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City Cast Chicago

Have you been following the news in Chicago this week? Prove it! Take the City Cast Chicago news quiz.

Looking for a previous City Cast Chicago news quiz? Find it here.

How closely were you paying attention to this week's current events? Test yourself in our weekly trivia quiz.

Your Weekly News Trivia Quiz

Take This Week's Chicago News Trivia Quiz

What Chicagoans have been wondering. We break down why things in Chicago are the way they are and how they work.

Chicago, Explained

Michelle Navarro

Federal and local law enforcement raided two massage businesses on the same street in Brighton Park last month. Two people were arrested and 

accused of running a prostitution operation out of a massage business front

The first raid took place after a worker approached a boy as he was passing the property. The second, down the street, occurred right next to Ald. Julia Ramirez's (12th) office.

, we speak with Ramirez on how these illicit businesses operate, how she and other officials are working to protect the women inside them, and why there seem to be so many in the area.

Why Massage Parlors Are Getting Raided in the 12th Ward

: In the Brighton Park raids, law enforcement found that women inside may have been forced to work. But human trafficking within illicit massage businesses isn’t unique to Chicago. An estimated 

9,000 illicit massage businesses operate in the country

, with many targeting undocumented immigrant women through deceptive recruitment, debt bondage, intimidation, and other manipulation tactics.

, it’s difficult to verify which are operating legally when just looking at a storefront. Often referred to as “massage parlors” or “massage spas,” these venues use the cover of legitimate bodywork and massage therapy to provide sexual acts to patrons.

 Ramirez says landlords need to be more diligent about who their commercial tenants are, what they intend to open, and whether they have the right licenses.

Last month, Chicago Police and the Department of Buildings also 

shut down an alleged brothel operating out of a home

 in Bridgeport. Ramirez says she and Ald. Nicole Lee (11th) have discussed the illicit massage parlors in their wards and suspect there are many across the city.

 There are, of course, legitimate massage businesses in Chicago, so how do we know when it's a front? Illicit massage parlors are often noticeably popular. Patrons may frequent them at all hours, including late at night.

 You can anonymously text tips to TXT2TIP; text the word CPD along with your tip to 274637; or text CPDTip to 738477, then utilize the response link. You can also submit anonymously online through the

Chicago's illicit massage businesses: how they operate and what to do if you see something suspicious.

Illicit Massage Businesses in Chicago

Illicit Massage Businesses Raided in Chicago

Emily Mack

We don’t need an excuse to dish on ice cream in Chicago. But right now, we actually have one: July is National Ice Cream Month.

Pretty Cool is collabing with the CTA. Rainbow Cone is 

. And here at City Cast Chicago, we’re bringing you a special edition of 

In the meantime, brush up on your local ice cream knowledge.

July is National Ice Cream Month. Brush up on your local ice cream knowledge.

Chicago Ice Cream Quiz

A Not-So-Soft-Serve Chicago Ice Cream Quiz

Chicago’s mayoral election is Feb. 23, 2027 — if no candidate gets a majority of the vote, a runoff will take place April 6.

far-off, but the race has already begun! Candidates are announcing, and money is pouring in — here’s where the race stands so far. 

 has been the state’s chief fiscal manager since 2016. Though she ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2019, this campaign feels more focused. She’s not seeking another term as comptroller and she's using social media to amplify (

A centrist Democrat, Mendoza is pro-police and has said that Chicago is facing 

 while serving his ninth term in Congress. Unlike Mendoza, Quigley is up for reelection in the general this fall.

 seems focused on addressing the city’s $1 billion-plus deficit.

Cook County Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas 

officially launched his campaign last week. And so far, his platform seems relatively moderate — 

. Previously, Cardenas spent nearly 20 years as 12th Ward alder, serving as an ally to former Mayors Lori Lightfoot, Rahm Emanuel, and Richard M. Daley.

Chicago Housing Authority board member Matthew Brewer

 slammed Johnson while announcing his candidacy. The two have a contentious history 

 for his November reelection race … but Giannoulias doesn’t need big contributions to trounce a little-known Republican challenger. Seemingly, Giannoulias is shaping up to run for mayor.

