In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Chicago Board of Education postpones vote on controversial loan to pay pension debt. Trump signs executive order closing Department of Education as Illinois comes under federal scrutiny for accommodating trans students. Reset goes behind those headlines and more with Chalkbeat Chicago reporter Reema Amin, NBC-5 Chicago reporter Christian Farr and Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mitchell Armentrout on t...

Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar in Logan Square opened in February 2020. One month later, Illinois went into lockdown mode. We spoke with the co-owners – Chase Bracamontes and Aaron Kabot – about how they responded to the moment, what they learned, and what has ultimately made the restaurant successful. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Despite its name, Asian Pop-Up Cinema is going from pop-up film events throughout the year to one big annual film festival in the spring. This year marks its 10-year anniversary. It will run this year from Thursday, March 20, to Sunday, April 13, featuring a whopping 50 films, as well as Q&A sessions with actors, directors and producers. Reset gets a behind-the-scenes look at the festival this yea...

Emissions from diesel trucks can lead to respiratory health problems, asthma, cancer and even death. But according to a new Northwestern study, adopting similar rules to what are currently in place in California could save 500 lives in the Chicago area and prevent 600 new asthma cases in kids. This measure is currently before the Illinois Pollution Control Board. Reset gets the latest from Brian U...

Illinois legislation could bring blackjack and poker to cellphones. But opponents warn it could lead to an increase in gambling addiction, hurt existing casinos and cut into the state’s massive video gambling terminal business. Reset learns more from WBEZ statehouse reporter Alex Degman. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Colorectal cancer can spread to the liver, and once it does, patients are often at the bottom of the list to receive a liver transplant. But Northwestern Medicine is now offering a new transplant option for select patients that involves splitting a deceased donor liver in two parts. Reset hears from the first patient to undergo this treatment, Barclay Missen, and one of the surgeons Dr. Zachary Di...

Drivers are being warned to expect massive delays and traffic complications, as the Kennedy Expressway enters its final phase of a three-year construction project. Labor groups are appealing to Springfield to adopt the groups’ own vision for the future of the Regional Transportation Authority. Lawmakers are considering charging Illinois drivers “a road usage” tax. And Metra’s 14 suburban commuter...

Measles was considered eradicated in the U.S., but five years after the beginning of the COVID shutdown, measles cases are on the rise, with outbreaks in states like Texas and New Mexico. Illinois public health officials are bracing for a possible outbreak in the state, as more and more students get exempted from receiving a measles vaccine. Reset checks in with Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious diseas...

Chicago lawyers argued in federal court that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has violated immigration law and the constitutional rights of 22 people in the Midwest since January. Lawyers allege that agents had improper warrants and that in some cases, they created an administrative warrant after an arrest. Reset talks to WBEZ immigration reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad about the latest,...

Chicago’s founding as a city has been historically attributed to Jean Baptise Pointe du Sable. However, he didn’t do it alone. His wife of Potawatomi descent, Kitihawa, was instrumental in the building of their thriving trading post. Reset learns more about her with SAIC professor and writer Elise Paschen. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago-style BBQ may not be as well known as other regional BBQs like those from Texas, Memphis or the Carolinas, but it’s just as unique. Reset digs into the history of Chicago-style BBQ with Gary Wiviott, pitmaster and author of “Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons” and Daniel Hammond, executive chef and owner of Smoky Soul Barbecue. For a full archive of Reset interviews,...

A man was shot outside O’Hare Airport and a downtown alderman called for an 8 p.m. teen curfew after a shooting outside a Streeterville theater. Meanwhile, a jury awarded a record-breaking $120 million police misconduct settlement. Reset breaks down those stories and more with Carrie Shepherd, Chicago reporter for Axios, Tina Sfondeles, Chicago Sun-Times chief political reporter and Jake Sheridan,...

