Afternoon Shift
-
CPS takes the national stage
With its announcement yesterday of 50 school closings, CPS just closed the largest number of schools ever. How does this speak to larger issues of education in urban areas across the nation? Niala looks at the national context and asks: what does this mean for the future of free, convenient, quality public education? Photo Credit: WBEZ/Robin Amer
-
Uncovering the truth about uninsured vets
The VA operates the country’s largest health care system, but according to a 2012 report from the Urban Institute, 1.3 million veterans are uninsured. Barbara Otto, the CEO of Health and Disability Advocates, says not all veterans qualify for VA coverage and that navigating the system can be an obstacle for those who do qualify. Joe Franzese served as a sergeant in the Marines during the Iraq war. He is now program coordinator for the Warrior to Warrior program with Health and Disability...
-
Should the Bears retire Urlacher's 54?
Chicago Bears Middle Linebacker Brian Urlacher retired yesterday after playing for 13 years. Today’s conversation: Should the Bears retire #54? Urlacher is destined for the hall of fame and has been the face of the team for the last two decades. What is Urlacher’s impact on the legacy of the Chicago Bears? WBEZ sports reporter Cheryl Raye-Stout and ESPN's Lester Munson join Niala to talk about it. (Photo: Wikimiedia Commons)
-
The challenges of being a female immigrant
With women making up 51 percent of the total population of immigrants in the U.S., some advocacy groups say it is time to see immigration as a women’s issue. A majority of undocumented women work in the informal sector, often in domestic jobs. The inability to get proof of employment can be a barrier to legal status. Undocumented women also run the risk of abuse and harassment at work because they are less likely to report problems. Maria Pesqueira, the president and CEO of the advocacy...
-
Poverty's shift to the suburbs
According to the Brookings Institution, poverty has grown by over 60 percent in the last decade, faster than in urban areas. Rob Breymaier, president of Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance and Michelle Zurakowski, executive director of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center and the West Cook Home-ownership Center, examine what is driving the trend. What does suburban poverty look like? Call in or comment with your stories.
-
Minimum wage hardships
The Curious City team takes on the question: What is it like to live on minimum wage? WBEZ Pritzker Fellow Lewis Wallace finds three individuals who share their experiences. What is your story? Photo Credit:Flickr/Elyce Feliz
-
Breaking down the DSM and its relevancy in medicine
This week The American Psychiatric Association is releasing the fifth edition of the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, long considered the “psychiatric bible.” The DSM-V comes after years of controversy concerning changes to the manual, a perceived lack of transparency, and the APA’s ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Emil Coccaro, the chair of the University of Chicago’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, and Steven Migalski, a clinical...
-
The collapse of Chicago's entertainment venues
The saga to maintain Chicago's historic theaters continues. The Regal Theater is now on sale for a meager $100,000. The Congress Theater remains in an infamous state of disrepair. Now, the owners of Uptown palaces the Aragon Ballroom and the Riviera might get slapped with fines for failing to keep up with maintenance. Why can't we maintain these historic landmarks? Is it worth it? WBEZ architecture blogger Lee Bey and Jim DeRogatis, WBEZ music blogger and Sound Opinions co-host weigh in....
-
Gardening 101 with the Chicago Botanic Garden
Eliza Fournier, manager of the school and community gardens department at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, examines climate change's impact on gardening. What are your questions?
-
Disaster relief: the long road to normal
According to the Oklahoma City medical examiner's office, 24 deaths have been confirmed, as a result of the devastating tornado that struck yesterday. Julia Keller, whose reporting on the 2004 Utica tornado earned her a Pulizter Prize, looks at how communities cope with natural disaster. And, Patricia Kemp,American Red Cross of Chicago, talks about the organization's new tornado app and how it will improve both preparation and relief efforts. How is technology changing disaster preparedness...
-
CPS closings: Separating fact from fiction
On Wednesday, Chicago's Board of Education will vote on whether to shutter 54 schools. WBEZ education reporters Linda Lutton and Becky Vevea provided some context CPS data and took listener questions. (Photo: WBEZ/Linda Lutton)
-
CPS closings and what they mean for Special Education
If CPS goes ahead with plans to close dozens of schools, it will mean moves for thousands of students with special needs. That includes 148 special education students from Lafayette Elementary in West Town. Many of them are part of a cluster program for students with autism and other disorders. Bryan Lowry, with Medill's Audio Reporting class project, talked with parents and teachers who worry that school changes will disrupt their children's progress.
-
Is the US looking at another housing bubble?
It is beginning to look a lot like 2008, at least when it comes to the housing market. Some analysts warn of another housing bubble emerging in certain overheated areas of the country. Bloomberg real estate reporter Prashant Gopal and Chicago magazine Deal Estate columnist Dennis Rodkin look at the national housing market and whether Chicago, which is still recovering from the last crash, could also be at risk. Photo Credit: Scott Olson
-
The story behind Chicago's "El"
In light of the CTA's massive red line construction project, we'll look back at the history of Chicago transit infrastructure and its construction with WBEZ history blogger John Schmidt. We'll ask you: Chicago is often said to have a prime transit system... Is it that great?
