WBEZ's Reset: Recent Episodes
WBEZ Chicago
WBEZ's daily talk show brings listeners the news and conversations that matter most to their day-to-day lives.
Chicago’s deep freeze is expected to stick around for a while and could be the longest cold snap in February in 60 years. The leaves many homeless Chicagoans vulnerable to the bitter cold amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reset checks in with local organizations working toward long-term solutions to homelessness in the city and around Illinois
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Lots of Chicago-area buildings make you stop and ask: "What's that building?" WBEZ's Reset is collecting the stories behind them! You can also find them on this map.
Somebody left a stack of books ten stories high on the corner of 60th Street and Woodlawn Avenue on the University of Chicago’s campus. Or that’s what you might think as you look up at the university’s new Rubenstein Forum, a metal and glass tower with various levels poking out like books piled up haphazardly.
The 97,000-square-foot building, which was completed last fall, was designed by New York architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The building is intended for academics to host workshops and symposia.
In the past, these kinds of academic meetings were often held downtown because there wasn’t enough room on campus, said Tracy McCabe, who oversees capital projects as the associate vice president at the University of Chicago.
The school’s student newspaper, The Chicago Maroon, reported last year that the downtown meetings were costing the university $4 million a year. The university has largely been quiet about the cost of The Rubenstein Forum, which is named for David Rubenstein, a Washington, D.C.-based private equity billionaire who has given the school tens of millions of dollars since graduating from UChicago’s law school.
The Rubenstein building will be available for outside groups, but these rentals will be limited to no more than 15% of meetings, McCabe said.
For now, some classes are being held in the building, where many of the rooms can accommodate socially distanced classes better than classrooms elsewhere on campus. The law school, for example, is holding 40- or 50-person classes in the 600-seat auditorium.
The Rubenstein’s stacked-boxes design resembles another building the architects designed in 2016: the Vagelos Education Center for Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. But while the Vagelos was a mix of forms and angles, the Rubenstein is more tightly organized.
The Rubenstein building’s exterior is clad in zinc — silvery and shiny. When you go inside, there’s more metal finish, particularly the staircases, which are finished in a flat black. The first staircase you see in the lobby draws its inspiration from a re-twisted paper clip, McCabe said.
As you go up through the building, the staircases are similarly bent and angular. But it’s not all metal and glass inside, some rooms have walls and floors of plexwood that shows pencil-thin stripes, which offer a handsome, warm complement to the harder finishes.
Throughout the building, the inside and outside converge. On floors three through 10, the north and south ends are walls of glass so the campus, city skyline and tree-dotted Woodlawn neighborhoods can be seen.
The southern-facing view also features the Chicago Skyway, which looks like a tiara sitting atop the southeast side of the city from the building.
Giving the northern and southern views the same treatment was part of university President Robert Zimmer’s goal of promoting connectedness to Woodlawn, McCabe said, which is a change from attempts to wall off the university from surrounding neighborhoods, as the school was intent on doing in the mid-20th Century.
So in whichever room people attend a meeting in, the city stretches out at your feet like a carpet. Most of the rooms in the Rubenstein are designed for meetings of 25 people or less, but there are two larger meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 285 and 600 people.
Because of the pandemic, the Rubenstein “convening hub” is being used in a different way than it was intended. McCabe said the building was slated to open in September and was fully booked for much of the first year, but most non-essential group meetings have been canceled because of the pandemic.
The Rubenstein Forum is the university’s second contemporary tower, built south of the Midway, which stretches between the north and south parts of UChicago’s campus. The first was the 11-story Logan Center for the Arts, opened in 2012 four blocks west at 60th and Ingleside.
The towers are part of the university’s burgeoning “campus south” area, along 60th Street, Where the university has long had a footprint. The school’s iconic 60th Street buildings include the handsome 1950s law school structure we covered in a previous What’s That Building segment, and a Mies van der Rohe building, the School of Social Service Administration built in 1965.
McCabe said the school has been focusing on an organized development of “campus south” that will include a landscaped walkway along 61st Street, which used to be lined with parking lots and the backs of buildings. Also under construction is a privately owned hotel, the Study Hotel.
In December 2018, the university completed an elaborate renovation of a mid-20th Century building by Edward Durell Stone building on 60th Street into the new home of the university’s Harris School of Public Policy. McCabe said when the building first opened in 1963 was the continuing education center, and later became housing for grad students.
Dennis Rodkin is a real estate reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business and Reset’s “What’s That Building?” contributor.
Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, checks in to provide clarity and answers to listeners' COVID-19 questions, comments and concerns. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
For more Reset interviews and news, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating to help other listeners find us. For more about the show, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter @WBEZreset.
WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup takes you inside the biggest local and state stories of the past 7 days. This week on the roundup we’re joined by WTTW’s Brandis Friedman, and WBEZ’s Becky Vevea
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In the final installment in our most recent Closing the Gap series, Reset explores disparities in vaccine access and distribution in the greater Chicagoland region
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In the latest installment in our series Closing the Gap, Reset explores disparities in COVID-19 vaccine access and distribution in the greater Chicagoland region.
The series continues with a look at how physicians and community health outreach workers are combating negative messaging around the vaccine, particularly for Black and Latino residents hit hardest by the virus.
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In the latest installment in our series Closing the Gap, Reset explores disparities in vaccine access and distribution in the Chicago region.
The series continues with a closer look at the push for diversity in clinical trials with Chicago’s first two COVID-19 vaccine trial participants and two health care workers leading efforts to vet the vaccine at the local and national levels.
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In the latest installment in our series Closing the Gap, Reset explores disparities in vaccine access and distribution in the greater Chicagoland region.
The series kicks off with three thought leaders’ recommendations on what needs to happen in the current and coming phases of vaccine rollout to ensure our most vulnerable populations are prioritized for vaccination.
For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us.
For more about the program, go to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, checks in to provide clarity and answers to listeners' COVID-19 questions, comments and concerns. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
For more Reset interviews and news, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating to help other listeners find us. For more about the show, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter @WBEZreset.
A new president, changing COVID-19 regulations in Illinois, and a looming Chicago teachers strike are some of what we're covering, as WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup takes you inside the biggest local and state stories of the past 7 days. This week on the roundup we’re joined by WTTW politics reporter Heather Cherone, and WBEZ Illinois politics reporter Dave McKinney
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After 4 years of chaos and thousands of Americans dying every day from COVID-19, President Biden’s administration needs to get to work. Fast.
Reset talks about the president’s priorities for his first 10 days in office, and we’ll compare and contrast his speech with inaugural speeches of the past.
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Reset brings on an expert to offer advice on how to discuss thorny topics like the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and impeachment with kids of all ages.
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Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady explains the city’s latest COVID-19 vaccination and mitigation efforts.
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Among the stately churches along Chicago’s Rev. Martin Luther King Drive is Liberty Baptist, a distinctly modern building with a parabolic facade.
When it was built in 1956, the building’s architecture was a notable departure from classical church designs. But it was more than the style that put the South Side church on the map. In 1960, it was the scene of a vigorous attempt to help the United States take a big step away from its segregated past.
That summer, while the country was in the midst of a civil rights reckoning, the Republican Party held its convention at the Chicago Amphitheater, which was then at 42nd & Halsted.
By the time the convention arrived in Chicago, it was clear Richard Nixon would win the nomination. However, another candidate, New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, came to town to push the Republicans on civil rights. He did so in part from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist.
Rockefeller had a strong record on civil rights and his grandparents, Standard Oil baron John and Laura Spelman Rockefeller, had been major financial supporters of what are now two major historically Black colleges and universities, Morehouse and Spelman colleges in Atlanta.
The New York governor wanted the Republican platform to explicitly endorse the people who were leading sit ins, and to endorse white business owners who provided equal service to Black customers. He also wanted the party platform to endorse fairness in housing, employment and education.
Roy Wilkins, head of the NAACP, said Rockefeller’s ideas would put a “backbone” in a platform that otherwise would have been “spaghetti.”
Wilkins, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders organized a march of Black voters to the Amphitheater, which was demolished on July 25, 1999. To rally support, Rockefeller and King spoke at Liberty Baptist Church the day before the march.
Rockefeller entered the church — with 2,500 people inside and another 2,000 outside — to the strains of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and received a “rousing ovation” when he said the Republicans’ civil rights plank would “speak clearly and unequivocally,” according to newspaper reports.
The church still looks largely the same as it did when Rockefeller spoke. The lobby has the same speckled black flooring with insets of Christian symbols — a dove, an olive branch — and along the aisles the seat arms still have a ribbed chrome wrap like something off a late-1950s car fender.
Rockefeller promised to fight for a crackdown on suppression of the Black vote in southern states, federal action to desegregate schools, and government action to end discrimination in housing.
Today, the primary thing that looks different from the 1960 video of Rockefeller’s speech is the giant glass wall at the rear, eastern end of the sanctuary. In the video, that wall is square panels of plain sheet glass, but now that wall is all colorful stained glass, probably installed in the 1970s when a new baptismal font was built on the landing above and behind the altar.
The day after Rockefeller spoke at Liberty Baptist, Nixon endorsed the sit ins.
Even so, more conservative voices in the party shut down the plan for the Republican party to take the lead on civil rights. They argued against federal intervention in the sit ins, saying that sit ins amounted to trespassing on private property, and pushing against federal intervention in the issue.
The Chicago Tribune’s front page headline read “Rockefeller rebuffed on civil rights.” The story described the conservative wing of the party as “repudiating” Rockefeller’s ideas and how his attempt to make Republicans the party of civil rights fizzled here in Chicago.
Dennis Rodkin is a real estate reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business and Reset’s “What’s That Building?” contributor.
Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, checks in to provide clarity and answers to listeners' COVID-19 questions, comments and concerns. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
For more Reset interviews and news, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating to help other listeners find us. For more about the show, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter @WBEZreset.
WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup takes you inside the biggest local and state stories of the past 7 days. This week on the roundup we’re joined by Amanda Vinicky, longtime statehouse reporter for WTTW, and David Greising, president of the Better Government Association.
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For more about the program, head to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
Reset checks in with a local Republican leader to discuss the historic impeachment vote against President Trump and how that may impact the future of the GOP in Illinois.
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The Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Greater Chicago initiative is virtually hosting its fifth annual National Day of Racial Healing on Jan. 19. This is against the backdrop of last week’s violent seizure of the U.S. Capitol by rioters, including avowed white supremacists.
Reset brings on one of the lead organizers and two youth leaders to discuss what they have planned for the day.
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The battle against right-wing extremists who are threatening violence in U.S. capitals ahead of next week’s inauguration.
Plus Chicago FOP president John Catanzara’s comments after last week’s coup attempt has brought condemnation, but he still backed by the majority of the rank-and-file
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After more than three decades at the helm, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is suspending his campaign to retain his powerful leadership position. Madigan won only 51 votes in a closed-door roll call held Sunday by House Democrats.
Reset discusses what led to Madigan’s decision and what it means for the future of the Democratic Party in Illinois.
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Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us. For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced this week he will not file charges agains Rusten Sheskey or any of Sheskey's fellow officers on the scene in connection with the shooting in the back of Jacob Blake in August.
Reset brings you reaction and context from a reporter, the head of Black Lives Matter in Lake County, and one of the Blake family's attorneys.
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President Trump's most radical followers storm the U.S. Capitol, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is steady, but slow, and Mayor Lightfoot threatens teachers who don't show up for school. We'll take you inside those stories and more on WBEZ's Weekly News Roundup.
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For the first time since the War of 1812, the U.S. Capitol was breached as right-wing extremists whipped into a frenzy by President Trump stormed the complex.
Reset talks to a reporter who was trapped in the building during the takeover and brings you reaction from a range of Illinois lawmakers.
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Reset talks to 2 experts who explain how smaller, achievable goals are the key to success, and failure will only make you stronger and wiser.
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Reset checks in with Dr. Allison Arwady about the latest on COVID-19 in Chicago and the city’s vaccination distribution plans.
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To say it’s been a wild 2020 in Illinois and Chicago politics would be an understatement. The year started with the legalization of marijuana, saw a pandemic that shut down every corner of Illinois, streets filled with protesters in the wake of a police killing, boarded up storefronts, and even the early release of former governor Rod Blagojevich.
Reset breaks down those stories and more during our Year In Review: Chicago and Illinois Politics in 2020.
GUESTS: Heather Cherone, Chicago politics reporter at WTTW
David Greising, president and CEO of the Better Government Association
As many as 50 million Americans will experience food insecurity by the end of 2020, up from 35 million this time last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed an increasing number of people to the financial brink and turning to food pantries for assistance.
