At the turn of the century in Chicago, single women without a husband or family were considered to be "adrift," but they weren’t drifting at all. They were making choices that took them to different addresses.
More than half of American adults say they aren’t getting enough sleep. Beyond being tired and irritable, persistent sleep deprivation has been linked to many physical and psychological issues, from weight gain and heart disease to depression and dementia. On this episode of In the Loop we speak to Dr. Sabra Abbott, a sleep specialist at Northwestern Medicine about improving sleep hygiene.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
As we head into fall premiere season, here’s a reminder: The Bear, The Chi, Chicago Fire, Med, P.D., and more are shot in Chicago. In the Loop learns about what goes into bringing some of our favorite shows to the screen with cinematographer Joe Jody Williams and set decorator Eric Frankel.
For a full archive of In The Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Chicago schools lose millions in federal grants. Protests gain steam outside the ICE detention facility in suburban Broadview. Chicago’s City Council reaches a compromise on allowing so-called “granny flats.” In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with WTTW Chicago politics reporter Heather Cherone, Axios Chicago reporter
Carrie Shepherd and Chicago Sun-Times reporter Tom Schuba.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
It’s a Thursday night and a group of folks in Washington Heights do-si-do to the bassline from “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb. Square dancing has a reputation as more of a hobby for white people set to country music. But social clubs like the Southside Squares are turning that image on its head.
Last episode, we heard how square dancing was once a booming hobby. Today, we hear from one social club that’s working to keep it alive in the 21st century.
But square dancing’s African and African-American roots often get lost in popular accounts. Some of the first callers and musicians were enslaved Black people.
Since then, square dancing has continued to be a part of African-American communities, including a long-running social club that meets up in Washington Heights every week to get down. Today, we hear from members of the Southside Squares.
And you can’t have a dance without a caller. We also talk with a living legend in square dancing: world renowned caller Sandie Bryant. She’ll show us the ropes and tell us what it’s like being one of the few Black women callers today.
The West Woodlawn home of Emmett Till and his family is in the process of becoming a museum and memorial. In the Loop checks in with architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin, cousin of Emmett Till and former resident of the Emmett Till House Ollie Gordon and Willie Douglas, organizer with Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 21, which is helping rehab the home.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Illinois is one of several states that have created guidance for vaccines that diverges from federal recommendations. As we enter respiratory illness season, what does that mean for medical treatment? In the Loop talks to Chief Operating Officer for Cook County Department of Public Health Dr. Kiran Joshi, Division Head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Lurie Children’s Hospital Dr. Ravi Jhaveri and Founding Board President of the Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition of Healthcare Equality Creopla Hampton.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
A surprising trend in the job market is worrying economists. College-educated people are making up a larger subset of people who are unemployed for six months or longer. Automation, shrinking industries and federal cuts play a role. In the Loop digs into the issue with New York Times reporter Noam Scheiber and DePaul University professor of economics Brian Thompson.
For a full archive of In The Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Federal tax credits for electric vehicles are ending at the end of September, but rebates in Illinois remain. These rebates have been a key tool for the state to achieve its goal of having 1 million electric vehicles on Illinois roads by 2030, though there is a very long way to go on that front. In The Loop discusses what prospective buyers need to know and what this federal change could mean for Illinois’ transition to electric with Mark Cassidy, operations management, EV Energy Group and Karen Weigert, director of Loyola University Chicago’s Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
