Claim OwnershipIn the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons
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Why did Chicago just agree to ban some hemp products? Who is falling behind in the race to replace Sen. Dick Durbin? And did a Chicago landlord tip off ICE?
In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with Tahman Bradley, WGN political editor, Bob Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times investigative reporter, and Mack Liederman, Block Club Chicago reporter.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Chicago Restaurant Week is back starting Friday, Jan. 23 until Feb. 8. In the Loop sits down with WBEZ food and drink writer Maggie Hennessy and moderator of local food subreddit group Mitch Gropman, to discuss all things Chicago food. We also get tips to make snagging your next reservation a breeze.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
This month marks 60 years since the start of the Chicago Freedom Movement, when Martin Luther King Jr. moved to North Lawndale on the West Side to protest discriminatory housing practices and high rents. Pamela Stalling, VP of Housing and Financial Empowerment, Chicago Urban League, Alden Loury, WBEZ data projects senior editor and David Stovall, Professor of Black Studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago join In the Loop, to examine what’s changed for Black Chicagoans six decades later.
College used to be a reliable path to a professional career. Now, facing an increase in layoffs and a difficult job market, some workers say it’s not enough.
In The Loop learns more about why this is happening and what it means for both workers and the economy. We sat down with New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber, and Sarah Rand, a strategic communications consultant.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Chicago Bears gear up for a freezing playoff game against L.A. Rams, while state politicians warm up to an Arlington Heights stadium. Former DePaul basketball players are accused in a gambling scandal. Chicago joins Illinois in a lawsuit against White House over federal immigration enforcement.
In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with Jacoby Cochran, host of City Cast Chicago, A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune Cook County and Chicago government reporter and Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government and politics reporter.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Jan. 15 is the deadline to enroll in health insurance plans through the federal government’s ACA Marketplace at Healthcare.gov. But Illinois residents will have until Jan. 31 to enroll through the state’s marketplace Get Covered Illinois. It announced it will extend the deadline for Illinois residents to enroll in a plan as many are struggling to find one that’s within their budget after ACA subsidies expired at the end of 2025.
For the latest on this extension and how Illinois residents can get support, In the Loop sits down with Galo Granda, Access Community Health Network patient benefit specialist and navigator, and Get Covered Illinois director Morgan Winters.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
The multibillion-dollar project Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park on Chicago’s South Side promises to be one of the largest private investments in the area. Backers of the project say it will be an economic boon for the area, creating jobs and affordable housing.
But some residents are concerned about the economic and environmental impact the 128-acre park will have on the area.
On today’s In the Loop, who benefits from the forthcoming Quantum campus? We ask our panel: John F. Zasadzinski, professor of physics, Illinois Institute of Technology; Samir Mayekar, associate vice president and managing director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; and Clifton Muhammad, member of the South Side Environmental Task Force.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
In the Loop checks in with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for our monthly “Ask the Mayor” series and takes listener questions on the immigration crackdown, city budget, public safety, the Bears playoff victory and more.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Bookstore giant Barnes & Noble is opening new locations in downtown, Hyde Park, Oak Park and Skokie. As the chain continues to see growth since its change in leadership in 2019, some are concerned about the return of the big-box bookstore where small, independent bookstores already exist.
In the Loop talks about the Barnes & Noble expansion in Chicago, its impact on local bookshops and how indie bookstores and large booksellers can coexist in the city. We speak with Barnes and Noble CEO James Daunt, Volumes Bookcafe co-owner Rebecca George and Call & Response Books owner Courtney Bledsoe.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Ticket prices reach a record high for the Bears and Packers wild-card game, the city of Chicago adds a new surcharge for ride shares, and U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley announces plans to run for Chicago’s next mayor.
In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with Melody Mercado, Block Club Chicago reporter, Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune city hall reporter and Sarah Karp, WBEZ education reporter.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
How many of this week’s top local headlines do you remember? We put our live studio audience in the hot seat for the high-stakes prize of some WBEZ swag. Plus: We’re dusting off our vocal pipes and learning to sing in harmony with Davin Youngs, the founder of Chicago Circle Singing.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Effective January 14, immigrants from seven Latin American and Caribbean countries who entered the U.S. with Family Reunification Parole after 2023 will have their legal status revoked and will have to leave the country. The Trump administration says it's going after fraud and lackluster vetting processes set forth when former President Biden streamlined this process. In the Loop learns what this latest termination of legal status means for immigrants in our area from Nicole Hallett, clinical professor of law and director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
It’s that time of year again: coughs, sniffles and a whole lot of people feeling achy and run down. Chicago is among several US cities experiencing a surge in influenza cases, and a new strain of influenza called subclade K or “super K” is partly to blame.
On today’s In the Loop, we talk with experts about how to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Our panel today: Dr. Brian Borah, medical director for the Vaccine Preventable Disease Surveillance Program at the Chicago Department of Public Health; and Dr. Nicholas Cozzi, emergency physician at Rush.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
After seizing the Venezuelan president and his wife, President Donald Trump says the United States plans to "run" the country for an unspecified amount of time, zeroing in on advancing American oil interests there.
Illinois leaders are raising major concerns and questions about the U.S. strike, and calling for a push to “take back” the power of Congress.
We check in with U.S. congress members from Illinois, Robin Kelly and Mike Quigley. Plus, we get insight from national security expert Robert Pape from UChicago on what comes next in Venezuela and how this could affect Chicago.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
According to GoFundMe’s end-of-year report, campaigns to fund basic necessities like housing, utilities and groceries are on the rise after quadrupling in 2024. In the Loop gets insight on how we got here, how this impact is felt locally, and local efforts to close gaps through mutual aid efforts and policy shifts. Dion Dawson, founder, executive director Dion’s Chicago Dream and Bob Palmer, Policy Director Housing Action Illinois and Rep. Brad Schneider, 10th District sat down with host Sasha-Ann Simons.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Are you an adventurous eater? Or are you married to your classic “go-tos?” How about some recs for the best places to get a bite with a twist? A trio of journalists behind a new guide from WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times review their favorite plates and treats on In the Loop.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
As their winning season heats up, the Chicago Bears make another play for an Indiana stadium. Lakeview neighbors replace presents for needy families collected by a local bar that was burglarized. Local public transit gets an overhaul. Meanwhile, Chicago is one step closer to an alternate budget proposed by alders. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with WTTW News correspondent Nick Blumberg, Block Club Chicago reporter Mack Liederman and
WBEZ city politics reporter Mariah Woelfel.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
In the Loop checks in with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for our monthly “Ask the Mayor” series and takes listener questions on the city budget, its looming deadline and more.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Despite the federal government cutting tax credits for clean energy, Illinois continues to invest in grants for residents, municipalities and organizations to make the switch to solar energy. In the Loop hears from Senyo Ador, co-founder of the local green energy company Sesenergi Eco Solutions Enterprise and our sustainability contributor Karen Weigert.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Chicago’s museums and cultural institutions are as much a part of the fabric of the city as Wrigley Field or the lakefront. And they’ve been around a long time. Some are more than a century old. So why are museum workers organizing now, seemingly en masse? And what could it mean for the visitor experience? In the Loop talks with Chicago Sun-Times arts and culture reporter Erica Thompson, Anders Lindall of AFSCME Council 31 and Adler Planetarium employee Lileas Maier.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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