Podcasts about Block Club Chicago

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Steve Bertrand, host of the Steve Bertrand on Books podcast and proprietor of Steve Bertrand Travel, and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. This week the podcast begins with Jon Hansen’s recap of his work at the Presidents Cup golf tournament and having the opportunity to […]

The Mincing Rascals this week are John Williams of WGN Radio, Eric Zorn, publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, Steve Bertrand, host of the Steve Bertrand on Books podcast and proprietor of Steve Bertrand Travel, and Jon Hansen of WGN Radio and Block Club Chicago. This week the podcast begins with Jon Hansen’s recap of his work at the Presidents Cup golf tournament and having the opportunity to […]

Michael Liptrot, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Wendy Snyder in for Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Michael has details on: Obama Center's Barbara Bates Retrospective Celebrates A Chicago Fashion Legend: Bates launched her clothing brand in 1986 and went on to style celebrities like Michael Jordan and Whitney Houston. She will […]

It took Block Club Chicago's investigative reporter Mick Dumke 11 months to get one page of records from ICE about the clash between its agents and protestors outside of the Broadview detention center last year. The response had no records or reports of arrests or use of force. It only contained the agency's own account of what happened. Mick joins host Jacoby Cochran to talk all things Freedom of Information Act and why records eventually came out through a lawsuit instead.  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our daily newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this Sept. 29 episode: Enjoy Illinois Chicago Architecture Center - Open House Kowalski Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Michael Liptrot, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Wendy Snyder in for Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Michael has details on: Armitage County Fair Puts Chicago Twist On Downstate Tradition: La Luz And Sun Ra will perform at the event with 14 other musical acts. Hosted by comedian Maggie Winters, the two-day […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Divvy Rides To Or From South Or West Sides Would Be Half-Off Under New Proposal: The expansion of the bike-share program could add thousands of bikes and scooters and lower prices […]

Michael Liptrot, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Michael has details on: Francis Parker School Expansion Plan Approved By City Council Despite Opposition From Locals: The approved plan — which some neighbors have been fighting for years — allows the private school to demolish a 15-unit residential […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Ford City Mall Development, Francis Parker Expansion, Other Projects OK'd By Key City Panel: Despite pushback from some neighbors, Ford City Mall is slated to become an industrial campus, while the […]

Jen Sabella, the Director of Strategy and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. She provides details on: Parts Of Douglass Park ‘Destroyed' By Muddy Riot Fest, Neighbors Say — But Organizers Vow Restoration: Torrential rains left the Riot Fest grounds at Douglass Park caked in mud, with […]

Mina Bloom, Reporter at Block Club Chicago, joins Jon Hansen to talk about the ‘City's Worst Landowner '. Mina shares the story of Suzie B. Wilson and her sister, Swedlana Dass, who ran a real estate scheme together and were caught because of unpaid rat fines.

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: 1901 Project Near United Center Scraps Planned Rooftop Park, Adds Other Green Space: Despite some community members being confused by the move, project and city officials assure that parks and green […]

Quinn Myers, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Quinn has details on: Rate Field's Owners Blindsided By Plans To Build Amtrak Facility Nearby, Don't Want Sox To Move: The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority met Wednesday as White Sox minority owner Justin Ishbia pushes for a South Loop […]

Mick Dumke, investigative editor at Block Club Chicago, joins John Williams to tell us everything we should know about a possible new parking meter deal in Chicago.

Mick Dumke, investigative editor at Block Club Chicago, joins John Williams to tell us everything we should know about a possible new parking meter deal in Chicago.

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Meet The Welles Park Grubs, A Little League Team Embracing Its Buggy Ball Field: The city and locals have tried for years to remove the beetle larvae from the Lincoln Square […]

Mick Dumke, investigative editor at Block Club Chicago, joins John Williams to tell us everything we should know about a possible new parking meter deal in Chicago.

Jen Sabella, the Director of Strategy and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. She provides details on: Fed Up With A Lack Of Benches At CTA Bus Stops, Chicagoans Install Their Own: Members of a group called the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance acknowledge they didn't have permission from […]

Over the weekend, White Sox minority owner Justin Ishbia released stadium renderings that confirmed the team is considering a move to the South Loop and also assisting Amtrak's proposed facility relocation and expansion to Bridgeport. Neighborhood groups, local officials, and some fans have weighed in, calling it a double dose of devastating news for the community economically and environmentally. We are joined by Block Club Chicago's Jame Nesbitt-Golden and Axios Chicago's Justin Kaufmann to break down the latest details. Plus, we lay out our biggest concerns heading into the Bears' season opener, and talk traffic preparation for Mexican Independence Day celebrations. Good News: Stevie Wonder Tour, Noname, Printers Row Lit Fest Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our daily newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this Friday, September 11th episode: Steppenwolf Theatre Broadway in Chicago - Dirty Dancing CAC Walking Tours DCASE AFSP Illinois Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Fed Up With Dangerous Gridlock, Lincoln Square Ald. Andre Vasquez Resorts To Directing Traffic Himself: The alderman started donning a yellow vest and stop sign for about an hour each morning […]

