Chicago Public Media is phasing out its sister radio station Vocalo and laying off 14 staffers.

Why it matters: The company continues to cut back programming and staff for all of its properties.

Driving the news: The 14 layoffs include Vocalo staff, members of the podcast team and non-newsroom Sun-Times employees.

The big picture: The layoffs come as several media companies are cutting back due to economic uncertainty.

• WBEZ unveiled plans earlier this year to trim its local talk programming to one hour a day.
• CPM chief executive Matt Moog announced he was stepping down last December, but he continues to run the organization while the CPM board looks for his successor.

What they're saying: "Monumental decisions like this should not be made when leadership is in flux," WBEZ City Hall reporter Mariah Woelfel said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Inside the room: In a tense meeting last night, staff grilled Moog about his decision. They also questioned his job status and his $633,000 salary.

Context: Vocalo was created in 2007 as an initiative to bring in younger, diverse Chicago listeners — a goal reflected in its talent and guests.

Zoom in: CPM is retaining some Vocalo staff members and shifting them to WBEZ.

• CPM will continue to produce the current daily podcast versions of its flagship radio show "Reset" and its newsletter "The Rundown," but it's ending the rest, including the award-winning series "Making," the "Curious City" podcast and the popular "Nerdette."

Yes, but: "Curious City" will continue its weekly, shorter version of the podcast broadcast weekly on WBEZ.

What's next: Vocalo will sign off May 1.

A plan to reimagine areas with empty office space along the LaSalle Street corridor into a mixed-use residential district is moving ahead.

Why it matters: The projects could transform Chicago's financial district and spark an economic restart for the Loop — which has struggled to recover from the pandemic.

What they're saying: It's "one of the largest adaptive reuse efforts to move forward within any central business district in the United States," Planning and Development commissioner Ciere Boatright says.

Catch up quick: Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the LaSalle Street Reimagined plan late last year, and some had worried it would stall after her departure.

• But Mayor Brandon Johnson has pushed affordable housing as one of his central policies and is now offering over $150 million in tax increment financing (TIF) to convert four old office buildings into at least partial residences.

By the numbers: The four projects could cost over $500 million. They are intended to create 1,000 housing units across 40 stories.

• 319 of the units would be set aside for affordable housing.
• Those would be available to people making an average of 60% of the median Chicago income, or about $53,000 for a household of two.

Zoom in: The projects would be constructed in parts of existing buildings on Monroe and LaSalle streets. They include:

• 79 W. Monroe: The Bell Federal building would redevelop eight floors into 117 units, with 41 affordable units available. The project would also restore the "Weather Bell" sign.
• 208 S. LaSalle: The building is the original home of Continental and Commercial National Bank. This redevelopment project would create 226 apartments, 68 affordable.

The intrigue: Two other projects, at 105 W. Adams and 135 N. LaSalle, weren't approved, but Boatright says the city plans more adaptive reuse projects for those historic buildings.

What's next: The four proposals still need approval from the City Council and the Landmarks Commissions.

Go deeper: The other approved sites

🏊‍♀️ A Chicago River open-water swim will return to the city this September after a century's absence. (ABC-7)

🍲 Four Chicago restaurants — Lula Cafe, Elske, Esme and Indienne — are finalists for James Beard awards. (Axios)

🏎️ The city unveiled this summer's NASCAR traffic plan, which will include a shortened timeline for closings before the July 6-7 event. (NBC-5)

🏀 The Illini women's basketball team won the WBIT championship, beating Villanova 71-57 in Indianapolis. (Champaign Room)

Eighty-five percent of flights out of O'Hare and 76% out of Midway departed on time in December 2023, per the latest Transportation Department data.

The big picture: More than 83% of domestic U.S. flights departed on time in December 2023.

• That's a significant upswing compared with December 2022, when Southwest Airlines' epic meltdown dragged the industry average down to about 70% for the month.

Florida's Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport was the most on-time (89.5%), and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport was the worst (67.2%).

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From special viewing parties to ice cream flavors, there are many ways to make Monday's solar eclipse special.

Why it matters: The extremely rare event is a chance to turn a regular afternoon into a forever memory.

🌇 Viewing events

Adler Planetarium: If you're going to witness a scientific marvel in the sky, the planetarium seems the obvious choice. The outdoor event includes safe solar viewing through telescopes and eclipse photography. (Free)

• The event begins at 11am, and prime viewing in Chicago will be at 2:07pm.

Museum of Science and Industry is also hosting a viewing with solar telescopes and a live broadcast of the eclipse from Carbondale in southern Illinois, which is in the path of totality. (Free)

• Event begins at 10am; outdoor telescopes will not be available if it's cloudy.

🍦 Food deals

Intergalactic ice cream: Chicago locations of Jeni's are offering special flavors for the eclipse, including "Nebula Berry" and "Cosmic Bloom."

🍩 Krispy Kreme: The "Total Solar Eclipse Doughnut" is glazed, dipped in black chocolate icing with silver sprinkles and a whole Oreo cookie in the middle.

More events and treats