Outside the Loop RADIO

Mike Stephen talks with Generation All associate program officer Misuzu Schexnider about their plan for improving neighborhood high schools and the new Chicago Public Schools app, checks in with Logan Square Neighborhood Association former president Lissette Castañeda about the fight for affordable housing in areas by The 606 park system, and chats with Cook County Assessor candidate Fritz Kaegi about his vision for transparent and competent assessments for everybody. Meanwhile, we discuss how the Chicago Triathlon is introducing a one-mile Underwear Run along the lakefront this year! This week's local music is provided by Ratboys.

Mike Stephen visits with Frank Lloyd Wright Trust curator David Bagnall about FLW's architectural legacy in the 150th anniversary year of his birth, checks in with Slow Roll Chicago co-founder/vice president Jamal Julien about promoting social change in Chicago via riding bicycles, and chats with Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about 1980s power-pop wizard Julian Leal for this week's edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music. Meanwhile, we read Mike's t-shirt, discuss how Walgreens is wrongly applying the Cook County soda tax to LaCroix Sparkling Water, and talk about the new boozy Taco Bell just off the Magnificent Mile. This week's local music is provided by Sunjacket.

Mike Stephen talks with artist/playwright/actor Mr. Bohemian about his Rethink the Pink campaign against ride-sharing services; and catches up with reporter Mick Dumke about his new gig at ProPublica Illinois, why journalism is now more necessary than ever, and on what stories he's currently working. Meanwhile, in reaction to the Trump administration's latest moves against the LGBT community, we play an excerpt from OTL #548 featuring a member of Oak Park and River Forest High School's gay-straight alliance student group. This week's local music is provided by Cheer-Accident.

Mike Stephen talks with Chicago Justice Project executive director Tracy Siska about his recent Freedom of Information Act filings with the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the Chicago Police Department, and Mayor Emanuel's office; checks in with Urban Sketchers Chicago co-administrator Wes Douglas to get a preview of the 8th International Urban Sketchers Symposium being held here in town; and chats with Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about visionary musician, inventor, composer, and educator Phil Cohran for this week's edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music. Meanwhile, we play a voicemail from #1 OTL fan Mrs. Stephen... who's concerned about the news that producer Andy Hermann is moving! This week's local music is provided by The Rubs.

Mike Stephen talks with Chicago Tribune reporter Josh Noel about local beers to take you through the summer, the best macro beers in America, and his upcoming book on Goose Island Brewery selling to Anheuser Busch; checks in with Localpalooza organizer Mike Vogus about a cool music festival benefiting The Patrick Grange Memorial Foundation for ALS research; and welcomes local singer-songwriter Dina Bach back to the studio to play live for the hour and to tell us about her "Weekly Music" project. Meanwhile, we discuss our optimism about the sale of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Reader to the Eisendrath Coalition.

Mike Stephen talks with DNAinfo Chicago City Hall reporter Heather Cherone about the Chicago bag tax and how it could cost the city millions, catches up with Batavia native Kevin Jakubowski about his new coming-of-age show Play by Play on the go90 platform, and chats with Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about prolific session drummer Morris Jennings for this week's edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music. Meanwhile, we discuss the fate of landline telephones in Illinois (as covered in OTL #555), tell the tale of Mike visiting his local park district pool, and peruse a WGN Radio producers' manual circa 2001. This week's local music is provided by Panda Riot.

Mike Stephen talks with Life After Hate executive director and co-founder Sammy Rangel about his organization and what happens now that the Trump administration eliminated their grant, visits with Street Vendors Association of Chicago vice president Vicky Lugo about a new North Lawndale-based shared kitchen, and welcomes local band Dream Version to the studio to play live for the hour and to talk about their new record Fight Fair. Meanwhile, we discuss the new public participation rules for Chicago City Council meetings.

Mike Stephen talks with Entertainment Software Association senior vice president Rich Taylor about how Chicago taxes our online video gaming experience, checks in with Chicago Sculpture International board president Emily Moorhead about turning dying trees into sculptures via The Chicago Tree Project, and chats with Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about tribal postpunk oddballs the Bonemen of Barumba for this week's edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music. Meanwhile, we tell the tale of Mike raiding Andy's garage for supplies for his new house! This week's local music is provided by The Addisons.

Mike Stephen talks with American Library Association president Julie Todaro about the continued importance of libraries and the upcoming 2017 ALA Annual Conference here in Chicago; checks in with DNAinfo Chicago reporter Patty Wetli about the surprising (non)success rate of Chicago's Michelin-rated restaurants, and chats with The Chainlink president Yasmeen Schuller about her bicycle community website and the Mellow Chicago Bike Map put together by Streetsblog Chicago. Meanwhile, we spin "Stay In Your Lane" -- a cool bike safety song (and video) by Chicago's very own Rhymefest! This week's local music is provided by American Grizzly.

Mike Stephen chats with Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about 1970s rockers Bad Axe for this week's edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music, talks with Active Transportation Alliance advocacy director Jim Merrell about a new report that says fatal car/pedestrian crash rates are higher in the suburbs, and welcomes Mike of Boy Meets Robot to the studio to perform live for the hour and to talk about making funny music with a Game Boy and playing FuMPFeST 2017. Meanwhile, radio nerd Andy tweets out a photo of an AM transmitter he found in Iceland, and Mike discovers his t-shirt from The Who's 1997 world tour has yellowed.