Author: WBEZ Chicago

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its five-day quarantine recommendation for people who test positive for COVID-19, announcing that people can return to activities after symptoms improve for at least 24 hours. It’s a big change from the required 10-day quarantine period from four years ago when the World Health Organization first declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Reset reflects on the impact of four years of COVID-19 with Steven Thrasher, author of The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide, and Megan E. Doherty, co-leader of Care Not COVID, an advocacy group pushing for safer healthcare settings. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Rainforests are complex ecosystems that house over half of the world’s species, but they’re under threat from deforestation and climate change, and gathering data about the shifts in populations is difficult and unreliable. But AI could help. Reset hears from the Morton Arboretum’s Chuck Cannon, and Loyola University’s Karen Weigert on efforts to build accessible tools that can be used to monitor the species that call rainforests home. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

For the most part, Sarah McCammon followed the rules set by her Evangelical family. She was taught to obey God, not to question her faith, and that her eternal salvation was secured in heaven. She later left the church, but soon saw the power of evangelical Christian beliefs on the political right after covering the Trump campaign in 2016 for NPR. Reset learns more about McCammon’s journey and the power she sees in that conservative religious community. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

When it comes to talking about sex, taboos and stigma can – and do – lead to myths and misinformation – particularly for women. From disproportionately impacted by long-term effects of STDs to infertility to even just being prepared for changes in their menstrual cycle, many women – across age groups – say the sex education they were offered in school and social circles left them woefully unprepared. Reset sat down with DePaul student Tyesha Thomas, Northwestern’s Dr. Traci Kurtzer, and co-host of WBEZ’s When Magic Happens podcast Cheryle Jackson to discuss sexual health and how the knowledge gap seems to persist across generations. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago still has more lead service lines than anywhere else in the country, and it’s impacting more than two-thirds of Chicago children under 6 years old. The CDC says there are no known safe levels of lead in a child’s body, and that constant exposure can damage the brain and nervous system, lead to slow growth and development, including learning and behavioral problems. Reset talks through solutions and resources with Chakena Perry of the Natural Defense Council, Brenda Santoyo with the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, and Michael Hawthorne with the Chicago Tribune. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Nearly a week after Illinois’ primary election, the race for Cook County State’s Attorney gets closer and closer as election officials tally up the remaining mail in and provisional ballots. Plus, the city announces plans to close temporary shelters housing migrants at 5 city parks, and transition the facilities back to their former use as a recreation destination for residents. Reset digs into this and more city politics happenings with WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Front person Luz Elena Mendoza Ramos sits down with Reset to talk language and identity in song writing. You can catch their show Sunday, March 24, at Metro. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Front person Luz Elena Mendoza Ramos sits down with Reset to talk language and identity in song writing. You can catch their show Sunday, March 24, at Metro. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Ramadan is a time for fasting, good deeds and charity for Muslims around the world and here in Chicago. But the holiday’s usual celebrations are more somber due to the war in Gaza. Reset sat down with a group of local Palestinian Americans to discuss how the holy month feels this year. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.