For the latest installment in our “Closing The Gap” series, Reset brings on experts, policymakers and residents to discuss the fight against food insecurity and explore personal solutions to closing the hunger gap.
GUESTS: Diane Schanzenbach, director of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University
Kate Maehr, CEO of Greater Chicago Food Depository
Angela Odoms-Young, associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition in the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences
What is the hunger industrial complex, and who is pulling the strings in our nation’s food system? In the latest installment of our Closing the Gap series, Reset brings on a food security expert who says the problem is much bigger than we think — and that “more food” is not the answer to ending hunger in the U.S.
Also, a farmer joins the show to share why agriculture is the “revolutionary” solution to historic injustice for Black people.
GUESTS: Andy Fisher, executive director of EcoFarm; author of Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance Between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups
Kamal Bell, CEO of Sankofa Farms
What does a household that is food insecure look like? And who is most impacted? We talk to folks who have experienced food insecurity in their own families. We also hear from one of Illinois’ biggest food banks about how they’re addressing the “invisible” problem of hunger in the suburbs.
Food insecurity is one of the nation’s leading health crises, affecting 1 in 6 people — and the pandemic is making things worse. Now, with illness and record job loss, more people than ever are worrying about barren cupboards.
So what does food insecurity look like in Illinois? Who is most affected, and what resources are available to help residents make ends meet? In this four-part series, Reset takes a deep dive into what food insecurity looks like in Chicago and the suburbs, and how local organizations are working to close the gap in certain communities.
GUEST: Craig Gundersen, professor of agriculture and economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; creator of Feeding America’s “Map The Meal Gap”
President Trump attacked Congress’ $900 billion COVID-19 emergency relief package.
Reset talks to a congressional reporter and business writer covering the relief efforts, and a columnist who explains why the money earmarked for restaurants won’t be enough to keep businesses afloat.
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Chicago’s City Council held a hearing Tuesday morning to find out more details about the wrongful raid on Anjanette Young’s West Side home. The hearing comes as lawmakers and community leaders are calling for swift police reform in Chicago and Illinois.
Reset talks to an activist working with Chicago lawmakers to draft legislation that would restrict no-knock warrants and raids in the city.
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Congress’s latest $900 million stimulus package includes $600 checks to eligible Americans, $13 billion in food assistance, and protection for renters. What it doesn’t include is the funds struggling state and local governments were hoping for from Capitol Hill. We check in with a few experts on what the aid package includes, where it falls short, and what it means for Chicago and Illinois.
Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us.
For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
In this bonus podcast episode,Reset shares an incredible audio documentary from WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp that takes listeners inside the challenges of teaching during the pandemic.
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A COVID-19 vaccine arrives, Gov. Pritzker wrestles with a massive state deficit, and Mayor Lightfoot finds herself in a real jam over a botched CPD raid. Those are just some of the state and local stories we dive into with Dawn Rhodes of Block Club Chicago and Paris Schutz of WTTW.
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A new Kaiser study showed that 35% of Black people were either ambivalent toward or disinterested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Reset unpacks what’s behind the distrust of the vaccine with a Chicago community health professional and a historian who specializes in Black medical history.
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An investigation by CBS 2 reporter Dave Savini forced the Chicago Police Department to release disturbing body-cam footage of officers conducting a “wrong raid”, leaving an innocent woman traumatized.
Savini joins Reset to talk about that incident, and more than 50 others he found where CPD officers smashed down doors and held frightened women and children at gunpoint.
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Emergency room doctors, nurses and other front line medical workers have put their lives on the line to care for others during the pandemic. That’s why they’re the first to get the new vaccine.
Reset talks to one of the doctors who gave someone their first vaccine dose today. Plus 2 people who run community health facilities talk about the challenges of getting the vaccine to skeptical patients.
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Emergency room physicians, nurses and folks in long-term care facilities will be some of the first people in the Chicago area to receive the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccinations are scheduled to begin Tuesday at Loretto Hospital on Chicago’s West Side.
Reset checks in with some of the people who will be first in line to see how they’re feeling and what’s on their minds. We talk with WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch to hear more about the city and state’s plans for distributing the vaccine.
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Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us.
For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
After 15 years in broadcasting, with high-profile gigs in Washington D.C. and Toronto, Sasha-Ann Simons has landed in Chicago as the new host of Reset.
WBEZ’s Susie An talks with Simons about her journey, the unique perspective she brings to Reset listeners, and why she just can’t stop dancing!
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How does the city and state plan to roll out the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine when they arrive? What’s going on with the plan to possibly re-name Lake Shore Drive? Those are just some of the state and local stories we’ll tackle with WBEZ’s Dave McKinney and WTTW’s Heather Cherone on WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup
Weekly jobless claims in the U.S. jumped to 853,000 last week — the highest since September. Nearly every state saw an increase in claims, with Illinois leading the pack.
Reset takes a closer look at what these numbers mean for the state of economic recovery in the U.S.
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President-elect Joe Biden won Georgia by less than 13,000 votes, thanks in part to a large Asian American turnout.
But election season isn’t over yet for Georgia, with two senate runoff elections coming up in January. Reset checks in with organizers in Chicago and Atlanta to discuss their “get out the vote” efforts and the unique challenges of rallying a diverse community.
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School districts in Illinois and across the country are scrambling to find substitute teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s part of a growing teacher shortage nationwide.
Reset takes a closer look at how the pandemic is exacerbating the substitute shortage in the Chicago area and how local districts are ramping up their recruitment efforts.
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During this pandemic organizations fighting against poverty have stepped up to create Mutual Aid programs for people throughout Chicago, including My Block, My Hood, My City.
The non-profit’s CEO and founder Jahmal Cole joins Reset to talk about what his organization is up to this holiday season, and how you can help.
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For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us.
For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
The alarmingly rapid spread of the coronavirus, hospital systems on the brink, trouble ahead for House Speaker Mike Madigan and more. NBC-5’s Mary Ann Ahern and WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopolous give you context and understanding to the biggest local and state stories this week.
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For more about the program, head to the WBEZ website and follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
WBEZ archivist Justine Tobiasz recently uncovered a short audio documentary on the life and death of activist, organizer, and Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. Hampton was killed by Chicago police while sleeping in his home on Dec. 4th, 1969. Archival audio in the documentary is provided by The Pacifica Radio Archives.
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For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
Illinois prisoners rely on grievances to flag dangerous conditions, from guard abuse to unsanitary conditions and poor medical care. But with virtually no oversight, the system leaves thousands of prisoners vulnerable to harm.
Reset brings on WBEZ’s Shannon Heffernan for more on the issue.
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This year, World AIDS Day is a reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t the only public health crisis the world is facing right now.
Reset discusses the importance of World AIDS Day and the parallels between AIDS and COVID-19.
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Chicago Public Schools officials are determined to get students back to in-person learning after winter break. But the Chicago Teachers Union remains in opposition, saying that even with the district’s COVID mitigation efforts, it’s still not safe enough to return to in-person learning. Reset sits down with CPS CEO Janice Jackson for more on the district’s decision.
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Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
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Millions travelfor the holiday against the advice of medical experts and local leaders trying to flatten the surge of coronavirus. Meanwhile, Mayor Lightfoot gets her 2021 budget, and Mike Madigan tries to hang on to his speakership in the Illinois House. WTTW’s Heather Cherone and WBEZ’s Becky Vevea take on all the big local and state stories in our Weekly News Roundup.
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Five successful Chicago musicians who love tight harmonies came together to do what they love best: sing. A few times a year, their schedules would permit them to gather, and those occasional gigs at the Hideout became legend. Fast-forward more than 5 years — work and families and COVID-19 has made scheduling tougher than ever, but The Flat Five have managed to release a second album, Another World.
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Feelings of isolation can lead to depression, substance abuse, and worse for millions during a normal holiday season. Add in the anxiety and social distancing of a global pandemic, and you have the recipe for more mental health crises.
Reset talks to two experts about how to recognize and beat some of those feelings in the age of COVID-19.
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Although numbers are down, millions will still travel over the Thanksgiving holiday despite pleas from experts and politicians. Reset talks to NPR’s David Schaper about what it’s like inside airports and airplanes. Plus University of Illinois Chancellor Robert Jones updates us on how effective the university’s Covid-19 mitigation measures were during the first semester.
In Illinois counties hardest hit by COVID-19, for-profit nursing homes have nearly double the COVID-19 deaths per bed as nonprofit facilities. WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell joins Reset for more on this issue.
Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
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Mike Madigan on the ropes, Covid-19 surges in Illinois and Mayor Lightfoot's budget. We'll do a deep dive on those stories and more with Crain's Chicago Business' A.D. Quig and WTTW's Paris Schutz on WBEZ's Weekly News Roundup
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An expert on voter demographics tells Reset what the data from Election 2020 reveal about the present and future of American democracy.
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Just before the holiday season, COVID-19 is tightening its grip on Illinois. Cases are surging, and hospitals are strained. Both are expected to grow exponentially without countermeasures. And starting Friday, those countermeasures take effect as Illinois rolls back to Tier 3 restrictions — which includes the closing of museums, casinos, and movie theaters, and stricter capacities for most businesses. Reset breaks down what to know about the new restrictions.
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A wide range of experts explain how integrating sustainability measures into every aspect of American life and government will increase our ability to tackle military, economic, social, and environmental problems.
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Reset checks in with Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, about the city’s new stay-at-home advisory and how prepared Chicago is to roll out a vaccine when it becomes available.
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Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
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After a long and careful count, Lauren Underwood has kept her congressional seat in the 14th district. Meanwhile, Gov. Pritzker is contemplating another statewide lockdown as Covid-19 cases skyrocket across Illinois. WTTW’s Amanda Vinicky and Better Government Association president David Greising take you inside those stories and more on WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup
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President Trump’s foreign policy was based around the idea of “winners and losers,” and the theory that he alone could solve problems by sitting down one-on-one with other foreign leaders.
Ivo Daalder of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs tells Reset how the Biden administration’s approach is likely to be different, and what Biden’s past as a U.S. senator and vice president tell us about how he will handle things as president.
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WBEZ’s Dave McKinney looks at how the Illinois state legislature can handle the big items on its agenda if they haven’t met since May, and have put off the six-day fall veto session due to a COVID-19 spike in the state.
And Civic Federation president Laurence Msall has ideas to generate revenue now that the graduated income tax failed with the voters on election day.
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As COVID-19 cases spiral to unseen levels in the United States, the Trump administration and its allies continue attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which provides health care to more than 20 million Americans. What will the Supreme Court say to their arguments this time? Plus, infectious disease expert Dr. Mia Taormina answers listener questions about the coronavirus.
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Pulitzer Prize-winner David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post and Aaron Del Mar, Palatine Township Republican Chairman and former Cook County Republican Party Chairman, provide astute analysis on the Trump campaign’s strategy going forward, and what this election tells us about the electorate in Illinois.
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Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
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President-elect Joseph R. Biden addressed the nation Saturday night in Wilmington, Delaware, hours after a win in Pennsylvania earned him the electoral votes necessary to secure the U.S. presidency. This is his full victory speech.
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The multitalented musician and native Chicagoan Andrew Bird gifts us with new projects this Fall, including an acting role in the FX television drama Fargo and the release of a new holiday album entitled "Hark!".
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Governor JB Pritzker’s graduated income tax amendment was sunk. Freshman Democrat Sean Casten holds on in the 6th District. Perennial candidate Jim Oberweis holds a slim lead in the 10th with ballots still to be counted. There was a lot more to this election than Biden vs. Trump. WTTW’s Heather Cherone and WBEZ’s Dave McKinney join Justin Kaufmann to break it all down on WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup.
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Many communities-particularly those of color-feel like they’ve been specifically targeted by this administration’s policies over the last four years. And they see this tight race as a slap in the face, regardless of who ultimately wins.
Reset hears from a professor, an activist, and listeners about how they feel about the results and where they think the country is headed.
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Tech companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter have ramped up efforts to combat misinformation surrounding the election. Is it too little, too late?
Reset checks in with two experts.
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Even as cases of COVID-19 rise in Illinois,the state’s contact tracing program isn’t fully operational, and hospitals who got some reprieve over the summer are bracing for the possibility of a flood of new patients.
Reset talks with WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch as well as two doctors from area hospitals who lay out what the situation is on the ground and what they’re doing to prepare for the coming wave.
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Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
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From soaring COVID-19 cases to another police-related shooting in Waukegan to Tony LaRussa returning to Chicago to manage the White Sox, Reset’s Justin Kaufmann sits around the virtual table this week with Pro Publica’s Mick Dumke and A.D. Quig of Crains to talk about the biggest local and state stories for WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup.
