In the Loop

A collection of South Asian art, donated by the late arts patron Marilynn Alsdorf is causing problems for the Art Institute of Chicago and raising questions about origin and ownership. ProPublica and Crain’s Chicago Business recently published an investigation which uncovered evidence that at least several pieces in the large collection were stolen and exported illegally. Reset sits down with Elyssa Cherney from Crain’s and Steve Mills from ProPublica to learn more. We also hear from Erin Thompson from the City University of New York. She’s the only art crime professor in America.

In Chicago, the unofficial marker of spring is when the music festival lineups for Lollapalooza and Pitchfork are released. Reset reviewed the 2023 headliners and musical guests for the fests with Ayana Contreras, content director for Vocalo and Leor Galil, writer for the Chicago Reader.

Hundreds of thousands of lead pipes need to be replaced. Homes are flooding due to climate change. Water bills are too high for some residents to afford. And parts of Chicago’s shoreline are falling into the lake. Those are a few of the water issues Chicago’s next mayor will need to address, according to a new op-ed in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Reset speaks with Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, for more.

Teonna Rainwater’s story of abuse is just one of the brutal pieces of historical fiction in the “Yellowstone” prequel “1923.” The hit series has a stellar cast that includes Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and Hammond, Indiana’s own Aminah Nieves.

Reset learns more about Nieves and what it’s like to play her character Teonna Rainwater.

It’s been two decades since the U.S. invaded Iraq over alleged weapons of mass destruction. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed, and no “WMDs” were found. Today many analysts say the war and 2011 American withdrawal destabilized the country and paved the way for the Islamic State’s rise to power in 2014.

Reset hears from Iraqi refugee Ekram Hannah (with MIRA: Middle Eastern Immigrant and Refugee Alliance) and Thomas Day, a former military journalist and veteran, about how they are reflecting on 20 years since the start of the war.

Tens of thousands of children in the Illinois foster care system face a constant cycle of being moved from one place to another. Reset speaks to CBS-2 Chicago investigative journalist Dave Savini about his team’s investigation into this ongoing issue.

Religious imagery, small town ideals, and complicated relationships shape the work of Andy Shauf, a Canadian singer-songwriter. We discuss his interest in God as a concept and the new album Norm.

Andy Shauf joins Reset ahead of his show in Chicago.

The trial of the so-called “ComEd Four” is now underway, and the search for Chicago’s next police superintendent is on. Meanwhile, mayoral endorsements keep rolling in. Reset breaks down these top local stories and more in the Weekly News Recap with The Washington Post’s Kim Bellware, Chicago Tribune’s Ray Long and former CBS-2 politics reporter Derrick Blakley.

The Shedd Aquarium and The Morton Arboretum have been named the first Centers for Species Survival focused on trees and freshwater species. They’re now part of a network of nine other centers around the world.

Reset learns more about how this designation will expand their conservation efforts globally. We check in with Chuck Knapp, vice president of conservation research at Shedd Aquarium and co-chair of the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group; Silvia Alvarez Clare, director of global tree conservation at the Morton Arboretum; and Karen Weigert, director of Loyola University Chicago’s Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility.

Groups opposed to the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merger say they don’t want the additional noise, potential disruptions and increased risk of crashes and exposure to hazardous materials the merger could bring. Reset learns more about the deal from WTTW investigative reporter and producer Jared Rutecki.