In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

The Radio Hall of Famer always said he want to be on the air until the very end, and that’s exactly what happened. Kent passed away at the age of 88, just a few hours after he signed off from his weekly radio show on V103. We’ll talk about “The Cool Gent” aka “The King of the Dusties” with his long-time friend, WBEZ and Vocalo’s own Richard Steele.

In the world of sports, you’ve got your official sponsors and your unofficial sponsors. Official sponsors — like American Airlines for the Chicago Cubs — pay millions upon millions of dollars to tie their brand to a team. Unofficial sponsors pay nothing, but still try to hitch their wagons to the train leaving the station, sometimes running afoul of the law in the process. Morning Shift talks to Crain’s Chicago Business reporter Danny Ecker, who covers the business of sports, about what official and unofficial sponsors of the Cubs are doing in the lead-up to the World Series. 

What constitutes fine art? That question is at the heart of a battle over which businesses in Cook County should have to pay an amusement tax of 3 percent on ticket and cover charges. Late this summer, an administrative hearing officer said that rock, rap and DJ sets do not count as fine art, a designation which makes performances exempt from the tax. That opened the door to taxing many smaller venues to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. A final decision is expected in December. Morning Shift talks to WBEZ’s Dan Weissmann about the latest hearing on the issue, which took place Monday, and on the current state of the battle between venues and Cook County.

Here at the Morning Shift we ask the important questions: Like, “why is everything ‘lit?’” Every generation is known to create their own slang terms to communicate. But millennials are growing up with Twitter and Tumblr at their fingertips and new internet terms seem to pop up daily. With the holiday’s approaching, we want to help our listeners decode the teenage-speak they will hear at the dinner table. Morning Shift talks with Kevin Smith, an editor at Buzzfeed and Jonathon Green, a lexicographer and author of Green’s Dictionary of Slang, about the history of slang terms and why you need to know what ‘woke’ means. 

WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout discusses what it will take for the Cubs to win the World Series.

Morning Shift takes a peak at how newsrooms decide what images to show when covering violent conflicts.

The co-authors of a new collection of hidden wonders talk about local gems that may not be on the radar.

Democrat Brad Schneider and Republican Bob Dold once again find each other competing to represent the north suburban 10th Congressional District. 

Crain's Chicago Business reporter Danny Ecker talks to Morning Shift about what people are doing to secure a seat for the NLCS and, hopefully, the World Series.

The National Book Award winner discusses her new book and its themes of identity, friendship and memory.