Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons
1,680 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 months ago - ★★★★★ - 67 ratingsWBEZ's daily talk show brings listeners the news and conversations that matter most to their day-to-day lives.
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Episodes
WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: Feb. 10, 2023
February 10, 2023 21:53 - 44 minutes - 20.4 MBThree candidates are in a statistical dead heat in the Chicago mayor’s race. UIC faculty have a contract. Locals help earthquake victims. Meanwhile, big changes may be coming for needy parents as lawmakers in Springfield propose a diaper allowance. Reset breaks down these stories and much more with NBC 5’s Christian Farr, former Chicago Sun-Times columnist Maudlyne Ihejirika, and John Fountain, journalism professor at Roosevelt University.
Chicago Innovators: A People-Powered Seesaw Fabric Shredder
February 10, 2023 21:50 - 16 minutes - 7.74 MBRecycling fabric is harder than it might seem, as most fabrics are a mix of fibers and material types, requiring different techniques that can’t be done on a large scale. Reset checks in with local weaver Emily Winter, co-founder of the Weaving Mill, who is trying out a community-driven way to deal with textile waste.
Forum Analysis: Ja’Mal Green, Roderick Sawyer
February 10, 2023 12:05 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBFrom crime to transportation to education, we spent an hour talking about top issues with organizer Ja’Mal Green and Ald. Roderick Sawyer. Reset breaks down our second round of mayoral forums with Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government reporter, Chip Mitchell, WBEZ criminal justice reporter and Chris Berry, professor in the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.
Chicago Mayoral Forum: Ja’Mal Green, Roderick Sawyer
February 09, 2023 22:30 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBIn the second of our mayoral forums, we pose voter questions to candidates organizer Ja’Mal Green and Alderman Roderick Sawyer live from the University of Chicago.
Chicago Innovators: Bringing Sports, Academics To Kids
February 09, 2023 22:30 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBReset sits down with Eric Davis and Frank Brim leaders of the BASE Chicago, an organization based in West Garfield Park that provides a range of programming for urban youth from baseball and softball training, to violence prevention and even college readiness.
Forum Analysis: Lightfoot, Garcia, Vallas, Buckner, King
February 09, 2023 12:05 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBFrom crime to transportation to education, we spent an hour talking about top issues with Alderwoman Sophia King, State Rep. Kam Buckner, former CPS CEO Paul Vallas, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Congressman Chuy Garcia. Reset breaks down our first round of mayoral forums with Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ city government reporter, Chip Mitchell, WBEZ criminal justice reporter and Jason DeSanto, a senior lecturer in the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and a Democratic debate strategist.
Chicago Innovators: Expanding Food Access In Englewood
February 08, 2023 22:30 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBDion’s Chicago Dream provides free boxes of fruits, vegetables and water to residents throughout Chicago on a weekly basis, as well as stocking a Dream fridge in Englewood that residents can “shop” from at their convenience. Reset sits down with the founder of the organization, Dion Dawson, to learn about the partnership and how its ability to provide food to food-insecure families has grown.
Chicago Mayoral Forum: Lightfoot, Garcia, Vallas, Buckner, King
February 08, 2023 22:30 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBChicago Public Media and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics are hosting two forums with the city’s mayoral candidates. First up, at the University of Illinois Chicago, we pose voter questions to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Congressman Chuy Garcia, former CPS CEO Paul Vallas, State Rep. Kam Buckner and Alderwoman Sophia King. On Thursday Feb. 9, we’ll bring you our second forum with thr remaining candidates: organizer Ja’Mal Green, businessman Willie Wilson, Cook County Commissioner B...
Here’s Where Chicago’s Mayoral Candidates Stand On Health Issues
February 08, 2023 12:05 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBWith Chicago’s mayoral race heating up, the nine candidates vying for the city’s top job have a lot to say about health. Mental health, health equity and lead pipes are top of mind for Chicago voters who responded to WBEZ’s People’s Agenda survey. Reset talks to WBEZ reporters Kristen Schorsch and Tessa Weinberg to find out where the candidates stand.
