Author: WBEZ Chicago

n his annual budget address delivered Tuesday, Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was left with no choice but to propose a $300 million property tax increase to help close a $982 million budget gap. Reset discusses those and other proposals from the mayor with WBEZ city government and politics reporter Mariah Woelfel. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Delaney Bailey started writing music her freshman year of college at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Her first released single “Loving & Losing” garnered over 163,000 streams on Spotify and her following quickly grew to over 30,000 listeners on the music platform. Now, the singer has released EPs like “This Is About You” and “(i would have followed you).” Her newest project “Chiaroscuro” is her first EP written and produced with other artists like Carrie K, Matt Martin, Gabe Simon and Hazey Eyes. Reset sits down with the Indiana-born, Chicago-based singer and songwriter ahead of the release. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have different ideas when it comes to both growing housing stock and making it more affordable – a major concern for voters this election. Reset checks in with Erika Poethig, a leader with the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and board member for the Illinois Housing Development Authority, to help compare the two candidates’ policies and how it would impact people here in Chicago and Illinois. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Immigrant advocacy groups in Chicago are preparing for mass deportations under a potential Trump presidency and a tighter border regardless of who wins. From know-your-rights training, reengaging rapid response teams and preparing legal clinics, advocates say they’re leaning into lessons learned during the first Trump presidency. Reset speaks with Erendira Rendon, vice president of immigrant justice, The Resurrection Project; Lawrence Benito, executive director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; and Antonio Gutierrez, strategic coordinator with Organized Communities Against Deportations to hear more. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

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.