In the Loop (Segments)

It’s been a big week for women in music: Britney Spears is free, Adele hit the stage with new music after a long hiatus and Taylor Swift continues to shake up the music industry.

More than 100,000 people died from drug overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021, according to federal data released Wednesday. Reset checks in with a drug policy expert and county toxicologist about this grim milestone, and solutions they would like to see implemented.

Most Chicago journalists spend a lot of time pointing out what’s wrong with our city. Jon Hansen’s doing something different. He hosts Block Club Chicago’s podcast It’s All Good, which celebrates Chicagoans who are doing something good for their neighborhood.

Reset talks to Atlantic staff writer Ed Yong about his latest piece on why health-care workers are leaving the industry in droves, and what the mass-exodus means for the future of medicine.

Songfinch is trying to open up a new revenue stream for independent musicians through customized songs and to help them expand their fan base. The Chicago-based startup has paid more than $2.1 million directly to artists this year alone. Reset talks to the CEO of the company for our weekly series “Chicago Innovators.”

Wireless networks plan to phase out devices that depend on the decades old 3G connections, a move that would likely impact older and lower income Americans.

Collaboraction is a “social justice theater company that uses theater and digital media to incite change and grow equity in Chicago.” Reset will meet Saudia Davis, the group's newly named executive director to discuss her vision and the importance of inclusion in Chicago’s arts scene.

The Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act creates incentives for businesses to build electric cars in the state. Reset asks EV advocates if this law will be implemented equitably.

Reset talks to aquatic and invasive species specialists about what the discovery of a 72-pound fish in the Humboldt Park lagoon signifies about our ecosystem.

Transit has long been designed to support the white American work commute, but what if transit was planned with a focus on racial and social equity and rider utility? Reset explores how President Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure package can push Illinois to commit to regional transit planning through an equity lens.

The Black Lives Matter protests and social unrest of 2020 spotlighted long-ignored inequalities in America, including economic discrimination. That’s what motivated three South Side friends to launch the nation’s first Black-owned bread company.

Jury deliberations are underway in the murder trial of Antioch teen Kyle Rittenhouse who fatally shot two men and injured a third last August during unrest in Kenosha, Wis. Judge Bruce Schroder on Monday dismissed a misdemeanor gun charge against the teenager.

Employees are feeling burned out. More than four in 10 employees (44%) say they are more burned out on the job today compared to a year ago, according to a new survey of 2,800 workers from global staffing firm Robert Half. Reset talks with a career coach about how to overcome the burnout mentality of the COVID pandemic

The American Trucking Associations says the industry faces a shortage of 80,000 drivers. That’s up 30% from the estimated shortage before the pandemic. Reset explores why Illinois trucking companies are concerned about this issue and what the shortage means for the supply chain crisis.

South Side clothing shop Englewood Branded was burglarized last month, but shoppers from around Chicago have stepped up to help. Reset checks in with the store’s operator about what comes next.

Reset checks in with an infectious disease specialist for the latest public health guidance on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monday is the deadline for families to apply for the expanded Child Tax Credit under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Reset chats with an expert on what you need to know to apply now and what happens if you miss the deadline.

Entrepreneurs are building businesses in this time of change and working to create operations that will sustain families and communities. Reset checks in with Crain’s Chicago Business to discuss its latest work on equity in Chicago’s business world.

The term “cancel culture” is fairly new, but it’s not a new concept. Most NPR listeners recognize David Sedaris from what’s become a holiday tradition: the re-airing of his 1992 account of spending two Christmas seasons working as an elf at Macy's in New York. Since “Santaland Diaries,” Sedaris has penned numerous books, become a regular contributor to The New Yorker and been inducted into the Ame...

Reset talks to the head of the Illinois Restaurant Association and an organizer working to raise tipped employees wages about what the hospitality industry can do to retain workers during the pandemic.

Chicago cancels school to motivate parents to vaccinate as COVID cases rise. The Chicago Police Department cancels days off in anticipation of a verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial. Reset goes behind those headlines and more in the Weekly News Recap.

A Milwaukee-based automotive expert and educator recently made the Out100 list. Reset checks in with her about her work and why being empowered with knowledge is so important.

Chicago’s Asian population is the city’s fastest growing. But despite the numbers being there, there is no majority Asian American ward in the city — nor is there currently an Asian American alderman on City Council. Reset explores what an Asian American majority ward could mean for Chicago’s Asian community, and how it could change Chicago’s City Council.

The term “cancel culture” is fairly new, but it’s not a new concept. Reset talks with a professor about the history of “cancelling” people, why cancel culture is so prevalent in American society today, and why it may need to change.

President Joe Biden has pledged to replace every lead pipe in the country. Illinois lawmakers estimate the state will receive at least $1.7 billion to improve its drinking and wastewater infrastructure. Reset checks in with the Natural Resources Defense Council for what the bill could mean for lead pipes in Illinois and what resources are available to homeowners.