In the Loop (Segments)

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Stephanie Kim Guest: Tony Rivera

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Stephanie Kim Guest: Lewis Medina, Hannah Medina

The $3.9 billion deal is one of the tech giant’s largest acquisitions yet. Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Brenda Ruiz Guest: Caroline O’Donovan, Geoffrey Fowler

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990, creating one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation protecting people with disabilities. Reset examines how far we’ve come and how much more we need to go. Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Stephanie Kim Guest: Benjamin Salentine, Karen Tamley

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office has been hit with high turnover rates due to the pandemic, leaving courtrooms understaffed and prosecutors with a backlog of cases. Reset sits down with the Cook County State’s Attorney to find out how she’s dealing with this problem in her office. Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Marie Mendoza Guest: Kim Foxx

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature declared the monarch butterfly endangered last week, citing that the North American monarch population “has shrunk by between 22% and 72% over the past decade.” Chicagoans are seeing firsthand how sparse the local summer population has become, but the black-and-orange butterfly is still not on the U.S.’s list of endangered species. Reset turns...

The collaborative study between the U.S. Census Bureau and Harvard University found that over ⅔ of millennials live within 100 miles of where they grew up. And in Chicago, they found that ¾ of people who grew up in Chicago stay close by. Reset hears from a lead researcher on the study and learn about what this tells us about the labor market. Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Lynnea Domienik, Brend...

As COVID-19 cases rise again in Illinois, Chicago public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady says mask and vaccine mandates won’t return in the near future. Reset checks in with infectious disease specialist Dr. Mia Taormina about the science behind public health strategy.

When the Supreme Court reversed the precedent set in Roe v. Wade last month, they made it much more difficult for trans men and nonbinary people who can get pregnant to access abortions, birth control, and other healthcare. Barriers to care unique to trans and nonbinary people include discrimination from healthcare workers and having fewer resources to travel out of states where abortion is banned...

Indiana’s Republican-controlled Senate begins its special legislative session Monday, where they will take up a proposal that would ban abortion in the state, allowing only for limited exceptions. Reset checks in with WBEZ Northwest Indiana reporter Mike Puente, live from the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Meha Ahmad, Marie Mendoza Guest: Michael Puente

As COVID cases continue to surge in Illinois, Dr. Allison Arwady said mask and vaccine mandates won’t return in the near future. That’s because the hospitalization rate for COVID in Illinois has remained relatively stable, even as infections tick up. However, if 10% of hospital beds are filled with COVID patients, mandates could make a comeback. Reset had our weekly checkup with an infectious dise...

Service delays, violent crime and inaccurate trackers. Those are some of the concerns commuters have been raising since the COVID-19 pandemic sent ridership plummeting on the Chicago Transit Authority. Reset discusses the CTA’s response to these issues and what needs to be done to solve them. Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Brenda Ruiz Guest: P.S. Sriraj

After becoming a cadet at 17, Kristen Ziman rose through the ranks to become the first female police chief in the history of the Aurora Police Department. In that role, she met the biggest challenge of her career: responding to the deadly workplace mass shooting at Henry Pratt Company in 2019. Reset talks to Ziman about the tough lessons she’s learned about policing during her 30-year career, and...

Chicago organizer and author directs a film that in only 16.5 minutes, creates compelling relationships and tenderly tells stories of resilient Black women’s love for each other. Reset talks with the director to learn more about the film. Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Lynnea Domienik Guest: Charlene Carruthers

Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger is in the national spotlight for leading last night’s January 6th committee hearing, while Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky makes her own headlines in D.C. Host: Michael Puente Producer: Andrea Guthmann Guest: Monica Eng, Greg Hinz, Tina Sfondeles

If you’re looking for an out of this world festival, the Cosmic Country Cookout is bound to have something you’ll love. Reset talks with an event organizer and the first openly gay country artist. Host: Michael Puente Producer: Brenda Ruiz Guest: Sully Davis, Patrick Haggerty

Have you ever wondered why there’s a Scottish castle in Rust Belt Indiana? Well, Joseph Pete, the author of Secret Northwest Indiana: Guide to Weird, Wonderful, Obscure, looked into it. In his book, which came out in May of this year, Pete explores all the oddities the Hoosier state has to offer, and answers questions Host: Michael Puente Producer: Claire Hyman Guest: Joseph Pete

July is Disability Pride Month, and Chicago boasts one of the longest-running disability pride parades in the country. Reset learns more about what to expect at the event Host: MIchael Puente Producer: Stephanie Kim, Sarah Stark Guest: Alec Cabacungan, Justin Cooper

Activists at the Hana Center, a Korean-American immigrant rights group in Irving Park, use Pungmul drumming when they protest. The loud, wooden drums originate from the Korean working class and have become a symbol of protest in Korea. This summer, the Hana Center has opened its Pungmul drumming classes to the public for the first time. Reset learns more about Pungmul drumming from Kevin Lee, an e...

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Stephanie Kim Guest: Dennis Rodkin

Puppy organized crime might sound cute, but it doesn’t end well for our four-legged friends. A new podcast explores puppy mills, fraudulent dog rescues, and the brokers who traffic dogs across state lines. Reset talks puppy mills and how to avoid them with the “Puppy Kingpin” team. The final episode of Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin is out now. Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Sasha-Ann Simons, Sarah...

A record-setting heat wave is rolling through central Europe this week, leading to fires and deaths linked to extreme temperatures. An Illinois climatologist explains what’s behind the weather. Reset also talks to spokespeople from the mayor’s office to find out how Chicago’s leaders are preparing the city for more days of extreme heat as climate change continues to increase the number of severe w...

After a two-year investigation, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development found the City of Chicago violated its residents’ civil rights by moving big polluting businesses from white communities to predominantly black and brown neighborhoods, which are places that already bear the brunt of environmental issues in the city. HUD is demanding that Chicago change its zoning and planning pract...

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Brenda Ruiz Guest: Ayana Contreras

A recent study from Johns Hopkins University and the Georgia Institute of Technology show biases in artificial intelligence programs can translate into racist and sexist decisions. Reset discusses the findings of the study and how those biases can affect us even today. Host: Sasha-Ann Simons Producer: Brenda Ruiz Guest: Pranshu Verma