In the Loop

In his new satirical play Carlyle, Skokie-based playwright Thomas Bradshaw explores black identity, racism and American politics through his title character, a black Republican born with every advantage in life who is trying to figure out where he fits in the world.  Tony Sarabia sits down with Bradshaw to discuss how black Republicans embody American individualism, why Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas looms so large for his protagonist Carlyle and what it means to be a successful black man in America.  Carlyle is at the Goodman Theatre through May 1.

Who picks the music you hear on commercial radio stations? Ever wonder why you never hear certain songs, even though they were super popular a long time ago? In the latest edition of our Working Shift series, Rick O’Dell, a fixture in Chicago’s radio scene, answers these questions and tells us how he’s finding success by breaking the rules of radio.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed a new site for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: The Lakeside Center of the McCormick Place Convention Center, which he'd like to demolish to make room for the museum. Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin, someone who doesn’t always agree with the Mayor, thinks it’s the right choice.

A little more than a handful of Chicago alderman are doing what’s called “participatory budgeting” this year. In those wards, Chicagoans get to cast a vote on how the lawmakers should spend about a million dollars. Tony Sarabia and WBEZ city politics reporter Lauren Chooljian take listener calls about how they would spend the money, even if their aldermen aren’t participating. We also check in with 36th Ward Alderman Gilbert Villegas about how the process is going in his district.

A listener named John recently asked WBEZ’s Curious City an intriguing question: Since Illinois doesn’t have a state budget, where are our tax dollars going, and what, if anything, are they funding? The question came with a sneaky addendum: Why shouldn’t we all just stop paying taxes? WBEZ’s Dan Weissman uncovered the answers in a report earlier this week for Curious City. He joins Morning Shift to explain his findings.

It’s been about a month since President Obama nominated appellate judge Merrick Garland to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. Since then, 19 Republican senators have agreed to sit down with Garland for a so-called “courtesy meeting.” That’s despite GOP leadership saying the Senate won’t hold a confirmation hearing. Our junior Senator from Illinois — Mark Kirk — was the first Republican to meet with Garland. According to Kirk’s office, over the course of 25 minutes, the two men discussed everything from Guantanamo Bay to gang violence in Chicago to the Tenth Amendment. Tony Sarabia talks with Senator Mark Kirk about what came out of that meeting and other ways he’s stepping across the aisle as he gears up for a challenge from Democratic U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth in November.

Richard Wooten is a former Chicago police officer who worked in Englewood and Auburn-Gresham for 23 years until his retirement last year. Since then, he’s been active with the Gathering Point Community Council and the Greater Chatham Alliance and Block Club. Marie Cole is president of the East Garfield Park Consolidated Block Club. Wooten and Cole explore the issues with us.

When a man goes to a dinner party at his ex-wife and new husband’s house you expect laughable gaffes, not deadly consequences. But Karyn Kusama and Phil Hay’s new film The Invitation takes the thriller route, building up the suspense and paranoia around an awkward evening. The film kicks off a week-long run Friday at Music Box Theatre. The filmmakers join us to talk about how the idea came to be and the long process of getting their thriller to the big screen.

In a report released this week, the panel highlighted a history of institutional racism within the ranks of the CPD and made dozens of suggestions, including disbanding the Independent Police Review Authority. Chicago Police Board President Lori Lightfoot, who is a member of the task force, joins us to discuss the recommendations and take calls from listeners.

At four-year public universities where graduation rates rose between 2003 and 2013, some black students are falling behind their white counterparts.