In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

During live coverage of an event at the White House, President Obama issued a statement on his plans for Guantanamo Bay. Obama announced that he planned to shut down the detention center by the end of his final term as president and transfer the remaining detainees. NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly is joined by Scott Horsley, NPR’s White House Correspondent, and David Welna, NPR’s National Security Correspondent, to discuss the announcement.

Singer and musician Noura Mint Seymali from Mauritania is considered one of the best female artists in North Africa. She’ll be at the Old Town School of Folk next week for a residency and concert. She joins us in the studio and shares a performance.

For the latest installment in our Working Shift series, we talk to Petty Officer Second Class Brian Golden of the U.S. Coast Guard about what it’s like to work on Lake Michigan in the middle of the winter, the middle of the summer, and every time in between. And in the wake of the several released videos of Chicago police-involved shooting deaths of African Americans after the Laquan McDonald video, some educators have been tasked with altering their daily lesson plans for frank discussions about police brutality. Walter Taylor, a professional development facilitator for the Chicago Teachers Union’s Quest Center, talks about “Teaching About Laquan McDonald.” Plus, singer and musician Noura Mint Seymali from Mauritania is considered one of the best female artists in North Africa. She joins us in the studio.

For the latest installment in our Working Shift series, we talk to Petty Officer Second Class Brian Golden of the U.S. Coast Guard about what it’s like to work on Lake Michigan in the middle of the winter, the middle of the summer, and every time in between.

In the wake of the several released videos of Chicago police-involved shooting deaths of African Americans after the Laquan McDonald video, some educators have been tasked with altering their daily lesson plans for frank discussions about police brutality. Walter Taylor, a professional development facilitator for the Chicago Teachers Union’s Quest Center, talks about “Teaching About Laquan McDonald.”

President Obama welcomed Chicago Blackhawks players and staff to the White House yesterday to honor the team’s 2015 Stanley Cup victory. Our sports contributor Cheryl Raye Stout was there and joins us to tell us what happened. Music publishing giant BMI is suing the Wicker Park restaurant Piece Pizza for copyright infringement. The lawsuit cites the unauthorized performance of songs by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer and Willie Nelson at a karaoke night last year. We discuss the ins and outs of music performance licenses -- and whether your local business needs one. Abraham Lincoln has inspired 5 generations of politicians, scholars, and regular folks. But did you know he inspired legions of composers and musicians? Roosevelt University music professor Thomas Kernan has logged more than 1,000 pieces dedicated to America’s 16th president...and he’s still searching for more. Tom joins us to share more about the project. And from a public display of being blasted with a firehose, to his earlier work that invited the general population to step right on top of the American flag, Dread Scott has been deemed a controversial artist. Scott stops by to talk about his work, the way it relates to social issues and how he’s using it to spark change.

President Obama welcomed Chicago Blackhawks players and staff to the White House yesterday to honor the team’s 2015 Stanley Cup victory. Our sports contributor Cheryl Raye Stout was there and joins us to tell us what happened.

Piece Pizza is being sued for unauthorized performance of songs by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer and Willie Nelson at a karaoke night last year. We discuss music performance licenses -- and whether your local business needs one.

Abraham Lincoln has inspired 5 generations of politicians, scholars, and regular folks. But did you know he inspired legions of composers and musicians? Roosevelt University music professor Thomas Kernan has logged more than 1,000 pieces dedicated to America’s 16th president, and he’s still searching for more. Tom Kernan joins us to share more about the project.

From a public display of being blasted with a firehose, to his earlier work that invited the general population to step right on top of the American flag, Dread Scott has been deemed a controversial artist. This New York based artist definitely made his mark on Chicago. Scott stops by to talk about his work, the way it relates to social issues and how he’s using it to spark change. (Flickr/Jason Marck)