Author: WBEZ Chicago

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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Ask The Mayor, November 2025

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget proposal took a hit this week when the Chicago City Council’s Finance committee voted down $600 million in taxes 25-10. One of the major sticking points? A corporate head tax that would charge large employers $21 per employee per month. The mayor and alderpersons now head back to the drawing board. In the Loop checks in with Johnson for our monthly “Ask the Mayor” series and takes listener questions on the budget ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline to pass a plan. 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. 20, 2025

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says the withdrawal of Texas National Guard troops from Chicago represents “unconditional surrender” by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, alders hand the mayor a massive defeat by rejecting his budget plan. Plus, Illinois debuts digital driver’s licenses. In the Loop dives into those and other top local stories with WBEZ city government and politics reporter Mariah Woelfel, Fox 32 political correspondent Paris Schutz and Chicago Sun-Times opinion pages editor and columnist Rummana Hussain. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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Curious City - Does your iguana need x-rays? A local exotic animal hospital can help

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: A hedgehog, a river otter and an iguana walk into a local exotic animal hospital … Whether intentional or otherwise, exotic pets like sharks, macaws and pythons have made Illinois their home. But finding medical care for these animals isn’t as simple as visiting the neighborhood vet. Last episode, we explored some of the out-of-place animals that’ve been found in Chicago, including a peacock, an alligator and a 20-pound vervet monkey. Today, we’re asking, what happens when they get sick? Take a trip with us to the Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital in Skokie to meet Gomez Addams the tegu lizard and a few of his friends. Plus, hear some wild stories from the people who care for them.
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In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Chicago-Area Leaders Are Putting Immigration Agents In Check

In October, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order that bans the use of city property by federal immigration enforcement. Since that move, many neighboring cities and municipalities have followed suit. ‘In the Loop’ hears from Toni Preckwinkle, President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, and Hammond, Ind. Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr., to learn more about their efforts to combat aggressive immigration campaigns by ICE, DHS and CBP. 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 - Arguments For And Against Illinois’ Right To Die Bill

Terminally ill residents with a prognosis of six months to live could get physician prescribed drugs to end their lives if Governor Pritzker signs a bill that passed the Illinois legislature Oct. 31. Advocates say it gives people suffering and near death a choice, but some disability rights activists are concerned it could pressure disabled people to end their lives. In the Loop hears Amber Smock, vice president of advocacy for Access Living and Khadine Bennett, director of advocacy and intergovernmental affairs for the ACLU of Illinois. 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 - Former Inspector General Wants More From Chicago’s Budget

As Chicago’s City Council prepares to vote on Mayor Johnson’s latest budget proposal ahead of the city’s Dec. 31 deadline, In the Loop hears a critique from Civic Federation president Joe Ferguson, a former city watchdog and public finance expert. 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. 14, 2025

Chicago is suing the Trump administration again. In the Loop looks at that latest lawsuit and what voting to end the government shutdown could mean for senior Senator Dick Durbin’s political legacy. Plus, time for a retail reality check following a presidential post dissing Chicago’s shopping mecca, Michigan Avenue. In the Loop breaks down those stories with David Greising of the Better Government Association, Sophie Sherry of the Chicago Sun-Times and Mack Liederman of Block Club Chicago. 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 - Health Providers Preparing For More Uninsured Illinoisans

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end Wednesday. The bill signed by President Trump provides back pay for federal employees and funds some federal agencies until September 2026. What it doesn’t do is extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Some can expect to see their insurance premiums rise to the point it's unaffordable to have health insurance. In the Loop sits down with Community Health CEO Stephanie Willding and UIC health policy professor Justin Markowski to hear how skyrocketing insurance premiums could impact the work of people providing healthcare. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
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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.