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
1026
How To Cover A Cursed Olympics
This summer’s Olympics are the fourth for Chicago Tribune reporter Stacy St. Clair.
14 min
1027
Former Lifeguards Say Beaches Were A Culture of...
Back in April, WBEZ reporter Dan Mihalopoulos reported that that the Chicago Park District was looking into allegations by former lifeguards who say they experienced “criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse” while working at city beaches and pools.
12 min
1028
Bringing Life Back to the Loop
For most Chicagoans, the Loop is just where the office is (or used to be) or a place to take your family when they’re in town.
12 min
1029
The Real Estate Market Has Been in Overdrive. B...
11 min
1030
Scottie Pippen, Candace Parker, and Some Non-Ba...
A former Chicago Public Schools principal has been accused of stealing of $200,000 from the school to pay her mortgage, which garnered a little bit of, “Yeah, what else is new in Chicago?”
16 min
1031
Discovering Chicago One Restaurant at a Time
14 min
1032
Chicago's Complicated Path Out of COVID
With the return of festivals, the reopening of restaurants, and a pause on travel restrictions, the last couple months have felt more like normal in Chicago.
15 min
1033
It’s Not Just the Coasts. The Climate Crisis is...
10 min
1034
What Happens When a Kid Jacks a Car?
There were about 1,430 carjackings in Chicago in 2020, more than double the previous year’s total.
14 min
1035
Biden's Visit (Yawn), Lake Michigan Woes, and T...
14 min
1036
Let's Talk About the 4-Day Work Week
Achieving a “work-life balance” has always been hard, but the pandemic blurred those worlds even more.
13 min
1037
What the Heck is Happening in the 45th Ward?
9 min
1038
Actually, Chicago Is Not The ‘Murder Capital’
People outside of Chicago often view the city as dangerous.
10 min
1039
Pod Swap: Block Club Chicago's 'It's All Good'
21 min
1040
City Council Fights, Fireworks Fatigue, and Ida...
We’re breaking down the week’s news with Jon Hansen, host of Block Club Chicago’s “It’s All Good” podcast.
17 min
1041
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
1042
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
1043
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
1044
Chicago Has Had a Mermaid, and We Got to Meet Her
11 min
1045
Lions, Steppin’ Music, and Lake Shore Drive
19 min
1046
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
1047
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
1048
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
1049
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
1050
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