In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

It’s hard to pin down the sound that Chicago-based music collective Birds of Chicago has captured on their new album Real Midnight. The songs have been described as “secular gospel,” “campfire songs for the last night on earth” and “apocalyptic party jams.” Morning Shift is going with “soulful country with a hint of jazz and blues.” But whatever you call them, they’re great listening. Tony Sarabia sits down with Birds of Chicago in studio to hear a few tunes from the new record.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is facing some serious issues: Fewer parishioners, churches in need of repair and an ever-dwindling number of priests to name a few.  All the turmoil is expected to force some parishes to close down in the coming years. It’s also spurred Archbishop Blase Cupich to take a proactive approach to planning for the future of the Catholic Church in and around Chicago.  Cupich has distributed a survey called “Renew My Church” to parishioners across Cook and Lake counties. He says he’ll use the responses to inform his long-term planning.  Morning Shift talks with the Archbishop about the survey, the challenges that lie ahead and whether bringing more millennials into the fold could invigorate an ailing institution that serves 2.2 million Catholics in the region.

As spring awakens, so too do all the creatures living in Chicago and the suburbs. Morning Shift talks with Seth Magle, director of the Urban Wildlife Institute at the Lincoln Park Zoo, about the animals that make our region home. We also take calls from listeners with their urban and suburban wildlife questions.

If you’re a driver in Chicago, there’s a good chance you’ve been towed. And that experience may have come courtesy of Protective Parking Service Corporation, better known as Lincoln Towing. The company has received so many complaints over the years that the Illinois Commerce Commission has opened more than 150 investigations into its business practices since last July. On Tuesday, Chicago’s City Council held a hearing for regulating companies like Lincoln Towing to prevent illegal tows and “other unsavory behaviors.” Morning Shift reviews what prompted the investigation and hears from listeners about their horror stories of being towed in Chicago.

It’s hard to believe there might be too much parking in Chicago, but a new study out from the Center for Neighborhood Technology found that roughly one third of parking spaces in apartment buildings in the city are going unused. The study says this surplus of spaces can lead to inflated rent prices, less “walkable” neighborhoods and less space for retail, services and amenities. The author of the study “Stalled Out” joins us to discuss the relationship between empty parking spaces and neighborhood affordability.

By now we’ve heard a lot from the Democratic and Republican candidates for President, but they’re not the only ones throwing their hats into the ring. Morning Shift checks in with Chicagoan Alyson Kennedy, the Socialist Workers Party’s candidate for President, about her party’s platform and her views of the mainstream candidates, including “Democratic socialist” Bernie Sanders.

On this Thursday’s Reclaimed Soul, Ayana Contreras will share an interview with James Shelton, conducted by Danielle Echols of the Vocalo Storytelling Workshop. Shelton is the founder of Daran Records, a small label on the South Side of Chicago. Morning Shift previews that conversation with some great music from the Daran Records vault.

City Colleges of Chicago faculty gave Chancellor Cheryl Hyman a no-confidence vote last month. There was a public forum Monday night, and WBEZ’s Odette Yousef was there to learn more about the concerns facing staff and students. She brings us an update.

The Chicago Teachers Union has planned a walk out on April 1 because its leadership says the district has stopped giving teachers appropriate raises, and it wants to bring attention to how the state budget impasse is affecting teachers. Now some teachers are saying they'll face retribution if they don't participate in the walk out. WBEZ's Sarah Karp tells us what she's hearing from the union and its members, and whether there's precedent for the union to take this type of action.

The muggy stagnant swamps of northwest Ohio in the mid-19th century was perhaps one of the worst places to set up a homestead. But that’s exactly what James Goodenough did with his large family. Unfortunately, life didn't turn out as planned for James, his alcoholic wife Sadie or their brood. In her latest novel, author Tracy Chevalier takes the reader back to Ohio but instead of stories of quilting and the underground railroad like in her novel The Last Runaway, she brings us the tumultuous family pioneer life complete with real life figures Johnny Appleseed and English tree collector Will Lobb. Chevalier stops by the talk about the story behind the story and her new view of Johnny Appleseed.