City Cast Chicago

What happens to a community when industry leaves? That’s the central question driving Steven Walsh’s documentary “Southeast: A City Within a City.” Growing up in the East Side neighborhood, Walsh saw what unemployment and disinvestment did to the area, and he wanted to find out how it got there. The filmmaker talks with host Jacoby Cochran about why he loves his neighborhood and how his grandfather’s story is the story of many on the Southeast Side.The documentary is being screened for free Thursday at Big Marsh Park after sunset. RSVP Here.Check our Steven Walsh's Guide to the Southeast Side in the City Cast Chicago newsletter.This conversation was originally published Sept. 30, 2021.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

In a post-Roe world, the role of abortion doulas has become more critical than ever. Abortion doulas support people before, during, and after an abortion. City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran talks to producer Meg Dalton about her experience as a doula in New York and Connecticut, and Meg plays tape of Ama Warnock, an abortion doula in Chicago, about how doulas support people looking to end their pregnancies. Places that offer abortion doula services and training:Radical DoulaQueer Doula NetworkChicago Women's Health CenterEmbodied Reproductive CareFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

It’s the first day of school for Chicago Public Schools. And while the past couple years have been marked by battles between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union over pandemic safety protocols, this school year is starting less contentiously with scaled-back COVID-19 measures. Stacy Davis Gates was elected president of the CTU this spring. She sits down with host Jacoby Cochran to talk about what teachers and students can expect this school year and her vision for one of the city’s most influential institutions.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Douglass Park neighbors say the city is unfairly prioritizing festivals and events over residents who use the park. The park won’t be fully repaired until after Riot Fest this fall, so neighbors are pushing for more of a voice in event permitting. Host Jacoby Cochran talks about that story with the Center for Public Integrity’s María Inés Zamudio and City Bureau’s Alejandra Cancino. Plus, they talk about development in Bronzeville, air pollution on the South and West sides, a community garden in Pilsen, and Cook County’s guaranteed income program.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Host Jacoby Cochran and producer Simone Alicea head to the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary in Uptown to talk about some of Simone’s favorite things to do, see, and eat in her neighborhood. They also talk spots in Edgewater and Rogers Park. Spots We Talked About:Montrose Bird SanctuaryGraceland CemeteryGreen Mill Cocktail LoungeImmm Rice and BeyondLickity SplitCheck out all great suggestions from listeners and readers on our Twitter feedFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

We expect summertime to be hot in Chicago, but extremely hot days are coming earlier and more often. During a May heat wave, three residents at a senior apartment complex in Rogers Park died from what’s suspected to be heat-related causes. The tragedy prompted Ald. Maria Hadden to push a law to keep residents safe in extreme heat. The law passed in June. The 49th Ward alderwoman tells lead producer Carrie Shepherd how the new law came to be and what the protections entail.A little bit of news: The future of the Discount Mall in Little Village remains uncertain, with the contract between the mall and property owners set to expire at the end of this month. Go back and listen to our episode about the mall’s importance to the community.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Chicago Public Schools start the new school year on Monday, Aug. 22. Earlier this month, the district announced its COVID protocols for the upcoming school year. They include recommended masking, free weekly testing, some quarantining guidelines, and a test-to-stay program for unvaccinated students. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady tells us why students and parents should be confident returning to the classroom. Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Monkeypox is a public health emergency in Illinois. There are more than 600 cases reported in Chicago. The person leading the response to monkeypox and all public health issues is Dr. Allison Arwady. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to the public health commissioner about what we need to know to protect ourselves against the virus, and why messaging is so important to prevent the spread.More on Monkeypox (MPV)More resources from the city about monkeypoxResources from the stateSome Good News:Jacoby hosts The Moth on Tuesday, Aug. 16Jacoby is a guest on Axios Chicago's Office Hours on Friday, Aug. 19Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Chicago Police say they’re adding more officers to CTA trains across the city after recent violence. A Mississippi grand jury declined to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham, the woman in the Emmett Till murder case. Plus, controversy over a death in police custody, and gas prices are on the way down. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to Sylvia Snowden, host of CAN TV's Political Forum, and Angel Idowu, WTTW’s arts correspondent, about all that and more. Some Good News:CAN TV fall lineup NABJ-Chicago wins chapter of the yearThe TRiiBE’s Morgan Johnson’s newsletter Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

We‘re a month away from the end of our Summer Bucket List Challenge. Host Jacoby Cochran and lead producer Carrie Shepherd discuss who, uh, poorly they're doing at hitting all the spots. Plus, participants Annie A. and Dea B. tell City Cast where they've visited this summer, and how the list has exposed them to more of Chicago.Check out who's winning the Bucket List Challenge! Some Good News:Little Italy Festa Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246