Author: WBEZ Chicago

Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - U.S. Will Only Admit 7,500 Refugees A Year: ‘We Are So Disappointed’

The Trump administration is reducing the number of refugees allowed to enter the U.S. each year from 125,000 to 7,500 and prioritizing the admission of white South Africans, or Akrifaners. In the Loop learns what this means for local refugees from Mohammed, who is waiting to be reunited with his family, and Sally Schulze, communications manager at RefugeeOne. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Classical Music For Broadview’s Immigrant Detainees

Crossing Borders Music has been using Western classical instruments to highlight human rights abuses. The group is highlighting federal immigration enforcement in the Chicago area with the hope that folks being detained inside the Broadview ICE processing facility hear the music and know that they are not alone. In the Loop talks with cellist and co-founder Tom Clowes and violist Wilfred Farquharson. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: Oct. 31, 2025

President Trump’s goal of deploying National Guard troops to Chicago is on hold as the Supreme Court requests more information. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court blocked an order requiring Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino to report to court daily, and in Little Village, high school students staged a walk-out to protest ICE actions. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with NBC 5 Chicago reporter Christian Farr, government finance and accountability reporter with the Illinois Answers Project at the Better Government Association Alex Nitkin and Jackie Serrato, editor of La Voz, the Spanish language news site of the Chicago Sun-Times. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Trump Admin Targets Head Start

The government has been shut down for nearly a month, and millions of people are starting to feel the effects on federal programs like SNAP, WIC, Head Start and more. In the Loop talks with Brightpoint CEO Mike Shaver, Rolling Meadows resident and mother Wendy Mamola and Northwestern professor Terri Sabol about how a prolonged shutdown could impact the early childhood education and other services provided by Head Start. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

Curious City - A Curious City Halloween: Scary stories from spooked Chicagoans

Three stories from Chicagoans who endured a terrifying experience that they couldn’t explain, couldn’t get over, or couldn’t escape. Karen Holt tells the story of her haunted childhood home on Chicago’s Southeast Side. Was her house simply saturated with “residual energy”? Or was the ghost of a lost boy wandering the halls? Rachel Shuki tells the story of the haunted, now-closed school she taught at on Chicago’s West Side. A tragic disaster from the past could be the reason behind unexplained occurrences in the building. Ben Astrachan and Jackson Zinn-Rowthorn tell the story of their Northwest Side apartment complex, the ritual site they found in the basement, and the friend that messed with it. Have they disturbed a spiritual realm they aren’t equipped to handle? Get cozy, dim the lights and press play.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - How Dangerous Are ‘Chemical Munitions’ Like Tear Gas?

As federal agents continue to do immigration enforcement across the Chicago area, they frequently deploy chemical munitions like tear gas and smoke bombs on protesters. What’s inside these weapons? What are their health effects or environmental impacts? In the Loop hears from Dr. Monica Peek, physician and health disparities researcher and a national board member of Physicians for Human Rights and from Oscar Sanchez, co-executive director, Southeast Environmental Task Force. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - ‘It’s Mindblowing’ Feds Aren’t Funding SNAP, Says Local Recipient

Unlike during the government shutdown in 2018-2019, the USDA is not using contingency funds to cover the cost of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. This means that nearly two million people in Illinois will have their benefits paused starting on November 1 if the government does not change course. In the Loop hears from Aubrey Lewandowski, a local SNAP recipient and from Nolan Downey, senior director of policy at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - The Haunting Tale of the Watseka Homes

For our series What’s That Building, a haunting story from a small Illinois town that’s puzzled people for nearly 150 years. Two young girls, one living and one long dead, and a mysterious connection that defied explanation. It’s known as the “Watseka Wonder” and it all happened just 80 miles south of Chicago. We’ll dig into the eerie events of 1878, when a supposed spirit possession captivated the nation and find out what’s become of the two homes where it all took place. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.