Author: WBEZ Chicago

eison Rodrigo Jaimes-Rincon, a migrant from Venezuela, was deported to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador, also known as CECOT this month. He is one of 238 Venezuelans flown out by the Trump administration for purported gang affiliation, despite no evidence being provided. Reset digs into what we know, and what legal precedent this sets for immigrants in the United States with WBEZ immigration reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Housing First is an approach to addressing homelessness that prioritizes housing without requiring supportive services for unhoused people. Reset learns more about how these changes could impact homelessness efforts in the city and the state with local leaders on the frontlines of the issue: Christine Haley, Chief Homelessness Officer of Illinois; Sendy Soto, Chicago’s Chief Homelessness Officer; and Mark Ishaug, CEO of Thresholds. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Pope Francis died early Monday morning at the age of 88. Known for his championing of marginalized people, he was also known for prioritizing inclusion over traditional doctrine during his 12 years as the head of the Catholic Church. In his last public appearance on Easter Sunday, he used his Easter blessing to appeal for peace in Ukraine and Gaza. Reset checks in with local Catholics to reflect on the Pope’s life and legacy. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Many research projects at Northwestern University are coming to a stop. The Trump administration is cutting $790 million dollars in federal funding for the university. That money would go toward a variety of research projects from developing new technologies to disease research. On top of those cuts, the U.S. Department of Defense sent more than 100 stop-work orders to university research staff. To learn more, we spoke to a Northwestern researcher being affected by cuts and work stoppages. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Portillo’s is entering the breakfast space, rolling out a breakfast menu at five of its locations – and, yes, you can get an Italian beef in the morning now, too. For their breakfast twists on Portillo’s classics, you can try a Polish sausage egg sandwich and a chocolate cake donut. Reset team members try select items. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Alders ban January 6th Capitol riot participants from city jobs. Staff say the Chicago History Museum retaliated against them for unionizing. The University of Illinois sues the Department of Energy over funding cuts. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories and much more in our Weekly News Recap with Heather Cherone, WTTW Chicago politics reporter; Ray Long, Chicago Tribune investigative reporter; and Lisa Kurian Philip, WBEZ higher education reporter. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The legal system is coming under attack from the Trump administration. The White House is defying judges’ orders and threatening law firms – in Chicago and across the nation. Northwestern University Law School’s legal clinic also faces federal scrutiny. Is all of this legal? Carolyn Shapiro, co-director of Chicago-Kent College of Law’s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States Carolyn Shapiro weighs in. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Mail art began in the 1960s with Ray Johnson, who used the postal system to send collages, drawings, and notes as a form of artistic exchange. In Chicago, his ideas sparked a lively community of mail art clubs, turning the city into a central space for this accessible and unconventional art form. Reset learns about the history of mail art from Sofia Canale-Parola, multi-media artist and Ray Johnson Project Cataloger for the Art Institute; Derek Erdman, founder of Friend Club (Mail Art Correspondence Club); and Marissa Yelnick, member of the Friend Club. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Mental health struggles, community violence, and chronic absenteeism are the biggest challenges facing young people in Chicago today, according to a new report from the nonprofit A Better Chicago. But the youth remain hopeful for their future. Reset hears from Beth Swanson, CEO of A Better Chicago, and artist Diana Gomez to learn how we can best support Chicago youth. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Mental health struggles, community violence, and chronic absenteeism are the biggest challenges facing young people in Chicago today, according to a new report from the nonprofit A Better Chicago. But the youth remain hopeful for their future. Reset hears from Beth Swanson, CEO of A Better Chicago, and artist Diana Gomez to learn how we can best support Chicago youth. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.