The Illinois EATS initiative allowed food pantries to buy fresh produce directly from farmers, and get reimbursed with federal dollars, and 85 counties in Illinois participated in this program. But pantries are no longer getting reimbursed, which leaves farmers who were planning on this revenue stream in the lurch. Reset checks in with local farmer of Eden Place Farm Michael Howard who had partici...

As President Trump continues purging the federal workforce, Reset talks to a Northwestern professor who, up until two weeks ago, served as chief economist for the embattled U.S. Agency for International Development. Reset speaks to Dean Karlan, Northwestern University professor of economics and finance; former USAID chief economist to learn more. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over t...

Since the Clean Water Act, biodiversity in the Chicago River has increased, and there are now over 60 species of fish, including mimic shiner and brook silverside. Those species are spawning, and their offspring are also doing well, says Austin Happel, research biologist at the Shedd Aquarium, who focuses on urban freshwater systems. Reset learns more from Karen Weigert, Reset sustainability contr...

Northwestern and other schools received a letter from the Department of Education that said the universities were being investigated over claims of alleged antisemitism on campus. The warning letter comes on the heels of the detention of Columbia University student and protest organizer Mahmoud Khalil, who faces deportation without a specific charge. Reset turns to WBEZ higher education reporter L...

It’s been five years since cities around the country like Chicago shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, millions of people have been affected. Whether it’s coming down with the virus, losing a loved one during the pandemic or living with the consequences of infection, also known as long COVID. To find out more about what we do and do not know about the chronic condition, we t...

May 7 is the deadline to acquire a Real ID before the new federal guidelines are enforced. DMVs all across the country are seeing unprecedented demand. Illinoisans are experiencing long lines and even longer wait times. Last year, the “Get Real, Illinois” campaign launched to encourage residents to “get real” well in advance of the deadline. However, only around 30% of Illinois residents have Real...

Illinois saw a drop in drug overdose deaths in 2023, according to newly released data from the Illinois Department of Public Health. And in Cook County, that trend seems to have held in 2024 as well, according to preliminary data from the county coroner’s office. Reset talks with Fanya Burford-Berry, a community worker at West Side Heroin Opioid Task Force, where they provide outreach to hear what...

Russia and China are no fans of his. Egypt wouldn’t even let him in the country. As the executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth spent 30 years investigating and standing up to the world’s most ruthless oppressors. During that time, he exposed war crimes, confronted authoritarian regimes and, on more than one occasion, found himself in the crosshairs. Reset checks in with Roth about...

To mark Women’s History Month, we learn about Jackie Bross, a 1940s Chicago factory worker who had the audacity to wear men’s pants to work in a time when it was considered cross-dressing and illegal. Her court case in 1943 eventually led to an ordinance that allowed women to wear pants as long as it wasn’t concealing their gender. Reset gets the story from professor of history at University of Il...

The four members of Chicago band The Orchard all met in high school. It wasn’t until their college years that they started to play music together. The group practiced and covered songs by artists like Velvet Underground in a barn near a friend’s orchard, hence the name of the band. They are inspired by the sounds of ‘50s country and classic Americana, describing its sound as “barn rock.” You can g...

While House Republicans took aim at Democratic mayors over immigration issues, and former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel criticized Democrats, hinting he may run for political office again. Meanwhile, the Highland Park mass shooter pleaded guilty. Reset breaks down these stories and much more with WTTW News correspondent Nick Blumberg, Washington Post national and breaking news reporter Kim Bellware a...

With artificial intelligence, or AI, becoming more accessible, artists’ intellectual property is increasingly under threat. Creative work is being mined by AI without the consent of the artists. A team at the University of Chicago are creating software to combat AI’s ability to use artists’ work. The ethics of AI continue to come into question while more people are tantalized by its ability to min...

Santa Masa Tamaleria in Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood uses non-GMO corn from Northern Mexico to make the dough for their tamales and tortillas. Opening this restaurant was a long held dream for the chef-couple. Reset hears how owners Jhoana Ruiz and Danny Espinoza made their dream a reality, and how the threat of tariffs is impacting them. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez...