In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Cities like Chicago and New York have more migrants than they can handle. St. Louis says it would like more migrants to come to town. We get the story from Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, WBEZ race, class, communities reporter.

At Morton College in Cicero Thursday, you can visit a “human library.” No, we’re not kidding. It’s a library where you can “check out” a person — like you would a book — to listen to their life story. Each “reader” can ask questions that you might avoid in polite conversation. Reset spoke with Prairie Markussen, organizer of a “human library” event at Morton College, and Alejandro Joleanis, a huma...

Lawmakers in City Council have until the end of the calendar year to approve the budget. Reset talks with WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel and Tessa Weinberg about the process as well as steps the administration is taking to house migrants ahead of the cold winter months to come.

Nearly 200 people from more than 30 nations have not been seen since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Among them are an Evanston mother and daughter. Reset speaks with the family’s rabbi Meir Hecht of Chabad of Evanston about their kidnapping and how it’s impacting the Evanston community.

Last year, 60 people died from opioid-related overdoses on the CTA, according to an analysis by the Chicago Reader. Reset talked with impacted Chicagoans and the reporter who broke down those numbers.

A Palestinian American boy and his mother were stabbed by their landlord, in their home on Saturday, October 14. The boy died and the mother is in critical condition. The accused killer yelled anti-Muslim epithets and stabbed the child 26 times. Reset hears how media and political rhetoric of the Israel-Hamas war may have played into this attack. Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago offi...

Actor Brought a Vice is a new record from Chicago band Young Man in a Hurry. Frontman Matthew Baron joins Reset to talk about the new release. Check out more interviews like this one at wbez.org/reset.

Chicagoans on their way home from an interfaith trip in Jerusalem had to take shelter as rockets from Gaza struck Israel. Reset hears from three of them about their experiences, and the conversations they’re having with community members about radical empathy as the war in the Middle East continues. Check out more conversations like this at wbez.org/reset.

Residents voice opposition to new migrant shelters. Chicago Marathon winner breaks world record. Northwestern’s new stadium plan faces resistance. Reset goes behind those headlines and more in our Weekly News Recap. If you want to check out past News Recaps or other conversations, you can see our entire catalog at wbez.org/reset.

Mayor Brandon Johnson called housing an “essential focus” of his administration’s focus. The question is, will he be able to put the money where his mouth is? Reset sits down with stakeholders to hear what they want to see from the administration and what housing investment could look like under the mayor’s proposed budget plan. To hear more conversations like this one, check out our full archive...

After three open heart surgeries, Donnie Seals Sr. knew he had to change his life, so he took up cycling. His son joined him in the pursuit, eventually proposing an epic bike ride from St. Louis to Chicago to celebrate his dad’s health — and they caught it all on film. Reset talks with the father-son duo about what this journey meant to them, and how it takes on health disparities in the Black com...

The population of Illinois is becoming more educated, more foreign-born and higher paid, according to a report conducted by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois. Reset turns to a co-author of the report to learn more about the state’s shifting demographics and the fact that, contrary to popular belief, the state’s population...

Johnson spoke Wednesday at City Council, laying out his plans for Chicago in the coming fiscal year. This is his full address.

Mayor Brandon Johnson presented City Council with his first city budget proposal Wednesday. From supporting migrants to a $538 million budget gap to investing into historically disinvested people in Chicago, there’s a lot to address. Reset breaks down some of the mayor’s plans with Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government and politics reporter, and Justin Marlowe, research professor at the University...

Many Chicagoans have connections to friends, family and loved ones in the Middle East. On Monday morning, Reset spoke with David Jacobson of Evanston whose son and daughter live in Israel as well as with Deanna Othman of Oak Lawn. She has family in Gaza. Stay up to date and listen to more from Reset at wbez.org/reset.

President Biden spoke to the nation Tuesday afternoon after a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This is his full address.

Evanston-based housing advocacy group Open Communities recently filed a federal lawsuit alleging companies using AI to discriminate against renters — specifically renters that would use housing vouchers. Reset spoke to WBEZ race, class, communities reporter Esther Yoon-Ji Kang about the story and learned how leasing companies use AI chatbots. You can listen to more of our interviews at wbez.org/re...

When you think of postpartum depression, often you’ll think of mothers. But did you know fathers can also suffer from the condition? Reset spoke with Dr. Sam Wainwright of UI Health’s Two-Generation Clinic and his patient Lushon Lee about this effort to understand postpartum depression among new fathers. You can check more of our conversations at wbez.org/reset.

For many Native Americans, their families have lost their language and history because of years of Indigenous people forced to go to boarding schools where they had to assimilate to white culture. Reset spoke with president of the American Indian Association of Illinois, Dorene Wiese about preserving languages and oral history. To hear more conversations like this one, you can find an archive of o...

Average life expectancy in the U.S. decreased by just under three years because of the COVID pandemic. But, if you break it down further by racial and ethnic group, life expectancy for Black and Hispanic people declined about four years. There are a number of reasons for this disparity. Dr. Brian H. Williams is a trauma surgeon and author of the new book The Bodies Keep Coming: Dispatches from a B...

Filipinos have been living in the Windy City since at least the early 1900s. From the first wave of men coming from the Philippines to the U.S. to forming a community in Chicago to the second wave of Filipino women arriving, there’s a rich history of Filipinos in the Windy City. Reset celebrates Filipino American History Month by talking about the history of Filipinos in the city and learning abou...

NASCAR is coming back to Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson is planning a visit to the southern border and has appointed the city’s first chief homelessness officer. Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley was the only Democrat to vote ‘no’ on a bill that helped avoid a government shutdown. Reset discusses these stories and more with a panel of Chicago journalists: Madison Savedra, Block Club Chicago report...

October is Filipino American History Month. It’s a time to reflect on the experiences of people that came before, connect with others in the community and build a stronger sense of identity being Filipino American. Starting October 6, an exhibition called “More Than Lumpia” will be held at the Catacombs Gallery at the Epiphany Center for the Arts until November 17. It aims to challenge stereotypes...

Ramon Diaz is a former Northwestern football player who played from 2005 to 2008. Now, he’s bringing a lawsuit against the school, alleging hazing and racist treatment. Reset gets the latest on the multiple allegations against Northwestern and what’s next. You can check out more of our conversations at wbez.org/reset.

Galleries, museums and theaters are still feeling the impact of the pandemic. According to a report on the health of arts and culture in the city, donations, memberships and attendance numbers are down and haven’t gotten back to pre-pandemic levels. Reset learns about what’s been happening and discusses potential solutions Leslé Honoré, poet and CEO of Urban Gateways, Kacie Smith of Arts Alliance...