Chicago Innovators: Artists Blake Jones and Steve Seeley
February 07, 2023 22:30 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBChicago has an amazing art scene! So as a part of our Chicago Innovators series, we’re featuring two artists who are preparing for an upcoming joint exhibition. Reset chats with artists Blake Jones and Steve Seeley about their work, inspiration and hopes for the future.
Chicago Orgs Helping Turkey And Syria After Earthquake
February 07, 2023 22:30 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBRescue efforts are underway, and the number of casualties is expected to climb. Reset checks in with Dr. Zaher Sahloul, president and co-founder of MedGlobal and Amina Demir, COO of the Zakat Foundation of America, about the situation on the ground and what Chicagoans can do to help.
What Chicago’s Mayoral Candidates Have Planned For Public Schools
February 07, 2023 15:56 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBThe next mayor will inherit a bevy of challenges when it comes to Chicago Public Schools, including a looming budget deficit and declining enrollment. Reset talks to Sarah Karp, WBEZ education reporter, to find out how the mayoral candidates will approach these challenges.
Chicago Innovators: How Hemp Can Heal Our Soil
February 06, 2023 22:30 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBOn average, lead levels in Chicago soil are about 11 times above the natural baseline levels. Lead pollutes both our city’s water and soil, and researchers are trying to find ways to lower our chances of long-term exposure. Reset chats with Kevin Erickson, senior manager of sustainable agriculture at the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University, to learn about the possibilities of growing hemp in contaminated soil in order to transform that soil.
Building Spiritual Resilience With Rev. Otis Moss III
February 06, 2023 22:30 - 19 minutes - 18 MBIn his new book ‘Dancing In The Darkness,’ Moss draws on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s idea of three sides making up a complete life: the personal, the communal and the spiritual. Reset checks in with Moss, Senior Pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, about his vision for spiritual resilience and why he believes it’s time to fight for the soul of the country.
Top Med Schools Rebel Against U.S. Rankings System
February 06, 2023 12:05 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBWhat does it mean to be a “top-ranked” medical school? Many of the schools withdrawing from the long-standing rankings system say those rankings perpetuate inequities in medical education that then spill over into medical care. Reset talks with Dr. Vineet Arora, assistant dean at University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine, and Hannah Priddy, a fourth-year medical student at University of Chicago, about how to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in medical schools.
What Chicago’s Mayoral Candidates Have Planned For Public Schools
February 06, 2023 12:05 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBThe next mayor will inherit a bevy of challenges when it comes to Chicago Public Schools, including a looming budget deficit and declining enrollment. Reset talks to Sarah Karp, WBEZ education reporter, to find out how the mayoral candidates will approach these challenges.
How To Find New Music And Support Artists Without Spotify
February 04, 2023 12:05 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBIndependent artists have it harder than ever, and big streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music pay less than a penny per listen. So how can you give back to the person behind that song on repeat? Musician Sen Morimoto, DJ Shane Bradley and Vocalo Host Stephen Bekoe join Reset to talk about how to find new music without streaming and how to support your favorite artists.
Bias Against Bodies: Medical Fatphobia Has Real Consequences
February 03, 2023 22:30 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBWe’re taught from a young age that fatness and weight gain are inherently unhealthy. But research shows being fat is not itself unhealthy, and anti-fat bias is immeasurably harmful to our health. The Health At Every Size framework of care presents solutions. Reset digs into the barriers larger-bodied people face in medicine — and how that impacts every other part of their lives with Dr. Kate Johnson, interim chair of psychiatry at Loyola University, and Mikey Mercedes, writer and doctoral stu...
WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: Feb. 3, 2023
February 03, 2023 22:30 - 44 minutes - 41 MBWe’re only a few weeks away from Chicago’s mayoral election, COVID-19 public health emergency declarations are set to end in May, and Beyoncé is coming to Chicago. Reset breaks down these stories and much more with WBEZ editor Alden Loury; Lorraine Forte, head of the editorial board for the Chicago Sun-Times; and Maxwell Evans, reporter for Block Club Chicago.
