In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Health coverage for millions of people is on the line as the federal government cannot get on the same page on a new health care plan or extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. If subsidies expire, premiums for Marketplace coverage will become much more expensive. Millions are projected to lose their coverage and providers that serve primarily...

Acclaimed actor, filmmaker, and comedian Robert Townsend is hosting a pop-up film festival to support local charities. The West Side native joins In the Loop to talk about his storied career and efforts to give back to Chicago. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

Starting in January, the amount of federal money states use to provide permanent supportive housing for disabled residents who have experienced homelessness is decreasing by two-thirds. This is part of the Trump administration’s shift away from the housing first model in favor of transitional housing with work and treatment requirements. In the Loop makes sense of how this major shift could...

An estimated 40 million people are living with HIV around the world, including more than 41,000 in Illinois. Thanks to medical advancements, a disease that has killed tens of millions has become more manageable, but doctors and advocates worry that federal funding cuts under the Trump administration could derail that progress. In the Loop discusses with AIDS Foundation of Chicago president and...

Forget Monopoly and Uno. In the Loop learns about other games to try with family over the holidays with local live quiz producer Erin Kahoa and In the Loop producer Lynnea Domienik. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

If you want to wow your family and friends with a tasty twist on Thanksgiving classics, look no further. In the Loop gets tips for celebratory desserts and sweets from Martin Sorge, winner of the 6th season of “The Great American Baking Show.” For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

If the new “Wicked” movie makes you wish you could be whisked off to the Emerald City, you might want to visit Chicago’s Driehaus Museum. Their latest exhibit showcases rare items from the 1939 musical “Wizard of Oz,” replica costumes, and gives visitors an inside look at how L. Frank Baum’s beloved classic was adapted from book to screen. We talk with the museum’s executive director Lisa Key...

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget proposal took a hit this week when the Chicago City Council’s Finance committee voted down $600 million in taxes 25-10. One of the major sticking points? A corporate head tax that would charge large employers $21 per employee per month. The mayor and alderpersons now head back to the drawing board. In the Loop checks in with Johnson for our monthly “Ask the...

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says the withdrawal of Texas National Guard troops from Chicago represents “unconditional surrender” by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, alders hand the mayor a massive defeat by rejecting his budget plan. Plus, Illinois debuts digital driver’s licenses. In the Loop dives into those and other top local stories with WBEZ city government and politics reporter...

In October, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order that bans the use of city property by federal immigration enforcement. Since that move, many neighboring cities and municipalities have followed suit. ‘In the Loop’ hears from Toni Preckwinkle, President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, and Hammond, Ind. Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr., to learn...