In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Rep. Danny Davis, a Democrat, has been representing parts of downtown Chicago and the West Side since 1997, but he faces a number of challengers in the March 19 primary election. Meanwhile, in the 4th Congressional district, Democrat Jesus “Chuy” Garcia also has a notable challenger who wants to take his seat. So, what factors could contribute to who wins in those races? And what do the races tell...

Billy Dee Williams got his start as an actor on Broadway when he was seven years old and later made sci-fi history as ‘Star Wars’ con man turned good guy Lando Calrissian. Reset chats with Williams about his new memoir ‘What Have We Here: Portraits Of A Life’ ahead of a WBEZ event on Thursday, Feb. 22. For a full archive of Reset conversations, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Imagine making a mid-career pivot and going on to raise $76 million to support climate-technology startups. That’s what Amy Francetic did when she helped found the women-led Chicago venture fund Buoyant Ventures. Reset meets Francetic and learns about how Buoyant is working to fight climate change by investing in young companies with big ideas. We’re also joined by Karen Weigert, Reset Sustainabil...

Chicagoan Kevin Pang is a James-Beard award winning food writer. He and his dad have a cooking channel called the Hunger Pangs, where they cook traditional Cantonese recipes and Chinese-American classics, which they adapted into the New York Times 2023 Best Cookbooks List. A Very Chinese Cookbook. Reset hears from Kevin on the significance of Lunar New Year foods and the power of cooking with fami...

Whether you’re a long time resident or new to the area, we have the latest on what you need to know to vote early in Illinois’ Primary election. Reset hears from Max Bever, Director of Public Information at the Chicago Board of Elections, on how to make the best out of your early voting experience.

Chicago folk singer Naomi Ashley’s new album Love Bug explores the different stages of love, from infatuation to obsession to heartbreak and beyond. Reset sits down with the artist for more on what it takes to turn heartbreak into a love song.

Residents on the South and West sides claim their 911 calls were ignored, as data shows the rapid response teams made traffic stops instead. Parts of Lurie Children’s Hospital’s system have been restored after a cyberattack forced it to shut down. And a Yelp list ranks a Chicago restaurant’s pizza as number one in the country. Reset hears more about those stories and more with Chicago Tribune stat...

Chicago became the largest U.S. city to outlaw a lower minimum wage for tipped workers last year. Now, Democratic lawmakers in Springfield have introduced legislation that would get rid of the lower minimum wage for the state’s tipped workers, something advocates for higher pay call the “subminimum wage.” Reset hears two perspectives on the proposed legislation: Audra Wilson, president and CEO of...

More than half of U.S. tenants can’t afford their rent. Here in Chicago, thousands — tens of thousands by one measure — are experiencing homelessness. To complicate matters, the city continues to struggle to find shelter for the more than 35,000 migrants who have arrived in Chicago since August 2022. Reset goes behind the scenes of Evicted, a new exhibition at the National Public Housing Museum in...

Chicago is severing ties with Shot Spotter – rebranded just last year as Sound Thinking – at the end of the summer. Supporters of the gunshot detection technology say this will slow response times to gunshot victims, but studies by the city and county officials find the tech system rarely produces documented evidence of a gun crime. Reset learns more from WBEZ criminal justice reporter Chip Mitche...

There’s no perfect formula to love, but a set of good questions can get you far. Reset chats with dating coach and founder of Smart Dating Academy Bela Gandhi on her best advice for deepening relationships.

Bring Chicago Home is an initiative to create a dedicated funding stream in the city budget to support the city’s unhoused population. Reset chats with WBEZ’s city government and politics reporter Mariah Woelfel about how that referendum could impact not just the unhoused, but also renters and the real estate market.

Since August 2022, over 35,000 people have come to Chicago from the southern border, most sent here by plane or bus. Reset hears from a father of two about his journey to Chicago and when he hopes to be reunited with his family.

