Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

In the second of our mayoral forums, we pose voter questions to candidates organizer Ja’Mal Green and Alderman Roderick Sawyer live from the University of Chicago.

From crime to transportation to education, we spent an hour talking about top issues with Alderwoman Sophia King, State Rep. Kam Buckner, former CPS CEO Paul Vallas, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Congressman Chuy Garcia. Reset breaks down our first round of mayoral forums with Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government reporter, Chip Mitchell, WBEZ criminal justice reporter and Jason DeSanto, a senior lecturer in the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and a Democratic debate strategist.

Chicago Public Media and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics are hosting two forums with the city’s mayoral candidates. First up, at the University of Illinois Chicago, we pose voter questions to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Congressman Chuy Garcia, former CPS CEO Paul Vallas, State Rep. Kam Buckner and Alderwoman Sophia King. On Thursday Feb. 9, we’ll bring you our second forum with thr remaining candidates: organizer Ja’Mal Green, businessman Willie Wilson, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and Alderman Roderick Sawyer.

Dion’s Chicago Dream provides free boxes of fruits, vegetables and water to residents throughout Chicago on a weekly basis, as well as stocking a Dream fridge in Englewood that residents can “shop” from at their convenience. Reset sits down with the founder of the organization, Dion Dawson, to learn about the partnership and how its ability to provide food to food-insecure families has grown.

With Chicago’s mayoral race heating up, the nine candidates vying for the city’s top job have a lot to say about health. Mental health, health equity and lead pipes are top of mind for Chicago voters who responded to WBEZ’s People’s Agenda survey. Reset talks to WBEZ reporters Kristen Schorsch and Tessa Weinberg to find out where the candidates stand.

Rescue efforts are underway, and the number of casualties is expected to climb. Reset checks in with Dr. Zaher Sahloul, president and co-founder of MedGlobal and Amina Demir, COO of the Zakat Foundation of America, about the situation on the ground and what Chicagoans can do to help.

Chicago has an amazing art scene! So as a part of our Chicago Innovators series, we’re featuring two artists who are preparing for an upcoming joint exhibition. Reset chats with artists Blake Jones and Steve Seeley about their work, inspiration and hopes for the future.

The next mayor will inherit a bevy of challenges when it comes to Chicago Public Schools, including a looming budget deficit and declining enrollment. Reset talks to Sarah Karp, WBEZ education reporter, to find out how the mayoral candidates will approach these challenges.

In his new book ‘Dancing In The Darkness,’ Moss draws on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s idea of three sides making up a complete life: the personal, the communal and the spiritual. Reset checks in with Moss, Senior Pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, about his vision for spiritual resilience and why he believes it’s time to fight for the soul of the country.

On average, lead levels in Chicago soil are about 11 times above the natural baseline levels. Lead pollutes both our city’s water and soil, and researchers are trying to find ways to lower our chances of long-term exposure. Reset chats with Kevin Erickson, senior manager of sustainable agriculture at the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University, to learn about the possibilities of growing hemp in contaminated soil in order to transform that soil.