In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

Here in Illinois, there are over 29,000 people on the sex-offender registry. Being on that registry means following myriad laws and restrictions. As five anonymous offenders get ready to makes their case that the laws violate the Constitution, Morning Shift talks to Rep. Mike Zalewski, who wants strict but clear sex offender laws and lawyer Adele Nicholas, one of the attorneys for one of the anonymous offenders.

In our series The Movie That Made Me, Morning Shift talks to interesting people about the single movie that had the biggest impact on his or her life. In this latest installment, Jenn White talk to Glynn Washington, host of the public radio show Snap Judgment about his pick. The 1978 musical The Wiz is a re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz featuring an all-black cast. The movie blew Washington away as a 9-year-old and continues to do so to this day, even though he still questions a 30-something Diana Ross as Dorothy.

WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout talks with former Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who played with the Chicago White Sox for so long that he says some of the younger players on the team didn’t know he had ever played for another club. He’s currently on the Atlanta Braves, but his time in Chicago, especially winning the 2005 World Series, holds a special place in his heart.

The city’s plan for constructing new public schools and annexes for existing schools is exacerbating racial and economic segregation among CPS students. That’s one of the chief takeaways for a recent investigative report from WBEZ reporters Becky Vevea and Sarah Karp.

For generations, food halls were the bane of the long road trip.  Hidden away in rest stops on the side of the road, these bastions of culinary depression would feature restaurants that you would not see anywhere else. Sbarro;. Auntie Annie’s Pretzels, some random teriyaki chicken place.  But food courts are being revitalized into cool places where you can get some legitimately good eats. To look at where this trend came from, and where it is going, we talk to Louisa Chu and Nick Kindelsperger, two food journalists from the Chicago Tribune.

In the latest installment of the Morning Shift’s “Working Shift” series, we talk to someone who has seen computers swoop in and attempt to replace her position. Stacey Shapiro, owner of The Script Girl, is one of many professional scribes and calligraphers pushing to keep the art of handwriting alive. Morning Shift host Tony Sarabia sits down with Stacey to talk about the history of calligraphy and the importance of cursive writing in schools.

Two more African-American men were shot to death by white police officers this week. There are still many unanswered questions about a Dallas march turned deadly when snipers shot and killed five police officers and injured half a dozen more.  We talk to Norm Stamper, the former police chief of Seattle and author of the new book, To Protect and Serve: How to Fix America’s Police.

Two more African American men were shot to death by white police officers this week. We continue our conversation about use of lethal force and community policing with Chicago-based writer, poet, MC and activist Jessica Disu who goes by the name FM Supreme.

Star Trek, one of the most beloved series in American television history, is turning 50 this year. With six different series and going on thirteen movies, everyone has a different moment that struck a nerve in their fandom. We talk to Michi Trota and Gordon Dymowski, two Trekkies that can help us navigate the vast universe of Star Trek and pinpoint what made each series unique.

Mayor Emanuel announced Wednesday that Cultural Affairs and Special Events commissioner Michelle Boone is leaving the department after four plus years on the job.  Morning Shift talks to Boone about her accomplishments, the projects she’s leaving on the table and what lies ahead for both herself and incoming DCASE commissioner Mark Kelly of Columbia College. Dig Deeper:From Jim DeRogatis: Chicago Gets A New Cultural Czar: Columbia College’s Mark Kelly