In the Loop

How is Illinois’ weed industry doing two years in? The state promised legalizing recreational cannabis would bring a windfall of tax revenue and would incorporate social equity as a core value of the industry. Reset checks in with Tom Schuba, a Chicago Sun-Times reporter covering cannabis, about what progress has been made and what still needs to be done.

Guest: Tom Schuba, Chicago Sun-Times

Producer: Meha Ahmad, Andrew Meriwether

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

More than 150 Chicago-area convenience stores are now selling a new low-nicotine cigarette that can help you smoke less.The company, 22nd Century Group, is able to market the product in this way after gaining special authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

Reset learns more about this decision, what it means for the tobacco industry at large and why it’s drawn criticism from some medical experts.

Guests: Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune health care business reporter, John Pritchard, vice president of regulatory science for 22nd Century Group, Thomas Carr, national director of policy for the American Lung Association

Producer: Stephanie Kim, Andrew Meriwether

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

Earlier this year, Congress passed the No Surprise Act, that looked to cap big bills from private medical companies and independent physicians. Yet, uninsured patients are still being blind-sided in tens of thousands of dollars in bills.

Reset examines the inaccessible healthcare here in Chicago.

Guests: Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ’s public health and politics reporter

Carrie Chapman, senior director of policy and advocacy at the Legal Council for Health Justice in Chicago, Edith Avila Olea, policy manager with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Producer: Isabelle Earl, Andrew Meriwether

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

Illinois lawmakers pass a $46 billion budget plan over the weekend after a marathon session in Springfield. Meanwhile, another candidate enters the 2023 mayoral race. Plus, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s pick for Chicago’s next inspector general passes a key test.

Reset goes behind the headlines on the Weekly News Recap with The Daily Line reporter Erin Hegarty and David Greising, president and CEO of the Better Government Association

Producer: Lynnea Domienik, Andrew Meriwether

Host: Natalie Moore

Harold Washington died months into his second term as Chicago’s first Black mayor but he left an impact people can still see in the city today.

Reset hears about a new exhibit at the Harold Washington Library celebrating his contributions to Chicago.

You can learn more about Harold Washington’s time in politics and relevance today At the Table with Laura Washington & Lynn Sweet virtual event, April 21st.

Guests: Stacie Williams, Division Chief of Archives and Special Collections at the Chicago Public Library

Producer: Brenda Ruiz, Claire Hyman, Andrew Meriwether

Host: Becky Vevea

Comedian Negin Farsad is coming to town to showcase her new stand-up show, Negin Farsad Presents: An Evening of Comedy From Her Mouth Hole. Reset chats with her about creating art in quarantine, hosting a podcast and mixing politics with humor.

Guest: Negin Farsad, comedian

Producers: Claire Hyman, Andrew Meriwether

Host: Becky Vevea

Maternal deaths rose during the first year of the pandemic by 14 percent, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. But the mortality rate of Black women was nearly three times that of white women.

For Black Maternal Health Week, Reset learns more about the health disparities Black women are more likely to face during and after pregnancy and local efforts to reduce them.

Guests: Karie Stewart, director of midwifery services at UChicago Medicine, Stephanie Ivey, patient at UChicago Medicine, Felicia Davis Blakley, president and CEO of the Chicago Foundation for Women

Producer: Stephanie Kim, Andrew Meriwether

Host: Michael Puente

Illinois Democrats have approved a balanced budget plan for 2023 that includes $1.8 billion in tax cuts and direct inflation payments for thousands of residents across the state.

Reset checks in with two reporters for the latest in Springfield.

Guests: Dave McKinney, WBEZ state politics reporter, Hannah Meisel, NPR Illinois government and politics editor

Producer: Andrew Meriwether

Host: Michael Puente

Lawmakers looking to get tough on crime and give back money to taxpayers before wrapping up the spring legislative session. South Side Alderman Ray Lopez becomes the first candidate to challenge Mayor Lightfoot, while the Mayor’s gas giveaway proposal stalls in City Council. Reset goes behind the headlines on the Weekly News Recap.

Guests: Paris Schutz, reporter and anchor, WTTW-TV, John Chase, Deputy Metro Editor, Chicago Tribune

Producer: Andrea Guthmann, Andrew Meriwether

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons

The Biden administration announced Wednesday it’s again extending the moratorium on federal student loan payments until Aug. 31. The U.S. Department of Education also plans on resetting the accounts of seven million borrowers who are in default.

Reset learns more about how these repeated extensions are affecting borrowers and what else could be done to address the $1.6 trillion Americans owe in student debt.

Guest: Natalia Abrams, president and founder of Student Debt Crisis Center

Producer: Christian Elliott, Andrew Meriwether

Host: Sasha-Ann Simons