Chicago-native Jeff Mauro centers Chicago delicacies and culture as a Food Network celebrity chef. He hosted the Emmy-nominated show “Sandwich King” on The Food Network where he currently co-hosts “The Kitchen.” Reset learns more about Mauro and his passion for Chicago food and sandwiches and tastes offerings from his company Mauro Provisions.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
CTA president Dorval Carter resigns. Mike Madigan’s defense rests its case. And Chicago’s first-ever elected school board members are sworn in. Reset dives into these stories and more with WBEZ city politics reporter Mariah Woelfel, Economist Midwest correspondent Daniel Knowles and Chicago Tribune Cook County and Chicago government reporter A.D. Quig.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
As wildfires blaze across LA County, Chicagoans are mobilizing.
Reset finds out how Chicagoans are using their skills to help in a time of crisis. We talk to Sarah Stegner, co-founder of Chicago Chefs Cook, and co-owner of Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook, Ill. We also check in with Terry Nosal, a Red Cross volunteer who flew from Chicago to LA to help.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
Negotiators for Israel and Hamas announced plans for a six-week ceasefire that would stop the fighting in Gaza, return 33 hostages to Israel and release around 1,000 Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons. However, its future remains uncertain. Reset checks in with Palestinian Americans and Jewish leaders emergency physician Dr. Thaer Ahmad, journalist Deanna Othman, Rabbi Steven Philp of Mishkan and Rabbi Michael Schwab of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
Roadside attractions aren’t always the kitschy photo op we imagine them to be. Some have a complicated history that you can’t see from the side of the road.
Last episode, we took a road trip to Southern Illinois to look into a metal, firebreathing dragon. Today, we’re looking at a different landmark in nearby Alton: the Piasa. Unlike the Kaskaskia dragon, the Piasa has a centuries-old history that starts with the Indigenous people of what is now the Mississippi River.
The Piasa — as most people know it — is a mythical creature painted on the bluffs of the Mississippi. The image depicts a winged figure with antlers, fangs and talons. It’s a recreation of the original image which was destroyed in the 1850s because of quarrying on the bluffs. Through the centuries, different stories have been told about the meaning and origins behind this creature, including one that is popular but fabricated. Dr. Mark Wagner, director of the Center for Archaeological Investigations at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, talks about the layered history of the mural. Logan Pappenfort, director of tribal relations for the Illinois State Museum, talks about why it’s important to uplift true cultural artifacts and says the real history behind them isn’t hard to uncover if you know where to look.
The Biden-Harris Administration is credited with some of the most sweeping climate legislation in history, but environmental justice was also at the forefront. The administration set a goal of investing 40% of all benefits from sustainability and green energy in communities overburdened with pollution. Reset checks in with the outgoing White House Chief Environmental Justice Officer Jalonne White-Newsome for her reflections on her tenure, successes, what didn’t work, and what’s ahead. We also hear from Karen Weigert, director of Loyola University Chicago’s Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
For Erin Kilmurray and Kara Brody, “Knockout” began as a passion project before the pandemic in 2020. Through their combined experiences growing up with pop culture icons like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charlie’s Angels, they found themselves intrigued and inspired by the femme fatale archetype. Through exploring their own lives and friendship, they created the hourlong dance performance “Knockout.” Intimacy, aggression, tension, desire, and softness all come together to tell a story that though is not linear in nature, and expresses womanhood in an original way.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
Chicago City Council gears up to vote on more than $39 million in settlements for police misconduct cases. Reset was joined by Director of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Community Justice and Civil Rights Clinic Sheila Bedi and WBEZ criminal justice editor Patrick Smith to look at how much progress has been made on mandatory reforms in CPD – and how much money a lack of progress is costing taxpayers.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
As many as 40,000 people have come to see this downstate roadside attraction: a metal dragon, as big as a school bus, with a flamethrower in its mouth. Curious City takes a road trip out of Chicago to get the story behind this dragon.
It’s freezing now, but in a few weeks, cabin fever is likely to set in. But the outdoors beckon. Reset gets a roundup of winter activities from freelance outdoor and travel journalist Erica Zazo to put in your back pocket.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
