In the Loop

Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey joined the Morning Shift from the street where union members are engaged in a one-day strike. He discusses what effect he hopes the strike will have and more.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool has said he agrees with the CTU that Springfield needs to pass a budget. However, he’s opposed to the one-day walkout.

The Chicago Teachers Union is striking Friday to pressure Governor Rauner and lawmakers in Springfield to work out a budget deal that would help Chicago Public Schools address its financial woes. WBEZ’s Sarah Karp gives Morning Shift an update from the field on how the day of action is proceeding. We also take calls from teachers, parents and other taxpayers on what they think of the one-day walkout and who they blame for the precarious situation at the nation’s third-largest school district.

It’s hard to pin down the sound that Chicago-based music collective Birds of Chicago has captured on their new album Real Midnight. The songs have been described as “secular gospel,” “campfire songs for the last night on earth” and “apocalyptic party jams.” Morning Shift is going with “soulful country with a hint of jazz and blues.” But whatever you call them, they’re great listening. Tony Sarabia sits down with Birds of Chicago in studio to hear a few tunes from the new record.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is facing some serious issues: Fewer parishioners, churches in need of repair and an ever-dwindling number of priests to name a few.  All the turmoil is expected to force some parishes to close down in the coming years. It’s also spurred Archbishop Blase Cupich to take a proactive approach to planning for the future of the Catholic Church in and around Chicago.  Cupich has distributed a survey called “Renew My Church” to parishioners across Cook and Lake counties. He says he’ll use the responses to inform his long-term planning.  Morning Shift talks with the Archbishop about the survey, the challenges that lie ahead and whether bringing more millennials into the fold could invigorate an ailing institution that serves 2.2 million Catholics in the region.

As spring awakens, so too do all the creatures living in Chicago and the suburbs. Morning Shift talks with Seth Magle, director of the Urban Wildlife Institute at the Lincoln Park Zoo, about the animals that make our region home. We also take calls from listeners with their urban and suburban wildlife questions.

If you’re a driver in Chicago, there’s a good chance you’ve been towed. And that experience may have come courtesy of Protective Parking Service Corporation, better known as Lincoln Towing. The company has received so many complaints over the years that the Illinois Commerce Commission has opened more than 150 investigations into its business practices since last July. On Tuesday, Chicago’s City Council held a hearing for regulating companies like Lincoln Towing to prevent illegal tows and “other unsavory behaviors.” Morning Shift reviews what prompted the investigation and hears from listeners about their horror stories of being towed in Chicago.

It’s hard to believe there might be too much parking in Chicago, but a new study out from the Center for Neighborhood Technology found that roughly one third of parking spaces in apartment buildings in the city are going unused. The study says this surplus of spaces can lead to inflated rent prices, less “walkable” neighborhoods and less space for retail, services and amenities. The author of the study “Stalled Out” joins us to discuss the relationship between empty parking spaces and neighborhood affordability.

By now we’ve heard a lot from the Democratic and Republican candidates for President, but they’re not the only ones throwing their hats into the ring. Morning Shift checks in with Chicagoan Alyson Kennedy, the Socialist Workers Party’s candidate for President, about her party’s platform and her views of the mainstream candidates, including “Democratic socialist” Bernie Sanders.

On this Thursday’s Reclaimed Soul, Ayana Contreras will share an interview with James Shelton, conducted by Danielle Echols of the Vocalo Storytelling Workshop. Shelton is the founder of Daran Records, a small label on the South Side of Chicago. Morning Shift previews that conversation with some great music from the Daran Records vault.