Author: WBEZ Chicago

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Curious City - Beyond the settlement: Helping Chicago’s many survivors of police torture

Chicago passed a reparations ordinance 10 years ago for the survivors of police torture committed under the direction of disgraced Chicago police commander Jon Burge. As we learned in our last episode, monetary reparations alone cannot heal decades of trauma. In this episode, we take a closer look at the limits of monetary settlements and what else survivors need to heal. We also take a look at how Chicago’s reparations ordinance is looking 10 years later with Aislinn Pulley, the executive director of the Chicago Torture Justice Center, which was established as part of the reparations ordinance.
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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Media Companies Are Turning Their Backs On Diverse Voices

Journalists of color are being laid off at alarming rates as DEI commitments waver. In the Loop digs in with local journalists about the how the erasure of Black perspectives in news impacts communities. Our panel today: Brandon Pope, president of the National Association of Black Journalists Chicago chapter, Natalie Moore, director of audio journalism programming at Northwestern University, and Morgan Elise Johnson, co-founder and publisher of The TriiBE. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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Curious City - What impact do big payouts have on survivors of police torture and misconduct?

This year marks a new record, as Chicago city leaders have so far agreed to pay more than $266 million to resolve a wide range of police misconduct lawsuits. After the city washes its hands and the TV news cameras move on, what happens next? Do these payments help bring survivors closure or a sense that justice has been served?
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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Veterans Are Up In Arms Over Aggressive ICE Enforcement

Veterans gathered in cities across the country to protest federal immigration enforcement, cuts to SNAP and National Guard deployment in American cities. In the Loop hears from veterans about why they decided to protest and how what one veteran saw outside of the Broadview immigration processing center changed his perception of the government’s immigration enforcement actions. Our panel today: Brad Beaulieu, Navy veteran, and Arti Walker-Peddakotla, U.S. Army veteran and board member of About Face. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - High Grocery Costs And SNAP Cuts Put Chicagoans In A Bind

Groceries cost more than ever, and the high prices couldn’t come at a worse time. Nearly two million Illinois residents depend on SNAP benefits, which are now being cut as the government shutdown drags on. How are Chicago-area residents filling the gap, especially with holidays around the corner? In the Loop checks in with Chicago Sun-Times consumer investigations reporter Stephanie Zimmermann, Wicker Park resident Gale Hethcoat and Common Pantry executive director Margaret O’Conor. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: Nov. 7, 2025

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history drags into day 38, affecting everything from air travel to SNAP benefits in Illinois. Democratic U.S. Congressman Chuy Garcia surprised constituents by announcing he won’t be running for reelection. And a federal judge issued a key ruling on use of force by federal agents. Plus, snow could be coming to the Chicago area this weekend. In the Loop breaks down those stories with WBEZ’s Alden Loury, Chicago Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel, Block Club Chicago’s Quinn Myers. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Are President Trump’s Tariffs Legal?

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case brought to the high court by a Chicago-based toymaker who calls Trump’s broad use of tariffs illegal. To learn more about the impact of tariffs on businesses and get an update on the court hearing, In the Loop sat down with John Marshall Law School professor Steve Schwinn and Chicago Council on Global Affairs nonresident senior fellow on security and diplomacy Cécile Shea. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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Curious City - Two-and-a-half minutes: Pilot John Ginley’s dance with disaster

While flying over downtown Chicago on July 18, 2018, a World-War-II era single-engine Ercoupe airplane suffered “complete mechanical failure.” “The throttle cable completely broke off of the carburetor,” said pilot John Ginley. “There was no way to control the engine.” Still, Ginley and his co-pilot — his then-girlfriend and now-wife Ally Ginley — managed to land in the southbound lanes of DuSable Lake Shore Drive, successfully avoiding cars, humans, and the 35th Street pedestrian bridge. In our last episode, we heard about the history of forced plane landings on Chicago’s scenic, multilane expressway. Today, we hear Ginley’s story of escaping imminent disaster from the pilot himself.
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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - How Immigration Enforcement Is Affecting Chicago Schoolkids

Immigration enforcement near schools has disrupted classes, resulting in a drop-off in student attendance and impacts on the mental health of students and teachers. In the Loop gets an update on efforts to keep students safe with Chicago Board of Education member Norma Rios-Sierra, former CPS history teacher Rebecca Martinez and clinical child psychologist Rebecca Ford-Paz. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.