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Reset checks in with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot about COVID-19 restrictions, the city budget and schools.
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COVID-19 numbers and hospitalizations are rising at an alarming rate in Chicago and Illinois. But as Gov. Pritzker moves to shut down indoor dining in parts of the state, restaurants are pushing back. UChicago Medicine infectious disease expert Dr. Emily Landon explains how dire the situation is, while restaurateur Rohini Dey describes how she’s trying to save her business.
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Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx won office four years ago with a mandate to reform the criminal justice system. She makes the case for why she deserves another term while her challenger, former judge and prosecutor Pat O’Brien, lays out why he thinks he should take over the office.
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The pandemic, a lack of trust in the health system and misinformation are leading to a drop in the number of Chicago kids getting vaccinated for preventable diseases like the measles, mumps and rubella. We check in with community health clinics and a reporter to hear more about the situation and what’s being done to reverse the trend.
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Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.
For more Reset interviews, head over to the WBEZ website. You can also follow the show on Twitter at @WBEZreset.
From Mayor Lightfoot’s new budget plan, to a fresh round of Covid-19-related business closures to no sitting on Santa’s lap this year at Macy’s, Reset’s Justin Kaufmann sits around the virtual table with Heather Cherone and Laura Washington for the best wrap-up of Chicago and Illinois news on WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup
Illinois Gov. George Ryan shocked the nation when he commuted the death sentences of more than 150 inmates three days before he left office in 2003. In this interview, the Republican details his personal evolution from staunch supporter of capital punishment to ardent opponent. He also discusses his complicated legacy as a Nobel Peace Prize nominee who also served years in federal prison on corruption charges. His new book is called Until I Could Be Sure: How I Stopped the Death Penalty in Illinois.
This is Chicago Mayor Lightfoot’s full budget address from the morning of Oct. 21, 2020. The mayor outlines the fiscal challenges faced by the city due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures she would like to take to right the fiscal ship. For expert analysis and to hear two key aldermen’s reaction to the speech, look for the other Reset podcast that dropped in your feed today.
With Chicago already facing difficult pension problems, the COVID-19 crisis has dealt an even bigger blow to the city’s economy. WBEZ city politics reporter Becky Vevea and two Chicago aldermen break down and react to Mayor Lightfoot’s budget address as she tries to navigate some very choppy fiscal waters for 2021.
With a recent uptick in COVID-19 across Illinois, Gov. Pritzker has begun talking about a return to Phase 3 restrictions.
Reset talks to infectious disease specialist Dr. Emily Landon about what a resurgence of cases means for local residents, and gives you advice on best practices to curb the spread of the virus.
New York Times political reporter Peter Baker discusses his new book on the unlikely rise of James A. Baker III, and how his influence over Washington, the White House, and global politics spanned a generation.
The writer and director behind The West Wing and A Few Good Men talks about his new film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and how today's protests harken back to the anti-Vietnam war protests of the late 1960's. And Lee Weiner, one of the actual defendants in the trial, tells us how close the movie came to reality.
Decades after the Apollo 11 mission, NASA is now laying the groundwork to send its first woman and next man to the moon’s surface by 2024. Reset talks to Kathy Lueders — the first-ever woman to lead NASA’s human spaceflight programs — about its Artemis plan and what the new mission might mean for women interested in space.
A shocking lawsuit is filed against the former head of the Chicago Police Department, plus the latest on Covid-19 in Illinois, Chicago public schools announce a re-opening plan, and more. Go inside the biggest local and state stories of the week with WBEZ's Weekly News Roundup. Guests this week are WBEZ's criminal justice reporter Patrick Smith and WTTW correspondent, anchor and host of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices"
For soldiers, getting a good night’s sleep is crucial. Fatigue can impact decision-making and sometimes lead to disaster. To address that problem, the Army is embracing “strategic napping” as part of a new holistic approach to health. Reset learns more about the policy change and talks to a sleep researcher about the benefits of napping.
What is it like to have autism throughout your entire life and never have it diagnosed until you are an adult? Rolling Meadows-native Jeff Ullrich explains how his world has changed after finding out he was autistic at the age of 45.
GUEST: Jeff Ullrich, co-founder of the Earwolf podcasting network; founder of Midroll
John Brennan has served 6 presidents as a member of-and ultimately head of-the CIA. Brennan chronicles his rise as the son of an immigrant growing up New Jersey to a man making decisions that will affect millions of lives.
Covid cases blowing up in neighboring states, the dire financial situation facing Mayor Lightfoot, Governor Pritzker's push to get his fair tax amendment, and the sale of Second City are just some of the stories we cover with WTTW's Paris Schutz and the Better Government Association's David Greising on our Weekly News Roundup
From the current state of our covid-ravaged economy to what the future looks like to the state of the restaurant industry in Chicago, Chris Farrell of Marketplace and chef/entrepreneur Rick Bayless weigh in on how bad things are, and what we need to do to turn it all around.
Millions of people and thousands of businesses are desperate for some help from the federal government because of the pandemic, but congress and the president can’t seem to get a package together. Later, Internationally recognized jazz vocalist Kurt Elling rolls out a series of livestreamed shows to mark the 25th anniversary of this first album’s release. We’ll talk about his quarter century in jazz, how he’s changed as an artist, and why he’s so excited to be back living in Chicago after a dozen years in New York
The documentary “The Social Dilemma” shows how social media causes addiction, impacts mental health, and spreads misinformation. Tristan Harris, a former Google engineer now working against big tech and one of the key voices in the film, joins to explain how it all works and what we can do about it.
Some parents want their kids back in the classroom. So does Chicago Public Schools. So do teachers. But the teachers union is concerned that the district hasn’t taken the necessary steps to keep faculty and staff safe. Reset brings you the latest on CPS’ reopening plan.
Mayor Lightfoot relaxes restrictions on bars and restaurants, suburban parents are demanding their schools reopen, and House Speaker Mike Madigan is refusing the governor's request to tell a panel of lawmakers what he knows about the Com Ed allegations swirling around him. Those are some of the stories we unpack with our panel of journalists this time around on WBEZ's Weekly News Roundup
The U.S. is reckoning with growing calls to rethink and reform American policing, particularly around practices that use force on civilians. We talk to two policing experts to discuss factors that lead to undue force and some possible alternatives.
Suburban school districts in Illinois are putting plans into motion to switch students from all-remote classes to in-person or hybrid learning. And that leaves parents, teachers and students with more questions than answers. Reset checks in with WBEZ education reporter Susie An, and hears from teachers and parents on this issue.
Wynton Marsalis has created a new extended piece-part music and part spoken word-that critiques the tribalism encouraged by some world leaders to keep the masses suspicious of each other, while they take all the money and power. Reset learns more about Marsalis’ new extended work, The Ever Fonky Lowdown.
Reset checks in with Doug Cassel of the University of Notre Dame to discuss the law school’s legacy and legal philosophy. We also hear from WBEZ’s Patrick Smith for more on Judge Barrett’s background.
Amid nationwide calls for racial justice and alternatives to policing, more cities are looking to shift non-emergency calls to crisis intervention teams.
Reset takes a look at one community-based public safety system that’s seen success in Eugene, Ore., and how other cities are exploring the model.
NASA has released the details of their Artemis lunar exploration program, which plans to send the first woman and the next man to the surface of Earth’s moon by 2024.
Reset brings on the first-ever woman to lead NASA’s human spaceflight programs to learn more about the agency’s plans, and what this mission might mean for women interested in space.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says that the inconvenient truth of race and racism has exploded the myth that there are no castes in America since Day 1. And she describes the artificial hierarchy that determines everything from respect to resources, who gets the benefit of the doubt and who is considered beautiful in her new book “Caste: The Origins Of Our Discontents”.
Contract negotiations continue between the Chicago Police union and members of the Lightfoot administration. Governor JB Pritzker warns of statewide budget cuts if Congress fails to act on coronavirus relief. Plus, a former state senator pleads guilty to federal tax evasion. We break down the biggest news of the week in our Weekly News Roundup, this week with host Becky Vevea of WBEZ.
The newest season of WBEZ’s Motive podcast explores how America's white supremacist movement recruits young people, and how the playbook started in Chicago’s punk music scene.
We’ll hear from the podcast’s host and one of its lead subjects for a preview of season three.
A new report commissioned by the mayor says that Chicago is falling short of its promises to create affordable housing. We’ll talk to Housing Commissioner Maria Novara about the report, how far we’ve come, and how much more we need to do.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot just announced a new contact tracing program to help stop the spread of coronavirus. Wecheck in with the city’s top public health official to hear more about that, and all the latest on the local response to COVID-19 in our region.
Pre-recorded calls are reaching Illinois residents, warning them of the false consequences of mail-in voting. Reset learns more about robocalls spreading misinformation in an attempt to suppress the vote ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Nearly two dozen groups sue Illinois over its cannabis license lottery. Chicago Public Schools start the school year remotely. Plus, aldermen vote to protect affordable housing around the planned Obama Presidential Center. We break down the biggest news of the week in our Weekly News Roundup with guest host Kimberly Egonmwan.
Nearly two dozen groups are suing Illinois to keep new cannabis retail licenses from going to “politically connected” companies. Only 21 out of 700 groups qualified for the state’s lottery system to determine who will be allowed to open pot shops.
We’ll take a closer look at the state’s cannabis lottery system and why lawmakers say Black and brown business owners are being left behind.
Hulu is rolling out a new series called “Woke”, featuring a Black cast, writers, and producers. Chicago-based actor and comedian T. Murph co-stars, and we talk to him abut the roll, what this show means at this moment in time, and his background in Chicago’s comedy scene.
Nearly 16,000 in the CPS system don’t have a permanent home. That makes school difficult in the best of circumstances. In the middle of an unprecedented pandemic, where children need computers and internet access, it’s a real problem. We talk with a number of folks who are working to make remote learning available to these students.
Presidential candidates visiting Kenosha, the rise of Covid-19 in Illinois, and Chicago’s looming budget deficit. We take you deep inside those stories and more on WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to make this Labor Day weekend far less travel-packed than usual as people opt to stay at home. But famed travel writer Rick Steves urges you to keep a traveler’s mindset during the pandemic, and talks about ways of exploring the world and your neighborhood during while stuck at home.
Police officers have one of the most stressful jobs in America, and a recent survey found that the suicide rate in the CPD is 60% higher than the country’s average. We talk to 2 experts in police mental health, and unpack Mayor Lightfoot’s new initiatives and resources to help cops be the best they can be for themselves, their colleagues, and most important, the communities they're sworn to protect.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers practically begged President Trump not to come to Kenosha. But that’s exactly what he did today. Reset talks to an investigative reporter, a state lawmaker, and an activist about the visit, the realities on the ground in Kenosha, and their plans to heal the rifts and move the city forward.
With a nearly all-Black cast, featuring a story about strong, intelligent Black people who governed themselves, that took place in a sophisticated world they created that blends the modern and the traditional, Black Panther became more than just another superhero movie. It’s a “if you can see it, you can be it” moment that filled audiences with pride and perspective. Which is why the death of lead actor Chadwick Boseman from cancer at age 43 has caused an outpouring of grief. We discover how and why the film and its star made such a deep global impact.
Police charge an Antioch teen with killing two people after a protest in Kenosha, Wis. The Republican National Convention wraps up in North Carolina. Plus, Mayor Lighftoot makes moves toward building a Chicago casino.
Reset breaks down the biggest stories of the week in our Weekly News Roundup with host Justin Kaufmann.
It’s become bigger than a mere sports story. When the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to take the court last night, they were sending a statement on the police shooting of Jacob Blake in nearby Kenosha, Wis., and the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole. Other teams quickly followed suit, and NBA, MLB, WNBA and MLS games were postponed in solidarity.
Sports legal analyst Exavier Pope weighs in, along with former Bulls great Craig Hodges and former Bears linebacker Sam Acho.
25 community groups, including the Cook County Public Defender, signed a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, condemning her use of police force against protesters during the unrest in Chicago in recent months. The letter asks the mayor to “make good” on campaign promises around public safety. Reset checks in with one of the signatories to the letter on what they think the mayor has gotten wrong, but can still get right, when it comes to public safety in Chicago.
The recent police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., is calling attention to the state’s track record on inequality and policing in Black communities. Reset talks with an urban studies expert who published new research on national Black outcomes, and a business leader whose recent op-ed highlights the impacts of segregation in Milwaukee.
There was unrest on the streets of Kenosha last night after a policeman shot an unarmed black man 7 times in the back. The Wisconsin governor has called in the national guard to keep the peace, but if Portland is a test case, it shows that militarization can actually escalate the situation.