Quinn Myers, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Quinn has details on: Little Village Arch, MOJO Museum, Aspire Center Honored For Preservation Efforts: The Chicago structures are among six Illinois winners of the 2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards, which celebrate the restoration of […]

Jen Sabella, the Director of Strategy and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. She provides details on: Mayor's Office Revises Renter Protection Ordinance, Giving Break To Small Landlords: The changes include reduced relocation payments and expanded exemptions as Mayor Brandon Johnson attempts to get the ordinance passed […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Chicago Named The Most ‘Climate Resilient' City On Earth: Chicago's low physical exposure to coastal climate disasters like hurricanes and adaptation to weather risks contributed to its high rank. This doesn't […]

Former Loretto Hospital COO Anosh Ahmed was finally in federal court this week, where he pleaded not guilty to defrauding the safety-net hospital and federal government. Block Club Chicago's Manny Ramos is here with the latest. Plus, Tatyana Najee joins the podcast to discuss her digital series exploring Chicago's 50 alders.  Good News: Midnight Circus Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our daily newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this Sept. 4 episode: Paramount Theatre Chicago Exhibition Week AFSP Illinois Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Downtown Bridge That Was Stuck For Hours Has History Of Problems, Records Show: A 2024 inspection rated the DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge in poor condition but an expert told Block […]

Quinn Myers, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Quinn has details on: Delivery Robots Swarm Lincoln Park Sidewalk In Viral Video As Pushback Grows: A Lincoln Park resident's video showing more than a dozen delivery robots clustered on Clark Street has drawn more than 300,000 views. Chicago-Based […]

Michael Liptrot, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Michael has details on: Jump In West Side Shootings Alarms Neighbors, But Activists Hope Longterm Drop Continues: West Side neighborhoods led the way in Chicago's historic shooting reduction last year. That trend has largely continued until a noticeable uptick […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Pope Leo Given His Own White Sox ‘Pope Hat' During Visit With South Side Priest: The world's most famous Sox fan was gifted a nicer version of the pope-style hats passed […]

Michael Liptrot, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Michael has details on: Network Of Bike Lanes Coming To Portage Park With Work Starting This Fall: Part of the Portage Park Neighborhood Bike Network, the new lanes and neighborhood greenways will start being installed this fall. Gingie, River […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: O'Hare Flyer Train Would Bring Visitors From Airport To Downtown In Just 15 Minutes: The express train, which plans to use dedicated freight tracks, aims to launch in the next five […]

It has been two years since Mayor Brandon Johnson ended the city's contract with the gunshot detection company Sound Thinking, also known as ShotSpotter, to the chagrin of some alders. City Hall has kept the door open for a replacement, and two alders have begun testing new options. We discussed SplitSec AI with Chicago Public Media's Arionne Nettles and Block Club Chicago's Melody Mercado. Plus, Illinois toll roads are increasing prices for the first time in 15 years, BTS is headed to Soldier Field, and the crosstown classic delivered just that.  Good News: Remembering How They Moved: A Live Activation Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our daily newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this Aug. 21 episode: Visit Bloomington TimeLine Theatre Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Driving To O'Hare Could Cost More With Illinois Tollway Rates Increasing Next Year: The toll hike — which includes future increases based on inflation — is part of a $26.5 billion, […]

Michael Liptrot, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Michael has details on: Jesse White Tumblers Wow ‘America's Got Talent' Judges Again In Quarterfinals Live Show: The tumblers will find out if they advance to the semifinals on “AGT”‘s live results show airing at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Chicago […]

Jen Sabella, the Director of Strategy and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. She provides details on: Jesse White Tumblers Headed To ‘America's Got Talent' Tuesday For Live Show: Chicago's famous tumblers return to the reality series 7 p.m. Tuesday. After a successful audition, they now rely […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: NASCAR Will Not Return To Chicago In 2027, Sources Say: The decision comes after NASCAR and the city were unable to agree on a date for 2027. Old-School Electronics Repair Man […]

The owners of multiple South Side funeral homes are under a microscope after state officials discovered they had been mismanaging human remains. Last week, officials and police discovered dozens of decaying bodies at the South Chicago Chapel. We break down the details with Block Club Chicago's Maxwell Evans and WBEZ's Dan Mihalopoulos. Plus, the recently shuttered Aspira charter network is trying to sell its publicly funded school building, and the Chicago Fire are hoping to extend their August win streak. Good News: Hegewisch Farmers Market & Edgewater Monday Market Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our daily newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this Aug. 14 episode: Paramount Theatre Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson moves to further regulate data centers, Governor J. B. Pritzker signs a law allowing rideshare drivers to unionize, while the shocking discovery of dozens of decomposing bodies at a South Side funeral home raises calls for more government oversight. We dig into those stories and more in our Weekly News Recap.GUESTS: Nick Blumberg, WTTW News correspondentMaxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago reporter  Dan Mihalopoulos, WBEZ investigative reporter  For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop. 

