In the Loop

Illinois 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.

The 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.

Sweeping 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 and

Sally Schulze of RefugeeOne.

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

Months 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.

Ready 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.

In 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.

New pay-to-park barriers are popping up at some of Chicago beaches, including at the historic Rainbow Beach. The Park District says the new barriers will generate millions in revenue. Community members say the new barriers are aggressive and unwelcoming.

Today on In the Loop, we hear from Brian Gladstein of Friends of the Parks, Sherry Williams of the Burnham Park Advisory Council and Ald. Lamont Robinson, 4th Ward, about the impact new pay-to-park barriers could have on lakefront culture, privacy and the cost of the “free” parks in Chicago.

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

Social isolation can increase seniors' risk of developing dementia, stroke and heart disease. But Chicago advocates say the services, classes and resources that senior centers offer can act as preventative care. In the Loop check in with Yolanda Curry and Alicia Henry of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and senior Jeannine Sharpe.

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

Chicago’s Cinco de Mayo parade is cancelled for a second year due to immigration enforcement fears. IBM announces a new innovation center at the Quantum and Microelectronics Park on Chicago’s South Side, pledging hundreds of jobs for City College graduates. Meanwhile, in Springfield, the Illinois legislature is finalizing its game plan to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with Block Club Chicago reporter Mack Liederman, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mary Norkol and Alex Nitkin, Illinois Answers Project government finance and accountability reporter.

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