Author: WBEZ Chicago

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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Teaching Chicago How To Play The Ukulele

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: Jan. 31, 2025

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - How Much Does This Cost? The Price Tag On Trump’s Tariffs

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.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - A Grocery Store Chicken Tasting And Why It’s A Top Dinner Option

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.
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Curious City - Drama, scandal or scores: What takes a sports team down?

It’s no secret that last year was the worst year in Chicago sports. Last episode we got into what that means for future fans. But 2024 wasn’t the absolute worst for every individual Chicago team. Sometimes a bad season isn’t defined by a long losing streak or a record number of losses. Sometimes it’s the internal turmoil and drama on the team. Today, we take a look at the individual worst years for our beloved Chicago teams with legendary sports journalist Cheryl Raye-Stout and Chicago sports superfan and host of Quita Loves Sports, Quita. We get into how some of these teams redeemed themselves … only to end up back here.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - FACETS Celebrates 50 Years Of Bringing The ‘Edge Of Cinema’ To Chicago

The beloved cinematheque is heading into its 50th year with a rebrand as FACETS Film Forum, but its commitment to delivering powerful storytelling and forging community through cinema isn’t going anywhere. Reset checks in with FACETS executive director Karen Cardarelli and the organization’s film program director Charles Coleman. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Leaving The WHO? Ending Foreign Aid? How Trump’s Moves Could Affect Global Health, U.S. Influence Abroad

On day one of his second term, President Donald Trump began the process of pulling the U.S. out of the World Health Organization. Since then, the State Department has also stopped funding for nearly all aid programs addressing crises around the world. Reset discusses what’s at stake for global health and humanitarian efforts with executive director of the Robert J. Havey Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University Dr. Robert Murphy and MedGlobal president Dr. Zaher Sahloul. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - How To Solve The ‘Disability Cliff’ In Illinois

About 300,000 people in Illinois live with intellectual and developmental disabilities. School districts do a stellar job at providing them with resources, but once they graduate high school, young adults struggle to secure jobs and similar services. Reset hears what’s behind this and what’s being done to address this issue from WBEZ Race, Class and Communities reporter Esther Yoon-Ji Kang. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.