In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Chicago blues guitarist and singer Ronnie Baker Brooks, the son of the late blues legend Lonnie Brooks, is dropping a new record on Oct. 11. It’s called ‘Blues In My DNA.’ Reset sits down with the Chicago-born blues guitarist to talk about the album, his rich relationship with his late father and carrying on the legacy of Chicago blues music. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wb...

All seven members of the Chicago Board of Education announced Friday they will be resigning. Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has to figure out how to close a massive budget gap, and local colleges and universities have imposed more restrictions on protest on campus. Reset goes behind those headlines and more with Chicago Sun-Times education reporter Nader Issa and Axios Chicago reporter C...

In 2017 Mandy Wilk felt sharp pains in her abdomen and found out she had stage 4 colorectal cancer. The cancer had spread to her liver and would eventually make its way to her lungs. Last summer, she received a first-of-its-kind double lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, and she’s now cancer-free. Reset sits down with Mandy to learn about her journey fighting to be heard by doctor...

Around 45,000 dockworkers from Maine to Texas remain on strike weeks after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a point. So, what will these recent pieces of economic news mean for the economy and consumers in Chicago, the Midwest and beyond? Reset checks in with Austan Goolsbee, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over t...

The White Sox and the Bears are seeking public funds to build new stadiums. But real estate professionals have other ideas on how taxpayer money could be invested in Chicago. Crain’s Chicago Business commercial real estate reporter Danny Ecker sifts through the alternatives, which include more funding for police, a reimagining of the Loop as a cultural hub instead of a business center and much mor...

Vice President Harris and former president Trump say they will work to revive American manufacturing. There’s a lot at stake in Chicago. WBEZ’s Alden Loury and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang dig into who could benefit locally. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is trying to buy time to close a budget gap of almost a billion dollars. “Everything is on the table,” says the city’s budget director. But what options are there? And which will most impact everyday Chicagoans? Reset gets the latest with WBEZ city government and politics reporters Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfel. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to...

They’ve been trash talking on the campaign trail, but finally, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance will go head-to-head on primetime TV, Tuesday at 8 p.m. Central. Will the two be “Midwest nice” or go for the political jugular? Reset checks in with political expert Tabitha Bonilla, associate professor at Northwestern University, for her take on what to look out for at the vice president...

Reset received an email from a listener inquiring about the 700 block of Maxwell street, wondering about the story behind the historic 19th and 20th century facades. Reset’s architecture guru Dennis Rodkins explains how in the late 1990s, the University of Illinois Chicago redeveloped the area south of Roosevelt Road, the site of the Maxwell Street Market which led to the array of historic designs...

Lake Michigan’s waters are the warmest they’ve ever been in documented history, and it's not just Lake Michigan either. The five great lakes are all seeing rising temperatures and this trend is not showing signs of slowing. Reset WBEZ’s environment reporter Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco breaks down what’s behind these rising temperatures and what they mean for wildlife and Chicago. For a full archive o...

Since 1986, Chiu Quon Bakery has been a Chicago staple for traditional Chinese baked specialties. Featured in season three of FX’s The Bear, it’s the oldest Chinese bakery in Chicago, and it has two locations in the city. The bakeries have dozens of different kinds of sweets that are made by hand daily. The specialty treats they offer are part of a dying tradition that their bakery is making sure...

Honestly, what’s better than some fall vibes and a good book? Because ’tis the season for spooky thrillers, horror, romance and mystery! For our Question Of The Week, we asked our listeners: What are you reading right now and what’s on your fall reading list? Reset talks books and fall reads with assistant commissioner of collections Lindsay Laren and editor-in-chief of the Chicago Review of Books...

The Chicago Sky’s coach is fired. Hundreds more people join a lawsuit saying they were abused at juvenile detention centers across Illinois. Mayor Brandon Johnson calls for the resignation of Chicago Public Schools CEO. Reset goes behind those headlines and more with a panel of local journalists on the Weekly News Recap. This week’s panel: Chalkbeat Chicago reporter Reema Amin, City Cast Chicago h...

The WNBA broke its own records across all categories this year: ticket sales, attendance, viewership — even players’ stat lines were blowing up. And Chicago’s team did not miss out on the action, having its own moment in the spotlight before falling to injuries (and more mature teams) mid-season and failing to make the playoffs. But the Sky’s future looks bright. Reset sat down with Annie Costabil...

A new report by the Greater Chicago Food Depository found that 1 in 3 families in the city can’t cover the basic costs of living. This includes the cost of eating every day. This data hasn’t changed much since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — how is that possible? And what can be done? Reset talks with Jim Conwell, VP of marketing and communications at the Greater Chicago Food Depository....

The Chicago River has gone through a lot to shed its cesspool past and enter into its cleaner, shinier present. But has it gone far enough to make the average Chicagoan feel comfortable to take a dip in it? Reset learns about a unique approach to monitoring the health of the area's rivers from Alaina Harkness, ED of Current and Karen Weigert, director of Loyola University’s Chicago’s Baumhart Cent...

The University of Illinois at Chicago has published an in-depth report studying impact of Mexican Chicagoans, a group that has been historically overlooked as its own data set versus under the umbrella of Chicago Latinos as a whole. According to researchers’ findings, Mexicans are the largest population of Latinos in Chicago and subsequently play a pivotal role in Chicago’s economy. Reset sat down...

Residents of Humboldt Park, West Town, Logan Square, Avondale and Hermosa have faced rising housing prices due to gentrification for over a decade. A city ordinance passed last week aims to stem the tide of people forced to move because they can no longer afford to stay in their neighborhoods. Reset discusses with Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th Ward, and housing organizer Gary Jimenez. For a f...

The Chicago Teachers Union took a no confidence vote in Pedro Martinez, the CEO of CPS, citing concern that the district might be considering closing or consolidating schools – which Martinez vehemently denies. And four sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times that Chicago’s mayor is now asking Martinez to resign. Reset gets the latest on how this could affect the district finances, and the school year...

In Australia, due to the country’s system of mandatory voting, turnout for federal elections is around 90%, but in many remote Aboriginal communities, it’s far lower. As part of our Democracy Solutions Project, Reset executive producer Dan Tucker traveled to the town of Yuendumu in Australia’s vast Northern Territory to understand why voters stay away from the polls and what it says about politica...

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...

As Earth continues to get hotter, local scientists are asking what this will look like in Chicago. This past July, scientists led by Argonne National Laboratory turned to balloons to find out. They launched balloons into the sky from four different Chicago neighborhoods as part of a research project to look into how infrastructure traps heat in different parts of the city and creates “micro-climat...

Steve Slagg is no stranger to Chicago’s queer and DIY music scene. You can often find him playing the keys in local indie-rock band Mooner. But now, Slagg is taking the lead as the front person in his latest album I Don't Want to Get Adjusted to This World. In it, Slagg explores themes of queerness, spirituality and nature. He stops by Reset for more about his musical journey. For a full archive o...

Illinois Republicans called on Democrats to “end dangerous rhetoric” after an apparent second Trump assassination attempt, while the Illinois Supreme Court heard challenges to the state’s assault weapons ban. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories and much more in our Weekly News Recap with Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Ray Long, ABC7 News anchor Ravi Baichwal, and WBEZ city gov...

The Garrett mix, caramel and cheddar popcorn, has inspired many knockoffs, and has become known as the “Chicago Mix”. We’ll mark the anniversary of the legendary Chicago company. Reset talks with the owner Megan Chody about what keeps the iconic treat so tasty, and tries a new flavor ahead of its debut on September 23.