Every two years, Cook County voters are asked whether circuit court judges should be retained for another six-year term. It’s rare for judges to not be retained, but this year, three judges are close to losing their seats. Reset gets an update from Maya Dukmasova, senior reporter at Injustice Watch.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
Reset executive producer Dan Tucker shares his takeaways from a recent reporting trip to Australia. Unlike the U.S., the country has a rich history of changing its voting system to create a more representative government and a more democratic society. As a result, voting is mandatory in Australia, voters rank candidates from multiple parties, the Senate uses proportional representation and an independent commission administers federal elections. So, how do these systems work? And could they work in the U.S.?
In this episode you’ll hear from: Judith Brett, author of “From Secret Ballot To Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting”; Samantha Ratnam, member of parliament in the state of Victoria for the Greens; Nick Minchin, former finance minister, former Liberal leader in the Senate; Shane Singh, professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia, author of the book “Beyond Turnout: How Compulsory Voting Shapes Citizens and Political Parties”; Tom Rogers, Australian Electoral Commissioner; and Bill Browne, director of the Democracy and Accountability program at the Australia Institute, an independent think tank in Canberra.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
Chicago and Illinois politicians and organizers are already doing the research and prep for what a second Trump presidency would mean for residents locally. A double homicide at a beloved Chicago tourist attraction stuns the city, 29 alders band together to push back on the mayor’s proposed property tax, and after 117 years, prohibition is officially over in a small corner of Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. Reset digs into the week’s stories with WBEZ senior editor of government and politics Angela Rozas O’Toole, WTTW political correspondent and host Amanda Vinicky and Chicago Sun-Times chief political reporter Tina Sfondeles.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
If you voted in Kane, McHenry, Lake or DuPage county, you had the opportunity to decide whether you’d like to pay a little extra to fund forest preserves. Reset sits down with local conservationist Robbie Telfer of Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves to hear how the voting went and what happens next.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
Voters backed enhanced election security, healthcare coverage for IVF and a so-called millionaire’s tax to fund property tax relief. Reset learns more about two of the proposals with former Democratic Illinois governor Pat Quinn and Lindsay Allen, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
A Curious City listener wanted to know about the decline of frogs in our area. We looked into what’s been happening with these species over the last couple decades in Chicago.
It turns out, frogs are some of the animals we call “indicator species.” How well or poorly they’re doing in their habitat can tell us about the health of our own. And they’re not the only ones; there are numerous plants and animals that serve as nature’s alarm system, so to speak.
Erin Allen talks with conservation researcher, Dr. Allison Sacerdote-Velat, about the indicator species that are most vital to us in the Chicago area and why we should be paying attention.
Chicago’s City Council will consider a proposal to lower the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour. Reset checks in with WBEZ data editor Alden Loury about the plan and what kind of effect it could have on traffic injuries and fatalities.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
Donald Trump is now the president-elect after winning several key battleground states, including Wisconsin, the state that pushed him over 270 electoral votes. Plus, Cook County has a new State’s Attorney, Chicago has its first elected school board officials and more. Reset discusses the results with Democratic political strategist Delmarie Cobb; Northwestern University political science professor Jaime Dominguez; former Illinois Republican Party chairman Pat Brady; WBEZ city government and politics reporter Tessa Weinberg; WBEZ criminal justice reporter Chip Mitchell; Illinois State Board of Elections public information officer Matt Dietrich and Palatine Township Republican chairman Aaron Del Mar.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
Voices of Hope Community Chorus features more than 60 men and women affected by breast cancer, many of whom are breast cancer survivors. The local chorus puts on fall and spring concerts in Glenview and Oak Park. For their 2024 fall concerts, they will be performing the music of great American icons like Bob Dylan, Carole King, Smokey Robinson and more.
Reset sits down with Kevin Kelly, artistic director of Voices of Hope Community Chorus and choir member June Anthony to learn more.
