In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Illinois’ congressional delegation won’t have much of a presence at next week’s Republican National Convention, and the members who will be there are already saying they’re not attending in order to support Donald Trump. Some local political players are also dodging it, or going so they can endorse another candidate. This is new territory for the usually celebratory event meant to unify the party. WBEZ politics reporters Tony Arnold and Lauren Chooljian have talked with both sides of the Trump coin, and they tell us what they expect next week at the RNC. They also introduce us to some of the people who may be responsible for getting Donald Trump on the ticket

At a time when anti-semitism is running amok on social media and creeping into our politics, Phil Johnson’s play A Jewish Joke at Victory Gardens Theatre takes audiences back to the 1950s McCarthy era, when Jewish screenwriters were blacklisted on suspicions that they were Communists.  Johnson plays Bernie Lutz, a screenwriter who finds himself under the thumb of the government and forced to choose between his career and his dignity as a human being.  Morning Shift talks to actor and playwright Phil Johnson and director David Chack about why the play’s message resonates in today’s political climate. The play runs through the end of July.

For the past few months, WBEZ has been reporting on where high levels of lead are showing up in our water here in Chicago. The latest culprit is some Park District water fountains. WBEZ’s Monica Eng used a Freedom of Information Act request to get her hands on documents that show some water fountains in Chicago, including some along the lakefront, are dispensing water with very high levels of lead. Jenn White talks to Monica Eng about what she learned.

The success of the show Inside Amy Schumer relies heavily on the comedic chops of the star. But the writing is the work of a few funny women, including head writer Jessi Klein.  The comedy writer and stand-up comedian’s work on the show was honored with an Emmy in 2015, which was during a time of many other changes in her life. She writes about those, and the other funny anecdotes that fuel her work in the new essay collection You’ll Grow Out of It.  Morning Shift talks to Klein about the book and some of her favorite sketches on the show.

Once upon a time, Chicago was in the running to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. With a $3.8 billion budget and an estimated eight million visitors flooding the area, the city would have undergone a massive change.  Morning Shift talks to Sam Cholke and Tanveer Ali, two reporters from DNAinfo, who created an interactive article showing just ‘What Chicago Would Look Like If We Got The Olympics.’

Water fountains in more than 60 public schools in Chicago have tested positive for elevated levels of lead in the most recent study by CPS. And this week, we learned of elevated lead levels in some Chicago Park District water fountains. But exactly how dangerous is lead in our water, and what can we do about it? Morning Shift talks to Dr. David Jacobs from the National Center for Healthy Housing to find out what Chicago families should know in the face of stories of lead in some of the city’s water.

In this latest edition of Reclaimed Soul on the Morning Shift, Jenn White talks to Ayana Contreras about soul music that came out of Gary, Indiana.  Close to Chicago, yes, but the city of Gary put its own unique stamp on soul music. The full two-hour version of Reclaimed Soul airs on Thursday nights on Vocalo from 8 to 10 P.M.

Now that Clinton has the official Sanders seal-of-approval, what’s next for the legions of young Democrats who backed the Vermont Senator?  Morning Shift talks with a number of Bernie supporters about their plans and how they see this presidential contest playing out. We also open the phones for comments from listeners.

Meet the anti-delegation Trump delegates of Illinois. They love Donald Trump and his message, and they want him to be president, but they won’t be attending the Republican convention in Cleveland to cast their ballots for him.  Morning Shift talks to WBEZ state politics reporter Tony Arnold about how factors like time, money and the fractured state of our politics have produced delegates who may not actually cast a ballot for the presumed nominee.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence is among five men on the shortlist to become Donald Trump’s running mate.  Trump and Pence appeared together at a rally near Indianapolis Tuesday night, and while Trump didn’t make an announcement, it certainly did seem like a tryout.  Morning Shift talks to WBEZ Northwest Indiana reporter Michael Puente about what a Pence vice presidential candidacy would mean for a Trump ticket and for the state’s political future.