Author: WBEZ Chicago

Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Chicago’s ‘Rapid Response’ To ICE

Chicago legal advocates and volunteers in communities are quickly responding after ICE arrests to protect immigrants’ rights. In the Loop talks with Resurrection Project chief program officer Erendira Rendon, National Immigrant Justice Center director of litigation Keren Zwick, Pilsen Rapid Response Network organizer Diego Morales of PUÑO and Southwest Rapid Response organizer and CPS teacher Kat Zamarron. 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. 10, 2025

The Texas National Guard arrived in the Chicago area, then a judge granted a temporary restraining order on deploying the guard in Illinois. Meanwhile, ICE arrests and raids continued and the Chicago area began to feel the effects of the ongoing federal government shutdown. Reset dives into those and other top local stories with Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mark Norkol, Fox 32 political correspondent Paris Schutz and Borderless Magazine editorial director Mauricio Peña. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Expert Says Government’s South Shore Raid Video Violates The Hatch Act

You might mistake a recent video released by the Department of Homeland Security for an action movie trailer. It shows Border Patrol agents in military fatigues entering an apartment building in South Shore and arresting people alleged to be connected to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Reporting from WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times and other outlets confirm that U.S. citizens were detained for hours, some of them in handcuffs and zip ties. None of that was shown. In the Loop talks to Jim Warren with NewsGuard and security affairs expert Robert Pape of UChicago about whether or not the federal government’s videos of immigration raids – such as the one in South Shore – amount to propaganda about Chicago crime and immigrants. For a full archive of In The Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Ask Chicago’s Mayor: October 2025

A government shutdown is underway. The National Guard has arrived in the Chicago area, and immigration enforcement has escalated in recent weeks. In the Loop host Sasha-Ann Simons and the show’s listeners ask Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson about his plan to create “ICE-free zones” and get his thoughts on the federal deployment of National Guard troops, among other topics. 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 Pauses Funds For Red Line Extension

The Trump administration has paused $2.1 billion in federal funding for infrastructure projects in Chicago, including the long-awaited extension of the Red Line. In the Loop discusses the impact of this pause on residents, public transit and the environment with Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce executive director Andrea Reed, UChicago Harris School of Public Policy research professor Justin Marlowe and In the Loop sustainability contributor Karen Weigert. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/in-the-loop.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Local Vets On Trump’s Plan To Send National Guard To Chicago

President Trump called National guardsmen from Illinois and Texas to Chicago, and they could arrive any day now. In the Loop checks in with Illinois Veterans for Change chair Jesse Rojo and About Face: Veterans Against the War member Aaron Hughes, an Illinois National Guard veteran, about the President’s decision to send troops to Chicago and other U.S. cities. 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. 3, 2025

After months of warnings, the federal government said 100 National Guard troops will be deployed in Chicago. President Trump told military leaders to use U.S. cities as a “training ground” for operations. Meanwhile, immigration arrests and protests continue throughout the Chicago region. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with WBEZ senior editor Alden Loury, WTTW news correspondent Nick Blumbert and Block Club Chicago reporter Mack Liederman. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Meet The Chicagoans Teaching English To Immigrant Neighbors

Aquinas Literacy Center is a McKinley Park organization that provides free one-on-one English tutoring to adults, many of whom are immigrants. In the Loop talks about the importance of this work during a time of frequent ICE raids with Aquinas Literacy Center executive director Alison Altmeyer and tutors Peter Harley and Tom Dankers. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Posted on

Curious City - The tale of the two-flat

You know the building: Two stories, an apartment unit on each floor, usually with bay windows and a facade of brick or greystone. But how did the two-flat become so popular, and who was it originally built to serve? In our last episode, we looked at the types of places Chicago’s single women lived in at the turn of the 20th century. In today’s episode, we explore the Bohemian origins of the humble Chicago two-flat. As it turns out, the advent of the two-flat mirrors the development of the city’s middle class. “Our design No. 144 is a two-family flat designed for a money making proposition,” begins a 1915 ad enticing homebuyers to build a two-flat. “Anyone wanting a comfortable home and at the same time a good income on the investment will do well to consider this proposition.” Plus, we answer another housing-related listener question: why are Chicago fire escapes distinctively wooden (read: flammable) and are they actually effective during fires? This episode was reported by Chris Bentley and was originally published in 2014.