In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

From ancient artifacts to historic landmarks, pieces of history across the Gulf region are at risk due to armed conflict. On today’s In the Loop, we’ll hear from experts working to protect treasures in active conflict zones and talk about why it’s important to preserve cultural heritage. At the table: archeologists Prof. Gil J. Stein, University of Chicago; Prof. Morag Kersel, DePaul University; a...

Bees and butterflies get all the buzz when it comes to pollination, but what about the underdogs? Think flies and moths, which are essential to pollination in the Midwest. In the Loop kicks off the blooming season by checking in with entomologist Allen Lawrance of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, to find out how we can use our backyards to protect and support pollinators. Plus, WBEZ kids weigh i...

A debate is raging in Chicago’s City Council over how much businesses should pay tipped workers, with a majority of alders moving to freeze the increase in tipped minimum wage. It’s an action Mayor Brandon Johnson says he will veto. In the Loop hears from Illinois Restaurant Association Sam Toia and One Fair Wage organizer Molly Pachay about their thoughts on ending subminimum wage. For a full arc...

City Council votes to end a phaseout of the sub-minimum wage and raise the tax on downtown hotels, making it the highest hotel tax in the nation. And federal prosecutors say a local cyber security expert turned out to actually be a cyber criminal. Plus takeaways and surprises from Tuesday’s primary election. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in our Weekly News Recap with Julie Bosman,...

In honor of Women’s History Month, In the Loop talks about the life and legacy of Chicago’s Vernita Gray. From when she first learned about the gay liberation movement at Woodstock in the ’60s to her death in 2014, Gray was a pioneer for gay and lesbian rights in Chicago. She and her partner were also the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Illinois. In the Loop learns more about Vernita Gra...

After months of campaigning – and millions and millions of dollars spent from outside interests like AIPAC and cryptocurrency – several hotly-contested races for the U.S. Senate, governor and the U.S. House came to a close on Illinois’ Primary Day. We’ll dig into everything you need to know with a panel of political experts: who won, who came up short, and how the results could shape up the genera...

Beyond party affiliation, there is a broad diversity in who, how and why we vote. For some, it’s the issues that matter most; for others, it’s party loyalty. And then there are those who choose abstention. Today on In the Loop, Stevie Valles, executive director, Chicago Votes, and Violet Miller, Chicago Sun-Times reporter, give us a primary day primer on what motivates us to vote. For a full archi...

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sits down with In the Loop host Sasha-Ann Simons to answer listener questions on everything from the Illinois primary election to efforts afoot to once again allow a subminimum wage in Chicago to questions about small business, public safety and education. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker surveys the destruction left behind after a series of wild storms rip through Kankakee County, destroying homes and buildings. Plus, the Illinois primary election is next week, and all eyes are on the tight race to replace longtime retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. We also talk about campaign finances and the use of AI in technology in political ads. In the Loop brea...

During this final week before Primary Day in Illinois, Republican candidates are making their final pitches to voters for who is best to replace veteran U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. In The Loop checks in with three candidates in the GOP race: Chicago lawyer Jeanne Evans, entrepreneur Casey Chlebek and former chairman of the Illinois Republican party Don Tracy. For a full archive of In the Loop interv...

During this final week before Primary Day in Illinois, the Democratic candidates are making their final pitches to voters for who is best to replace veteran U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. Polls show Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the lead. In The Loop checks in with the frontrunners on the campaign trail. You can find our interviews with Rep....

During this final week before Primary Day in Illinois, the Democratic candidates are making their final pitches to voters for who is best to replace veteran U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. Polls show Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the lead. In The Loop checks in with the frontrunners on the campaign trail. We’ll bring you our conversation with...

In the race to replace veteran U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, analysis from the New York Times shows Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton are leading in the polls. During this final week before Primary Day in Illinois, candidates are making their final pitches to voters, and the process can be a 24/7 grind of glad-handing, raising money and not sleepi...

