In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

From spinouts to breakdowns, plenty of things can go wrong while driving in frigid conditions. Each frigid morning, traffic becomes unbearable because of the stalls and accidents. You can avoid the worst of it by “winterizing” your car. But what exactly does that mean?  Morning Shift talks to Joe Betancourt of Joe’s Expert Auto and take your calls about what happens when the car meets the cold. 

Telling the story of America’s Founding Fathers through hip-hop and a uniquely diverse cast, the show created by and starring actor-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda has achieved cult status. So what does it take to wear the mantle of the talented Miranda, and do justice to a show that has won nearly a dozen Tony awards? And why did the hit show choose the Second City as a second home?  Morning Shift talks to performers Miguel Cervantes, who plays Alexander Hamilton in the Chicago show, and Ari Afsar, who plays Eliza Hamilton, about taking up Broadway’s most popular show. 

“Surreal” is Merriam-Webster’s 2016 word of the year. A few weeks ago, lexicographer and Merriam-Webster editor-at-large Peter Sokolowski told Morning Shift that “fascism” was the favorite to top its annual list of words that best reflect the year.

In Donald Trump, the American Civil Liberties Union sees a president who could try to roll back many of the initiatives the organization has been working on for decades. The ACLU is non-partisan, but that hasn’t stopped it from speaking out in opposition to many ideas that Donald Trump promoted during his campaign, including deporting millions of undocumented immigrants, re-authorizing the use of waterboarding and other “advanced interrogation” techniques and requiring women to be punished for getting an abortion, to name a few. ACLU Illinois says it will use lawsuits and other means to combat Trump where necessary. Morning Shift speaks with Colleen Connell, executive director of ACLU Illinois about how she and her colleagues are preparing for the Trump administration. 

The truancy rate is stubbornly high in Chicago, and chronic truancy rose this year compared to last. WBEZ has taken a look at the problem and produced maps, infographics and a radio and web story that track just how bad it is across the city. Morning Shift talks to WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp about her reporting.

A new study from University of Chicago and the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center shows that high quality birth to 5 programs can improve outcomes for disadvantaged children in things like education, health, and future employment. We talk to Professor James Heckman, one of the leads on the study, about the kinds of programs that really help kids and why it’s so important to start so young.

When you walk into a pharmacy two things are expected by customers: the prescription will be filled quickly and safely. But according to an investigation by The Chicago Tribune, the two are not always mutually exclusive.

An investigation published Thursday by the Chicago Tribune shows that more than half of Chicagoland pharmacists did not warn patients of dangerous drug combinations. It’s the type of advice pharmacists are supposed to give to customers, but at both chains and independent shops, pharmacists routinely failed to speak up when filling two prescriptions that have known to interact and cause health problems for patients.  Morning Shift talks to Todd Lee, professor and head of research for pharmacy systems, outcomes and policy at UIC’s School of Pharmacy about the investigation, what type of medical knowledge pharmacists have, and what they are responsible for telling customers who fill prescriptions.

Baking extraordinaire Dorie Greenspan says she wants to expand the idea of what a cookie can be. In her new book Dorie’s Cookies, she attempts to do just that, offering up 170 recipes that go beyond mere chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. 

According to federal data, Illinois has the third most recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival, otherwise known as DACA, in the country. One of those applicants is Karla Robles, an undocumented student at Loyola University who is attending school thanks in large part to the DACA program. The 2012 executive order gave undocumented children, brought to the United States as minors, renewable two-year periods of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit.  So what’s next for the thousands of undocumented minors who came out of the shadows to register for the DACA program? Morning Shift talks to Robles about how DACA impacted her life and what fears she has as inauguration day creeps closer.