Police ban protests outside Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Logan Square home over safety concerns. Chicago Public Schools puts out its final remote learning plan. Plus, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris formally accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president and VP. Reset breaks down the biggest stories of the week in our Friday News Roundup.
Illinois on Tuesday joined a coalition of 20 states in a lawsuit against Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and President Donald Trump, challenging drastic operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service. Facing backlash, the postmaster general said USPS would suspend operational changes until after the presidential election. Reset checks in with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul about the lawsuit and what he’ll be watching between now and November.
As the 2020 Democratic National Convention moves into Day 3, Reset checks in with Congressman Chuy Garcia of Illinois to discuss highlights from the virtual event.
Chicago writer Sam Weller is out with a new collection of short stories called "Dark Black." Weller is also the official biographer of the late, great author Ray Bradbury — he would have turned 100 this week.
Protests in Chicago for police accountability once again turned violent this weekend. Reset talks with a reporter who was on the ground Saturday.Also, a law professor discusses the legality of social media surveillance.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot restricts overnight access downtown following civil unrest and looting. Public health officials warn of rising coronavirus cases across the state. Plus, local officials react to Kamala Harris’ VP nomination. Reset breaks down the week’s top stories in our Friday News Roundup.
Today is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, the day in 2020 the average black woman’s pay catches up to a white man’s...from 2019. We talk to two women studying and trying to change that gap. Plus the how’s and why’s of working women being hit hardest in this covid economy.
Sen. Kamala Harris has made history as the first Black and Asian-American to be put up as a candidate for vice president of the U.S. by a major political party We check in with Cong. Robin Kelly and Cong. Raja Krishnamoorthi, 2 Democratic members of the Illinois congressional delegation, to get their reaction to Joe Biden’s pick for a running mate in 2020.
Carol Moseley Braun broke a number of barriers in her political career. She talks about the possible barrier-breakers Joe Biden may pick as a running mate. Plus black small business owners react to their stores being looted early Monday in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood.
Covid-19 is back on the rise in Illinois, CPS does an about face on remote learning, and House Speaker Mike Madigan stands firm. ProPublica Illinois’ Mick Dumke and WTTW’s Brandis Friedman break down those stories and more on Reset’s Friday News Roundup.
Chicago was once a coronavirus hotspot. So why are covid-19 positivity rates down in the city, but rising with alarming frequency in the suburbs and surrounding counties? Reset talks with a reporter, and two county health officials to find out where, and why rates of infection are up.
WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp brings us all the info, plus we get reaction from parents, teachers, students, and the teacher’s union president on today’s announcement that Chicago Public Schools will do remote learning for at least the 1st quarter of the year.
Reporter Heather Cherone on the latest covid numbers and info according to the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the Chancellor of the University of Illinois on the precautions put in place to assure the start of the fall semester in Champaign-Urbana
Thousands remain unemployed because of the covid pandemic.And despite Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker extending the deadline on Illinois’ eviction moratorium, thousands of renters in the state are facing eviction. Reset talks with a legal services group for Chicago tenants in need of help.
From the continuing Covid-19 crisis to Mayor Lightfoot lashing back at President Trump to Mike Madigan feeling the heat, Laura Washington and Charlie Meyerson join Justin this week for the Friday News Roundup
Parents, teachers and students are informed and asking questions about Chicago Public Schools’ current plan to reopen schools in the fall. We talk to CPS CEO Janice Jackson about that plan, and how it could change depending on circumstances around the covid-19 crisis.
The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson studies and writes about our work habits. As companies extend their “work from home” timelines, how are we adapting, and what practices will we carry into the future?
6 months in,2 reporters look at how the pandemic has changed life in Illinois, and the manager of a long-term care facility describes what he’s done to keep his residents safe, and their families informed.
From violence in Chicago to the Com-Ed scandal in Springfield, we unpack a lot of big news on this week’s Friday News Roundup. Joining us this time around is NPR correspondent Cheryl Corley and Better Government Association President & CEO David Greising
Opening Day without the threat of snow? Cheryl Raye Stout previews the Cubs and the Sox as MLB begins it’s covid-shortened season. And Illini head coach Lovie Smith has added another name to his already “most diverse college football staff in the nation”. We talk with new head of high school recruitment Ashton Washington
Chicago musician Daniel Knox is known for compositions filled with wit and dark humor and his deep-voiced delivery. But on his new album he plays straight, soothing renditions of some of Fred Rogers’ most beloved songs to help us cope with these difficult, often scary times.
Legendary civil rights leader andcongressman John Lewis is remembered by the woman who wrote his biography. Prof. Duchess Harris is the author of John Lewis: Civil Rights Leader and Congressman. Also Congressman and former Black Panther leader Bobby Rush remembers his friend and colleague.
This weekend’s protests in Chicago over the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park devolved into violence between Chicago police and protesters. Reset talks with two legal experts on what rights and recourse protesters have in these situations.
All week we’re looking back 25 years to Chicago’s deadly heatwave in 1995. Today we wrap up the series by looking at the lessons we learned, and the plans the city’s put in place to make sure it never happens again.
Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot threaten to bring back COVID-19 restrictions if cases continue to rise. The Chicago Teachers Union pushes back on calls to reopen schools in the fall. Plus, a new report sheds light on the firing of former Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson. Heather Cherone and Lee Bey are the panel for this week’s Friday News Roundup.
All week we’re looking back 25 years to Chicago’s deadly heatwave in 1995. Today we talk to the former aldermen Helen Shiller and Dorothy Tillman. Both witnessed how the poor in their communities were dying, and pressed then-Mayor Daley to take action.
All this week we’re looking back 25 years to Chicago’s deadly heatwave of 1995. Today we talk to the former head of Chicago’s medical examiner’s office, who dealt with the hundreds of bodies as politicians and others downplayed the danger.
In a five-part series, Reset commemorates the 25th anniversary of Chicago's 1995 heatwave that killed at least 739 people over five days. In part 2, we meet Judith Helfand, filmmaker behind the documentary “Cooked: A Survival By Zip Code.” The film is free-streaming through PBS for the next year.
In a five-part series, Reset commemorates the 25th anniversary of Chicago's 1995 heatwave that killed more than 700 people over five days. In part 1, we meet sociologist Eric Klinenberg. He wrote the definitive text on the heatwave and lessons learned.
Sun-Times columnist and ABC 7 political guru Laura Washington teams up with WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopolous to take you inside the biggest local and state stories this week in RESET’s Friday News Roundup.
Young activists are leading the 2020 protest movement, setting the agenda for issues like police reform and social justice. Reset checks in with local hip-hop artist Matt Muse to discuss how activists are setting the course here in Chicago.
A Joliet police sergeant was placed on leave and stripped of police duties Monday after blowing the whistle on the death of a man held in police custody. CBS Chicago’s Dave Savini joins Reset with details of his ongoing investigation of the alleged cover-up in the death of Eric Lurry
The federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, was created to help small businesses stay afloat during the covid-19 crisis. WBEZ reporter Dan Mihalopoulos looked into where those funds went in Illinois, and found out many beneficiaries weren’t exactly the mom-and-pop operations te money was supposed to support.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot spars with President Donald Trump over the city’s response to recent gun violence. Advocates criticize CPD’s plan to arrest teens on “drug corners” ahead of the holiday weekend. Plus, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx plans to drop charges against those arrested in recent protests. Reset breaks down the biggest stories of the week in our weekly news roundup.
Pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics Dr. Shelly Varizi-Flais discusses the AAP’s recommendation that children return to school in the fall. And Chris Jones ponders the future of Broadway, the theater scene, and the culture engine that drives the economy of America’s biggest cities.
Chicago’s biggest public high school, Lane Tech, is setting the wheels in motion to change the school’s “Indians” mascot, after a push from alumni that called it “wrong and racist.” Reset hears from an alum — who once played the mascot role at Lane Tech — on why he thinks it’s time for a change. We also take a look at why other potentially offensive mascots in Illinois sports haven’t gone anywhere, and what it would take.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike has shaped and led Illinois’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk with Dr. Ezike about how far the state has come, and how far we have to go in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
The state is moving into Phase 4 of the coronavirus reopening, city deals with increasing violence, and President Trump says Chicago is like “living in hell”. We’ve got all the week’s big stories for you as A.D. Quig of Crain’s and David Greising of the Better Government Association join Justin Kaufmann for the Friday News Roundup
Progressive activists and politicians in Chicago believe that now is the time to reform Chicago schools, the police department, and more. But the protests and the shifts in attitudes in the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police have yielded few tangible results. Ald. Rosanna Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd) discusses her frustration with the mayor, CPS, the police, and more.
More than 50 of Chicago’s top drag performers signed an open letter demanding change for how Black performers are treated in Boystown. Two of the leaders of that movement discuss the history of the scene, their grievances with it, and the solutions they’d like to see.
J. Nicole Brooks has made a name for herself by writing plays about Chicago and its long history with racial injustice and segregation. Reset discusses how this current protest moment informs her craft, her play about Jane Byrne that got shut down because of the covid-19 pandemic, and more
In his new memoir “Plague Years: A Doctor’s Journey Through The AIDS crisis,” Dr. Ross Slotten gives us a first-hand account of fighting for patients and battling AIDS during the epidemic that exploded in the 1980's.
From the continued protests over police misconduct to the latest on the city and state’s handling of the covid-19 pandemic, we’ve got all the week’s local news for you in less than 30 minutes. WTTW’s Heather Cherone and the Chicago Tribune’s John Byrne join Justin Kaufmann for the Friday News Roundup
The U.S. Supreme Court decided on the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program this morning. Reset talks with a DACA recipient and the head of a immigration nonprofit to get their response.
As the COVID-19 pandemic and George Floyd protests continue to impact the lives of many, the South Side nonprofit My Block, My Hood, My City is assisting residents across the city.
The organization’s founder joins Reset to talk about how they’re helping Chicago’s neighborhoods during difficult times.
American police officers are known to have wide ranging work and legal protections when it comes to harm done on the job. Reset talks with two legal scholars about the legal and social landscape of accountability for officers and why it’s so hard to prosecute bad acting officers for misconduct.
Sen. Dick Durbin talks about the possibility of passing police reform in congress, the “Defund the Police” movement, and why congress should continue to help those laid off by the coronavirus pandemic.
From the mayor’s outrage at a videotape showing police misconduct to the latest on the governor’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve got all the week’s local news for you in less then 30 minutes. WTTW’s Heather Cherone and Paris Schutz join Jenn White on her final broadcast as host of Reset before she heads off to Washington, D.C. to host the national NPR program 1A.
The new head of Chicago’s police union gives his opinions about local calls for reform, police misconduct, and the relationship between the police and the public. WBEZ’s Patrick Smith joins us for context and analysis.
When and how did America’s police forces move from “serve and protect” to “us versus them”? We discuss the militarization of the police in the U.S. That comes right after a conversation with an activist who explains why she wants to see CPD defunded.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot takes listener questions, and talks about how she's navigating a global pandemic as well as the ongoing protests and unrest following the death of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died after an officer knelt on his neck.
Prosecutors bring charges against four former Minneapolis police officers involved in the deathof George Floyd. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul asks Congress for broader authority to investigate “unconstitutional policing.” Plus, Chicago eases COVID-19 restrictions on non-essential businesses.
Reset breaks down the biggest news of the week in our Friday News Roundup with host Jenn White.
Reset talks with author Imani Perry about her book, Breathe: A Letter to My Sons and the conversation parents are having with their children about what it means to be Black in America.
The Minneapolis Board of Education on Tuesday voted unanimously to terminate its contract with the city’s police department.
Reset learns more about this decision and what it could mean for other school districts across the nation.
Reset checks in with two experts on how to talk to kids about racism, protests and police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Plus, they dig into the effects racism can have on the health and well-being of young people.
From Minneapolis to New York, D.C. to Detroit, to right here in Chicago, the chants can be heard: “I can’t breathe,” “No justice, no peace” and “Black lives matter.” Across the country, people have taken to the streets to express their hurt and their outrage.
Today on Reset, we take stock of what’s led the country to this moment, and start to talk about the steps needed to achieve racial equity once and for all.
Illinois moves into the next phase of Governor JB Pritzker’s plan to reopen the economy. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says the city is on track to reopen June 3. Plus, state lawmakers pass a new $40 billion dollar budget. Reset breaks down the week’s top stories in our Friday News Roundup with host Jenn White.
IL Sen. Dick Durbin gives his perspective on where the federal government is standing up, and where it’s falling down when it comes to the physical and economic health of Americans during the covid-19 crisis
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Tuesday blocked a resolution to share the addresses of COVID-19 patients with first responders. Preckwinkle joins Reset to discuss her first legislative veto and COVID-19 recovery efforts in Cook County.
