Author: WBEZ Chicago

Chicago Public Schools doesn’t track immigration status, but this year nearly 8,000 students are enrolled in the district as English-language learners, compared to a yearly average of around 3,000. Reset speaks with Chalkbeat Chicago reporter Reema Amin to learn more about a program at Brighton Park Elementary to support the unique needs of migrant students.

Chicago is juggling multiple housing crises at once. There’s a growing number of unhoused Chicagoans; more asylum seekers are arriving in the city; and there’s a lack of affordable housing overall. Reset discusses how Chicago’s housing system has evolved over the years and explores potential solutions.

Cook County property tax bills are due Dec. 1, and most homeowners will be paying more than last year. Reset explores why bills are rising with WBEZ Cook County and public health reporter Kristen Schorsch and Chicago Tribune county and city government reporter A.D. Quig.

Chef Sohla El-Waylly’s debut cookbook explains the hows and whys of cooking, introducing the fundamental skills any home cook needs to be confident in the kitchen. Reset speaks with the chef about her career and Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. If you want to check out our entire catalog of interviews, go to wbez.org/reset.

Do you have a morning ritual? For Chicago pianist Pat Leary, each day starts behind the keys improvising beautifully calming tunes. He recorded this practice and turned it into an album. And Reset chats with the musician to learn more. If you want to check out our entire catalog of interviews, go to wbez.org/reset.

Temperatures are dropping in the Chicago area and there are thousands of asylum seekers and unhoused without adequate shelter. The Johnson Administration recently announced sending warming buses to locations around the city, but what else is needed? Reset checks in with leaders and volunteers working directly to provide services to new arrivals and the existing homeless population in Chicago to talk about the current situation, how we should be talking about the needs of these two groups and future solutions. If you want to listen to previous conversations about this crisis in Chicago, check out wbez.org/reset.

Happy Friday! We’re back with our Weekly News Recap where we bring you the top stories this week and go behind the headlines with a panel of Chicago journalists. This week we were joined by CW 26 reporter and anchor Brandon Pope, Chicago Tribune state government reporter Dan Petrella and Block Club Chicago reporter Quinn Myers, covering Wicker Park, West Town and Bucktown. If you want to check out more Reset conversations like this, go to wbez.org/reset.

More people are starting to bring their climate anxiety, also known as eco-distress, to their therapists. And as more are starting to become aware of climate change, therapists and other professionals are starting to practice climate therapy. Reset explores what climate therapy looks like in practice and how we can turn that distress into action with Marilee Feldman of the Life Counseling Institute practice and Karen Weigert of Loyola University Chicago’s Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter at wbez.org/resetnews.

If you’re an avid public radio listener, you’re probably familiar with the weekly educational program Science Friday. And if you’re a fan, you have a chance to catch host Ira Flatow and the rest of the SciFri team on Sunday, Oct. 29 for a special live event! Reset chats with journalist and host Ira Flatow to get to know him more and learn more about the Don’t Be A Stranger event. Check out our entire catalog of Reset interviews at wbez.org/reset.