In the Loop

In January 2015 Governor Rauner appointed George Sheldon to head up Illinois’s beleaguered Department of Children and Family Services. Sheldon had previously served in similar posts in the state of Florida and at the federal level. Rauner hoped Sheldon could set DCFS on the right path after years of scandals and a rotating cast of directors.  He’s working on it. By October, Sheldon hopes to finalize the Illinois Child Welfare Strategic Plan, a kind of manual for the department’s plans for the next four years.  Most recently, he’s been pushing a proposal that would, among other things, provide addiction treatment for mothers without separating them from their children. He speaks with Morning Shift's Tony Sarabia about that plan and about the future of child welfare in Illinois.

Phyllis Schlafly was known as the "first lady of the conservative movement" by her legions of admirers. Her rise to prominence started in the 1950s with her crusade against communism. But she might be most remembered for her battle against equal rights for women -- a fight she waged here in Illinois. Schlafly died Monday at the age of 92.  Chicago magazine writer Carol Felsenthal wrote her biography in 1981, and she's on the line to talk about Schlafly’s Illinois legacy.

Addison Russell’s talent was never secret. He was picked 11th overall by the Oakland A’s in 2012. Two years later he was traded to the Cubs, and began last season as Baseball America’s #3 prospect. But this is Russell’s first full year as a starter in the majors. And what a year it’s been so far. WBEZ’s sports contributor Cheryl Raye Stout talked with Addison Russell about his young family, and his quick development into a major league star.

Multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird has long taken what you might call an acrobatic approach to songwriting. The Illinois native is playing a show tonight at Millennium Park, but we have the honor of having him here in our studio.  Morning Shift's Tony Sarabia talks with Bird about his new record. But first, let’s hear some music.

The 2016-2017 school year kicks off today for Chicago Public School students. But from last month’s mass layoffs, to a possible teachers strike, to lead in the the drinking fountains, a lot of questions are lingering as the year begins. WBEZ education reporters Sarah Karp and Becky Vevea join us live from two different CPS schools to help us break down the big issues and find out when students, teachers and taxpayers will get some answers. We also take calls from parents about what the first day of school has been like for their families.

We are living in an information age dominated by big data, and it can be hard to make heads or tails of what’s true and when someone’s trying to fool you. Just look at the presidential race. It seems very day there’s a new presidential poll that gives out information different from the one that came before. Every morning, when we check the news, we have to suss out the truth from not only the statements our candidates are making, but the opinions of various pundits and talking heads. So in a world of half-truths and innuendoes, how do you assess what’s true and what’s not?  Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin thinks he can help. His new book A Field Guide To Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age is a sort of manual for helping you navigate the overwhelming rush of information and opinion coming your way each day in our digital world. He joins the Morning Shift to talk about some strategies for sniffing out the truth from the half-truths and misinformation.

From broad stripes to bright stars, Francis Scott Key's "Star-Spangled Banner" made its way to become our national anthem more than 100 years after it was written. Everyone knows at least some of the words, but did you know that there are missing lyrics?  The anthem is at the center of a debate over patriotism after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the song during pre-season play, saying he will continue to do so as a protest against racial oppression. Morning Shift talks to Brenda Stevenson, American history professor at UCLA, about the song’s forgotten lyrics, its history and how it figures into our definition of patriotic etiquette in America.

Instead of “excuse me” or “pardon me” it’s become more common to say “I’m sorry” in a social situation that gives you pause. This is especially true for women, some of whom find themselves apologizing even when the offense is made by someone else. We talk to writer Sloane Crosley about her theory on why this is and the science that supports it. She wrote “Why Women Apologize and Should Stop” for the New York Times.

Tribune Media announced this week that a Los Angeles developer has purchased the iconic Tribune Tower for $240 million, and that changes are on the way. For the latest installment in our What’s That Building? series, Morning Shift talks to Garrett Karp of the Chicago Architecture Foundation about the history and architectural significance of the 1925 Gothic revival building on Michigan Avenue in the heart of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.  We also open up the phones to listeners and hear from WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout about her father, who worked in the building for more than three decades. 

What exactly is Donald Trump’s immigration policy, how much of it is different from the current administration’s, and how much could he actually put into effect if he were president? We talk to Politico’s Shane Goldmacher to shed some light on what are Trump’s plans for immigrants to the US.