Author: WBEZ Chicago

Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who also owns the Chicago Bulls, recently traveled to Springfield to ask the state for public funding to back plans to move the team from 35th Street to the South Loop. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has expressed his reluctance to fund the move whereas Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has been more open to the idea. But as taxpayers, how is this investment going to benefit us? Reset sits down with public finance expert Justin Marlow of UChicago’s Harris School of Public Policy to talk about why and how our tax money goes toward funding sports stadiums. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Former president Donald Trump’s legal team on Thursday appealed an Illinois judge’s order to kick him off the state’s primary ballot. Cook County Judge Tracy Porter issued the ruling on Wednesday, though she put an immediate stay on her own order until Friday in anticipation of Trump’s appeal. The ruling comes as the nation’s highest court is set to rule on a similar effort to remove Trump from the ballot in Colorado. Reset digs into what to know — and what comes next — with WBEZ state politics reporter Dave McKinney. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

An Illinois task force is studying whether the state should adopt ranked choice voting or another system for the 2028 presidential primary. The state’s current system, plurality voting (also known as winner-take-all) is common around the country, but some critics say its too limiting. Reset hears from WBEZ statehouse reporter Mawa Iqbal on what’s ahead for ranked choice voting in Illinois. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset

The Federal Trade Commission – along with eight states, including Illinois, and the District of Columbia – are suing to block the biggest supermarket merger in history. The parent companies of Mariano’s and Jewel-Osco are looking to join forces but the FTC argues that the merger could eliminate competition and even mean higher prices for millions of customers. Additionally, there are concerns that the merger would affect worker’s ability to seek higher wages and better benefits. Reset hears from NPR business correspondent Alina Selyukh and Eater Chicago editor Ashok Selvam about how this lawsuit might affect the grocery shopping experience for Illinois shoppers. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Eating disorders impact nearly one in 10 people in the U.S., and these behavioral conditions can have serious health consequences. Reset sits down with Jennifer Wildes, UChicago Med associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience, and Kate Merkle, registered dietitian and psychotherapist and founder of Nourishment Works, to learn more about recognizing signs and symptoms of eating disorders. Plus, we check in with Debbie Heywood, a Nourishment Works patient, to learn about her recovery experience. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Temperatures in the 70s in February? Late winter feels like late spring in Chicago this week. Reset talks with Max Grover, atmospheric data scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory, to learn more about this mild winter weather and climate change. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

In 2019, Evanston became the first U.S. city to create a reparations program to address historical inequalities between Black and white residents. Today on the podcast, we talk about a project where students are recording the stories of some of those recipients. Reset hears from Laurice Bell, executive director of Shorefront Legacy Center, Elizabeth Cox, Evanston resident and recipient of reparations, and Maasai Gentle, a senior at Evanston Township High School. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

A Cook County judge ruled Friday that Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to alter the real estate transfer tax to raise up to $100 million a year to fight homelessness is invalid. Reset checks in with WBEZ city government and politics reporter Tessa Weinberg. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The Bayless Family Foundation is giving grants to Definition Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, the Chicago Children’s Theatre and the Remy Bumppo Theatre Company. The funding will go toward theater programming and operations. Reset sits down with TimeLine Theatre artistic director PJ Powers and Chicago Children’s Theatre co-founder and artistic director Jacqueline Russell. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.