In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: Oct. 17, 2025

Federal agents arrested immigrants across the Chicago area and detained U.S. citizens, including a teen protester and will extend their stay at Great Lakes Naval Base. Lawmakers in Springfield condemned ICE raids and explored state responses to federal agents in Illinois. Mayor Johnson pitches a corporate head tax in his budget address. Reset breaks down these stories and much more with journalists Alex Nitkin with the Illinois Answers Project, City Cast Chicago’s Jacoby Cochran, and Violet Miller with the Chicago Sun-Times. For a full archive of In The Loop interviews, head over to www.wbez.org/intheloop.

The Book Review - Stephen King Isn’t Always Scary (with Sean Fennessey)

It's October, which means it's time for scary books and scary movies. There's one person who is well known for both: Stephen King. Since his first novel, "Carrie," was published in 1974 and adapted into a hit film two years later, his novels and short stories have been a reliable source of material for film and TV adaptations. And while he's known as a master of horror, some of the more popular films based on his work are drawn from non-horror material. On this week's episode, Sean Fennessey, co-host of the Ringer podcast "The Big Picture," joins Gilbert Cruz to talk about "Stand By Me," "The Shawshank Redemption" and more.

Books and movies discussed in this episode:

  • "Stand by Me," based on the novella "The Body" from 1982's "Different Seasons"
  • "The Running Man," based on the 1982 novel of the same name published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman
  • "The Shawshank Redemption," based on the novella "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" from "Different Seasons"
  • "Dolores Claiborne," based on the 1992 novel of the same name
  • "The Green Mile," based on the 1996 serial novel of the same name
  • "The Life of Chuck," based on the novella from 2020's "If It Bleeds"
  • "The Long Walk," based on the 1979 novel of the same name published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

WSJ Minute Briefing - Verisure Subsidiary’s Data Compromised in Cyber Incident

Plus: Goldman Sachs forms a new team to focus on financing data centers to capitalize on the AI boom. And China’s Defense Ministry purges several high-ranking military officials. Zoe Kuhlkin hosts.


Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.


An artificial-intelligence tool assisted in the making of this episode by creating summaries that were based on Wall Street Journal reporting and reviewed and adapted by an editor.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Technology Podcast - Erotic ChatGPT, Zuck’s Apple Assault, AI’s Sameness Problem

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover: 1) Sam Altman says ChatGPT will start to have erotic chats with interested adults 2) Also, more sycophancy? 3) Is sycophancy the lost love language 4) Is erotic ChatGPT good for OpenAI’s business? 5) Is erotic ChatGPT a sign that AGI is actually far away? 6) OpenAI’s latest business metrics revealed 7) Google’s AI contributes to cancer discovery 8) Anthropic’s Jack Clark on AI becoming self aware 9) Is Zuck poaching Apple  AI engineers mostly to hurt Apple? 10) AI’s sameness problem 11) Ranjan rants against workslop 

---

Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice.

Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack + Discord? Here’s 25% off for the first year: https://www.bigtechnology.com/subscribe?coupon=0843016b


AI's Sameness Problem: https://www.bigtechnology.com/p/ais-sameness-problemhttps://www.bigtechnology.com/p/ais-sameness-problem


Questions? Feedback? Write to: bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com

Focus on Africa - Raila Odinga’s influence beyond Kenya

Kenya's opposition leader, and former prime minister, Raila Odinga, has died suddenly at the age of eighty. We explore his legacy in Kenya and the rest of Africa.

The world's largest producer of cobalt is the Democratic Republic of Congo. It replaces the ban with quotas but what does that mean for the DRC economy and its local mining communities?

And did you know that young women can get perimenopause. We ask what it is?

Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke Technical Producer: Craig Kingham Senior Producer: Sunita Nahar Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.

Global News Podcast - Zelensky’s crucial meeting with Trump in Washington

President Zelensky of Ukraine is in Washington ahead of crucial talks with Donald Trump. He's expected to press for long-range Tomahawk missiles to strike Russia. Also: China's ruling Communist Party expels nine senior military officials. New Yorkers are preparing to vote for a new mayor, as a Muslim candidate emerges as the clear frontrunner. The state funeral of a revered opposition leader in Kenya. Spotify develops its own AI music tools. And the EU's top court rules that pets can be classified as 'luggage' on flights.

The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Newshour - Zelensky to make case for missiles at Trump meeting

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is in Washington ahead of crucial talks with Donald Trump. The meeting comes a day after Mr Trump spoke on the phone with Vladimir Putin -- and agreed to hold a summit in Hungary to discuss how to end the war. On his arrival, Mr Zelensky said Moscow was rushing to the negotiating table to stop America from supplying long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

Also in the programme: The second highest general in China has been removed and faces corruption charges along with eight other senior military officials; and we hear from Marie Kondo, who became famous by teaching us how to tidy up.

(Photo: A handout photo made available by Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 23 September 2025. Credit: Photo by Presidential Press Service handout EPA /Shutterstock)

CoinDesk Podcast Network - Bitcoin Loses $106K After $800M in Liquidations | CoinDesk Daily

Bitcoin fell to $105K with $1.2B in crypto positions liquidated.

Bitcoin fell to $105,000 as leveraged traders faced significant losses, with $1.2 billion in crypto positions liquidated. What was the cause of the decline? CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie hosts "CoinDesk Daily."

-

Break the cycle of exploitation.

Break down the barriers to truth.

Break into the next generation of privacy.

Break Free.

Free to scroll without being monetized.

Free from censorship.

Freedom without fear.

We deserve more when it comes to privacy. Experience the next generation of blockchain that is private and inclusive by design.

Break free with Midnight, visit midnight.network/break-free

-

Bridge simplifies global money movement. As the leading stablecoin issuance and orchestration platform, Bridge abstracts away blockchain complexity so businesses can seamlessly move between fiat and stablecoins. From payroll providers and remittance companies to neobanks and treasury teams, Bridge powers payments, savings, and stablecoin issuance for thousands – like Shopify, Metamask, Remitly, and more.

URL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hubs.ly/Q03KGbRK0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-

OwlTing (Nasdaq: OWLS) is building invisible rails for global payments. With OwlPay, businesses and users can bridge fiat and stablecoins, send money instantly across borders, and access stablecoin checkout at lower costs. Licensed worldwide, OwlTing delivers secure, compliant, and regulated infrastructure for the digital economy. Learn more at ⁠owlting.com⁠.

-

This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Marketplace All-in-One - Regional bank jitters

Global stocks took a hit today. There was red across the board from New York to Japan as investors have started to worry about the health of regional banks in the U.S., and the recent bankruptcies of an auto lender and car parts manufacturer. We'll learn the latest. Also, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is suing to block the Trump administration's planned visa charges, and fewer international travelers are opting to come to the States.