
City Cast Chicago
🇮🇹 A good cannoli!
August 14, 2026 · — Emmi Mack
Holy Cannoli, Chicago! I just tried the new to-go window at Labriola in West Loop and was quite impressed by the massive cannoli, topped with candied orange and a perfect, drippy cherry.


What's CITY Talking About
A Waze For Gunfire?
SplitSec is an app that can potentially use Chicagoans’ phones to detect nearby gunfire, as opposed to the fixed sensors on poles utilized by the controversial ShotSpotter program. SplitSec’s founder compared it to the traffic app Waze, but for gunfire awareness. It’s currently being tested in two wards. [Block Club]
- Remember? Replacing ShotSpotter has been a debacle. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
Funeral Home Under Investigation. Also, the Fire on Fire
The owners of multiple South Side and south suburban funeral homes are under a microscope after state officials discovered they had been mismanaging human remains. We break down the details on today’s podcast. Plus: the recently shuttered charter network trying to sell a publicly funded building, and the Chicago Fire on fire. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
ICE Agent Pleads Guilty
An ICE agent, Adam Saracco, pleaded guilty to attacking an activist last December and was sentenced to a year of court supervision. He’s believed to be the first and only ICE agent charged in Cook County over conduct during “Operation Midway Blitz.” [Tribune 🔒]
Time to Buy those Glue Sticks!
Illinois' Back-to-School Tax Holiday, which temporarily reduces the state sales tax rate from 6.25% to 1.25% on qualifying items, expires Monday. So get out there this weekend and do some shopping! City and county taxes are still in full effect. [Illinois.gov]
- Did you know? The average family spends almost $1,000 per kid on back-to-school shopping. [PwC]
Chicago Not Quite Prepared For Disaster
A recent analysis ranks Cook County behind only Los Angeles County in our natural disaster risk level and lack of preparedness. Consider this your warning as we head into a weekend with severe storms (and hail and winds) once again in the forecast. [Axios]
- Get prepped: Our tornado tips and resources. [City Cast Chicago 💻]
This Week’s Must-Read: Life After ICE Detention
The arrest of a tamale vendor in Back of the Yards last fall drew attention to the vulnerability local street vendors face. Now, after six months of detention, Laura Murillo is back in Chicago, rebuilding and re-examining her life. In this intimate profile, Murillo tells the story of her arrest and detention and how it changed her life. [Sun-Times]

Take This Week’s Chicago News Trivia Quiz

Yeah, yeah, it was another stormy week in Chicago. But the news doesn’t stop, not even for tornado warnings. Were you paying attention to the headlines?

What To Do
Friday, Aug. 14
- 🎭 "Adolescent Salvation" premiere | Theater Wit | Lakeview
- 🌇 Bronzeville Summer Nights | 43rd Street between King Drive and Cottage Grove | Free
- 🎤 Holy F*ck Comedy Hour | Annoyance Theatre | Lakeview | Free
- 🏠 Mom’s House | The Original Mothers | Gold Coast
- 🎶 Fiddlehead | Thalia Hall | Pilsen
- 🗣️ Food & Culture Walking Tour | Phoenix Restaurant | Chinatown
- 🇸🇪 Retro Party | Swedish American Museum | Andersonville
Saturday, Aug. 15
- 📒 South Side Zine Fest | Richard J. Daley Branch | Bridgeport | Free
- 🎶 360 Fest | South Side Sanctuary | Bronzeville | Free
- 💃 Reggaeton Rave | Ramova Theatre | Bridgeport
- 📢 Quantum Town Hall | Arnold Mireles Academy | South Chicago | Free
- 🍷 Wine and Art Walk | Morton Arboretum | Lisle
- 🎨 Vanguard Art Show | Zhou B Art Center | Bridgeport
- 🥕 Farmers Market | Hegewisch Community Center | Free
Sunday, Aug. 16
- 📝 “The Artist’s Way” | Fourtunehouse | Bronzeville | Free
- 🎤 Sunday Karaoke | Sunnygun | West Loop
- ☀️ Sunday Heat | Replay | Lake View | Free
- ♟️ Sunday Swiss | Chess Club Coffee | Irving Park
- 🍷 Wine and Art Walk | Morton Arboretum | Lisle
- 📖 Better with a Beverage Book Discussion | Richard M. Daley Branch | Humboldt Park | Free
- 🍎 Farmers Market | Wicker Park | Free
The likely last barrel of Schlitz in Chicago was tapped at the Glunz Tavern on Wednesday. Don’t forget your Schlitz-Glunz history!
Free · Daily


