City Cast Chicago

For their podcast “77 Flavors of Chicago,” Dario Durham and Sara Faddah seek to visit each of Chicago’s 77 community areas to taste some of the best food the city has to offer. Host Jacoby Cochran recently joined the couple at Mikkey’s Retro Grill in Avalon Park. The trio throw down on some burgers, jerk fries, and even vegan options, while talking about the changing South Side.Follow Sara and Dario on Instagram. Plus, go back and listen to Jacoby’s interview with the couple and his last outing with them in Hermosa.Some good news: Meet the City Cast team during Karaoke Storytellers at Schuba’s Tavern on Dec. 19, featuring Lisa Beasley and Joanne Molinaro, aka the Korean Vegan.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Generations of residents in West Side neighborhoods like Austin have complained that police don’t come when they call 911. The Central Austin Neighborhood Association even sued the city over the problem in 2011. A decade later, a settlement has been finalized. It includes a requirement that Chicago Police track response times in each of the department’s 22 districts and make the data public. Block Club Chicago’s Pascal Sabino explains neighborhood advocates believe the data will confirm years of anecdotes, and they hope to use it to spur change. Guest: Pascal Sabino — Reporter, Block Club ChicagoA little bit of news, y’all: City Council is set to vote on sports betting at Chicago’s stadium’s. Go back and listen to our episode about the city’s growing gambling scene.And some good news: Help light up 575 trees along Douglas Boulevard in North Lawndale. Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Right now, thousands of Chicago Public School kids and their families are stressing about where they’re going to high school. That’s because Dec. 15 is the deadline to apply to the district’s selective enrollment schools. There are 11 selective enrollment public high schools in Chicago, some of which are included in lists for the best schools in the country — schools like Whitney Young, Walter Payton, and Gwendolyn Brooks. WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp walks us through the history of why these schools exist, inequities in enrollment, and the process to get in. Plus, City Cast Chicago newsletter writer Sidney Madden shares her experience of applying to Whitney Young High School ten years ago.Guests:Sarah Karp—Education reporter, WBEZ Sidney Madden—Newsletter writer, City Cast ChicagoFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is charged with lying about being attacked nearly three years ago outside his Streeterville apartment. The alleged-hate-crime-turned-alleged-hoax was a big deal when it happened, but City Cast’s Simone Alicea and Carrie Shepherd are a little exhausted by the story. They share their fatigue with Chicago Tribune’s Stephanie Casanova, who tells us about a fight over tenant rights in Avalon Park and a heartwarming message from Bronzeville’s “Taco Lady.” They also discuss omicron, booster shots, the resignation of Red Stars coach Rory Dames, and the holiday experiences they’re looking forward to.Guests:Stephanie Casanova—Reporter, Chicago TribuneCarrie Shepherd—Lead Producer, City Cast ChicagoStories We Talked About:‘Nobody cares’: NWSL players say U.S. Soccer failed to act on abuse claims against Red Stars coachA SWAT situation, a fire, no water and heat. And then a building is condemned, and residents are forced from their home days before Thanksgiving.About 15% of Illinois residents have gotten COVID-19 booster shot, as Omicron enters U.S. and Illinois faces surgeGood News:She has sold tacos in Bronzeville for 40 years. Her customers keep coming back, say her food is ‘made with love.’First-Ever ‘Golden Girls’ Festival Slated For North Halsted in Lakeview in AprilFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

We’ve been covering Chicago’s ward remap at City Cast Chicago, but here’s a reminder: The remap process takes place every decade after the census, and it’s meant to reflect changing demographics of the city. Each time, transparency and public input are promised. Then alderpersons gather behind closed doors and negotiate with each other about which boundaries would serve each of them and allow them to be reelected. Dec. 1 — Wednesday — was the deadline for approving a new map. But in the days leading up to it, City Council meetings were canceled, the mayor left town, and the public still hadn’t seen an official map. Without a map approved by at least 41 alderpersons, there’s now a chance voters could have final say on Chicago’s ward boundaries. But politics reporter A.D. Quig explains it’s just a chance and there’s still a lot more negotiating and dealing to come.Guest: A.D. Quig — Politics reporter, Crain’s Chicago BusinessListen to our past coverage of the census and ward remap:The push for an Asian American–majority wardAn alternative, independent mapping processHow shifting demographics shift political powerFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in August signed into law legislation requiring sex education in K-12 schools to teach about HIV, consent, and the role of technology in sexual health. Pritzker and backers of the bill said it modernizes sex education, but schools and parents can still opt out of the curriculum. On this World AIDS Day, Lead Producer Carrie Shepherd talks to a clinical psychologist from Northwestern University whose expertise includes HIV prevention and sexual and gender minority populations. They discuss what young people today understand about HIV and where there still needs to be more awareness. Guest: Kathryn Macapagal — Professor, Northwestern UniversityFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

David Plotz, CEO of City Cast and co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest," is a lifelong Washingtonian who knows the ins and outs of THAT city. But now, in his current role at City Cast, he has to learn about about a slew of new cities that are part of the company's network: Denver, Houston, and, of course, Chicago. So, naturally, he has questions. David asks host Jacoby Cochran and Lead Producer Carrie Shepherd about the “L,” Oprah and Kanye, and, yes, pizza. Guest: David PlotzA little bit of news, y'all:Giving Tuesday Organizations List: Block Club Chicago, Crain's Chicago BusinessChicago Elite Classic 12/3-12/4 Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Chicago's Black population is the lowest it's been since the 1950s. What was once a destination for Black Southerners seeking more opportunity and racial equity is now a city they're fleeing to move to nearby states, like Indiana, but also farther away like Texas, Georgia and Arizona. Chicago Tribune's Will Lee talked to former Chicagoans. Lee explains why they say they’re leaving, and as life-long Chicagoans, he and host Jacoby Cochran talk about their own personal struggles on whether to stay or go. Guest: William Lee — Reporter, Chicago TribuneFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

As many of us enjoy delicious food over the Thanksgiving holiday, we wanted to take a moment to look back on a story about a Chicagoan working to feed his neighbors. Dion Dawson was asked in 2020 what he wanted to do to help his Englewood community. He responded that he wanted to feed 100 families. Fast forward a year, and Dion's Chicago Dream is running a community fridge that the organization keeps full of fresh produce, and delivering groceries to families from Maywood to Evanston. Dion tells host Jacoby Cochran it was his own food insecurity growing up that made him want to help feed his neighbors and give back to the neighborhood he loves.Get involved with Dion's Chicago Dream.**This story was originally published Aug. 9, 2021**Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Last year, the Wabash Arts Corridor commissioned two murals in the South Loop to celebrate the centennial of women’s suffrage. While one mural has been installed, the other has been blocked by a nearby parking lot owner who said it was “too political.” Lead producer Carrie Shepherd visited the site at Wabash and Harrison and has been looking into what happened. She explains what happened and how it fits into Chicago’s larger conversation about the purpose of public monuments and public art. We also hear from the artist behind the blocked mural.Guests: Carrie Shepherd — Lead Producer, City Cast ChicagoDorian Sylvain — ArtistFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm