In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

As big box pharmacies continue to disappear from Chicago’s South and West sides, thousands of Chicagoans are having to travel miles outside of their neighborhood for medication. Some residents are even forgoing their prescriptions. Today on In the Loop, Alderman William Hall of the 6th Ward shares his plan to fill the gaps left behind. Plus, Edwin Muldrow, a second-generation pharmacist, explains...

Just before the legislation session wrapped in Springfield this week, Illinois lawmakers passed landmark legislation regulating artificial intelligence. Senate Bill 315 requires developers to publish reports explaining the capabilities and risks associated with its technology. It also mandates third-party audits. Illinois is one of just a handful of states pushing through laws that regulate AI. Bu...

Home prices in Chicago are rising at more than five times the national average, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s BUILD plan — aimed to streamline housing development — didn’t pass during Springfield’s spring legislative session. So what will it take to make housing more affordable and homeownership more attainable in Chicago? In the Loop checks in with Lissette Castañeda, Commissioner of the Ch...

The Obama Presidential Center announces the schedule for its grand opening. Chicago’s U.S. Attorney’s Office says it’s instituting reforms after the high-profile case against a group of ICE protesters falls apart because of prosecutorial misconduct. Plus, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson visits Pope Leo XIV in Rome. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with freelance journalist and City Cas...

Intersectional solidarity is an approach to activism where different identity groups join together to fight oppressive forces. In honor of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, In the Loop explores how other marginalized communities can show up for Asian Americans and how Asian Americans can stand arm-in-arm with them. To find out more about ways Chicagoans can work towar...

A centuries-old folktale about community, empathy and shared meals gets the Chicago treatment in a kids book from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Stone Soup Chicago is part of a campaign by the food bank to combat hunger at a time of widespread food insecurity. In the Loop sits down with author and comics creator John Jennings, illustrator and multidisciplinary artist Sam Kirk and Greater Chi...

More than 7 million people in the U.S. currently live with Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to increase as the nation’s population ages. People in this group and their caregivers are at risk of social isolation, but “memory cafes” are helping them connect in the Chicago area. In the Loop checks in with participant and caregiver Robert Contino, memory cafe coordinator Molly Conley o...

Six years after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police and the global protests that followed, rhetoric around race in America is sliding backward. The Trump Administration has aggressively gone after DEI initiatives, and the Supreme Court has weakened a landmark piece of civil rights legislation – a decision that undermines Black voting power. On today’s In the Loop, how are we measurin...

Happy Friday! It’s been another busy week in politics, the economy, and more. So before you head out for the long Memorial Day weekend, get caught up on the top local stories you need to know about: Illinois lawmakers debate insurance rate reform and prescription drug costs, charges are dropped against the Broadview Six, and Chicago broadcast journalists sue big tech. In the Loop breaks down those...

In the Loop and In the Loop listeners talk to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson about everything from city assistance for small grocery stores to a Chicago Bears stadium to wages for restaurant workers to the city’s finances. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

The Drive the Vote for Equality campaign stopped in Chicago this week to press for national recognition of the Equal Rights Amendment. On today’s In the Loop, we look back at Illinois' complicated history with ERA, and find out how the current state of the fight for the ERA ties into today's battles over voting rights. At the table: Maureen Hellwig, president emeritus of the Chicago Women’s Histor...

When someone picks up the phone to call 911 during a mental health crisis, WHO shows up can make all the difference. Since 2021, a Chicago program has been deploying social workers instead of law enforcement to non-violent mental health incidents. It’s called the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program (CARE), and now it's expanding to serve ALL of Chicago. So, what does that expansion a...

What’s That Building? Oh, just another Chicago spot with a pretty wild story. The old McCormick mansion on Ontario Street has been reinventing itself over the decades. It’s been closed since 2020, but now the historic building is going from a prime rib spot… to a new immersive magic venue. Chicago architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin brings us the inside scoop. For a full archive of In the Loop inter...

Former Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas is fined for violating campaign finance rules. Mayor Johnson announces plans to meet with Pope Leo XIV in Rome. Lawyers for residents of the South Shore apartment building raided during Operation Midway Blitz seek millions in damages from the federal government. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp, Axio...

Illinois needs over 100,000 units to fill a severe housing shortage. Gov. Pritzker has a new plan to address this problem, the Building Up Illinois Developments, or BUILD. Housing advocates say the BUILD plan will help with housing affordability, particularly in neighborhoods with high demand. But some are concerned that this plan will take power from local municipalities and open the door for big...

The arrival of piping plovers Monty and Rose to Chicago’s Montrose Beach in 2019 captivated the city’s residents. Chicago’s love affair with the endangered birds grew into an entire fandom which included merch, a film and an army of volunteers dedicated to protecting the piping plovers. Seven years on, while the original love birds are no longer with us, Chicago's population of plovers has rebound...

Sweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program made by the federal government last year are now going into effect. In the Loop gets updates and hears how changes to SNAP benefits are impacting local grocery stores and Chicago-area families. Guest host Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government reporter, checks in with Nolan Downey of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Melody Winston...

Months after the end of Operation Midway Blitz, immigration enforcement and detention is still underway in the Chicago area. But as federal agents have pivoted to a quieter approach, so too have rapid responders — advocates who work to provide fast on-the-ground help to people vulnerable to immigration raids and arrests. In the Loop checks in with Cristóbal Cavazos of the Casa DuPage Workers Cente...

Ready for a week’s worth of news in under an hour? Illinois State Police open an investigation into the ICE shooting of Silverio Villegas González. Mayor Johnson goes on the offense against the Bears in Springfield. Tickets for the opening of the Obama Center go on sale. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap. Our panel today...

In November 2025, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered footage from Border Patrol agents' body cameras be released. Filmmaker Bill Morrison took that footage and interwove it with cellphone video from residents to show how quickly the scene in Chicago became chaotic and violent. In the Loop sits down with director Bill Morrison and producer Maria Inés Zamudio to learn more about the story this b...

New pay-to-park barriers are popping up at some of Chicago beaches, including at the historic Rainbow Beach. The Park District says the new barriers will generate millions in revenue. Community members say the new barriers are aggressive and unwelcoming. Today on In the Loop, we hear from Brian Gladstein of Friends of the Parks, Sherry Williams of the Burnham Park Advisory Council and Ald. Lamont...

Social isolation can increase seniors' risk of developing dementia, stroke and heart disease. But Chicago advocates say the services, classes and resources that senior centers offer can act as preventative care. In the Loop check in with Yolanda Curry and Alicia Henry of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and senior Jeannine Sharpe. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews,...

In his majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito argued that Louisiana illegally used race to create a second Black-majority district. In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote “the court’s decision will set back the foundational right Congress granted of racial equality in electoral opportunity.” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the decision “voter suppression that will silence Black and brown v...

Chicago’s Cinco de Mayo parade is cancelled for a second year due to immigration enforcement fears. IBM announces a new innovation center at the Quantum and Microelectronics Park on Chicago’s South Side, pledging hundreds of jobs for City College graduates. Meanwhile, in Springfield, the Illinois legislature is finalizing its game plan to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois. In the Loop breaks down...

It’s been nearly five years since Illinois lawmakers passed the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History Act, or TEAACH Act. It ensures that students in every public elementary and high school in Illinois learn about the contributions of Asian Americans. In the Loop learns more with Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago executive director Grace Pai, education consultant and former v...