Author: WBEZ Chicago

Federal stimulus checks provided a lifeline to many folks earlier in the pandemic, but many didn’t qualify or weren’t able to access payments. The Chicago Resiliency Fund 2.0 aims to distribute one-time $500 payments to people who may have missed out on prior COVID stimulus money. Reset talks to nonprofit workers Katie Durrah and Kathryn Socha about coordinating fund distribution.

Robotics season has begun. Never heard of it? It’s when high school robotics teams meet up to meet the next challenge issued by First Robotics. Reset checks in with the Lane Tech team’s head coach Robert Berg, seniors Gabby Weffer and Joaquin Valencia and junior Jane Bazzell.

The Chicago native brings his personality to life on the dance floor and through his talk show The Rico No Suave Show. Reset checks in with Rico No Suave about embracing his Afro-Cuban heritage, his electrifying salsa skills and what’s bringing him joy.

Three candidates are in a statistical dead heat in the Chicago mayor’s race. UIC faculty have a contract. Locals help earthquake victims. Meanwhile, big changes may be coming for needy parents as lawmakers in Springfield propose a diaper allowance. Reset breaks down these stories and much more with NBC 5’s Christian Farr, former Chicago Sun-Times columnist Maudlyne Ihejirika, and John Fountain, journalism professor at Roosevelt University.

Recycling fabric is harder than it might seem, as most fabrics are a mix of fibers and material types, requiring different techniques that can’t be done on a large scale. Reset checks in with local weaver Emily Winter, co-founder of the Weaving Mill, who is trying out a community-driven way to deal with textile waste.

From crime to transportation to education, we spent an hour talking about top issues with organizer Ja’Mal Green and Ald. Roderick Sawyer. Reset breaks down our second round of mayoral forums with Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government reporter, Chip Mitchell, WBEZ criminal justice reporter and Chris Berry, professor in the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.

Reset sits down with Eric Davis and Frank Brim leaders of the BASE Chicago, an organization based in West Garfield Park that provides a range of programming for urban youth from baseball and softball training, to violence prevention and even college readiness.

In the second of our mayoral forums, we pose voter questions to candidates organizer Ja’Mal Green and Alderman Roderick Sawyer live from the University of Chicago.

From crime to transportation to education, we spent an hour talking about top issues with Alderwoman Sophia King, State Rep. Kam Buckner, former CPS CEO Paul Vallas, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Congressman Chuy Garcia. Reset breaks down our first round of mayoral forums with Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government reporter, Chip Mitchell, WBEZ criminal justice reporter and Jason DeSanto, a senior lecturer in the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and a Democratic debate strategist.