75 Years Since The Chicago Sun-Times First Hit Newsstands
February 03, 2023 12:05 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBThe Sun-Times is celebrating its 75 years of informing Chicago-area readers this week. Since January 2022, it has been part of Chicago Public Media alongside WBEZ and Vocalo. Reset talks with Sun-Times staffers Neil Steinberg and Stefano Esposito about the paper’s past, present and future.
Bias Against Bodies: Fatphobia And Weight Stigma In The Workplace
February 02, 2023 22:30 - 19 minutes - 17.4 MBThere are currently no federal U.S. laws that protect people from weight-based discrimination, and only a handful of cities and states have such laws on the books. Reset talks to professor Esther Rothblum and advocate Brandie Solovay about why this discrimination persists and how to address it.
Chicago Opera ‘The Factotum’ Blends Soul, Funk, Hip Hop And The Black Barbershop
February 02, 2023 22:30 - 13 minutes - 12 MBReady for some hip-hopera? Reset talks with Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, director, dramaturg and co-book writer for The Factotum, a fresh spin on The Barber of Seville that takes place on the South Side of Chicago and highlights diverse voices and diverse life experiences in a way that’s often missing from the genre of opera.
The Chicago Reader Looks To The Future
February 02, 2023 12:05 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBAfter a tumultuous few years, the Chicago Reader moved to non-profit status in 2022. A six-month nationwide search for the right person to lead the new organization led to tapping a homegrown talent with experience at the Better Government Association and other Chicago-based organizations. Reset checks in with the former publisher and the publisher-to-be who starts in mid-February.
Bias Against Bodies: The Evolution Of Plus-Size Fashion
February 01, 2023 21:18 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBPlus-size fashion has come a long way in the 119 years since Lane Bryant opened its doors in 1904, but it still has a long way to go. Many people still struggle to access the same clothing options as straight-size people. Reset learns more from fashion blogger Natalie Craig and journalist Gianluca Russo, author of The Power of Plus. Then we’ll hear from Jovana Savic, founder of Thick Mall, a local vintage market offering more options to plus-size customers and local writer Megan Kirby who cov...
New WBEZ Must-Listen: ‘Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast’
February 01, 2023 21:18 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBThis newest WBEZ podcast shares stories of Asian Americans and their relationships with identity, confidence, and success. Reset chats with the hosts Susie An and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, along with producer Stephanie Kim to get a behind-the-scenes look at the pod.
FDA Set To Ease Blood Donation Restrictions On Gay, Bisexual Men
February 01, 2023 12:05 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBA lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood was instituted in 1985, but change is afoot. Reset hears from Dr. Anu Hazra, University of Chicago infectious disease specialist, Jim Pickett, senior advisor with AVAC, Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention, Luke Romesberg, director of Youth Housing Program at the Center on Halsted, and Jennifer Brier, professor of history and gender and women’s studies, UIC.
Bias Against Bodies: Traveling With Plus-Size Women
January 31, 2023 21:57 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBStructural fatphobia is everywhere, including the skies. Almost no one can get comfortable on airplanes, and that’s especially true for fat and plus-size people. Reset speaks to podcast hosts Nicci Nunez and Alex Stewart who are leading trips around the world for plus-size people.
Mental Health Care Is Out Of Reach For Many Migrants
January 31, 2023 21:57 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBMany asylum seekers arrive in Chicago with little knowledge of where they’ll sleep or how they’ll access food and care, especially mental health care. Reset hears about one migrant’s experience from Chicago-Sun Times journalist Elvia Malagón and from professor and social worker Aimee Hilado about what support migrants needs most.
How Chicago Voters Can Make Informed Decisions In The City Election
January 31, 2023 12:05 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBChicago has some major decision-making to do in the February 28 election, and WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times are here to help you get up-to-date on the issues you care about. Reset talks to politics editors Tony Arnold and Angela Rozas O’Toole about the new mayoral questionnaire and quiz.