Kristi Noem is out as DHS secretary; meanwhile, Cook County prosecutors dismiss 21 cases against local ICE protesters. Chicago is one step closer to video gambling in bars and restaurants and Jesse Jackson memorials conclude in Chicago. In the Loop goes behind the headlines in the Weekly News Recap. Today’s panel: Mitch Armentrout of the Chicago Sun-Times, Geoff Buchholz of WBBM Newsradio, and Jak...

Real estate developer Related Midwest bought the 62-acre site (known as The 78) back in 2016. On Tuesday, it broke ground for the Chicago Fire’s new soccer stadium. The project’s developers have made many promises to the city from affordable housing, economic growth and developed riverfront. But some residents of neighboring communities still have concerns. To find out what these concerns are and...

Chicago’s premiere alt-weekly has been a hub for art, music, and local investigations since the 1970s. Following a brief hiatus from print, the Chicago Reader is returning to print with a fresh approach to its locally-rooted writing and reporting. We check in with the Reader’s editor-in-chief Sarah Conway, and features writer Katie Prout, on how its team is building on the legacy of the Reader to...

About 17 of the 32 people charged with nonimmigration crimes during Operation Midway Blitz have had their cases dropped with no convictions. Regardless, the toll that comes with federal prosecution doesn't just disappear as soon as the case does. In the Loop talks to Jocelyne Robledo, a defendant of one of the 17 failed prosecution cases and with Jon Seidel, Chicago Sun-Times federal courts report...

Six Illinois Democrats boycott President Trump’s State of the Union address. Meanwhile, Governor Pritzker demands a $8.6 billion refund for Illinois taxpayers after the Supreme Court rules against Trump tariffs. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with Axios Chicago reporter Monica Eng, WTTW anchor and host Brandis Friedman and WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos. For a full ar...

Who gets to be an American citizen? And what rights does citizenship afford? Those questions are explored in the new book, “Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth.” Local author Daisy Hernández blends personal stories with a retrospective on how citizenship was initially constructed and how it’s changed over time. In the Loop sits down with the author to discuss. For a full archive of In the Loop...

A racial slur at the British Film Awards is the latest of several recent public racist incidents that have left Black people feeling dehumanized and disrespected. Today on In the Loop, how much longer will Black and Brown people be asked to extend grace that they are often not afforded? We talk about healing from racial trauma with Pilar Audain, associate director of Truth, Racial Healing, and Tra...

In 2024, Republicans won on an anti-immigrant platform. Vice President Kamala Harris had a “tough on the border” message. Now, Democratic candidates for Congress and Senate are rallying around an anti-extreme immigration enforcement message, while some pundits warn that immigration could cost Republicans in the midterm. In the Loop discusses what changed and how strategists make calculations of wh...

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court decided that President Trump’s global tariffs on imported goods were unconstitutional. With Trump promising to find other ways to impose his tariffs, small business owners are unsure of how or if they’ll get their entitled refunds. In the Loop spoke with Stephen Woldenberg, Senior Vice President of Sales for Learning Resources, the Vernon Hills-based business t...

The Chicago City Council fails to override the mayor’s veto of an ordinance banning intoxicating hemp products, Gov. JB Pritzker blasts President Trump in his State of the State address and Illinois reports its first measles case of 2026. In the Loop goes behind the headlines in the Weekly News Recap. Today’s panel: Christian Farr with NBC-5 Chicago, Simone Alicea with City Cast Chicago, and Alden...

It took years for U.S. leaders to address the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. One public figure that wasn’t afraid to bring the challenges the LGBTQ+ community were facing to the forefront was the Rev. Jesse Jackson. In the Loop reflects on Jackson’s work pushing progressive ideas and being an avid supporter of the LGBTQ+ community with Northwestern professor Martha Biondi and Equality Illinois CEO Ch...

In the Loop continues to honor the life and legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. His 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns were ultimately unsuccessful, but he proved that a Black American could have success at the polls and opened the door for diversity in politics. In the Loop examines how Rev. Jackson changed the political landscape of the Democratic party and paved the way for a new generation of B...