In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Residents from Bridgeport, Armour Square and Chinatown are coming together to protest the development of a new Amtrak maintenance facility in their area. The proposed White Sox stadium would essentially switch neighborhoods with the current Amtrak facility near Roosevelt Road.  Residents are not the only Chicagoans calling for the development to slow down; City Council members are also pushing for...

ComEd has plans for a new power substation in a pedestrian area of Lincoln Park, citing growing power demand on the North Side. But members of the newly-formed Diversey Community Coalition oppose the one-acre industrial mega-project. They argue the land should be used for housing, which would keep families near local schools and drive foot traffic to local businesses.  In the Loop sits down with a...

From The Oprah Winfrey Show to Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me! , many legendary talk shows that reach the national stage were created in Chicago. So, to mark In the Loop’s one-year anniversary, we sat down with longtime hosts to chat about getting into the industry and what makes Chicago special.  Then, we caught up with local jazz legend Kurt Elling, ahead of his show at the CSO’s Symphony Center stage...

What is the greatest threat to American democracy? In his new book, UChicago professor Robert Pape warns it’s normalized political violence. He says violence isn’t most dangerous when wielded by extremists, but when it’s accepted by everyone else as a “regular” part of politics. In the Loop learns more about the signs for passive acceptance of violent populism. GUESTS: Robert Pape, professor of po...

Google gives the public a peek into its plans for the Thompson Center. O’Hare comes in dead last in a nationwide consumer survey on airport satisfaction. Plus, Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey gets a presidential endorsement. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap. GUESTS: Brandon Pope, Fox 32 political reporter Leigh Giangreco, freelance journalist...

From the November midterms to Chicago’s municipal election in February, elections are just around the corner. A new book by a local author wants to share that excitement with future voters.  Violet Goes Voting is the latest work by L'Oreal Thompson Payton. Inspired by her experience taking her own daughter to the polls, the new children’s book teaches kids about civic engagement and making their v...

More and more kids are showing up in emergency rooms with suicidal thoughts and self-harm. According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for children and young adults in the U.S., with rates among Black youth rising faster than any other demographic. Yet only about 10% of Illinois hospitals have psychiatric beds for children and teens.  On today’s In th...

This fall students at Northwestern can declare a major in A.I., while UIC offers Artificial Intelligence as a concentration. In the Loop learns more about what it means to pursue this course of study, particularly as A.I. leaders are urging government oversight and caution.   GUESTS: Samir Khuller, chair of computer science at Northwestern Engineering   Michael Bennett, associate vice chancellor f...

Chicago journalists reflect on covering Operation Midway Blitz one year after the aggressive immigration crackdown began. Illinois House Republicans call for ethics reforms after the state’s legislative watchdog resigned. Plus, a proposed plan to move the White Sox into a new South Loop stadium is unveiled. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more. GUESTS: Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune sta...

In the Loop talks with the executive producer and a Chicago physician featured in the new documentary American Doctor , which follows three American physicians working alongside Palestinian healthcare workers in besieged southern Gaza amid war.  GUESTS: Hamza Ali, co-founder of Watermelon Pictures, and executive producer of the American Doctor documentary Dr. Thaer Ahmad, emergency physician on Ch...

During the aggressive 10-week campaign, around 4,000 people in the Chicago area were detained, and 2,700 were deported. Reporters from the WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times newsroom reflect on the anniversary of the launch of Operation Midway Blitz.  GUESTS: Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government reporter  Araceli Gomez Aldana, WBEZ news reporter  Candace Dane Chambers, visual journalist, Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago’s Catholic archbishop and nuns oppose a controversial end-of-life law set to go into effect next week. A mass shooting in Washington Park draws President Trump’s criticism over city and state responses to crime. And one year after Chicago’s Operation Midway Blitz, federal immigration agents still face no charges.  GUESTS: Monica Eng, Axios Chicago reporter  Alden Loury, WBEZ data projects...

What if you could hop on a train to O’Hare International Airport and it only took 15 minutes to get there? That’s the idea behind the O’Hare Flyer , a fast-rail connecting the Loop to the airport using existing railways from CSX and Union Pacific. Leaders behind the project hope to get started next year. In the Loop hears from the people who want to make the idea a reality. We also check in with a...

The Chicago Jazz Festival is back, bringing big sounds and homegrown talent to Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center starting Thursday. In the Loop checks in with two notable figures in Chicago’s jazz community to hear about this year’s lineup, plus what’s next for a new generation of jazz in the city.  GUESTS: Isaiah Collier, award-winning saxophonist, composer and activist Heather Irel...

It’s been almost a year since the launch of Operation Midway Blitz – a surge in immigration enforcement that led to Chicagoans being apprehended, beaten, shot and even killed by heavily-armed, masked agents roving through residential neighborhoods. Additionally, the agents often escalated situations by using tear gas on residents who were gathered to document ICE activity.  In the Loop sits down w...

In The Loop is interviewing candidates for Chicago mayor, and inviting listeners to join the conversation and ask their own questions.  For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop . 

Chicago home prices rose faster than any other U.S. city in the past year. Immigration agents are involved in a highway crash, while the Mayor issues any executive order targeting city contractors doing business with ICE.  In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap. GUESTS: Carrie Shepherd, Axios Chicago reporter  Alex Nitkin, Illinois Answers Project government financ...

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is once again in the hot seat, answering our questions – and yours – during our monthly public forum “Ask The Mayor.”  For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop . 

We honor the late country music icon, Dolly Parton. The family of the acclaimed singer announced her death at 80 years old yesterday. In an interview with People on Friday, August 21, Parton said, “I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I ca...

Tensions over race and gender have manifested in former NBA players disrupting games and Republican lawmakers sending a letter to the WNBA’s commissioner demanding "accountability."    In the Loop discusses the politicization of the WNBA and why it’s become a flashpoint for culture wars.  GUESTS: Cheryl Raye-Stout, WBEZ sports contributor Quita Wiggins, host Quita in the Mornings on YouTube For a...

Robert Washington-Vaughns started the Black Men Flower Project in 2021 after delivering flowers to his friends as a token of his appreciation for them.  Since then the award winning non-profit has sent more than 2,500 bouquets to Black men across the country in an effort to promote healing and connection.  In the Loop sits down with one of the people behind the love to talk about challenging stere...

In 2014, President Barack Obama stepped up to the podium in the White House Briefing Room to update the country on the economy, foreign policy and more. But all anyone could seem to talk about was the president’s fashion choice for the day. The president, known for usually wearing a navy or gray suit, made a rare fashion divergence – one that was described as everything from hands “cool” to “unpre...

Mayhem breaks out in the Wrigley stands during the Crosstown Classic. Hundreds of union members rallied outside the Shedd Aquarium. Commutes are about to get pricer after the Illinois Tollway Board approved its first toll hike in nearly 15 years, and Gov. Pritzker signed a disaster proclamation to help areas hit by this summer’s record-breaking storms. In the Loop breaks down those stories and mor...

Getting a citizenship, asylum or a permanent residency case in front of a judge is a notoriously slow process. Now, the Trump administration is speeding it up with so-called “mega master” calendar hearings where dozens of people are asked to appear in immigration court on short notice.  This means people have to scramble to find a lawyer, arrange childcare, and get the day off work, leaving many u...

In The Loop is interviewing candidates for Chicago’s next mayor, and inviting listeners to join the conversation and ask their own questions.  Today at the mic: U.S Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois’ 5th District. Plus: WBEZ City Hall reporter Mariah Woelfel shares the ins and outs of the Chicago mayoral race so far.   GUESTS: U.S  Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois’ 5th District. Maria...