In the Loop

The name Vir Das may not ring a bell for many Americans, but the actor, comedian, comedy fest organizer and writer is a big star in his native India. And while he may be a stranger to Chicagoans, Illinois is no stranger to him. Das attended Knox College in Galena, and he’s back in town for a weekend of shows at The Improv in Schaumburg. Morning Shift talks to Das about the comedy scene in India and how he’s adapting his stand-up routine for American audiences.

In her new book The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation, WBEZ’s Natalie Moore weaves together her reporting on neighborhoods like Chatham, Beverly and Bronzeville with her own family’s story to illustrate how segregation runs deep in Chicago. Tony Sarabia sits down with Natalie Moore to talk about her book.

In the latest installment in our series What’s That Building? Crain’s Chicago Business residential real estate reporter Dennis Rodkin tells the story of the Bobby Franks house.

Shooting baskets the old way? BORING! Sporting goods maker Wilson has created a new “smart ball” that tracks your shots with a sensor that’s embedded inside the ball.

Some things are worth waiting for, like a new album from the long-running alt-country band Freakwater, which has roots in Chicago and Louisville. The band’s new record Scheherazade is their first in 11 years, and it finds the duo and their band in top form.

When Worldview interviewed the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi during his recent trip to Chicago, he praised our hometown business Eli’s Cheesecake for its policy of hiring refugees who need work. Morning Shift talks to the company’s president Marc Schulman about that policy and hears from Elias Kasongo, a Congolese refugee who’s been working at Eli’s for 22 years.

The leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union is pushing for a one-day strike on April 1st to pressure Governor Bruce Rauner to pass a state budget. But not all its members are sold on the idea.

Ayana Contreras joins Tony Sarabia for a preview of what soul records she’ll be spinning during her weekly show Reclaimed Soul on our sister station Vocalo.

A new study out from the Great Cities Institute at UIC shows that Cook County holds a dubious distinction. We lead the nation when it comes to unemployed young people of color. And that high unemployment rate snowballs into everything from kids who aren’t prepared for adulthood to violence in our neighborhoods. Morning Shift talks to UIC’s Teresa Cordova about the numbers, and Alternative School Network’s Jack Wuest about how he’s trying to make a dent in the problem.

Before a speech about new investments in city parks, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined the Morning Shift to discuss his plans for widening the lakefront path and creating a “paseo” trail from Little Village to Pilsen.