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.
104episodes
Episodes
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Evanston Stands Firm As DOJ Attacks Its Reparations Program
2d 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
4d 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
1w ago00:34:46Tap 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
1w ago00:29:42Tap 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
1w ago00:28:07Tap 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.
Transcribe →Should Chicago Try Something New To Tackle Gun Violence?
1w ago00:33:47Tap to summarizeOver the Juneteenth weekend, Chicago saw 8 people killed and almost 40 wounded from gun violence, including a drive-by mass shooting in Roseland. In response, community leaders gathered to push for a more prevention-focused strategy, and the creation of a Department of Gun Violence Reduction. While Chicago has seen a decrease in violent crime rates over the past several years, summer is typically when shootings surge. In the Loop discusses gun violence with local advocates to find out more about what effective prevention looks like. GUESTS: Emmanuel Andre, Chicago Deputy Mayor for Community SafetySam Castro, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships, Institute for Nonviolence ChicagoCedric Hawkins, outreach supervisor, Chicago CREDFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Is Illinois a tornado capital? ‘We need to start treating this like we are in Tornado Alley’
2w ago00:33:41Tap to summarizeIt’s been 12 days since storms with derecho winds roiled through Chicago, taking down trees and knocking out power in its path. Chicagoans are still facing the consequences and picking up the pieces after their homes flooded. How are recovery efforts coming along, and what more do residents and businesses need to bounce back? We check in with both a resident and a business owner – as well as a meteorologist, to ask: was this a freak downpour or is this the new normal? GUESTS: Shavon Francis, owner of Fleurish Chicago Margery Scott, Greater Grand Crossing resident, CPS Vendor David Yeomans, meteorologist at CBS News Chicago For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →How To Celebrate Juneteenth In Chicago
2w ago00:11:48Tap to summarizeThe U.S. has officially observed June 19 as a federal holiday for the last five years. Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people, and the end of slavery in the U.S. in 1865. Today on In the Loop, we hear about the Juneteenth celebrations and observance happening across the city this weekend, and discuss new traditions being created by communities in Chicago and beyond. GUESTS: Jahmal Cole, CEO and founder of My Block My Hood My CityTynnetta Qayim, COO, Black Ensemble TheaterKatanya Raby, vice president of planning for Far South Community Development Corporation
Transcribe →WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: June 18, 2026
2w ago00:48:54Tap to summarizeNo you’re not seeing things – we’re bringing you our Weekly News Recap a day early! Illinois Governor JB Pritzker promises to be “very involved” in the 2028 presidential election. A man accused of burning a cross in Grant Park faces hate crime and arson charges. The U.S. Department of Justice challenges Evanston’s reparations program. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in our Weekly News Recap.GUESTS: Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune transportation and labor reporterLee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times architecture criticJustin Laurence, Crain’s Chicago Business government and politics reporterFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Who Is Winning The Fight Around Book Bans?
2w ago00:34:47Tap to summarizeWhat’s behind the surge to try to ban books and what does it mean for readers?We tap in with a panel of experts, including an Illinois author whose children’s book is banned from several shelves outside of the state.GUESTS: Veronica Arreola, author of the children’s book “J Is for Justice” Emily Knox, interim dean and professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana ChampaignDan Montgomery, executive director, American Library AssociationJarrett Dapier, author of the new graphic novel “Wake Now in the Fire” about censorship at CPS schoolsFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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