In the Loop (Segments)

The video that surfaced months ago showing teens asking each other “what race wouldn’t you date, and why?” raises questions about how stereotypes affect students and how schools can help improve relationships among students across races. Reset checks in with two WBEZ education reporters who did a deep dive to understand what’s behind these videos.

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Mexican Art features hundreds of intimate photos from artist Frida Kahlo’s personal photo collection. Her belongings were previously locked away in a Mexico City closet for 50 years. Reset learns more about Kahlo’s background and about the exhibit, which runs through Aug. 7.

Mayor Lightfoot reignites a monumental debate, announcing Columbus statue may return to Grant Park. Democrats eye Chicago as potential host for 2024 convention. Reset talks with a reporter and a commentator about the Chicago area’s biggest stories of the week.

We’re in the home stretch to warmer weather, but this last hump might have you craving comfort food. Reset gets recipes and recommendations from a Chicago chef and food writer.

Shondaland’s first official production, Bridgerton, released its second season and we have thoughts on the costumes, the music and the glaring holes in its historical fiction plotline. Reset talks through every diamond and dud of the season.

President Joe Biden’s announcement Thursday comes as gas prices continue to soar in Chicago and across the U.S. To find out how the move will affect prices here, Reset checks in with oil market expert Patrick De Haan.

The Century and Consumers Buildings on State Street have a commanding presence in Chicago’s Loop. But after 17 years of being held in limbo, the federal government plans on spending $52 million to demolish them. Reset learns more about the pair of early 20th-century skyscraper structures and the fight to save them.

Heartland shelters in Chicago saw severe problems last year, ranging from no staff who spoke Pashto or Dari to no culturally appropriate food, which led to young refugees harming themselves, attempting suicide and running away. The problems have persisted and are more widespread than originally thought: shelters in Michigan are also experiencing similar issues. Reset checks in with two investigati...

Gov. JB Pritzker is pledging new resources to help fight the opioid epidemic in Illinois. Reset takes a closer look at the state’s plans and talks to two advocates working on the ground on the West Side of Chicago.

The infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act earmarked $5 billion to build 500,000 charging stations across the U.S. by 2030. To get federal funding, states will have to prove 40% of the money will go toward chargers in disadvantaged areas. Argonne’s building tools to help them do that. To learn more, Reset talks with two Argonne scientists.

The Securities and Exchange Council’s climate proposal comes as the Chicago city council bans investing city finances into fossil fuel companies. These are proactive examples of climate finance that aim to give investors more choice in where to invest, and to hold companies with high carbon emissions accountable to consumers. Reset checks in with an asset manager, the city of Chicago treasurer and...

Some Russian units have retreated from their fighting in Kyiv, but the Pentagon is hesitant to consider this a withdrawal. Russia’s armed forces are expected to be prioritizing other areas of Ukraine. Reset checks in with Ukrainian-Americans about their efforts, and concerns, surrounding the war in Ukraine.

Social media giants are hastily reworking their rules on hate, violence, and propaganda based on what’s happened around the attacks on Ukraine. Reset talks through what they’re changing and how that may affect the user's experience.

In 2019, only $13.6 million of angel and seed startup money raised went to Black and Latino founders, In 2021, it increased to $38.3 million. This is a promising trend that could indicate that the collaborative work happening in Chicago is leading to initial results. TECHRISE, a collaborative initiative to support underrepresented tech founders that has been active in this effort begins its second...

The last days of March will bring wind, rain and wild temperature swings to the Chicago area. Reset gets the latest on what we can expect from the weather this week.

The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching bill has been signed into law. We revisit a conversation on that topic.

As the climate warms here in Chicago, some native bird species are nesting earlier in the spring. Half of the 72 bird species studied have started laying eggs 25 days earlier on average than they did 100 years ago. Since temperature changes of just a few degrees translate to different plants blooming and insects emerging at different times – climate change may lead to birds competing for food that...

In the book Colorization: 100 Years of Black Films in a White World, writer Wil Haygood discusses the effects of changing social realities and events on the business of making movies and on what was represented on the screen. He considers the films themselves from Gone With the Wind, to the Blaxploitation films of the 70s, to Black Panther, and brings to light the significance of historic Black ac...

In July of 2020, protesters attempted to pull down the iconic statue of Columbus in Grant Park. Mayor Lightfoot then had it quietly and quickly removed in the middle of the night. Now she says Columbus may be returning to Grant Park. Reset confronts the problem of problematic statues.

We spoke with a zoological manager about the first African lion cub born at the zoo in 20 years.

Are tourists ready for urban excitement again? Will this be the summer when travelers return to Chicago’s restaurants, museums and live theater? Reset gets insights from the new CEO and first woman to head the city’s tourism bureau.

The new podcast BioHacked: Family Secrets tells the stories of donor-conceived people and their fight against the largely unregulated fertility industry in the U.S. Reset learns more from the team behind the project.

In some cases, fraudsters are breaking into buildings, changing the locks and luring would-be tenants into fake leases. Other times, the fraud is a bit more sophisticated. But the results are the same: tenants and landlords are being swindled out of thousands of dollars. Reset explores what scams renters and landlords need to know and how to protect themselves.

Barton Fitzpatrick is an actor, producer and singer known for a recurring role in The Chi and several guest appearances in Chicago-based productions Chicago Med, Chicago PD and Empire. In March 2022, Fitzpatrick made his midseason debut in the third spinoff of the hit TV series Power. Reset talks with the actor about his on-screen career and music.

Chicago sports fans have been experiencing a whirlwind. Big Ten teams disappointed in March Madness. The Bulls are faltering ahead of the post-season. And the Cubs’ owners look to profit in Europe’s soccer market in a bid to buy Chelsea. Reset analyzes this week in sports.