In the Loop

On this day, 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. joined forces with the Chicago Freedom Movement to bring attention to unfair housing conditions in Chicago. They marched in the all-white neighborhood of Marquette Park, where they met by protesters slinging rocks and bottles.  Some Civil Rights activists say it was an important step in the movement; Dr. King met with Mayor Daley later in the summer to agree on terms for improved conditions. To commemorate the anniversary, the Inner-City Muslim Action Network and others launched the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Project, which hosts festivities this weekend.  We talk with Rami Nashashibi from IMAN about the project, and WBEZ’s Natalie Moore details the changes Marquette Park has experienced over the last five decades.

It seems the drama and controversy surrounding the 2016 Rio Olympics have been overshadowing the actual sports. With all of the problems leading up to the games, is anyone still excited for the first Olympic tournament in South America? We talk to Mike Pesca, host of the Slate podcast The Gist, to get his take on the games and open up the lines to see if Chicagoans are excited for the Olympic games. [

In the latest edition of our series “The Movie That Made Me”, we talk to two people who hold a vanishing position-video store clerks. Odd Obsession Movies owner Brian Chankin and volunteer Josh Brown talk about their rare job, the importance of video stores and the movies that made them.

In 1985, the State of Illinois Building opened in the North Loop to much fanfare -- at a cost of $172 million. A year later, the Helmut Jahn-designed structure won the coveted “distinguished building award” from AIA Chicago. But for many Chicagoans today, the Thompson Center is more eyesore than distinguished building.  For the latest installment of What’s That Building, Dennis Rodkin of Crain’s Chicago Business shared with us what makes Chicago’s 30-year relationship with the Thompson Center such a complicated one.

We spoke with Chicago's local Olympians Evan Jager, Kelsey Robinson and Kevin Cordes last week before they left for Brazil.  They discuss their road to Rio and what it will take to be successful for themselves, their teams, and their country.

Photo courtesy of erwinhelfer.com For decades Erwin Helfer has faithfully continued the tradition of the old blues masters.  Now he's an old master himself, but the 80-year-old Helfer shows no sign of slowing down.  The title of his new album, Last Call, is less about his musical output and more about his love for a glass of Crown Royal. We listen to Helfer play from his new record ahead of its September release.

The music of Motown is so famous that many of the artists can simply go by one name. Think Stevie, Smokey, Michael, Marvin, Diana. But there’s plenty more soul from Detroit. In the latest edition of Reclaimed Soul, we look beyond Motown for a fuller picture of the Dee-troit sound of the 1960s.

Legendary TV producer Norman Lear is responsible for some of the most iconic shows on the small screen over the last 40 years -All in the Family, Good Times, The Jeffersons. And at 94, he’s not done yet. We speak with Lear and two filmmakers behind the new documentary Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You.

This political campaign season has been long, hard-charging and a little tiring. That’s why Morning Shift took a break of sorts with a more lighthearted take on the presidential race. At our live event “Campaigns, Conventions, and Comedy,” we talked with comedy writers about what it’s like to satirize Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and all of the shenanigans we’ve seen over the last year. Note: Contains explicit language -- and silly music from the masterful Abraham Levitan.

When you watch TV or movies, you’re paying attention to more than the plot and the actors. Now regular Chicagoans can have a slice of some TV sets and wardrobes. Some of the furniture featured is the work of designers Christopher Guy and is now on sale at Chicago Luxury Furniture Center, which is owned by Chicago native Jim Denos. Denos explains why the pieces are so unique, and why set designers seek them out.