Author: WBEZ Chicago

Reset talks to the retired DEA special agents who took down Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in the early 1990s. Javier Peña and Steve Murphy served as consultants on the first two seasons of the Netflix series Narcos, which follows Ecobar’s rise to power as head of the Medellin Cartel. They’re scheduled to speak Friday at City Winery. GUEST: Javier Peña, retired special DEA agent, Steve Murphy, retired special DEA agent

In his first State of the Union address Tuesday, President Joe Biden addressed the Ukraine crisis and tackled a wide range of issues affecting Americans, including inflation and childcare. Reset checks in with a Democratic speechwriter for the biggest takeaways and possible missed opportunities. GUEST: Jason DeSanto, senior lecturer in the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law; Democratic speech writer

All throughout the pandemic, we’ve heard countless facts and figures about the toll COVID-19 has taken on our world. But what often gets lost in the data are the people we’ve lost and the loved ones who are left grieving. Reset hears from two women who lost their husbands to the virus, and what they want people to understand about their grief. Guest: Dr. Sandra McGowan, physician at McGowan Family Health and Wellness Center, Pamela Addison, founder of the Young Widows and Widowers of COVID-19 Facebook group

Ukrainian-Americans in Chicago speak out as Russian troops continue to attack their home country. Reset hears from two Ukrainian-Americans in Chicago. Guest: Dan (Ihor) Diaczun, president of the UCCA - IL, Maria Bandrwisky, grad student in Chicago

Chicagoans are reacting to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and prepare for the lifting of mask and vaccine mandates. Guests: Kimberley Egonmwan, commentator for WVON and attorney Paris Schutz, reporter and anchor, WTTW-TV

Illinois plans to lift mask and vaccine card requirements by Feb. 28, and Chicago and Cook County will follow suit. Reset discusses how restaurant owners and workers feel about the change. GUEST: Sam Toia, President & CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association. Robert Gomez, owner of Beat Kitchen and Subterranean