In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Reset breaks down the biggest news stories of the week in our Friday News Roundup with host Sasha Ann Simons and this week’s guests, AD Quig of Crain’s Chicago Business, and David Greising of The Better Government Association. For more Reset interviews, subscribe to this podcast and please leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us. For more about the program, go to the WBEZ website or...

Thousands of pieces of delayed or undelivered mail. Inaccurate reporting of mail conditions. Mail sitting at post offices for days. These are some of the issues flagged in a recent report from the USPS Office of the Inspector General investigating complaints involving four post offices on the South and West Sides. Reset takes a closer look at ongoing mail issues in the Chicago area and what’s bein...

As facts on the ground change around the COVID-19 virus, so do the rules in Chicago about where we can go and what we can do safely. Reset checks in with Dr. Allison Arwady for the latest on the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine, vaccine supply in Chicago, and what folks need to know before heading back to the lakefront and public parks. For more Reset interviews, subscribe to this podcast and pl...

In recent weeks, public health measures around the pandemic have improved, but the U.S. economy is still facing dire straits as Congress decides what steps to take next. Reset brings on a national economist to discuss where things stand, when we could see improvements and answer listener questions. For more Reset interviews, subscribe to this podcast and please leave us a rating. That helps other...

COVID-19 has shown companies that flexible work practices are not only possible but should become an option as offices open up again, and many employees say they no longer want to work five days a week in the office. Reset looks at the factors business leaders are weighing as they decide whether to bring employees back to the office.

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.

Actor Steven Yeun talks about making “Minari”, and how it’s the first film he’s been involved with that shows the immigrant experience through the eyes of a recently-arrived Korean family to the U.S.

Governor JB Pritzker lays out his budget plan and promises no tax hikes. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is in hot water with the city’s inspector general. Plus, a political career spanning half a century is cut short by the fallout from a federal bribery scandal. Reset breaks down the week’s top stories in our Friday News Roundup with host Sasha-Ann Simons. For more Reset interviews, subscribe to th...

Longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on Thursday announced he’s resigning from office at the end of February. The 78-year-old Democrat has been a fixture and a power player in Springfield for half a century, but questions about his ties to the ComEd bribery scandal laid him low in recent years. Reset looks back on Madigan’s reign in Springfield and gets reaction from state lawmakers. Fo...

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his State of the State address Wednesday on his plans for next year’s Illinois state budget. Reset digs into the main takeaways with WBEZ’s Tony Arnold and checks in with a lawmaker for her reaction. For more Reset interviews, subscribe to this podcast and please leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us. For more about the program, go to the WBEZ we...

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his annual State of the State address today. We've got expert analysis from WBEZ reporter Tony Arnold in our companion podcast. This is the governor's complete address

Monday night’s snowstorm created hazardous road conditions for commuters throughout the Chicago region. Reset brings on a local meteorologist, a traffic reporter and hears from for the latest on the storm and its impact on the region. For more Reset interviews, subscribe to this podcast and please leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us. For more about the program, go to the WBEZ web...

The latest COVID-19 stimulus bill earmarked $15 billion for arts funding, including relief for concert venues and theaters. Reset checks in with the head of Chicago’s Congo Square Theatre to discuss how artists are getting through the pandemic and what to expect from their 2021 production schedule.

Chicago’s deep freeze is expected to stick around for a while and could be the longest cold snap in February in 60 years. The leaves many homeless Chicagoans vulnerable to the bitter cold amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Reset checks in with local organizations working toward long-term solutions to homelessness in the city and around Illinois

American carmaker General Motors on Thursday announced an ambitious plan to only sell zero-emission vehicles by 2035. Reset finds out if the news is as game-changing as it sounds. For more Reset interviews, subscribe to this podcast and please leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us. For more about the program, go to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset

Leisure and hospitality businesses are suffering due to COVID-19, but many in the industry are fighting — and getting creative — to survive. Reset hears from a hotel union that’s working to help its Chicago-based workers survive job losses and a local chef who is helping provide mutual aid for others in her industry as COVID-19 continues to force restaurants and other food businesses to close. For...

The U.S. is currently grappling with how the country approaches issues of race. One seemingly counterintuitive question: Is recognizing a Black History Month a good thing? Meaning, does it still help with the struggle for racial equity? Some critics say the month marginalizes the Black experience, while many others continue to see it as a crucial time to recognize Black history. Reset brings on th...

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.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot sends her “best and final offer” to the Chicago Teachers Union, raising the stakes for a strike. Illinois loosens COVID-19 restrictions across the state. Plus, the Obama Presidential Center gets the greenlight to break ground in 2021 after years of delays. Reset breaks down the biggest news of the week in our Friday News Roundup with host Sasha-Ann Simons. For more Reset inter...

Chicago recorded 51 homicides in the first month of 2021 — the highest number of January homicides in four years. This comes as city leaders grapple with a recent spike in carjackings. Mayor Lightfoot says CPD is adding 40 more police officers to address the growing number of cases. Reset brings on the head of the Chicago Police Department for more on the city’s response. For more Reset interviews...

Chicago residents 65 and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as a part of Phase 1B. However, many in this group are finding the technological landscape daunting and difficult to navigate. Reset brings on an elder care expert and a medical researcher focused on Chicago’s gaps in health information to lay out the issue and offer possible solutions. For more Reset interviews, subscribe to...

On Inauguration Day, working artists kicked off the Be An #ArtsHero campaign, a 100-day push for legislation that will help arts workers survive a pandemic that has brought their industries to a standstill. Reset checks in with one of the campaign’s organizers and hears from a reporter covering how the pandemic has hit one prominent arts organization in Chicago. For more Reset interviews, subscrib...

COVID-19 vaccines are still a scarce resource. But a growing number of reports show that some individuals are getting vaccinated ahead of more vulnerable candidates. Reset brings on two medical ethicists to weigh in on the current picture around and possible steps for prevention. For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us....

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.

WBEZ’s Weekly News Roundup takes you inside the biggest local and state stories of the past 7 days. This week on the roundup we’re joined by WTTW’s Brandis Friedman, and WBEZ’s Becky Vevea