In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Chicagoan Crystal Dyer wanted to help the young people in her Austin community be exposed to the beauty of the wide world. A travel agent herself, she knew what getting out of your environment and exploring the world could do to your perspective. So she began a program to do just that: connect at-risk youth—many of whom may have never been on a plane before, or owned a passport — with different co...

Efforts to ban books are on the rise, presenting challenges to schools and libraries across the country. And a new report from PEN America says challenges to library books are not just coming from concerned parents, but are actually part of an organized political effort. Reset checks in with Jonathan Friedman of PEN America and Susie An, WBEZ education reporter to learn more about the report and w...

Sterigenics in Dupage County and two companies in Lake County used the cancer-causing chemical ethylene oxide in sterilization processes for years before nearby residents began to report higher-than-normal levels of a number of cancers. Reset speaks with Michael Hawthorne, reporter at the Chicago Tribune, about the first lawsuit against Sterigenics over use of the known carcinogen, which Springfie...

Earlier this year, Chicago chefs rallied to cook for Ukrainians — it was an event that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in humanitarian aid due to the war in Ukraine. Now, local chefs are teaming up again — this time, for the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Ethiopians in the country’s northern Tigray region are experiencing possibly the worst health crisis in the entire world. This is due to a t...

Volunteers and nonprofits are meeting people as they arrive and helping to provide housing, healthcare and food. But these immigrants are in a precarious position because they can’t legally work in the country until six months after they submit their asylum application. Meanwhile, that application process requires money for legal fees, and many of the non-profits that help immigrants with this pro...

Sweater weather is just around the corner but with it comes flu season. Reset answers your most asked questions about colds, flus, covid and monkeypox with the help of Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist with Duly Health and Care

Critically-acclaimed band, Whitney, released their 4th album, SPARKS, this past week. The new album experiments with synthesizers and other electronic elements that make the new record a departure from the band's typical sound. Reset caught up with the band about the inspiration behind the new record. GUESTS: Julien Ehlrich and Max Kakacek, members of the band, Whitney

MIllions of Illinois taxpayers will soon receive one-time tax rebates, while republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey releases his tax returns for public scrutiny. Reset goes behind the headlines on the Chicago News Recap. GUESTS: Amanda Vinicky, WTTW political correspondent Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government reporter Mike Lowe, reporter for WGN TV News

In a new report from the New York Times and non-partisan research group Child Trends, the number of children living in poverty in the U.S. dropped significantly from the early 1990s to just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Reset speaks with one of the authors of the report, a reporter from the New York Times and researcher at Northwestern University on the findings and their implications. GUESTS: Dan...

More than a hundred thousand refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine are here in the United States. Many of those refugees are children, and one place here in Chicago that is stepping up to help is Saint Nicholas Cathedral School in Ukrainian Villages. This school year they have taken in 75 Ukrainian refugee students, bought supplies for their families, and created an English immersion summer camp for...

The Chicago Skyway is under new management: the Australian company Atlas Arteria, which owns and operates toll roads in Europe and the United States. In 2005, Chicago leased the Skyway to private shareholders. The shareholders can buy or sell, but the city has to remain in the agreement for 99 years. Reset learns more Chicago Tribune reporter Robert Channick and toll road expert Robert W. Poole, d...

The nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization Color of Change presented its Black Tech Agenda to members of Congress this week in a push for policy solutions to advance racial equity in the technology industry. Reset learns more about the group’s plan from Washington Post reporter Cristiano Lima and Rashad Robinson, president of the advocacy group Color Of Change.

What seemed like a simple international aid project spirals out of control. How (Not) to Build A School in Haiti details the long and complicated process it took to build a new school in a rural town north of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The project comes to a sudden halt when a headstrong American construction worker clashes with a Haitian leader. Reset talks with a Chicago-based filmma...

Lake Michigan could be the home of Illinois' first off-shore wind farm. The Rust Belt to Green Belt Act could help fund wind turbines 15 miles off the coast of Chicago’s Southeast side. Reset talks to one of the sponsors of the legislation as well as a reporter and community organizer about the details.

Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) celebrates its 25th anniversary with an anniversary fundraising gala this Saturday, September 17th, at The Geraghty. Among its many initiatives, IMAN advocates for access to fresh produce, runs a health center and a grocery store, and provides resources to ease the transitions of formerly incarcerated people. Reset talks with executive director Rami Nashashi...

Chicago received torrential rainfall leaving entire blocks submerged underwater in parts of the city. Reset speaks with an atmospheric scientist and other experts, as well as Chicagoans affected by the storm.

A new investigation from ProPublica reveals a million-dollar Instagram verification scheme. Reset talks with ProPublica reporter Craig Silverman to learn more about the inner workings of the scheme and the motivation of its users.

As football season kicks off, Bears release plans for a new stadium in Arlington Heights. Plus, aldermen feel the pressure over a near ten percent pay raise, while more announce they’re leaving City Council. Reset goes behind the headlines on the Weekly News Recap with Paris Schutz, correspondent and anchor, WTTW-TV, Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune reporter, and Alex Nitkin, Better Governme...

The lab was one of three cities to receive a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. Reset checks in with Cristina Negri, director of Argonne’s Environmental Sciences Division and CROCUS lead and Naomi Davis from Blacks in Green.

After experiencing a surge in medical misinformation during the pandemic, Dr. Vineet Arora and Sara Serritella decided medical professionals needed training to help combat it. Reset sits down with Dr. Arora and Serritella to learn about their new course and how to prevent medical misinformation from spreading.

Ibram X. Kendi’s new picture book Magnolia Flower celebrates its release this week. The book, adapted from a short story by Zora Neale Hurston, tells the story of Magnolia, the daughter of parents who escaped slavery and the Trail of Tears. It features vibrant illustrations of the characters and the island where they find freedom by the artist Loveis Wise. Reset talks with Ibram X. Kendi.

New COVID-19 vaccines are available to Chicago residents this week. The city has received 150,000 doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech boosters, which target omicron subvariants. Reset gets the latest from Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Sex work is a broad umbrella that encompasses various forms of labor. Similar to workers in other fields who push for unionization, sex workers often experience unsafe situations, like overpolicing and physical violence. However, sex workers have long been excluded from unions because of the stigma attached to their line of work. Reset checks in with activists who are working to change the paradig...

What does safety look like? What do we need to be safe? What threatens that safety? Reset hears from Andrea Ritchie, co-author of the new book No More Police: A Case for Abolition and explores new ways to think about public safety.

Since the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Illinois medical professionals and advocates are working to make sure people have access to contraceptive care. Reset talks with Dr. Debra Stulberg, primary care physician at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and Kate Thiede, executive director of Illinois Contraceptive Action Now, an organization working to get free and low-cost contracept...