217 Today: There’s a growing call to restrict junk food purchases by SNAP users, but experts say it’s complex

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At this Oklahoma City grocery store, the shelves are nearly filled of tea, coffee, hot chocolate mix, sparkling water and electrolyte drinks. Some of these items could be excluded from SNAP purchases under proposed federal and state legislation.
  • Photo: Anna Pope / Harvest Public Media

Monday, April 7, 2025

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Today’s headlines:

  • A thousand people chanted ‘hands off’ as they gathered in Champaign’s West Side Park on Saturday.
  • The number of satellites orbiting Earth has nearly tripled in recent years. 
  • National Weather Service offices across the Midwest are eliminating or scaling back weather balloon launches.
  • A federal judge in Chicago is throwing out a lawsuit against the Illinois State Police over their use of license plate readers.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about proposed bills introduced this year in Congress that seek to restrict what SNAP recipients can buy.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Reginald Hardwick, Adrien Reetz, Molly Ashford, Mawa Iqbal and Anna Pope.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.