Bias Against Bodies: The Argument For ‘Weight-Neutral’ Fitness
January 30, 2023 21:26 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBFor countless Americans, the start of a new year brings renewed goals of weight loss, exercise and trying the latest diet trend. But for the sake of both mental and physical health, advocates are calling for a weight-neutral approach to fitness. Reset learns about what that would look like with Louise Green, C.P.T., plus-size trainer and founder of Big Fit Girl and Mirna Valerio, runner, speaker and author of A Beautiful Work in Progress.
Chicagoans React To Fatal Police Beating Of Tyre Nichols
January 30, 2023 21:26 - 20 minutes - 19 MBResidents in Chicago and surrounding areas held vigils and protests demanding police accountability after the release of body cam footage that showed Memphis police officers brutally beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols. He later died from his injuries. Reset talks with Sharon Fairley from the University of Chicago Law School, co-founder of the Let Us Breathe Collective Damon Williams and founder of the Lake County Chapter of Black Lives Matter Clyde McLemore.
Chicago Woos Laid-Off Foreign Tech Workers
January 30, 2023 12:05 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBHow can Chicago become a technology hub to, perhaps one day, compete with the likes of Silicon Valley? A coalition of businesses in Chicago thinks one step could be hiring thousands of foreign workers, all of them H-1B visa holders laid off in recent weeks by companies like Microsoft and Google. The group will need to move quickly. When an H-1B visa holder is let go from an American company, they have 60 days to find work or leave the country. Reset talks with Brad Henderson and Nuwan Samaraw...
How To Cope With Major Life Changes
January 28, 2023 12:05 - 20 minutes - 19 MBDr. Maya Shankar started her podcast A Slight Change of Plans as a pandemic project. Now, she is nearly three years into hosting insightful conversations about change. Reset gets a lesson in coping with change from the cognitive scientist and podcast host.
WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: Jan. 27, 2023
January 27, 2023 22:30 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBThe NRA files a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Illinois’ assault weapons ban. Classes are back in session at UIC as faculty end their strike. A White Sox pitcher is investigated for domestic abuse allegations. Reset goes behind those headlines with John Chase, deputy metro editor at the Chicago Tribune, Dave McKinney, WBEZ state politics reporter and Brandis Friedman, WTTW co-anchor and correspondent and host of “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices”
What’s That Building? Thornton Distilling Co.
January 27, 2023 22:30 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBReset explores a distillery at one of the oldest remaining brewing sites in Illinois with architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin.
27 Days. 40 Mass Shootings In America.
January 27, 2023 12:05 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBArticle: (Two sentences max) With the seemingly never-ending barrage of gun violence, how do you cope? Do you go numb? Can’t sleep? That’s all normal according to the American Psychological Association. Reset talks with a psychologist Iggy V Ladden and pastor Raymond Chang and hears from WBEZ listeners.
Minority-Led Startups Get A Boost At Chicago Tech Incubator
January 26, 2023 22:30 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBAn incubator on the South Side of Chicago aims to launch new businesses and train young people to be entrepreneurs. Reset checks in with James Parker, CEO and founder of 1921 Coworking and Incubator.
What’s That Building? The Delaware Building
January 26, 2023 22:30 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBThe Bryant Block, now known as the Delaware Building, was one of the most regal to be built downtown after the Great Chicago Fire. But in subsequent years, it became a hotbed of gossip and intrigue. Reset gets the story from their architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin.
Expanding What ‘Tourist Destination’ Means In Chicago
January 26, 2023 12:05 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBA new grant from the city’s tourism arm Choose Chicago seeks to help 12 Chicago neighborhoods draw more tourism: Auburn Gresham, Austin, Back of the Yards, Englewood, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, New City, North Center, North Lawndale, Roseland, South Chicago and Hyde Park. Reset hears more about the program with vice president of Choose Chicago Rob Fojtk and hears from folks in neighborhoods who could receive this money.
Who Got Snubbed In Oscar Nominations?
