In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

The year ahead will be a big one for local politics. Former Illinois House speaker Mike Madigan goes on trial, Alderman Ed Burke will be sentenced after being convicted on 13 charges in his federal corruption trial, the Illinois primary is coming up on March 19, and the Democratic National Convention comes to town this summer. WBEZ government and politics reporters Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfe...

Is 2024 the year some of us finally keep a New Year’s resolution? It can be easier said than done, but experts say if you follow the best practices unearthed through research, it’s doable. Reset turns to Katy Milkman, professor at The University of Pennsylvania, host of the Choiceology podcast and author of How To Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be for tips a...

At a breezy 17 minutes, fawn – the 2023 EP from Chicago band OK Cool – explores big topics in a precise yet carefree way. Reset revisits a conversation with Haley Blomquist and Bridget Stiebris – creative partners behind OK Cool – about the duo’s stop-motion music videos, musical inspirations, and their collaborative writing process.

Angel Bat Dawid’s latest album explores the potential “death” of jazz, providing an Afrofuturist requiem to lay it to rest. Increasingly layered, the Chicago artist’s 2023 release also draws parallels to Mozart’s last work. In this April 2023 conversation, Angel Bat Dawid joined Reset to talk about her early days learning the clarinet, her goals for teaching Black children and the 1959 documentary...

As Reset wraps the year, we’re giving some of our favorite interviews with musical guests an encore presentation. Today, we take a look back at a conversation with DJ Mochi and DJ IGGY – the founders of Global Currency – and play some tunes from South America, Africa, and more.

Your upcoming holidays may be full of movie nights and good food. So, why not combine the best of both worlds? From Big Night to Tampopo, Reset digs into the films that inspire us to eat and cook delicious food with Monica Eng, Axios Chicago reporter and co-host of Chewing Podcast, and Jesse Dukes, co-host of Upper Middlebrow.

Former alderman Ed Burke is found guilty of racketeering, bribery and attempted extortion. A months-long strike of adjunct professors at Columbia College ends. Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent migrants to Chicago this week by plane. Reset goes behind those headlines and more with David Greising, president and CEO of the Better Government Association, Amanda Vinicky, WTTW political corres...

Set in the 1930s, A Christmas Story takes place in the fictitious town of Hohman. Reset learns more about the real-life places in Hammond, Indiana that inspired the iconic holiday film from WBEZ architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin.

Sorry Taylor Swift, but we’re doing our end of year albums the Reset way. We’re talking about the Best Albums of 2023 (Chicago’s Version) with the co-host of Sound Opinions, Greg Kot, music critic for the Chicago Tribune, Britt Julious, and host and producer at Vocalo, Nudia Hernandez.

New lawsuits against the Chicago Park District allege lifeguarding for teens was no day at the beach. Dan Mihalopoulos, WBEZ investigative reporter on government and politics who broke the story of the toxic workplace culture and sexual abuse in the city’s lifeguard program, shares details from the latest lawsuits.

The holidays can add extra pressure to drink. But a cup of good cheer doesn’t have to include alcohol — and a growing movement toward mocktails is motivating the creation and distribution of more fun, non-alcoholic beverages. Reset talks with WBEZ’s Courtney Keuppers and Mary Moss, owner of Beverly Dry Goods, who searched for Chicago’s most creative mocktails and found recommendations for sober fo...

According to new guidance released this week by the Vatican, “irregular” unions should not be denied the right to receive God’s blessing. Pope Francis’ guidance did not, however, amend church doctrine on marriage. Reset speaks with Steve Millies, associate professor of public theology and director of Bernardin Center at the Catholic Theological Union Mary Donnelley, board president at Dignity Chic...

Medical experts expect respiratory virus hospitalizations to continue to rise in Chicago. One reason? Only 11 percent of Chicagoans have gotten the most recent flu and COVID-19 vaccine. Reset chats with Dr. Mia Taormina, an infectious disease specialist with Duly Health and Care, about precautions to keep in mind this holiday season.

Producer: Landon Jones Editor: Brenda RuizIllinois has one of the greatest shortages of mental health care workers in the country, and new arrivals to Chicago face even greater barriers to access. This is because migrants may be disconnected from their families and support systems, lack a job or permanent address or have language or cultural barriers that keep them from seeing a therapist or socia...

The Trace, a non-profit newsroom covering gun violence, created a Survivor Storytelling Network, with the aim of helping survivors tell their stories in essay form. The goal is to reach a broad audience to add nuance to the conversation about causes of violence and the fluctuating ideas of redemption and justice. Each essay offers a peek into the ways violence rearranges a life. Reset hears the st...

Fans of Johnny Cash, Television and the Beach Boys can sink their teeth into this new melting pot of classic genres. La Rosa Noir’s songs have changed over many years of performing, and listening to the polished and orchestrated studio album, Arellano, you can tell. Yeshi Regalado, frontwoman of La Rosa Noir, and Jannese Espino, her lead guitarist, join Reset to talk about their Chicano heritage,...

This week Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson touted a near end to the use of police stations to shelter migrants. But, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how the new city-run shelters will be managed. Reset spoke with the city’s deputy chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas about the city’s strategy to house migrants.

Voters won’t get to weigh in on Chicago’s welcoming ordinance. Chicago workers will have to wait until July for the new mandatory ten days of paid leave. The fate of Alderman Ed Burke is now in the hands of a jury. Reset goes behind those headlines and more in our Weekly News Recap with WBEZ criminal justice reporter Patrick Smith, editor and reporter for Block Club Chicago Mick Dumke and reporter...

Months ago, footage of kids crawling under and over stopped train cars at a railroad crossing put the spotlight on Hammond, Indiana. Reset checks in back with Joce Sterman, a national investigative reporter for Investigate TV, for an update on what has changed since – especially as a new video reveals a stopped train car beginning to move forward as a young girl tried to walk across the tracks.

From Michelin stars to James Beard nominations, it’s been a year of culinary greatness for Chicago. Reset sits down with local food writers and foodies alike to highlight the city’s best new restaurants. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out our previous episode on the best movies of 2023.

A recent ProPublica investigation finds gun sellers face few repercussions for failing to prevent illegal gun sales. The investigation also finds that tens of thousands of guns sold in cities outside Illinois have been linked to crimes in Chicago. Reset checks in with Vernal Coleman, reporter for ProPublica’s Midwest newsroom, to learn more.

The late Laurence Msall, who previously led the Civic Federation, was a wizard of public finance, someone who knew the ins and outs of city and state budgeting and had a keen eye for cost-effective approaches to government. Joe Ferguson brings a different background and perspective as a former federal prosecutor and good government advocate who spent 12 years as a tenacious city watchdog for Chica...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But, let’s face it, gift giving can be stressful. So how should you pass along goodwill and cheer to service and tipped workers — and what’s the standard? Reset speaks with culture and etiquette coach Akilah Siti Easter about how to properly tip this season.

Chicago lawmakers have scrapped plans to build a migrant camp in Morgan Park a week after the state stopped a potential camp in Brighton Park. Meanwhile, conservative Democrats on the council are asking for the resignation of seven officials from the Johnson Administration for greenlighting construction on toxic land in Brighton Park. Reset learns the latest about housing for migrants and other ne...

Tis the season of giving. And the season of scams. There are a lot of different ways scammers are scheming to take your money and information. Reset sits down with Tom Johnson of the Better Business Bureau to learn about the top scams to look out for this holiday season. Get info on the latest happenings in Chicago and dig deeper into Reset conversations with our newsletter. Sign up at wbez.org/re...