Author: WBEZ Chicago

This week marks 30 years since a blistering, oppressive heat wave boiled the Midwest, hitting the Chicago area the hardest. Temperatures reached a height of 106 degrees, and the heat index soared to the 120s. The heat – combined with a number of overwhelmed city agencies and a buckling power grid – would contribute to the deaths of 739 people. Reset looks back at the summer of 1995 and digs into whether Chicago is ready today for similar heat waves with NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg, author of the book “Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago.” For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

On Monday, President Trump announced new tariffs on 14 different countries that would be taking effect on August 1. These tariffs range from 25% to 40%, and are focused predominantly on Asian countries. Reset sits down with Cécile Shea, nonresident senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, to find out how these tariffs could impact both Illinois. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

After Illinois legalized sports betting in 2020, the state has seen a surge in business, jobs and tax revenue from the gaming industry. Advocates say there has also been a corresponding rise in gambling addiction, especially for young men and boys. Reset looks at how sports betting can lead to problem gambling and what treatment looks like with Anita Pindiur, executive director of Way Back Inn and Hunter, a member at the Way Back Inn. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

President Trump’s massive tax and spending bill signed into law on July 4 enshrined his 2017 tax cuts and cut federal funding for clean energy, food assistance programs and Medicaid in part by shifting costs to states. This comes as local food pantries say they’ve been at capacity the past few years due to inflated grocery prices and increased demand as a result of the COVID pandemic. Reset hears how this could affect Chicagoans with SNAP recipient Cody Martin, Pilsen Food Pantry director Dr. Evelyn Figueroa and Greater Chicago Food Depository CEO and executive director Kate Maehr. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

The story of how a neighborhood theater became a church struggling to install a new roof says a lot about how buildings evolve over time. Reset talks to architecture expert Dennis Rodkin. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Democratic Illinois lawmakers have slammed their Republican colleagues in the U.S. Senate for passing President Trump’s tax and spending plan. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has named a new running mate. Meanwhile, Chicago alderpersons are scrutinizing the Chicago Police Department for its response to a recent ICE raid. Reset goes behind those headlines and more in our Weekly News Recap with WBEZ city politics reporter Mariah Woelfel, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mitchell Armentrout and WCIU reporter/anchor Brandon Pope. Note: this conversation was recorded before the House passed the tax and spending bill. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Chicago has more lead water pipes than most U.S. cities, and nearly two-thirds of children under 6 are exposed to lead in drinking water. Efforts to make the city's water lead-free have been sluggish. A Biden-era mandate requires cities to replace 20,000 lead pipes a year by 2027. Chicago is set to replace less than half of that number this year, and estimates suggest the city’s water systems won’t be lead-free until 2076. Reset discusses with Inside Climate News reporter Keerti Gopal, WBEZ environment reporter Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco and Natural Resources Defense Council senior policy advocate Chakena Perry. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Trump’s policy bill includes various cuts to Medicaid, implementing stricter requirements that will affect if people with disabilities receive health care coverage. Reset learns more about how this legislation could affect local Chicagoans with disabilities with Access Living policy analyst Sebastian Nalls and disability right activist and Medicaid recipient David Gayes. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Charles Leto, a 55 year old lifeguard from Lakeview who worked at Douglass Park pool, allegedly shot two teens on Thursday evening, killing Marjay Dotson, 15 and critically wounding Jeremy Herred, 14. Reset gets the latest in this case with WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.