-
With the season comes sneezes
With pollen counts off the charts, Dr. Sindhura Bandi, an allergist and immunologist at Rush Medical Center, examines how changing weather patterns aggravate seasonal allergies. Are more people suffering now? Have you noticed a difference? (Photo: William Brawley/Flickr)
-
Climate change, pollution, and you: is it too late to...
The New York Times reported earlier this month the level of carbon dioxide has passed a long-feared milestone reaching a concentration not seen on the earth for three million years. What can be done? Is it too late? What are cities doing now? Karen Weigert, chief sustainability officer for the city of Chicago joins Donald J. Wuebbles, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Illinois to answer your questions.
-
Zorn and Steinberg take on the week's news
Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times' Neil Steinberg review the week in news, including the Michigan Avenue jewelry theft that wasn't and Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to boost tourism. Photo Credit: Flickr/ Samandal
-
Vera Starks and the persistence of black Hollywood...
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage’s By the Way, Meet Vera Stark is now showing at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. In the satirical play, the title character is a black maid in the 1930s who dreams of becoming a movie actor. Her break comes when she is cast as a slave maid in a southern epic. Tamberla Perry, in the starring role as Stark, discusses the play, her own work and the struggle for respectable roles for black actors. Vera Stark director Chuck Smith also weighs in. What are...
-
The intersection between violence at home and on the...
WBEZ Pritzker Fellow Adriana Cardona tells the story of one Back of the Yards family's struggle with domestic violence. She and community member Marina Alonso, a parent coordinator at Hedges Elementary School, explore the connection between violence at home and on the street. Alonso is part of a group called Una Nueva Amanecer that works to provide much-needed resources to the children who are witnesses to domestic violence. Photo Credit: Bill Healy
-
Tech and the new world order
Technology is changing the way people communicate and access information, but its impact extends well beyond the personal. In their new book, The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business, Google executives Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen examine how the digital world is transforming diplomacy, terrorism and global poverty. What questions do you have about technology’s impact on global politics?
-
Help Wanted: Degrees without Jobs
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, student loans now outpace debt from credit cards and auto loans. WBEZ's resident philosopher Al Gini, a business ethics processor at Loyola University, looks at the real value of higher education. Was your college degree a good investment? Photo Credit:Getty Images
-
Two years in with Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Mayor Rahm Emanuel took office two years ago today. Paul M. Green, chair of Roosevelt University’s department of Political Science and Public Administration, along with 45th Ward Ald. John Arena, examine his track record on crime, education, jobs and government. Is Chicago better off than it was two years ago? Why or why not? Photo Credit: Scott Olson
-
Blackhawks bring on the rivalry
This week, the age-old rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings comes to a close, of sorts. With the Red Wings' move to the Eastern Conference, the teams will only face off twice a season. Blackhawks ambassador and Hockey Hall-of-Famer Tony Esposito discusses the history of the rivalry. What do rivalries mean to you? Photo Credit: Nam Y Huh
-
The value in alone time
Writer and WBEZ blogger Claire Zulkey waxes philosophical about the meaning of alone time. Do you take "alone time" for yourself? Do you value your time spent alone?
-
Reservations for Chicago's Restaurant Show
Chicago Reader food and drink writer Mike Sula and Time Out Chicago's Julia Kramer examine the significance of the National Restaurant Association Show and the changing role of food critics: How do you find out about restaurants? Do you follow a specific reviewer or rely on crowd-sourced information from websites like Yelp?
-
Economic development within Mexico City
Mexico's secretary of economic development for Mexico City Salomón Chertorivski Woldenberg stops by during his week-long visit to Chicago to help strengthen relations with Mexico. He talks about Mexico’s economy, Mexico City’s economic development strategy and what he has been learning from the business community in Chicago.
-
Officers under fire
The Chicago Police Board has fired officers Susana La Casa and Luis Contreras, after they were found guilty of numerous administrative charges. The guilty charges included unlawfully restraining a youth, transporting him without a valid police purpose to the turf of a gang that would threaten him and making a false statement about the incident to an Internal Affairs detective. A video discovered by WBEZ led to the ultimate firing. The Afternoon Shift revisits the controversy with WBEZ's West...
-
Mah jongg May
The Chicago History Museum pays homage to this popular game throughout "Mah jongg May." Niala looks at the game's history and its ties to both Chinese and Jewish cultures with aficionados Ram Moy and Stephanie Victor.
