Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Invest South/West Faces Rising Construction Costs

A new report by Crain’s Chicago Business reveals the sky-high construction costs for housing developments being built through the city’s Invest South/West initiative — one of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s signature programs. Reset learns more about the cost disparity and what the status of the project is under the Johnson administration with Alby Gallun, Crain’s Chicago Business senior reporter covering real estate and David Doig, president of Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives.

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Poet And Musician Kara Jackson On Her Debut Album

Kara Jackson is known for being the National Youth Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2020. And now, she’s receiving glowing reviews for her debut album, Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love. The Chicago-based singer-songwriter joins Reset to talk about her inspirations, her mandatory piano lessons growing up in a musical household and other local artists who encouraged her latest work.

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: June 30, 2023

Some Chicago drivers experience road rage over street closures for NASCAR race; Canadian wildfires fill Chicago’s air with smoke and haze; President Biden comes to town for fundraisers and kicks off his political messaging with what he calls “Bidenomics”. Reset breaks down these stories and much more with Mike Flannery, political editor at Fox 32 News, Ben Kesling, reporter, Wall Street Journal and Derrick Blakley, former CBS2 Chicago politics reporter Journal

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - ACLU Alleges Racial Discrimination In Chicago Traffic Stops

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit this week against the city of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department over unlawful traffic stops. The suit alleges that Black drivers are four to seven times more likely than white drivers to be pulled over and that Latino drivers are twice as likely. Reset hears more about the suit from Alexandra Block, Senior Supervising Attorney for the Criminal Legal System and Policing project at ACLU Illinois.

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Supreme Court Ends Affirmative Action

This morning the Supreme Court ruled in a landmark affirmative action case stating that race-based admissions practices at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are unlawful. Reset talks to University of Illinois Chicago law professor Steve Schwinn and WBEZ higher education reporter Lisa Philip about what the ruling will mean for the future of college admissions.

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Celebrating Black Women And ‘Sheroes’ In Sci-Fi

FACETS movie theater and Color Comics are coming together to host a screening and discussion about Black women in science fiction and fantasy TV shows. They’ll explore the characters of Star Trek Discovery’s Michael Burnham, Lovecraft Country’s Hippolyta and Doctor Who’s ‘The Fugitive Doctor. Reset hears from one of the panelists, WBEZ audio producer Cianna Greaves, to learn more.

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Preserving Chicago’s Vintage Neon Signs

A proposed ordinance would create protections for some of Chicago’s most iconic vintage outdoor signs. Reset learns about the history of these signs, and their importance in the urban landscape and about restoring vintage signs from a Martin Treu, author of Signs, Streets, and Storefronts: A history, of architecture and graphics along America’s Commercial Corridors.

Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Canadian Wildfire Smoke Is Blanketing Chicago

Wildfire smoke from Canada continues to smoother Chicago today. Experts anticipate the air quality index, as tracked by Air Now, could exceed Tuesday’s high of 288 - the second highest ranking that government agency tracks. Reset hears from Kelly Nichols, Senior Manager of Policy & Advocacy, Respiratory Health Association of Chicago and Dr. Ravi Kalhan, Northwestern Medicine deputy division chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine on what to expect