In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

The Trump Administration wants states to carry more of the financial burden of SNAP benefits, which were previously a federal obligation. For Illinois, that cost shift will begin in late 2028, with the state potentially having to shoulder upwards of $700 million to sustain SNAP benefits, raising concerns about the program’s future. In the Loop talks about what exact changes the federal government...

We live in a world where replacing something is often quicker and easier than fixing it. Your coffee maker breaks? Buy a new one. Same thing for your busted laptop. But a growing movement is asking us to rethink that mindset. Enter: repair cafes. From Romeoville to Evanston, there are six repair cafés across the city and suburbs where volunteers help residents extend the shelf lives of their...

For some athletes, sports are about a lot more than winning. They’re about finding community, building confidence and pushing yourself to new heights. Well, you could say that’s what adaptive sports has done for athletes with disabilities. And now, competitors from the Chicago area are gearing up to join hundreds in the country’s biggest multi-sport tournament for athletes with disabilities....

For its design competition “The Horizon Lines: Visions for Chicago 2050,” World Business Chicago asked residents to come up with some ideas on what Chicago’s next big development should be. After nearly 200 submissions, six finalists have been selected and are now on display at the Chicago Cultural Center. In the Loop hears from three of the contest’s judges on what new ideas they are excited...

Mayor Johnson wants to give Chicago renters new protections, Governor Pritzker issues a state disaster proclamation over extreme weather as the Chicago region remains under extreme heat warning. Plus, Police Superintendent Larry Snelling and Chicago FBI Chief DePodesta announce abrupt resignations. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more. GUESTS: Leigh Giangreco, freelance journalist...

Evanston made history as the first city in the country to launch a local reparations program. Since then, the city has distributed more than $7 million to over 200 Black residents who are direct descendants of people harmed by housing discrimination. Now the federal government is putting its weight behind a lawsuit that claims Evanston’s reparations program violates the 14th Amendment on the...

The South Shore Cultural Center is a 65-acre park on Chicago's South Side that includes a secluded beach, a golf course, tennis courts and a nature sanctuary. The park’s showpiece is a Mediterranean Revival building set at the end of a long drive. Formerly known as the South Shore Country Club, the first building was constructed in 1906 and was modeled after a club in Mexico City. That structure,...

After a violent weekend with eight killed and 40 injured, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joins calls for the creation of a new Department of Gun Violence Reduction. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii’s restrictive gun law. And embattled U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros announces plans to review the work of a “Broadview Six” prosecutor going back to 2007. In the Loop breaks down those...

Congress passed a bipartisan package that aims to boost homeownership across the country. The legislation would restrict investors from buying up single-family homes, remove regulatory barriers to construction and create more affordable housing. However, President Donald Trump refused to sign the bill until lawmakers first passed a controversial law imposing new restrictions on voter...

Nurses everywhere are fed up. They’re organizing and walking picket lines more than ever before. Here in the Chicago area, more than 2,000 of them have voted to unionize in just the last month. On today’s In the Loop, we’ll hear first-hand accounts from a couple of local nurses and a journalist who’s been following their efforts. GUESTS: Jessica Ahn, registered nurse in the emergency department...