Public health officials say COVID-19 is spreading differently across different parts of the country, which makes the crisis that much harder to contain. Science writer Ed Yong talks about his new article article for The Atlantic, "America's Patchwork Pandemic Is Fraying Even Further".
Chicago author Mikki Kendall talks about her new book and offers a critique of how modern feminism continues to fail marginalized women, and offers ideas on how that can be changed.
Author, blogger, podcast host...that just scratches the surface for Luvvie Ajayi. So who better to turn to for ideas when it comes to what to read, watch, and do while the stay-at-home order is still in effect?
From a billion-dollar budget shortfall to a global pandemic, we look at the challenges and triumphs of Lori Lightfoot’s first year as mayor of Chicago.
A medical historian helps us compare and contrast the COVID-19 pandemic to the flu of 1918. There's a lot we've learned, but we're repeating many of the same mistakes.
The Cook County Jail has been called a ‘petri dish’, with hundreds of inmates and staff hit by the novel coronavirus. We find out how bad things really are, and what’s being done to mitigate the problem. Plus a Chicago photographer documents her neighbors-from a distance-during the stay-at-home order.
We bring you all the big state and local news this week as the covid-19 crisis continues. WBEZ state politics reporter Dave McKinney and Sun-Times columnist Laura Washington break it all down, from City Hall to the statehouse and everywhere in between.
You’ve seen actor Carrie Coon on the big screen in Gone Girl and Avengers: Infinity War. You’ve seen her on the small screen in shows like Fargo on FX. Here in Chicago, she’s a Steppenwolf regular. Today, Carrie offers advice for Reset listeners looking for things to read, watch and do while we stay at home during the covid-19 crisis
Cell phone tracking could play a major part in re-opening the economy. How many people are in the same place at the same time, how long they stay, where they come from and where they’re going are keys to determining which businesses can safely open. Katherine Baiker, Dean of the Harris School for Public Policy at the University of Chicago, explains how it might work.
Spring is here, and so are seasonal allergies. But the symptoms of those allergies are coming during the coronavirus pandemic, and some of those symptoms may be similar. Allergist Dr. Baiju Malde explains the differences, what we should be looking for, and how to best keep yourself safe from the allergens and the virus that’s floating around right now.
In his podcast, The Hilarious World of Depression, writer and humorist John Moe talks to very funny and creative people about their battle with this incredibly common, debilitating, yet still-stigmatizing disease. We talk about the podcast and the memoir he's just crafted from lessons he's learned through these conversations, and his own battles with depression.
We bring you all the big state and local news this week as the covid-19 crisis continues. David Greising of the Better Government Association and Heather Cherone of WTTW break it all down, from City Hall to the statehouse in Springfield and everywhere in between.
Writer Samantha Irby talks about her book Wow: No Thank You. From parenting, to home ownership, to going to a club and realizing you look like everyone’s mom, Irby tackles growing older in a collection of (often painfully) hilarious essays.
From symptoms to best practices and more, the news around COVID-19 is constantly changing and being updated. Infectious disease expert Dr. Mina Taormina returns to answer a new batch of questions from us, and from listeners
We bring you all the big state and local news this week as the covid-19 crisis continues. John Byrne from the Chicago Tribune and Amanda Vinicky of WTTW break it all down, from City Hall to the statehouse in Springfield and everywhere in between.
We’re all doing our best to cope under the current circumstances. But it always helps to get ideas of things to read, watch, and do during the stay-at-home order. So each week, we reach out to a creative Chicagoan to get their ideas. This week, we get some of those ideas science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism author Nnedi Okorafor
When it comes to battling the covid-19 virus, it's not just that we’re not doing things right. It’s that we’re doing things wrong. And we’re doing them for the wrong reasons. We still have a chance to turn things around and save lives, but the future is going to look a lot different than we imagined a few months ago. NY Times’ science and health reporter Donald McNeil looks into that future in his latest article “The Coronavirus In America: The Year Ahead”
Comic Cameron Esposito talks about feeling different and alone growing up in the very straight, very Catholic, very bucolic western suburbs of Chicago in her sometimes painful, often hilarious new memoir Save Yourself
Former CDC chief Dr. Tom Frieden talks about what needs to be done now, and going forward, to make people safe and to beat back the spread of COVID-19
Two journalistic heavyweights, Carol Marin and Mick Dumke, take you inside the biggest stories in Chicago and Illinois this week on our Friday News Roundup.
Hearing from doctors and epidemiologists is important, but we can’t hear from them every day. Which is why today’s RESET guest is Chicago author Rebecca Makkai. Makkai shares things to read, watch and eat while we’re sheltering in place.
Virologist and DePaul University associate professor of health sciences Sarah Connolly describes what it will take to create a covid-19 vaccine, and how far away scientists are from a human trial.
Journalist and author Antonia Juhasz explains why oil has plunged to record-low levels, and what it means for the industry, the American economy, and for you.
For years, public health and science experts warned that the U.S. was not prepared to handle a global pandemic. Reset checks in with Atlantic science writer Ed Yong for his latest piece on how COVID-19 could radically reshape summer across the country, and how the pandemic could end.
Heather Cherone has moved from the Daily Line to WTTW, but she continues to bring us fantastic state and local political coverage. She's joined by Better Government Association's CEO (and long-time journalist) David Greising to deconstruct the biggest news stories of the week on our Friday News Roundup.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois joins Reset for an update on what Capitol Hill is doing to help the American people deal with COVID-19.
Rapper, producer, humanitarian, activist and South Sider Che “Rhymefest” Smith suggests things to read, watch and do that’ll inspire, calm and make us appreciate what we have in this difficult times.
TheCook County assessor’s office is planning to review every single property in the county because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reset checks in assessor Fritz Kaegi for more on the process.
With no way to do social distancing, America’s jails and prisons are petri dishes for covid-19. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx talks about the way she’s trying to overcome these challenges as more guards, detainees, and workers at the jail come down with the virus.
Masks. We should wear them. We shouldn’t wear them. They work. They don’t work. We’ve heard a lot of conflicting and changing information about masks. Find out the real story, as an expert answers questions from us and from you. Plus we remember “The Mailman from Maywood”, the legendary John Prine, who passed away yesterday at age 73.
There’s plenty of state and local news this week as the covid-19 crisis continues. We break it all down with AD Quig of Crain’s Chicago Business, and Laura Washington of the Sun Times and ABC7
News and information about the covid-19 virus-how it spreads, how long it lasts in various environments, and best practices to protect ourselves-is constantly changing. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Mia Taormina keeps us up to date, and answers those questions from Jenn and from listeners like you.
As more and more of our work and family life has gone all online, a cyber security expert gives us tips on how to avoid being hacked. And poet Kevin Coval looks at the Covid crisis from his unique perspective, and lays some amazing poetry on us.
He still needs to be confirmed by the city council, but Mayor Lightfoot’s pick to run the Chicago Police Department is the former chief of police in Dallas. WBEZ’s Patrick Smith gives us some intel on why he was chosen and how he’ll run CPD.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot joins us for an extended conversations about the covid-19 pandemic, the city’s plans and preparedness, first responders, the city’s public schools, what the situation means for the city budget and the overall economy, and more
As we concentrate on taking care of ourselves and our own, who’s looking after the most vulnerable populations in and around Chicago? Helene Gayle of the Chicago Community Trust explains how the precious dollars are making their way to the folks that need it most
Dr. Ernie Wang, chief of emergency medicine at NorthShore University HealthSystem, updates us on the mental and physical health of area emergency room staff, and if they have the resources needed as hospitals see an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Former head of USAID and current president and CEO of the ONE Campaign Gayle Smith talks about how we can apply lessons learned during the Ebola outbreak to the current Covid-19 pandemic
Reset breaks down the biggest news of the week in WBEZ’s Friday News Roundup with host Jenn White.
GUESTS: Paris Schutz, WTTW political correspondent and host
Becky Vevea, WBEZ government and politics reporter
In a rare bipartisan move, late Wednesday the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a $2 trillion emergency bill to grant economic relief to individuals, families and businesses dealing with the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The so-called “CARES Act”, once approved by the House and signed by the President, would be the largest economic rescue package in American history.
This comes as the Labor Department this morning announced that nearly 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week — more than quadruple the previous record set in 1982.
Some economists predict the unemployment rate could go as high as 30 percent. This would match levels during the Great Depression.
Reset checked in with Congressman Brad Schneider, who represents Illinois’ 10th district in Lake County, for more on the bill, including how it helps hospitals in Illinois access the resources they need.
Reset talks to a Chicago ER doctor about life in the emergency room amid supply shortages. We also check in with a member of a citizen-led initiative to help get those needed supplies to Chicago-area healthcare workers.
Among the many responding in time to the novel coronavirus are university and college campuses.
Reset talks with a WBEZ education reporter and an associate vice chancellor of the University of Illinois System, and takes your calls.
Reset looks into how restaurant owners and chefs are reacting to their businesses being closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
GUESTS: Jason Hammel, chef and owner of Lula Cafe in Chicago
Victor Love, owner of Josephine’s Southern Cooking
Greta Johnsen of WBEZ’s Nerdette podcast is a voracious reader and consumer of groovy pop culture. In a twist on the Reset broadcast’s “See Hear Eat” segment, Greta gives us some ideas for things to “Read Watch Do”.
Heather Cherone of the Daily Line and David Greising of the Better Government Association take on the Covid-19 crisis and Illinois primaries on our Friday News Roundup.
There is no better way to fight the global coronavirus pandemic than to be informed. Today’s podcast is devoted to questions from listeners like you, and experts who give sound, scientific answers and advice. Please, share this podcast with your friends and family.
We talk with State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Congressman Sean Casten about their primary wins, and WBEZ’s Dave McKinney talks about how those and other important races shook out in yesterday’s Illinois primary.
For some, the coronavirus outbreak is a big inconvenience. But for the homeless population in and around Chicago, it’s a huge threat. We get the latest on how covid-19 is affecting the homeless, and we’ll get the latest updates from the Chicago Food Depository on how you can help.
Real experts. Scientists. Doctors. That’s who we’ve lined up to answer questions from listeners about the coronavirus. How it’s transmitted, how lethal it is, best practices to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, and much more
Putting ketchup on a hot dog?! That a no-no here in Chicago. We’ll talk about that, and other unique, often quirky unwritten rules for living in Chicago.
The closings, cancellations, and confusion from the spread of the novel coronavirus tops our list of biggest local news stories this week. We cover that and more with Chicago Tribune reporter Dan Petrella, Crain’s podcaster Amy Guth, and WBEZ editor Kate Grossman
We know the novel coronavirus, or covid 19, easily spreads from person to person. Atlantic writer Yascha Mounk says that’s exactly why we need to stop congregating, and start self-quarantining.
Who are the people that ultimately nominate a candidate for a major party? Where do they come from and how do they get to the convention? We’ll look at how Illinois chooses its delegates. And how Biden beat Bernie in Michigan, a state where Sanders had so much success 4 years ago.
The latest on the covid-19 outbreak in Illinois and what government officials are doing to keep the virus at bay. And the Tribune’s Rick Pearson talks about the congressional race in the 14th district. 7 GOP hopefuls are lining up to take on freshman Democrat Lauren Underwood
With a $10 million grant up for grabs, we talk to another finalist organization for the Pritzker-Traubert Foundation’s “Chicago Prize”. From a healthy lifestyle hub to office spaces and more, we focus is on the work being done by Catalytic Development of Auburn Gresham
In the 4th and final installment of our Closing The Gap series, we look at how early childhood education can strengthen health outcomes for individuals and families in low income communities.
WTTW’s Paris Schutz, AD Quig from Crain’s Chicago Business, and David Greising of the Better Government Association take you deep into the biggest local stories of the week on our Friday News Roundup.
Film festival highlights how we can look differently at the environment, our own sustainability practices, and the intersection of the environment and social justice. Films will play in multiple venues in Chicago, suburban cook, and surrounding counties. Oneearthfilmfest.org
Jonah Newman of Injustice Watch talks about the organizations’s guide to help you decide who to vote for when it comes to the large slate of judgeships up for grabs in Cook County. And WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel gives you the latest in the primary contest for Illinois’ 3rd congressional district
The Northwestern Medicine program COMPASS gets new and expectant mothers individualized mental health care quickly. And the latest updates on coronavirus in Illinois.
