In the Loop (Segments)

Coronavirus cases in Illinois are down to the lowest the state has seen in a month. What does this mean, ahead of the upcoming “bridge phase” set to begin Friday? Reset checks in with infectious disease specialist Dr. Emily Landon.

From shoveling snow to delivering care packages, My Block, My Hood, My City is a non-profit that embodies the true spirit of community leadership. For the second year, the organization is offering COVID-19 grants for small businesses and scholarships. Reset learns more about the initiative.

How do you respectfully get someone to reconsider a deeply held belief? How do you not get overheated, when debating a climate change denier? It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is delaying plans for a controversial car-shredding plant on the Southeast Side after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency flagged “significant civil rights concerns.” Reset checks in with a reporter, an environmental activist and a spokesperson with the company seeking a final permit to build its plant.

In our series Re-imagine Chicago, Reset is teaming up with the University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government at the Harris School of Public Policy to explore how Chicago’s systems and institutions work and how they could work better for residents. To kick off our discussion of community investment, we learn how recent Chicago mayors have approached economic development at the neighborhoo...

A public bank. A tax on futures trading. A just cannabis industry. Reset checks in with a local civic educator to explore several ideas as we begin to re-imagine how Chicago approaches community investment and economic development.

The pandemic is causing a home buying frenzy in Chicago. Plus, we remember architect Helmut Jahn. He died in a cycling accident Saturday at age 81. Reset’s “What’s That Building?” contributor discusses what’s driving the real estate market to new highs and what Jahn’s legacy will be in Chicago.

Reset brings on an infectious disease expert for our weekly check-in to provide clarity and answers to your questions, comments and concerns about COVID-19.

Resignations of top leadership at the Cook County State's Attorney and Civilian Office of Police Accountability offices. Governor Pritzker is ready to loosen COVID restrictions. Ravinia and Grant Park Orchestras announce their musical lineups and the Chicago Auto Show returns to McCormick Place. Reset breaks down the week’s top stories in our Weekly News Recap with guest host Susie An.

In the final installment of our “Re-Imagine Chicago” series on city government, we turn to a panel of public officials and community members. Reset talks to a longtime alderman and a community leader on what we’ve learned this week and what big changes could make Chicago’s city government more effective, more equitable and better for residents.

So far this week, we’ve explored how Chicago’s City Council and mayoral system operates. We’ve also looked at how politics works in other big cities like Toronto and Phoenix. In this interview, Reset checks in with the city’s top watchdog to get his thoughts on what we’ve learned this week and to discuss what big changes could make Chicago’s city government more effective, more equitable and bette...

With Mother’s Day around the corner, Reset plays listener dedications to their mom with Vocalo’s Stephen Bekoe.

Reset brings on an infectious disease expert for our weekly check-in to provide clarity and answers to your questions, comments and concerns about COVID-19.

The Chicago Sky’s new star Candace Parker is ready to take the team to the next level. The Cubs remembered they know how to play baseball, and Sox fans are scratching their heads over some of manager Tony LaRussa’s decisions. WBEZ’s sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout joins Reset with those stories and more.

Sheriff Tom Dart is urging Cook County residents to take advantage of his newly unveiled Community Resource Center for those facing mental health, substance abuse and housing issues. He joins Reset more on the one-stop support agency.

Toronto — the hometown of Reset host Sasha-Ann Simons — and Chicago were both incorporated as cities in the 1830s. And the similarities between Hogtown and the Hog Butcher for the World don’t end there. Reset takes a closer look at how legislative politics works in Toronto and whether those systems could be instructive for Chicago.

Once a polluted eyesoar, the Chicago River is now prized waterfront, both for recreation and development, and home to some 75 species of fish. But there’s still work to be done in order to keep the river healthy and clean. Enter Chicago River Day. For nearly 30 years, the annual one-day cleanup event brings together thousands of volunteers collecting trash in and along several stretches of the riv...

The historic owner of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Board of Trade is closing most in-person trading pits for good. Reset brings on a sociology professor to tell us about the history and legacy of those trading pits.

For the latest in our series spotlighting Chicago innovators, Reset learns about a company that uses fungi found in Yellowstone National Park to make foods like dairy-free cream cheese and meatless patties. GUEST: Karuna Rawal, chief marketing officer at Nature’s Fynd

Sidewalks seem simple, but they play an important role in communities’ success, helping people get around, attracting business, promoting safety, even resilience to climate change. Reset talks with Chicago and suburban officials on how and why they’re investing in sidewalks to ensure their communities’ success. GUESTS: Audrey Wennink, transportation director at Metropolitan Planning Council State...

Gun violence is on the rise in Chicago. More than 1,000 people have been shot in the city so far this year. Last year at this time, only 720 people had been shot. Reset checks in with the violence prevention program, Rapid Employment and Development Initiative, or READI Chicago, to discuss solutions to Chicago’s gun violence. GUEST: Eddie Bocanegra, senior director of READI Chicago

As NPR marks half a century in broadcasting, we hear from two people who left their mark on WBEZ as the station grew. GUESTS: Cheryl Corley, NPR correspondent based in Chicago Ken Davis, former WBEZ news director (1979-1981) and program director (1981-1992)

Chicago has a “strong mayor” system, and during the pandemic, Mayor Lightfoot gained additional emergency powers. Things work differently in Phoenix, Ariz., which operates under a “weak mayor” or “council-manager” system. Reset examines the benefits and drawbacks of how things work in Phoenix, and what lessons Chicago can learn. GUESTS: David Swindell, associate professor and director for the Cent...

About one-third of Chicago’s population is now fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. Mayor Lightfoot is looking to fully reopen the city for the summer, anticipating more vaccinations and less COVID deaths. WBEZ’s Becky Vevea breaks down the city’s reopening plans. GUEST: Becky Vevea, WBEZ city politics reporter

Chicago aldermen operate more like ward bosses than true legislators. For the second installment of our “Re-Imagine Chicago” series, Reset explores the history of Chicago’s aldermanic system and how it impacts individual residents and the city’s ability to get things done.