City Cast Chicago

“Unplugging” opens in theaters this weekend in Chicago and suburbs. Eva Longoria and Matt Walsh star as a married couple who leave Chicago for a rural, getaway meant to be a digital detox. But things take a turn. City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran sat down with Walsh and co-producer Brad Morris to talk about the creation of the movie and what it really means to be unplugged from a world run by technology. They also discuss Walsh and Morris’ Chicago upbringing and how their time on the improv scene here shaped their careers. Check out The Other Art Fair Chicago April 21-24 in Fulton Market.AND! Get 30% off The Other Art Fair with the Code: CITYCAST (One word)Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

The Illinois Lottery as we know it today with Pick 3, Pick 4, and Mega Millions games has its roots in a 19th century parlor game known as “Policy.” Brought to Chicago in the 1880s, Policy was popularized in South and West side communities and sold as an opportunity to change families' lives. Sound familiar? In fact, during the height of play in the 1930s and '40s, more than $20 million annually flowed through nearly 4,500 Policy locations. The “Policy Kings,” as they were called, became the Robin Hoods of the neighborhood, helping build businesses and wealth in otherwise disinvested areas. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to the Chicago History Museum’s Charles Bethea and local tour guide Beatrice Hardy about how Policy was integral to the development of Bronzeville, Chicago’s Black Metropolis.  Check out The Other Art Fair Chicago April 21-24 in Fulton Market.AND! Get 30% off The Other Art Fair with the Code: CITYCAST (One word)Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Oprah Winfrey—aka “The Queen of Talk”—covered everything from veganism to the L.A. Riots to Dr. Phil (yeah, she had some misses, too) over 25 years of her classic talk show, which started here in Chicago in 1986. “Oprahdemics,” a Radiotopia from PRX podcast that digs into the enormous cultural impact of Oprah’s talk show, digs into the icon as a cultural syllabus.Host Jacoby Cochran sits down with historians and co-hosts Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson and Dr. Leah Wright-Rigueur to talk about some of the Oprah show’s most iconic moments, and which ones didn’t age so well. Check out The Other Art Fair Chicago April 21-24 in Fulton Market.AND! Get 30% off The Other Art Fair with the Code: CITYCAST (One word)Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Friday, April 15, would have been Harold Washington’s 100th birthday, and centennial celebrations continue this week. More than 30 years after his death, Chicago’s first Black mayor is still lauded as the leader who rocked the Democratic machine that had reigned supreme at City Hall. In addition to galvanizing Black voters in 1983, he built a coalition of Latinx, LGBTQ, and progressive white Chicagoans. Journalist Laura Washington (no relation) worked in Mayor Washington’s office. She tells Jacoby what made the former mayor so magnetic, unifying, and special. We also look ahead as candidates, including incumbent Lori Lightfoot, gear up for another mayoral campaign to see what Washington’s legacy can tell us about today.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Earlier this week a man opened fire on a New York City subway train shooting 10 people and injuring 13 more. This tragedy, alongside four recent incidents of violence on or near CTA trains and buses, has renewed conversations about safety on public transit. Today, City Cast Chicago Host Jacoby Cochran is joined by the Chicago Tribune’s Stephanie Casanova and The Marshall Project’s Ghazala Irshad to look back on this story and others. We also discuss rising price of groceries, the Bulls’ playoff matchup against the reigning NBA champs, and these cute, colorful birdhouses in Roscoe Village. Come hang out with us at Karaoke Storytellers this Sunday! Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

City Council members have a lot of meetings. But how many of the full council, committee, and subcommittee meetings do they actually attend? WBEZ, The Daily Line, and Crain’s Chicago Business analyzed records from 526 meetings between May 2019 and December 2021, charting our alders’ attendance. The highest attendance rate was 93%, and the lowest was 54%. Guess which of those rates belonged to freshman alders and which were from Council veterans. WBEZ’s Claudia Morell and The Daily Line’s Erin Hegarty break down the numbers with City Cast Chicago Host Jacoby Cochran and discuss if they will have any impact on next year’s election cycle.Here's where you can check your alder's score.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

In Ukrainian culture, “pysanky” is a centuries-old form of decorating eggs. In fact, it predates Easter itself. Using eggs, beeswax, and dyes, artists "write" colorful and elaborate art works embedded with deep meaning. When celebrating a wedding, moving to a new home, or simply praying for good fortune, Ukrainians are likely to receive a few pysanky eggs from family and friends. City Cast Chicago Host Jacoby Cochran talks with Anna Chychula, a Ukrainian-American artist, about the history of pysanky and how the celebration of this cultural tradition during the Easter season brings the community together as war between Ukraine and Russia continues.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

The temperatures are rising, spring is here and baseball is back! The White Sox (2-1) have their home opener today against the Seattle Mariners. They beat the Tigers in Detroit in the first series this season. The Cubs (2-1) also won at Wrigley Field against the Milwaukee Brewers in their opening series. But despite the similar starts, the two teams couldn’t be more different this season. The North Side Cubbies are in rebuild mode, while the South Side sluggers are chasing championship dreams. Here to talk about the crosstown rivals with City Cast Chicago Host Jacoby Cochran are WBEZ’s Cheryl Raye Stout and Herb Lawrence of the new CHGO White Sox Podcast.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Chicago and Las Vegas have emerged as top candidates to potentially host the Democratic National Convention in 2024. Chicago most recently hosted the convention in 1996, when Bill Clinton became the presidential nominee. And the city hosted several party conventions before that, including the 1968 DNC marked by police riots in Grant Park and the Republican National Convention of 1860, where Abraham Lincoln was named the presidential nominee. On the other hand, the 2024 DNC would be Vegas’ first. Jacoby talks with City Cast Las Vegas Host Dayvid Figler about whether either city is a fit.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmLeave us a voicemail: (773) 780-0246

The city announced that nearly 4000 E-Scooters are returning to streets next month. Divvy, Lime, Superpedestrian and Spin are the providers responsible for a safe, smooth, and equitable rollout. Speaking of rollout, a new casino is coming to Chicago, and community meetings were held this week in the South Loop and River West. There's also a new bill in the Illinois House that, if passed, would require life rings along the lakefront, plus a new reimbursement program for Chicagoans buying security cameras. City Cast Chicago Host Jacoby Cochran catches up on these stories and more with CBS Morning Reporter Marissa Parra and CW Chicago TV Host Brandon Pope. And we’ve got some great moments of joy, including Karaoke Storytellers, Art on the Mart (which starts tomorrow), and Pope’s new WCIU and Block Club Chicago TV show, “On The Block.”And don't miss Marissa's story about the friendship between a trash collector and a 3-year-old in South Loop!You can catch Jacoby's 2020 Snap Judgment episode here.For more of the latest happenings in Chicago, sign up for our daily newsletter right here on our website: chicago.citycast.fmFollow us on Twitter! @CityCastChicagoCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246