City Cast Chicago
😳 What will happen to Big Bird?
August 11, 2025 · — Emmi Mack
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What Chicago's Talking About
Weiss ER Closes
Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown shut down its emergency room Friday morning, one day before the hospital was set to lose Medicare and Medicaid access. The entire hospital is facing closure, too. [CBS News]
How Chicago’s Clerk is Bringing City Hall To You
The office of the City Clerk is the most visited office in the Chicago government … but what does the City Clerk do? Well, a whole lot, including keeping city records, issuing vehicle stickers, and managing dog registrations. On today’s podcast, Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia discusses her eight years in office, plus City Key and Mobile City Hall initiatives. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
Kristi Noem Visits the Suburbs, Is Met With Protests
Three dozen protestors gathered outside U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference Friday in Lombard. There, Noem vowed to ramp up deportations and blamed Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson for sanctuary policies. Both administrations fired back. [Tribune 🔒]
96 Years of the Bud Billiken Parade
The first Bud Billiken parade was held by Chicago Defender founder Robert Sengstacke Abbott in 1929 as a way to thank the neighborhood kids who hawked his newspaper. Over the years, it’s featured major celebrities and politicians, including James Brown, Diana Ross, and Barack Obama. Saturday marked the parade’s 96th year. [Tribune 🔒]
- Related: Here’s how the ‘Bud’ became a Black Chicago staple. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
What To Do
Monday, Aug. 11
- 🕺🏻 Free Mondays | Empty Bottle | Ukrainian Village
- 🎶 Broadway in Chicago Summer Concert | Millennium Park
- 🖼️ “Arts of Life” opening | Design Museum of Chicago | Loop
- 🌅 Summer & Fall Afterwork Sunset Cruises on Lake Michigan | Anita Dee | DuSable Harbor
- 🦔 “Sonic 3” | Hamlin Park | North Center
- 🎤 Make Some Noise Open Mic | Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar | Bridgeport
- 🎷 Chicago Jazz Orchestra ft. Mardra Thomas | Jazz Showcase | Printer's Row
- 💞 POC Speed Dating | Ludlow Liquors | Avondale
Tuesday, Aug. 12
- 🏛️ Mobile City Hall | Robert Taylor Park | Bronzeville
- 🧙🏽 “Wicked” | Millennium Park
- 🎶 Tuesdays on the Terrace | | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago | Streeterville
- 🗳️ In Context: Democracy and the Fourth Estate | Newberry Library | Near North Side
- 🌊 “Moana 2” | Ward Park | River North
- 🎷 2nd Tuesday Jazz Jam | St. Moses the Black Parish | Greater Grand Crossing
- 🌳 Trivia Night: Nature Edition | Richard M. Daley Branch | Humboldt Park
- 💥 Get Lit: Drawn to Life | American Writers Museum | Loop
- 📖 "Oh These Times!" | The Understudy Coffee and Books | Andersonville
- 🎤 Tuesday Good Show | Gallery Cabaret | Bucktown
- 🔈 Sound & Gravity Launch Party | Rockwell on the River | Avondale
- 🎲 Tabletop Game Night | Northtown Branch | West Rogers Park
- 🍽️ Maria’s Patio Jam | Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar | Bridgeport
☝️ Once upon a time, the Chicago River was the city’s toilet. Literally. Now, folks are swimming in it. Or at least they’re going to swim in it on Sept. 21. But before you get too excited, no, you can’t just jump in and join the fun. The event is for 500 qualified swimmers, but there will be a follow-up festival on the Riverwalk!
Free · Daily