Author: WBEZ Chicago

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul discusses his lawsuits against the Trump administration over immigration, a freeze on federal funding and the Justice Department’s threat to prosecute state officials that block deportation efforts. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

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.

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.