In the Loop (Segments)

The infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act earmarked $5 billion to build 500,000 charging stations across the U.S. by 2030. To get federal funding, states will have to prove 40% of the money will go toward chargers in disadvantaged areas. Argonne’s building tools to help them do that. To learn more, Reset talks with two Argonne scientists.

The Securities and Exchange Council’s climate proposal comes as the Chicago city council bans investing city finances into fossil fuel companies. These are proactive examples of climate finance that aim to give investors more choice in where to invest, and to hold companies with high carbon emissions accountable to consumers. Reset checks in with an asset manager, the city of Chicago treasurer and...

Some Russian units have retreated from their fighting in Kyiv, but the Pentagon is hesitant to consider this a withdrawal. Russia’s armed forces are expected to be prioritizing other areas of Ukraine. Reset checks in with Ukrainian-Americans about their efforts, and concerns, surrounding the war in Ukraine.

Social media giants are hastily reworking their rules on hate, violence, and propaganda based on what’s happened around the attacks on Ukraine. Reset talks through what they’re changing and how that may affect the user's experience.

In 2019, only $13.6 million of angel and seed startup money raised went to Black and Latino founders, In 2021, it increased to $38.3 million. This is a promising trend that could indicate that the collaborative work happening in Chicago is leading to initial results. TECHRISE, a collaborative initiative to support underrepresented tech founders that has been active in this effort begins its second...

The last days of March will bring wind, rain and wild temperature swings to the Chicago area. Reset gets the latest on what we can expect from the weather this week.

The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching bill has been signed into law. We revisit a conversation on that topic.

As the climate warms here in Chicago, some native bird species are nesting earlier in the spring. Half of the 72 bird species studied have started laying eggs 25 days earlier on average than they did 100 years ago. Since temperature changes of just a few degrees translate to different plants blooming and insects emerging at different times – climate change may lead to birds competing for food that...

In the book Colorization: 100 Years of Black Films in a White World, writer Wil Haygood discusses the effects of changing social realities and events on the business of making movies and on what was represented on the screen. He considers the films themselves from Gone With the Wind, to the Blaxploitation films of the 70s, to Black Panther, and brings to light the significance of historic Black ac...

In July of 2020, protesters attempted to pull down the iconic statue of Columbus in Grant Park. Mayor Lightfoot then had it quietly and quickly removed in the middle of the night. Now she says Columbus may be returning to Grant Park. Reset confronts the problem of problematic statues.

We spoke with a zoological manager about the first African lion cub born at the zoo in 20 years.

Are tourists ready for urban excitement again? Will this be the summer when travelers return to Chicago’s restaurants, museums and live theater? Reset gets insights from the new CEO and first woman to head the city’s tourism bureau.

The new podcast BioHacked: Family Secrets tells the stories of donor-conceived people and their fight against the largely unregulated fertility industry in the U.S. Reset learns more from the team behind the project.

In some cases, fraudsters are breaking into buildings, changing the locks and luring would-be tenants into fake leases. Other times, the fraud is a bit more sophisticated. But the results are the same: tenants and landlords are being swindled out of thousands of dollars. Reset explores what scams renters and landlords need to know and how to protect themselves.

Barton Fitzpatrick is an actor, producer and singer known for a recurring role in The Chi and several guest appearances in Chicago-based productions Chicago Med, Chicago PD and Empire. In March 2022, Fitzpatrick made his midseason debut in the third spinoff of the hit TV series Power. Reset talks with the actor about his on-screen career and music.

Chicago sports fans have been experiencing a whirlwind. Big Ten teams disappointed in March Madness. The Bulls are faltering ahead of the post-season. And the Cubs’ owners look to profit in Europe’s soccer market in a bid to buy Chelsea. Reset analyzes this week in sports.

Chicago’s 11th ward has a new alderperson, City Council is still debating two different ward re-maps, and Mayor Lightfoot is considering rolling back her 2021 gas tax. Reset discusses those stories and more.

Hollywood wrapped its biggest night of the year with a bang, with plenty of surprises, laughs and drama. From CODA winning Best Picture to the slap heard around the world, Reset recaps the highs and lows of the 94th Academy Awards with two film critics and a film enthusiast from an alt-cinema.

Illinois’s growing population of older, undocumented workers are blocked from accessing social programs many seniors depend on, leaving them with few options. Reset talks to the two journalists bringing this story to light.

WBEZ’s Motive podcast takes listeners inside real-life stories to answer the question: How could this have happened? The investigative series returns with a closer look at the hidden world of big prisons in small towns in Illinois. Reset learns more from the host of season 4.

Bell Bowl Prairie on the Rockford International Airport’s property represents five of just 18 acres of dry gravel prairie left in Illinois – thePrairie State – and is home to rare plants and an endangered species of bumble bee. The Greater Rockford Airport Authority agreed to preserve it back in 1977 but now plans to destroy the prairie as part of a $50 million expansion. Reset learns more about w...

More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, cases are low in the U.S., but concerns remain about the BA.2 variant. Reset charts the variant’s spread and ask an expert how we can stay safe. Plus, the FDA is planning to authorize another COVID-19 booster for adults 50 and up.

What progress has the Chicago Police Department made toward meeting required reforms and why does the department need three more years to meet them? Reset talks to CPD’s point person on reforms and a civil rights attorney who’s been involved in the consent decree litigation.

About 350 businesses are participating in the 15th annual Chicago Restaurant Week kicking off Friday. Reset learns about the best deals and talks to a participating chef. GUESTS: Aimee Leavitt, deputy editor at Eater Chicago Mary Nguyen Aregoni, founder and CEO of Saigon Sisters

After 17 months of conflict, thousands dead and millions in crisis, the Ethiopian government is calling for a “humanitarian truce.” The government has expressed hope that a truce will ease the flow of humanitarian aid to Tigray: no aid trucks have been allowed to enter since December and both sides blame the other for the impasse. The conflict, which began in November 2020, has displaced millions,...