Author: WBEZ Chicago

Love triangles, amnesia, cliffhangers, blackmail – there’s no trope or plot device that soap operas haven’t seen – or invented. But who invented the soaps themselves? Turns out, the genre got its start in Chicago. It’s a piece of broadcast and pop culture history that is getting its due in a new podcast from WBEZ. Reset gets the inside story with Natalie Moore, host of “Stories Without End,” a WBEZ Making podcast. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Calling all Chicago history buffs: the city’s newest museum is spotlighting an undertold story of Chicago’s past. It’s also now open in the only surviving building of the historic Jane Addams homes, Chicago’s first public housing development. Architecture expert Dennis Rodkin takes us inside. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The U.S. and Canada have co-managed the Great Lakes for more than a century, but rising political tensions could change chat. What does this mean for the immediate and longterm future of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem? Reset finds out with Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, WBEZ reporter on climate change, and Alaina Harkness, CEO of Current, a water innovation hub. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The 35th annual James Beard Foundation Awards will take place June 16 at the Lyric Opera – and Chicago makes its mark among the nominees. Reset gets the latest with WBEZ arts and culture reporter Courtney Kueppers. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The Chicago Teachers Union reaches tentative contract deal with Chicago Public Schools. Teen violence in Streeterville has alder calling for earlier curfew. Jewish students at DePaul sue the university over alleged antisemitic attack. Reset dives into these and other top local stories with ABC 7 News anchor Ravi Baichwal, WBEZ senior education editor Kate Grossman and Better Government Association president David Greising. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The Art Institute's Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds explores a pivotal moment in Kahlo’s career. Reset sits down with Caitlin Haskell, Gary C. and Frances Comer senior curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, one of the curators behind the exhibition to learn more about the two artists’ friendship and their connection to the surrealist art movement. This exhibition will be open now until Sunday, July 13, 2025. Tickets are an additional $5 in addison to a general admission. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on all imports worldwide on April 2. At the same time, Gov. JB Pritzker wrapped up a trade mission trip to Mexico City to strengthen trade relationships between Illinois and Mexico. Reset takes a closer look at the local impact of U.S. tariffs, and what Illinois is doing about it. Cécile Shea with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs weighs in. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

"BAUBO UNEARTHED,” is an art exhibition in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood that fuses myth, history, and contemporary practice to pull lessons of joy and resistance. Drawing on the ancient figure Baubo — whose irreverent humor disrupted grief — it embodies her spirit to challenge sorrow and imagine more compassionate futures. Reset sits down with the artist and curator of the show Stephany Colunga to learn more and explore the exhibit. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union have been negotiating a contract for nearly a year. This week, a key CTU bargaining committee approved the tentative deal, bringing the teachers one step closer to a final contract. Reset hears what’s in the contract – and how it impacts schools – from WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

About 1 in 4 Illinois residents depend on Medicaid. Congressional Republicans are pushing legislation that would likely lead to significant cuts in federal funding for Medicaid programs around the country. From lost coverage to lost jobs, the looming cuts could impact millions in Illinois alone. Reset checks in with U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D–IL), whose district has one of the highest numbers of Medicaid recipients. We also hear from Medicaid advocates Anusha Thotakura, executive director of Citizen Action/Illinois, and Stephanie Altman, director of Healthcare Justice at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law to learn more. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.