Voters chose 10 members, and Mayor Brandon Johnson will appoint the remaining 11 members. The board will transition to being fully elected in 2026. Reset sits down with Ebony DeBerry and Angel Gutierrez, two newly elected school board members to hear their visions for the board and how they’ll approach the job. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Federal funding is the state of Illinois’ largest source of revenue. And the city of Chicago depends on it for various projects, including the current Red Line Extension and O’Hare Modernization. But President-Elect Donald Trump has a fraught relationship with the state’s prominent politicians, and has threatened to withhold federal funding from political opposition. How could a second Trump term affect the money that Illinois and Chicago receive from the federal government, and will projects...

Every two years, Cook County voters are asked whether circuit court judges should be retained for another six-year term. It’s rare for judges to not be retained, but this year, three judges are close to losing their seats. Reset gets an update from Maya Dukmasova, senior reporter at Injustice Watch. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Reset executive producer Dan Tucker shares his takeaways from a recent reporting trip to Australia. Unlike the U.S., the country has a rich history of changing its voting system to create a more representative government and a more democratic society. As a result, voting is mandatory in Australia, voters rank candidates from multiple parties, the Senate uses proportional representation and an independent commission administers federal elections. So, how do these systems work? And could they...

Chicago and Illinois politicians and organizers are already doing the research and prep for what a second Trump presidency would mean for residents locally. A double homicide at a beloved Chicago tourist attraction stuns the city, 29 alders band together to push back on the mayor’s proposed property tax, and after 117 years, prohibition is officially over in a small corner of Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. Reset digs into the week’s stories with WBEZ senior editor of government and...

If you voted in Kane, McHenry, Lake or DuPage county, you had the opportunity to decide whether you’d like to pay a little extra to fund forest preserves. Reset sits down with local conservationist Robbie Telfer of Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves to hear how the voting went and what happens next. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Voters backed enhanced election security, healthcare coverage for IVF and a so-called millionaire’s tax to fund property tax relief. Reset learns more about two of the proposals with former Democratic Illinois governor Pat Quinn and Lindsay Allen, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Chicago’s City Council will consider a proposal to lower the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour. Reset checks in with WBEZ data editor Alden Loury about the plan and what kind of effect it could have on traffic injuries and fatalities. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Donald Trump is now the president-elect after winning several key battleground states, including Wisconsin, the state that pushed him over 270 electoral votes. Plus, Cook County has a new State’s Attorney, Chicago has its first elected school board officials and more. Reset discusses the results with Democratic political strategist Delmarie Cobb; Northwestern University political science professor Jaime Dominguez; former Illinois Republican Party chairman Pat Brady; WBEZ city government and...

Voices of Hope Community Chorus features more than 60 men and women affected by breast cancer, many of whom are breast cancer survivors. The local chorus puts on fall and spring concerts in Glenview and Oak Park. For their 2024 fall concerts, they will be performing the music of great American icons like Bob Dylan, Carole King, Smokey Robinson and more. Reset sits down with Kevin Kelly, artistic director of Voices of Hope Community Chorus and choir member June Anthony to learn more.

As a divided country braces for election results, we examine how our online actions can have real world consequences with Jill Hopke, associate professor of journalism at DePaul University’s College of Communication and George Scully, assistant clinical professor of business law and business ethics at the University of Illinois Chicago. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Under Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed budget, the Office of Constitutional Policing and Reform would see a 45% cut and vacant positions continuing to go unfilled. Plus, a new Chicago Sun-Times investigation details how CPD’s remaining staff struggle to fill the gaps. Reset gets the details from Sun-Times assistant criminal justice editor Tom Schuba. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

In Lebanon, a fifth of the population has been displaced in the process of seeking shelter from Israeli airstrikes. The death toll is nearly 3,000 with more than 13,000 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health. Meanwhile more than 60 have died from Hezbollah rocket fire in Israel, according to Israeli officials. Reset checks in with Chicago emergency physician Dr. Thaer Ahmad. He recently returned from a medical mission to southern Lebanon. For a full archive of Reset interviews,...

As president, Republican Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord and attempted to slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. As vice president, Democrat Kamala Harris cast the deciding vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation that advances climate action. Reset takes a look at how each might deal with environmental issues and how those decisions could affect Chicagoans with Reset sustainability contributor Karen Weigert. For a full archive of Reset...

Hamartia comes from Greek tragedy and refers to a hero or heroine’s fatal flaw. For Meredith Johnston, it’s self-hatred. This is the focus of her new album Hamartia. Reset sits down with the singer to talk about the inspiration behind the project and getting a taste of Warm Human’s range from electronic to indie to pop. GUEST: Meredith Johnston, singer and songwriter, Warm Human

How does one say goodbye to what feels like the utterly perfect television series? Season 3 of HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere,” which just kicked off on Oct. 27, will be the Peabody award-winning comedy-drama’s last hoorah. The show takes viewers to Manhattan, Kansas, where finding your people is possible. Reset sits down with members of the cast and crew Bridget Everett, Jeff Hiller, Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen to discuss the show’s Midwestern roots, queer communities and navigating adult...

To find one of the most unusual miniature golf courses in the Chicago area, you arrive at a funeral home in Palatine and then go a little more than six feet under, to the basement. At Ahlgrim Family Funeral Home on Northwest Highway, the main floor is for funerals and downstairs is where the family’s homemade mini golf course called Ahlgrim Acres has been for 60 years. Reset went on a field trip with our architecture sleuth and Crain’s Chicago Business reporter Dennis Rodkin to check it out.

Reset gears up for Halloween with a deep dive into Chicago history through the lens of the supernatural. Haunted, mysterious Chicago tales live in every corner of the city, and ghost stories can also be history lessons, a unique way to explore and learn. Reset checks in with Adam Selzer, Chicago historian, tour guide and author of Mysterious Chicago. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.