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July 8, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Recently passed federal legislation will leave thousands of Illinois residents without Medicaid coverage. Mayor Brandon Johnson slams President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending bill. And concerns over the country’s air traffic control system.
Democrats Warn Medicaid Cuts Could Impact 330K Illinois Residents. Republicans Say Waste, Abuse Need to be Targeted
| Abena Bediako
Officials are warning that millions of Americans could lose their insurance under changes in the law — including 330,000 people in Illinois who could be impacted by changes to Medicaid. However, Republican lawmakers say the changes are aimed at eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in the system.
This Magical Rooftop Pollinator Garden in Lakeview Is Normally Off Limits. Enjoy a Rare Glimpse
| Patty Wetli
Only a small group of people have regular access to the enchanting rooftop sanctuary atop the Center on Halsted in Lakeview. Let's take a look.
Federal Food Assistance Changes Threaten Benefits for 360,000 Illinois Residents
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
Hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans could lose benefits from a federal food assistance program while the state will be required to cover more costs under changes passed in the latest domestic policy plan.
Chicago Board of Trade Building Museum Pays Tribute to City’s History in Heart of Financial District
| Eunice Alpasan
Chicago Board of Trade Building Museum, located at 141 W. Jackson, is free and open to the public. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on federal holidays.
Brandon Johnson Condemns Cuts Imposed by Trump’s Tax, Spending Bill as ‘Unholy’
| Heather Cherone
“This is an abomination. This is sinful. It’s unholy,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “This bill is a fundamental attack on our democracy and our way of life.”
Former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke Released From Federal Prison After 9 Months Following Corruption Convictions
| Matt Masterson
Officials with the federal Bureau of Prisons on Tuesday confirmed that Burke, 81, had been transferred from the Federal Correctional Institution in Thomson, Illinois where he’d been serving his sentence to a halfway house run by the bureau’s Chicago Residential Reentry Management office.
Feds Ask for 70 Month Prison Sentence for Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore After Conspiracy Conviction
| Matt Masterson
Prosecutors this week asked a federal judge to hand Anne Pramaggiore a 70-month prison sentence along with a fine of $1.75 million after she was convicted in the 2023 “ComEd Four” trial on charges including bribery conspiracy and willfully falsifying the company’s books.
Having to Remove Your Shoes at US Airports May Soon Be a Thing of the Past
| Associated Press
The Transportation Security Administration is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled anyone passing through U.S airports, according to media reports.
Illinois Democratic Congress Members Sound the Alarm on Medicaid, SNAP Cuts
| Bridgette Adu-Wadier
President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill is now law, after days of heated debate and close votes in Congress. Democrats say the cuts will impact low-income Americans.
What’s Next for Birthright Citizenship After the Supreme Court’s Ruling
| Associated Press
The legal battle over President Donald Trump’s move to end birthright citizenship is far from over despite the Republican administration’s major victory Friday limiting nationwide injunctions.
July 7, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Local members of Congress weigh in on President Donald Trump’s spending bill becoming law. What’s next for birthright citizenship. And a local entrepreneur is putting classic Chicago flavors in a bag and adding a little crunch to the city’s food scene.
Death Toll From Catastrophic Flooding in Texas Surpasses 100
| Associated Press
Operators of Camp Mystic, a century-old summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, said Monday that they lost 27 campers and counselors, confirming their worst fears after a wall of water slammed into cabins built along the edge of the Guadalupe River.
Planned Parenthood Sues the Trump Administration Over Medicaid Funding Ban
| CNN
The bill, passed late last week and signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, will bar Medicaid users from coverage with a health care provider that also provides abortion services.
What to Know About a Potential Deal to Keep TikTok Running in US
| Associated Press
Less than a month after extending a deadline to ban TikTok for the third time, President Donald Trump told reporters late Friday night that, “We pretty much have a deal,” on TikTok — but he did not offer details.
Donald Trump to Put 25% Tariffs on Japan and South Korea
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump on Monday placed a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, citing persistent trade imbalances with the two crucial U.S. allies in Asia.
Jeffrey Epstein Died by Suicide and There’s No ‘Client List,’ US Justice Department Says in New Memo
| CNN
After months of touting the impending release of new, blockbuster information on accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the Justice Department announced in a memo Monday that there is no evidence he kept a “client list” or was murdered.
More Than 40 Shot, 7 Killed by Gunfire Over Fourth of July Weekend Across Chicago: Police
| Matt Masterson
According to the Chicago Police Department, 44 people were shot in 32 separate shootings between 6 p.m. Thursday and midnight Sunday.
July 3, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Calls to shut down a River North venue following a mass shooting. And how Planned Parenthood could be impacted by a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Planned Parenthood Pledges to Keep Providing Care Despite Potential Funding Cuts. Illinois Advocates React
| Bridgette Adu-Wadier
Congress on Thursday passed President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which the president is expected to sign into law. The tax and spending plan cuts federal funding for services such as food aid and Medicaid, as well as Planned Parenthood.
At Least 4 Killed, 14 Wounded in River North Mass Shooting
| Matt Masterson
Police said a dark-colored vehicle drove past the location and an unknown number of people seated inside opened fire, striking at least 18 people.
Michael Madsen, Chicago-Born ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Star, Dies
| Associated Press
Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill” made him a standout in Quentin Tarantino’s films, has died.
U.S. Labor Market Surprises With 147,000 New Jobs Last Month. Here Are the Big Takeaways
| Associated Press
The U.S. labor market delivered another upside surprise last month, churning out a surprisingly strong 147,000 jobs. The unemployment rate ticked down unexpectedly, too.
Divvy Announces Upgraded Downtown Stations, Discounted Memberships for New and Returning Riders
| Eunice Alpasan
Starting Monday, Divvy will offer reduced annual membership costs to new and returning members, in addition to launching upgraded Divvy stations downtown to improve bike parking capacity, officials announced.
What’s in Trump’s Big Bill That Passed Congress and Will Soon Become Law
| Associated Press
At nearly 900 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.
Supreme Court Will Take Up a New Case About Which School Sports Teams Transgender Students Can Join
| Associated Press
Just two weeks after upholding a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, the justices said they will review lower court rulings in favor of transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia. The case will be argued in the fall.
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