Giannoulias is generally considered to have improved office (and line) conditions … but in 2010, 

the collapse of his family's bank cost him the U.S. Senate election

. Giannoulias lost to Republican Mark Kirk.

 is seeking reelection for her current role in November, though she’s previously said 

Pappas has served as treasurer since 1998 and recently published a damning report detailing 

 … but she’s perhaps best known for her 

has not formally announced his reelection campaign, though it seems likely. Then again, Johnson’s 

. Unlike past mayors, Johnson does not maintain a rubber-stamp majority in City Council.

 run again — but for now, he’s still dealing with 

debt and ethics fines from his previous campaign

So, Who’s Running For Mayor?

Juneteenth weekend was extra bustling in Chicago this year, thanks to the Obama Presidential Center opening. The big party was Thursday night, followed by three more days of activities and performances.

It’s no surprise the city went so hard for Barack Obama — love him or hate him, he’s a Chicago legend. The same goes double for Michelle.

See how well you know their Chicago roots.

Test Your Knowledge of the Obamas in Chicago 

I take a very European approach to life in Chicago. By that, I mean forcing my friends to join me for weekday drinks and utilizing public space to the fullest. So when I heard Buckingham Fountain was getting 100 metal chairs inspired by the Luxembourg Garden in Paris, I had to see what this was about.

The Luxembourg chairs are from Fermob, a renowned French furniture manufacturer. Two styles now surround the fountain — the low armchair, which is slightly reclined, and the lounge armchair, an upright version. Both come in a subtle “willow green” color.

It was the price tag that caught my attention more than the chairs’ origin. The 

100 metal chairs in Chicago came out to $54,488

, or about $544 per chair. Lollapalooza covered about 55% of the costs.

I’m quick to pocket-watch the city, but I can’t help but admit I am a fan. The chairs are comfortable and inviting — and they’re movable. The chairs weigh 11-13 pounds, pretty lightweight for a durable metal patio chair. I was able to easily pick one up with one arm. A child could drag one across the floor thanks to the silencing pads at the bottom of the legs.

Public chairs that aren’t benches or bolted to the ground have already proven popular in the city. There are the 

, but those are more difficult to move just by virtue of their shape. They are still comfortable for looking out at the architecture tour boats and people watching.

Before the chairs, the only seating options at the fountain were benches that circle the far perimeter of the plaza. Chicagoans and tourists would swing by, look at the fountain, take some photos, and keep it pushing.

. After visiting on a weekday morning and afternoon, I was happy to see people taking time to sit for a while. Some took in the skyline or the fountain itself. Others, myself included, positioned the chairs to sunbathe. I can imagine walking over on a summer evening after a Millennium Park concert, my friends collecting chairs to pull close to one another.

 — unlocked before 8 a.m. and locked up around 11 p.m. Early Friday, I caught two Park District guys coming out of white pickup trucks, unlocking the heavy-duty security cable around the chairs. They said their job is to “make sure the chairs survive the night.” 

I give the fancy French public chairs my highest recommendation, but the cynical Chicagoan in me is wondering how long it will be until one of the chairs ends up in the lake or a dibs spot next January. I hope we can all fight the urge and protect the chairs at all costs.

Buckingham Fountain got 100 pricey French chairs — but are they comfortable?

A Review of the Chairs at Buckingham Fountain

Buckingham Chairs Review

, I covered Northeastern Illinois University’s plans to seize a block of nearby Bryn Mawr through eminent domain. A decade on, nothing has replaced those former businesses and homes.

To commemorate the “Bummer on Bryn Mawr,” as one poster put it, neighbors recently held a somber tenth anniversary.

I attended — I’m a neighbor too. I grew up around the corner and vividly remember Hunan Wok and Ugly Hookah Cafe, the long-surviving travel agency and busy salon … now vacant storefronts.

NEIU revealed plans for mixed-use student dormitories on Bryn Mawr between Bernard and Kimball in 2014, amid declining enrollment. To build them, the public university would use 

 there. The news shocked neighbors, as NEIU was — and is — a primarily commuter school.

By late 2016, affected Bryn Mawr properties were either seized by or sold to the school. A decade on, NEIU 

. Plans for the Bryn Mawr dorms were scrapped in 2021, and NEIU has struggled to unload the buildings.

Some businesses from those buildings pivoted successfully: Day and Night, a convenience store, and popular Bryn Mawr Breakfast Club relocated down the street. Only the 711 stayed, with the state as its landlord, thus prohibiting the sale of alcohol and slicing profits. The 

The Hollywood-North Park Community Association held a so-called 

 along the 12 empty storefronts Wednesday. Over 20 neighbors gathered with signs and balloons to call attention to what HNPCA chair Andrew Johnson called “blight in our neighborhood.”

