In the Loop (Segments)

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.

Wednesday marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, which comes just three weeks after a Trump supporter infamously wore a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt at the siege on the U.S. Capitol building. As anti-Semitism is reportedly on the rise in the country, Reset talks to the Illinois Holocaust Museum about how they’re marking this day.

Michelle Duster, author of the new book ‘Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells,’ says she hopes her great-grandmother’s life and her legacy of truth-telling, organizing and challenging systems inspires all to know their voices are important.

Chicago-bred musician Natalie Bergman, half of the brother-sister duo Wild Belle, is debuting a new solo, self-produced album on May 7th on Third Man Records. Reset hears from Bergman about what went into her latest project and its gospel roots.

In the latest installment in our series Closing the Gap, Reset explores disparities in COVID-19 vaccine access and distribution in the Chicago region. The series continues with a look at how physicians and community health outreach workers are combating negative messaging around the vaccine, particularly for Black and Latino residents hit hardest by the virus.

In a 3 to 2 vote Tuesday, Illinois regulators denied Trinity Health’s plans to open a new outpatient clinic on the South Side — where it plans to close Mercy Hospital by May. Reset checks in with WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch for the latest.

President Joe Biden’s immigration plans include a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, a deportation moratorium, DACA reform and much, much more. Reset checks in with a reporter and a Chicago-area immigration attorney to hear more about the president’s plans.

Reset checks in on the President Biden's plans and what roadblocks he might face along the way.

Stacy Davis Gates discusses the latest on negotiations that will determine whether CPS K-8 students start hybrid learning Monday.

Data shows there are more vaccinations in zip codes in the downtown area and North side than the heavily-hit South and West sides. Reset gets the details.