In the Loop

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, Executive Director of Illinois Families for Public Schools

William Hubbard, UChicago’s Law School’s AI Committee

Makiya Seminera, Chalkbeat Chicago

Katie Page, Instructional Technology Coordinator, District 214

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

The feds threaten to prosecute Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, Chicago Public Schools hope state lawmakers will approve funding, and a former top CPS executive is charged with COVID loan fraud. Also, we say good-bye to 91-year-old Chicago jazz legend Geraldine de Haas.

We cover these stories and more in our Weekly News Recap.

GUESTS: Brandis Friedman, anchor of  WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” 

Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune political writer 

Sophie Sherry, Chicago Sun-Times staff reporter

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

How high would you be willing to go to secure that new condo? On the North Side, some Chicagoans are going hundreds of thousands of dollars above the asking price, and even waiving inspections, all to beat the competition. 

In the Loop hears from a buyer and realtor who are currently navigating this turbulent housing market, alongside a reporter covering Chicago real estate.

GUESTS: Abby Miller, Chicago Sun-Times reporter

Ellie Howie, Lake View resident

Grigory Pekarsky, co-owner of Vesta Preferred Realty

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

Today marks 60 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a coalition of Chicago residents and community leaders on a march through the city’s Marquette Park to demand an end to segregation and racist housing policies. 

But what started out as a peaceful demonstration turned into a bloody riot as a white mob attacked the protest and injured dozens of people. 

Last weekend, hundreds of Chicagoans – including Mayor Brandon Johnson – retraced the steps of those marchers through Marquette Park to pay reverence to the leaders of movements past and recognize the fight against social, economic and racial injustices that we face today.  

Today on In the Loop, we hear from two local organizers about the enduring significance of the march and how they are using lessons from the past to lead a new generation of activists. 

GUESTS: 

Rami Nashashibi, executive director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network 

Jacqulyn Hamilton, activist, organizer and deputy director of the Chicago Freedom School

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

In The Loop is interviewing candidates for Chicago mayor, and inviting listeners to join the conversation and ask their own questions. 

First mayoral candidate at the mic: Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza.

Plus: a scientist from Argonne National Laboratory shares how and why we’ve been seeing extreme weather events in the region, like severe storms, dangerous heat, and lots and lots of tornadoes. 

GUESTS: Susana Mendoza, Chicago mayoral candidate and Illinois’ state comptroller 

Scott Collis, atmospheric scientist, Argonne National Laboratory

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

Illinois has become one of a growing number of states to consolidate all of its early childhood support resources under one roof. That new department officially opened its doors the first of last month.

In the Loop sits with two expert researchers in the field to learn about the state of early childhood in Illinois and what work is being done now.

GUESTS: Alison Baulos, executive director of the Center for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago

Elliot Regenstein, lawyer, author and Illinois Department of Early Childhood transition facilitator

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

Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods grapple with the closure of seven grocery stores. An estimated 400,000 music fans expected to descend on Grant Park this weekend for Lollapalooza. Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch is coming under increasing scrutiny over his handling of sexual assault allegations against state Representative Harry Benton. While Governor Pritzker signs into law a bill that would let judges settle disputes over custody of pets.

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

GUESTS: Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune transportation and labor reporter

Heather Cherone, WTTW Chicago politics reporter

Dave McKinney, WBEZ & Chicago Sun-Times politics and government editor 

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

Mahjong is a 19th-century Chinese game that is beloved across the world. It first entered the U.S. market in the 1920’s and has since endured a complex history of cultural appropriation and exoticization. 

In the Loop hears about efforts to honor the heritage of mahjong and the ways that it is evolving across communities and cultures. 

GUESTS: Michael Wang, co-founder, 144 Tiles Mahjong Club

Luisa Jurado, co-founder, Mahjong Chicago

Annelise Heinz, professor of history at the University of Oregon, and the author of Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture

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

Sure, there are weight-loss success stories, but behind the scenes people are navigating insurance challenges, side effects, and the possibility of taking GLP-1 medications for life. 

For some people, they've been life-changing. For others, they are rethinking whether the drug is worth it. 

In the Loop talks with a panel of residents across the Chicago region about how these medications changed their health, their relationship with food, and the complicated decisions involved in taking or stopping GLP-1 drugs.

GUESTS: Linda Nemec, Sleepy Hollow, Ill., resident

Dr. Ahsan Basha, oncologist, Edgewater resident

Betsy Elsaesser, Logan Square resident

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

Four beluga whales are adjusting to life at the Shedd Aquarium after being moved from a defunct marine tourist attraction in Ontario, Canada, that had threatened to euthanize the sea mammals. 

The images of the whales have captured the hearts of many, but the move isn’t without controversy. 

In the Loop hears the story of how the Canadian belugas came to be swimming in Chicago and why this is raising longstanding questions of what’s in the best interest of whales in human care. 

GUESTS: Johnny Ford, vice president of communications, Shedd Aquarium

Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy, Animal Justice

Stefano Esposito, Chicago Sun-Times features reporter

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