In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

A brawl breaks out at south suburban village board meeting. The fate of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is now in the hands of the jury. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories and much more in our Weekly News Recap with WBEZ statehouse reporter Alex Degman, CW-26 reporter and anchor Brandon Pope and Block Club Chicago reporter Madison Savedra. For a full archive of Reset inter...

Businesses globally and locally are bracing for the impact of what tariffs could mean for their profits and customers after President Donald Trump said he wants to implement tariffs on all U.S. imports. Reset digs into what tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China could mean for businesses and customers in the Chicago area with nonresident senior fellow on security and diplomacy at Chicago Council on G...

On a busy weeknight, when cooking feels out of reach, there are options besides frozen foods or ordering takeout. And the answer might be in plain sight. It’s chicken! Reset takes a tour of what chicken grocery stores have to offer and discusses which ones are the favorites. The chicken-eating contest was held by food critic Charla Draper with WBEZ producers Cianna Graves and Lynnea Domienik, and...

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul discusses his lawsuits against the Trump administration over immigration, a freeze on federal funding and the Justice Department’s threat to prosecute state officials that block deportation efforts. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The beloved cinematheque is heading into its 50th year with a rebrand as FACETS Film Forum, but its commitment to delivering powerful storytelling and forging community through cinema isn’t going anywhere. Reset checks in with FACETS executive director Karen Cardarelli and the organization’s film program director Charles Coleman. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

On day one of his second term, President Donald Trump began the process of pulling the U.S. out of the World Health Organization. Since then, the State Department has also stopped funding for nearly all aid programs addressing crises around the world. Reset discusses what’s at stake for global health and humanitarian efforts with executive director of the Robert J. Havey Institute for Global Healt...

About 300,000 people in Illinois live with intellectual and developmental disabilities. School districts do a stellar job at providing them with resources, but once they graduate high school, young adults struggle to secure jobs and similar services. Reset hears what’s behind this and what’s being done to address this issue from WBEZ Race, Class and Communities reporter Esther Yoon-Ji Kang. For a...

President Donald Trump followed through on a campaign pledge by issuing executive orders that seek to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government. Reset talks with Alvin Tillery, director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy, Northwestern University and Calmetta Coleman, Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Urban League. For a full archive of Re...

Chicago is a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state – which means local law enforcement is prevented from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement as it seeks to deport undocumented immigrants. But the Justice Department pledged to investigate and prosecute local law enforcement and government officials who impede the Trump administration's plans on deportations. Reset explores the legali...

Chicago and Cook County received more than $670 million in federal relief funding earlier this month for flooding caused by record storms in 2023 and 2024. The flooding caused damage in tens of thousands of homes in Cook County as homeowners filed for flood assistance. But few neighborhoods got hit as hard as Chicago’s Chatham on the South Side. Now, UChicago fourth-year Ph. D. student Kelly Wagma...

Chicago braces for an immigration crackdown from President Trump. Attorneys present closing arguments in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. Reset dives into these and other top local stories in the Weekly News Recap with executive producer of City Cast Chicago Simone Alicea, Chicago Tribune chief political reporter Rick Pearson and WBEZ investigative reporter on go...

In earlier days, the Chicago and Evanston Line (C&E Line), a freight line better known as the Milwaukee Road, ran through Lincoln Park and Lakeview going north. Now it’s being removed. The tracks tell the story of industry dating back to the 1800s as well as the history of Chicago’s ‘L’ lines. Reset talks to transit historian Graham Garfield and Tom Burke, author of “The Milwaukee Road In Chicago....

The old Scott Foresman headquarters on Lake Avenue in Glenview opened in 1966 and has been vacant since 2020. It isn’t just an architectural standout but also an important cultural landmark. Reset’s “What’s That Building?” contributor Dennis Rodkin tells the story. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

On his first day in office, President Trump took the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord. He also declared a “national energy emergency” to bring down gasoline prices and called for expanded oil drilling and a reversal of environmental protections. Reset gets a breakdown of Trump’s environmental moves and what they could mean for our area with Reset sustainability contributor Karen Weige...

Actor and singer Ben Barnes is out with his debut album “Where The Light Gets In.” Reset checks in with Barnes ahead of his Chicago show at the House of Blues. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

On his first day of his second term, President Trump signed 10 executive orders in an attempt to crack down on immigration. Reset sits down with executive director of the National Immigrant Justice Center Mary Meg McCarthy and executive director of Refugee One Melineh Kano to hear how these orders could affect immigrants and refugees in the Chicago area. For a full archive of Reset interviews, hea...

On President Donald Trump’s first day back in office, he granted clemency to all rioters, violent and non-violent, involved with the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Reset discusses who was pardoned, what’s next and what this action means for the future of political violence and civil society in the U.S. with Robert Pape, director of The Chicago Project on Security & Threats at the Univers...

In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump laid out a series of executive actions he plans to take in the first days of his second term, including declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, declaring an energy emergency and promising to end electric vehicle “mandates.” Reset discusses with guests Rick Perlstein, historian and author of the books “The Invisible Bridge: The Fall...

During Donald Trump’s first term, Chicago was a frequent punching bag for the Republican president, who zeroed in on and often inflated the city’s issues with violence. As Trump is sworn into office for a second time, are Chicago and Illinois in his crosshairs, and if so, how will Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson work with or against the new president to protect his progressive agenda? Reset sits dow...

Chicago’s arts economy is in flux. With COVID relief dollars drying up, changes to the city’s cultural affairs department and a second Trump presidency, future funding for the arts and artists in Chicago is up in the air. Reset checks in with WBEZ arts and culture reporter Courtney Kueppers and Chicago artist, weaver and owner of Burial Blankets Anders Zanichkowsky. For a full archive of Reset int...

Chicago-native Jeff Mauro centers Chicago delicacies and culture as a Food Network celebrity chef. He hosted the Emmy-nominated show “Sandwich King” on The Food Network where he currently co-hosts “The Kitchen.” Reset learns more about Mauro and his passion for Chicago food and sandwiches and tastes offerings from his company Mauro Provisions. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to w...

CTA president Dorval Carter resigns. Mike Madigan’s defense rests its case. And Chicago’s first-ever elected school board members are sworn in. Reset dives into these stories and more with WBEZ city politics reporter Mariah Woelfel, Economist Midwest correspondent Daniel Knowles and Chicago Tribune Cook County and Chicago government reporter A.D. Quig. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head...

As wildfires blaze across LA County, Chicagoans are mobilizing. Reset finds out how Chicagoans are using their skills to help in a time of crisis. We talk to Sarah Stegner, co-founder of Chicago Chefs Cook, and co-owner of Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook, Ill. We also check in with Terry Nosal, a Red Cross volunteer who flew from Chicago to LA to help. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head...

Negotiators for Israel and Hamas announced plans for a six-week ceasefire that would stop the fighting in Gaza, return 33 hostages to Israel and release around 1,000 Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons. However, its future remains uncertain. Reset checks in with Palestinian Americans and Jewish leaders emergency physician Dr. Thaer Ahmad, journalist Deanna Othman, Rabbi Steven Philp of Mish...

The Biden-Harris Administration is credited with some of the most sweeping climate legislation in history, but environmental justice was also at the forefront. The administration set a goal of investing 40% of all benefits from sustainability and green energy in communities overburdened with pollution. Reset checks in with the outgoing White House Chief Environmental Justice Officer Jalonne White-...