In the Loop

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sits down with In the Loop host Sasha-Ann Simons to answer listener questions on everything from rising taxi fares to housing affordability to recent turnover in his administration.

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

Yusef Jackson, the youngest of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson’s sons, talks about meeting the moment as the new president and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. He joins In the Loop to discuss his top priorities, including voting rights and registration, human rights and education; and how his tenure as Rainbow PUSH president will lead the organization into its next chapter.

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

A new private school where students will learn from AI, rather than from teachers, is set to open in Chicago this fall. Questions abound: what will happen to teachers? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of relying on a relatively new technology to instruct children?

In the Loop discusses with a panel of educators and AI experts: Brady Gunnink, English teacher, Jones College Prep, Katie Page, Instructional Technology Coordinator, District 214 and Kristian Hammond, director of Northwestern’s Artificial Intelligence masters program. Plus, we get a status update on how AI tools are being used in Chicagoland classrooms.

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

In Illinois, Black women are three times more likely to die from complications due to pregnancy than white women. That rate is even higher in Chicago.

The state, Cook County, and hospitals have experimented with different efforts to address the dangers to Black mothers, including boosting access to doulas. For Black Maternal Health Week, In the Loop looks at the strides made in improving birth outcomes for Black mothers, and the work that still needs to be done.

Our panel today: Michelle Adeniyi, director of maternal and child health at March of Dimes; Dr. Carmen Adams, obstetrics and gynecology with Cook County Health; Raeshanda Payne, doula, Cook County Health; and doula Nikena Hannah.

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

Efforts begin to rename Pilsen’s Cesar Chavez Post Office. Chicago launches a citywide program allowing homeowners to add additional dwelling units. Meanwhile, housing advocates announce plans to sue Chicago Housing Authority over last month’s CEO appointment.

In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in our Weekly News Recap. Our panel today: Block Club Chicago reporter Quinn Myers; Monica Eng, Chicago reporter for AXIOS; and Sun-Times reporter Kaitlin Washburn.

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

In the decades since the first official report of HIV in June of 1981, there have been many advances in HIV research. However, women – particularly women of color and young women – continue to be affected by HIV/AIDS, while being ignored in mainstream conversations about it.

In the Loop hears the story of Marta Santiago, a Chicago woman diagnosed with HIV in the 1980s. We also hear from UIC’s Jennifer Brier about a women’s living history project called “I’m Still Surviving.”

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

A record-breaking $3.3 billion was expected to be bet on NCAA basketball during March Madness, but the wagering doesn’t end with sports. Some people are betting on everything from when Taylor Swift will be married to whether the U.S. pilot recently shot down in Iran would be rescued on so-called “prediction markets.” In the Loop learns more about these markets and why the Trump administration is suing Illinois over regulating them with Loyola University director of Sport Management Noah Henderson, DePaul University Law School assistant professor Karl Lockhart and State Senator Michael Hastings, Democrat representing the 19th District.

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

In 2024, the census recorded 1.4 million same-sex couple households, which is nearly double since 2005. In that time, the U.S. Census changed how it asked respondents about who they live with, and same-sex marriage was legalized.

In the Loop digs into the local data and hears about the gains that have been made and the work for equality that still needs to be done. At the table: Mony Ruiz-Velasco, Illinois Human Rights Commission, Christine Percheski, Northwestern Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and Allison Bethel, Fair Housing Legal Clinic.

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

Police Supt. Larry Snelling faces public questioning about whether Chicago police coordinated with ICE agents. Illinois politicians respond to the firing of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Thousands gather in Grant Park and suburbs for the third No Kings rally. University of Illinois makes it to NCAA’s Final Four, while the Bulls dismiss a player for social media posts.

In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with Nick Blumberg, WTTW News correspondent; Sophie Sherry, Chicago Sun-Times staff reporter;

and Brandon Pope, freelance journalist.

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