City Cast Chicago

It’s been about a month since K-8 students in Chicago Public Schools began returning to in-person learning on hybrid schedules. As CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union spar over the impending return of high schoolers, Jacoby talks with with one mom about why she’s keeping her young kids home, even though she has the option to send them back to the classroom.Guest: Anastasia Chapital, CPS ParentFollow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago

A judge’s decision is expected any day now to determine the future of a metal scrapping facility on the Southeast Side. Neighborhood activists say it will increase pollution in an area already laden with industry. They’re asking the city to deny a final permit, calling it an example of environmental racism. To see what that really means, Jacoby walks the neighborhood with Gina Ramirez, a lifetime Southeast Sider trying to stop the metal shredder.Guest: Gina Ramirez, Midwest Outreach Manager, National Resources Defense Council (@GinaRamirez311)Follow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago

Chicago is entering a third surge of coronavirus cases. But things had been looking up, with more businesses reopening and more people getting vaccinated. A year into a pandemic, and with what can feel like conflicting information, how do you help people make good public health decisions? Jacoby talks with nurse Katherine Buaron, who’s been fielding questions from patients.Guest: Katherine Buaron, Community Health Nurse, Rush University Medical CenterFollow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago

Chicago’s public monuments have been a flashpoint in the fight against systemic racism. Last July, protesters tried to topple a statue of Christopher Columbus in Grant Park. Mayor Lori Lightfoot responded by unceremoniously removing the statue in the middle of the night. The city also created a committee to review the Columbus statue and 40 other Chicago monuments. Though it was formed months ago, the committee has its first public meeting on Wednesday. Jennifer Scott is a co-chair of the the Chicago Monuments Project. She talks with Jacoby about their work so far.Guest: Jennifer Scott, Co-Chair, Chicago Monuments ProjectHow to participate:  A link to the livestream will be posted here: bit.ly/3sUZndm To send a written comment or sign up to make live comments email ChicagoMonuments@cityofchicago.org. Written comments are due by 10 a.m. Monday. Follow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago

The Derek Chauvin trial got underway this week in Minneapolis. The former police officer has been charged with the murder of George Floyd last May. Floyd’s killing sparked worldwide rallies and protests calling for accountability for police abuse. That’s not new for Chicago. The police department has been under a consent decree since 2019 after the Department of Justice issued a scathing report that found that the CPD regularly used excessive force and racist tactics. This week, two reports revealed the department is behind on reforms and recommendations. We break this all down with Washington Post reporter Kim Bellware, who’s covering the Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, and WBEZ criminal justice reporter Patrick Smith.Guests: Kim Bellware, reporter, Washington Post (@bellwak)Patrick Smith, criminal justice reporter, WBEZ (@pksmid)Follow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago

It’s opening day for baseball season! The White Sox start out on the road tonight against the LA Angels, while the Cubs take on the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. As baseball fans eagerly look ahead to a more “normal” season, we’re looking back at a pivotal moment in MLB history. Joan Niesen is the host of the new podcast Crushed. The show explores the 1998 home run race between the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark McGwire and the Cubs’ Sammy Sosa, and the fallout after fans learned the stars and many other players had been using steroids. Jacoby talks to Niesen about how that summer both captivated and disappointed a generation of baseball fans.Guest: Joan Nieson, Host, Crushed (@JoanNiesen)Opening day schedule: https://bit.ly/2PF2OGlFollow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago

Over the last two decades, 51 women, most of whom were Black, were killed in Chicago in similar ways. Most of their deaths have never been solved. And their stories have been underreported or incomplete. Samantha Latson is a student journalist who has been sharing some of the stories from these women’s lives. As part of a class at Roosevelt University, Latson and other students created the website Unforgotten51.com. She tells Jacoby more about the project. Guest: Samantha Latson, journalism student, Roosevelt University (@smanthalatson)Follow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago

On Monday, we talked to one of the advocates behind a bill that would prohibit Illinois landlords from rejecting tenants based on their source of income, such as Section 8 housing vouchers and other subsidies. Evelyn Sanguinetti from Hope Fair Housing Center called concerns over Section 8 a “dogwhistle to let others know that people of color will be moving in next to you.” Paul Arena from the Illinois Rental Property Owners Association says he's "disappointed" Sanguinetti portrayed the group's opposition to the bill as racist. Arena explains why his group opposes the bill. Guest: Paul Arena, Director of Legislative Affairs, Illinois Rental Property Owners AssociationFollow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago[More possible notes]

The rent is due this week. But hundreds of thousands people in Illinois remain out of work due to the pandemic. Even though Gov. JB Pritzker has again extended the state’s eviction moratorium until April 3, landlords can still reject prospective tenants for having an “unstable” source of income. And the pandemic has made many industries unstable. Jacoby talks with housing rights advocate, and former Republican Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, about new legislation that would prohibit source-of-income discrimination.Guests: Evelyn Sanguinetti, Executive Director, HOPE Fair Housing Center Follow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago

Loretto Hospital went from administering Chicago’s first COVID-19 vaccine last December to being cut off from the city’s supply in scandal. Hospital officials are investigating whether a top executive was funneling vaccine doses to ineligible people at Trump tower, a luxury watch shop, and a Gold Coast steakhouse. Now, the exec has resigned, and West Siders in the hospital’s neighborhood are feeling left in the lurch. Jacoby talks with Block Club Chicago’s Kelly Bauer, who initially broke the Loretto story, and The Triibe’s Matt Harvey, who’s been out talking to people in Austin.Guests: Kelly Bauer, Breaking News Editor, Block Club Chicago (@BauerJournalism)Matt Harvey, Reporter, The Triibe (@MatttheMajor)Follow us on twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: citycast.fm/chicago