In the Loop

Chicago might not seem like it’s prone to disasters, but hundreds of scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory are using the city as a testing ground for the apocalypse. Chicago Magazine’s Bryan Smith visited the laboratory’s Global Security Sciences division -- the so-called “doomsday squad” -- and wrote about the team’s simulations of how the city could react to earthquakes, deadly viruses, cyberattacks and a zombie outbreak.

Thousands of people will be lining up at bakeries for a jelly-filled doughnut as they celebrate Paczki Day. The popular Polish pastries are usually consumed as a pre-celebration prior to Lent. Morning Shift talks to Ashok Selvam, senior editor at Eater Chicago, about the cultural history behind the paczki and the closing of a popular Swedish Bakery. 

Morning Shift talks to Ryan Lenz, senior writer for the Intelligence Project with Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit advocacy group that tracks hate groups, crimes, and extremism in America. 

Homeownership has always been one of the pillars of the American Dream. For the average person or family, it’s the biggest investment they’ll make, and much of their net worth — and maybe even their sense of self-worth — can be tied up in that piece of property. Historically, the prospect of owning a home and reaping benefits from it’s value have been more challenging for African Americans. Using her parent’s and her own story as examples, WBEZ reporter Natalie Moore explores those challenges in a new radio documentary called Black Homeownership: The Promise And The Pitfalls.

Each Saturday evangelical talk radio host Julie Roys broadcasts her show Up For Debate to Christians across North America from her studio in Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute. The question she asked for her latest show was: How should Christians respond to the refugee crisis? And is it wrong to limit or reject refugees coming from other countries into the United States? Morning Shift spoke with Roys about the different points of view that evangelicals have on refugees and we take calls from WBEZ and Up For Debate listeners to get the evangelical radio and public radio audiences talking to one another about this important issue affecting the nation.

The new podcast, Bronzeville, brings the 1940s metropolis on Chicago's South Side to life with tales of gangsters, grifters, gamblers and regular people trying to get by. Bronzeville is a scripted radio drama featuring several notable African-American actors like Laurence Fishburne, Tracee Ellis Ross and Larenz Tate. WBEZ's Jenn White spoke with Tate, who's also Bronzeville's co-director and co-executive producer, as well as his brother co-executive producer LaRonTate and writer Josh Olsen. 

After weeks of studying Alexander Hamilton and the other founding fathers, hundreds of high school students from Chicago got a chance to watch a matinee of the hit musical “Hamilton” in downtown Chicago on Wednesday. The program also included a Q&A with the actors and musical performance by some of the students. WBEZ caught up with a few of the CPS students and teachers during the program to hear what they learned from the experience. Morning Shift also talked to James Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, about bringing the Hamilton education program to Chicago.

How can asking questions be a skill? Longtime journalist Frank Sesno thinks asking the right question can change your life. In his new book, Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions and Spark Change, he examines the different types of questions we should ask through the experiences of people—including Colin Powell and NPR’s Terry Gross—who have learned the power of effective questioning. Sesno joins the Morning Shift to share what he’s learned about the importance of asking more.

Fantasy and science fiction writer is the author of three critically-acclaimed and best-selling series, including the Dreamblood duology, and she’s the first black author to win a prestigious award for science fiction writing. The honor did not come easily. Her work has been the target of a group called the Puppies, which is set on preventing women, people of color and LGBT writers from steering the genre in a new direction. Last year, the Puppy campaign couldn’t stop Jemisin. Her book The Fifth Season won the Hugo award for best novel. Morning Shift talks to N.K. Jemisin about what it’s been like to be at the forefront of the conversation about race and diversity in sci-fi and fantasy fiction.

New Trier High School in north suburban Winnetka is ranked one of the best high schools in the country. In 2016, Newsweek put it at 17th. It also boasts an impressive list of alumni, including Donald Rumsfeld and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. It does, however, lack racial diversity; it’s 85 percent white. New Trier is taking the opportunity to create conversations around the topic of race, which may be difficult for students living in a predominately white area.  On Monday, students will choose two workshops centered around the topic, “Understanding Today’s Struggle for Civil Rights.” The schedule of guests has some parents alleging it leans too liberal, and needs to include other political points of view. We talked to parents on each side of the issue.