Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons

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 the Alliance for the Great Lakes, for more.

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 Refugee Alliance) and Thomas Day, a former military journalist and veteran, about how they are...

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-chair of the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group; Silvia Alvarez Clare, director of global tree...

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.

State lawmakers passed a law eliminating cash bail, as part of the SAFE-T Act, that went into effect Jan. 1. But some prosecutors filed lawsuits challenging the law’s constitutionality, putting the law on hold a week into the new year. WBEZ reporters Mawa Iqbal and Shannon Heffernan join Reset to discuss the oral arguments heard by the state’s highest court Tuesday morning.

New data out Tuesday show inflation remains a thorn in the side of the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, bank failures have Americans on edge. Reset checks in with NPR chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley for the latest on inflation, recent bank failures and what it all means for the economy.

At least 53 people have died in residential fires in Chicago since 2021. An investigation from the Better Government Association and the Chicago Tribune shows the city could be doing more in response to complaints about faulty wiring, missing smoke detectors and other safety issues. It also shows that inspections have been lagging. Reset learns why the city has failed to prevent these deaths and discusses potential solutions with Better Government Association reporter Alex Nitkin and former...

Crime has overshadowed the economy in the Chicago mayor’s race, but it’s important to understand how a Vallas or a Johnson administration will approach budgeting, property taxes, pension payments and the city’s finances. WBEZ city politics reporter Mariah Woelfel explains.

It’s a quick turnaround between the Feb. 28 municipal election and the April 4 runoff, but the Chicago Board of Elections is ready. Reset checks in with Max Bever from the Chicago Board of Elections about everything Chicago voters need to know as they prepare to pick a mayor and vote in key aldermanic races that have also gone to a runoff.

A Chicago Architecture Center design competition aims to bring creative new forms of affordable housing to six neighborhoods on Chicago’s South and West sides. Reset talks to the center’s CEO Eleanor Gorski about the Come Home Initiative.