City Cast Chicago
🦅 Baby eagles! Baby eagles!
May 8, 2026 · — Emmi Mack
Operator! Operator! We’ve all been there: on the phone with the bank just trying to get a human to help you … then you finally do, and they still can’t help you … It recently happened to Pope Leo XIV. And when he tried to pull the Pope card, they hung up!
I wonder if he’s enlightened enough not to cuss out the dead line 🫠
What's CITY Talking About
Baby Eagles Are Back!
After years without confirmed hatchings, bald eaglets were spotted in a cemetery and in Park 597, both on the South Side. Nature is healing! [Block Club]
- Got baby names? Submit ideas before May 15. [Chicago Park District]
Johnson Goes to Springfield and State Police Investigate ICE
What is Mayor Brandon Johnson doing in Springfield? And how will state police investigate the killing of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez last year in Franklin Park? Borderless Magazine’s Katrina Pham and WTTW’s Heather Cherone join today’s podcast to discuss that — and more. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
Nearly 600 Immigration Detentions in 2026
As “Operation Midway Blitz” wound down last year, Chicago streets appeared calmer. However, immigration arrests continue. Between January and March, 580 were detained by federal agents. At the peak of "Midway Blitz," there were about 600 arrests across two days. [Sun-Times]
Uber Paid $600M for SpotHero
New filings show what the ride-share behemoth paid to buy the local app in February. Founded 15 years ago, SpotHero connects drivers to available parking spaces. The acquisition is among the largest in recent years of a Chicago-based tech startup. [Crain’s 🔒]
The Up-and-Down Journey of Subminimum Wage
In 2023, tipped workers and advocates successfully fought to eliminate the subminimum wage by 2028. Earlier this year, restaurant owners tried to undo the deal, arguing that restaurants are facing economic challenges, including new tariffs and inflation. Labor experts argue that targeting worker wages shouldn’t be the solution. [Reader]
Sponsored Content
Activating A Historic Space With Dance
From May 6-9, visit the Driehaus Museum to experience its historic 1926 Murphy Auditorium as it's never before been seen. Witness how multi-hyphenate artist Brendan Fernandes transforms the Museum’s 1926 Murphy Auditorium into a dynamic site for sculptural installation, movement, sound, and dance. Visit driehausmuseum.org for details and schedules of the performances.
Your Chicago News Quiz
The weather was up and down all week in Chicago — so was the news. Were you paying attention?
Neighborhood Shoutouts
And now, time for a Neighborhood Shoutout! Every week, we share shoutouts from City Cast Chicago Neighbors who want to share their love for a local business or org.
Today, Bert F. is shouting out Positive Regard Therapy: “Positive Regard Therapy is a queer-owned Andersonville practice doing meaningful work for LGBTQ+ mental health and community care.”
What To Do
Friday, May 8
- ☕️ Steam Milk Workshop | Metric Coffee | West Town
- 🍺 Brewing the Revolution: Enslaved Labor and Early American Beer | Newberry Library | Near North Side
- 🎓 SAIC Graduate Exhibition Two | SAIC Galleries | Loop
- 🌳 Meet the Trees: Spring | Garfield Park Conservatory
- 🎨 The Phli Gallery | Connect Gallery | Hyde Park
- 🎶 “Chicago” the Musical | The Auditorium | Loop
- 🎥 The 29th Annual Asian American Showcase | Siskel Film Center | Loop
- 🎋 Unfinished Island Songs | Wirtz Center | Evanston
- 🎥 "Rapturous: Tatsu Aoki" | University of Chicago Film Studies Center | Hyde Park
- 💻 Performance & Book Signing: A Sexual History of the Internet | Museum of Contemporary Art | Streeterville
Saturday, May 9
- 🇲🇽 Sabor Y Cultura | Morgan Arts Complex | Bridgeport
- 📝 Digital Archive of the Unseen Workshop | Walls Turned Sideways | East Garfield Park | Free
- 🧶 Intro to Crochet | Discovery Center | Irving Park
- 🎥 The 29th Annual Asian American Showcase | Siskel Film Center | Loop
- ✨ Astrology Class for Beginners | Discovery Center | Irving Park
- 🎋 Unfinished Island Songs | Wirtz Center | Evanston
- 🎭 Out Here | Court Theatre | Hyde Park
- 🎶 “Chicago” the Musical | The Auditorium | Loop
- 🖼️ Xochicago opening | National Museum of Mexican Art | Pilsen | Free
- 🧑🧑🧒 Family Day | Museum of Contemporary Art | Streeterville
Sunday, May 10
- 🎶 Emo Orchestra with the Spill Canvas | Ramova Theatre | Bridgeport
- 🏟️ Free Sox Sundays | Reggies | South Loop
- 😂 Sunday Best | The Lincoln Lodge | Logan Square
- ⚾️ Beer and Bases: Cubs Watch Party | Gallagher Way | Wrigleyville
- 🎥 The 29th Annual Asian American Showcase | Siskel Film Center | Loop
- 🫖 Mother's Day with Chai, Poetry & Postcards | Nabala Cafe | Uptown
- 🎋 Unfinished Island Songs | Wirtz Center | Evanston
- 🎶 “Chicago” the Musical | The Auditorium | Loop
😳 Also, sorry for incorrectly saying Manny’s Deli was in Lincoln Park on Thursday. It’s definitely in the South Loop, and thanks to reader Daphne L. for pointing it out. I owe you a matzo ball soup.
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