City Cast Chicago

Two first-time guests join us to look back on the week. Chicago Sun-Times reporter Cheyanne Daniels joins us from a march in Chatham honoring of the birthday and legacy of Harriet Tubman. And Block Club Chicago’s Quinn Myers joins us from Ukrainian Village, where he covers West Side neighborhoods. Together we discuss CTA increasing unarmed security and police officers patrolling locations, stories of Chicago’s Ukrainian community coming together, and some fun things to do this weekend!Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Jackowo used to be the heart of Chicago’s Polish community, in a city that once had the second highest population of Polish people in the world. Warsaw had the most. The neighborhood, which many Chicagoans know as Avondale on the Northwest Side, has changed from Polish to Latino in recent decades, and continues to change as residents get priced out of Logan Square and Wicker Park. That’s meant the stretch of Milwaukee Ave. once surrounded by Polish restaurants, clubs, bakeries is less retail and more condo buildings. We talk to Mary Wisniewski and Joanna Marszalek, who have both lived in Jackowo and wrote about it recently for Chicago magazine.Guests:Mary Wisniewski and Joanna Marszalek—Co-authors, "The Death (and Possible Rebirth) of Jackowo"Call or text us at 773-780-0246 and tell us what you were doing right before the pandemic shutdown in 2020.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Construction is underway on the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. But since the project launched, residents in nearby neighborhoods like Woodlawn and South Shore have worried the “transformation” the center is expected to bring to the South Side could push them out of their homes. They’ve fought for a community benefits agreement to ensure protections, but project leaders — and the former president, himself — have rejected calls to sign one. So what is a CBA? And without one, how else are housing activists fighting displacement?Guests:Dixon Romeo — Organizer, Not Me WeSarah Conway — Senior Reporter, City BureauHere’s City Bureau’s guide on community benefits agreements and alternatives.Check out the Women's L Project, which celebrates women of Chicago's past and present.Call or text us at 773-780-0246 and tell us what you were doing right before the pandemic shutdown in 2020.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Netflix’s reality dating show “Love Is Blind” has captivated global audiences. The show follows 30 strangers on a series of blind dates, as they get to know one another through a wall with no idea of what the other looks like. If two people connect, one of them can propose marriage, and they finally see each other in person. Season two of the show features a cast from Chicago, and one of this season’s biggest stars was Deepti Vempati. The 31-year-old IT analyst captured the world’s attention when she ultimately chose herself in the reality dating show. Host Jacoby Cochran sits down with Vempati to discuss her experience on the show, and how she feels about finding true love. (In case it’s not clear, SPOILERS ahead).Guest:Deepti Vempati—Season 2 participant, Love is BlindFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

This past weekend was the first since the city and state lifted indoor mask mandates. Businesses, restaurants, and entertainment venues will set their own rules moving forward. The City Cast team checked in to see how places across Chicago are managing. They report from a gym in Uptown, a small concert in Ukrainian Village, a restaurant in Humboldt Park, and theaters in Lakeview and the Loop. How are you feeling about the end of the mask mandate? Call or text us at (773) 780-0246. And remember to leave your name and neighborhood!Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

It was another busy week across the city of Chicago. WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel and Axios Chicago’s Justin Kaufmann stopped by to break down the 22-count federal indictment of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, once Illinois’ most powerful politician. The group also tackles Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s latest communication snafu, an investigation into yet another Covid testing company, and the fate of CPS’ mask mandate. Guests:Mariah Woelfel—Politics Reporter, WBEZJustin Kaufmann—Newsletter Writer, Axios ChicagoPS: If you haven’t heard, City Cast Chicago was named the "Best Podcast" in Chicago Reader’s Best of 2021 list, so thank you! You can see the full list of winners here.

Whether it’s a public feud with ex-wife Kim Kardashian, impromptu speeches during a problematic, and confusing, presidential run, or a traveling album rollout, Kanye West is always in the news. For most of Ye’s polarizing music career, controversy, scrutiny, and art have gone hand in hand. But there was a time before Kanye West was a household name. Back in 2000, he was a Chicago music producer trying to break into the rap game. This is where the Netflix documentary “jeen-yuhs: A Kanye trilogy” begins. Directors Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah intimately chronicle Ye’s slow and uncertain climb to fame, his relationship with his late mother Dr. Donda West, and the of arc of his 20-year career. Host Jacoby Cochran talks with music and culture writer Britt Julious about the nostalgia and disappointment present in “jeen-yuhs” and also its subject (you can read here review of "jeen-yuhs" here).Guest: Britt Julious — Music and culture writerFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Ten years ago, Vivonell Brown was a teacher at Woodson Elementary in Bronzeville, on track to become a principal, when he lost his job. And he wasn’t the only one: More than a hundred Black educators were laid off or fired from schools CPS deemed to be underperforming. Brown and two other teachers filed a discrimination lawsuit in 2012, which finally reached a settlement in December.Lack of representation is still a problem in Chicago schools, especially for Black male educators. Host Jacoby Cochran talks with Brown and middle school teacher Kirby Birgans about their experiences as students and teachers, and the importance of representation at the front of the classroom. Kirby is a member of the Black Male Educators Alliance of Illinois, which aims to recruit and retain Black male teachers.You can find out more on the settlement here.Here's the full statement from CPS:“Chicago Public Schools aims to provide a welcoming, equitable and safe teaching and learning environment for staff and students. On Wednesday, the Chicago Board of Education will vote on a settlement between the Chicago Teachers Union, Local 1, and CPS relating to layoffs that disparately impacted African American teachers and paraprofessionals resulting from the turnaround policies around certain CPS schools in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The agreement concludes nearly 10 years of litigation and will result in the creation and distribution of a settlement fund to benefit those staff members affected by the turnarounds. Resolving this matter is in CPS students’ best interest and will allow the District to move forward with its continued focus on providing a high quality education that is grounded in equity for students in every city neighborhood. As a District, we will continue efforts to recruit and retain a diverse faculty that reflects our student population." Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

If you thought Ken Griffin was running for governor in Illinois, we wouldn’t blame you. Whenever there’s news about Republican candidates, you usually see his name too. That’s because the richest man in Illinois has pledged to go “all-in” to finance a Republican to defeat Democratic incumbent (and fellow billionaire) JB Pritzker. The two last went dollar-for-dollar in 2020, when Griffin dropped nearly $54 million to beat Gov. Pritzker’s income tax measure. Griffin’s political spending is only growing, so we asked A.D. Quig of Crain’s Chicago Business to tell us more about who he is, why he’s backing Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin for governor, and what he’s looking to get for his money.A little bit of news: Insight Hospital in Bronzeville, formerly Mercy Hospital, is accepting emergency ambulances again. Go back and listen to our conversation about the history of the hospital and the fight to save it.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

The Chicago area is home to nearly 54,000 people of Ukrainian ancestry, the second-largest in the U.S. Many Ukrainians here are scared and confused, waiting to reach friends and family in Ukraine as Russia invades the country. That’s why Chicago Ukrainians are taking to the streets. Host Jacoby Cochran and lead producer Carrie Shepherd take us to a rally in Ukrainian Village.A little bit of news: Here’s where to sign up to find out more about the city’s basic income pilot program. Applications open in April.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm