In the Loop

Five years ago Charlene Carruthers helped form the Black Youth Project 100 after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the murder of Trayvon Martin. Since then, the Chicago-based organization has grown into a national operation focused on everything from police accountability to universal child care to the decriminalization of marijuana. Last week Carruthers announced she will step down as the national director of BYP 100 at the end of the year.  Morning Shift talks with Carruthers about the work she’s done over the last five years, how BYP 100 has grown, and what’s next for her. 

In the near future, any sound above a whisper can kill. At least that’s the premise of the new film A Quiet Place, starring Emily Blunt and the film’s director John Krasinski. The film follows the Abbott family in a post-apocalyptic future, where blind aliens with incredibly sensitive hearing track their prey — in this case, the human race — by hearing even the smallest sound. The Abbotts manage to avoid attracting the aliens’ attentions because with a deaf daughter, played by Millicent Simmonds, they’ve learned to largely communicate using American Sign Language. Following critically-acclaimed films like Wonderstruck, The Shape of Water, The Tribe, The Silent Child, and Baby Driver — A Quiet Place is the latest in a growing list of movies in recent years to feature main characters who are deaf or exhibit some form of hearing loss. Morning Shift talks to Lennard Davis, a professor in the English Department in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a specialist in disability studies, about this cinematic trend.

In the near future, any sound above a whisper can kill. At least that’s the premise of the new film A Quiet Place, starring Emily Blunt and the film’s director John Krasinski. The film follows the Abbott family in a post-apocalyptic future, where blind aliens with incredibly sensitive hearing track their prey — in this case, the human race — by hearing even the smallest sound. The Abbotts manage to avoid attracting the aliens’ attentions because with a deaf daughter, played by Millicent Simmonds, they’ve learned to largely communicate using American Sign Language. Following critically-acclaimed films like Wonderstruck, The Shape of Water, The Tribe, The Silent Child, and Baby Driver — A Quiet Place is the latest in a growing list of movies in recent years to feature main characters who are deaf or exhibit some form of hearing loss. Morning Shift talks to Lennard Davis, a professor in the English Department in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a specialist in disability studies, about this cinematic trend.

The Waffle House shooting suspect’s Illinois roots. Developments in the race for Chicago mayor. A prisoner languishing in the Cook County Jail. 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 WGN-TV anchor and investigative reporter Lourdes Duarte and veteran journalist Charlie Meyerson, publisher of ChicagoPublicSquare.com, a free daily email newsletter.

The Waffle House shooting suspect’s Illinois roots. Developments in the race for Chicago mayor. A prisoner languishing in the Cook County Jail. 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 WGN-TV anchor and investigative reporter Lourdes Duarte and veteran journalist Charlie Meyerson, publisher of ChicagoPublicSquare.com, a free daily email newsletter.

When Johnny Iguana was 22 years old, he met one of his musical heroes, the great Chicago bluesman Junior Wells. Wells was so impressed with the kid’s keyboard chops, he took him on the road with him for the next 3 years. Since then, Iguana has been playing and recording nearly non-stop with blues legends, and for the last 5 years with his own band The Claudettes. The Claudettes have a new album out--Dance Scandal At The Gymnasium!--and Johnny Iguana joins us to talk about the latest release and some of the other interesting projects he’s got going.

When Johnny Iguana was 22 years old, he met one of his musical heroes, the great Chicago bluesman Junior Wells. Wells was so impressed with the kid’s keyboard chops, he took him on the road with him for the next 3 years. Since then, Iguana has been playing and recording nearly non-stop with blues legends, and for the last 5 years with his own band The Claudettes. The Claudettes have a new album out--Dance Scandal At The Gymnasium!--and Johnny Iguana joins us to talk about the latest release and some of the other interesting projects he’s got going.

In corporate speak they’re called "wellness benefits." Maybe it’s tools to help you stop smoking. Maybe it’s a yoga class in the office. These physical, mental, and spiritual programs are a way to reduce employees' stress, boost performance, and show potential hires a company cares about its employees. Global consulting firm Deloitte recently surveyed thousands of people to see what wellness benefits folks valued the most, and compared benefits most often provided. What benefits does your employer offer? What do you think of them? Which benefits do you wish you had?  Morning Shift talks to Mary Lynn Fayoumi, the president and CEO of the Management Association of Illinois, about wellness benefits offered by employers.

In corporate speak they’re called "wellness benefits." Maybe it’s tools to help you stop smoking. Maybe it’s a yoga class in the office. These physical, mental, and spiritual programs are a way to reduce employees' stress, boost performance, and show potential hires a company cares about its employees. Global consulting firm Deloitte recently surveyed thousands of people to see what wellness benefits folks valued the most, and compared benefits most often provided. What benefits does your employer offer? What do you think of them? Which benefits do you wish you had?  Morning Shift talks to Mary Lynn Fayoumi, the president and CEO of the Management Association of Illinois, about wellness benefits offered by employers.

The Obama-era net neutrality rules meant to ensure all Internet traffic is treated equally officially expired Monday.