Yes, it’s the ultimate food holiday. And yes, some people don’t want to cook. Chicago chefs this year are leaning into options for dining in or picking up to go. HOST: LANE

In a rare move, a key city council panel REJECTED Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget proposal today (mon), far ahead of the December 31st deadline to pass a plan.

Critics say that sends a clear message to the mayor to go back to the drawing board, while Johnson defiantly doubled down.

HOST: MELBA

Talk about Chicago theater, and soon the subject will turn to the director Robert Falls.Falls spent thirty-five years atop Goodman Theater and in 2015 was inducted into the National Theater Hall of Fame. But he stepped down from the Goodman a few years ago….launched a freelance career in his 70s… and this month, pops up in an unlikely place… Steppenwolf. WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis sat down with Falls and talked about opening the play “Amadeus” at his former cross-town rival. HOST: LANE

Tax credits that make Obamacare insurance more affordable are expiring in December. That prompted the fight at the center of the government shutdown.

HOST: DEGMAN

Perez Jr. died unexpectedly last month. On Tuesday, during a Veteran’s Day celebration in Little Village, his friends, family and elected officials gathered to celebrate his life and legacy.

HOST: DEGMAN

Grocery prices are continuing to rise, SNAP benefits are in flux for many families – and the holidays are on the horizon.The Sun-Times has been tracking grocery prices for 35 different items across 4 different Chicago stores for nearly a year to evaluate cost trends. HOST: LANE

While violent crime in Chicago has declined, there’s one category that continues to persistently rise. That’s domestic violence. It skyrocketed during pandemic-era stay-at-home orders and continues to plague the city.Yet, as federal COVID-19 relief grants dry up, organizations that support survivors are bracing for drastic cuts to city-funded programming that they say has changed lives.HOST: LANE

The modern opera “Proving Up” was supposed to premiere in Chicago three years ago. But it was lost to COVID-19 and the omicron surge. Now the opera finally makes its debut—in a school production. HOST: LANE

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.Then each week, we get your questions answered by the people who know best.This week we’ve got this question from Carson in Wilmette:"Why do I pay more for less? At restaurants, they make the portions look like it's the same, but when I open it, it's less. Everything is shrinking, yet costs go up. Why?"It’s a phenomenon called “shrinkflation.” To find out more, we called up an expert.HOST: LANE

Nearly two months into President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign, social media feeds from his administration and its right-wing allies paint a grim picture of Chicago.

Highly produced videos depict heroic military raids. And social media influencers help to spread the message that Chicago is a city plagued by violence, at war with the federal government.

But the videos don’t always match the reality of what’s happening in communities across the Chicago area.

Sun-Times reporter Nader Issa has been analyzing these videos with the help of several experts, and he joins us now to discuss his findings.

HOST: LARA