In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Human trafficking advocates are often working against misconceptions about the issue and who it affects. Some people think it’s only an urban issue or that it only affects the agriculture industry. But according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there are 30,000 victims in every state. Exact numbers are hard to come by as victims struggle to come forward, or even escape. Morning Shift talks to advocates and service providers for survivors about the prevalence of labor trafficking and what industries use this forced labor.

This month marks the 60th anniversary of when the world was introduced to a famous rhyming and troublemaking feline with excellent taste in headwear. Roxanne Owens, associate professor of elementary reading at Depaul University, joins Morning Shift to talk about the influence Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat had on children’s literacy and what parents can do to continue his tradition of making reading fun for kids.

What do the oldest golf course in America, an Atlanta-based real estate developer, and some suburban nuns have to do with one another? They’re all at the center of a controversial plan to tear down a beloved 1890s mansion in the town of Wheaton. For the latest in our series What’s That Building? Morning Shift talks to Dennis Rodkin of Crain’s Chicago Business talks about the controversial plan to demolish it.

Although the truth became legend and the legend became murky, researchers point to this week at the 100th anniversary of the first Jazz records ever made. John McDonough, professor of jazz history at Northwestern University, joins us to talk about who made them, the sensation they caused at the time, and why they’re still important to jazz-and American-history. 

Chicagoan Christian Picciolini talks to 'Morning Shift' about a recent string of hate crimes and how it may be related to the rhetoric of the Trump administration.

In the 1990s, the Harlem Children’s Zone started as an effort to take one block of Harlem plagued with crime, health issues, rampant drug issues, failing schools and housing problems and turn it into a place where kids could succeed. Today, Harlem Children’s Zone encompasses 97 blocks and serves over 10,000 kids and 10,000 adults. We speak with HCZ founder, Geoffrey Canada, about what it really takes to change a neighborhood and break the cycle of poverty.

Chicago might not seem like it’s prone to disasters, but hundreds of scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory are using the city as a testing ground for the apocalypse. Chicago Magazine’s Bryan Smith visited the laboratory’s Global Security Sciences division -- the so-called “doomsday squad” -- and wrote about the team’s simulations of how the city could react to earthquakes, deadly viruses, cyberattacks and a zombie outbreak.

Thousands of people will be lining up at bakeries for a jelly-filled doughnut as they celebrate Paczki Day. The popular Polish pastries are usually consumed as a pre-celebration prior to Lent. Morning Shift talks to Ashok Selvam, senior editor at Eater Chicago, about the cultural history behind the paczki and the closing of a popular Swedish Bakery. 

Morning Shift talks to Ryan Lenz, senior writer for the Intelligence Project with Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit advocacy group that tracks hate groups, crimes, and extremism in America. 

Homeownership has always been one of the pillars of the American Dream. For the average person or family, it’s the biggest investment they’ll make, and much of their net worth — and maybe even their sense of self-worth — can be tied up in that piece of property. Historically, the prospect of owning a home and reaping benefits from it’s value have been more challenging for African Americans. Using her parent’s and her own story as examples, WBEZ reporter Natalie Moore explores those challenges in a new radio documentary called Black Homeownership: The Promise And The Pitfalls.