Author: WBEZ Chicago

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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Catholic Chicagoans Reflect On Life And Death Of Pope Francis

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - What’s Next For Northwestern Researchers In The Face Of Funding Cuts, Work Stoppages?

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Italian Beef At 8 A.M? Sure, Why Not.

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap, April 18, 2025

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - The Trump Administration Is Pushing The Legal System To Its Limit

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Mail Art, The Radical Art Form You Didn’t Know About In Chicago

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Are The Kids Alright? How Chicago’s Youth Are Doing In 2025

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Are The Kids Alright? How Chicago’s Youth Are Doing In 2025

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.
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Curious City - How sweet the sound: The history of Evanston folk coffeehouse AmazinGrace

Folk music surged in popularity across America in the late 1950s through the ‘70s, including here in the Chicago area. Last episode, we looked at how a few area coffeehouses catered to many patrons in their teens and early twenties. These were alcohol-free spaces where people could listen to live music and hangout for hours. Curious City host Erin Allen looks at one of those beloved coffeeshops of the 1970s: AmazinGrace, which was born out of Vietnam War protests on the campus of Northwestern University and later moved to the heart of downtown Evanston. She was joined by a panel of AmazinGrace founders, performers and patrons at last year’s Evanston Folk Festival. WBEZ is a programming partner of the Evanston Folk Festival, which is taking place this year Sept. 6-7, 2025. A pre-sale is happening now through April 22. Enter the code EFFWBEZ to access the sale.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - One Of Illinois’ Top Republicans Still Has Nothing But Confidence in Trump’s Policies

Back on Inauguration Day in January, Reset spoke with Kathy Salvi, the chair of the Illinois Republican Party. At the time, she said that concerns that President Trump’s mass deportation policies would overreach and extend to students, legal residents and citizens were unfounded and a result of “fearmongering.” Nearly three months into the Trump administration, we check back in with her to hear her thoughts on how tariffs and the president’s mass deportation agenda are impacting Illinois residents and businesses. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.