Author: WBEZ Chicago

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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Chicagoans Sound Off On New Pontiff

Thursday, May 8, the papal conclave chose Robert Prevost to be the next head of the Roman Catholic Church. He was born and raised in the Chicago area and is the first American pontiff. Reset gets local reaction to the announcement from Bob Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times investigative reporter, Father Michael Trail, St. Thomas the Apostle parish in Hyde Park Mary FioRito, attorney, former top aide to Cardinal George, the late predecessor to Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Attacks On Head Start Put Early Childhood Education Programs At Risk

Reset talks with early childhood education advocates about Head Start’s uncertain future. The panel includes Pamela Epley, Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Erikson Institute and Nadia Gronkowski, Program Manager of Advocacy & Policy at Start Early. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Curious City - Even when nothing goes wrong, moving is trash

It’s typical to see moving trucks winding through streets and alleys of Chicago on the first day of any month. The act of moving hardly sounds like a luxury, but as we heard in the last episode, it could be worse. About a century ago, Chicagoans only moved on May 1 and sometimes Oct. 1. That meant thousands of moving wagons clogging the streets, price gouging and exploitation. Today, people move any time of the year and there are more protections for tenants. But that doesn’t mean we can’t use some advice to make moving and renting in Chicago easier. Host Erin Allen talks with local U-Haul representative Constance Turner about best practices when it comes to packing up and moving in. Then, she sits down with Sam Barth, staff attorney with Law Center for Better Housing, to talk about what renters can do to protect themselves.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Growing Residential Program That Keeps Chicago Men Out Of Prison

Lawndale Christian Legal Center ran a pilot program in 2015 that provided wraparound services including stable housing, a car to get to work and mental health services to men ages 18 to 26 who were on probation. This not only kept them out of prison but helped break the cycle of recidivism. This program has now expanded, and 20 men will have a chance to live in an apartment and participate in a residential workforce development program at LCLC’s new headquarters at the Deer Center. Reset learns more about the impact of this program from participant Frederick Dennis and founder and CEO of Lawndale Christian Legal Center Cliff Nellis. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Lincoln Square’s Car-Free Experiment

A construction project turned part of Lincoln Square into a temporary car-free zone, leading to a local debate over whether pedestrianized streets should be made permanent. Reset discusses with Rony Islam, organizer of the pedestrian walkway and neighborhood resident Dena Pavlovic, manager of ENJOY Lincoln Square gift shop. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - DePaul President To Testify Before Congress

DePaul University President Robert Manuel will take part in a hearing this week called “Beyond the Ivy League: Stopping the Spread of Antisemitism on American Campuses.” Haverford College and California Polytechnic State University presidents are also called to testify. Reset digs into what’s behind the hearing with WBEZ higher education reporter Lisa Kurian Philip. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Will Chicago Remain a Sanctuary City?

President Trump signed three executive orders last week cracking down on immigration enforcement. One order demands that federal officials compile a list of “sanctuary cities,” who refuse to cooperate with federal officials’ efforts to arrest immigrants, suspending or terminating federal funds for these jurisdictions where appropriate. Mayor Johnson says Chicago won’t concede. Reset sits down with an immigration lawyer to break down what Trump’s executive order means for Illinois. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Black Boy Joy, Family Woes Take Spotlight in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s ‘Hymn’

Benny is a loner whose identity revolves around his wife and children. Gil is a free spirit who longs to fulfill his potential. When the two strangers meet, they form an instant, deep bond. But slowly cracks start to form and their fresh bromance begins to crumble. A new Chicago Shakespeare Theater play called “Hymn” is an entertaining journey with some good old school music and elements of Black male friendship woven throughout the narrative. Reset sits down with the play’s director Ron OJ Parson to learn more. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Illinois’s Coolest Career Is Found In…Fossils?

A recent survey asked 3,000 Americans what they think the coolest job is in each state. Pennsylvania’s coolest job was chocolate scientist at Hershey, while California’s was animator at Pixar. And Illinois? The survey found that respondents thought the coolest work you can do in Illinois is be a paleontologist for the Field Museum. But what does a day in the life of a paleontologist look like? And how do they really feel about the Jurassic Park movies? Reset talks with Field Museum paleontologists to find out more. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.