City Cast Chicago

For ten years, Evanston writer Peter Baker had been working on his first novel, and he was eager to get it out into the world. So he wasn’t skeptical when he received an email from his agent in the fall of 2020 requesting a copy of his manuscript as a Microsoft Word file. He sent it along. Then he got a call from his agent asking why he'd sent his novel to him. That's right, Baker had been scammed by “The Spine Collector,” as the FBI has called him. "The Spine Collector" is allegedly a 29-year-old in London who attempted to con writers, including well-known authors like Margaret Atwood and Anthony Doerr, into sending him their unpublished manuscripts. Baker talks with City Cast Chicago Host Jacoby Cochran about what happened when he inadvertently sent his debut novel to the “Spine Collector," and how that event affected him as a writer. Baker's novel, PLANES, will be released May 31.Some Good News:Art EXPO is back at Navy Pier's Festival Hall starting tonight.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

The Obama Presidential Center isn’t the only major development hoping to call Jackson Park home. For years, Tiger Woods’ design firm TGR Design has proposed a PGA-caliber golf course on the South Side. The proposed 18-hole course would combine the Jackson Park and South Shore golf courses, complete with new facilities, practice holes, and a $30 million underpass at 67th and South Shore Drive. But it could also mean the loss of affordable greens, removal of trees, and potential destruction of the South Shore Nature Sanctuary as it currently exists. We talk with Tracy Raoul, Chairperson of Jackson Park Golf Association, Emily Dupree, the Hyde Park resident behind the Twitter profile Save Our Sanctuary.Rendering of course from TGR DesignsFull statement from Chicago Park District:"As the City’s leading greening stewards, the Chicago Park District is committed to preserving and expanding the city’s parkland and tree population within our 8800-acre footprint. Our commitment is underscored by the fact that we plant 3000 trees annually and converted nearly 1100 acres of underutilized space to valuable parkland over the past decade. These investments improve our communities and greatly contribute to the lives of children and families throughout our city. As with any capital endeavor that requires the removal of trees, the District is committed to replacing each tree as part of the project scope.The Jackson Park/ South Shore document released is a draft proposal and any references related to reducing the tree count has not been considered or approved by the Park District, and therefore should not be considered a finalized plan.”  It's the last day to let us know what you think of our daily newsletter, and enter to win a $100 Visa gift card! You can find the survey here.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

During a public safety press conference Monday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced efforts to invest in the development and expansion of block clubs citywide. Lightfoot’s idea is that stronger block clubs will contribute to neighborhood security and morale. For a century, Chicago has had an enduring, complicated, and nostalgic relationship with these small volunteer-based community groups. They began to assist African-Americans moving to Chicago from the South, but they’ve also been used to foster white solidarity in support of segregation. Block clubs have also led beautification efforts, and block parties across Chicago neighborhoods. City Cast Chicago Host Jacoby Cochran talks with Dr. Amanda Seligman, author of Chicago’s Block Clubs: How Neighbors Shape The City, about the history of these clubs.Some Good News:Steppers' Night at etaFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

In 2018, three guards brutally beat Larry Earvin at Western Illinois Correctional Center, where Earvin was incarcerated. He died weeks later. One of the guards pleaded guilty, and the other two are on trial right now in Springfield. Earvin’s death was the beginning of WBEZ’s investigation into Illinois prisons, which is explored in this season of the podcast, “Motive.” City Cast Chicago's Jacoby Cochran talks to reporter and host Shannon Heffernan about what she uncovered, and what she hopes listeners will take away when talking about incarceration and punishment. Public meetings for Chicago casino finalistsFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter (and if you've been reading it for a while, it's not too late to take the survey, and enter to win a $100 Visa gift card in the process!): chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

This week, South Side Weekly’s Chima Ikoro and freelance journalist and professor Arionne Nettles break down the big stories of the week and the ones that need more hype, plus offer their moments of joy. We highlight the new season of WBEZ's podcast “Motive” investigating abuse in rural Illinois prisons, discuss the death of two Black transgender women, and reflect on separate incidents of police violence during the summer of 2020 and how recently obtained photos and videos challenge CPD’s official narratives. Chima and Arionne leave us with some poetic and sweet moments of joy!Check back on Monday when WBEZ reporter and Motive host Shannon Heffernan joins us.Take our newsletter survey and you could win $100Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-024