Firefighters are an important part of keeping a community safe. Not only do they literally put out fires, they also help clean up hazardous materials and in some cases, make sure our buildings are up to code. And Skokie Citizens Fire Academy teaches interested residents about all that goes into the job, plus some firefighting skills. Reset learns more about the program from Inspector Timothy Taylo...

Chicago officials have spent nearly 160 million dollars on the migrant crisis, from shelter and clothing, to food and funding for other services for the 13 thousand migrants in the city today. Reset hears from one migrant who may be subject to the city’s eviction notice for migrants staying in city run shelters on his journey of getting to Chicago and his hopes for the future.

Lil Hardin Armstrong, Mary Lou Williams and Nina Simone are notable singers of their time, but trumpeter, composer and director of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Orbert Davis, wanted to highlight their songwriting skills. In a new composition for the Philharmonic, Davis confronts the gender inequalities in jazz. Reset learns more about why Davis wanted to highlight each of the singer-songwriters w...

During the pandemic, saxophonist Mai Sugimoto, bassist Joshua Abrams and drummer Isaiah Spencer came together to perform and honor the life and legacy of Chicago saxophonist Fred Anderson. From that moment on, Sugimoto recognized the magic and chemistry of the trio leading to the creation of her latest album “Sunlight Filtering Through Leaves". Reset sits down with the Japanese-born, Chicago-based...

A judge rules that an Illinois challenge to former President Donald Trump appearing on the ballot won’t be delayed. Meanwhile, Springfield takes up the so-called “subminimum wage” for tipped workers and Chicago’s elected school board. Reset goes behind those headlines and more in the Weekly News Recap, this week with Simone Alicea, executive producer of City Cast Chicago, Alex Nitkin, reporter wit...

The Environmental Protection Agency is strengthening air quality standards on industries like factories, power plants, and vehicles that emit soot. Those fine particulate particles have been found to collect in people's lungs, cause respiratory problems, and have even been linked to cancer. Reset learns more about this change from Chicago Tribune reporter Michael Hawthorne, and how the change coul...

Chicago Police have been found to have varied response times to emergency calls across the city, and now the City Council is requiring the department to conduct a workforce study to identify why. The city’s governing body also discussed a recent resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as solutions to the migrant crisis. Reset learns the latest from WBEZ’s city government and politics r...

Chicago’s expressways can be traced back to the 1908 Plan of Chicago that envisioned a road system of roads that connected the city center to distant neighborhoods. But in the process of constructing them, thousands of residents were displaced – more than half of whom were Black, despite being only 23% of the city’s total population. And the result was the entrenchment of segregation in Chicago. F...

It’s a tragic story that’s all too common in the city: gun violence ending young lives too soon. But a new public-private effort headed up by gun violence prevention nonprofit Chicago CRED aims to reduce shootings by 50% in the next five years. Reset speaks to Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education and Founder of Chicago CRED, on how he plans to improve safety among Chicago teens.

The Census Bureau's latest 5-year dataset was released in December, and WBEZ just crunched the numbers for Cook County tracts. But the gap between Cook County’s highest and lowest earning areas is among the highest in the nation. Reset learns more about what’s driving that change and which neighborhoods are being left behind from WBEZ’s Data Projects Editor Alden Loury.

As Chicago begins its transition to an elected school board in the fall, Local School Councils (LCSs) could become the place for candidates to prove themselves. LSCs are a unique and powerful feature of Chicago’s public school system, and the deadline to run for a seat is Feb. 8. Reset talks to Crystal Paul, a freelance journalist, and Karonda Locust and JP Paulus, LSC members, about the upcoming...

Illinois’ primary election is March 19th, but early voting starts as early as next week. Do you know where you’re voting? Or how to vote by mail? Whether you’re a long-time resident or new to the area, WBEZ’s primary guide’s got you covered. Reset learns more from WBEZ government and politics editor Tony Arnold.