In the Loop

Mayoral candidate Bill Daley has proposed a commuter tax. A UIC professor explains the basics of the tax and how it would work.

A former Illinois republican Governor and a Presidential historian and author talk about the life and legacy of President George H.W. Bush, who recently died.

Eggs, granola, peppermint coffee, last night’s leftovers...according to What Was Breakfast on instagram, these are just a few of the things Chicagoans have for breakfast this week. Each morning, photographer Alan Epstein makes the rounds of Chicago’s Loop, photographing people on the street, and asking them what they just ate for breakfast, just to make conversation. In the process, he’s gotten some surprising answers, and learned about the breakfast habits of everyone from college students to service workers to actor William H. Macy. Epstein joins the Morning Shift for a breakfast-time conversation about his work. LEARN MORE:  ‘What Was Breakfast?’ Instagram Account Gives Street Photographer A Reason To Chat Up Strangers (Block Club Chicago 11/27/18)

We check in with a panel of journalists for their take on some of the week's big local and state stories.

Two activists talk about their efforts to get the city to include a guarantee for affordable housing around the planned Obama Presidential Center.

The hosts of the podcast Yo, Is This Racist?, talk about the show, and how humor is good medicine for the often difficult subject of race.

The federal tax incentive program known as Opportunity Zones is supposed to spur job growth and economic development in struggling communities. But not everyone is convinced it works out that way. We talked with two critics.

Target announced last month it would be closing fives stores nationwide, and two of them...one in Chatham and one in Morgan Park...are on Chicago’s South Side. Residents there are lamenting the retailer’s disinvestment in those communities. As part of the federal tax reform law passed last December something called the Opportunity Zones were created to help spur jobs and economic development in areas like Chatham and other Chicago neighborhoods with greater challenges- such as Englewood and Austin.Right now there are 135 federally designated opportunity zones in low income areas of Chicago.Chicago-based Origin Investments has created a fund that been investing in some of the Opportunity Zones not only in Chicago but other cities around the country. Michael Episcope is principal and co-founder at Origin Investments. He joined us to talk about what Origin is doing and the limitations of the Opportunity Zones program from an investor point of view.

One of the founders of the Chicago Improv Festival reflects on its 20 year run

Two Chicago ER doctors react to the mercy Hospital fatal shooting and say the NRA is wrong to tell doctors to "stay in their lane" and keep out of the gun debate.