In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

The Federal appeals court in Chicago upholds Illinois’ assault weapons ban one week after the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to consider a challenge to the ban in Cook County. Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel makes headlines after a controversial speech in Israel. Plus, the CTA says crime is down 30% percent over last year. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap. GUES...

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 tech,...

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. We’ll...

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 abou...

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 Rumman...

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 groun...

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 stor...

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 identificatio...

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 at...

Over the Juneteenth weekend, Chicago saw 8 people killed and almost 40 wounded from gun violence, including a drive-by mass shooting in Roseland. In response, community leaders gathered to push for a more prevention-focused strategy, and the creation of a Department of Gun Violence Reduction. While Chicago has seen a decrease in violent crime rates over the past several years, summer is typically...

It’s been 12 days since storms with derecho winds roiled through Chicago, taking down trees and knocking out power in its path. Chicagoans are still facing the consequences and picking up the pieces after their homes flooded. How are recovery efforts coming along, and what more do residents and businesses need to bounce back? We check in with both a resident and a business owner – as well as a met...

The U.S. has officially observed June 19 as a federal holiday for the last five years. Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people, and the end of slavery in the U.S. in 1865. Today on In the Loop, we hear about the Juneteenth celebrations and observance happening across the city this weekend, and discuss new traditions being created by communities in Chicago and beyond. GUESTS: Ja...

No you’re not seeing things – we’re bringing you our Weekly News Recap a day early! Illinois Governor JB Pritzker promises to be “very involved” in the 2028 presidential election. A man accused of burning a cross in Grant Park faces hate crime and arson charges. The U.S. Department of Justice challenges Evanston’s reparations program. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in our Weekly Ne...

What’s behind the surge to try to ban books and what does it mean for readers? We tap in with a panel of experts, including an Illinois author whose children’s book is banned from several shelves outside of the state. GUESTS: Veronica Arreola, author of the children’s book “J Is for Justice” Emily Knox, interim dean and professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois...

Housing advocates have warned that the Obama Presidential Center could price out longtime residents. So far, the cost of single and multi-family homes in Woodlawn closest to the Obama Center have doubled since 2019, and less than a third of housing stock in the area was considered affordable. Also, the number of short-term rentals, like Airbnb, are increasing in the neighborhoods around the Presid...

Chicago is just days away from the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. And it’s not just a museum or library, but also a home to a whole lot of art. Inside, outside, on the walls, IN the walls, overhead – and even the benches visitors will sit on. So who is this art for, and what message does it convey? In The Loop talks with three of the Chicago artists featured in the...

Chicago police investigate a cross burning and potential hate crime in Grant Park. Governor Pritzker says he’s open to calling a special legislative session to reach a Bears stadium deal. Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel pedals presidential aspirations on a bike tour of New Hampshire. In the Loop breaks down those stories and much more with Axios’ Carrie Shepherd, Chicago Tribune’s Dan Petrella,...

Biking advocate and Chicago Department of Transportation worker Riley O’Neil, 35, died on Friday, June 5, after he was hit with a car door and thrown into oncoming traffic. Since O’Neil’s death, advocates are calling on the city to build more protected bike lanes to prevent fatal incidents like this one. In the Loop sits down with local organizers and cyclists — Charna Albert with Chicago, Bike Gr...

On today’s In the Loop, Sasha sits down with Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz to talk about his work spearheading a multi-billion-dollar revamp of the area around the United Center. Plus, we’ll hear more about the history of the West Side and how residents feel about the historic investment. Today’s guests are: Danny Wirtz, Chairman and CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks; Marie Henderson, owner Out of The Pa...

The LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project and the Gerber/Hart LGBTQ Library and Archives are hosting a panel of elders who will share their slices of Chicago’s queer history. In the face of federal attacks against the gay and trans community, hearing the stories from community leaders who helped pave the way for queer rights is more important than ever. To hear how queer elders are reflecting...

Is Indiana the inevitable new home for the Bears, or is the leap toward Hammond just a stealthy negotiation tactic to put pressure on Illinois? The team announced Friday that its board of directors has voted to push forward with developing a stadium in Hammond, Ind., even though an exact site has not been selected yet. So are Chicago and Arlington Heights really out of the running? Will the fans f...

ICE agents sparked chaos in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood, crashing into a woman’s car and threatening residents as they chased and detained a man. Media outlets got a preview of the Obama Presidential Center campus. Developers break ground on a $7-billion project around the United Center. In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with WBEZ senior statehouse repo...

On June 1, Illinois’ Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act went into effect. The law entitles eligible parents with babies in the NICU with up to 20 days of unpaid leave. For more on what this new law could mean for families, In the Loop sits down with three Illinois mothers: Francennett Llamas of The Little Warriors Project, Amanda Santoro with The Little Giraffe Foundation, and Chicago reside...