Author: WBEZ Chicago

RealPage, a company owned by a Chicago-based private equity group, is facing DOJ and class-action lawsuits alleging that their software for landlords violates antitrust laws. The software, which generates recommended rent prices, is used to price over 70,000 apartments in Chicago alone, according to RealPage’s own data. Reset sits down with WBEZ data reporter Amy Qin to learn how Chicago renters could be affected. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The U.S. Mint and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum have collaborated to release quarters with the faces of 25 women throughout history who have changed the country and the world. The series spans over a four-year period to feature artists, activists, scientists, and more. Reset finds out more about the women featured and their place in American history, with Jennifer Brier, professor of gender and women’s studies and history at UIC. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Researchers haven’t yet been able to pinpoint why breast cancer is becoming more prevalent among younger women, but a study out this year from Washington University charts how those rates play out among demographic groups, with younger Black women seeing the biggest increase in diagnoses. Reset learns more from Kaitlin Washburn, Chicago Sun-Times reporter about what’s driving the trend and what’s being done to address it. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Witnesses have begun to take the stand in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House speaker Michael Madigan. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s hand-picked board of education met for the first time. And the city is combining its shelters for migrants and other Chicagoans into a single, unified system. Reset goes behind the headlines of those stories with Chalkbeat Chicago reporter Reema Amin, WBEZ state politics reporter Dave McKinney and government finance and accountability reporter with the Illinois Answers Project of the Better Government Association Alex Nitkin. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

It started with “The Sports Bra” in Portland. Then, “A Bar of Their Own in Minneapolis.” Now, bars catering to women’s sports fans are popping up all over. Chicago is home to Whiskey Girl Tavern in Edgewater and future home to Babe’s Sports Bar in Logan Square. Reset learns how these spaces came to be and how their owners think about community amidst a huge surge in popularity with Nora McConnell-Johnson the future owner of Babe’s Sports Bar And Heather Roberts, co-owner of Whiskey Girl Tavern. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

There’s a movement in the works to restore voting rights to incarcerated people in Illinois. Advocates say it’s a racial justice issue and could reduce recidivism. Reset talks to associate professor of political science at DePaul University Cristina Rivers, formerly incarcerated person Jimmy Soto, and the policy manager at Chicago Votes Frederique Desrosiers. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

More than 54,000 incarcerated people, including more than 1,000 in Illinois, responded to a Marshall Project survey about their thoughts on the November election. Reset digs into what they had to say about the issues that matter to them and who they plan to vote for in the presidential race with Nicole Lewis and Jamiles Lartey of The Marshall Project. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Illinois is one of 48 states that revokes the right to vote for people in prison convicted of a felony. But that hasn’t stopped some from learning – and teaching – about voting and political engagement to prepare for when they reenter society. Reset sits down Brian Beals, a Chicagoan who was wrongfully imprisoned for 35 years and taught civics education classes to other incarcerated people. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Let’s be honest. There’s a lot to be stressed out about. And while there are umpteen tips and tricks for de-stressing, one route could be building emotional resilience. Research coming out of Northwestern University shows that positive emotions can help people cope and adapt to stressful situations. Reset sat down with Judith Moskowitz, Chief of Intervention Sciences in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University to learn more about the resilience challenge. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.