In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

In the latest in our series of Chicago’s Architectural Icons, we learn about the history of the gorgeous Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette from Dennis Rodkin, real estate reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business.

A new rule from the Environmental Protection Agency could strip federal protections from up to 63% of the nation’s wetlands. Reset hears from Paul Botts, executive director of The Wetlands Initiative, and Allyson Chiu, climate reporter for the Washington Post, on what this ruling means for the health of wetland ecosystems and the environment at large.

This year the Chicago Public Library system is celebrating 150 years of service to Chicagoans, and a lot has changed in the last century and a half. With a library card, Chicago residents can stream movies and music, get digital magazine subscriptions, listen to audiobooks, and so much more! Reset turns to a CPL branch manager, Kendall Kidder-Goshorn, to learn tips and tricks to make the most of y...

The Chicago City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate gave initial approval for Chicago to buy land to convert a Marine Corps training center into a temporary migrant shelter. We got an update on the groundwork the Johnson administration is laying to create more infrastructure for newly-arriving migrants. We talked to WBEZ politics reporters Mariah Woelfel and Tessa Weinberg.

The health benefits of therapeutic writing have been studied since the 1980s, but a new study from researchers at Boston University found that writing exposure therapy is as effective as other forms of therapy recommended by the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat post traumatic stress disorder. We talked to one of the authors of the study, Denise Sloan, who’s a psychologist and the associate...

The Electronic Funds Transfer Act – passed in 1978 – is meant to protect U.S. consumers from being defrauded when they make a transaction via an ATM, debit card or direct deposit or by point-of-sale and phone transactions. But the law makes an exception for wire transfers. And in recent years, wire fraud has exploded as scammers are making use of the loophole. According to the FBI, its Internet Cr...

Starting September 1, Swedish Covenant Hospital in Lincoln Square, Chicago will combine midwives with obstetricians in a single department to care for pregnant people. The move scales back a midwifery program that some patients praise as defining their pregnancy and delivery experience. We talked to two journalists, WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch & Block Club Chicago’s Kayleigh Padar, to learn more about...

What did you do this summer? If you’re anything like the children of WBEZ staff, you made the most of your time off. From an alpaca farm in Korea to staycations at the local pool, the kids of WBEZ shared the favorite things they did this summer and what they’re looking forward to this school year. We talked to nine-year-olds Auggie and Ethan, eight-year-old Kezzia and four-year-olds Claire and Mar...

From Barack Obama to Jay-Z, comedian Jay Pharoah is best known for his uncanny impressions. Pharoah sits down with Reset ahead of his show and comedy special taping at The Den Theatre in Wicker Park on Saturday, Aug. 26.

Bomb threats force suburban libraries to close their doors. A jury finds longtime chief of staff to former House Speaker Madigan guilty. And a Chicago alderman calls for a quiet zone around a downtown clinic that provides abortion services. Reset breaks down these top local stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with Chicago Sun-Times reporter Nader Issa, WBEZ city government and politics repor...

Investors are suing the successful Chicago restaurant, saying its owners misappropriated Paycheck Protection Program funds for personal use, including the purchase of a $2 million Learjet in 2021. Reset checks in with WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos.

Summer is THE time for festivals in Chicago, and this weekend has a slew of them! We chat with Sandra Treviño, an organizer of the LatiNxt Festival, and a participating artist, Alex Aguayo of Chicago band Cabeza de Chivo. They tell us the festival celebrates the diverse genre of Latin music and how it’s evolved over time. We also learn about the connection between dance and the environment people...

Experts are urging residents to stay cool this week as a heat wave pushes through Northeastern Illinois. Temperatures may reach the triple digits, and it will feel even hotter. Reset checks in with Illinois State climatologist Trent Ford about why we’re seeing such hot weather and what people need to do to stay safe.

Ever wondered about life down in the depths of the ocean? For many of us, the deep ocean remains a mystery. In her new book, The Underworld, explorer and author Susan Casey uncovers the mysterious world of sea creatures and objects beneath the waves.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s allies want him to make good on his campaign promises, but 100 days into his first term, some say he’s less ambitious than his predecessors and hasn’t achieved enough. The mayor has defended his approach, saying it’s important to spend time building bridges. Reset checks in with WBEZ city government and politics reporter Mariah Woelfel about what the new mayor has a...

A city law is supposed to protect abortion seekers from harassment by anti-abortion protesters as they enter clinics, but enforcing the buffer zone around the medical facilities has been a challenge. Reset hears from 34th ward Alderman Bill Conway about changes he says could strengthen the so-called “bubble ordinance” in Chicago.

Shopping on State Street holds fond memories for Chicagoans, but the growing popularity of online shopping has pushed storefront vacancies to record levels. A new city-commissioned panel offers recommendations on how to revitalize State Street. We checked in with two experts on the panel: Mark Kelly, former Commissioner of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and Mi...

Director Andrew Davis is best known for his 1993 action-thriller “The Fugitive,” starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The Chicago-set film celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. And the film showcases a wide scope of early-’90s Chicago – from the realistic chaos of Cook County Hospital to a two-flat on 90th and Houston. A native Chicagoan, Davis says his local roots influenced his work...

Held v. Montana is the first lawsuit of its kind to go to trial, with plaintiffs ranging from age 5 to age 22. It’s also a landmark ruling: climate change must now be considered when approving or renewing future fossil fuel projects in the state. Reset gets reaction from Danica Sun and Natasha Bahtia, youth climate activists in Illinois, and what they’re working on here. Then we turn to two policy...

With free jazz and hip-hop influenced samples, the new album from the Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist takes the shape of a fictional pirate radio station, preaching ideas for a new future and societal change. The new album, released last month, is called New Future City Radio. Reset talks with Locks about meaning, multimedia collage, and his work as an educator.

Chicago Public School students are heading back to the classroom, with thousands still unclear how they’re getting there. President Biden issues a disaster declaration for Cook County and a man is sentenced for setting fire to a Peoria Planned Parenthood. Reset goes behind those headlines and more with Monica Eng, Chicago reporter for AXIOS; Becky Vevea, bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago; and Dan...

Rising seniors and incoming college students have big decisions to make: from how to pay for college to picking a major that will pay off in the long run. From FAFSA to scholarships to finding a lucrative career. Reset gets tips on how students and families can prepare for college finances. We also get advice on how to find out the cost (and pay-off) of a major. For help, we turn to Lynne Baker wi...

Chicago Public School leaders say they want to fix special education services in the district. And that fix becomes increasingly urgent, as the number of CPS students who rely on special ed has grown steadily since 2018. But some parents say the district is focusing too much on legal mandates and not quality education. WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp shares the latest on how Chicago schools are...

Perfectionism is harming us – at least, according to Chicago author L’Oreal Thompson Payton. She stops by Reset to talk about her new book, growing up with the idea of “working twice as hard to get half,” and how breaking her Peloton streak helped her ditch perfectionism.

Summer vacation might be fun, but all play and no work can make Jack a dull boy. Or rather, it can make students run the risk of losing some of the lessons learned and academic gains from the previous school year. And this can mean starting the next school year on the wrong foot. We hear from UChicago Education Lab’s Monica Bhatt, Northwestern School of Education and Social Policy’s Paula Hooper,...