Author: WBEZ Chicago

TV and film production has slowed to a near-halt after unions for actors and writers started striking earlier this summer. But this week, the Writers Guild of America is set to return to the negotiating table with major Hollywood studios. But what about SAG-AFTRA’s effort? Reset checks in with Charles Andrew Gardner and Courtney Rioux, two local union members, about the progress of their strike.

Mayor Brandon Johnson is receiving some pushback for his progressive campaign pledges in the City Council, from raising wages for restaurant workers to raising revenue for the unhoused. Reset checks in with WBEZ city government reporters Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfel on the mayor’s achievements and shortfalls.

Research shows spending stress-free time in nature regulates the nervous system and contributes to healthy brain function. In a new pilot program at the Lincoln Park Zoo, people with dementia and their loved ones and caregivers can do that and more. The Memory Enrichment program, which was developed in partnership with Sunrise Senior Living, is the first of its kind at a zoo or aquarium. Reset spoked to program creator Bill Green to learn more about why the program was developed and how it reduces the symptoms of dementia.

Illinois became the first state in the U.S. to eliminate cash bail after years of debate and legal challenges. The change — which went into effect Monday, Sept. 18 — will dramatically impact the way people are detained in jail before trial. Reset discusses what this means for Illinois with WBEZ criminal justice editor Patrick Smith.

Chicago Public School data shows that the number of suspensions across the district dropped from 49,708 in 2014 to about 10,000 in 2022. The district also started moving away from a zero tolerance policy for misconduct and toward more restorative practices like peace circles that encourage students to reflect on their actions. Reset checks in with WBEZ Education reporter Sarah Karp for the details.

Teenage girls in the U.S. are reporting record levels of sadness and suicidal ideation. Reset speaks with the director of a school-based group counseling program and a health policy reporter to learn about how the Chicago-based program, Working on Womanhood, could become a national model to combat the crisis of mental health in girls.

Chicago opens its first casino. Libraries are evacuated over bomb threats. Mayor Johnson reveals a projected $538 million budget deficit for Chicago. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories and much more with Carrie Shepherd, Chicago Axios reporter and Ray Long, investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune.

Mary Mitchell has been writing columns for the Sun-Times since the 1990s, but she’s taking her work in a new direction. Her new column ‘Starting Over’ will publish on Sundays, and focus on redefining what it means to be an older American. Reset gets to know the columnist and explores how ageism continues to be prevalent in our lives today.

Comedian Maggie Winters is About to Blow Up! This week, we hear from the Chicago-native about how her experience growing up in the city has shaped her journey in comedy, including her recent one-woman comedy show.