In the Loop (Segments)

Each year Chicago-based United States Artists honors artists from across the country with prestigious $50,000 awards. Reset hears from two of the 2022 United States Artists Fellows from Chicago.

The year 2022 is being labeled as the “Year of Healing” for Chicago, which will focus on restorative racial transformation around the city. Reset checks in with Candace Moore, the city’s first chief equity officer, to understand what she has in plan for this year.

His retirement gives President Biden his first opportunity to name a new justice to the high court. Reset talks through his time on the high court and his possible replacements.

Three South Side entrepreneurs are taking up shop at L1, a converted retail space from the University of Chicago’s Arts + Public Life initiative that helps creatives expand their businesses. Reset learns more about the program for the latest in our series “Chicago Innovators.”

The fast-spreading omicron variant and the “Great Resignation” are changing the labor market. Reset hears about creative approaches tech companies are implementing to keep and attract employees.

Two weeks after firing the team’s general manager, the Bears announced they’ve hired 36-year-old Ryan Poles. Poles is the first African American to hold the position in the franchise’s 101-year history. WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout joins Reset to discuss what we know about Poles and what the Bears hope he’ll bring to the team.

The stock market is taking a beating in January, concerning economists across the country. But how, if at all, does that affect the average person? What does this mean for someone with a 401(k) or 403(b) plan? What does it mean for an employee at a public company listed on the stock market? Reset demystifies the stock market data with a Washington Post business reporter.

Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute and Chicago Animal Care and Control have partnered to protect animals while protecting us from them. The city’s Wildlife Management & Coexistence Plan serves as a model for other major cities across the country in pursuit of responsible, urban wildlife conservation. Reset checks in with the institute’s director for more on the plan.

Reset digs into the study and discusses the implications for policies and programs in the U.S. with one of the co-authors of the report and a local researcher.

President Biden says a Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent. Reset discusses what tensions between Russia and the U.S mean for Ukrainian-Americans in Illinois.

Eco and the Flamingo is billed as the Chicago area’s first Zero Waste general store. Reset meets the co-owners. They believe sustainability is a profitable business model.

Omicron may have reached its peak, but protests over vaccine and mask mandates seem to be on the rise. Suburbs from north suburban Highland Park to Naperville are grappling with protests over COVID policies at restaurants and museums, and west suburban St. Charles has closed its public library indefinitely for in-person services after receiving threats over its mask mandate. Reset checks in with a...

Fulton Market has everything: Michelin-starred restaurants, chic cafes, boutique hotels and tech firms like Google. But it hasn’t always been this way. So, has Fulton Market’s transformation from gritty to glittery been for better or worse? Reset talks to a reporter and a former planning commissioner about the changes downtown.

A new petition calls for the city of Chicago to develop a sidewalk snow and ice removal service by next winter. Reset talks to advocates from Access Living and Better Streets Chicago about their push to protect vulnerable residents from slippery black ice.

Puppets run the range from tiny sock puppets, to larger than life puppets made from multiple materials that require several people to operate them; they tickle the imagination and delve into the otherworldly. Reset checks in with an artist from, and founder of, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, to hear more about puppetry and the festival.

Parents with kids in daycare have faced constant closures during the pandemic. And without a vaccine yet available for kids under 5, some parents worry the cycle of fear and frustration won’t slow down anytime soon. Reset checks in with a reporter covering the issue in the Chicago area and opens the phones to listeners to hear about how they’re navigating child care during the pandemic.

Critics of the Mayor’s ordinance to sue Chicago gang members still haven’t warmed up to the plan. Reset discusses it’s finer details and how critics would want that plan to change.

Free N95 masks from the government are expected to arrive in Illinois this week. This comes as cases and hospitalizations remain relatively high across the state. But there is some good news: Dr. Allison Awady announced last week that the Omicron surge in Chicago has officially peaked. Reset checks in with Dr. Mia Taormina for the latest advice and guidance on COVID, masks, and more, including new...

J.W. Smith passed away this month at age 84. He was one of Chicago’s winningest high school football coaches, who went on to be an innovator as head of Athletics for Chicago Public Schools. Reset discusses Dr. Smith’s legacy with a panel of his friends and colleagues.

It’s been 49 years since the landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade established the constitional right to a safe and legal abortion. But now, due to restrictive state laws, women are traveling across state lines to abortion-friendly havens like Illinois to get the procedure. Reset talks to a bioethicist and the head of a downstate abortion clinic about the future of reproductive rights in the U.S. and the...

Chicago passes the Omicron peak as Lori Lightfoot returns to City Hall after testing positive for COVID, and the gubernatorial race heats up with an injection of big bucks to J.B. Pritzker’s campaign war chest. Reset checks in with local journalists about those stories and other big news of the week.

Chicagoans Amanda Harth and Felton Kizer started Monday Coffee Company in the middle of the pandemic as a way to foster community through inclusive and sustainable practices. Now, they’re pouring coffee, kombucha and more three days a week in the Horticulture Hall room at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Reset checks in with the two coffee aficionados.

Snow forts, snowmen and snowballs are fun, but have you stopped to admire the icy magnificence that Lake Michigan has to offer this time of year? Reset checks in with a lake enthusiast and meteorologist to learn what forces create such stunning ice formations on Lake Michigan.

People experiencing homelessness face many challenges when temperatures drop quickly like they have this week. Reset hears from two advocacy groups on an upcoming homeless count and what resources they have in frigid weather.

Chicago ranks third in the nation in deaths and health costs related to diesel pollution, according to a new analysis by the Clean Air Task Force. Reset digs into the findings of the report and checks in with environmental advocates for their thoughts on how the city and state can address the issue.