Claim OwnershipIn the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons
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You might mistake a recent video released by the Department of Homeland Security for an action movie trailer.
It shows Border Patrol agents in military fatigues entering an apartment building in South Shore and arresting people alleged to be connected to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang.
Reporting from WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times and other outlets confirm that U.S. citizens were detained for hours, some of them in handcuffs and zip ties. None of that was shown.
In the Loop talks to Jim Warren with NewsGuard and security affairs expert Robert Pape of UChicago about whether or not the federal government’s videos of immigration raids – such as the one in South Shore – amount to propaganda about Chicago crime and immigrants.
For a full archive of In The Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
A government shutdown is underway. The National Guard has arrived in the Chicago area, and immigration enforcement has escalated in recent weeks. In the Loop host Sasha-Ann Simons and the show’s listeners ask Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson about his plan to create “ICE-free zones” and get his thoughts on the federal deployment of National Guard troops, among other topics.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
The Trump administration has paused $2.1 billion in federal funding for infrastructure projects in Chicago, including the long-awaited extension of the Red Line. In the Loop discusses the impact of this pause on residents, public transit and the environment with Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce executive director Andrea Reed, UChicago Harris School of Public Policy research professor Justin Marlowe and In the Loop sustainability contributor Karen Weigert.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/in-the-loop.
President Trump called National guardsmen from Illinois and Texas to Chicago, and they could arrive any day now. In the Loop checks in with Illinois Veterans for Change chair Jesse Rojo and About Face: Veterans Against the War member Aaron Hughes, an Illinois National Guard veteran, about the President’s decision to send troops to Chicago and other U.S. cities.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
After months of warnings, the federal government said 100 National Guard troops will be deployed in Chicago. President Trump told military leaders to use U.S. cities as a “training ground” for operations. Meanwhile, immigration arrests and protests continue throughout the Chicago region. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with WBEZ senior editor Alden Loury, WTTW news correspondent Nick Blumbert and Block Club Chicago reporter Mack Liederman.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Aquinas Literacy Center is a McKinley Park organization that provides free one-on-one English tutoring to adults, many of whom are immigrants.
In the Loop talks about the importance of this work during a time of frequent ICE raids with Aquinas Literacy Center executive director Alison Altmeyer and tutors Peter Harley and Tom Dankers.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
As e-bikes and e-scooters grow in popularity as an accessible and affordable transit option, many cities and suburbs are creating rules for how, when and where they can be used, leading to a patchwork of regulations. However, some people are now looking to Springfield to set a statewide standard.
In the Loop explores what’s needed with a panel of stakeholders: Nik Hunder, policy analyst and researcher, Chicago, Bike Grid Now!; Micheál Podgers, urban planner; policy director at Better Streets Chicago; IL State Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago)
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
More than half of American adults say they aren’t getting enough sleep. Beyond being tired and irritable, persistent sleep deprivation has been linked to many physical and psychological issues, from weight gain and heart disease to depression and dementia. On this episode of In the Loop we speak to Dr. Sabra Abbott, a sleep specialist at Northwestern Medicine about improving sleep hygiene.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
As we head into fall premiere season, here’s a reminder: The Bear, The Chi, Chicago Fire, Med, P.D., and more are shot in Chicago. In the Loop learns about what goes into bringing some of our favorite shows to the screen with cinematographer Joe Jody Williams and set decorator Eric Frankel.
For a full archive of In The Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Chicago schools lose millions in federal grants. Protests gain steam outside the ICE detention facility in suburban Broadview. Chicago’s City Council reaches a compromise on allowing so-called “granny flats.” In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with WTTW Chicago politics reporter Heather Cherone, Axios Chicago reporter
Carrie Shepherd and Chicago Sun-Times reporter Tom Schuba.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
The West Woodlawn home of Emmett Till and his family is in the process of becoming a museum and memorial. In the Loop checks in with architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin, cousin of Emmett Till and former resident of the Emmett Till House Ollie Gordon and Willie Douglas, organizer with Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 21, which is helping rehab the home.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Illinois is one of several states that have created guidance for vaccines that diverges from federal recommendations. As we enter respiratory illness season, what does that mean for medical treatment? In the Loop talks to Chief Operating Officer for Cook County Department of Public Health Dr. Kiran Joshi, Division Head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Lurie Children’s Hospital Dr. Ravi Jhaveri and Founding Board President of the Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition of Healthcare Equality Creopla Hampton.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
A surprising trend in the job market is worrying economists. College-educated people are making up a larger subset of people who are unemployed for six months or longer. Automation, shrinking industries and federal cuts play a role. In the Loop digs into the issue with New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber and DePaul University professor of economics Brian Thompson.
For a full archive of In The Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
1Federal tax credits for electric vehicles are ending at the end of September, but rebates in Illinois remain. These rebates have been a key tool for the state to achieve its goal of having 1 million electric vehicles on Illinois roads by 2030, though there is a very long way to go on that front. In The Loop discusses what prospective buyers need to know and what this federal change could mean for Illinois’ transition to electric with Mark Cassidy, operations management, EV Energy Group and Karen Weigert, director of Loyola University Chicago’s Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Federal agents step up immigration raids. The Cubs make it to the playoffs. Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar dies at 79. Kim Bellware of the Washington Post, WBEZ’s Sarah Karp and Mitchell Armentrout of the Chicago Sun-Times break it down for us.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
While many efforts continue to educate immigrants and citizens alike on “Know Your Rights,” many people have already been detained by ICE. So, what are people doing right now to support them and their families?
In the Loop sits down with local organizations who are supporting those who have been detained, hears what it was like in detention and what’s next as the city continues to see increased activity by ICE.
We check in with Kabataan Alliance Midwest and Tanggol Migrante Chicago member Louise Macaraniag, Organizing Communities Against Deportation leadership and growth organizer Evelyn Vargas and Midwest Immigration Bond Fund co-vice president and immigration lawyer Lee Vanderlinden.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
We’re six months out from the statewide Illinois primary, and the main showdown is shaping up to be the Democratic race for Dick Durbin's Senate seat.
Political analysts suggest this rare open-seat race will favor Democrats, though that’s not assured. So far, nine Democrats have entered the race, with three notable candidates – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congresswoman Robin Kelly and current Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton – rising to the top.
On this episode of In The Loop, host Sasha-Ann Simons and our panel of Illinois politicos size up the candidates and break down the race to replace outgoing Senator Dick Durbin in D.C.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
As heightened immigration enforcement continues, we learn how the city’s chief executive is working to keep residents safe. In the Loop sits down with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to learn how he’s balancing national attention with the day-to-day needs of the city residents. Plus, he answers callers’ questions.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Chicagoans are living longer — at least nearly as long as they did pre-pandemic, according to new data from the Chicago Department of Public Health. Meanwhile, the life expectancy gap between Black and non-Black Chicagoans is narrowing, but according to CDPH, there’s still a long way to go.
In the Loop finds out more about how far the city has come in improving the health and longevity of residents and what challenges may lie ahead.
We check in with Ayesha Jaco, executive director of West Side United; The Rev. Marshall Hatch, senior pastor, New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church; and Dr. David Ansell, professor of medicine at Rush University Medical Center and author of The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
WBEZ’s new show “In the Loop” is your place for Chicago-area news and culture. Host Sasha-Ann Simons and executive producer Dan Tucker break down what to expect. Check this feed every weekday afternoon to stay In the Loop.
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