In the Loop

Morning Shift checks in with Kim Foxx after her win in the Democratic primary for Cook County State’s Attorney over the incumbent Anita Alvarez. We also speak with Foxx’s mentor Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

In a further look at yesterday’s primaries in Illinois, Morning Shift breaks down a race dubbed one of the most expensive ones in the history of the Illinois House of Representatives. Morning Shift speaks with Illinois State Representative Ken Dunkin of Illinois 5th District and Juliana Stratton, the challenger who took his seat.

In yesterday’s Presidential primary races, Hillary Clinton pulled out ahead of Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side, winning Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Illinois and racking up a very strong lead in delegates. On the Republican side, Donald Trump took three states, putting him in his strongest position yet to win the nomination for his party. Morning Shift breaks down the election returns with WBEZ political reporters Tony Arnold and Lauren Choolijan as well as Politico Senior Reporter Natasha Korecki. We also hear from Cook CountyCommissioner and Bernie Sanders supporter Jesus “Chuy” Garcia about Sanders failure to replicate his win in Michigan.

On this episode of Morning Shift: We check in with first-time voters to see what’s motivating them to head to the polls on Primary Day. A look at the big races in the suburbs from the Kane County Coroner to Tammy Duckworth’s seat in Congress. A one-man show that explores what it’s like to be Latino in America. We introduce you to Mammal March Madness.

In the current election cycle, first-time voters like college students and newly-minted American citizens are wielding their power.So, what’s motivating them? And how are the current crop of presidential candidates reaching out to them? We discuss the dynamics of first-time voters with Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University. We also hear from first-time voters on why they’ll be heading to the polls. And remember, everyone who’s ever voted was once a first-time voter. We ask listeners: Tell us your story of voting for the first time.

From the battle to become Kane County coroner to the race to replace Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth in Illinois's 8th Congressional District, Morning Shift looks at the primary races to watch in the suburbs on Tuesday.a

Brian Quijada’s new one-man show Where Did We Sit on the Bus? examines issues he's spent his life exploring: Namely, his roots and how his family's journey fits into the story of America.Quijada says his parents weren’t very open about how they immigrated to the United States, but he wants to do things differently with his own kids. Jenn White talked to Brian Quijada at Storefront Theater, where the play is up through April 10.

With college basketball fans gearing up for March Madness, a different type of tournament has already begun. Mammal March Madness is a “survival of the fittest” type concept where scientists pit mammal against mammal to determine which one will be the champion of them all. The first round of this annual tournament has already taken place and Dr. Chris Anderson, a Dominican University biology professor, leads us through which mammals have the stuff to reign supreme.

On this episode of Morning Shift Over the weekend, Donald Trump rallies in Chicago, Dayton and Kansas City, Missouri were the sites of various types of unrest, sparking strong words from supporters, activists, and Trump's fellow presidential candidates. We checked in with listeners on their thoughts about what lays ahead for the 2016 election race.A referendum on the ballot Tuesday asks voters whether they want to close some schools, renovate others and build the largest middle school in Illinois. Morning Shift talked with residents of North Shore District 112 on both sides of the issue.

Over the weekend, Donald Trump rallies in Chicago, Dayton and Kansas City, Missouri saw various types of unrest and sparked strong words from supporters, activists and Trump's fellow presidential candidates. WBEZ’s Tony Arnold joined us to explain what happened leading up to Trump’s cancelled rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago and describes the scene. Chicago Magazine’s Carol Felsenthal analyzed how the heightened rhetoric and flashes of violence we’ve seen in recent days could affect the 2016 race going forward. Morning Shift also took the pulse of listeners on the question: How do you think the events of the weekend have shifted the race?