In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

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...

As big box pharmacies continue to disappear from Chicago’s South and West sides, thousands of Chicagoans are having to travel miles outside of their neighborhood for medication. Some residents are even forgoing their prescriptions. Today on In the Loop, Alderman William Hall of the 6th Ward shares his plan to fill the gaps left behind. Plus, Edwin Muldrow, a second-generation pharmacist, explains...

Just before the legislation session wrapped in Springfield this week, Illinois lawmakers passed landmark legislation regulating artificial intelligence. Senate Bill 315 requires developers to publish reports explaining the capabilities and risks associated with its technology. It also mandates third-party audits. Illinois is one of just a handful of states pushing through laws that regulate AI....

Home prices in Chicago are rising at more than five times the national average, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s BUILD plan — aimed to streamline housing development — didn’t pass during Springfield’s spring legislative session. So what will it take to make housing more affordable and homeownership more attainable in Chicago? In the Loop checks in with Lissette Castañeda, Commissioner of the...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...