In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Each Saturday evangelical talk radio host Julie Roys broadcasts her show Up For Debate to Christians across North America from her studio in Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute. The question she asked for her latest show was: How should Christians respond to the refugee crisis? And is it wrong to limit or reject refugees coming from other countries into the United States? Morning Shift spoke with Roys about the different points of view that evangelicals have on refugees and we take calls from WBEZ and Up For Debate listeners to get the evangelical radio and public radio audiences talking to one another about this important issue affecting the nation.

The new podcast, Bronzeville, brings the 1940s metropolis on Chicago's South Side to life with tales of gangsters, grifters, gamblers and regular people trying to get by. Bronzeville is a scripted radio drama featuring several notable African-American actors like Laurence Fishburne, Tracee Ellis Ross and Larenz Tate. WBEZ's Jenn White spoke with Tate, who's also Bronzeville's co-director and co-executive producer, as well as his brother co-executive producer LaRonTate and writer Josh Olsen. 

After weeks of studying Alexander Hamilton and the other founding fathers, hundreds of high school students from Chicago got a chance to watch a matinee of the hit musical “Hamilton” in downtown Chicago on Wednesday. The program also included a Q&A with the actors and musical performance by some of the students. WBEZ caught up with a few of the CPS students and teachers during the program to hear what they learned from the experience. Morning Shift also talked to James Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, about bringing the Hamilton education program to Chicago.

How can asking questions be a skill? Longtime journalist Frank Sesno thinks asking the right question can change your life. In his new book, Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions and Spark Change, he examines the different types of questions we should ask through the experiences of people—including Colin Powell and NPR’s Terry Gross—who have learned the power of effective questioning. Sesno joins the Morning Shift to share what he’s learned about the importance of asking more.

Fantasy and science fiction writer is the author of three critically-acclaimed and best-selling series, including the Dreamblood duology, and she’s the first black author to win a prestigious award for science fiction writing. The honor did not come easily. Her work has been the target of a group called the Puppies, which is set on preventing women, people of color and LGBT writers from steering the genre in a new direction. Last year, the Puppy campaign couldn’t stop Jemisin. Her book The Fifth Season won the Hugo award for best novel. Morning Shift talks to N.K. Jemisin about what it’s been like to be at the forefront of the conversation about race and diversity in sci-fi and fantasy fiction.

New Trier High School in north suburban Winnetka is ranked one of the best high schools in the country. In 2016, Newsweek put it at 17th. It also boasts an impressive list of alumni, including Donald Rumsfeld and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. It does, however, lack racial diversity; it’s 85 percent white. New Trier is taking the opportunity to create conversations around the topic of race, which may be difficult for students living in a predominately white area.  On Monday, students will choose two workshops centered around the topic, “Understanding Today’s Struggle for Civil Rights.” The schedule of guests has some parents alleging it leans too liberal, and needs to include other political points of view. We talked to parents on each side of the issue.

It was a busy meeting for the Chicago City Council on Wednesday. Aldermen discussed everything from street performers to violence prevention to food carts, with the council voting to reduce fees for vendors. The most heated debate came on the topic of property taxes. Many Chicagoans did not claim their property tax rebates last year, leaving the city to decide how to spend $14.7 million in funds. And there were a lot of ideas on what to do with that money. WBEZ city politics reporter Lauren Chooljian was at the meeting and joins the Morning Shift for an update.

The beginning of the New Year is often the ideal time for people to start making changes in their lives by setting resolutions. The first two weeks start off well, but around February research has shown half of those people have not achieved their resolutions. So how do we stick to our goals beyond the first couple weeks? Morning Shift talks to Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science Hal Weitzman about setting realistic goals and successful motivational tips to complete any goals.

The good news: The forecast indicates it could be a 70 degree Wednesday in Chicago in February.  The bad news: The forecast indicates it could be a 70 degree Wednesday in Chicago in February. We speak with Jon Davis, chief meteorologist for Riskpulse, about the temperature shift. We also take listener calls to gauge their reaction to the weather.

 A memorandum from President Trump last month helped restart construction on the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. And while you may know that the project starts in North Dakota, did you know that this 1,172-mile pipeline ends in Illinois? WBEZ’s Monica Eng recently took on a question from a listener about what exactly Illinois’ role has been in the pipeline. She’s here now to talk to us about what she found.