In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

The budget proposal by the Trump administration calls for the elimination of funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides federal funding to public libraries. The loss of revenue would jeopardize programs and resources like family, digital literacy and community engagement.  Meanwhile, on the local level, state budget cuts have already affected thousands of Chicago Public School (CPS) students that don’t have the benefit of a certified school librarian.  Morning Shift talks to Julie Todaro, president of the American Library Association, about federal budget cuts and the future of libraries in the digital age.

The budget proposal by the Trump administration calls for the elimination of funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides federal funding to public libraries. The loss of revenue would jeopardize programs and resources like family, digital literacy and community engagement.  Meanwhile, on the local level, state budget cuts have already affected thousands of Chicago Public School (CPS) students that don’t have the benefit of a certified school librarian.  Morning Shift talks to Julie Todaro, president of the American Library Association, about federal budget cuts and the future of libraries in the digital age.

This fall, top graduates from the Chicago Public Schools will be heading off to colleges and universities around the state and the country. Writer Ben Austen wanted to capture the stories of some of the best and the brightest at CPS, so he created short profiles of 20 CPS valedictorians and salutatorians, which he recently shared on his Instagram.  Morning Shift talks to Austen about the project and we hear from one of the students he profiles. Jennifer Banks is the valedictorian from the Richard T. Crane Medical Preparatory Magnet High School on the Near West Side. 

This fall, top graduates from the Chicago Public Schools will be heading off to colleges and universities around the state and the country. Writer Ben Austen wanted to capture the stories of some of the best and the brightest at CPS, so he created short profiles of 20 CPS valedictorians and salutatorians, which he recently shared on his Instagram.  Morning Shift talks to Austen about the project and we hear from one of the students he profiles. Jennifer Banks is the valedictorian from the Richard T. Crane Medical Preparatory Magnet High School on the Near West Side. 

Samantha Irby said working 14 years at the front desk of an animal hospital in Evanston made her never want a pet. Too expensive. Too much work.  Despite her reservations, she took home a cat in bad condition after her coworkers encouraged her.  “I’m trying to cheat my way into heaven, if it exists, however I can,” she said. Irby is the author of We Are Never Meeting In Real Life. She’s also a comedian and creator of the blog bitches gotta eat. She spoke with Morning Shift host Tony Sarabia about her writing style, how her past shaped her voice, and her money-related pet peeves.

Samantha Irby said working 14 years at the front desk of an animal hospital in Evanston made her never want a pet. Too expensive. Too much work.  Despite her reservations, she took home a cat in bad condition after her coworkers encouraged her.  “I’m trying to cheat my way into heaven, if it exists, however I can,” she said. Irby is the author of We Are Never Meeting In Real Life. She’s also a comedian and creator of the blog bitches gotta eat. She spoke with Morning Shift host Tony Sarabia about her writing style, how her past shaped her voice, and her money-related pet peeves.

State Rep. Scott Drury was the only Democrat in the state legislature who did not vote earlier this year to reelect the powerful Rep. Michael Madigan to be House speaker for the 17th time. The move cost him dearly. Drury was stripped of his chairmanship of the judiciary committee, which oversees legislation on legal issues, a topic he’s well-versed in as a former federal prosecutor. After taking on Madigan, Drury is taking on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Last month, he became the latest Democrat to throw his hat into the ring.

State Rep. Scott Drury was the only Democrat in the state legislature who did not vote earlier this year to reelect the powerful Rep. Michael Madigan to be House speaker for the 17th time. The move cost him dearly. Drury was stripped of his chairmanship of the judiciary committee, which oversees legislation on legal issues, a topic he’s well-versed in as a former federal prosecutor. After taking on Madigan, Drury is taking on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Last month, he became the latest Democrat to throw his hat into the ring.

To conclude this week’s special series on dying, we delve into the legacy left behind. Specifically, the writers who tell the stories of the recently deceased. We start with the obituary writers at the New York Times. Filmmaker Vanessa Gould captured the process of choosing subjects, researching and writing an obit in her documentary, Obit. Life on Deadline. We talked to Gould about what drove her to the topic and what she learned from the writers. We also speak with Chicago Sun-Times obituary writer Maureen O’Donnell about how she finds the right words, what she digs up in the paper’s archive, and how she’s captured so much of Chicago history in her obits. 

To conclude this week’s special series on dying, we delve into the legacy left behind. Specifically, the writers who tell the stories of the recently deceased. We start with the obituary writers at the New York Times. Filmmaker Vanessa Gould captured the process of choosing subjects, researching and writing an obit in her documentary, Obit. Life on Deadline. We talked to Gould about what drove her to the topic and what she learned from the writers. We also speak with Chicago Sun-Times obituary writer Maureen O’Donnell about how she finds the right words, what she digs up in the paper’s archive, and how she’s captured so much of Chicago history in her obits.