In the Loop

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. 

The Chicago City Council voted to approve the Obama Presidential Center, but punted on the question of a police training academy. Ida B. Wells may be honored with a new street name downtown. And an Irish developer backed out of a plan to redevelop the South Works steel site on the far South Side.  Those are just a few of the big local and state stories we’re tackling in our this week’s Friday News Roundup. As always, we’ve put together a great panel of journalists to help us review and analyze the news.  Morning Shift talks with:Chicago Tribune reporter Lolly Bowean Chicago-based freelance journalist Kim Bellware And Alby Gallun, real estate reporter with Crain’s Chicago Business. 

The Chicago City Council voted to approve the Obama Presidential Center, but punted on the question of a police training academy. Ida B. Wells may be honored with a new street name downtown. And an Irish developer backed out of a plan to redevelop the South Works steel site on the far South Side.  Those are just a few of the big local and state stories we’re tackling in our this week’s Friday News Roundup. As always, we’ve put together a great panel of journalists to help us review and analyze the news.  Morning Shift talks with:Chicago Tribune reporter Lolly Bowean Chicago-based freelance journalist Kim Bellware And Alby Gallun, real estate reporter with Crain’s Chicago Business. 

You know that old saying about two things you can’t escape: death and taxes? These days it seems there should be a third: rising healthcare costs. Healthcare costs is something that hits everyone — from patients and doctors to hospitals and insurance companies. But what if those costs could be reduced by going back in time, when people had a more personal relationship with their doctor rather than today’s almost assembly line approach to personal healthcare? That’s what’s being tried at a clinic out of the University of Chicago. Dr. David Meltzer wanted to put a value on the doctor-patient relationship by, first and foremost, getting doctors to spend more time with their patients.  Morning Shift talks to Dr. Meltzer, an economist, primary care physician and the principal investigator at the University of Chicago’s Comprehensive Care Program. We also talk to Dr. Anshu Verma, the director of clinical operations at University of Chicago’s Comprehensive Care Program.

You know that old saying about two things you can’t escape: death and taxes? These days it seems there should be a third: rising healthcare costs. Healthcare costs is something that hits everyone — from patients and doctors to hospitals and insurance companies. But what if those costs could be reduced by going back in time, when people had a more personal relationship with their doctor rather than today’s almost assembly line approach to personal healthcare? That’s what’s being tried at a clinic out of the University of Chicago. Dr. David Meltzer wanted to put a value on the doctor-patient relationship by, first and foremost, getting doctors to spend more time with their patients.  Morning Shift talks to Dr. Meltzer, an economist, primary care physician and the principal investigator at the University of Chicago’s Comprehensive Care Program. We also talk to Dr. Anshu Verma, the director of clinical operations at University of Chicago’s Comprehensive Care Program.

It seems like there are four basic food groups in Chicago: pizza, either deep dish or pub style; hot dogs (with no ketchup, of course); and gyros.  Then there’s the fourth — the Italian beef sandwich, which some say is the most important one. This week, we’re celebrating National Italian Beef Week (who knew, right?), and Morning Shift host Tony Sarabia talks to Chris Zucchero, co-owner and manager of the legendary Mr. Beef in River North, which was founded by his father and uncle. 

It seems like there are four basic food groups in Chicago: pizza, either deep dish or pub style; hot dogs (with no ketchup, of course); and gyros.  Then there’s the fourth — the Italian beef sandwich, which some say is the most important one. This week, we’re celebrating National Italian Beef Week (who knew, right?), and Morning Shift host Tony Sarabia talks to Chris Zucchero, co-owner and manager of the legendary Mr. Beef in River North, which was founded by his father and uncle. 

Morning Shift opens up the phones to hear from listeners about their favorite places to camp that don’t require long treks from the city.p the phones to hear from listeners about their favorite places to camp that don’t require long treks from the city.

Morning Shift opens up the phones to hear from listeners about their favorite places to camp that don’t require long treks from the city.p the phones to hear from listeners about their favorite places to camp that don’t require long treks from the city.

In Chicago, when we talk about gun violence, we’re usually talking about homicides -- shootings, or gang activity. Nationally, that conversation usually centers around school shootings. But in rural Illinois, between 2012 and 2016, gun violence looks much different. More than 80 percent of gun-related deaths in rural Illinois were suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And that’s about 20 points higher than the national average. Morning Shift talks to Madelyn Beck, reporter for the Illinois Newsroom, who has been reporting on suicides downstate as part of Illinois Newsroom’s gun violence series. We also hear from Doreen Marshall, Vice President of Programs for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.