Podcast
In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons
Hosted by WBEZ Chicago · EN
We’re unpacking the headlines and making the news make sense. Get connected with local experts, your neighbors and the stories shaping Chicago.
109episodes
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Trump Administration Wants Illinois To Foot Its Own Bill For SNAP Program
3w ago00:34:41Tap to summarizeThe Trump Administration wants states to carry more of the financial burden of SNAP benefits, which were previously a federal obligation. For Illinois, that cost shift will begin in late 2028, with the state potentially having to shoulder upwards of $700 million to sustain SNAP benefits, raising concerns about the program’s future. In the Loop talks about what exact changes the federal government wants, how it will impact states and SNAP recipients, and what lawmakers can do about it. GUESTS: Nolan Downey, senior director of policy, Greater Chicago Food Depository Carolyn Barnes, associate professor, Crown Family School at UChicago Illinois State Rep. Dagmara Avelar, (D-Bolingbrook)
Transcribe →If It’s Broke, Fix It: Repair Cafes Make Your Tech, Appliances Last Longer
3w ago00:26:58Tap to summarizeWe live in a world where replacing something is often quicker and easier than fixing it. Your coffee maker breaks? Buy a new one. Same thing for your busted laptop. But a growing movement is asking us to rethink that mindset. Enter: repair cafes. From Romeoville to Evanston, there are six repair cafés across the city and suburbs where volunteers help residents extend the shelf lives of their tech, appliances and other belongings. In the Loop learns more about how to take part, be more sustainable with your stuff, and save money. GUESTS: Maria Anna Rafac, Campus Sustainability Coordinator at Joliet Junior College Elyse Hoffenberg, Clerk of the Township of Lyons Amy Yee, Chicago Sun-Times economy and business reporter For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Chicago Is Making Sports More Accessible
3w ago00:35:11Tap to summarizeFor some athletes, sports are about a lot more than winning. They’re about finding community, building confidence and pushing yourself to new heights. Well, you could say that’s what adaptive sports has done for athletes with disabilities. And now, competitors from the Chicago area are gearing up to join hundreds in the country’s biggest multi-sport tournament for athletes with disabilities. We’ll hear from a panel of veterans in the game about what the experience means to them – and how more Chicagoans can get involved.GUESTS: Jorge Alfaro, coach of Chicago Hornets, a wheelchair basketball teamDylan Sams, sports coordinator, Shirley Ryan AbilityLabLarry Labiak, disability policy officer, Chicago Park DistrictFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Rethinking Chicago’s Next Big Infrastructure Project
3w ago00:29:34Tap to summarizeFor its design competition “The Horizon Lines: Visions for Chicago 2050,” World Business Chicago asked residents to come up with some ideas on what Chicago’s next big development should be. After nearly 200 submissions, six finalists have been selected and are now on display at the Chicago Cultural Center.In the Loop hears from three of the contest’s judges on what new ideas they are excited about.GUESTS: Phil Clement, CEO of World Business ChicagoEleanor Gorski, CEO and President of Chicago Architecture CenterKenya Merritt, Commissioner of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special EventsFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: July 2, 2026
4w ago00:50:04Tap to summarizeMayor Johnson wants to give Chicago renters new protections, Governor Pritzker issues a state disaster proclamation over extreme weather as the Chicago region remains under extreme heat warning. Plus, Police Superintendent Larry Snelling and Chicago FBI Chief DePodesta announce abrupt resignations.In the Loop breaks down those stories and more.GUESTS: Leigh Giangreco, freelance journalistRummana Hussain, Chicago Sun-Times opinion pages editor and columnist Shia Kapos, Politico reporter and author of Politico’s Illinois Playbook newsletterFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Evanston Stands Firm As DOJ Attacks Its Reparations Program
4w ago00:34:40Tap to summarizeEvanston made history as the first city in the country to launch a local reparations program. Since then, the city has distributed more than $7 million to over 200 Black residents who are direct descendants of people harmed by housing discrimination.Now the federal government is putting its weight behind a lawsuit that claims Evanston’s reparations program violates the 14th Amendment on the grounds of race discrimination. In the Loop hears from some of the architects of Evanston’s program and a reparations recipient about the impact of the program on the community and why they say it’s necessary. GUESTS: Mayor Daniel Biss, City of Evanston Robin Rue Simmons, chair of Evanston Reparations Committee; founder and executive director of FirstRepairKimberly Holmes-Ross, executive director of Evanston Cradle to Career; reparations recipientsFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →What's That Building: South Shore Cultural Center and Beach
4w ago00:18:11Tap to summarizeThe South Shore Cultural Center is a 65-acre park on Chicago's South Side that includes a secluded beach, a golf course, tennis courts and a nature sanctuary. The park’s showpiece is a Mediterranean Revival building set at the end of a long drive. Formerly known as the South Shore Country Club, the first building was constructed in 1906 and was modeled after a club in Mexico City. That structure, and additions that came after, still stand today. In The Loop’s architecture critic takes us through the long storied history of the building, its preservation and the beach it sits on. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: June 26, 2026
Jun 2600:34:46Tap to summarizeAfter a violent weekend with eight killed and 40 injured, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joins calls for the creation of a new Department of Gun Violence Reduction. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii’s restrictive gun law. And embattled U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros announces plans to review the work of a “Broadview Six” prosecutor going back to 2007. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more.GUESTS: Paris Schutz, NBC 5 political and investigative reporterMaxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago reporter Violet Miller, Chicago Sun-Times general assignment reporter Alma Campos, Chicago Sun-Times immigration reporterFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →The Impact Of The National Housing Bill On The Chicago Area
Jun 2500:29:42Tap to summarizeCongress passed a bipartisan package that aims to boost homeownership across the country. The legislation would restrict investors from buying up single-family homes, remove regulatory barriers to construction and create more affordable housing.However, President Donald Trump refused to sign the bill until lawmakers first passed a controversial law imposing new restrictions on voter identification and mail-in ballots.In the Loop explores what the impact of the bill could look like in Chicago and Illinois.GUESTS: Bob Palmer, policy director, Housing Action IllinoisGeoff Smith, executive director, Institute for Housing Studies at Depaul UniversityAllison Clements, executive director, Illinois Housing CouncilFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Chicago Nurses Organize for Better Working Conditions And Patient Care
Jun 2400:28:07Tap to summarizeNurses everywhere are fed up. They’re organizing and walking picket lines more than ever before. Here in the Chicago area, more than 2,000 of them have voted to unionize in just the last month. On today’s In the Loop, we’ll hear first-hand accounts from a couple of local nurses and a journalist who’s been following their efforts.GUESTS: Jessica Ahn, registered nurse in the emergency department at Saint Mary of Nazareth HospitalSarah Louise Dawson, registered nurse in medical ICU at Rush University Medical CenterKristen Schorsch, WBEZ public health and politics reporterFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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