Author: WBEZ Chicago

Former alderman Ed Burke was released from prison and former alderwoman Carrie Austin has been ruled too sick to stand trial. Meanwhile, current alderman Walter Burnett announced he’s stepping down, city lawyers have approved more police misconduct settlements and Mayor Johnson had some harsh words for the Trump administration. Reset breaks down these stories and much more with WTTW Chicago politics reporter Heather Cherone, Block Club Chicago reporter Madison Savedra and WBEZ data projects editor Alden Loury. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

As we mark 30 years since Chicago’s deadly 1995 heat wave, we look at the way social isolation contributed to the death of hundreds of residents and what’s being done today to prevent that from happening again. Reset speaks with Carol J. Sharp, president and CEO of The Night Ministry; Jahmal Cole, CEO and founder of My Block My Hood, My City; and Margaret Laraviere, deputy commissioner of senior services for the Department of Family and Support Services.

Chicagoan Lou Della Evans Reid co-founded the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in the 1950s and led its 200-person gospel choir. She was a pioneer in the modern gospel music scene, putting Chicago on the map as a hub of the genre. She died at 94. Reset hears her life story from Bob Marovich, gospel music historian, author, radio host and founder of Journal of Gospel Music.

Thirty years ago, a deadly heat wave hit the Chicago area, overwhelming city agencies, the power grid, and ultimately contributing to the deaths of 739 people. What did that week look like to the residents, the first responders, and the journalists who reported on it? Reset revisits the summer of 1995 with Chicago Fire Department Deputy Commissioner Brandon Keller, WBEZ listener Stephanie Behne and Maudlyne Ihejirika, Field Foundation Director of Journalism and Storytelling. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Today marks the anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment, which established citizenship for freed slaves and women. The anniversary comes at a time when birthright citizenship is under threat by the Trump administration. Reset digs into what a weakened 14th Amendment could mean for Americans with Evan Bernick, associate professor of law at Northern Illinois University, and David Stovall, professor of Black Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

This week marks 30 years since a blistering, oppressive heat wave boiled the Midwest, hitting the Chicago area the hardest. Temperatures reached a height of 106 degrees, and the heat index soared to the 120s. The heat – combined with a number of overwhelmed city agencies and a buckling power grid – would contribute to the deaths of 739 people. Reset looks back at the summer of 1995 and digs into whether Chicago is ready today for similar heat waves with NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg, author of the book “Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago.” For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

On Monday, President Trump announced new tariffs on 14 different countries that would be taking effect on August 1. These tariffs range from 25% to 40%, and are focused predominantly on Asian countries. Reset sits down with Cécile Shea, nonresident senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, to find out how these tariffs could impact both Illinois. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

After Illinois legalized sports betting in 2020, the state has seen a surge in business, jobs and tax revenue from the gaming industry. Advocates say there has also been a corresponding rise in gambling addiction, especially for young men and boys. Reset looks at how sports betting can lead to problem gambling and what treatment looks like with Anita Pindiur, executive director of Way Back Inn and Hunter, a member at the Way Back Inn. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

President Trump’s massive tax and spending bill signed into law on July 4 enshrined his 2017 tax cuts and cut federal funding for clean energy, food assistance programs and Medicaid in part by shifting costs to states. This comes as local food pantries say they’ve been at capacity the past few years due to inflated grocery prices and increased demand as a result of the COVID pandemic. Reset hears how this could affect Chicagoans with SNAP recipient Cody Martin, Pilsen Food Pantry director Dr. Evelyn Figueroa and Greater Chicago Food Depository CEO and executive director Kate Maehr. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The story of how a neighborhood theater became a church struggling to install a new roof says a lot about how buildings evolve over time. Reset talks to architecture expert Dennis Rodkin. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.