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.
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WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: June 12, 2026
Yesterday00:49:08Tap to summarizeChicago police investigate a cross burning and potential hate crime in Grant Park. Governor Pritzker says he’s open to calling a special legislative session to reach a Bears stadium deal. Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel pedals presidential aspirations on a bike tour of New Hampshire.In the Loop breaks down those stories and much more with Axios’ Carrie Shepherd,Chicago Tribune’s Dan Petrella, and WBEZ’s Alden Loury.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Chicago Needs Safer Streets For Cyclists And Pedestrians
2d ago00:32:35Tap to summarizeBiking advocate and Chicago Department of Transportation worker Riley O’Neil, 35, died on Friday, June 5, after he was hit with a car door and thrown into oncoming traffic. Since O’Neil’s death, advocates are calling on the city to build more protected bike lanes to prevent fatal incidents like this one. In the Loop sits down with local organizers and cyclists — Charna Albert with Chicago, Bike Grid Now!, Kyle Lucas with Better Streets Chicago, and Jim Merrell with the Active Transportation Alliance — to discuss building safer streets in Chicago.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz, Residents Talk About What They Want To See For Chicago’s West Side
3d ago00:46:54Tap to summarizeOn today’s In the Loop, Sasha sits down with Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz to talk about his work spearheading a multi-billion-dollar revamp of the area around the United Center.Plus, we’ll hear more about the history of the West Side and how residents feel about the historic investment. Today’s guests are: Danny Wirtz, Chairman and CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks; Marie Henderson, owner Out of The Past Records; Brian Ellison, board president of Garfield Park Community Council; and Ayesha Jaco, executive director of West Side United.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Local Queer Elders On LGBTQ+ Pride In 2026
4d ago00:34:04Tap to summarizeThe LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project and the Gerber/Hart LGBTQ Library and Archives are hosting a panel of elders who will share their slices of Chicago’s queer history. In the face of federal attacks against the gay and trans community, hearing the stories from community leaders who helped pave the way for queer rights is more important than ever. To hear how queer elders are reflecting on Pride this year, In the Loop sits down with Karen Morris, co-founder of the LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project; Equality Illinois’ Norma Seledon and queer elder history panelist Jay Myers.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Plot Twist: Bears Take Serious Step Toward Indiana
5d ago00:31:15Tap to summarizeIs Indiana the inevitable new home for the Bears, or is the leap toward Hammond just a stealthy negotiation tactic to put pressure on Illinois? The team announced Friday that its board of directors has voted to push forward with developing a stadium in Hammond, Ind., even though an exact site has not been selected yet. So are Chicago and Arlington Heights really out of the running? Will the fans follow the team to Hammond? How did we get here? In The Loop digs in. Our panel today: Indiana State Rep. Earl Harris, Jr.; Cheryl Raye-Stout, WBEZ sports contributor; Prof. Deborah Carroll, director, UIC’s Government Finance Research Center. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: June 5, 2026
1w ago00:49:42Tap to summarizeICE agents sparked chaos in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood, crashing into a woman’s car and threatening residents as they chased and detained a man. Media outlets got a preview of the Obama Presidential Center campus. Developers break ground on a $7-billion project around the United Center. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with WBEZ senior statehouse reporter Mawa Iqbal, Chicago Tribune government reporter A.D. Quig and Block Club Chicago reporter Quinn Myers.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Is The New Parental NICU Leave Enough?
1w ago00:36:44Tap to summarizeOn June 1, Illinois’ Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act went into effect. The law entitles eligible parents with babies in the NICU with up to 20 days of unpaid leave.For more on what this new law could mean for families, In the Loop sits down with three Illinois mothers: Francennett Llamas of The Little Warriors Project, Amanda Santoro with The Little Giraffe Foundation, and Chicago resident Areli Flores.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Eliminating Chicago’s ‘Pharmacy Deserts’
1w ago00:32:16Tap to summarizeAs big box pharmacies continue to disappear from Chicago’s South and West sides, thousands of Chicagoans are having to travel miles outside of their neighborhood for medication. Some residents are even forgoing their prescriptions.Today on In the Loop, Alderman William Hall of the 6th Ward shares his plan to fill the gaps left behind. Plus, Edwin Muldrow, a second-generation pharmacist, explains the importance of having an independent, local pharmacy.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Illinois Makes Strides In Regulating A.I: ‘No Technological System Is Inevitable’
2w ago00:32:49Tap to summarizeJust before the legislation session wrapped in Springfield this week, Illinois lawmakers passed landmark legislation regulating artificial intelligence. Senate Bill 315 requires developers to publish reports explaining the capabilities and risks associated with its technology. It also mandates third-party audits. Illinois is one of just a handful of states pushing through laws that regulate AI. But in the absence of federal governance, the growing patchwork of state laws may not be enough to protect consumers as AI technologies rapidly evolve and expand. For more on the growth of A.I. and what enforcement of regulation could look like in Illinois, we hear from Illinois State Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove) and AI expert Michael Bennett, associate vice chancellor for data science and AI strategy at University of Illinois Chicago.
Transcribe →Chicago’s Efforts To Make Housing Affordable
2w ago00:32:37Tap to summarizeHome prices in Chicago are rising at more than five times the national average, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s BUILD plan — aimed to streamline housing development — didn’t pass during Springfield’s spring legislative session. So what will it take to make housing more affordable and homeownership more attainable in Chicago? In the Loop checks in with Lissette Castañeda, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Housing.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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