This week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot asserted the Christopher Columbus statue would eventually return to Grant Park. The city removed the statue in July 2020, a week after police clashed with protesters demanding its removal. While the Mayor has placed the blame on “vigilantes who attacked officers,” the Chicago Reader and South Side Weekly report that newly-obtained images reveal that police officers indiscriminately arrested and attacked protesters. Now, one of the police officers who was struck a protester is facing termination, despite the objections of CPD Superintendent David Brown. The Reader’s Jim Daley walks us through what happened back in 2020, and what's next.News:The city could have its new Inspector General. Listen to Jacoby's interview with former IG Joe Ferguson who retired last October.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Actor Chris Perfetti wasn’t a big basketball fan growing up. But he was a big Steppenwolf Theatre fan. So when he got the chance to star in the world premiere of “King James” at the famous Lincoln Park theater, he took it. The play is only partly about LeBron James and basketball; it’s more about friendship and the way sports help forge bonds. Perfetti also stars as Jacob in the hit ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary,” and talks with City Cast Chicago Host Jacoby Cochran about working on the play and the show."King James" is running through April 10. Find out more and get tickets at Steppenwolf.org.Some Good News: The National Museum of Mexican Art's exhibit “Frida Kahlo, Her Photos” opens on Friday.If you read our newsletter, make sure you head on over to chicago.citycast.fm/survey to give us your feedback and help make the newsletter even better (and be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card)!Not familiar with the newsletter? Check it out and sign up for those awesome daily emails at chicago.citycast.fm/newsletterYou can also follow us on Twitter @CityCastChicago

Recreational weed has been available in Illinois since 2020. Meanwhile, in Texas, a Democratic gubernatorial challenger is pushing to legalize cannabis while the Republican incumbent resists the idea. That may sound familiar to Illinois voters. Gov. JB Pritzker ran on legalizing marijuana four years ago, and while the rollout has been rocky, he’s counting it as a big win heading into this year’s election. City Cast Houston’s Lisa Gray and City Cast Chicago’s Jacoby Cochran talk about the status of legal weed in both states, and Jacoby offers his tips on what Texas should watch out for as they inch toward legalization. It’s a crossover episode!Some good news: Chicago Trans Visibility PageantFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

Homicides this year in Chicago are on track to be similar to last year, one of the deadliest years in decades, and carjackings are up 50 percent. Some residents want more police on the streets, on the CTA, and in neighborhoods. But there’s also pressure to invest in mental health facilities, community development, and alternatives to police. In an attempt to address concerns, the city is hosting a series of town halls across Chicago. So far, there has been a virtual meeting for North and Northwest Side residents, and in-person events at Garfield Park on the West Side and Chicago State University on the South Side. These town halls aren’t new, so are residents really getting the answers they are looking for? Producer Simone Alicea has been covering the town halls and answers that question. Public Safety Town HallsSome Good News:Jacoby hosts "The Moth" at Evanston SPACEFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmCall or Text Us: (773) 780-0246

This week the City Cast Chicago team is together in person bringing you the best podcast and newsletter in Chicago. Lead producer Carrie Shepherd, producer Simone Alicea, and host Jacoby Cochran talk about how they treat themselves. And they're sharing the stories that captured their attention this week, including the first Asian American woman to join the city council and the new casino set to come to the city. We've got some great moments of joy for you like Carrie's perfect parking job and Jacoby’s visit to the East Side neighborhood to check in with Stephen Walsh the director of the documentary, “Southeast: A city within a city.” Check out our September 2021 episode with Walsh. Stories discussed:Lightfoot's pick for 11th Ward Alder: Nicole LeeSports Betting Brings Tax Windfall — And a Surge in Problem GamblingIllinois' child welfare system remains troubled despite cash influxCouncil members ask for environmental reviews on city bidsFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm (where you can see a photo of Carrie's master parking)Call or Text Us: (773) 780-0246