The Obama Presidential Center announces the schedule for its grand opening. Chicago’s U.S. Attorney’s Office says it’s instituting reforms after the high-profile case against a group of ICE protesters falls apart because of prosecutorial misconduct. Plus, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson visits Pope Leo XIV in Rome. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more with freelance journalist and City Cast Chicago contributor Brandon Pope, Illinois Answers Project reporter Alex Nitkin and Chicago Sun-Times reporter Violet Miller. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

Intersectional solidarity is an approach to activism where different identity groups join together to fight oppressive forces. In honor of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, In the Loop explores how other marginalized communities can show up for Asian Americans and how Asian Americans can stand arm-in-arm with them. To find out more about ways Chicagoans can work toward unity, In the Loop sits down with HANA Center executive director Danae Kovac, Latinos Progresando chief programs officer Nubia Willman, and the Rev. Jaime Fluker, the executive director of Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

A centuries-old folktale about community, empathy and shared meals gets the Chicago treatment in a kids book from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Stone Soup Chicago is part of a campaign by the food bank to combat hunger at a time of widespread food insecurity. In the Loop sits down with author and comics creator John Jennings, illustrator and multidisciplinary artist Sam Kirk and Greater Chicago Food Depository Chief Operating Officer Jill Rahman. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

More than 7 million people in the U.S. currently live with Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to increase as the nation’s population ages. People in this group and their caregivers are at risk of social isolation, but “memory cafes” are helping them connect in the Chicago area. In the Loop checks in with participant and caregiver Robert Contino, memory cafe coordinator Molly Conley of Village Chicago and Dementia Friendly Illinois and social worker Susan Frick of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Dementia Friendly Illinois. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

Six years after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police and the global protests that followed, rhetoric around race in America is sliding backward. The Trump Administration has aggressively gone after DEI initiatives, and the Supreme Court has weakened a landmark piece of civil rights legislation – a decision that undermines Black voting power. On today’s In the Loop, how are we measuring racial progress at a time when racism is so mainstream in our politics and media? Sasha is joined by Dr. Onnie Rogers, associate professor and director of the Development of Identities in Cultural Environments research group at University of Chicago, and also Danielle Robinson Bell, associate professor at Northwestern’s Medill School. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

Happy Friday! It’s been another busy week in politics, the economy, and more. So before you head out for the long Memorial Day weekend, get caught up on the top local stories you need to know about: Illinois lawmakers debate insurance rate reform and prescription drug costs, charges are dropped against the Broadview Six, and Chicago broadcast journalists sue big tech. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap. Our panel today: Nick Blumberg, WTTW News correspondent; David Greising, president of the Better Government Association; and Bob Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times investigative reporter. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

In the Loop and In the Loop listeners talk to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson about everything from city assistance for small grocery stores to a Chicago Bears stadium to wages for restaurant workers to the city’s finances. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

The Drive the Vote for Equality campaign stopped in Chicago this week to press for national recognition of the Equal Rights Amendment. On today’s In the Loop, we look back at Illinois' complicated history with ERA, and find out how the current state of the fight for the ERA ties into today's battles over voting rights. At the table: Maureen Hellwig, president emeritus of the Chicago Women’s History Center; the Rev. Janette Wilson, national director of PUSH for Excellence; and Laura Welch, National board member for the National Organization for Women. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

When someone picks up the phone to call 911 during a mental health crisis, WHO shows up can make all the difference. Since 2021, a Chicago program has been deploying social workers instead of law enforcement to non-violent mental health incidents. It’s called the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program (CARE), and now it's expanding to serve ALL of Chicago. So, what does that expansion actually mean for residents, emergency response times and mental health care in this city? In the Loop sits down with Arturo Carrillo, Chicago’s deputy mayor of health and human services, and Tiffany Patton-Burnside, senior director of crisis services at CARE. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

What’s That Building? Oh, just another Chicago spot with a pretty wild story. The old McCormick mansion on Ontario Street has been reinventing itself over the decades. It’s been closed since 2020, but now the historic building is going from a prime rib spot… to a new immersive magic venue. Chicago architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin brings us the inside scoop. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.