In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Chicago City Council advances plan to strengthen enforcement of the Welcoming City Ordinance. THC drinks have come to the United Center. A Congressional Budget Office report shows $21 million was spent on deploying the National Guard to Chicago for “Operation Midway Blitz”.In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with Fox 32’s Paris Schutz, WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos and Carrie Shepherd of...

There’s hardly a better example of how Chicago’s old buildings keep finding new life than a three-story place on Champlain Avenue in Woodlawn, just half a block south of Washington Park. Built back in 1923, the building has been a synagogue, then home to several Christian congregations. Today, it’s something entirely different. Part single-family home, part creative workspace, part artists club —...

After the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minnesota, fear, anger, and organizing have surged in communities already on edge. In the Loop checks in with Jered Weber-Johnson, Rector of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in St. Paul and Brandt Williams, senior editor at Minnesota Public Radio about how residents are pushing back and calling for...

The field to replace longtime Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is a crowded one: 16 people are vying for the nomination. Leading in the polls are Congresswoman Robin Kelly, representing Illinois’ 2nd district, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represents Illinois’ 8th district and Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. For a sense on where they stand on key issues, WBEZ, the Chicago...

For the first time, when the EPA is considering new limits on air pollution, it will no longer estimate the monetary cost of lives saved from regulations. Instead it will only calculate the cost of the rules for companies. The Trump administration says this will rectify “misleading” data about the benefit of regulations, but experts warn this could make it easier to roll back gains made from the...

Why did Chicago just agree to ban some hemp products? Who is falling behind in the race to replace Sen. Dick Durbin? And did a Chicago landlord tip off ICE? In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with Tahman Bradley, WGN political editor, Bob Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times investigative reporter, and Mack Liederman, Block Club Chicago reporter. For a full archive of...

Chicago Restaurant Week is back starting Friday, Jan. 23 until Feb. 8. In the Loop sits down with WBEZ food and drink writer Maggie Hennessy and moderator of local food subreddit group Mitch Gropman, to discuss all things Chicago food. We also get tips to make snagging your next reservation a breeze. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

This month marks 60 years since the start of the Chicago Freedom Movement, when Martin Luther King Jr. moved to North Lawndale on the West Side to protest discriminatory housing practices and high rents. Pamela Stalling, VP of Housing and Financial Empowerment, Chicago Urban League, Alden Loury, WBEZ data projects senior editor and David Stovall, Professor of Black Studies at the University of...

College used to be a reliable path to a professional career. Now, facing an increase in layoffs and a difficult job market, some workers say it’s not enough. In The Loop learns more about why this is happening and what it means for both workers and the economy. We sat down with New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber, and Sarah Rand, a strategic communications consultant. For a full archive of In...

Chicago Bears gear up for a freezing playoff game against L.A. Rams, while state politicians warm up to an Arlington Heights stadium. Former DePaul basketball players are accused in a gambling scandal. Chicago joins Illinois in a lawsuit against White House over federal immigration enforcement. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with Jacoby Cochran, host of...