approving how funds are allocated, evaluating and selecting principals, and voting on police in schools. They’re also also one of the main ways students, parents, and neighbors can get involved. Here to explain how they work is Chalkbeat Bureau Chief Becky Vevea. Read more of Chalkbeat's reporting on LSC vacancies.Some good news: The Impromptu Festival and Chicago’s Underground Film Festival begin this week!Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter. Follow us @citycastchicagoYou can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Earlier this summer, longtime Blackhawks owner and CEO Rocky Wirtz died at the age of 70. His son Danny Wirtz has been named successor. Coming off years of controversy, losing seasons, and concern about the direction of the hockey team, Wirtz will be tasked with rebuilding trust and hope in the franchise. We break down the transfer of power with Crain’s Corli Jay and the Tribune’s Shakeia Taylor. They also talk with host Jacoby Cochran about a growing West Pullman vendor market, the Sky’s final push for the playoffs, and the Bears’ home opener against our ultimate rivals, the Green Bay Packers.Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter. Follow us @citycastchicagoYou can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Discover creative date ideas in Chicago with the trending alphabet dating trend, where each letter corresponds to a unique date activity. The City Cast team competes to come up with fun date concepts based on the letters in their names, including attending a Janelle Monet concert and the Hyde Park Jazz Fest. Explore fine dining at Oreo and enjoy comedy shows featuring black comedians. Learn about cost-effective DIY date nights such as candle making, and discover unique activities like ax throwing and yoga in the sky at the John Hancock Center.

Tomorrow the Poetry Foundation is starting its Fall season with a celebration at the Harold Washington Library featuring Chicago’s first-ever poet laureate avery r. young. young was raised in the Austin neighborhood, and has built a career as a writer, educator, activist, and visual artist. Host Jacoby Cochran sat down with the new poet laureate earlier this summer to learn about Chicago’s poetry scene. Plus, we hear young’s recent Juneteenth poem and get some tips for crafting our own poems! See avery r. young perform with other poet laureates, including E’mon Lauren (Chicago Youth Poet Laureate), Angela Jackson (Illinois), Nandi Comer (Michigan), Airea D. Matthews (Philadelphia), and Amanda Johnston (Texas).This episode originally aired Tuesday, June 20.Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter. Follow us @citycastchicagoYou can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Regulators with the Illinois Gaming Board are expected to inspect Bally’s temporary casino at Medinah temple today and run practice gaming sessions this week. If all goes according to plan, the doors of Chicago’s first-ever casino could open this month. Lead Producer Simone Alicea and host Jacoby Cochran discuss the casino’s political timeline and ask just how excited are Chicagoans to gamble in River North? Plus, ahead of the Bears’ home opener against the Packers this Sunday, we want to know, what are the Best Chicago Rivalries? See Jacoby with Monica Eng and David Hammond at The Taste of Chicago Friday and Saturday at 4pm.Printers Row Lit Fest is in The Loop Saturday & Sunday.Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter. Follow us @citycastchicagoYou can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Last week, two White Sox fans were struck by gunfire during a home game at Guaranteed Rate Field. Both individuals are recovering, but White Sox officials and Chicago Police are still investigating what actually happened. Chicago Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba and WTTW’s Joanna Hernandez join host Jacoby Cochran to break down the latest. We also discuss the city’s lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai, a North Park restaurant’s attempt to rebuild after a devastating fire, and Chairman Fred Hampton Day in Chicago.Respair Media previews ‘One Million Experiments’ at Bassline in South Loop Saturday.Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter. Follow us @citycastchicagoYou can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Labor Day weekend is the perfect time to plan a quick Midwestern Road Trip. Luckily for us, our friends over at City Cast Madison aren’t too far away. So we asked host Bianca Martin to design her ideal Chicago day, while our host Jacoby Cochran comes up with his own Madison trip. And of course we wouldn’t be us if we didn’t make the two hosts compete for “Best Midwestern Daycation!”Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter. Follow us @citycastchicagoYou can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

All summer we’ve been hearing how Chicago is coming back with tourism up, crowds outside, and no shortage of daily events. And the backbone of this resurgence is Chicago’s world class dining scene. But many restaurants are still reeling from the pandemic and inflation, with closures touching neighborhoods across the city. Eater Chicago has been tracking Chicago’s restaurant closures, and editor Ashok Selvam is here to tell us what this means for Chicago’s dining scene.Some Good News: Queer Pride Fam JamWant some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter. Follow us @citycastchicagoYou can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE