In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Federal investigators are so far saying a “design issue” caused the Yellow Line crash, but a full investigation still needs to be conducted. Reset dives into what we know about the crash — and what it means for train safety with Sophie Sherry of the Chicago Sun-Times and DePaul University’s Joseph Schwieterman. For more conversations like this, check out our full catalog of interviews at wbez.org/...

Chicago politics can be complicated, but jury members in former and longtime alderman Ed Burke’s corruption trial had to quickly get up to speed. Reset gets the latest on the trial from WBEZ city government reporter Mariah Woelfel. For more conversations like this one, browse our full catalog of interviews at wbez.org/reset.

At least 26 trans or gender-nonconforming people have been killed in the U.S. this year, the majority of whom were Black trans women, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Transgender Day of Remembrance reminds us to pause and mourn these people’s lives — as well as celebrate the resilience of the trans community. Reset discusses the meaning of Transgender Day of Remembrance with Zahara Bassett,...

The city unveiled the next phase of its migrant response and resettlement efforts, which imposes limits on how long people can stay in city-run shelters based on when they arrived. The city says this is meant to free up shelter space and fast track resettlement efforts. Reset hears from volunteers Erika Villegas and Debra Michaud about how they’re preparing to help people navigate these limits. Fo...

One Evanston man searched high and low for green coffee beans since he moved to the city from Seattle. He wanted to find them because he likes to roast at home — a method preferred by some coffee lovers because it can be cheaper, tasty and provides more control over the brew. One of our producers lent a hand. Along the way, Reset learned about the joys of at-home roasting. Do you have a Chicago-ar...

Jessie Montgomery, CSO’s Mead Composer-in-Residence, is nominated for “Best Contemporary Classical Composition.” CSO’s audio engineer Charlie Post has picked up a third nomination for “Best Engineered Album, Classical” with the CSO album Contemporary American Composers. Reset checks in with Montgomery and two CSO musicians to celebrate the honor and talk classical music in the modern day. To hear...

An earthquake rocks Illinois. Alders approve Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first city budget. More than 100 people are arrested for protesting outside the Israeli Consulate. Reset goes behind those headlines and more in our Weekly News Recap with Axios Chicago’s Carrie Shepherd, David Greising, president of the Better Government Association, and WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos. For more on...

Mayor Brandon Johnson lists reducing recidivism as part of his community safety plan. In that spirit, his office has launched a collaboration between the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and community groups to fast track housing and jobs for people getting out of Cook County Jail and state prisons. Reset learns more about this collaboration and how it works. For more conversation...

Dom Flemons is a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter and folklorist up for Best Folk Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Flemons sat down with WBEZ’s Jason Marck to talk about some of the big ideas that run through his work, like preserving and pushing forward Black musical traditions. Check out more of our conversations with Grammy-nominated Chicago talent at wbez.org/reset.

The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, or CCPSA, recently voted to pass a policy that could ban Chicago police from actively participating in hate and extremist groups. Reset discusses the ban with CCPSA commissioner Remel Terry to understand how it will work and what this change could mean for the department. To hear more Reset interviews like this, go to wbez.org/reset.

Kurt Elling has been a jazz singer for nearly 30 years. He’s won two Grammys and been nominated for more than a dozen. And now he’s snagged another nomination in an all new category: Best Alternative Jazz Album. Reset chats with Kurt Elling about his latest album “SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree” after working on it with fellow musicians Charlie Hunter, Corey Fonville and DJ Harrison during the CO...

According to AIDSVu, about 1 in 5 of all new HIV diagnoses in 2021 were among people ages 13 to 24, with Black youth disproportionately affected. And while HIV medication pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is safe for all ages, it’s mostly been geared towards adults. Reset learns about a new campaign to reach more teens and young adults in the 13 to 24 age group and explore how expanding informati...

