In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

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...

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...

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:...

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...

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...

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...