In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Illinois residents have lost nearly $8 billion gambling last year, according to a new report from the Illinois Answers Project.

And for many, gambling is not easy to resist, thanks to the increase of slot machines in everyday establishments, new casinos, and mobile sports betting apps that puts the casino in people’s pockets. In fact, more than one million Illinois adults either have a gambling addiction or are at risk of developing one.

Who is losing the most money, and what is the state doing to help people at ri...

The Federal appeals court in Chicago upholds Illinois’ assault weapons ban one week after the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to consider a challenge to the ban in Cook County. Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel makes headlines after a controversial speech in Israel. Plus, the CTA says crime is down 30% percent over last year.

In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap.

GUESTS: David Greising, president, Better Government Association

Olivia Olander, state government reporter, Chicago Tribune

Mitch Armentrout, Chicago Su...

The 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 Re...

We 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 a...

For 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.

For 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 Chicago

Eleanor Gorski, CEO and President of Chicago Architecture Center

Kenya Merritt...

Mayor 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 journalist

Rummana Hussain, Chicago Sun-Times opinion pages editor and columnist

Shia Kapos, Politico reporter and author of Politico’s Illinois Playbook newsletter

For a full archive of...

Evanston 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 t...

The 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...

After 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 reporter

Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago reporter

Violet Miller, Chicago Sun-Times genera...

Congress 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 Illinois

Nurses 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 Hospital

Sarah Louise Dawson, registered nurse in medical ICU at Rush Universi...

Over 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...

It’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, mete...

The 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 City

Tynnetta Qayim, COO, Black Ensemble Theater

Katanya Raby...

No 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 reporter

Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic

Justin Lau...

What’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 Champaign

Dan Montgomery, executive director, American Library Association

Jarrett Dapier, author of...

Housing advocates have warned that the Obama Presidential Center could price out longtime residents. So far, the cost of single and multi-family homes in Woodlawn closest to the Obama Center have doubled since 2019, and less than a third of housing stock in the area was considered affordable. Also, the number of short-term rentals, like Airbnb, are increasing in the neighborhoods around the Presidential Center, which takes potential rental housing out of the market.

In the Loop digs into how the city has fallen short of delivering on promises aimed at protecting residents from displacement...

Chicago is just days away from the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. And it’s not just a museum or library, but also a home to a whole lot of art. Inside, outside, on the walls, IN the walls, overhead – and even the benches visitors will sit on. So who is this art for, and what message does it convey?

In The Loop talks with three of the Chicago artists featured in the inaugural permanent collection at the Obama Presidential Center: visual artist Tyanna J. Buie, and muralists Dorian Sylv...

Chicago 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.

Biking 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.<...

On 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.

F...

The 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 pane...

Is 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...

ICE 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 w...

On 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.

As 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.

Just 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...

Home 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.

The Obama Presidential Center announces the schedule for its grand opening. Chicago’s U.S. Attorney’s Office says it’s instituting reforms after the high-profile case against a group of ICE protesters falls apart because of prosecutorial misconduct. Plus, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson visits Pope Leo XIV in Rome. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with freelance journalist and City Cast Chicago contributor Brandon Pope, Illinois Answers Project reporter Alex Nitkin and Chicago Sun-Times reporter Violet Miller.

For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/in...

Intersectional solidarity is an approach to activism where different identity groups join together to fight oppressive forces. In honor of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, In the Loop explores how other marginalized communities can show up for Asian Americans and how Asian Americans can stand arm-in-arm with them. To find out more about ways Chicagoans can work toward unity, In the Loop sits down with HANA Center executive director Danae Kovac, Latinos Progresando chief programs officer Nubia Willman, and the Rev. Jaime Fluker, the executive director of Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation. For a full archive...

A centuries-old folktale about community, empathy and shared meals gets the Chicago treatment in a kids book from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Stone Soup Chicago is part of a campaign by the food bank to combat hunger at a time of widespread food insecurity. In the Loop sits down with author and comics creator John Jennings, illustrator and multidisciplinary artist Sam Kirk and Greater Chicago Food Depository Chief Operating Officer Jill Rahman.

For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

More than 7 million people in the U.S. currently live with Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to increase as the nation’s population ages. People in this group and their caregivers are at risk of social isolation, but “memory cafes” are helping them connect in the Chicago area. In the Loop checks in with participant and caregiver Robert Contino, memory cafe coordinator Molly Conley of Village Chicago and Dementia Friendly Illinois and social worker Susan Frick of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Dementia Friendly Illinois.

For a full archive of In the...

Six years after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police and the global protests that followed, rhetoric around race in America is sliding backward. The Trump Administration has aggressively gone after DEI initiatives, and the Supreme Court has weakened a landmark piece of civil rights legislation – a decision that undermines Black voting power.

On today’s In the Loop, how are we measuring racial progress at a time when racism is so mainstream in our politics and media? Sasha is joined by Dr. Onnie Rogers, associate professor and director of the Deve...

Happy Friday! It’s been another busy week in politics, the economy, and more. So before you head out for the long Memorial Day weekend, get caught up on the top local stories you need to know about: Illinois lawmakers debate insurance rate reform and prescription drug costs, charges are dropped against the Broadview Six, and Chicago broadcast journalists sue big tech. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap. Our panel today: Nick Blumberg, WTTW News correspondent; David Greising, president of the Better Government Association; and Bob Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times investigative reporter. For a...

In the Loop and In the Loop listeners talk to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson about everything from city assistance for small grocery stores to a Chicago Bears stadium to wages for restaurant workers to the city’s finances.

For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

The 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 Nati...

When 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 Ar...

What’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.

Former 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.