In the Loop

When you walk into a pharmacy two things are expected by customers: the prescription will be filled quickly and safely. But according to an investigation by The Chicago Tribune, the two are not always mutually exclusive.

An investigation published Thursday by the Chicago Tribune shows that more than half of Chicagoland pharmacists did not warn patients of dangerous drug combinations. It’s the type of advice pharmacists are supposed to give to customers, but at both chains and independent shops, pharmacists routinely failed to speak up when filling two prescriptions that have known to interact and cause health problems for patients.  Morning Shift talks to Todd Lee, professor and head of research for pharmacy systems, outcomes and policy at UIC’s School of Pharmacy about the investigation, what type of medical knowledge pharmacists have, and what they are responsible for telling customers who fill prescriptions.

Baking extraordinaire Dorie Greenspan says she wants to expand the idea of what a cookie can be. In her new book Dorie’s Cookies, she attempts to do just that, offering up 170 recipes that go beyond mere chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. 

According to federal data, Illinois has the third most recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival, otherwise known as DACA, in the country. One of those applicants is Karla Robles, an undocumented student at Loyola University who is attending school thanks in large part to the DACA program. The 2012 executive order gave undocumented children, brought to the United States as minors, renewable two-year periods of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit.  So what’s next for the thousands of undocumented minors who came out of the shadows to register for the DACA program? Morning Shift talks to Robles about how DACA impacted her life and what fears she has as inauguration day creeps closer.

Despite living relatively close to each other in Chicago, musicians Abraham Levitan and Devin Davis decided to work on an album long-distance, and in slow motion. Levitan would write the skeletons of melodies and lyrics, and share the files electronically with Davis, who would painstakingly flesh them out with full orchestrations. The process took 2 and a half years, but the final product-cheekily called Spontaneity has finally arrived.  Levitan and Davis talk to the Morning Shift about the process and give us a taste of what it was like to put the project together.

The prevalence of guns, the city’s segregation and the lack of economic opportunities in disadvantaged neighborhoods were just some of the issues raised during “The View From My Block,” a three-hour, call-in special from WBEZ and WVON that examined causes and solutions to Chicago’s rising gun violence. 

For years, Illinois has had a long backlog of people seeking clemency from the governor. Gov. Bruce Rauner said he has all but eliminated the backlog by denying about 97 percent of clemency requests, granting only 79 pardons out of the 2,333 clemency requests he has decided, the majority of which were left over from past administrations.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, Broadway’s longest-running show, is making its way to Chicago and bringing a new rising star with it: stage actor Derrick Davis. Though Davis isn’t the first African-American actor to don the Phantom mask--preceded by Norm Lewis and Robert Guillame--he is the first black Phantom to be chosen for the U.S. tour. And with the success of Hamilton, and shows like Allegiance and The Color Purple revival, the theater may have never been so rich with opportunities for actors of color. Morning Shift talks to Derrick Davis about landing the iconic role and the future of diversity in the theater.

Misericordia is a city within a city on Chicago’s far-north side. Each day is filled wit, support, possibility, and opportunity for 600 children and adults with developmental disabilities. A new book by legendary photojournalist and celebrity photographer Steve Schapiro captured thoughtful, tender, and often whimsical moments with the residents, staff and volunteers. We talk to Schapiro about the project.  We also talk with the woman considered the engine behind Misericordia-Sister Rosemary Connelly, who opened the facility in 1976 and has grown it to what it is through love, patience, and sheer determination.

Donald Trump and his pick for head of the Environmental Protection Agency have said they disagree with provisions of the Clean Water Act and the Clean Water Rule. Morning Shift talks to Henry Henderson, director of the Midwest Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council here in Chicago, about what his organization is doing to ensure the Great Lakes is protected in the future.