In the Loop (Segments)

The city’s climate plan hasn’t been updated since 2008, and city leaders are working to bring an environmental justice lens to the city’s 2022 Climate Action Plan. The plan is being drafted, with a full release expected this spring, and there are still ways to weigh in with your thoughts. Reset checks in with a climate policy adviser to Mayor Lightfoot.

Reset checks in with the festival director about this year's featured bands and how the lineup differs from Pitchforks of yore.

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producers: Stephanie Kim

Chicago schools remove its mask mandate. Mike Madigan pleads not guilty. Plus, actor Jussie Smollett is sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation. Reset goes behind the week’s headlines on the Weekly News Recap.

For today’s “Food Friday,” we’re taking you on a behind-the-scenes tour of Metropolis Coffee Company, the largest fair-trade coffee roaster in Illinois. It was founded by father-son duo Jeff and Tony Dreyfuss with a mission to build a community around coffee. And now, 18 years later, its roastery produces more than a million pounds of coffee each year.

The 2020 Census data, released Thursday, follows the pattern of undercounting people of color in the United States. Reset learns more about why that’s the case, what impact it could mean, and when we can expect individual state data to be released.

The Jewish community in Chicago is rallying around the refugees holding supply drives and fundraisers. The Jewish United Fund has even set up hotlines for Ukrainians in multiple languages to get questions answered about temporary housing and migration to other countries. Reset checks in with a reporter and an executive vice president of a non-profit organization active in this work.

Segment for last day of WBEZ's spring pledge drive.

Ruchika Tulshyan’s book Inclusion on Purpose provides a ‘how-to’ for equitable workspaces. Through an intersectional lens, she centers the workplace experience of women of color, and showcases the importance of intentional inclusivity in professional settings. Reset examines Inclusion on Purpose with the author herself.

Civilian deaths are on the rise as reports of bombs continuing in Kyiv, Mariupol, and other areas in Ukraine. Reset checks in with Chicagoans that have Ukrainian ties.

River otters are making a comeback in Chicago and a new study aims to find out how they’re adapting to city life. Reset checks in with two scientists working on the project.

Hazel M. Johnson founded People for Community Recovery to address tenant issues at Altgeld Gardens, including concerns about asbestos, lead contamination and high rates of cancer among residents. She was recognized for her work by two presidents, and she mentored young Barack Obama when he was a community organizer. In honor of Women’s History Month, Reset checks in with Johnson’s daughter, and cu...

New data shows violent crime on the CTA is up 17% year over year. To combat the surge in crime, CTA announced new safety measures in partnership with the city and police department. Reset learns more about the new protections to improve public safety and security for Chicago commuters and staff.

Kinexx Modular Construction designs these homes to fit on a typical Chicago lot, builds them in their South West side factory, and delivers and installs the homes. This process takes about three months, compared to a site build home which can take 7-10 months, and is more affordable for home buyers. Reset talks with the CEO of the company to learn more about this company and how this model can be...

Tech experts warn that Western countries limiting internet access in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine could backfire.

Del Close was an early innovator in Chicago’s improv comedy scene. His long and storied career included many positions like house director of The Committee, acting coach for SNL, and co-founder of iO. Reset invites Charna Halpern, his co-founder of iO, and Susan Messing, a former student and prolific improv teacher, to discuss is Del’s influence on Chicago comedy.

Two million people have fled Ukraine, half of them children, since the start of the Russian invasion. It’s a crisis of historic proportions which the United Nations has called the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. We heard from two Chicagoans offering medical supplies and volunteer support to Ukrainians.

Online disinformation about the war on Ukraine goes far beyond doctored TikTok videos. False Russian media reports continue to spread on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Reset dives into the spread of war-related disinformation and how it’s shaping the way some people around the world view the ongoing invasion.

In the latest round of economic sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday a ban on U.S. imports of Russian oil. The move comes as the country is already seeing record-high gas prices. Reset discusses what the new sanctions mean for gasoline prices in the Chicago area and beyond.

Geographic explorer Tara Roberts joined divers on a search for shipwrecks that once carried enslaved Africans. She tells Reset how the journey challenged her present assumptions about what home and belonging looks like.

It has taken more than 100 years and 200 tries for congress to pass a bill that would make lynching a federal hate crime. But, on Monday, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act passed the Senate unanimously. We heard from Reverend Wheeler Parker, Emmett Till’s cousin, and Alvin Tillery, a associate professor at Northwestern University, about why this bill took a century to pass and what it means for rac...

Under Illinois law, school districts reimbursed for serving free and reduced lunches to low-income children are required to accept the lowest bid for their food contracts. But a new bill aims to give those districts more options to choose from. Reset learns more about the Better School Lunches Act and how well the National School Lunch Program is serving students in Illinois and beyond.

Rom-coms are still being churned out all the time. But despite more studios leaning into the genre, there is an art to a good romantic comedy — and some fans say that art is lost these days. Reset checks in with culture critic Scott Meslow about the history and future of romantic comedies. Plus, we hear from listeners about their favorites.

Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan faces federal racketeering charges. Plus, Illinois and Chicago lift their mask and vaccine mandates as the state’s public health director announces she’s stepping down.

For “Food Friday,” Reset talks to local pizza expert Steve Dolinsky about his first annual Pizza City Fest Chicago kicking off in July.