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Shedd Aquarium Takes In 4 More Rescued Beluga Whales From Shuttered Canadian Marine Park: The four belugas arrived at the Shedd Thursday morning, doubling the number of […]

Michael Liptrot, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Michael has details on: Chicago's Fingerboarding Community Is Taking Off — On Tiny Skateboards: The miniature skateboard brand and youth organization TrapDecks has helped turn Chicago into a “mecca for fingerboarding.” How Nathaniel Mary Quinn […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Uncle Remus Founder Celebrates 100th Birthday With West Side Giveaway, Foundation Launch: Gus Rickette Sr. was born in Mississippi in 1926. After moving to Chicago as a teenager, Rickette worked his […]

Jen Sabella, the Director of Strategy and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. She provides details on: Back To School With Block Club: Learn how you can help to provide books to CPS students. Congress Theater Rave Goes Viral — But Alderman Says […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: State, City Sue South Side Vegetable Oil Plant Over ‘Foul Odors,' Pollution: Pullman Innovations in South Deering — already the subject of a class-action suit filed by fed-up neighbors — has […]

Quinn Myers, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Quinn has details on: Thousands Of Books Are Piling Up In Chicago Libraries Due To Staffing Shortage: The backlog has librarians scrambling to find space and keep track of books in the system. Library workers say it's a ripple […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Riot Fest Offering Free Tickets To Douglass Park Neighbors Thursday: Riot Fest is hosting a ticketing and job hiring event Thursday in Little Village, where neighbors who live near Douglass Park […]

Jen Sabella, the Director of Strategy and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. She provides details on: Boat Marooned At North Avenue Beach Finally Back On The Water 2 Weeks After Getting Stuck In Sand: The boat “Sea No Evil” washed ashore July 19 after being abandoned […]

Michael Liptrot, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Michael has details on: Got An Old Laptop Or Broken Phone? This West Side Nonprofit Will Give It New Life: Fresh Supply has opened e-waste hubs in Austin and Garfield Park to collect and refurbish discarded electronic devices for […]

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: More Than 300 Apartments Coming To Former Mag Mile Office Building As Work Gets Underway: The project at 500 N. Michigan Ave. is slated to be complete in early 2027, bringing […]

Quinn Myers, reporter for Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Quinn has details on: Chicago's Infamous Rat Problem Won't Go Away Under Current Plan, Audit Finds: The city's Bureau of Rodent Control is overly focused on responding to individual rat complaints instead of addressing their “root causes,” according to […]

Seven Save-A-Lot grocery stores across the South and West Sides could close their doors as early as Saturday if Yellow Banana, the company that owns and operates them, can't find new funding. Block Club Chicago's Atavia Reed is here with the latest. Plus, WBEZ's Kristen Schorsch joins us to detail the ongoing legal battles surrounding the recently shuttered West Suburban Hospital and provide a temperature check on Chicago's struggling safety net hospitals. Good News: 5th Annual Words of Wonder Literary Festival!, Roots: “The Brunch Experience”  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our daily newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this July 24 episode: Visit Bloomington Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Chicago gets a one-two punch with another heat wave combined with dangerous air quality. A North Side Trader Joe's becomes the first of the grocery chain's Illinois locations to unionize. And the Shedd Aquarium agrees to take in abandoned beluga whales from a closed marine park in Canada. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap.GUESTS: Carrie Shepherd, Axios Chicago reporter Quinn Myers, Block Club Chicago reporter covering Wicker Park, West Town & Bucktown Bob Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times investigative reporterFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop. 

Roughly 100,000 Americans are waiting for a kidney transplant, and the times to be matched with a donor can approach a decade. On today's Block Club Chicago podcast, sponsored by Rush, Dr. Aneesha Shetty explains everything you need to know to become a donor -- and shares the personal reason she works in this field.  Host - Jon Hansen Guest - Aneesha Shetty, MD, MPH READ MORE ABOUT BECOMING A DONOR HERE Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way.We amplify positive stories, cover development and local school council meetings and serve as watchdogs in neighborhoods often ostracized by traditional news media.Ground-level coverageOur neighborhood-based reporters don't parachute in once to cover a story. They are in the neighborhoods they cover every day building relationships over time with neighbors. We believe this ground-level approach not only builds community but leads to a more accurate portrayal of a neighborhood.Stories that matter to you — every daySince our launch seven years ago, we've published more than 30,000 stories from the neighborhoods, covered hundreds of community meetings and send daily and neighborhood newsletters to more than 150,000 Chicagoans. We've built this loyalty by proving to folks we are not only covering their neighborhoods, we are a part of them. Some of us have internalized the national media's narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make Chicago a better place for all.