đź’™ Good news to get you through
By Sidney Madden |Â @sidney_madden_
đź’™ We Need A Moment
There have been 213 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, 10 of which have happened in Chicago, the most of any city, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
We are swimming in grief, so much so that we barely process the deadly shootings of Black grocery store shoppers and Taiwanese churchgoers being gunned down in New York and California when we start to mourn the killings of Texas schoolchildren and teachers.
Whose heart doesn’t break for Seandell Holliday, the 16-year-old fatally shot near the Bean who wanted to live to 21? The lives lost at back-to-back shootings in Woodlawn and Back of the Yards earlier this month? At McDonald’s on the Near North Side last week?
Who isn’t frustrated hearing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott compare the Uvalde shooting to violence in Chicago?
How sad it all is. Outraging. Exhausting. And so very sad.
We often try to share solutions about what you can do about different issues. How to get involved. Ways to feel less helpless. And we’ll keep doing that.
But today, the City Cast team wants to share moments of joy around the city, and to remind you that good news can sometimes help get you through (even if just a little).
Host Jacoby Cochran on getting out and exploring
Between the pandemic, bad news, and gun violence, I sometimes just want to stay inside and in bed. But this city is so beautifully resilient and I have to get out and take it in. My favorite part of City Cast is learning about events taking place every week. Farmers markets, street fests, bike rides, cool art, and usually great food. This weekend, I’m excited for the Mole de Mayo fest in Pilsen which will have so much of that plus lucha libre!
Producer Simone Alicea on finding a quiet moment
There are two Chi institutions where you can take time to think quietly: Garfield Park Conservatory and Adler Planetarium. Whether it’s free Saturday plant yoga or Wednesday evenings among the stars, it’s nice to find places in a busy city to contemplate growing life and the vastness of the universe
Newsletter writer Sidney Madden on supporting young people
As we wonder who downtown is for, young people from across the city will sing songs from different languages and cultures at the Chicago Children’s Choir’s “Paint the Town Red” concert at Millennium Park at 11 a.m. This show is an absolute treat: I had friends in CCC growing up, and the work and care put into their performances is something else.Â
Lead producer Carrie Shepherd on taking yourself out to the ballgame
I really enjoy watching baseball. I like the ritual of it — seeing the hardcore fans who show up to EVERY game, sit through doubleheaders, stay in the rain, and always keep score. I like the community aspect of high-fives and hugs when your team wins, and how it brings people from all neighborhoods, Chicagoans who usually don’t interact, together. Throw in the sun, a light breeze, and you’ve got a perfect summer day. Cheer on your team at the Crosstown Classic at Sox stadium this weekend.
Wishing you all peace and rest, friends.
Sponsored by Optimum Joy: Better Mental Health is for Everyone
Not everyone needs counseling, but everyone can benefit from it. Optimum Joy’s team of mental health professionals are ready to support you through professional stress, major life changes, multicultural relationships, family complexities, feeling disconnected, or whatever you are going through. Our therapists offer a range of mental health services to help you carry insight and growth into every area of your life.
Discover what optimum joy looks like for you. Learn about our therapists and get started at Optimumjoy.com/citycast.Â
✊ Tortillerias Labor Rights
The El Milagro tortilla brand is strong in Chicago — from lining grocery store shelves to groups of people waiting outside factories for hot, fresh tortillas.
But in recent months, workers in those factories have become more vocal on calling out unsafe work conditions and low pay.
🎧 Long-time El Milagro worker Pedro Manzanares and City Bureau’s Sarah Conway tell us about labor organizing in food production across Chicago.
đź“° Newsfeed
Casino, curfew approved by City Council. Bally’s $1.7 billion riverfront casino was approved 41–7 after an explosive confrontation between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th Ward. Alders also approved 30–19 updating the city’s teen curfew to 10 p.m. [Block Club]
Chicago early voting pushed back — again. Chicagoans will have to wait until Tuesday to fill out their primary ballots to accommodate ballot changes. [Board of Election Commissioners]
Bears, Ford to stay in Chicago? Lightfoot is expected to share her “compelling” offer to keep the Chicago team at Soldier Field in July. The city is also “fully engaged” to keep the manufacturing company’s South Side assembly line going. [Crain’s]