In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Two experts discuss Chicago Public Media’s acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times and other models for reinvigorating local news coverage. Guests: Mark Jacob, independent journalist Victor Pickard, professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania

The 2014 murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald and the trial of his shooter, former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke, was supposed to be a watershed moment for the Chicago Police Department and the city itself. Reset discusses how much Chicago and CPD have changed in the last three years with an attorney who led the negotiations of Chicago’s consent decree and a law professor.

This February marks the 46th recognized Black History Month, but the history behind this commemorative month begins further back in time right here in the Windy City. Reset checks in with an urban historian for the story.

Restaurant work and rest don’t often mix, but after a brush with death, one local chef is giving herself and her staff a chance to take a deep breath and relax. Reset checks in with her about this and other shifts she’s making as well as with a reporter who writes about the food and beverage industry. GUEST: Bo Fowler, chef and owner of Owen and Engine and Bixi Josh Noel, Chicago Tribune reporter

Reset talks to WTTW co-anchor Brandis Friedman and Chicago Tribune City Hall reporter John Byrne for the big headlines of the last few days in the Weekly News Recap.

The year 2022 is being labeled as the “Year of Healing” for Chicago, which will focus on restorative racial transformation around the city. Reset checks in with Candace Moore, the city’s first chief equity officer, to understand what she has in plan for this year.

What role does money play in child development? New research suggests it could affect brain activity. Reset digs into the study and discusses the implications for policies and programs in the U.S. with one of the co-authors of the report and a local researcher.

Omicron may have reached its peak, but protests over vaccine and mask mandates seem to be on the rise. Suburbs from north suburban Highland Park to Naperville are grappling with protests over COVID policies at restaurants and museums, and west suburban St. Charles has closed its public library indefinitely for in-person services after receiving threats over its mask mandate. Reset checks in with a...

It’s been 49 years since Roe v. Wade established the Constitutional right to a safe and legal abortion. But now, due to restrictive state laws, women are traveling across state lines to abortion-friendly havens like Illinois to get the procedure. Reset talks to a bioethicist and the head of a downstate abortion clinic about the future of reproductive rights in the U.S. and the politics around Roe.

Chicago passes the Omicron peak as Lori Lightfoot returns to CIty Hall after testing positive for COVID, and the gubernatorial race heats up with an injection of big bucks to J.B. Pritzker’s campaign war chest. Reset checks in with local journalists about those stories and other big news of the week.

Reset interviews WBEZ’s CEO, Matt Moog, about the company’s acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The opioid crisis has gotten less attention during the pandemic, even though deaths have reached record-breaking numbers. What can we do to limit overdoses?

As Omicron cases continue to strain hospitals across the country, the Surgeon General is warning that the worst is yet to come. Here in Cook County, new data shows that Black Chicagoans and suburban residents over 60 are dying at disproportionate rates.

As the omicron wave continues, Mayor Lori Lightfoot tests positive for COVID-19. Students return to classrooms this week after a standoff between the city and the Chicago Teachers Union. Plus, employees at the Art Institute of Chicago vote to form a union.

Reset digs into what you need to know before you head out for a COVID-19 test. We check in with Block Club Chicago breaking news editor Kelly Bauer and Steve Bernas with the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois for the latest.

School counselors and social workers were among the CPS staff who have been locked out of the google classroom by Mayor Lightfoot in the past week, during the standoff between the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools. Reset checks in with a counselor and social worker from a North Side CPS school about how the lockout has impacted their work.

Over the last year, at least 19 states have passed laws making it harder to vote. Since January 6th, 25 religious leaders from around the country have been on a hunger strike to urge Congress to pass voting rights legislation. Reset talks with Rev. Otis Moss, who is one of the hunger strikers.

It’s been one week since Cook County and Chicago rolled out a vaccine mandate for most indoor spaces. The order requires customers five and older to show proof of vaccination at restaurants, bars, gyms and movie theaters. Reset checks in with several business owners and staff for an update on how they’re handling the mandate.

Cook County launches vaccine mandate for restaurants, bars and gyms; Chicago cancels school after teachers refuse to teach in-person, and longtime Congressman Bobby Rush announces retirement. Reset goes behind the headlines on the Weekly News Recap with WVON’s Kimberly Egonmwan and the Chicago Tribune’s Dan Petrella.

Reset brings on a WAMU Reporter, Margaret Barthel, who covered the Jan. 6 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol to reflect, and Chicago Sun-Times Federal Courts reporter, Jon Seidel, discusses the charges and sentences for people from the Chicago region who participated in the insurrection.

As the omicron variant continues to spread the country, Chicago is implementing new vaccine mandates for indoor venues to encourage residents to get their shots. Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union votes to switch to remote learning amid the post-holiday COVID surge. Reset checks in with the city’s top doc, Dr. Allison Arwady, for the latest COVID guidelines.

Hospitalizations from COVID-19 are at an all-time high in Illinois, and doctors, nurses and staff are under tremendous pressure.

Reset brings on an infectious disease expert for our weekly check-in to provide clarity and answers to your questions, comments and concerns about COVID-19. For more Reset interviews, subscribe to this podcast. And please give us a rating, it helps other listeners find us. For more about Reset, go to wbez.org and follow us on Twitter @WBEZReset

If you give your parents new tech, chances are you’ll have to be their tech support and install it for them. Heather Kelly, technology help desk reporter at The Washington Post helps Reset cover what you need to know when they ask other tech questions so you sound like a pro.

Reset Sustainability Contributor, Karen Weigert, gives a retrospective on the sustainability highs and lows for 2021. She’s joined by Naomi Davis of the environmental justice coalition “Blacks In Green” to evaluate the progress in Chicago for the last year in defeating environmental racism and inequity.