Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

To say it’s been a wild 2020 in Illinois and Chicago politics would be an understatement. The year started with the legalization of marijuana, saw a pandemic that shut down every corner of Illinois, streets filled with protesters in the wake of a police killing, boarded up storefronts, and even the early release of former governor Rod Blagojevich.

Reset breaks down those stories and more during our Year In Review: Chicago and Illinois Politics in 2020.

GUESTS: Heather Cherone, Chicago politics reporter at WTTW

David Greising, president and CEO of the Better Government Association

As many as 50 million Americans will experience food insecurity by the end of 2020, up from 35 million this time last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed an increasing number of people to the financial brink and turning to food pantries for assistance.

For the latest installment in our “Closing The Gap” series, Reset brings on experts, policymakers and residents to discuss the fight against food insecurity and explore personal solutions to closing the hunger gap.

GUESTS: Diane Schanzenbach, director of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University

Kate Maehr, CEO of Greater Chicago Food Depository

Angela Odoms-Young, associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition in the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences

What is the hunger industrial complex, and who is pulling the strings in our nation’s food system? In the latest installment of our Closing the Gap series, Reset brings on a food security expert who says the problem is much bigger than we think — and that “more food” is not the answer to ending hunger in the U.S. 

Also, a farmer joins the show to share why agriculture is the “revolutionary” solution to historic injustice for Black people.

GUESTS: Andy Fisher, executive director of EcoFarm; author of Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance Between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups

Kamal Bell, CEO of Sankofa Farms

What does a household that is food insecure look like? And who is most impacted? We talk to folks who have experienced food insecurity in their own families. We also hear from one of Illinois’ biggest food banks about how they’re addressing the “invisible” problem of hunger in the suburbs.

Food insecurity is one of the nation’s leading health crises, affecting 1 in 6 people — and the pandemic is making things worse. Now, with illness and record job loss, more people than ever are worrying about barren cupboards.

So what does food insecurity look like in Illinois? Who is most affected, and what resources are available to help residents make ends meet? In this four-part series, Reset takes a deep dive into what food insecurity looks like in Chicago and the suburbs, and how local organizations are working to close the gap in certain communities.

GUEST: Craig Gundersen, professor of agriculture and economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; creator of Feeding America’s “Map The Meal Gap”

President Trump attacked Congress’ $900 billion COVID-19 emergency relief package.

Reset talks to a congressional reporter and business writer covering the relief efforts, and a columnist who explains why the money earmarked for restaurants won’t be enough to keep businesses afloat.

For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us.

For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.

Chicago’s City Council held a hearing Tuesday morning to find out more details about the wrongful raid on Anjanette Young’s West Side home. The hearing comes as lawmakers and community leaders are calling for swift police reform in Chicago and Illinois.

Reset talks to an activist working with Chicago lawmakers to draft legislation that would restrict no-knock warrants and raids in the city.

For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us.

For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.

Congress’s latest $900 million stimulus package includes $600 checks to eligible Americans, $13 billion in food assistance, and protection for renters. What it doesn’t include is the funds struggling state and local governments were hoping for from Capitol Hill. We check in with a few experts on what the aid package includes, where it falls short, and what it means for Chicago and Illinois.

Dr. Mia Taormina, infectious disease specialist at the DuPage Medical Group, explains the latest coronavirus science and the precautions to take to navigate the pandemic. Look for our latest interview with her in your podcast feed every Sunday.

For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us.

For more about the program, you can head over to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset.

In this bonus podcast episode, Reset shares an incredible audio documentary from WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp that takes listeners inside the challenges of teaching during the pandemic.

For more Reset interviews, please subscribe to this podcast and 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.