In the Loop (Segments)

With more and more Americans working from home because of the pandemic, there has been a shift in where we live and work. Reset digs into how those forces are reshaping big U.S. cities like Chicago

Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th Ward, served Mayor Lightfoot in City Council for 18 months. He’s replaced by Ald. Michelle Harris, 8th Ward. Reset gets the scoop on why Villegas stepped down and what the move means for the Lightfoot administration and City Council going forward.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Jan. 28 that extended enrollment for the federal health insurance marketplace through May 2021. Reset examines Biden’s ambitious plans to strengthen Obamacare and reform America’s healthcare system through an equity lens.

Chicago residents 65 and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as a part of Phase 1B. However, many in this group are finding the technological landscape daunting and difficult to navigate. Reset brings on an elder care expert and a medical researcher focused on Chicago’s gaps in health information to lay out the issue and offer possible solutions.

Working artists kicked off a 100-day push on Inauguration Day for legislation that would provide financial support to their industries. Reset checks in with one of the campaign’s organizers and hears from a reporter covering how the pandemic has hit one prominent arts organization in Chicago.

Chicago entered Phase 4 of the state’s reopening plan Sunday, which includes lifting certain restrictions on restaurants. Reset brings on a reporter ro give us the latest and two restaurant voices to hear about how they are handling their reopening.

Candace Parker is one of the most decorated basketball players of this generation. After 13 years with the Los Angeles Sparks, the Naperville native is coming home to play for the Chicago Sky. Reset talks about the move, and other sports news, with WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye Stout

Less than two weeks in office, President Joe Biden has already reversed many of his predecessor’s foreign policy initiatives. Reset takes a closer look at Biden’s foreign policy agenda, and what Trump-era policies he may keep in place.

One in every five people in Illinois has a disability, and the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting them disproportionately. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are two to three times as likely to die of coronavirus Reset checks in with leaders of a Chicago-based disability rights advocacy group about their efforts to prioritize disabled people in the city and state’s vaccine rollout...

After averting an immediate teachers strike, Chicago Public Schools and Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for a 48-hour “cooling-off” period Monday afternoon. The district said it will not lock teachers out of their remote learning classrooms this week, and also canceled in-person classes for Tuesday and Wednesday. Reset brings you the latest on where negotiations stand.

Without a deal on reopening, K-8 students in Chicago Public Schools did not return to in-person classes Monday as planned. But Mayor Lori Lightfoot says teachers and staff are now expected back in the classroom Tuesday. Reset checks in with WBEZ’s Sarah Karp for the latest on negotiations between the district and teacher’s union. We also hear from CPS teachers, parents and staff.

Tier 1, Tier 2, Phase 4, Phase 5 — the terminology around COVID-19 vaccines and precautions can be confusing, to say the least. Reset checks in with an infectious disease specialist for a refresher on the state’s reopening plans and the latest efforts to contain the virus in our region.

COVID-19 vaccines are a scarce resource, but some individuals are reportedly trying to skip the line ahead of more vulnerable candidates. Reset brings on two medical ethicists to weigh in on the issue and offer possible solutions.

President Joe Biden has never shied away from the importance of his Catholic Faith. Reset takes a closer look at what it means to be a Catholic in the public square today compared to when John F. Kennedy was elected the first Catholic president in 1960.

From slowing down misinformation to widening the availability of high-speed internet, President Joe Biden has big plans around tech policy. Reset digs into those proposals and more With the Washington Post’s Elizabeth Dwoskin.

It was a snowstorm for the ages. Monday marks the 10-year anniversary of the Groundhog Day Blizzard of 2011 when several feet of snow fell on the Chicago area. Ground, rail and air transportation came to a grinding halt, and more than 80,000 people were left without power. And who could forget the image of cars abandoned mid-commute on Lake Shore Drive? Reset revisits one of the biggest snowstorms...

The Chicago Teachers Union prepares for a potential strike over school reopening plans. City Council approves protections for undocumented immigrants in the first meeting of 2021. Plus, Illinois receives a $43 million federal grant to ramp up its COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Reset breaks down the week’s top stories in our Friday News Roundup.

Illinois schools are rethinking the benefits of remote learning for their students, and some are charting plans to reopen. Reset checks in with a suburban school district superintendent about their plans to reopen starting Monday.

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.

Chicago Public Schools officials advised parents to keep their kids at home Thursday as union negotiations continue. Some teachers are refusing to return for in-person learning, citing high risks of COVID-19 exposure. Reset brings on district CEO Janice Jackson for more on CPS reopening plans.

The first episode of the new investigative podcast Through The Cracks, which looks at gaps in our society and the people who fall through them, is out now. The first season focuses on the unsolved disappearance of 8-year-old Relisha Rudd in 2014. Reset talks to the host and lead producer of the podcast to learn more about Rudd’s story and what went into making the season.

New data out Thursday shows the U.S. economy shrank by 3.5 percent last year — the largest annual decline since 1946. Reset checks in with economist Daryl Fairweather for more on the COVID-19 recession.

After signing a series of executive orders on Tuesday, President Joe Biden is keeping campaign promises to restore racial and social justice and equity. Reset brings on a Washington-based reporter and two Chicago organizers for more on this issue.

It’s time to take a break from the Zoom meetings and classes, log off your computer and enjoy some downtime. Monica Eng of WBEZ’s Curious City suggests listening to the Smartless podcast, learning new breathing techniques to de-stress and letting someone else handle dinner.

The latest installment of our Closing Th Gap series wraps with a look at some of the challenges that rural communities face in their response to the pandemic and the vaccine’s distribution, how overall supply chain problems can hamper the process statewide and possible solutions to these issues moving forward.