Some attendees lovingly recalled takeout from Hunan Wok. But most didn't focus on what used to be on Bryn Mawr — they just want to see new life there.

As neighbor Ryan O'Connell pointed out, the area is landlocked by two cemeteries. “You just ride through, and it's like nothing, nothing, nothing … We're just missing something here.”

In the street, HNPCA members passed out flyers. “We’re celebrating eminent domain!” one explained sarcastically. Drivers honked in approval.

Looming above her was an NEIU billboard that declared: “Our mission is you.” One attendee scoffed at that: “Your mission is YOU,” her sign read.

 this year that includes the Bryn Mawr stretch.

“ I hope they've got the tools to do right … This should be a win-win situation,” Johnson said.

Challenges like these aren’t confined to Bryn Mawr. In Rogers Park, Loyola University is facing pressure over 

 decades after taking over the surrounding neighborhood.

But in quiet North Park, residents are done staying mum.

A decade after NEIU seized a block of Bryn Mawr through eminent domain, nothing has replaced those former businesses.

10 Years of Nothing on Bryn Mawr

No Business as Usual on Bryn Mawr

In honor of National Inventor Month, we’re taking a moment to admire 

Chicago’s many contributions to the world

, many of which debuted at the Chicago World’s Fair. The fair took place from May to October in 1893, launching America — and Chicago — as a cultural superpower.

How well do you know those cultural exports?

Many of Chicago’s contributions to the world debuted at the 1893 World’s Fair. 

World's Fair Invention Quiz

Do You Know Your World’s Fair Inventions?

We’re about one week into bridge-lifting season in Chicago. That means all 27 bridges along the Main and South branches of the Chicago River lift twice a week to accommodate boats.

But maybe you already knew that. Maybe you’re a bridge expert. Or maybe you just listened to 

yesterday’s podcast about the (poor) state of Chicago bridges

Think you know Chicago bridges? Test your knowledge!

Chicago Bridges Quiz

Lincolnwood Town Center shuts down at the end of this month — depending who you ask. I’ve seen posts about the mall’s impending closure on social media, but no official reports. So I went to check things out for myself.

, and Lincolnwood is no exception. After years of rising vacancy, the mall was sold to Prairie Ridge Development and Xroads Real Estate Advisors late last year.

A redevelopment plan is in the works, but Xroads declined to comment on what that might look like. 

Creating a tax increment financing (TIF) district

In the meantime, the Village of Lincolnwood says it’s 

At Lincolnwood Town Center last week, I found a half-empty mall. The food court was cordoned off, with nowhere to get a bite in the entire place (RIP Coffee Beanery).

But a half-empty mall is still half full. Unlike what I saw on an 

, Lincolnwood had foot traffic. The line at Old Navy was 

. Tween boys biked loops near the defunct food court. There was literally a party at Paint-N-Party!

The perspectives of employees ranged. Some were getting ready to pack up. Mulan, a women’s shoe store, looked ransacked thanks to a BOGO deal. It, along with most other shops, will close by the end of the month. Victoria’s Secret and JD Sports plan to stay in business, though workers don’t know for how long.

Old Navy’s general manager said their lease is through the end of the year, and they’ve received no notice to vacate. However, if teardown on the mall begins, she worries about how shoppers will access the store.

That’s not a problem for exterior store Kohl’s, which says it will stay open, regardless of the rest of the mall's fate.

For me, the fate of Lincolnwood Town Center feels personal.

When I was five years old, I got my picture-day outfit from the Children’s Place there and a Skip-It from the toy store across the way. A few years later, my mom was spoiling me at Claire’s. I eventually graduated to Charlotte Russe and Wet Seal. In eighth grade, my boyfriend and I got matching studded belts at Hot Topic. Our squad used to bum around for hours on the uncomfortable blue ribbed chairs of the food court, 

 (plus fries from Great Steak) and watching All-American Rejects videos on the massive TVs. We were just excited to take the Kimball just past the city limits. We didn’t have anywhere else to go.

I loved hanging out at the mall. I think about it every time I shop online. I’ll think about it every time I take the northbound Kimball bus — I wonder what the last stop will 

 without Lincolnwood Town Center. I wonder where today’s 13-year-olds are supposed to hang out.

Lincolnwood Town Center shuts down April 30 — depending who you ask. I went to the mall to check things out for myself.