Author: WBEZ Chicago

The Jasper family in “Purpose” has been a pillar of Black American politics for decades as civil rights leaders, pastors and congressmen. But like all families, there are secrets and lies beneath the surface. Reset sits down with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s Glenn Davis, for more on the rehearsal process and inspiration for this show. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Sendy Soto to the position where she will be tasked with creating a five-year plan to address homelessness in Chicago. Reset learns more about this and other ongoing events in City Hall with WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Suburban Cook County confirmed its first measles case, bringing the total number of cases in the Chicago area to 53. City officials have vaccinated over 5,000 migrants since the first cases were reported at a migrant shelter in Pilsen. Reset checks in with RUSH University Medical Group’s Dr. David Ngyuen on best practices to protect yourself against these viruses. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

A new report from the ACLU of Illinois and the Women’s Justice Institute details the inadequate care pregnant women receive in jails across the state. Reset digs into those details with Women’s Justice Institute’s Alexis Mansfield, Alliyah Thomas who was pregnant while incarcerated, and the Marshall Project’s Shannon Heffernan. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Once considered “the Main Street of America,” Route 66 stretches from the Midwest in Chicago to the West Coast in Los Angeles. Today, there’s a campaign to preserve the untold stories of the 2,440-mile highway. Reset learns more about that effort from the National Trust of Historic Preservation’s Amy Webb. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Driving down Route 66, some 60 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, a massive astronaut statue, placed outside of a restaurant near Wilmington, Illinois used to be visible. But it’s no longer there. Reset learns more about the Gemini Giant, where it used to stand, and why it’s up for sale now. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

With a new album out next month, Lizz Wright joins Reset to discuss “defining loves” in her life, the artistry she finds in cooking, and growing up steeped in gospel music. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago alders want to censure Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez over his attendance at a rally where a veteran burned the American flag in front of City Hall. Plus, a WBEZ analysis finds more Chicagoans lacked heat in January than any month since 2019. Reset dives into these and other top local stories with City Cast Chicago’s Jacoby Cochran, WBEZ statehouse reporter Alex Degman, and WTTW Chicago politics reporter Heather Cherone. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

A lot happened in 2020. Beyond a global pandemic, the year was also marked by a divisive presidential election, the spread of misinformation and mass protests, just to name a few. A new book by author and NYU sociologist Erik Klinenberg, titled 2020: One City, Seven People and the Year Everything Changed, charts the transformation of a nation. Reset learns more from the author himself on his process and on why it’s important to look back to learn. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

James reimagines the Mark Twain classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – this time telling it from the perspective of the enslaved character Jim. Everett has written 30 books, including Erasure, the 2001 novel adapted into the Oscar-winning film American Fiction. Reset talks with the author about what his new work can teach us about agency and art of balancing satire and irony while conveying the horrors of slavery. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.