City Cast Chicago

Even before mayor-elect Brandon Johnson is sworn in May 15, he’ll face questions about his plans for city departments and who will lead them. Media and voters focused a lot on policing and public schools during the campaign, but host Jacoby Cochran and lead producer Carrie Shepherd dissect next steps for the Chicago Transit Authority and bike infrastructure, the Dept. of Public Health, and whether the Johnson will revitalize the Dept. of Environment. 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 

It’s Golden Gloves week! The renowned amateur boxing tournament is celebrating 100 years, with championship matches starting Thursday. Host Jacoby Cochran talks with two former Golden Gloves champs, David Diaz and Jorge “George” Pacheco, about what it was like competing and why the tournament is so important to Chicago.Some news:Virtual meeting on the development of DuSable Park in the LoopIn-person meetings on Chicago's forthcoming elected school board district mapThe 39th Annual Chicago Latino Film FestivalQueer Art Party at Sleeping VillageWant 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 

The next mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, will be the first mayor from the West Side in 90 years when he is sworn in May 15th. But what will the next few transition weeks look like for the mayor-elect? To discuss, host Jacoby Cochran sits down with Pat Whalen of Good Evening with Pat Whalen, and producer extraordinare Simone Alicea. The trio is also looks at an Englewood protest over a new neighborhood grocery store, the younger and more diverse City Council, and the Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago 2022 results! So where did City Cast Chicago & Hey Chicago finish? 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: 773 780-0246

House music was born in Chicago's Black and brown LGBTQ communities almost 50 years ago. Now preservationists and historians want to make Chicago’s status as the birthplace of house more official. They’ve proposed a plan to give The Warehouse landmark status. That’s the club in the West Loop where DJ Frankie Knuckles and others mixed sounds of electronic, dance, gospel, and soul to create house. Last year, host Jacoby Cochran spoke with the co-hosts of WNUR’s Vintage House Show, DJ Lori Branch and archivist Lauren Lowery, about the roots of house music, renewed interest in the movement, and the legacy of The Warehouse. Some news: Artists and arts organizations have until May 10 to apply for pandemic relief grants through the state.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 

The municipal election has felt very long. Because it has been very long. When none of the nine candidates received more than 51 percent of the vote on Feb. 28, there were two candidates left in Tuesday’s runoff. And one of those wasn’t Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the first time in 40 years an incumbent Chicago mayor wasn’t reelected. Now, Chicago prepares for the new Mayor Brandon Johnson. Host Jacoby Cochran, lead producer Carrie Shepherd, and producer Simone Alicea break down the results. 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 

It’s election day! So by tonight, we may know who will be leading the country’s third-largest city as voters cast their ballots in the runoff elections for mayor and City Council. But between voter turnout, back-to-back (-to-back-to-back) trips to the polls, and the timing of our elections, the City Cast Chicago team is wondering if election season needs a rebranding. We also discuss the ongoing rebranding of Northerly Island and check in on Copi a year after it got its new name!You can vote until 7 p.m. tonight! Check with the Chicago Board of Elections for your voter information and the polling places in your ward!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 

Artificial intelligence is being talked about a lot right now, from fabricating pictures of the Pope, to creating original trippy paintings, to writing whole term papers. ChatGPT is an AI tool that, when prompted with questions or requests, responds with text that looks like it was written by a human. Lead producer Carrie Shepherd, producer Simone Alicea, and host Jacoby Cochran have heard the buzz and are putting ChatGPT through their very own Chicago quiz. And trust us, some of the results may surprise you! 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 

Both mayoral candidates have touted their education bona fides ahead of Tuesday’s runoff election. But what are their plans for the future of Chicago Public Schools and how are they different? WBEZ City Hall reporter Mariah Woelfel and Triibe digital news editor Jim Daley join host Jacoby Cochran to look through the details. We also check in on the new police oversight commission’s efforts to search for a new police superintendent and make the department more transparent, and dive deeper into Paul Vallas’ history of implementing charter schools in districts across the country and his plan to rehire retired Chicago Police officers. Stick around to the end for some good news and your next opportunity to catch Jacoby live at Good Evening with Pat Whalen!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

Baseball is back in Chicago. The Cubs open their season at Wrigley Field today against the Milwaukee Brewers, and the White Sox are on the road in Houston before returning to Guaranteed Rate Field Monday. Before it was called Guaranteed Rate, Sox Park had many names. But for 80 years, it was called Comiskey Park. A new documentary looks back at the Sox’s final season at that park. Co-director Matt Flesch talks to host Jacoby Cochran about his love for the team, and why he started this project.Watch “Last Comiskey” free on YouTube. Some News: Block Club's election donor databaseBar for Bar: A Celebration of Lyricism & PoetryWant 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 

Democrats have run Chicago for decades, and the lead-up to the mayoral runoff on April 4 has often been about proving allegiance to the Democratic Party. Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and his supporters call former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas a Republican. Vallas denies that and says he’s a lifelong Dem. So what’s it like to be a Republican in Chicago? Lenny Sklaney is president of the Chicago Young Republicans and he tells host Jacoby Cochran it can sometimes feel lonely in Chicago’s political landscape.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