SAFE-T Act and 'ComEd Four' in Court. Plus, When and Where is The Taste?

This week as pro-Palestinian protests picked up on campuses across the country, Chicago area students also began setting up encampments demanding universities divest from direct support of Israel as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 34,000 people. Crain’s Chicago reporter Leigh Giangreco and Block Club Chicago’s Maxwell Evans are here with the latest, including what student organizers are saying and a response from the Midwest Anti Defamation League. Plus, former gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is accused of colluding with a super PAC, an iconic Greater Grand Crossing Blues club is reopening, and did y’all hear that new Kendrick dis?  Good news: Call and Response Bookstore Grand Opening    Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Applications are now open for the Mayor’s Youth Commission, a group of Chicagoans ages 14 to 19 who work to advise the mayor and city leaders. Last year, host Jacoby Cochran sat down with Benjamin Kagan, chair of the commission’s public health group, and Precious Adedokun of the community safety group to learn what it’s like to be a teenager advising public officials and city actors. The next information session for the Mayor’s Youth Commission is on May 20.  Good news: The Chicago Critics Film Festival  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Chicago community.  May means summertime Chi is almost here — depending on who you ask, that is. In the meantime, we’ve got the tips you need to make the most of May in Chicago from Cinco de Mayo to Memorial Day. Need a mocktail recommendation? We’ve got you. Looking for some self-care tips for Mental Health Awareness Month? We’ve got that, too.  For even more tips on how to make the most of May in Chicago, check out Hey Chicago’s take on what to do this month.  We’re powered by our members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more about how to become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.  Reach us at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State lawmakers are considering a proposal that would merge CTA and other regional transit agencies. Executive producer Simone Alicea and producer Michelle Navarro talk about how it would work. They also discuss former Fotrox and Dom’s Kitchen and Market employees filing a lawsuit following the stores’ closure. Plus, we talk about your favorite and most-hated grocery store chains and how birria and deep-dish are coming together for Cinco de Mayo.  Some Good News: Adler at Night Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s been a lot of grocery news lately: Foxtrot and Dom’s closing. The Kroger-Albertsons merger. Not to mention all the communities in Chicago that don’t even have a grocery store. But big grocery chains aren’t the only option for Chicagoans to get fresh food. Matthew Ruffi is the board president of Chicago Market and senior program director for Link Up Illinois. He tells host Jacoby Cochran about some grocery alternatives and how to bring more options to your neighborhood. Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Calls to oust CTA President Dorval Carter continue after a bus driver died behind the wheel after sitting unconscious for nearly an hour. Block Club Chicago’s Manny Ramos and Chalkbeat Chicago’s Samantha Smylie sat with host Jacoby Cochran to talk about what happened. They also discuss how Illinois and Chicago count migrant students, if Illinois lawmakers will extend the school closure moratorium, and the Bears stadium mock-ups.  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often hear about the Tribune Tower, the Chicago Cultural Center and of course the once-called Sears Tower, but do you ever wonder about the buildings that aren’t aesthetically pleasing to the eye? Tour guide Mike McMains from Tours with Mike designed the Ugly Buildings Tour to highlight the eyesores that hide behind and between Chicago’s famous skyscrapers and structures. Mike tells host Jacoby Cochran what makes a building ugly and his favorites.  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With one week left in Earth Month, you might be thinking about ways to make more environmentally conscious choices. One option is to eat less meat. Luckily, Chicago has long been a hub for vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Soul Veg City in Chatham has been serving up vegan soul food for more than 40 years. Earlier this year, executive producer Simone Alicea talked with owners Lori Seay and Arel Brown about their favorite spots in the city and how to start small. Good News: Harold Washington Library Record Sale Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

City Council approved $70 million Friday to care for new arrivals. That’s in addition to the $150 million allocated in this year’s budget. Executive producer Simone Alicea and producer Michelle Navarro discuss the latest. Plus, we’ve got picks for Independent Bookstore Day and we’re talking about the pest control business and why Chicago could be a great place to start one.  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chicago’s most threatening natural disaster is severe flooding, the Illinois Answers Project reports. Many residents are still recovering from last summer’s torrential rain storms that experts say are only getting more frequent. Reporters Meredith Newman and Alex Nitkin have been working on a series about how the city, county, and state have prepared (or not prepared) for these disasters. They talk with host Jacoby Cochran about why Chicago is so prone to floods, what can be done to mitigate damage, and why government agencies have struggled to coordinate on this problem. Some Good News: The Reader’s Best of Chicago party Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices