Author: WBEZ Chicago

The lawsuit against JUUL Labs is one of several steps the city of Chicago has taken in recent years to stop smoking rates from climbing. Reset checks in with Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Alison Arwardy about how vaping affects teens’ lungs and overall health and how the city plans to use the settlement money to fight underage smoking.

State lawmakers passed a law eliminating cash bail, as part of the SAFE-T Act, that went into effect Jan. 1. But some prosecutors filed lawsuits challenging the law’s constitutionality, putting the law on hold a week into the new year. WBEZ reporters Mawa Iqbal and Shannon Heffernan join Reset to discuss the oral arguments heard by the state’s highest court Tuesday morning.

New data out Tuesday show inflation remains a thorn in the side of the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, bank failures have Americans on edge. Reset checks in with NPR chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley for the latest on inflation, recent bank failures and what it all means for the economy.

At least 53 people have died in residential fires in Chicago since 2021. An investigation from the Better Government Association and the Chicago Tribune shows the city could be doing more in response to complaints about faulty wiring, missing smoke detectors and other safety issues. It also shows that inspections have been lagging. Reset learns why the city has failed to prevent these deaths and discusses potential solutions with Better Government Association reporter Alex Nitkin and former City of Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson.

Crime has overshadowed the economy in the Chicago mayor’s race, but it’s important to understand how a Vallas or a Johnson administration will approach budgeting, property taxes, pension payments and the city’s finances. WBEZ city politics reporter Mariah Woelfel explains.

It’s a quick turnaround between the Feb. 28 municipal election and the April 4 runoff, but the Chicago Board of Elections is ready. Reset checks in with Max Bever from the Chicago Board of Elections about everything Chicago voters need to know as they prepare to pick a mayor and vote in key aldermanic races that have also gone to a runoff.

A Chicago Architecture Center design competition aims to bring creative new forms of affordable housing to six neighborhoods on Chicago’s South and West sides. Reset talks to the center’s CEO Eleanor Gorski about the Come Home Initiative.

Some folks — much of the Reset team included — can’t get their day started without a strong cup of coffee. But host Sasha-Ann Simons is not one of those people. In fact, her morning go-to is hot chocolate. So to feed the anti-coffee host’s sweet tooth, and to get folks through this chilly season, Reset is on the hunt to find the best hot chocolate in Chicago with some help from listener recommendations.

Japanese rock. Ohio soul. UK rave. Country noir. Those are just a few of the many playlists curated by the folks at Numero Group, a Chicago record label that focuses on curating collections of archival music. Reset checks in with Numero Group co-founders Rob Sevier and Ken Shipley about giving new life to records from the past that have been neglected, overlooked or not widely distributed.

Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson face off in Chicago’s first mayoral runoff debate, and the endorsements in the race are rolling in. Field Museum staff vote to unionize, and faculty at Chicago State University are voting on whether to strike. Reset breaks down those top local stories and more in our Weekly News Recap with New York Times Chicago bureau chief Julie Bosman, Chicago Sun-Times education reporter Nader Issa and Hyde Park Herald reporter Aaron Gettinger.