Chicago J. Ivy won the first Grammy Award in the Spoken Word category earlier this year, and now he’s up for another one. Reset catches up with J. Ivy to hear more about his recent project. Check out more of our conversations with Grammy-nominated Chicago talent, go to wbez.org/reset.

A recent study by the Collaborative for Community Wellness found several barriers that make it difficult to get mental health resources for Chicagoans, especially for folks who are uninsured or undocumented. Reset hears more about the study and what changes advocates want to make with WBEZ city government and politics reporter Mariah Woelfel. Listen to more Reset at wbez.org/reset.

The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are in and Chicago artists are getting some love. Reset talks with Chicago’s Third Coast Percussion about their latest nomination and learns more about the group with ensemble members David Skidmore and Robert Dillon. You can engage with Reset in so many ways! Along with our live show and podcast, you can also sign up for our newsletter at wbez.org/resetnews.

A $336 million loan will be used over five years to primarily fund the city’s program that replaces lead service lines when they break or leak. The Department of Water Management’s other programs to replace lead service lines at daycares and for low-income homeowners will continue. Reset learns about the scope of this effort and how this could help improve Chicagoans’ water from Reset sustainabili...

The strike is over. The negotiating committee for the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA won increases in minimum rates, greater access to health care and baseline protections against AI technology for its members. The union also conceded streaming residuals by agreeing to split among union actors an estimated $120 million bonus paid out by studios for streamed content deemed “successful” during the 3-year c...

One of Brandon Johnson’s top City Council allies resigns his leadership post; state legislators wrap up fall veto session; President Biden visits UAW workers at Belvidere auto plant and is met with protesters. Reset goes behind those headlines and more in our Weekly News Recap with Leigh Giangreco, government and politics reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business; Ravi Baichwal, anchor at ABC7; and Jo...

A new federal program is launched Thursday in Chicago. Its goal is to help bring assistance to asylum seekers and new arrivals to apply for work permits. It’s a collaborative effort between the White House, Illinois, Chicago’s City Hall and Pilsen-based community organization The Resurrection Project. Reset gets more details about the program with Erendira Rendon, vice president of immigrant justi...

In March, Chicago voters will get to decide the future of the city’s Bring Chicago Home ordinance. The ordinance would raise the city’s tax rate on properties sold for over a million dollars and would lower tax rates on properties sold for less than that. According to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s camp, this referendum is a key part of his plans to address homelessness in Chicago. Reset hears from Bring...

The number of kids being diagnosed with myopia, or nearsightedness, is increasing. And if our tech habits continue, eye doctors predict that half of the world’s population will have myopia by 2050. Scary. Reset talks to Dr. Lisa Thompson, an attending physician of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Cook County Medical Center, and Dr. Noreen Shaikh, an optometrist at Lurie Children’s Hospital, to understan...

On Monday, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th Ward, resigned from two key leadership positions at the urging of Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus after an interaction Ramirez-Rosa had last week with Ald. Emma Mitts, 37th Ward. Reset learns more.

The U.S. leads the world in mass incarceration, with nearly two million people behind bars. But what paths are there to rehabilitation and freedom? Reset speaks with Chicago-based journalist Ben Austen about his new book “Correction: Parole, Prison and the Possibility of Change.” If you want to listen to more conversations like this, check out wbez.org/reset.

On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,400 people and kidnapping more than 240. Reset hears how two area rabbis are confronting the attack, the war and growing antisemitism as they help congregants deal with the grief, sadness and other emotions they’re facing. For Reset’s full coverage of the Israel-Hamas war and how it’s affecting the Chicago area, head over to wbez.org/reset.

In the last month, two Chicago-area Muslim schools have received violent threats, a six-year-old Palestinian American boy was fatally stabbed and a suburban man was charged with a hate crime for threatening to shoot two Muslim men. For some Arab and Muslim Chicagoans, these news stories take them back to their lives in the days and weeks after 9/11. Reset learns more about what the community is ex...