In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: Jan. 30, 2026

Chicago City Council advances plan to strengthen enforcement of the Welcoming City Ordinance. THC drinks have come to the United Center. A Congressional Budget Office report shows $21 million was spent on deploying the National Guard to Chicago for “Operation Midway Blitz”.In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with Fox 32’s Paris Schutz, WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos and Carrie Shepherd of AXIOS Chicago. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

Marketplace All-in-One - Who is Trump’s Fed chair pick?

This morning, President Donald Trump revealed his choice to lead the Federal Reserve: It's Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and more recent Fed critic. If confirmed by the Senate, Warsh would replace Jerome Powell, whose term expires in May. Warsh had called for "regime change" at the Fed. On today's show, we'll dig into Warsh's background and perspective. Plus, from "Marketplace Tech," we'll hear how a Nevada startup is taking used electric vehicle batteries to help power a data center.

Marketplace All-in-One - How schools teach about capitalism is changing

An increasing number of states in the U.S. not only require high schools to teach financial literacy but also require them to incorporate the fundamentals of free-market capitalism into their lesson plans. We head back to the classroom to hear how these lessons are changing as a growing number of students voice skepticism about capitalism. (Need to head back to Econ 101? Take our quiz to find out.) Plus, following last week's economic blackout in Minneapolis, we examine the history of general strikes in the U.S.


Marketplace All-in-One - The fight over the Panama Canal rages on

From the BBC World Service: Panama’s Supreme Court has annulled a contract allowing for a Hong Kong company to operate two ports on the major shipping route. The canal handles 5% of all shipping traffic between the Atlantic and Pacific, and the news comes as the Trump administration seeks to curb Chinese influence in the region. Then, Madagascar recently opened its first-ever stretch of highway. Can it speed up trade and spur economic development in the country?

Marketplace All-in-One - Bytes: Week in Review – Are we in an AI bubble?

Is AI a bubble? It's the trillion-dollar question in the economy. So Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino decided to look to history for some answers in this week’s special episode of “Tech Bytes: Week in Review.” McCarty Carino spoke with David A. Kirsch, a historian and management professor at the University of Maryland. He’s also co-author of the book "Bubbles and Crashes: The Boom and Bust of Technological Innovation." He and Brent Goldfarb looked at patterns over 150 years of technological breakthroughs, from broadcast radio to rayon and came up with a model of the conditions that most often lead to bubbles.

PBS News Hour - World - Alienated by Trump, U.S. allies turn to China and India for trade deals

Trade deals around the world are being negotiated, signed and celebrated without the U.S. World leaders are looking to other sources of economic partnership as turbulent tariff policies, harsh rhetoric and unpredictable social media posts from President Trump push allies to the edge. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Marketplace All-in-One - Energy bill burdens grow

Electricity prices have increased by approximately 40% since 2021, far outpacing inflation. Despite AI data centers making headlines as energy-suckers, that price growth comes from a multitude of factors — including upticks in demand and aging infrastructure. In this episode, you aren’t alone in energy bill price hikes. Plus: Caterpillar benefits from all that AI infrastructure investment, private equity eyes a new form of health care, and salary “lowballing” in a tough job market may be tempting.


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PBS News Hour - World - What researchers are learning as they drill into Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’

An expedition to Antarctica has brought scientists and researchers to the widest glacier on Earth. The Thwaites Glacier is nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier because of its potential impact on sea levels if ice continues to melt. Miles O'Brien reports on the work to drill into the ice to record temperatures and understand the impact of climate change. It's part of our series, Tipping Point. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Marketplace All-in-One - What does the end of TPS mean for Haitian workers in the U.S.?

In line with President Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration, the administration has moved to end the Temporary Protected Status program for certain countries including Venezuela and Haiti. TPS has allowed immigrants from countries with unsafe environments to temporarily live and work legally in the United States for decades. On today’s show, Marketplace’s Elizabeth Trovall joins Kimberly to share her recent reporting on Haitian care workers in Florida who will soon lose their legal status and the wider impact it could have on the U.S. economy.

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - What’s That Building? A Woodlawn Gem Transformed From Synagogue To Arts Club

There’s hardly a better example of how Chicago’s old buildings keep finding new life than a three-story place on Champlain Avenue in Woodlawn, just half a block south of Washington Park. Built back in 1923, the building has been a synagogue, then home to several Christian congregations. Today, it’s something entirely different. Part single-family home, part creative workspace, part artists club — and still a work in progress. Even some of the original materials are being reused. In the Loop gets a tour of the space from Dennis Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business senior real estate reporter, and Amber Ginsburg, artist, teacher and civic director of the Narrow Bridge Arts Club. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.