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.
75episodes
Episodes
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The Continued Push For ERA Recognition
3d ago00:31:06Tap to summarizeThe Drive the Vote for Equality campaign stopped in Chicago this week to press for national recognition of the Equal Rights Amendment.On today’s In the Loop, we look back at Illinois' complicated history with ERA, and find out how the current state of the fight for the ERA ties into today's battles over voting rights. At the table: Maureen Hellwig, president emeritus of the Chicago Women’s History Center; the Rev. Janette Wilson, national director of PUSH for Excellence; and Laura Welch, National board member for the National Organization for Women. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Chicago’s Got More Options When Calling 911
4d ago00:31:50Tap to summarizeWhen someone picks up the phone to call 911 during a mental health crisis, WHO shows up can make all the difference.Since 2021, a Chicago program has been deploying social workers instead of law enforcement to non-violent mental health incidents. It’s called the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program (CARE), and now it's expanding to serve ALL of Chicago.So, what does that expansion actually mean for residents, emergency response times and mental health care in this city?In the Loop sits down with Arturo Carrillo, Chicago’s deputy mayor of health and human services, and Tiffany Patton-Burnside, senior director of crisis services at CARE.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Poof! A Former Prime Rib Spot Is Now A Place Where Magic Happens
5d ago00:29:56Tap to summarizeWhat’s That Building? Oh, just another Chicago spot with a pretty wild story.The old McCormick mansion on Ontario Street has been reinventing itself over the decades. It’s been closed since 2020, but now the historic building is going from a prime rib spot… to a new immersive magic venue. Chicago architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin brings us the inside scoop. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: May 15, 2026
1w ago00:48:33Tap to summarizeFormer Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas is fined for violating campaign finance rules. Mayor Johnson announces plans to meet with Pope Leo XIV in Rome. Lawyers for residents of the South Shore apartment building raided during Operation Midway Blitz seek millions in damages from the federal government. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp, Axios Chicago reporter Monica Eng and NBC 5 political and investigative reporter Paris Schutz. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →To BUILD Or Not To BUILD: The Pros and Cons of Pritzker's Plan for ‘Attainable’ Housing
1w ago00:33:49Tap to summarizeIllinois needs over 100,000 units to fill a severe housing shortage. Gov. Pritzker has a new plan to address this problem, the Building Up Illinois Developments, or BUILD.Housing advocates say the BUILD plan will help with housing affordability, particularly in neighborhoods with high demand. But some are concerned that this plan will take power from local municipalities and open the door for big developments in areas with mostly single family homes.In the Loop learns more about the basics of the bill currently working its way through the Illinois House and Senate from Mawa Iqbal, WBEZ statehouse reporter. We hear potential pros of the plan from Jeff Baker, CEO, Illinois Realtors and potential cons from Doug Pollock, president, Village of Riverside. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →For The Love Of Piping Plovers
1w ago00:34:55Tap to summarizeThe arrival of piping plovers Monty and Rose to Chicago’s Montrose Beach in 2019 captivated the city’s residents. Chicago’s love affair with the endangered birds grew into an entire fandom which included merch, a film and an army of volunteers dedicated to protecting the piping plovers. Seven years on, while the original love birds are no longer with us, Chicago's population of plovers has rebounded. In the Loop revisits the story of Monty and Rose and how public interest has helped bring the species back from the brink with Audubon Great Lakes Conservation Director Daniel Suarez, Monty and Rose director Bob Dolgan and Lincoln Park Zoo Urban Wildlife Institute Assistant Director Liza Lehrer.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →How SNAP Cuts Are Hitting Chicago
2w ago00:33:23Tap to summarizeSweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program made by the federal government last year are now going into effect. In the Loop gets updates and hears how changes to SNAP benefits are impacting local grocery stores and Chicago-area families. Guest host Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government reporter, checks in with Nolan Downey of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Melody Winston of Living Fresh Market in Forest Park andSally Schulze of RefugeeOne.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →What Chicago’s Fight Against ICE Looks Like Now
2w ago00:36:43Tap to summarizeMonths after the end of Operation Midway Blitz, immigration enforcement and detention is still underway in the Chicago area. But as federal agents have pivoted to a quieter approach, so too have rapid responders — advocates who work to provide fast on-the-ground help to people vulnerable to immigration raids and arrests. In the Loop checks in with Cristóbal Cavazos of the Casa DuPage Workers Center, Mimi Guiracocha of Pilsen Unidos por Ñuestro Orgullo (PUÑO) and WBEZ immigration reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: May 8, 2026
2w ago00:48:19Tap to summarizeReady for a week’s worth of news in under an hour? Illinois State Police open an investigation into the ICE shooting of Silverio Villegas González. Mayor Johnson goes on the offense against the Bears in Springfield. Tickets for the opening of the Obama Center go on sale. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap. Our panel today: Carrie Shepherd, Axios Chicago reporter; Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune city hall reporter; and Mitch Armentrout, Chicago Sun-Times reporter covering government and politics.For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Transcribe →Bodycam Footage Gives Insight Into Operation Midway Blitz’s Aggressive Tactics
2w ago00:31:46Tap to summarizeIn November 2025, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered footage from Border Patrol agents' body cameras be released. Filmmaker Bill Morrison took that footage and interwove it with cellphone video from residents to show how quickly the scene in Chicago became chaotic and violent. In the Loop sits down with director Bill Morrison and producer Maria Inés Zamudio to learn more about the story this bodycam footage tells us. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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