January 25, 2023 21:36 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBNominations for this year‘s Academy Awards were released this week, with the film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” leading the pack with 11 nominations. Meanwhile, critically-acclaimed films like “The Woman King,” “Till” and “Nope” were shut out of Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. Reset talks with a pop culture writer Michi Trota and a cinematic superfan, Jeremy Marder from the Music Box Theatre, for their takes on this year’s nominees.
What’s That Building? First Baptist Church Of Hammond
January 25, 2023 21:36 - 10 minutes - 9.46 MBIn this installment of Reset’s on-going series “What’s That Building?” the show learns about a mini-architecture district in Hammond, Indiana, just over the border from Illinois. Reset hears from its architectural sleuth, Dennis Rodkin, about the First Baptist Church in Hammond, and how it came to preserve so much building history.
How Safe Are Common Menstrual Products?
January 25, 2023 12:05 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBCompanies that make disposable and reusable period products like tampons, cups, pads and underwear aren’t required to list the chemicals they contain. This came into focus after popular period underwear brand Thinx settled a class action lawsuit that alleged the company’s marketing misrepresented the safety of the products. Reset learns from health experts Anna Pollack and Jhumka Gupta of George Mason University about the research that goes into ensuring these products are safe and accessible.
Chicago Asian Americans React To California Mass Shooting
January 24, 2023 21:50 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBLunar New Year started Sunday. It’s supposed to be a time of celebration. But how might mass shootings targeting Asian Americans impact local Lunar New Year events? Reset is joined by Tuan Huynh and Van Huynh who are organizing festivities in Chicago, Alderwoman Nicole Lee and Stephanie Foerster from the Uptown Chamber of Commerce.
What’s That Building? The Sheldon and Harriet Peck Homestead
January 24, 2023 21:50 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBReset architecture sleuth Dennis Rodkin takes us to the Sheldon and Harriet Peck Homestead, a confirmed Underground Railroad site in west suburban Lombard.
The COVID Pandemic Is Now Three Years Old
January 24, 2023 12:05 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBAs we mark three years with COVID-19, the FDA has announced the U.S. will soon move to a single dose of vaccine each year, like an annual flu shot. Reset checks in on that as the importance of sleep for our health with infectious disease specialist Dr. Mia Taormina of Duly Health and Care.
‘What’s That Building?’ The Preston Bradley Center Gets A Second Act
January 23, 2023 21:55 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBThe Preston Bradley Center has been a staple of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood since 1925. It was recently under threat of demolition, but former Uptown resident Dan Ivankovich decided to save the building and transform it into a multi-purpose space to serve the local community. Reset learns about the building's history and what it might look like in the future with Dennis Rodkin, reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business.
What’s Next In The Fight For Abortion Access?
January 23, 2023 21:55 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MBJan. 22 marked 50 years since Roe v. Wade. Reset discusses the past, present and future of reproductive rights with journalist Shefali Luthra and abortion advocate Alicia Hurtado.
Public Libraries Fight Back Against Book Bans
January 23, 2023 12:05 - 12 minutes - 5.91 MBChicagoland libraries are coming into conflict with parents who say they’re exercising their First Amendment right to protest a variety of children’s books about LGBT acceptance and body positivity. Reset talks to WBEZ metro reporter Adora Namigadde and Lindsey Dorfman, executive director of the Glenview Public Library.
Chicago DJs Celebrate International House Music With ‘Global Currency’
January 21, 2023 11:30 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBWe ALL like to dance. A couple Chicago DJs are proving just that with their party, Global Currency, celebrating international club music inspired by one of Chicago’s musical exports — house music. DJ Mochi and DJ IGGY join Reset to share some tunes from South America, Africa, and more.
WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap: Jan. 20, 2023
January 20, 2023 20:53 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBThe Illinois Rifle Association sues to stop the state’s weapons ban, Nicor Gas proposes income-based utility rates, and the Chicago Bears have their sights set on Arlington Heights. Reset goes behind the headlines with Paris Schutz, reporter and anchor, WTTW-TV, Carrie Shepherd, lead producer of the podcast City Cast Chicago, and Steve Daniels, Crain’s Chicago Business senior reporter.