In the Loop

As the majority of the public and the media concentrates on President Trump’s immigration order, his SCOTUS pick, and his cabinet selections, The man he put in charge of the FCC has already made several moves that could be described as anti-consumer. From ‘net neutrality to breaking free from the cable box, we’ll talk with technology reporter Brian Fung from The Washington Post about what’s ahead for your cable, phone, and internet under the Trump administration.

Many people are allergic to trees, pollen and other allergens that show up during the spring and summer, but plenty of us also experience so-called “winter allergies.” Morning Shift spoke to allergist Dr. Baiju Malde, a clinical instructor with Northwestern Medical Group, about what causes allergic reactions during the winter and how to best diagnose, prevent and treat those allergies.

After President Trump’s executive order last week barring immigrants from seven countries, Democrats wasted little time responding. Republicans weren’t so quick to publicly disagree. But when they did release statements, some were open about their dismay with specific parts of the order. Congressman Randy Hultgren of Illinois’ 14th District released a statement calling it, among other things, quote overly broad. And, in his new role as Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the Congressman released a statement saying this role means he will protect refugees. He joins us now from Washington...welcome Congressman Hultgren.

Police in Chicago Public Schools are nothing new. But after several months of investigating, City Bureau and the Chicago Reader found no specialized training for school police, and little in the way of oversight from either the Chicago Police Department or CPS. Morning Shift talks to Yana Kunichoff, reporter for City Bureau, about her findings.

Alderman Brendan Reilly wants to turn down the volume in the 42nd ward. On January 25, Reilly introduced an ordinance that would limit where street musicians can perform in his ward, including many downtown hotspots like Michigan Avenue and other stretches in the Loop and Streeterville. Mary Wisniewski of the Chicago Tribune spoke with some street musicians that might migrate to the subway if the ordinance gets approved. Wisniewski explains the details of the ordinance and its possible consequences to Morning Shift’s Tony Sarabia.

Starting in 2015, Chicago Public Schools made changes to the way that it grades schools, giving more weight to progress and less weight to achievement. These days, nearly two-thirds of schools receive the equivalent of an A or a B grade. The district says that reflecting progress is fair. But critics argue that CPS has shifted the goal posts to give the impression that schools have been performing much better over time, which hasn’t always been the case.  Morning Shift talks to WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp about her investigation into how CPS schools are graded. Her web article is called 'New Yardstick Driving Better Grades For CPS School, Not Better Grades.'

Emmett Till was a 14-year-old black Chicagoan who was beaten and killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman while visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955.The story of Till’s murder is getting increased attention because of a confession from Till’s accuser, Carolyn Bryant, that she falsely testified Till made verbal and physical threats. Timothy Tyson, author of the new book The Blood Of Emmett Till, where Bryant’s confession first appears, said it’s not just the confession that should be news. Tyson explains how the Till murder and trial shaped racial history in a time of tumult.

Illinois’ budget stalemate has public universities worried about their future. One school hit particularly hard is Chicago State University. Enrollment is way down and staff have lost their jobs. But an investigation from the Chicago Tribune shows the school still pursued ambitions of growth, working toward opening a second campus on the city’s West Side. And taxpayers footed the bill for some of that planning. Morning Shift talks to the Tribune's Higher Education reporter Dawn Rhodes, co-writer of the story.

After President Donald Trump issues his executive order temporarily barring immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups filed lawsuits across the country to block the order. Many of them were successful. So, after all of this legal action and rulings by state and federal judges, where does the travel ban stand now?  Morning Shift talks to Mark Joseph Stern, a writer for Slate covering law and LGBT issues, about what effect the barrage of lawsuits has had on the Trump administration’s policy. 

How does the president's immigration order trickle down to hospitals and patients? Dr. Darrel G. Kirch, President & CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges and Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Senior advisor and former president of the Syrian American Medical Society join our discussion.