Author: WBEZ Chicago

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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - What’s That Building: Shabbona Lake State Park

With a momentous decision to return more than 1,500 acres of land 71 miles west of Chicago to the Pottawatomi, Illinois is righting a wrong committed more than 17 decades ago. When Gov. JB Pritzker in late March signed legislation that will give Shabbona Lake State Park to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, this wasn’t just acknowledging Native people once lived on the land. Reset explores what this means and why with Dennis Rodkin, residential real estate reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - The Key To Finding Edible And Medicinal Plants In Your Neighborhood

Dave Odd has been supplying Chicago restaurants with foraged produce for years, and now he’s focusing on helping members of the public learn about the edible plants that are all around us. He hosts tours of different Chicagoland neighborhoods to help people identify plants that “could be the difference between life or death.” Reset chats with Dave to learn more about his approach. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: April 25, 2025

80 year-old Senator Dick Durbin announces retirement, while 80 year-old Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky reportedly will also soon be stepping down. Chicago Catholics mourn the death of Pope Francis and DePaul University president called to testify before Congress. Reset breaks down those stories and more in the Weekly News Recap. This week’s roundtable includes WBEZ senior editor of government and politics Angela Rozas O’Toole, Political Correspondent for Fox 32 Paris Schutz, and Government and politics reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business Justin Laurence. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day With A Chicago Crawl

This weekend, Chicago-area bookstore owners and readers alike will be celebrating Independent Bookstore Day with an all-day bookstore crawl. Reset learns about the city’s indie bookstore scene with Courtney Bledsoe, owner of Call and Response Books in Hyde Park; Jamie Ericson, co-owner of Dandelion Bookshop in Oak Park; and Rebecca George, co-owner of Volumes Bookcafe in Wicker Park and an organizer of the Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - ‘Abbott Elementary’ Star Lisa Ann Walter Is Competitive AF

You know her as the streetwise Melissa Schemmenti from South Philly on the ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary.” But actress Lisa Ann Walter has more alternate personas in her back pocket – like stand-up comic, memoir writer, and even Jeopardy! Champion. Ahead of her stand-up shows this weekend at Zanie’s in Rosement, Reset sat down with Lisa Ann Walter to ask her: If Melissa Schemmenti had a five-minute comedy set, what would she say? For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Conservationists Push For Stronger Protections For Chicago’s Lakefront

Chicagoans can bike and walk along beaches and parks spanning nearly 30 miles because of planning, fighting and a belief that the lake is a resource that should be publicly accessible. The local conservation group Openlands is now calling for a new vision to strengthen the municipal laws that currently protect the lakefront. Reset gets more info from Emily Reusswig and Michael Davidson of Openlands and Reset sustainability contributor Karen Weigert. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Curious City - Maria Rodriguez: From fashion designer to restaurateur

In our last episode, Curious City question-asker Emily Porter sent us on a quest exploring the world of local fashion designers, all after she found a thrift shop sweater with a tag that reads: “Maria Rodriguez Chicago.” Who is Maria Rodriguez? How did she get into the industry? And what is it like to be a fashion designer in Chicago? To answer those questions, we take a trip to the basement of the Chicago History Museum, where collection manager Jessica Pushor has archived several Maria Rodriguez ensembles and a case file of news clippings, photos and look books. We also stopped by El Nuevo Mexicano, a Mexican restaurant in Lakeview that Rodriguez now owns and operates, to get the story from the fashion designer herself.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - U.S. Senator Durbin Says He Won’t Run For Reelection

Ronald Reagan was president when Dick Durbin first became a lawmaker representing Illinois in Washington. Now, during the second Trump administration more than four decades later, Durbin, 80, says he will not run again when his term is up in January 2027. The announcement opens up a path for a new U.S. Senator from Illinois. Reset learns more about Durbin’s decision with WBEZ state politics reporter Dave McKinney and takes a look back at his career and finds out who is vying to replace him. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Gallerists Share What To See At EXPO Chicago 2025

EXPO Chicago is the largest art fair in the Midwest, bringing together the best of the contemporary art world every April. From seasoned gallerists to amateur art collectors, this is not an event you want to miss. Reset chats with members of the 2025 selection committee John Corbett and Jim Dempsey to learn how to navigate the massive event and maybe walk away with a piece of artwork you love. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.