Episodes
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Chicago home prices rose faster than any other U.S. city in the past year. Immigration agents are involved in a highway crash, while the Mayor issues any executive order targeting city contractors doing business with ICE. GUESTS: Carrie Shepherd, Axios Chicago reporter Alex Nitkin, Illinois Answers Project government finance and accountability reporter Sarah Karp, WBEZ senior education reporter
In the Loop and WBEZ listeners talk to Mayor Johnson about filling the $85M budget gap, the start of the new CPS school year and data centers. GUEST: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
A near-total lunar eclipse will peak tonight, and it may be a while before we get another chance to see one like it. In the Loop finds out when, where and how to view the celestial event. Plus, we get the inside scoop on a major NASA launch this weekend. GUEST: Michelle Nichols, director of public observing at the Adler Planetarium
During the game that disqualified the Sky from the playoffs, tension over the potential of a trans athlete playing in the WNBA again bubbled to the surface. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, wore a shirt that read “WOMAN noun adult human female,” and was escorted out of Wintrust arena after being confronted by Sky guard, Natasha Cloud. This comes a month after 11 Republican lawmakers sent a letter to WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, insisting that the league take “accountability” for what they say are multiple racially motivated attacks against Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. In the
Chicago Public Media’s Arts and Culture Desk launched the Theater Club last spring to provide Chicagoans with a discounted opportunity to meet new people and see new theater. This season’s shows include two world premieres and one Chicago premiere, and afterwards attendees can stick around to hear members of the production teams discuss their work, moderated by WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis. In the Loop gets a preview of this season’s shows. GUESTS: Mike Davis, WBEZ theater reporter LINEUP: Sept. 12: “The Birth of the Pill” at TimeLine Theatre Oct. 18: “A Strange Loop” at Raven Theatre Nov.
As the election heats up, one of the key issues on the campaign trail is healthcare. The rising cost of healthcare has reignited the Medicare for All debate across the country. Here in Illinois at least 10 Illinois Democratic candidates support, while most Republican candidates oppose the platform. So what is Medicare for all and how could it work? In the Loop sits down with a leading health policy expert to learn more. GUESTS: Katherine Baicker, Provost of the University of Chicago and Emmett Dedmon Distinguished Service Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy
Robert Washington-Vaughns started the Black Men Flower Project in 2021 after delivering flowers to his friends as a token of his appreciation for them. Fast forward five years and Black men all across the country are receiving, sometimes their first, bouquet of flowers from other Black men. In the Loop sits down with one of the people behind the project to talk about the expectations of masculinity and why men should practice self-care and self-love. GUESTS: John Caleb Pendleton, vice-chair and lead Chicago florist, Black Men Flower Project; founder of Planks and Pistils
What's That Building? The Hilliard Homes
In 2014, President Barack Obama stepped up to the podium in the White House Briefing Room to update the country on the economy, foreign policy and more. But all anyone could seem to talk about was the president’s fashion choice for the day. The president, known for usually wearing a navy or gray suit, made a rare fashion divergence – one that was described as everything from hands “cool” to “unpresidential.” But where is that suit now? We sit down with a reporter on the hunt for the suit. GUESTS: Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times special correspondent Terrell Frazier, lead interviewer for the Obam
Unionized Cook County Forest Preserve workers went on strike and hundreds of union members rallied outside the Shedd Aquarium. The Illinois Tollway Board approved its first toll hike in nearly 15 years and Gov. Pritzker signed a disaster proclamation to help areas hit by this summer’s record-breaking storms. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more. GUESTS: Becky Vevea, Chalkbeat Chicago bureau chief Shia Kapos, Politico reporter and author of Politico’s Illinois Playbook newsletter Cheryl Raye-Stout, WBEZ sports contributor
The America 250 celebrations continue! On Saturday, Aug. 22, you can watch a free, multi-genre concert of song and spoken word performed by the Lucy Smith Quintet and NPR journalist Cheryl Corley. It’s called America: Songs and Stories of Protest and Freedom. It explores the history of the U.S. through music, poetry, ballads and more. In the Loop sits down with the producers of the event to learn more. GUESTS: Cheryl Corley, NPR correspondent Lucy Smith, Chicago jazz musician
Some immigrants have to wait years to get a court date for their immigration case. This leaves many uncertain of their future in the country. Now, the Trump Administration is calling for so-called “mega master” calendar hearings, where dozens of people are asked to appear in immigration court on short notice. The issue is if people fail to show up to court, it could mean an automatic deportation order. Without ample time to prepare and get legal representation, many are choosing not to attend. The administration says it's a way to reduce the number of cases backlogged. Some advocates call it a
