Author: WBEZ Chicago

Health officials think that dead and sick birds showing up between Hyde Park and Wilmette could be a sign that the highly contagious bird flu is spreading in the Chicago area. Reset learns more about avian flu and discusses what this could mean for birds, pets and Chicago-area residents with infectious disease specialist at the University of Chicago Dr. Emily Landon and the director of Chicago Bird Collision Monitors Annette Prince. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is underway for people enrolled in Medicare Advantage who want to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Medicare Original. If you’re turning 65 this year, it’s a good idea to start to think about what plan is going to be the best for you too. Reset gets some Medicare 101 from Illinois senior health insurance program director Sandy Leith. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Housing prices in Chicagoland continue to rise at a faster rate than in most other major U.S. metro areas. Meanwhile, home sales dropped locally in 2024. Reset digs into the numbers with Crain’s Business Chicago residential real estate reporter, Reset “What’s That Building?” contributor Dennis Rodkin to find out what’s driving the higher housing costs and what’s ahead for 2025. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Marriage is held up as an ideal, but many people are in deep partnerships with friends that society doesn’t always recognize as significant. In this episode Reset sits down with Raina Cohen, radio producer and author of the book The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center where she introduces readers to examples of friends whose relationships go far beyond what we typically think of as “best friends.” She also argues that Americans could benefit from recognizing the power — and many roles — friendship can play in our lives. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an executive order mandating the federal government use the word “sex” instead of “gender” and that it recognize only two sexes. The order also limits federal funding for organizations that serve trans communities. Later, he sought to bar openly trans people from serving in the military and signed an executive order that seeks to end gender-affirming care for minors. Reset was joined by Senior HIV Testing & Counseling Coordinator at Brave Space Alliance Chrissy Huerta, psychotherapist at Chicago Therapy Collective Albe Gutierrez and executive director at Life is Work Zahara Bassett to check in about how these measures are impacting members of the trans community. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Started as a small club at a local family-owned music store, The Hix Brothers Ukulele Band is now sharing the love of the little four-stringed instrument around Chicago. Reset sat down with a couple folks from the group ahead of their Feb. 2 performance at the Geneva Public Library for National Ukulele Day (and Groundhog Day). Ukulele teacher and leader of The Hix Brothers Ukulele Band Carl Hix and member Kathi Murphy performed two songs for us including one inspired by groundhogs. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

A brawl breaks out at south suburban village board meeting. The fate of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is now in the hands of the jury. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories and much more in our Weekly News Recap with WBEZ statehouse reporter Alex Degman, CW-26 reporter and anchor Brandon Pope and Block Club Chicago reporter Madison Savedra. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Businesses globally and locally are bracing for the impact of what tariffs could mean for their profits and customers after President Donald Trump said he wants to implement tariffs on all U.S. imports. Reset digs into what tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China could mean for businesses and customers in the Chicago area with nonresident senior fellow on security and diplomacy at Chicago Council on Global Affairs Cécile Shea. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

On a busy weeknight, when cooking feels out of reach, there are options besides frozen foods or ordering takeout. And the answer might be in plain sight. It’s chicken! Reset takes a tour of what chicken grocery stores have to offer and discusses which ones are the favorites. The chicken-eating contest was held by food critic Charla Draper with WBEZ producers Cianna Graves and Lynnea Domienik, and of course, Reset’s Sasha-Ann Simons. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.