The Pritzker Traubert Foundation is giving away a $10 million grant that’ll be given to a group or groups working to improve certain neighborhoods in Chicago. Today, we highlight the work of another of the finalists for the Chicago Prize
Part 3 of our series Closing The Gap focuses on access to healthcare, and how that can determine life expectancy.
Coronavirus, city towing, and CPS dumping Columbus Day. Those are just some of the local stories we cover with journalists Mick Dumke, Heather Cherone, and Kristen Schorsch on our Friday News Roundup
A new virtual reality exhibit at the DuSable Museum allows visitors to step into history and witness one of the most iconic civil rights moments in America.
Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s only a matter of time before the coronavirus begins to spread in the U.S., though local state and city officials are urging calm. We talk to an infectious disease expert on what real preparation and prevention looks like.
Seventy former U.S. Senators — 48 Democrats, 18 Republicans and four Independents — published a Washington Post op-ed Tuesday calling on incumbent Senators to form a bipartisan caucus committed to making the Senate function as the framers intended. Reset sits down with one of the co-signers: Illinois Democrat Carol Moseley Braun, who served in the Senate from 1993 to 1999.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson’s speeches have moved and inspired audiences around the world for more than 50 years. Acting as editor, Prof. Grace Kim has gathered many of Jackson's most famous oratorical moments in book form for the first time. We talk with Jackson and Kim about Keeping Hope Alive: Sermons and Speeches of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
From keeping safe on the EL to using carbon credits while flying, Reset contributor Mary Wisniewski has a full slate of transportation news. Plus, what the suburbs are doing to lure companies back after so many have made the switch to new digs in the city.
In the first round of our series “Closing The Gap”, we look at the disparities in life expectancy across Chicago. Here in part 2, we take a closer look at Englewood, the neighborhood with some of the lowest life expectancies not only in Chicago, but in the country.
Two Illinois governors grabbed the biggest headlines this week. The former one is a convicted felon. The current one is trying to get a budget passed. WTTW’s Amanda Vinickey, the BGA’s David Greising, and WBEZ’s Dave McKinney break it all down.
Find out how Chicago Police District 7 in Englewood is gaining the trust of the community. And a UIC researcher breaks down how the diets of various racial groups are affecting the environment.
Gov. Pritzker talks about the state of the state’s economy, and his plans and priorities for the budget. You'll hear the entire speech, and analysis from WBEZ's Tony Arnold
President Trump commuted the sentence of former governor Rod Blagojevich. We’ll hear parts of Blago’s press conference and analysis from WBEZ’s Dave McKinney
Chicago Native Nusrat Choudhury is excited about coming back to her hometown to fight injustice as new top litigator for ACLU Illinois. She outlines the types of cases she’s interested in taking on as the ACLU celebrates a century of defending civil liberties in the U.S.
We talk to one of the finalists for the Chicago Prize. It’s a $10 million grant given out to a group or groups working on innovative solutions to make their neighborhoods safer, or greener, or creating more opportunities or have better amenities for their residents.
A final four for Chicago’s top cop job, the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Aurora, and Jussie Smollett is indicted… again. Those stories and more as ProPublica’s Mick Dumke, WTTW’s Paris Schutz, and WBEZ’s own Patrick Smith join us for this week’s Friday News Roundup.
Chicago professionals behind Black Boy Joy Experience and Clever Characters aim to help black boys put down their “hard” masks for a day and let them just be kids, while connecting them to networking and mentorship opportunities.
Northern Illinois University is one of the first higher education institutions to go fully test-blind in their admissions process, alongside other Illinois schools opting for test-optional admissions.
Reset sits down with two Illinois admissions directors and a veteran higher education journalist to hear about this trend.
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IL Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-8th) responds to President Trump’s proposed budget, and we look at a north side metal recycler that’s been accused for years of polluting the neighborhood.
A decade and a half ago, residents of Chicago’s Southwest side saw a real need for access to bilingual physical and mental health resources. Today, Esperanza has four locations across the Southwest Side, providing healthcare to thousands.
Over the next several Sundays, we’re bringing you our series Closing The Gap, where we look at the huge disparities in life expectancy between rich and poor neighborhoods in Chicago. How big is the gap? Why does this gap exist? And what people are doing to close the gap?
From the turmoil at the Iowa caucus, to the protests at Lincoln Park High, guilty pleas from state officials to a proposed ban on red light cameras, we go deep on all the big local and regional news stories in our Friday News Roundup.
American University professor and historianAllan Lichtman has correctly predicted every presidential contest since 1984. In 2016, he predicted Donald Trump would become president, and that he’d be impeached. One day after Trump’s acquittal by the senate on two impeachment charges, we reached out to Lichtman to find out what he thinks comes next for this presidency, the country and the 2020 elections
Last June, Illinois passed a bill legalizing sports betting. But almost eight months later, it still hasn’t launched.
Sports betting analyst Sam Panayotovich and Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin join Reset to discuss.
GUESTS: Sam Panayotovich, sports betting analyst for NBC Sports
Greg Carlin, CEO of Rush Street Gaming
Second City shines a light on black performers past and present for Black History Month. And Cécile Shea talks about what Brexit might mean for Chicago and the Midwest.
Former EPA leader Gina McCarthy now heads the National Resources Defense Council. She says thinking about climate change in terms of melting glaciers is too overwhelming for people to deal with. By thinking about how we build our homes and how we grow our feed, we can make a huge difference.
An Oscar-nominated animated short looks at the relationships between a young black girl, her hair, and her dad. Two of the people behind the film talk about the deep personal and cultural meanings of the film.
Dan Petrella from the Chicago Tribune, David Greising of the Better Government Association, and WBEZ’s Dave McKinney talk about the governor’s State of the State address, a retooling of the Chicago Police Department and more in our Friday News Roundup with host Jenn White.
Four South Side hospitals are merging, in hopes of bringing more new and comprehensive health care options closer to the people who need them most. We speak with two of the CEO’s involved to learn about their plans to diminish the glaring health disparities between the north and south sides of the city.
In case you missed it, or want to take a closer listen, here's Gov. Pritzker's State of the State speech, given at noon today in Springfield
Access to justice can only happen if individuals and groups have access to legal expertise and resources. Marginalized communities both in urban and rural areas often are without this access to legal aid. Governor Pritzker allocated $10 million of this year’s state budget to help fund organizations that provide legal aid, and we talk to 2 women that’ll help allocate those funds.
A recent report showed a quarter of undergraduate women at 30 universities across the country have been sexually assaulted. This week, two groups at Northwestern University hosted MeToo founder Tarana Burke on campus.We talk to some of the leaders of those groups about their efforts to raise awareness and create programs designed to eradicate the problem.
Tracie Hall talks about her plans and goals as she becomes the first African American woman to lead the American Library Association. The ALA the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to the advancement of libraries and their important role as holders and disseminators of knowledge.
Monica Eng and Louisa Chu, co-hosts of the Chewing Podcast, talk about the history of Chinese food in Chicago, and Monica softens her stance on Americanized Chinese food.
Illinois state politics gurus Amanda Vinicky (WTTW) and Tony Arnold (WBEZ) bring us the latest news out of Springfield in our Friday News Roundup
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, we hear from the folks behind Truth Racial Healing, and Transformation Greater Chicago. They’ve planned events across the area to help people better understand each other, and to help individuals heal from racial trauma.
For decades, the Chicago Police Department’s field training program has been in shambles. But officials say they’re turning it around.
Reset takes a look at CPD’s efforts to overhaul the program that could determine the future of policing in Chicago.
Chicagoan Chris Redd talks about wanting to be a rapper and a wannabe gangster before finally finding himself as a standup comic, and eventually a cast member on Saturday Night Live.
The City Council, The County, and The State are all on the agenda, as WBEZ state politics reporter Dave McKinney, Daily Line managing editor and City Hall reporter Heather Cherone and A.D. Quig, government and politics reporter at Crain’s Chicago Business join us for the Friday News Roundup
Is Chicago’s decade-long building boom slowing down? And, as temperatures and sea-levels rise, so does the interest in Cli-Fi, or Climate Change Fiction
6 community organizations are trying to win $10 million to advance their work investing in the future of certain Chicago neighborhoods
Today on Reset, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker discusses his first year in office. We talked about legal cannabis, a graduated income tax...and why he wanted to expand gambling statewide.
We also hear Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton about her work to make criminal justice in Illinois more fair and equitable.
After 41 years as a legislator in Springfield, including the last decade as Senate President, Chicago Democrat John Cullerton is bowing out of politics to honor a long-standing promise to his wife to spend more time with family.
Reset talks with Cullerton about some of the biggest moments in his political career, the ongoing federal investigations into Illinois lawmakers and what challenges and opportunities lay ahead for his successor.
Many people born and raised in Chicago, and many newbies to the city, are told to not go to the South or West sides of the city. Many of those who say it have never actually been to those neighborhoods, or know anyone from those neighborhoods. We’ll look at what happens to a neighborhood and the people in it when their community is on an unofficial “do not visit’ list.
WBEZ’s, Tony Arnold, Better Government Association CEO David Greising, and Shia Kapos of Politico talk about the biggest local news stories of the week on our Friday News Roundup
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle talks about her priorities for the the new year, and Reset’s Sustainability Contributor Karen Weigert looks back at the biggest environmental stories of 2019
WBEZ’s State Politics reporters unearth an unsettling email from a Springfield insider, and chef Aaron McKay gives advice on things to see, hear, and eat around Chicago this weekend
The state will distribute 75 new recreational marijuana dispensary licenses by May 1. Reset takes a look at how minority business owners are working to enter the legal cannabis industry.
Why the United Methodist Church is preparing to split, and a new book chronicles the history of Chicago’s famed theater scene
Some of the biggest names in comedy over the last 15 years got their first taste of real fame as regulars on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, first with Jon Stewart and now with Trevor Noah. Dulce Sloan could be that next big thing. A Daily Show regular since 2017, Sloan is also an actress and a stand-up comic who joined us while in town for a comedy gig.
Pot. Weed. Grass. Doobie. Mary Jane. Whatever you want to call it, marijuana is legal in Illinois. That’s the biggest story in a week of big stories we cover as we begin a new year on the Friday News Roundup.
Homicides and shootings were down in Chicago in 2019 compared to recent years. We’ll get the numbers and the reasons behind them. Plus we’ll hear from a group of 8th grade girls from the city’s South Side are the state chess champs.
Looking for something to read as the weather turns cold? Our panel of book experts and our listeners talk about the favorite things they read in 2019
Historian Dominic Pacyga takes us inside his new book, American Warsaw: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Polish Chicago
Author Leila Taylor takes us into the dark heart of the American Gothic, analyzing the ways it relates to race in America in the twenty-first century.
Matthew Sherman talks with Natalie Moore about his new book “Newcomers: Gentrification and Its Discontents”, a history of gentrification in Chicago, San Francisco, and Brooklyn over the last 60 years.
A new book by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor looks at how a mix of federal policy and private industry perpetuated the segregation lines in cities like Chicago
Mayor Lori Lightfoot blocks a six-month delay on recreational weed sales starting Jan.1. Cook County Board proposes a 3% pot tax. Plus Gov. JB Pritzker signs a pension consolidation bill,
Reset breaks down these stories and more in WBEZ’s Chicago and Illinois News Roundup.
GUESTS: A.D. Quig, government and politics reporter at Crain’s Chicago Business
Claudia Morell, WBEZ City Hall reporter
Lolly Bowean, Chicago Tribune reporter
Reset talks to Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley of Illinois’ 5th district, who was one of the 230 house votes in favor of impeachment.
A WBEZ investigation found multiple prisoners have been denied eye surgery because of a “one good eye” policy.
Also, survivors of crime in Illinois are some of the least likely in the United States to apply for victim compensation and services.
Resetfinds out why from two crime victims advocates.
The deadline to sign up for healthcare through the Affordable Care Act has been extended until tomorrow morning. Dan Weissmann, host of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg” brings us the details and breaks down why accessing health insurance in this country is so costly and confusing. But first, a look at what to expect on Wednesday when — for just the third time in American history — the House of Representatives will debate and vote on whether to impeach a sitting president.
Tonika Lewis Johnson’s “Folded Map” project brings together residents across Chicago’s segregation lines, and the project has expanded to include West Side addresses.
Reset sits down with Tonika and her first pair of West Side map twins to hear about the experience.
Daily Line’s Heather Cherone, Chicago Sun Times and ABC 7’s Laura Washington, and WTTW’s Paris Schutz dive into the biggest stories in and around Chicago this week.
Sun-Times City Hall Reporter Fran Spielman breaks down the latest Moody’s report that says Chicago and Detroit are at the bottom of a list of major American cities when it comes to how well they’d fare when the next big recession hits. Plus searching for the perfect latke ahead of Hanukkah
Shannon Downey mixes crafts and activism to create “Craftivism”, and IL Congressman Krishnamoorthi talks about the articles of impeachment.
