In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

The Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago Department of Transportation released a plan in November that aims to create a more reliable bus service in the city. Reset learns more on what the plan includes from Jennifer Henry, CTA’s director of strategic planning. We then heard from public transit advocates Kyle Lucas of Better Streets Chicago and Julia Gerasimenko of Active Transportation Alliance...

A bipartisan deal reached in the U.S. Senate could expand the child tax credit for lower income families, many of whom do not currently earn enough to qualify. Lawmakers are trying to pass the bill before the current filing deadline of Jan. 29, but it’s unclear if it can pass in the House. Additionally, there’s a bill in the Illinois House to create a permanent child tax credit. Reset learns about...

Around this time of the year, people are starting to work toward their New Year's resolutions. For many, their goals are to lose weight, work out more or eat healthier. But how can we embrace a more positive and less anxious relationship with our bodies, food and movement? Reset discusses with a panel of health and nutrition experts: Bethany Doerfler, a research specialist and clinical dietitian f...

With frigid temperatures, Chicago officials postponed kicking newly-arrived migrants out of city shelters. But the new deadline is still looming. Reset spoke with a panel of people who are connecting migrants with resources: Veronica Saldaña, a volunteer lead for the police station response team, Annie Gomberg, another lead volunteer, and Andre Gordillo, director of New Vecinos – or “New Neighbors...

Chicago Restaurant Week can be a fun opportunity to eat new dishes and set menus at a more affordable price — and this year 414 restaurants are participating. Reset hears from local foodies Monica Eng and Louisa Chu, co-hosts of the Chewing Podcast, on their picks and suggestions to make the most of the event.

Amtrak is getting $93 million in federal funds to renovate Union Station, which will include upgrades to the ventilation systems, expansion of platforms and changes to make the facility comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Amtrak is currently seeking public comment on proposed improvements to the station that the company says serves more than three million passengers annually. Reset fi...

During his life and since his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. was and has been the face of the Civil Rights movement, but how much do you know about the man behind the myth? King: A Life taps new material, including an unpublished memoir by King’s father and FBI surveillance tapes, to give a full, unflinching portrait of King. On MLK Day, Reset revisits a conversation with the Chicago-based...

Snowy owls are a rare and coveted sight for bird watchers in the Midwest, but if you know what to look for you might have a better chance at spotting them. Reset learns more about snowy owl irruptions — the term for the mysterious and unpredictable migration cycle for the arctic bird — from Stephanie Beilke, senior manager in conservation science at Audubon Society Great Lakes and Edward Warden, p...

A winter storm hammers Chicago, migrants housed on CTA buses, and, as the weather worsens, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson delays a 60-day limit on how long migrants can stay in city shelters. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories and much more in our Weekly News Recap with panelists Carrie Shepherd, reporter for Axios; Dave McKinney, WBEZ state politics reporter; and A.D. Quig, Cook Coun...

Weather disasters are wreaking havoc across the country this week as Chicago prepares for a winter storm expected to hit today. Reset talks with atmospheric scientist Scott Collis with Argonne National Laboratory to learn more.

Ask any Midwestern surfer and they’ll tell you: the worse the weather, the better the waves. But beware of wading in those waters unless you know what you’re doing. As surfers navigate both environmental hazards and extreme weather, the difficulty and shared risk has built a tight-knit community on the Third Coast. Reset speaks with local surfers Mo McFadden and Rex Flodstrom and WBEZ freelance re...

Josh Long, Chicago Public Schools’ new chief of the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services, was the principal of Southside Occupational Academy High School for 14 years. Reset learns more about how the department's new leader plans to support special education students throughout the district.

Apartments at a building in south suburban Harvey got boarded up — while some residents say they were still inside. Videos of the situation went viral on TikTok. Reset gets the latest on the story and discusses tenants’ rights across Cook County with Daily Southtown reporter Hank Sanders and two organizers with the Metropolitan Tenants Organization: Philip DeVon and David Wilson.

A group of real estate and business groups are pushing back against the city’s proposed real estate transfer tax that’s meant to combat homelessness, also known as the Bring Chicago Home ordinance. Plus, Brandon Johnson is trying to move away from Tax Increment Financing. Reset learns more from WBEZ city government and politics reporters Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfel.

What’s considered a normal blood pressure? How often should I get a Pap test? What am I at risk for at my age? Reset checks in about checkups and screenings with Dr. Sam Wainwright, a pediatrician and health services researcher at University of Illinois Chicago, and Dr. Steven Rothschild, a family medicine physician with RUSH University Medical Group.

Only a small fraction of migrants have been approved for the documents they need to start working legally, according to a CBS Chicago review of internal city data. But not everyone is eligible for work permits under Temporary Protected Status. Reset discusses who is left out and checks in on the permit process for new arrivals with Eréndira Rendón, vice president of immigrant justice at The Resurr...

Only a small fraction of migrants have been approved for the documents they need to start working legally, according to a CBS Chicago review of internal city data. But not everyone is eligible for work permits under Temporary Protected Status. Reset discusses who is left out and checks in on the permit process for new arrivals with Eréndira Rendón, vice president of immigrant justice at The Resurr...

A Northwestern law student is suing the Biden administration over what she says is its failure to evacuate her U.S. citizen family members from Gaza. Palestinian American Yasmeen Elagha has spent the last three months talking, negotiating and pleading with different U.S. agencies — and even different governments — for help to get her family in Gaza to safety. Reset sits down with Elagha for more o...

Move over hot dog bun, there’s a new carb in town. The pastry chef at Daisies, the Logan Square pasta emporium, joined forces with The Weiner Circle to bring a new twist to Chicago’s favorite dog and the Midwestern classic pigs in a blanket. Reset discusses the newest twist on a Windy City classic with WBEZ staffers Katie O'Connell, Cianna Greaves and Reset’s own Meha Ahmad.

Fans of David Bowie will know of his deep love of jazz. Though he never ventured into the genre in a literal sense, the inspiration is clear when you listen to his impressive body of work. The Metropolitan Jazz Octet, in partnership with Paul Marinaro, is reimagining some of Bowie’s classics with a new show titled “The Bowie Project.” Paul and MJO Co-founder Jim Gailloreto join Reset to discuss th...

A group of Illinois residents have challenged Donald Trump’s candidacy. An undercount of people living in group quarters on the 2020 Census might mean Illinois isn’t losing population after all. Plus, there’s a slew of new laws you may have missed – like an e-cigarette ban in indoor public spaces. Reset breaks down those stories and more with Alex Nitkin, reporter with the Illinois Answers Project...

Reset learns the history of two schools, hotels and a warehouse that are currently being used to house migrants for our What’s That Building series with architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin.

Want to get out of your comfort zone and try something new this winter? Reset sat down with Jenny LeFlore, creator of Mama Fresh, Alison Cuddy, cultural producer and freelance journalist, and Breezy Fasano, co-founder of Chicago Craft Club to get tips on how to stay active and connected this winter.

A new program for West Side families wants to help ease the burdens of parenthood during the first year of a baby’s life. Reset learns more about West Side Healthy Parents & Babies by speaking with Ayesha Jaco, executive director of West Side United, Katelyn Kanwischer, director of maternal and child health initiative at Lurie Children’s Hospital, and WBEZ public health and county government repor...

This year the city of Chicago is rolling out a violence-prevention strategy to bring resources and investment to four of its most crime-impacted neighborhoods: West Garfield Park, Little Village, Englewood and Austin. This comes after a drop in homicides and gun violence both locally and nationally in 2023. But Chicago did experience an unusual spike in robberies last year. Reset learns more about...