Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

We learn more about the role of fentanyl in causing opioid overdoses to reach record highs in Cook County, the nine-year-old shot while playing outside, and the woman tapped to chair the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Reset breaks down these top local stories and more with Paris Schutz, reporter and anchor, WTTW, John Fountain, journalism professor, Roosevelt University and David Greising, president of the Better Government Association.

Artists from across the globe have gathered in Chicago this week for Titan Walls, the city’s 5th annual mural festival. Festival goers can enjoy food and drink while watching more than a dozen artists paint murals on the walls of District Brew Yards in the West Loop. Reset talks about the ins and outs of public art with Chicago-based muralists.

Crafting can be the low-commitment, low-stakes and low-cost relationship you need in your life. Reset discovers more on how to let your creative side shine, and maybe learn a new skill with Greta Johnsen, host of WBEZ’s Nerdette podcast, Donna Palicka, owner of Sister’s Art Studio, Shaun Devine, founder and instructor of Chicago School of Woodworking, Andy Kuby, turning-saw instructor at Chicago School of Woodworking and Chris Busse, owner of Penguin Foot Pottery.

Since the start of the pandemic, people have opened more than 70 million new credit card accounts. In addition to the quantity of cards, interest rates have also been rising, reaching 22.2% in May. Reset talks to Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist with the Washington post, to learn what this means for the average consumer and best practices for navigating and paying credit card debt.

Gov. JB Pritzker approved a commission to explore whether or not Illinois needs a new flag. The current one — which has been the same for about a century — has a lot going on. An American eagle clutching a stars-and-stripes-decorated shield while taking a bite out of a red banner in the foreground. There’s a yellow sun over blue water in the background, and a gray rock bearing the years 1818 and 1868. But what would an updated flag look like now? What should it look like? We turn to a longtime flag maker for his take. Reset talks to Carl “Gus” Porter III, owner of WGN Flag Company for insight on what makes a flag iconic.

Over 47,000 Illinoisians lost Medicaid coverage at the start of August and hundreds of thousands more could lose coverage before the redetermination process is complete. Reset discusses how to get reinstated and what residents need to do to prove coverage eligibility with Samantha Olds Frey, CEO of Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans.

Trauma can be passed down from generation to generation. It can impact families and whole communities and our relationships with both. But how do you identify it and – more importantly – break the cycle and take the first step towards healing? Reset sits down with Dr. Niranjan Karnik from the University of Illinois Chicago, Amanda Seanior with RUSH’s Division of Community Behavioral Health, and Vee L. Harrison, with the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force and author of Hood Healing.

Illinois drivers’ car insurance rates are going up – and women, renters, and drivers with any credit score below an “excellent” rating may be among the folks getting hit the hardest. Reset digs into what’s going on and what drivers can do about it with Chicago Sun-Times consumer investigations reporter Stephanie Zimmermann.

Cooking after a long day at work can feel like a chore even if it saves you a buck. Today, Reset talks with a few folks about how to put the fun back in cooking and cook like a pro even if you’re a kitchen novice. Our guests are Lisa Counts, executive chef at The Chopping Block and Jordan Wimby, a food preservationist and cultural historian.

Kindergarten classes in 2027-2028 will have a focus on “play based learning.” Reset discusses the impact with an early childhood education expert Katherine Zinsser, psychologist and UIC associate professor.