Our Closing The Gap series digs into the disparities in contraceptive health and education. We talk to two professionals who are working to close the gap.
WBEZ’s Patrick Smith, WTTW’s Amanda Vinicky, and Crain’s A.D. Quig take a deep dive into the biggest stories in and around Chicago this week.
The Trump administration is changing certain eligibility rules for receiving food assistance, and it could affect many in Illinois. Plus the newest member of the WBEZ/Vocalo family gives us great tips on some things to see, hear, and eat this weekend around Chicago.
Today marks 50 years since police killed the young Black Panthers leader during a pre-dawn raid. Reset looks at how Hampton's legacy lives on in Chicago.
Also: Chicago's winter parking ban went into effect this week. We look at what you need to know to avoid getting your car towed.
Rates of HIV diagnoses are falling in cities across the country like New York, Philadelphia and right here in Chicago.
That’s the good news. The bad news: cases of the virus are cropping up more and more in rural areas like West Virginia and other parts of Appalachia.
Reset sits down with Steven Thrasher,assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, for more on this issue.
We also check in with Jill Hopkins, the host of the Morning Amp on WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo. She introduces us to some of the talented folks around the city that are being highlighted in Vocalo’s series “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like.”****
This morning, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot fired the city’s top cop Eddie Johnson. The mayor said the CPD superintendent "repeatedly lied to her." The move was particularly stunning in its timing. It comes just weeks ahead of his scheduled retirement.
Reset also sits down with political consultant Alaina Hampton. On Friday, Hampton reached a $275,000 settlement in a federal lawsuit against Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan's political committees. The settlement comes nearly two years after Hampton came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against (Kevin Quinn,) a former top aide to Madigan.
The Reset podcast is taking the day off, but we'll be back on Sunday when Jenn talks to KP of the Portland band Black Belt Eagle Scout
There’s a lot we know about the origins of Thanksgiving. The problem is, we’re not taught the real history in school. For that, we turn to David Silverman, professor of history at George Washington University. He’s the author of the book This Land is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving. Plus WBEZ’s Monica Eng goes through the array of side dishes that folks have on their Thanksgiving table. And it’s a lot more interesting than mashed potatoes.
We’ll hear how the vote went down as Chicago’s City Council passes Mayor Lightfoot’s first budget. And Rep. Robin Kelly (D-2nd) talks about her fight to improve health care for women during pregnancy and the first year after they give birth.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has announced she’s running for reelection. She’s raising plenty of money and has the endorsement of a number of high-profile politicians. But can she get past the missteps associated with the Jussie Smollett case? We hear from Foxx, and WBEZ criminal justice reporter Patrick Smith
KP of Black Belt Eagle Scout talks about moving off her small reservation to go to college, finding her place in the world and in Portland's music scene, and starting a band of her own to tell her story as a brown, queer, indigenous person. Her latest album "At The Party With My Brown Friends" is filled with dreamy sounds and personal stories. It's garnered rave reviews and made her one of the most talked about indie-rock musicians in 2019.
A new investigation by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois found some disturbing information about the use of so-called Quiet Rooms for students in schools across Illinois. The practice is banned in 19 states, and while many teachers and school officials call it a useful tool to keep students and staff safe from violent behavior, often it’s the only tool at their disposal and can be misused.
WBEZ’s Tony Arnold, A.D. Quig of Crain’s Chicago Business, and the Chicago Tribune’s John Byrne talk about the city budget, indictments in Springfield, and much more in our Friday News Roundup.
Controversial comic Lenny Bruce talked about taboo subjects from the stage in the 1960’s. From religion to sex to race relations, Bruce attacked what he saw as hypocrisy, and forced his audiences to confront uncomfortable truths.
Resetsits down with actor and writer Ronnie Marmo about his one-man play "I’m Not A Comedian...I’m Lenny Bruce," which highlights what Bruce means to him and where he thinks Bruce fits into today’s conversations about free speech.
"I'm Not A Comedian...I'm Lenny Bruce" is playing at The Royal George Theatre through Jan. 5.
A new study from the CDC shows children exposed “Adverse Childhood Experiences”-neglect, abuse, an incarcerated or addicted parent-have a much higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and other debilitating diseases when they get older. We find out more and what some are trying to do to prevent it.
Celebrated Cartoonist Lynda Barry is now a little more celebrated: she just became a MacArthur "Genius Grant" winner. Barry talks about how, no matter what they think, anyone can draw. She lays out the case in her new book “Making Comics”
Senate President John Cullterton is retiring after 4 decades in the statehouse, and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley is front-and-center in the impeachment hearings. We’ll find out what the Illinois senate will be like without Cullerton, and what kinds of questions Quigley is preparing for witnesses on capitol hill this week.
Some in the Asian American community are looking to get their neighbors involved in a movement that would bring environmental justice to Chinatown and Bridgeport. Plus WBEZ’s Jerome McDonnell puts together a roundtable to help boost Chicago’s incredibly low recycling rate
After 16 years, TribPub is pulling the plug on its Spanish-language newspaper Hoy. We talk with current and future staffers about what it means for the Latinx and the greater Chicago community. And NPR Illinois statehouse reporter Brian Mackie gives us up-to-the-minute info on the final hours of the fall veto session in Springfield.
New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger talks about cyber warfare, and what the U.S. is doing to thwart hackers and the countries that sponsor them that are working to cause mayhem in everything from our power grids to our elections.
Alderman wrap up 2 weeks of budget hearings. What did they learn about it, and will they vote for it? Plus, one woman says giving gang members knowledge and options, and treating them like human beings, can help stem the tide of violence in Chicago and El Salvador
Mothers who’ve lost sons talk about personal items donated to the Gun Violence Memorial Project, and Transportation contributor Mary Wisniewski on making the streets safer for pedestrians and bikers
Author Caitlin Doughty destigmatizes death for kids and adults alike by answering 35 questions about death, dead bodies, and decomposition in her new book “Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs”.
Our weekly roundtable featuring some of the best journalists in Chicago breaking down the biggest stories of the last 7 days.
Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced he’ll be stepping down at the end of the year. How did he do in the job? And what does it mean for Chicago's policing future? Reset brings you analysis and reaction from a variety of sources.
How CPS is making up the strike-related lost school days. Plus Chicago historian Mikki Kendall tells amazing stories from women’s history via the new graphic novel “Amazons, Abolitionists and Activists: A Graphic History of Women’s Fight For Their Rights”
Action on climate change being taken on local level as Trump gives 2020 date to pull U.S. out of Paris Accord. And Hospital understaffing and lack of safety guidelines forcing nurses to quit and putting patients at risk.
Indebted, the new book by NYU professor Caitlin Zaloom looks at the crushing pressures the college loan system puts on middle class families. And WBEZ’s Nerdette nerds out with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.
Author, Historian, and the director of American University’s Antiracist Research and Policy Center Ibram X. Kendi talks about his personal story and how it ties into his new book “How To Be An Antiracist”.
Our panel of journalists take a deep dive into the biggest news stories of the week, including winners and losers in the teacher’s strike, and more elected officials busted by the feds.
Manufacturing on Chicago’s South and West Sides kept whole communities squarely in the middle class. But when those jobs left in the 1960’s and 70’s, there was no plan to re-invigorate the neighborhoods or retrain the people. Those areas of the city are still feeling the effects of the economic shift. We take a deep dive with 4 WBEZ reporters who’ve been telling the story of Chicago’s manufacturing losses.
Plus Dennis Rodkin brings us the history of the ornate Murphy Auditorium just off the Magnificent Mile on E. Erie.
We find out why more than one Chicago area hospital is closing or cutting back on their OB/GYN services from Tribune reporter Lisa Schencker. And WBEZ’s Sarah Karp brings you the latest on the Chicago teachers strike, now in its 10th day.
IL State Rep. Luis Arroyo is accused of trying to bribe a state senator with monthly payments in exchange for support on legislation that would benefit a client Arroyo also lobbies for.
And with major auto workers, nurses, and teachers strikes happening across the country, we take the temperature of the American labor movement, and why unions seem to be having a moment in the spotlight.
Illinois lawmakers gather in Springfield today to kick off the fall veto session. Legislators are expected to vote on some big ticket items, including House Bill 38-88. That’s legislation that would effectively ban emissions of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing gas.
Ethylene oxide was the gas being emitted from the Sterigenics plant in DuPage county before it was closed down earlier this year. Meanwhile, it’s still being put into the air by two facilities in Lake County.
Resettalks to two scientists from the group Stop EtO--that's “Stop Ethylene Oxide”--in Lake County.
We also check in with Brian Mackey, the state government and politics reporter for WUIS and NPR Illinois, for a rundown on what’s on the agenda this fall.
Poet Saeed Jones’s new memoir How We Fight For Our Lives is at once raw and painful...and achingly beautiful. Jones writes about growing up black and gay and trying figure out how to carve out an identify separate from the people he loves most. An identity that is authentically him...and space where he can find joy in himself.
Heather Cherone of the Daily Line, John Byrne of the Chicago Tribune, and WBEZ’s Claudia Morell talk about the mayor’s budget address, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and much more on our Friday News Roundup.
One day after Mayor Lightfoot’s first budget address, she answered questions from Reset and from listeners across the city. No filters, nothing pre-arranged. Just a straight Q & A.
Reset Bonus Pod: In case you missed it, we're bringing you Mayor Lori Lightfoot's 2020 budget speech, unedited and in its entirety
Our panel of experts break down Mayor Lightfoot's first budget speech, where she described her plans to fill a deficit of over $800 million
The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III talks about how his congregation raised the money to wipe out over $5 million in medical debt for 6,000 South Side residents.
And a new exhibition is up at the Chicago History Museum that focuses on the past, present, and future of the diverse Muslim communities in Chicago and the suburbs.
What were the feds looking for when they raided the City Club of Chicago, and why was Mike Madigan's name on the list? And Lee Bey's new book Southern Exposure documents architecture on the South Side.
How do you build a museum from scratch...that encompasses 400 years of African American history? How do you get it to tell hard truths, without making it a completely depressing experience for visitors? And how do you do it in a politically charged time, when the African American experience continues to shift and change? You talk to Lonnie Bunch. He explains how he managed to pull it off in his new memoir A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the age of Bush, Obama, and Trump
Teachers on strike, cops getting fired, and where pot will be sold in the city are just some of the stories our panel of takes on in Reset’s Friday News Roundup featuring WTTW’s Paris Schutz, The Daily Line’s Heather Cherone, and David Greising of the Better Government Association.
The Chicago teachers and support staff are on strike. You’ll hear the latest from WBEZ’s Senior Education Editor Kate Grossman. Plus Reset’s Sustainability Contributor Karen Weigert talks about how we can all benefit from sustainability programs at the micro level.
For 15 years, Jason DeSanto worked as a speechwriter and debate prepper for U.S. senators and presidential candidates. DeSanto brings his take on last night’s big Democratic debate.
Plus Monica Eng kicks of our series Global Groceries by taking you through Mitsuwa Japanese Marketplace, and explains some of the staples of Japanese cooking.
Sarah Karp brings you the latest on the negotiations between the teacher’s union and the city, and Chip Mitchell explains how far Chicago police officials went to justify the shooting of Laquan McDonald.
Toni Preckwinkle introduces her 2020 budget for Cook County. And former U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power talks American diplomacy in the age of Trump.
Why haven't you seen a daily podcast in your feed this week? As we wind down Morning Shift and ramp up our new program Reset, Jenn White explains how we've got you covered from a programming perspective (more of the news and conversations that matter to you), and from a technical perspective (no need to unsubscribe/resubscribe). Check out the short message from Jenn, and see you back here very soon!
Gary Pressy attended every Cubs home game for 33 years. No, he isn’t a die-hard season ticket holder. He’s the club’s organist. But all great streaks eventually come to an end, and a few weeks ago, he announced his retirement. Before playing his last 7th inning stretch, Pressy sat down with WBEZ’s sports contributor Cheryl Raye Stout to talk about his life, his career, and the special place the organ has in the atmosphere at Wrigley Field.
Farmers in Illinois and across the Midwest are hurting. Because of the weather. Because of competition with massive agribusiness. Because of the trade war with China. Last week, Taiwan doubled its order of Illinois soybeans. Cecile Shea of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs explains why it might not be the boon that farmers were hoping for, and explains what might be ahead for consumers in this “war of the tariffs” between China and the U.S.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has called for an official impeachment inquiry yesterday. That means the 6 House of Representatives committees investigating the president and his administration will determine if there’s enough evidence for the House to proceed with impeachment hearings. HuffPost congressional reporter Arthur Delaney fills us in on the latest, and Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL 10th) gives his take on where this is all going and what it means for congress and the country.
