In the Loop

Morning Shift is sitting down with all 10 candidates who want to replace Lisa Madigan as Illinois attorney general to hear about their backgrounds, their platforms, and their aspirations for the office. The field includes eight Democrats and two Republicans and features a state Senator, a state rep, a former governor, a former federal prosecutor, the former head of the Independent Police Review Authority, and more.  As you might expect, many of them have practiced law or are currently lawyers. One of those is Jesse Ruiz. In 2015, Ruiz served for a few months as the interim CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and is currently both a partner at the Chicago law firm Drinker Biddle and president of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners. Morning Shift talks to Jesse Ruiz about why he thinks he should be the next attorney general for the state of Illinois.

Morning Shift is sitting down with all 10 candidates who want to replace Lisa Madigan as Illinois attorney general to hear about their backgrounds, their platforms, and their aspirations for the office. The field includes eight Democrats and two Republicans and features a state Senator, a state rep, a former governor, a former federal prosecutor, the former head of the Independent Police Review Authority, and more.  As you might expect, many of them have practiced law or are currently lawyers. One of those is Jesse Ruiz. In 2015, Ruiz served for a few months as the interim CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and is currently both a partner at the Chicago law firm Drinker Biddle and president of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners. Morning Shift talks to Jesse Ruiz about why he thinks he should be the next attorney general for the state of Illinois.

On today’s show: To discuss President Trump's recent disparaging comments about immigration and reactions from Chicago’s Haitian community, we’re joined by Monique Germain, president of the Midwest Association of Haitian-American Women and a member of the Illinois Chapter of Haitian-American Nurses.WBEZ film contributor Milos Stehlik of Facets Chicago discusses an open letter against the #MeToo movement from 100 French female performers and scholars, including film legend Catherine Denueve and writer Catherine Millet, and reviews the fashioned-themed historical drama, The Phantom Thread, which could be Daniel Day-Lewis’ final acting performance. We speak with a group of Chicago artists working across mediums to theorize how justice can be had for Chicago’s marginalized communities.

Morning Shift is back with another weekly news roundup. Each Friday, we interview three local journalists from inside and outside the WBEZ newsroom to bring context and analysis to the biggest Chicagoland and Illinois news stories of the week.  WBEZ’s Friday Chicago and Illinois News Roundup will also be available as a podcast. For this Friday’s installment, our panel touches on a number of big stories, including Governor Rauner’s school funding veto, the mayor’s race, the latest updates on the Obama Center and the Oprah 2020 hubbub. 

Morning Shift is back with another weekly news roundup. Each Friday, we interview three local journalists from inside and outside the WBEZ newsroom to bring context and analysis to the biggest Chicagoland and Illinois news stories of the week.  WBEZ’s Friday Chicago and Illinois News Roundup will also be available as a podcast. For this Friday’s installment, our panel touches on a number of big stories, including Governor Rauner’s school funding veto, the mayor’s race, the latest updates on the Obama Center and the Oprah 2020 hubbub. 

A year ago this weekend, the Department of Justice issued a scathing report of the Chicago Police Department’s practices. The report called out CPD for a pattern of excessive force, poor training and a subpar system for disciplining officers for misconduct.  Morning Shift talks with Vanita Gupta, former head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division about the findings in the report as well as her continued fight for civil rights on many fronts.

A year ago this weekend, the Department of Justice issued a scathing report of the Chicago Police Department’s practices. The report called out CPD for a pattern of excessive force, poor training and a subpar system for disciplining officers for misconduct.  Morning Shift talks with Vanita Gupta, former head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division about the findings in the report as well as her continued fight for civil rights on many fronts.

Chicago may have been named Restaurant City of the Year in 2017 by Bon Appétit magazine, but there are some signs of distress in the industry. The city was forced to say goodbye to critically-acclaimed favorites (41 Grams, the Pump Room, Grace, to name a few). From rising rent costs to a shrinking pool of hospitality talent, restaurateurs are facing more challenges than ever in an already high-failure industry. Is Chicago’s restaurant scene a bubble about to burst? Chicago magazine contributor Peter Frost and Eater Chicago senior editor Ashok Selvam stop by the Morning Shift to break down the pressing and growing challenges of trying to open up the city’s “next hot restaurant.”

Chicago may have been named Restaurant City of the Year in 2017 by Bon Appétit magazine, but there are some signs of distress in the industry. The city was forced to say goodbye to critically-acclaimed favorites (41 Grams, the Pump Room, Grace, to name a few). From rising rent costs to a shrinking pool of hospitality talent, restaurateurs are facing more challenges than ever in an already high-failure industry. Is Chicago’s restaurant scene a bubble about to burst? Chicago magazine contributor Peter Frost and Eater Chicago senior editor Ashok Selvam stop by the Morning Shift to break down the pressing and growing challenges of trying to open up the city’s “next hot restaurant.”

We continue our series “Our Representatives,” where we check in with the 26 congressmen, congresswomen and senators who represent the WBEZ-listening area in Washington. Morning Shift sits down with Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth one year after assuming her role in the Senate. The Democrat and Iraq War veteran shares her thoughts on the Trump administration's immigration policies, defense spending, the possibility of a government shutdown this month, and more.