🦢 Farewell, sweet Humboldt Park swan boats

Humboldt Park Swan Boats, You Will be Missed

A beloved staple of the Humboldt Park lagoon, the swan boats are not returning for another season. California-based Wheel Fun Rentals has ceased operations at the park.The swan boats have floated there since 2018, delighting parkgoers. [Block Club]

Da Pope Is From Chicago, and Other News

The new pope has Chicago roots, Police Chief Larry Snelling is siding with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s decision to suspend some officers, and Mother’s Day weekend is upon us. WTTW’s Heather Cherone and reporter Adora Namigadde stop by City Cast Chicago to break it down. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

Johnson's Green Social Housing Plan Approved

City Council approved Mayor Brandon Johnson’s “green social housing” initiative Wednesday with a 30-18 majority. The plan aims to create a city-owned nonprofit developer that will loan $135 million to other developers who build at least 30% affordable, environmentally friendly housing. [Sun-Times]

• Related: More about the mayor’s housing plan. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

This Week’s Must-Read

There’s a new courtroom artist on the scene in Chicago: Cliff Questel of Albany Park. The longtime graphic designer is subbing in for the city’s go-to freelance sketch artists, both of whom are gearing up to retire from a fading trade. Questel may soon sketch his own daughter (and my roommate) Rose, who graduates from Chicago-Kent College of Law this month. Congrats Rose! 🌹[Chicago magazine]

It was a big week in Chicago news — were you paying attention? Take the quiz to find out.

Within minutes of hearing the next pope was from Chicago, my phone (and Slack) was flooded with memes. A lot of them, unsurprisingly, had to do with food. Here are some of our favorites. Don’t worry, deep-dish and tavern-style are both accounted for.

📧 There’s also this impression which pretty much sums up all the jokes at this point. Send your favorite pope memes our way at citycastchicago.fm!