Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

A Northwestern law student is suing the Biden administration over what she says is its failure to evacuate her U.S. citizen family members from Gaza. Palestinian American Yasmeen Elagha has spent the last three months talking, negotiating and pleading with different U.S. agencies — and even different governments — for help to get her family in Gaza to safety. Reset sits down with Elagha for more on her story.

Move over hot dog bun, there’s a new carb in town. The pastry chef at Daisies, the Logan Square pasta emporium, joined forces with The Weiner Circle to bring a new twist to Chicago’s favorite dog and the Midwestern classic pigs in a blanket. Reset discusses the newest twist on a Windy City classic with WBEZ staffers Katie O'Connell, Cianna Greaves and Reset’s own Meha Ahmad.

Fans of David Bowie will know of his deep love of jazz. Though he never ventured into the genre in a literal sense, the inspiration is clear when you listen to his impressive body of work. The Metropolitan Jazz Octet, in partnership with Paul Marinaro, is reimagining some of Bowie’s classics with a new show titled “The Bowie Project.” Paul and MJO Co-founder Jim Gailloreto join Reset to discuss their love of the psychedelic space explorer, adapting Bowie's work in a new medium, and how the MJO came to be.

A group of Illinois residents have challenged Donald Trump’s candidacy. An undercount of people living in group quarters on the 2020 Census might mean Illinois isn’t losing population after all. Plus, there’s a slew of new laws you may have missed – like an e-cigarette ban in indoor public spaces. Reset breaks down those stories and more with Alex Nitkin, reporter with the Illinois Answers Project, Quinn Myers, Block Club Chicago reporter covering Wicker Park, West Town and Bucktown, and WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp.

Reset learns the history of two schools, hotels and a warehouse that are currently being used to house migrants for our What’s That Building series with architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin.

Want to get out of your comfort zone and try something new this winter? Reset sat down with Jenny LeFlore, creator of Mama Fresh, Alison Cuddy, cultural producer and freelance journalist, and Breezy Fasano, co-founder of Chicago Craft Club to get tips on how to stay active and connected this winter.

A new program for West Side families wants to help ease the burdens of parenthood during the first year of a baby’s life. Reset learns more about West Side Healthy Parents & Babies by speaking with Ayesha Jaco, executive director of West Side United, Katelyn Kanwischer, director of maternal and child health initiative at Lurie Children’s Hospital, and WBEZ public health and county government reporter Kristen Schorsch.

This year the city of Chicago is rolling out a violence-prevention strategy to bring resources and investment to four of its most crime-impacted neighborhoods: West Garfield Park, Little Village, Englewood and Austin. This comes after a drop in homicides and gun violence both locally and nationally in 2023. But Chicago did experience an unusual spike in robberies last year. Reset learns more about crime in Chicago and the steps being taken to reduce it by speaking with Chicago’s deputy mayor of community safety Garien Gatewood and Kim Smith, the director of programs at the University of Chicago Crime Lab.

The year ahead will be a big one for local politics. Former Illinois House speaker Mike Madigan goes on trial, Alderman Ed Burke will be sentenced after being convicted on 13 charges in his federal corruption trial, the Illinois primary is coming up on March 19, and the Democratic National Convention comes to town this summer. WBEZ government and politics reporters Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfel give a preview of the stories that will shape Chicago politics in 2024.

Is 2024 the year some of us finally keep a New Year’s resolution? It can be easier said than done, but experts say if you follow the best practices unearthed through research, it’s doable. Reset turns to Katy Milkman, professor at The University of Pennsylvania, host of the Choiceology podcast and author of How To Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be for tips and tricks on how to actually make desired changes.