Then Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey updates us on the continuing negotiations between the CTU and Chicago Public Schools, and the possibility of a teacher’s strike.
When it comes to climate change, much of the world is sitting up, taking notice, and pledging to do something, while the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations and denies there’s even a problem. We talk about the recent UN Climate Action Summit with Karen Weigert.
Plus we hear from actor Harry Hadden-Paton about his role as England’s King George VI, and how the king overcame a stutter to lead his nation through WWII with the help of his speech therapist.
Nurses at the University of Chicago Medical Center went on a one-day strike last Friday, highlighting what they see as staffing issues that put patients at risk. We’ll find out more about the strike from Tribune healthcare reporter Lisa Schencker, and Denise Summers, a member of the union representing the 2,000+ nurses that hit the picket lines.
Then, crime is up on the El. We’ll find out what kinds of crimes, and what’s being done to curtail them from our transportation contributor and Chicago Tribune transportation columnist Mary Wisniewski
A college education can greatly improve socioeconomic mobility. In The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes Or Breaks Us, journalist Paul Tough examines the many barriers to higher education for low income and minority students.
No pot stores on the Mag Mile, and the mayor’s refusal to release all the documents related to the Laquan McDonald case are just some of the stories we’re covering in today’s Friday News roundup
WBEZ reporting has found the way the City of Chicago dishes out fines and fees associated with car tickets has affected disadvantaged neighborhoods of color more than any other. Mayor Lori Lightfoot is trying to change that, and some of her reforms will get a vote tomorrow at City Council. City Comptroller Reshma Soni describes the reforms Lightfoot is pushing, and how she thinks they’ll help people, and the city, in the long run.
Plus one woman’s mission to pair parents of children with special needs with employers offering a decent wage and flexible schedules.
From the late 1980’s and into the 90’s, Chicago’s Wicker Park was both a working-class neighborhood and a hub for young creatives searching for community and a place to hone their art. 10 years later, the area became a magnet for developers looking to cash in on Wicker Park’s hip nature and the close proximity to downtown.
Poet and activist Kevin Coval’s new book “Everything Must Go: The Life And Death of An American Neighborhood” examines the changes that Coval witnessed, what gentrification meant to Wicker Park, to Chicago, and to neighborhoods in cities facing a similar situation and fate.
Chicago singer-songwriter Kaina Castillo has been performing at venues across the city since she was a teen. The Irving Park native built a name for herself along the way, and is now touring on her first full-length album, Next to the Sun.
From federal oversight of Chicago’s public schools tied to last year’s news of CPS’s oversight of sexual abuse and assault cases, to judges in high places to an unfolding story of the continued failure of the state’s Department of Children and Family Services, our round table of reporters break down the biggest news of the week on our Friday News Roundup
Driving for a rideshare company like Uber or Lyft may be your ticket to some extra money. But if you owe fines or fees to the city, you may be blocked from doing the job. WBEZ’s Elliot Ramos explains what’s happening, and who’s affected most.
Plus activists argue in court that developer Sterling Bay has no right to use public money from TIFs to build their mega-development known as Lincoln Yards. Find out what the judge said yesterday.
Mayor Lightfoot is trying to plug a Grand Canyon-sized budget hole. It’s somewhere in the neighborhood of $860 million. Every penny counts. So when she found out that the Chicago Police Department dished out nearly $70 million in overtime-for just the first 6 months of 2019-she called in the superintendent to find out what was going on. Sun Times reporter Fran Spielman takes us through the past, present, and future of the city’s police overtime.
Plus Lynn Scarlett, Vice President of Policy and Government Relations at the Nature Conservancy, talks about the effect of the Trump administration’s many environmental rollbacks.
Uber wants to be more than a rideshare company. They want to dominate a number of transportation markets in the same way Amazon has become a one-stop shopping experience. To that end, Uber has leased the massive old post office building that straddles the entrance to the Eisenhower expressway, with plans to turn it into the headquarters for Uber Freight. But the company hasn’t turned a profit yet, and Wall Street isn’t as forgiving with companies as they were when tech first began to boom.
Then, steel companies are dumping poisonous chemicals into rivers and streams the feed directly into Lake Michigan. We’ll find out what’s going on, and the environmental impact.
Gregory Michie was born to teach. After years as a CPS teacher, Michie took a job as an education professor. He thought he was leaving the rough-and-tumble of daily teaching for a less stressful gig at a university. But a decade later, he was back. Michie’s new book “Same As It Never Was: Notes On A Teacher’s Return To The Classroom” looks at his return to the same school, the same grade level, and the same subjects he taught before he left in the 1990’s...and how the system and the kids have changed, and stayed the same.
David Greising of the Better Government Association, Amanda Vinickey of WTTW and A.D. Quig of Crains’ Chicago Business break down the biggest news stories of the week, including Mayor Lightfoot’s twitter spat with Sen. Ted Cruz, the latest on the city budget, the most recent talk of a looming teacher’s strike, and much more.
Bears' chairman George McCaskey talks to Cheryl Raye Stout about his life and work as the grandson of the team's-and the NFL's-founder George Halas
WBEZ’s Patrick Smith explains why prosecution numbers for murder cases are so low. And things to do this weekend around Chicago with See, Hear, Eat.
In his new book, Chicago Public Schools teacher Gregory Michie writes about what it was like to return to teach in the same middle school in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood where he began his career after more than a decade as an education professor.
Morning Shift digs into what’s different about the teaching profession this decade compared with the late 1990s and how Michie navigates his role as a white teacher in a school that’s almost exclusively made up of black and brown students.
Actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman talks about his family, his time in Chicago, and his philosophy on life as he prepares to take his one-man show on the road. He’ll hit the Chicago Theater Sept. 15th.
Mayor Lightfoot had good news and bad news when she delivered her state-of-the-city speech last night. The good was the number of reforms and cost-saving measures she implemented in her first 100 days. The bad news is, those reforms may not be enough to save us as we face major-and immediate-fiscal challenges. WBEZ political reporter Dan Mihalopoulos fills in for Jenn White, and is joined by Heather Cherone of the Daily Line and Paris Schutz of WTTW for a lively roundup of the speech, and the other important local news of the week.
In the latest installment of The Movie That Made Me, Lesle Honore of the KLEO Community Family Life Center talks about her attachment to, and struggles with, the classic film Gone With the Wind.
Plus A.D. Quig of Crains’ takes a stab at what Mayor Lightfoot will say tonight at her first State of the City address. The speech airs at 6pm here on WBEZ.
Tens of thousands of people in Cook County have a hard time getting a job, finding housing, or moving on to become productive citizens after a conviction for a marijuana-related offense. But when weed becomes legal in Illinois on January 1, many of those convictions will be expunged. This will break down some of the barriers so that these people can better provide for themselves and their families. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx talks about the work that her office is doing in tandem with San Francisco-based Code For America to make these expungements happen.
Plus WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp answers some of the questions we couldn’t get to with CPS CEO Janice Jackson yesterday.
From budgets to hiring, from staffing to special ed, people in Chicago have a lot of questions when it comes to the 2019-2020 school year at Chicago’s public schools. CPS CEO Janice Jackson joins us for an extended one-on-one where she talks about those issues, answers questions from listeners, and addresses the possibility of a teachers strike
When Lori Lightfoot campaigned for Mayor of Chicago, she talked about rooting out corruption, making government more transparent, including communities in discussions about how to make better policy, and having an all-around more equitable city that works for everyone. 3 key members of her transition teams talk about how they’ve done so far, and the work that still needs to be done to keep those promises.
Then, the trend was to tear down Englewood in order to save it. The problem is, nothing has gone into those empty spaces. So what’s the plan? What do the residents want? And how can neighbors and the city bring new housing and investment to the neighborhood?
CJ Run was born in Germany, grew up in England, spent their high school years in rural North Carolina, and finally found community and a sense of belonging at college in Champaign-Urbana. Now, they’ve moved to Chicago, and the music is flowing like never before. They hope that music provides inspiration to kids like them who are trying to figure out who they are and what life’s all about.
Mayor Llightfoot and the billion dollar budget hole. Why national Democrats need to stop in Chicago. A Tea Party firebrand looks to run against Trump. And rampant bullying and sexual harassment in the statehouse outlined in a new report. Those stories and more on this week’s Friday News Roundup.
Last year a staffer in Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s office came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against her superior Kevin Quinn. Now a new report fully outlines the circumstances and situations women have endured for years. And while Madigan himself has not been accused of wrongdoing, the powerful politician has apologized for not seeing it, or responding to these allegations in a timely manner.
Plus Eugene Jones Jr. was the CHA’s 5th CEO in 4 years. Residents liked his accessibility and his can-do spirit. But just a few months after he refuted rumors that he was moving on from the job, Jones turned in his resignation.
The Trump administration’s decision to withhold funds from health providers that talk about abortions has led Planned Parenthood to leave the federal program Title X and go without the millions in funds that comes with it. We talk about what that means for the organization, and women across the country and in Illinois
Plus we look at the nonprofit I Grow Chicago, and the services and a safe space they provide for the residents of Englewood and beyond.
It’s not quite the old smoke-filled back room of yore, but Cook County Democrats met late last week to choose who they’ll be supporting in the 2020 elections. WBEZ county reporter Kristen Schorch explains who got the nod, and how the county party’s backing helps a candidate.
Then Mother Jones’ AJ Vicens talks about the reporting he’s done around election tampering via social media, and how rules to combat it might inadvertently be hurting municipal elections across the country, including here in Chicago.
Over the last week, news reports and business channels have been throwing around the term Inverted Yield Curve. We’ll find out what it means, and what it has to do with a possible future recession or economic downturn.
Then we’ll talk to the folks who run a house on the city’s Southwest Side that serves as transitional housing for men who need to escape emergency situations, like if their life is in danger.
Bumps in the road for a future Chicago casino. A long-time politician says she won't stand for reelection. State's Attorney Kim Foxx gets a primary challenger. Those stories and more, broken down by 3 of the best journalists in the city. This week we're joined by WTTW's Paris Schutz, New York Times Chicago bureau chief Monica Davie, and freelance reporter Kim Bellware
From paying social media influencers to their ad campaigns to the flavors themselves, Lake County State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim believes that Juul, the biggest player in the growing e-cigarette market, is going directly after children. So he’s going directly after the company with a lawsuit.
Plus K.L.E.O. is a non-profit serving kids on the south side through a variety of programs from helping navigate through first jobs to the arts and more. We hear more about their mission and their successes, and get a preview of their Peace Festival that’s taking place this Saturday from executive director Lesle Honore.
A new survey says that Chicago and Illinois will do quite well once a successful casino opens in the city. But it also says that the profits for the casino’s actual owner will be so low, we may see a situation where no one wants to build one in the first place.
And 20,000 cases of elder abuse were reported in Illinois last year, and experts say the number of actual abuse cases is much higher. We talk to 2 members of a new state task force combating abuse of the elderly and those with disabilities.
It’s been well over a year since the Trump administration started slapping tariffs on Chinese goods. China has responded in kind, and Illinois corn and soybean producers are taking a hit as one of their biggest export markets dries up. Additional tariffs will mean average consumers in the state will start feeling it as well.
Plus the Chicago Tribune’s food writers have searched out the best middle eastern food in and around Chicago. We hear about some of their favorites
Pro Publica Illinois has taken another deep dive into gambling in the state. This time the focus is on Waukegan, the gambling interests there, and the influence they’re exerting.
Plus the Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards give young people a chance to put their world into words.
Billy Branch was born in Chicago, but he was raised in LA. He’d never been exposed to the blues until, at 17, he moved back to Chicago to attend UIC, and wandered into Grant Park for what many aficionados call “the greatest blues concert ever”. From that moment he was hooked. A few years later he was touring the world with Willie Dixon’s band, and he’s been leading his own band Sons of Blues since the late 70’s.
Branch talks about his life in blues and his new album, Roots and Branches: A Tribute to Little Walter
Small business loans are not being dished out at past rates in minority and low-income areas across Chicagoland and across Illinois. That’s according to a new study from Chicago’s Woodstock Institute. The lack of investment from banks essentially leaves communities without gasoline for their economic engines. We hear from the study’s author, and 2 small business owners trying to access additional capital.
Plus this week’s See Hear Eat has a seriously nerdy bent to it as Chicago’s “King of Geeks” weighs in on fun things to do in and around the city this weekend.