Author: WBEZ Chicago

To mark Women’s History Month, we learn about Jackie Bross, a 1940s Chicago factory worker who had the audacity to wear men’s pants to work in a time when it was considered cross-dressing and illegal. Her court case in 1943 eventually led to an ordinance that allowed women to wear pants as long as it wasn’t concealing their gender. Reset gets the story from professor of history at University of Illinois at Chicago Jennifer Brier. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The four members of Chicago band The Orchard all met in high school. It wasn’t until their college years that they started to play music together. The group practiced and covered songs by artists like Velvet Underground in a barn near a friend’s orchard, hence the name of the band. They are inspired by the sounds of ‘50s country and classic Americana, describing its sound as “barn rock.” You can get a taste of that barn rock in The Orchard’s latest EP ‘County Fair.’ Reset sits down with the band. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

While House Republicans took aim at Democratic mayors over immigration issues, and former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel criticized Democrats, hinting he may run for political office again. Meanwhile, the Highland Park mass shooter pleaded guilty. Reset breaks down these stories and much more with WTTW News correspondent Nick Blumberg, Washington Post national and breaking news reporter Kim Bellware and WBEZ city politics reporter Mariah Woelfel. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

With artificial intelligence, or AI, becoming more accessible, artists’ intellectual property is increasingly under threat. Creative work is being mined by AI without the consent of the artists.A team at the University of Chicago are creating software to combat AI’s ability to use artists’ work. The ethics of AI continue to come into question while more people are tantalized by its ability to mine images and information. So, what’s the deal? Reset sits down with journalist Kelley Engelbrecht who has been reporting on the issue of intellectual property and AI, as well as the head of the team creating this protective software, Ben Y. Zhao, to learn about AI theft. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Santa Masa Tamaleria in Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood uses non-GMO corn from Northern Mexico to make the dough for their tamales and tortillas. Opening this restaurant was a long held dream for the chef-couple. Reset hears how owners Jhoana Ruiz and Danny Espinoza made their dream a reality, and how the threat of tariffs is impacting them. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Preservation Chicago has released its 2025 list of endangered buildings. Reset learns about the importance of these buildings from Jonathan Solomon, a partner in the Chicago firm Preservation Futures and associate professor at the School of the Art Institute and Adam Natenshon, director of operations and communications at Preservation Chicago. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The U.S. Forest Service recently fired over 3,000 employees across the country. Twelve come from Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, a preserved grassland in Will County, Illinois. Reset sits down with Abbey Hays, Siobhan Solkowski-Peacy and Erick “Iggy” Ignaczak, three terminated employees to unpack how they’re feeling, how Midewin’s programs have to adapt and how this is harming conservation efforts in Illinois. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

When eligible people turn 65, they can sign up for Medicare. One thing to consider is drug coverage, or Part D. Reset learns more about Medicare drug coverage and answers listener questions with Illinois Senior Health Insurance Program director Sandy Leith. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.