In the Loop

Despite tearful pleas from his two daughters, Judge James Zagel did not grant former Governor Blagojevich a reduced sentence. He has eight years remaining on his time in prison for corruption. The Governor appeared from a TV screen in the Colorado prison where he’s serving his time. WBEZ’s Michael Puente was there, and he has the play by play.

The Brunswick label was one of the biggest players in the Chicago Soul scene, and one of the key men behind the sounds at Brunswick was Willie Henderson. The musician, producer and arranger worked with artists like Otis Rush, Syl Johnson, Jackie Wilson, the Chi-Lites, and so many others.  Yet for all his work making others sound great, he might be best known for a song about dancing poultry. Ayana Contreras joins us with examples of Willie Henderson’s work as he turns 75.

Protests in Chicago last weekend over the death of Paul O’Neal are just the latest in a public outcry against police-involved shootings, particularly against black men.  Mychal Denzel Smith's new memoir, Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching: A Black Man’s Education, delves deeper into that issue to uncover the struggles that black men, black women and black LGBT people face every day as they navigate through life.  Morning Shift talks to Smith about the inspiration behind his book and his path to activism.

For 150 years, the family and friends of Chicago suburban man Robert Kennicott believed the scientist had killed himself during a Smithsonian expedition in Alaska. Years later, two anthropologists from the same institution Kennicott helped establish have discovered the true cause of his death.  We talk to Washington Post reporter Sarah Kaplan about her story around the mysterious death of Robert Kennicott.

Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson on this day two years ago in Ferguson, near St. Louis.  That shooting sparked weeks of protests and unrest in the community and brought international attention to relations between police and African Americans. The shooting led the Justice Department to demand that Ferguson overhaul its criminal justice system. It also ushered in a new administration.  De’Carlon Seewood moved from the Chicago southwest suburb of Richton Park last fall to become Ferguson’s new city manager after the former city manager resigned. We talk to Seewood about the Ferguson of today.

The latest videos of the events leading up to the death of 18-year-old Paul O’Neal show several minutes of chaos as police try to piece together what just happened.  There was a car chase, then foot chase and the rapid fire of gunshots had some officers confused on the source of the bullets. All of these videos made public prompted Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson to tell reporters Saturday that officers face “split second decisions”. He went on to say policing is a difficult job that most people don’t understand.  Someone who does understand the job is Dean Angelo, Sr., president of the Fraternal Order of Police. He offers insight into those decisions and the challenges of the job.

A new video shows the moments before a fatal Chicago police shooting of an unarmed teenager suspected of car theft. Chicago took to the streets two days after the release.

On Friday, the district announced they were cutting nearly 500 CPS teaching and 500 support staff positions. CPS says the move is a response to changing enrollment numbers, and those people affected are eligible to apply for other jobs in the school district.

llinois is the fourth-largest seller of pigs in the country. All those pigs are raised in “hog confinement” facilities that have rapidly grown around the state over the past 20 years. A Chicago Tribune investigation is examining the impact of those facilities on the environment, other farmers, and adjoining communities. Reporter David Jackson joins us to talk about the series.

In the latest installment of our series 'Working Shift,' we talk to a person who mixes his passion for music with his love for smiles.  Dr. Scott Stiffle of Always There Dental Care is known to some of his clients as their “rock and roll dentist.” We talk with Stiffle about his 35-year career as a Dentist and the local charities run by his practice.