In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Chicago has 77 community areas, but residents know there are many more neighborhoods in the city. A UChicago survey asked Chicagoans to detail where they think their neighborhood boundaries should be, and the result is an eye-opening, crowd-sourced map of the city. Reset checks in with the urbanist behind the Chicago Neighborhood Survey, professor Emily Talen, and takes calls from listeners. For a...

At a meeting Friday night, the Chicago Board of Education voted to oust Pedro Martinez after months of tension between the mayor and the CEO. Reset gets the details from Chalkbeat Chicago reporter Reema Amin. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The prosecution rested its case in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. That case includes a sweeping 117-page indictment, detailing multiple alleged schemes by Madigan. Now, the defense gets its turn. Reset gets a roundup of highlights from the historic trial so far and what to watch out for next from Jon Seidel, Chicago Sun-Times federal courts reporter....

Illinois colleges and universities are more expensive than the national average. A new bill could dramatically change how higher education is funded. Reset gets the details from WBEZ higher education reporter Lisa Kurian Philip. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Whether you’re a fan of big blockbusters like “Dune: Part Two” or “Wicked” or someone more interested in arthouse hits, there were a lot of movies to choose from in 2024. Reset talks with a panel about what made their best-of lists. Michael Phillips is the film critic at the Chicago Tribune. Ahmed Ali Akbar is a Chicago Tribune food writer and co-host of “Dune: Prophecy The Official Podcast.” Colt...

Chicago’s City Council finally passed the 2025 budget. Meanwhile, the Chicago School Board called a special meeting Friday night to discuss the possible firing of schools CEO Pedro Martinez. Reset breaks down those stories and much more with Chalkbeat Chicago bureau chief Becky Vevea, Better Government Association president David Greising and Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mitch Armentrout. For a full...

We’ve talked about the Wrigley Building in What’s That Building before, as part of a summer 2023 series on icons of Chicago architecture. Now Dennis Rodkin is back to tell us about an icon of Christmas created in that iconic building.

Bashar al-Assad was Syria’s president for nearly 25 years. He brutally cracked down on a protest movement in 2011, kicking off a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and led to 12 million people being displaced. Earlier this month, the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled the al-Assad regime, and he fled to Russia. Reset hears reflections from two members of the Syrian Americ...

There’s nothing quite like a memorable meal, and 2024 had a lot of them. Reset gets an overview of food trends this year and favorites dishes from two WBEZ contributors: food writer Maggie Hennessy and storyteller and writer Ximena Beltran Quan Kiu. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Monarch butterflies are the most iconic butterfly, with their bright orange and black markings, but their populations are threatened by climate change and habitat loss. To protect them, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that monarch butterflies be added to the Endangered Species list. Reset hears the effects this could have and efforts underway to protect their habitats from Sustainabili...

A new study from Northwestern shows human beings around the world experience loneliness at similar times in life. The findings show that on average loneliness moves in a U-shaped pattern: highest in young people and older adults and lowest in middle adulthood. Reset discusses loneliness and how we can better address the feeling individually and collectively with study co-author and associate profe...

More than 1 in 10 people working in the U.S. are women 55 years or older. Reset talks with two experts about the challenges and triumphs of women working in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Corinne Kodama is a senior research analyst at Women Employed and Therese Quinn is a professor and director of Museum and Exhibition Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. For a full archive of Reset int...

Whether you’re looking for a great novel or some nonfiction to get you thinking, our panel has some great suggestions for books that they loved in 2024. Reset learns more from owner of Semicolon Bookstore Danielle Moore, poet, author of Brown Girl, Brown Girl Leslé Honoré, and romance writer, author of Free Fall Khushi Saha. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Cook County commissioned a study earlier this year to take stock of what’s working and what’s not in the county’s complex system for assessing taxes on commercial properties. The resulting report released Dec. 11 shows that many commercial properties in the north and south suburbs have been undervalued, likely leading to a higher tax burden for homeowners. It also makes recommendations for how the...

After Mayor Johnson cancelled a vote on his budget plan Friday because he did not have the votes for it to pass, he and alders worked over the weekend on an updated proposal that drops the property tax hike completely and relies on skipping a $40 million loan repayment to balance the budget. The city has until Dec. 31 to agree on a plan. Reset checks in with executive director at the Center for Ta...

Plays and performances, ice skating and much more await those looking for fun activities to do around Chicago this December. Reset reviews some options with WBEZ arts and culture reporter Courtney Kueppers. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago singer-songwriter hemlock wrote a song a day for a month, then continued that process for years. Some of the best of the bunch are collected on their new album “444.” The record includes previously released songs that have been reimagined with a band of Chicago musicians. Reset learns more and listens to some great music. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

City Council prepares to vote on Mayor Johnson’s revised budget proposal. President-elect Trump’s border czar warns that mass deportations could start in Chicago. The prosecution wraps up its case in the Madigan corruption trial. Reset breaks down these stories and much more with freelance journalist Leigh Giangreco, WTTW News correspondent Nick Blumberg and Chicago Sun-Times chief political repor...

There are treats galore this time of year, but holiday cookies stand out for their ability to impress and bring people together. Reset discusses holiday cookies with Nirali Chauhan, amateur baker and contestant on “The Great American Baking Show.” For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Earlier this year, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the city would be putting over $30 million towards the Chicago Empowerment Fund, a planned guaranteed income program. But Mayor Johnson’s budget proposal does not include funding for the program. It was cut in order to help close the city’s $1 billion budget gap. As city lawmakers prepare to vote on the mayor’s budget proposal, Reset learns more a...

Tom Homan, president-elect Trump’s pick to lead border security, said this week that he wants to start the Trump administration’s planned deportations here in Chicago. Speaking at a holiday party in Portage Park, he said he would prosecute Mayor Brandon Johnson if he does not cooperate. Reset discusses how Homan’s plans could affect undocumented immigrants and the greater Chicago community with Ma...

The killing of a healthcare executive in New York has brought Americans’ dissatisfaction with the U.S. healthcare system to the fore. Many have taken to social media to vent their frustration and to share stories of exorbitant bills and denials of coverage. Reset talks with healthcare journalist Dan Weissmann, host and executive producer of “An Arm and A Leg” podcast and Reset listener Jackie Cova...

Thirty percent of severely injured patients in Illinois aren’t transferred to a high-level trauma center within two hours of being taken to a hospital, which increases mortality. That’s according to a new study from Northwestern that examines the reasons this is occurring and what can be done to improve coordination and communication between hospitals. Reset sits down with the study’s lead author...

‘Tis the season for The Nutcracker! For three weeks, and in true holiday fashion, the Joffrey Ballet is lighting up the Lyric Opera House with its local twist on a classic tale. The show is set on Christmas Eve, months before the opening of Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair. It features dazzling cultural performances, a visit from the mysterious Great Impresario and the magical adventures of the Nutcrac...

Doulas support, educate and advocate for their pregnant patients. A new program at Stroger Hospital makes 10 doulas available to patients for free. Reset learns more with WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch, Cook County commissioner Donna Miller and doula Vivian Moreno. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.