In the Loop (Segments)

Two Starbucks coffee shops won union elections yesterday, Chicago Reader staff’s protesting forced one of the co-owners to step down, and UIC graduate students bargained for higher wages. We check in with on-the-ground organizers and labor experts to see if the pandemic is giving workers more power.

The expansion of the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum will include the Jesse White Labor Research Library and the Dr. Lyn Hughes Ladies Auxiliary Women’s History Museum. The plan also aims to draw tourism by creating a “Pullman Porter’s Row” of shops and restaurants, which organizers hope will create community jobs. Reset checks in with the founder of the museum to learn more.

Out of Illinois’ 102 counties, DuPage is the healthiest, Alexander is the least healthy and Cook County is right around the middle. That’s according to a new report from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Reset discusses how communities can put the data to use with two local health officials and one of the lead experts of the report.

A Chicago Sun-Times analysis found some close to half of households in some zip codes were behind on their gas bills last month. The analysis found late fees helped boost the utility company record profits. Reset hears from a Sun-Times investigative reporter on why customers have seen higher energy costs.

Chicago-based podcast Music Therapy hosted by Jessica Risker goes beyond the beats and talks with artists about mental health, positive self-care, and support. Reset takes a look at the inner-workings of the podcast.

Reset checks in with the chair of the Chicago City Council’s ethics committee to discuss her plan for ethics reform and the next steps in the legislative process.

Gayle announced Monday she is leaving the foundation to lead Spelman College in Atlanta

New data from the Chicago Department of Public Health shows that Chicagoans’ life expectancy declines two years on average in 2020. For Black and Latinx residents, life expectancy decreased by an even greater margin. Reset checks in with the city’s top doctor and talks with community health experts to learn more about Chicago’s plans to address the gap.

The tech investor and billionaire says he plans to improve Twitter by making it easier to authenticate human accounts, and making the site’s algorithms open source to increase trust. Reset hears more about the deal expected to close later this year.

Barbara Gaines has directed productions there since founding the theater in 1986.

Reset checks in with infectious disease specialist Dr. Mia Taormina to get the latest guidance on how to avoid contracting COVID-19 while on a train, plane or bus as cases increase 52 percent in the U.S. and 80 percent in Illinois. We also learn about the barriers at-risk patients face in accessing live-saving COVID-19 treatments, like Paxlovid.

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It’s the height of spring migration season, and Chicago lies directly in the migratory path of over 250 species of wild birds. So how are birds faring, given the city’s architecture and the worsening avian flu outbreak? Reset checks in with a wildlife biologist and a local advocate group.

After a federal judge struck down the mask mandate on April 18 for airlines, mask mandates started falling on other forms of transportation. Here in Chicagoland, CTA, Metra and PACE no longer require masks. And you don’t have to wear a mask in an Uber or Lyft. Reset checks in with experts and listeners to understand how travel is changing now that mask requirements have been lifted on public trans...

Golden-Con is happening this weekend at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk.

City Council Budget Committee narrowly approves Mayor Lightfoot’s gas and Ventra card giveaway and the Bulls make it to the playoffs for the first time in five years. Reset goes behind the headlines on the Weekly News Recap.

For the latest in our series “Food Friday,” Reset talks to Paige and Ryne Iseminger about Freshie, the world’s first USDA-certified organic tequila seltzer. Their distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, is completely solar powered, with excess power that gets donated back to the company. They also purchase unsold fruit from the city's farmer's markets to use as fertilizer.

Observing Earth from space over the decades allows scientists to track even subtle changes in land masses, sea levels and our climate. Together, the data from satellites and ground-based missions help inform weather predictions and improve crop planting.

After a planning process that included multiple rounds of community engagement, the city of Chicago released its first climate plan since 2014. The plan sets a goal of reducing emissions in Chicago 62% by 2040 by retrofitting buildings, investing in renewable energy and reducing waste. Reset checks in with two policymakers to learn more about the plan.

What better way to celebrate poetry this month than to share our favorite song lyrics? Reset shares our top songs from Tupac and Common, to Lauren Hill and Janet Jackson.

In her new book The Memory Librarian, Janelle Monáe expands on the afrofuturistic world of her album Dirty Computer. The collection of five short stories center around Black and queer protagonists on a journey of self-love and discovery. Reset talks to Monáe about entering the literary space, afrofuturism and finding joy ahead of her book talk on Friday at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in...

Masks are now optional on all CTA buses and trains, Metra trains and Pace buses. They’re also optional at Chicago’s airports and on all major airlines. Reset checks in with NPR Chicago correspondent David Schaper to learn more.

Students and faculty from the Illinois Institute of Technology and ComEd are teaming up to develop an app that’ll showcase the Bronzeville neighborhood through an educational walking tour of the area. The app creators are hosting four public feedback periods, where they’ll solicit input from Bronzeville residents to shape the app. The first meeting is tomorrow, Friday April 22, 2022.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), of the U.N. has published three reports that show that humans are responsible for climate change, that the ability of humans and municipalities to adapt and live with severe weather is still possible if we act now, and that we have less than 2.5 years to stop the rise of greenhouse gasses. Many are calling it the most stark warning yet. Reset c...

Reset checks in with a cannabis professional to learn about the different strains of marijuana and get tips on finding the right products for you.