🏠 The invisible Sausage King landlord

Downtown Alders Renew 'Snap Curfew' Push

In the wake of shootings downtown last week, Alds. Brian Hopkins (2nd) and Brendan Reilly (42nd) are once again rallying for stricter teen curfews. Earlier this year, Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed a “snap curfew” proposal, which was championed by Hopkins. [Block Club]

• Related: Here’s how the mayor responded to recent Loop violence. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
• Wait: What’s a “snap curfew?” [Hey Chicago 💻]

Feds Repeatedly Lied About Raids

Federal immigration agents in Chicago falsely depicted regular Chicagoans as serious agitators, according to U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis. Ellis outlined their lies in a ruling that formalizes her order curbing agents’ use of force. That order, however, was recently put on hold by an appeals court. [WTTW]

• Plus: Bovino's deposition was ”off the rails.” [Tribune 🔒]

The Sausage King of Chicago Is a Bad Landlord

No, not Abe Froman. This Sausage King of Chicago is a real estate investment company — don’t be fooled by the cutesy name. Sausage King of Chicago is run by out-of-towners who let Indian Trails Apartments, a large housing complex in West Pullman, fall into disrepair while collecting millions in federal rent subsidies. [WBEZ]

• Also: Do you know who your landlord is? [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

The holiday shopping season is upon us, and finding gifts for everyone on your list can be overwhelming. To make things easier and more exciting, we asked all our City Cast hosts and producers to share shining examples of small local businesses with online shops. On today’s podcast, learn how you can support small businesses and find a gift for just about everyone.

🥩 Austin: Meat and Merch from Franklin Barbecue

Give the gift of Texas beef from James Beard award-winning Franklin Barbecue — the best in the country, according to Bon Appétit. Or take it from Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama, who have both made the pilgrimage. Here’s what City Cast Austin host Nikki DaVaughn has to say:

“People line up before dawn just to get the opportunity to eat at Franklin, but why do that when you can have it shipped anywhere in the U.S. through GoldBelly? You can order everything from rubs, barbecue sauces, merch, and most importantly MEAT. All you have to do is reheat it and you can have something better than dry ass turkey for the holidays.”

✂️ Chicago: A Collage Magazine from the Chicago Collage Community

For those who love art, the Chicago Collage Community — which just celebrated its third anniversary — has two editions of its collage magazine featuring artists from across Chicagoland. Here’s City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran’s take:

“One of [Chicago Collage Magazine’s] curators, Lo Marie, is one of my friends and favorite visual artists in the city. Her current series ‘Windy City Tells’ is a magnificent and evocative series that captures daily life in the city in a unique way. It’s curated and edited by co-founders Charlea Taylor and Christine Vilutis, along with fellow collage artist and curator Miranda Livingston.”

🍸 DC: Politically Themed Spirits from Republic Restoratives Distillery

As the nation’s capital, D.C. is the epicenter of politics and “that’s enough to drive anyone to drink,” says City Cast DC host Bridget Todd. So, why not make it a good drink?

Republic Restoratives is a queer woman-owned distillery with a very D.C. story: Co-founder Pia Carusone used to work in politics and left to start Republic Restoratives after the attack on her boss, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Plus, a portion of the sales go directly to Vote.org.

Bridget recommends the Fascist Tears Vodka for a martini “as dirty as Christina Aguilera in the 90s.”

Listen to the full all-host episode for more small business gift recommendations and stories of the worst gift each host has ever received.