Author: WBEZ Chicago

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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Palestinian Chicagoans React To President Trump’s Proposed U.S. Takeover Of Gaza

President Donald Trump unveiled a plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip and displace all the Palestinians living there. World leaders scoffed at the idea, and the White House has since begun to walk it back. Reset checks in with Eman Abdelhadi, assistant professor of sociology, University of Chicago and Deanna Othman, freelance journalist, Chicago media coordinator of American Muslims for Palestine Palestinian Americans. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - What Trump’s Plans For Dept. Of Ed Could Mean For Illinois

Only Congress can shut down the Department of Education, but President Trump is preparing an order that aims to downsize the agency and possibly move some of its functions to other departments. Reset learns more about what’s in the works and how changes to DOE could affect education in Illinois with higher education reporter for the Washington Post Danielle Douglas-Gabriel. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Curious City - How Filipino food entrepreneurs’ “sense of community” help them thrive

Chicago is a city of food as much as it is a city of neighborhoods and cultural communities. Last episode, we talked about how Chicago may not have a concentrated Filipino enclave, in the way neighborhoods like Chinatown and Humboldt Park are cultural hubs. But the community comes together and supports each other nonetheless. And Filipino food in Chicago is definitely a part of that. This cultural cuisine has been on the scene for a long time, but only in the past few years has it really started to get its flowers. It’s even grabbed the attention of the Michelin Guide and James Beard Awards. Today, we taste some creations by serial entrepreneur, Francis Almeda as well as chef and owner of A Taste of the Philippines, Kathy Vega Hardy. And we talk about why Vega Hardy says “a sense of community” goes a long way for Filipino food entrepreneurs in the city.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - New Bill Aims To End Police Ticketing In Illinois Schools

While some students are faced with a trip to the principal’s office for vaping or ditching class, others are met with the police intervention. While Illinois bans schools from fining students, a ProPublica and Chicago Tribune investigation found that schools exploit a loophole in the law by enlisting police to issue citations. Reset unpacks the proposed legislation that would prevent students from being fined for misbehavior with ProPublica reporter Jennifer Smith Richards. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Bird Flu In 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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - What Illinois Residents Need To Know About Medicare

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Will 2025 Be More Of The Same High Prices For The Chicago Housing Market?

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Expanding What Defines Romance: Friendships Are Partnerships Too

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Chicagoans React To President Trump’s Anti-Trans Moves

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.