In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

President-elect Trump has chosen North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to lead the Department of the Interior, former NY Congressman Lee Zeldin to head the EPA and Chris Wright, the owner of fracking company Liberty Energy to lead the Department of Energy. Reset discusses what impact this could have nationally, and what is, and will continue to happen at the state level to safeguard the environment. W...

Chicago comedians Josh Linden and Paula Skaggs have published a new book that aims to make life more bearable — even if only by a tiny bit. Tiny Pep Talks: Bite Size Encouragement for Life’s Annoying, Stressful, and Flat-Out Lousy Moments is out now. Reset sits down with the two comedian-authors Josh LIden and Paula Skaggs to hear more. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org...

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed 10% to 20% tariffs on all imported goods and even higher tariffs on goods coming in from China and Mexico. Reset explores what that could mean for the Chicago area with Cécile Shea of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Mike Galiga of Barcode Supplies and Hara Kumaran of Metric Coffee. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Poochie is a foul-mouthed employee of The Wiener’s Circle, the North Side hot dog stand where rude customer service — and rude customers — are part of the schtick. Kevin Pang is a documentarian and best-selling author who uses words and phrases like “mouth feel,” “artisanal,” and “meltingly tender.” The unlikely pair take their friendship and tastebuds around the region on “Poochie & Pang (eat Chi...

From the unicorn-like narwhal to a mysterious 400-year-old shark to the crowd-pleasing giraffe, a new book tours the world for the most awe-inspiring animals currently facing extinction. Reset learns what’s at stake if humans don’t change course from the author of Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures, Katherine Rundell. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head...

Foxx says voters elected her in 2016 to make fundamental changes to how the office operated with the people most impacted by the justice system. To that end, during her two terms in office, she helped oversee the end of cash bail and the legalization of marijuana in the county and statewide and raised the threshold for prosecuting felony retail theft from $300 to $1,000. Reset sits down with Foxx...

The Pritzker Military Museum & Library 10 miles north of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line is the last full building legendary Chicago architect Helmut Jahn designed before he died in 2021. Reset learns more from our resident architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin as part of our series What’s That Building? For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Lupe Fiasco is a Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist, rapper and producer who has worked with Jay-Z, Ye, Pharrell Williams and more. He's known for his rhymes, lyrics and storytelling with albums like his 2006 debut “Food & Liquor” and his 2011 album “Lasers.” Now, Fiasco is out with his latest record “Samurai.” For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Alders block Mayor’s massive property tax hike and the Bears fire the team’s offensive coordinator while strategizing about a possible new stadium site. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories and much more in our Weekly News Recap with Axios Chicago reporter Carrie Shepherd, Fox 32 Chicago political correspondent Paris Schutz and Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mitch Armentrout. For a full ar...

The holidays are about holding on to tradition, while also figuring out how to make them our own. And the food we make, or choose to skip, is a big part of that. Reset talks with local food experts Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune food writer and Damarr Brown, chef de cuisine and Virtue Restaurant & Bar and Top This Mac & Cheese about where our traditions come from, honoring memories, and making a...

In 2022, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, or BSCA, into law. It provides community-based programs, schools, grassroots organizations and more with funding to support efforts to keep guns out of the wrong hands, make schools safer and expand trauma-informed mental health services in underresourced communities. However, this funding is set to run out at the end of 2026, s...

Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon are the co-creators of the dance performance “Sweet Gwen Suite,” which will be performed at Hubbard Street Dance Company Nov. 15-24. The return of Fosse’s work to Chicago isn’t just noteworthy because Fosse is legendary and a Chicago native. Hubbard Street Dance Company is the only company in the world authorized to add Fosse’s works to its repertory. Reset sits down with...

The Chicago Bears are eyeing a move to the Bronzeville neighborhood, revisiting a potential new stadium site that the team had already seemingly crossed off its list. The team also announced firing its offensive coordinator this week and that it’s cutting loose offensive lineman Nate Davis. Reset checks in on the latest Bears news and more with WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout and Mitch A...

Ella Jenkins, known as “First Lady of children’s music,” released 39 albums for kids. She had a deft touch with young audiences, often using call-and-response as a way to engage kids and get them involved in the music. Reset takes listeners through Jenkins’ musical legacy with songs and archival interviews from WBEZ and beyond.

In an effort to close the $986 million budget gap for 2025 without slashing social programs or instituting mass layoffs, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson broke a campaign promise and proposed the largest property tax hike in a decade. Reset gets an update from DePaul Public Service professor Amanda Kass and WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

When the Federal Reserve cuts its key interest rate, the decision begins to ripple outwards, affecting everyone from credit card holders to car buyers to corporations. Reset talks with Morningstar personal finance expert Christine Benz about what you need to know about the recent rate cut as well as tips for saving for retirement in today’s economy. Her latest book is titled “How to Retire.” For a...

Voters chose 10 members, and Mayor Brandon Johnson will appoint the remaining 11 members. The board will transition to being fully elected in 2026. Reset sits down with Ebony DeBerry and Angel Gutierrez, two newly elected school board members to hear their visions for the board and how they’ll approach the job. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Federal funding is the state of Illinois’ largest source of revenue. And the city of Chicago depends on it for various projects, including the current Red Line Extension and O’Hare Modernization. But President-Elect Donald Trump has a fraught relationship with the state’s prominent politicians, and has threatened to withhold federal funding from political opposition. How could a second Trump term...

Every two years, Cook County voters are asked whether circuit court judges should be retained for another six-year term. It’s rare for judges to not be retained, but this year, three judges are close to losing their seats. Reset gets an update from Maya Dukmasova, senior reporter at Injustice Watch. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Reset executive producer Dan Tucker shares his takeaways from a recent reporting trip to Australia. Unlike the U.S., the country has a rich history of changing its voting system to create a more representative government and a more democratic society. As a result, voting is mandatory in Australia, voters rank candidates from multiple parties, the Senate uses proportional representation and an inde...

Chicago and Illinois politicians and organizers are already doing the research and prep for what a second Trump presidency would mean for residents locally. A double homicide at a beloved Chicago tourist attraction stuns the city, 29 alders band together to push back on the mayor’s proposed property tax, and after 117 years, prohibition is officially over in a small corner of Chicago’s Lincoln Squ...

If you voted in Kane, McHenry, Lake or DuPage county, you had the opportunity to decide whether you’d like to pay a little extra to fund forest preserves. Reset sits down with local conservationist Robbie Telfer of Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves to hear how the voting went and what happens next. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Voters backed enhanced election security, healthcare coverage for IVF and a so-called millionaire’s tax to fund property tax relief. Reset learns more about two of the proposals with former Democratic Illinois governor Pat Quinn and Lindsay Allen, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Chicago’s City Council will consider a proposal to lower the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour. Reset checks in with WBEZ data editor Alden Loury about the plan and what kind of effect it could have on traffic injuries and fatalities. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Donald Trump is now the president-elect after winning several key battleground states, including Wisconsin, the state that pushed him over 270 electoral votes. Plus, Cook County has a new State’s Attorney, Chicago has its first elected school board officials and more. Reset discusses the results with Democratic political strategist Delmarie Cobb; Northwestern University political science professor...