In the Loop

Donda’s House was dissolved last month following a Twitter spat between co-founder Che “Rhymefest” Smith and Kim Kardashian-West. In an effort to distance itself from the drama, the Chicago-based organization is rebranding as Art of Culture inc. Kanye West, Rhymefest and his wife, educator Donnie Smith, co-founded the nonprofit in 2011 to honor West’s late mother, Dr. Donda West. The organization has served more than 500 students in the Chicago area. “This has been an incredibly difficult decision but the social media quotes from Kim Kardashian-West, as well as the expressed interest of her family running the organization, has brought us to this decision,” organizers said in a statement. “We encourage Kim and Kanye to indeed pick up the baton of service.”

In 1953 a young record collector moved up from St. Louis and started his own label, featuring traditional jazz and blues, with many Chicago artists represented. 65 years later, Bob Koester has sold his beloved Delmark Records.  We’ll talk to the new owners-local musicians Elbio Barilari and Julia Miller-to find out why in this digital age they wanted to buy a record label, and what their plans are for Delmark’s vast archives and for the future.

In 1953 a young record collector moved up from St. Louis and started his own label, featuring traditional jazz and blues, with many Chicago artists represented. 65 years later, Bob Koester has sold his beloved Delmark Records.  We’ll talk to the new owners-local musicians Elbio Barilari and Julia Miller-to find out why in this digital age they wanted to buy a record label, and what their plans are for Delmark’s vast archives and for the future.

There’s a crisis brewing in the Latino community when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, and Illinois is not immune. By 2060, the number of Latinos in the United States living with the condition is expected to rise to 3.5 million. That’s up from just 379,000 in 2012. No one knows exactly why Alzheimer’s cases is hitting Latinos so hard, but experts point out a few factors: Latinos are less likely to seek formal treatment for the condition than whites and often face language and cultural barriers when accessing care. In this interview, Morning Shift explores the dynamics of Alzheimer’s disease in the Latino community in our area and what local doctors and organizations are doing to address the meteoric rise of the disease.

There’s a crisis brewing in the Latino community when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, and Illinois is not immune. By 2060, the number of Latinos in the United States living with the condition is expected to rise to 3.5 million. That’s up from just 379,000 in 2012. No one knows exactly why Alzheimer’s cases is hitting Latinos so hard, but experts point out a few factors: Latinos are less likely to seek formal treatment for the condition than whites and often face language and cultural barriers when accessing care. In this interview, Morning Shift explores the dynamics of Alzheimer’s disease in the Latino community in our area and what local doctors and organizations are doing to address the meteoric rise of the disease.

19-year-old Bronzeville native Patricia Frazier was recently named the National Youth Poet Laureate. She’s the first Chicagoan to earn that honor. How did she feel when she won? “I was in shambles,” Frazier said. In this interview with Morning Shift’s Jenn White, Frazier opens up about how growing up in a home that no longer exists shaped her worldview, her activism and her drive to create poetry that explores the idea of “home” and the power it has in our lives. Her forthcoming book Graphite is an ode to her recently-passed grandmother and a meditation on loss and rebirth. It will be published in September. Scroll down to read a poem from the collection.

19-year-old Bronzeville native Patricia Frazier was recently named the National Youth Poet Laureate. She’s the first Chicagoan to earn that honor. How did she feel when she won? “I was in shambles,” Frazier said. In this interview with Morning Shift’s Jenn White, Frazier opens up about how growing up in a home that no longer exists shaped her worldview, her activism and her drive to create poetry that explores the idea of “home” and the power it has in our lives. Her forthcoming book Graphite is an ode to her recently-passed grandmother and a meditation on loss and rebirth. It will be published in September. Scroll down to read a poem from the collection.

Illinois made history Wednesday after lawmakers voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and guarantee equal rights for all citizens regardless of sex. The Illinois House approved the amendment 72-45, making Illinois the 37th state to ratify the federal ERA which was first proposed in 1972. The Senate approved it 43-12 in April. Ratification requires the assent of 38 states, and the move could mean the U.S. is only one state away from a landmark change to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing equal rights for women. House Majority Leader Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) joins the Morning Shift to talk about the ratification of the ERA, which caps off her 40-year legislative career. Meanwhile, the Illinois Senate passed a $38.5 billion state spending plan Wednesday, and as the midnight budget deadline looms, the House is expected to take up the measure Thursday. The budget includes $172 million for the Obama Presidential Center and $53 million down payment on fixes to the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Quincy, where 13 people died in recent years from outbreaks of Legionnaires disease. Democrats and Republicans in Springfield have said they want to avoid confrontation and a showdown of the last budget cycle when lawmakers were at an impasse for two years, and they seem to be headed in that direction.

Illinois made history Wednesday after lawmakers voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and guarantee equal rights for all citizens regardless of sex. The Illinois House approved the amendment 72-45, making Illinois the 37th state to ratify the federal ERA which was first proposed in 1972. The Senate approved it 43-12 in April. Ratification requires the assent of 38 states, and the move could mean the U.S. is only one state away from a landmark change to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing equal rights for women. House Majority Leader Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) joins the Morning Shift to talk about the ratification of the ERA, which caps off her 40-year legislative career. Meanwhile, the Illinois Senate passed a $38.5 billion state spending plan Wednesday, and as the midnight budget deadline looms, the House is expected to take up the measure Thursday. The budget includes $172 million for the Obama Presidential Center and $53 million down payment on fixes to the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Quincy, where 13 people died in recent years from outbreaks of Legionnaires disease. Democrats and Republicans in Springfield have said they want to avoid confrontation and a showdown of the last budget cycle when lawmakers were at an impasse for two years, and they seem to be headed in that direction.

Ever since the release of the video showing a CPD officer fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has faced intense scrutiny and calls for police reform. Between May 29 and June 5, Morning Shift is checking in with the folks behind four proposed plans for civilian oversight of the Chicago Police Department. Two of the plans come from mayoral ally Alderman Ariel Reboyras (30th Ward) and are based on the way things work in Seattle and Los Angeles. The other two are being championed by community groups and give civilians much more power, including the ability to fire top brass in the department and shape policy. In this interview, we break down the plan for the Civilian Police Accountability Council(CPAC), which was endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, Black Lives Matter Chicago, and several other groups. We speak with Frank Chapman, an organizer with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which authored the CPAC plan.