Author: WBEZ Chicago

New data from the Chicago Department of Public Health shows that Chicagoans’ life expectancy dropped almost two years on average in 2020. For Black and Latinx residents, life expectancy decreased by an even greater margin. Reset learns more about Chicago’s plans to address the gap from Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, ACCESS Community Health Network CEO Donna Thompson and Ayesha Jaco, executive director at West Side United.

Nearly 1 in 6 restaurants around the country have closed during the pandemic, according to industry estimates. Those left standing are faced with rising inflation and supply chain issues. So second-generation restaurateurs in the Chicago area say they’re leaning on their parents’ advice and legacy to weather the economic storm, and taking the moment to consider reinvention. Guests: Lori Seay co-owner of Soul Veg City restaurant, Arel Israel, co-owner of Soul Veg City restaurant Producer: Stephanie Kim, Andrew Meriwether Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

Reset goes behind the headlines of the week’s top stories, from the chaos around mask guidance on air and train travel, to the fight to save Chicago’s “free and freaky” alt weekly. GUEST: Brandon Pope, reporter/anchor at CW 26, Amanda Vinicky, WTTW political correspondent

In her new book The Memory Librarian, Janelle Monáe expands on the afrofuturistic world of her album Dirty Computer. The collection of five short stories center around Black and queer protagonists on a journey of self-love and discovery. Reset talks to Monáe about entering the literary space, afrofuturism and finding joy ahead of her book talk on Friday at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago. Guest: Janelle Monáe, singer-songwriter, actor and author of The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer

How is Illinois’ weed industry doing two years in? The state promised legalizing recreational cannabis would bring a windfall of tax revenue and would incorporate social equity as a core value of the industry. Reset checks in with Tom Schuba, a Chicago Sun-Times reporter covering cannabis, about what progress has been made and what still needs to be done.

More than 150 Chicago-area convenience stores are now selling a new low-nicotine cigarette that can help you smoke less.The company, 22nd Century Group, is able to market the product in this way after gaining special authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Reset learns more about this decision, what it means for the tobacco industry at large and why it’s drawn criticism from some medical experts. GUESTS: Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune health care business reporter John Pritchard, vice president of regulatory science for 22nd Century Group Thomas Carr, national director of policy for the American Lung Association

Earlier this year, Congress passed the No Surprise Act, that looked to cap big bills from private medical companies and independent physicians. Yet, uninsured patients are still being blind-sided in tens of thousands of dollars in bills. Reset examines the inaccessible healthcare here in Chicago. GUESTS: Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ’s public health and politics reporter Carrie Chapman, senior director of policy and advocacy at the Legal Council for Health Justice in Chicago Edith Avila Olea, policy manager with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Illinois lawmakers pass a $46 billion budget plan over the weekend after a marathon session in Springfield. Meanwhile, another candidate enters the 2023 mayoral race. Plus, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s pick for Chicago’s next inspector general passes a key test. Reset goes behind the headlines on the Weekly News Recap with The Daily Line reporter Erin Hegarty and David Greising, president and CEO of the Better Government Association