City Cast Chicago

Chicago’s daily news podcast, fresh every weekday at 6 a.m. Host Jacoby Cochran brings you timely conversations with news and culture makers; activists and artists; bus drivers and students; those who love and hate this place—all in 15 minutes a day. It’s a smart and delightful new way to connect with the city we share. Learn more and subscribe to our morning newsletter at citycast.fm/chicago. 

Daily News
News Commentary
News
1001
Black Cowboys at a South Side Rodeo
Every year, The Broken Arrow Riding Club hosts a rodeo at the South Shore Cultural Center Park.
13 min
1002
Chicago Made Me: Stephen Colbert
Before he became the host of The Late Show, or The Colbert Report, and before The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert honed his craft in Chicago.
19 min
1003
A Time Capsule for the COVID Generation
After seeing how impactful the pandemic was for their young kids, two Chicago moms decided that a great way for their kids to look back at this historical moment was to start a time capsule
12 min
1004
Chicago Has Had a Mermaid, and We Got to Meet Her
11 min
1005
Lions, Steppin’ Music, and Lake Shore Drive
19 min
1006
One Chicago Theater's Pandemic Survival Story
When Collaboraction opened its doors 25 years ago, they had no idea just how much their theater would change throughout the years.
11 min
1007
Chicago’s ‘Korean Vegan’ Gets Personal on TikTok
When Chicago attorney Joanne Molinaro went vegan in 2016, she worried that she wouldn’t be able to eat her favorite Korean dishes that she grew up with.
13 min
1008
CPD Knows Foot Chases Lead to Shootings. So Wha...
CPD enacted an interim foot-pursuit policy earlier this month that’s undergoing public comment. But critics say it doesn’t go far enough.
12 min
1009
Meet the Broadcaster Crossing Chicago’s Basebal...
In Chicago, the crosstown rivalry between the White Sox and the Cubs is about more than baseball.
14 min
1010
High Pot Prices, An Angry Mayor, and Moments o...
Host Jacoby Cochran and Lead Producer Carrie Shepherd break down some “news you can use,” something they each learned from City Cast Chicago this week, and a “moment of joy” that made them happy.
21 min
1011
Two Pilsen Murals Were Tagged. Now What?
12 min
1012
After Turbulent Year, United Airlines is Back
16 min
1013
A Look At 40 Years of Gay Media
14 min
1014
After Tension, Black and Brown Unity in Chicago
Chicago has a long history of Black and brown communities coming together.
14 min
1015
TikTok, Selfie Mirrors and Other Restaurant Gim...
Restaurants, cafes and stores across Chicago have tapped into the influence of TikTok to stand out.
15 min
1016
The Historic Effort to Count Chicago’s Trans Po...
12 min
1017
The Fight to Replace the Irreplaceable Jesse White
Why is Secretary of State Jesse White, who runs the much reviled DMV office, so popular?
13 min
1018
Conflict Can Be Healthy. ‘High Conflict’ Can Be...
Journalist and author Amanda Ripley discusses her latest book "High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out."
15 min
1019
Frida Kahlo's 'Most Personal Work' Comes to Town
It’s the first time in more than 40 years that works by Mexico’s most well-known artist are on display in the Chicago area.
15 min
1020
Chicago’s Famous Comedy Scene Can Also be Toxic
Chicago’s comedy scene is legendary. But it’s not always welcoming.
15 min
1021
An End to ‘Quiet Rooms’ in Illinois?
New regulations come 18 months after a joint investigation by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois showed that school staff were secluding and restraining students at astonishingly high rates.
10 min
1022
Nerding Out at the ‘Marvel’ Exhibit
Since City Cast Chicago started, host Jacoby Cochran has wanted to go to the "Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes" exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry.
11 min
1023
The Maps That Will Change Illinois Politics
This week, we got a peek at proposed legislative district maps. Plus, a look at other issues being debated in Springfield.
14 min
1024
Chicago Photographer Captures ‘Joyful Revolution’
Photographer Vashon Jordan, Jr. has collected images from last summer in his book “Chicago Protests: A Joyful Revolution.”
13 min
1025
The Restaurant’s Short-Staffed (So Be Nice)
Restaurants in Chicago are operating again at full capacity, and after losing hundreds of thousands of hospitality workers during the pandemic, they need workers back.
10 min