In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

More dramatic testimony in the ComEd trial. Abortion opponents descend on the State Capitol. Meanwhile, endorsements continue to roll in for Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson. Reset goes behind those headlines and more in our Weekly News Recap with Paris Schutz, reporter and anchor, WTTW-TV, A.D. Quig, Cook County and Chicago government reporter for the Chicago Tribune and Jon Seidel, federal courts...

In Chicago, you have to take advantage of every warm day you can. Luckily, WBEZ’s got you covered with a guide to the hottest events of the season. We checked in with editor Cassie Walker Burke to get the scoop.

The Chicago Police Department has prioritized seizing illegal guns. A new investigation suggests that tactic is not leading to meaningful improvements to public safety and that it’s upending the lives of Black men in the city, who have guns seized at five times the rate of any other racial group. Reset learns more about the arguments for and against this tactic and what happens when police priorit...

A new report shows no state in the country has enough affordable housing for the families most in need. Reset discusses what’s driving the shortage in Illinois, how a lack of affordable housing can put a family’s health at risk and how organizations and lawmakers are working to close the gap with Bob Palmer, policy director of Housing Action Illinois, Amanda Henley, community expert of the Housing...

“Three Black women. Three generations. No filters.” That’s the tagline for WBEZ’s latest podcast. Reset sits down with “When Magic Happens’ hosts Cheryle Jackson, Jennifer “Shea Love” Long and Taylor Coward.

How do you help actors feel safe during intimate scenes in film with nudity or simulated sex? Hire an intimacy coordinator. Much like a stunt coordinator in action movies, intimacy coordinators are essential in scenes involving full or partial nudity. As a part of our Chicago Innovators series, Reset is joined by Chicago-based intimacy coordinator Jessica Steinrock to learn about her work.

Lead paint was banned in Chicago in 1978, but many city homes still contain potentially toxic levels of the substance. Reset learns the details of an investigation into this citywide problem from WTTW’s Paris Schutz.

A new report details the financial and emotional toll medical debt is having on Illinois families. Meanwhile, a proposed state law could be a win-win for both debt-burdened patients and the hospitals that treat them. Reset digs into the problem and possible solution with two authors of the report: Luvia Quiñones from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and Carrie Chapma...

Match Day is when medical students find out where they’ll be doing their residencies. It can be a festive, or stressful, affair, with schools hosting ceremonies for students and families. Reset checked in with two medical students at RUSH Medical College — Jordan Cisneros and Sharice Hall — to hear about the process of getting their match and to hear about the challenges Black and Latino med stude...

A collection of South Asian art, donated by the late arts patron Marilynn Alsdorf is causing problems for the Art Institute of Chicago and raising questions about origin and ownership. ProPublica and Crain’s Chicago Business recently published an investigation which uncovered evidence that at least several pieces in the large collection were stolen and exported illegally. Reset sits down with Elys...

In Chicago, the unofficial marker of spring is when the music festival lineups for Lollapalooza and Pitchfork are released. Reset reviewed the 2023 headliners and musical guests for the fests with Ayana Contreras, content director for Vocalo and Leor Galil, writer for the Chicago Reader.

Hundreds of thousands of lead pipes need to be replaced. Homes are flooding due to climate change. Water bills are too high for some residents to afford. And parts of Chicago’s shoreline are falling into the lake. Those are a few of the water issues Chicago’s next mayor will need to address, according to a new op-ed in the Chicago Sun-Times. Reset speaks with Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of t...

Teonna Rainwater’s story of abuse is just one of the brutal pieces of historical fiction in the “Yellowstone” prequel “1923.” The hit series has a stellar cast that includes Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and Hammond, Indiana’s own Aminah Nieves. Reset learns more about Nieves and what it’s like to play her character Teonna Rainwater.

It’s been two decades since the U.S. invaded Iraq over alleged weapons of mass destruction. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed, and no “WMDs” were found. Today many analysts say the war and 2011 American withdrawal destabilized the country and paved the way for the Islamic State’s rise to power in 2014. Reset hears from Iraqi refugee Ekram Hannah (with MIRA: Middle Eastern Immigrant and R...

Tens of thousands of children in the Illinois foster care system face a constant cycle of being moved from one place to another. Reset speaks to CBS-2 Chicago investigative journalist Dave Savini about his team’s investigation into this ongoing issue.

Religious imagery, small town ideals, and complicated relationships shape the work of Andy Shauf, a Canadian singer-songwriter. We discuss his interest in God as a concept and the new album Norm. Andy Shauf joins Reset ahead of his show in Chicago.

The trial of the so-called “ComEd Four” is now underway, and the search for Chicago’s next police superintendent is on. Meanwhile, mayoral endorsements keep rolling in. Reset breaks down these top local stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with The Washington Post’s Kim Bellware, Chicago Tribune’s Ray Long and former CBS-2 politics reporter Derrick Blakley.

The Shedd Aquarium and The Morton Arboretum have been named the first Centers for Species Survival focused on trees and freshwater species. They’re now part of a network of nine other centers around the world. Reset learns more about how this designation will expand their conservation efforts globally. We check in with Chuck Knapp, vice president of conservation research at Shedd Aquarium and co-c...

Groups opposed to the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merger say they don’t want the additional noise, potential disruptions and increased risk of crashes and exposure to hazardous materials the merger could bring. Reset learns more about the deal from WTTW investigative reporter and producer Jared Rutecki.

Chicago’s next mayor will have to choose the new Chicago Police Department superintendent. Reset hears analysis from police accountability experts and a former CPD sergeant about what they’d like to see in the next hire and what challenges lie ahead.

Four people with connections to ComEd and former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madgian go on trial over an alleged bribery scheme to push the utility company’s legislative agenda in Springfield. WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos and Chicago Sun-Times federal courts reporter Jon Seidel join Reset to explain the players, the stakes and what it all means for Illinois politics.

A new CDC study reveals an increase in the rate of unexpected deaths among infants during the first year of the pandemic, particularly among Black infants. Reset speaks with health experts about risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUIDS), and how to be proactive about infant safety.

Illinois is now the third state in the U.S. to mandate paid leave to be used for any reason. Reset checks in with WBEZ statehouse reporter Alex Degman for the latest details of the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, which Governor JB Pritzker signed into law Monday.

Paul Vallas has positioned himself as the “tough on crime” candidate. Meanwhile, Brandon Johnson is calling for a comprehensive approach to public safety. Northwestern University professor Andrew Papachristos joins Reset to discuss what’s shaping the candidates’ views and what research shows about efforts that really work on the ground.

The lawsuit against JUUL Labs is one of several steps the city of Chicago has taken in recent years to stop smoking rates from climbing. Reset checks in with Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Alison Arwardy about how vaping affects teens’ lungs and overall health and how the city plans to use the settlement money to fight underage smoking.