Chicago’s mayoral election is six months away. In the lead up, In the Loop will sit with candidates to lead the city and invite Chicagoans to call in with their own questions. This week, U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley is in the hot seat. GUESTS: Mike Quigley, U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 5th District
It’s no secret Chicago has a world class skyline. Structures like the former Hancock Center, the Willis Tower and the St. Regis Tower are iconic sights which millions of people enjoy every year. While the incredible skyline is great for us humans to look at, for the millions of birds migrating north and south through Cook County these glass skyscrapers can often be a death sentence. To raise awareness of the prevalence of bird-window collisions in Chicago and share ideas on how designers can help to mitigate them, renowned architect Jeanne Gang partnered with the Chicago Architecture Center to
In Illinois, there are two categories of experts that can diagnose autism: psychologists and developmental physicians. But because openings with these experts are few and far between, families can be put on a waitlist that could last anywhere from months to years. That is, until now. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act early July and it allows speech-language pathologists trained in autism diagnosis evaluation to diagnose the condition in children under age three enrolled in the state’s Early Intervention program. The legislation was prompt
Improv, short for improvisational theater, is often known for its comedic elements. But there’s another kind of improv that doesn’t have making people laugh as the main goal. Dramatic improv explores the full spectrum of emotions, from the funny to the sad, to the furious! In the Loop learns more about dramatic improv, and what it can teach us about being human. GUESTS: Tony Rielage, Artistic Director and Head Instructor, Theatre Momentum Stephanie Kilper, Therapist and Ensemble Member of Theatre Momentum
A growing number of politicians, and candidates, on both sides of the political aisle, are calling for restrictions and moratoriums on new data center construction until there are national guidelines. Including a new executive order in Chicago. In the Loop looks back at how data centers have become such a hot button issue in this election cycle. GUESTS: Michael Bennett, associate vice chancellor for data science and AI strategy at University of Illinois Chicago Jen Walling, executive director for the Illinois Environmental Council
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson seeks stricter regulations for data centers, Governor J. B. Pritzker signs a law allowing rideshare drivers to unionize, while the discovery of dozens of decomposing bodies at a South Side funeral home raises calls for more government oversight. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more. GUESTS: Nick Blumberg, WTTW News correspondent Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago reporter Dan Mihalopoulos, WBEZ investigative reporter
In the Loop gets a preview into a couple upcoming Chicago SummerDance events at Grant Park. GUESTS: Andres Meneses, the founder and CEO of Latin Street Dancing Pranita Nayar, founding artistic director of Mandala South Asian Performing Arts
For many years, the South Side of Chicago didn’t have an operating trauma care center. This left many severely wounded people spending crucial minutes driving to the West or North sides to find the closest trauma center at a moment when every second counts. It wasn’t until 2018 when the University of Chicago reopened its adult trauma care center that had been closed decades earlier. One of the doctors behind this vital community resource is Dr. Selwyn Rogers. Because of his work, countless lives were saved. Now, Dr. Rogers is out with a new book that chronicles his experiences in the trauma ba
Chicago nonprofit SkyART receives $2.5 million dollar state grant to expand art therapy programming
The Red Cross sounds alarm on dwindling U.S. blood supply. Here’s how you can help
Every year toward the end of spring and beginning of summer, small bobolink songbirds travel thousands of miles north from their winter homes in Brazil and Argentina to breed. This year when they passed through Chicago, one conservationist spotted an incredibly rare one in their midst: it sported the classic male black-and-white pattern on one side and the classic female brown plumage on the other. This bobolink was a bilateral gynandromorph, meaning it was split right down the middle between both male and female genetic characteristics. In the Loop hears from the conservationist who first spo
Illinois has joined a growing number of states that regulate the way social media companies can interact with minors. The Children's Online Social Media Safety Act aims to create guardrails for kids while still giving them an option to learn and connect with people through social media. In the Loop chats with experts about what families need to know about these new regulations and the potential privacy concerns of age verification. GUESTS: Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World and Growing Up in Public Marshini Chetty, professor of compu
As schools gear up to welcome students back to class this month, they’ll also have to come up with an idea of how to use – or protect against – artificial intelligence tools. The Illinois State Board of Education last month released a comprehensive framework on how K-12 school districts should use AI more responsibly, and is leaving it in the districts’ hands to develop more specific policies. In the Loop discusses how AI affects our learning, and how students, teachers and parents are navigating the rapidly changing landscape of education. GUESTS: Cassie Creswell, CPS parent and Executive Dir