-
Monsanto & GMOs
The Supreme Court decided for Monsanto in a genetic seed patent case. This story, like many others in recent memory, highlight the growing trend of genetically modified foods and our food supply. Chicago Tribune food writer Monica Eng weighs the benefits and risk of GMO products. What do you know about Monsanto? Do you know enough about our current food supply? Photo Credit: Flickr/Natalie Maynor
-
Tactics in Illinois government
Niala, with WBEZ statehouse reporter Tony Arnold and Kristen McQueary with the Chicago Tribune editorial board tackle four major issues in the Illinois state legislature today: pensions, marriage equality, gambling and guns. What are the tactics being used in local and state government? Are they hurting or helping us tackle the issues of the day? Photo Credit: Getty Images/Whitney Curtis
-
Chicago's Off-Loop Theater
What can off-loop theater learn from its past? With the death of Robert Sickinger, the unofficial founder of off-loop theater, we look at what was built and how it has sustained over the years. Photo Credit: Flickr/Sierraromeo
-
Reversing the Chicago River
The Chicago River is now the focus of major attention. Mayor Emanuel has made physical improvements along the river’s Main Branch a priority in his first term. And the river has been the subject of several studies, including one in 2011 that has called for undoing the engineering that famously reversed the river more than a century ago. A new study from the organization Friends of the Chicago River and the conservancy group Openlands indicates a cleaner and improved river would be a...
-
Libraries in the digital age
The Waukegan Public Library won this year’s National Medal for Museum and Library Service award for a program that uses volunteers both to promote the library to Hispanic residents and ask what services people need. Founded in January 2012, the library has started conversational English classes and pre-GED programs--far beyond the traditional library task of lending books and offering a quiet space to read. Waukegan Library Executive Director Richard Lee joins our conversation with Patricia...
-
Isabele Wilkerson & Great Migration
Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson joins us to talk about The Warmth of Other Suns; the One Book, One Chicago selection about the Great Migration. We pose the question: if your family came here during the Great Migration, do you consider yourself immigrants? Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
-
Branding the Bulls
Today, looking at the Bulls from a sports marketing perspective. What are the lasting brand complications and/or enhancements caused by the saga of Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls? Has the team or the player won from a marketing standpoint? Joining Niala will be Kevin Adler, President of Engage Marketing, and Charley Wickman, Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett. Join the conversation: Would you have paid top price for a ticket to see Game 3 tonight on a rumor that Derrick Rose will...
-
Lifestyles of the rich & famous
Baz Luhrmann’s glitzy, 3D remake of the classic American novel The Great Gatsby has lots of people talking--so today, Niala talks with Robert Frank, economics professor from Cornell and he’ll tell us how modern wealth compares to the Gatsby-types from history. Join the conversation: Would you rather be rich or comfortable? Photo Credit: Getty Images
-
Eve Ensler dives into women's rights
Playwright Eve Ensler’s new book is called In the Body of the World: A Memoir. In it, she explores intense personal and political topics from rape to uterine cancer. Ensler joins Niala in the studio to talk about her career, her new book, and her political activism. Also joining the conversation will be U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who will discuss violence against women.
-
Undercovering the truth behind hospital billing
Earlier today, the federal government revealed what hospitals around the country charge for the 100 most common procedures. Like the rest of the country, in the Chicago area the prices vary wildly depending on the hospital. Americans with private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare rarely pay the full price. Only the uninsured are forced to foot the entire bill. David Dranove, a professor of health industry management at Northwestern University's Kellogg School, sheds light on the labyrinthine...
-
Personal archives in the digital age
For a lot of us, recording, photographing and obsessively sharing the details of our lives is part of our daily routine. As we amass ever more data, and with music streaming sites like Spotify, what stuff do we actually need to hang onto? And what is the best way to store it for posterity? Whitson Gordon, editor-in-chief of Lifehacker, tackles those questions and looks at how the digitization of our lives shapes our relationship to our memories and our media. Photo Credit: Spencer Platt
-
Getting family members to share their stories difficult...
Today, StoryCorps opens a permanent booth in the Chicago Cultural Center. Since it inception in 2003, the oral history project has recorded 45,000 interviews with nearly 90,000 participants, giving Americans from all backgrounds the opportunity to preserve stories from their families and lives. StoryCorps founder David Isay and Elena Quintana, a clinical psychologist at the Adler School of Psychology, look at how to get family members to open up and share sometimes difficult memories.
-
Illinois GOP's next move
Pat Brady is no longer chairman of the Illinois GOP, which means the party ‘s future is at a crossroads. What’s the future of Illinois Republicans? Are they too moderate to matter on the national level? What would the state’s Republican party have to do to get YOUR vote? Niala talks with political commentator and strategist Chris Robling about the future of the GOP.
-
Curious City: Exploring the African American accent
Many of you probably remember the Curious City segment about the Chicago accent. Today, editor Shawn Allee, along with reporter Annie Minoff, respond to a listener’s question: how do African American accents differ across the country? YouTube accent tagger Ashlee Nichols, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side, also contributes to the conversation.
-
Second City's Edgar Blackmon and Holly Laurent take on...
Two stars of the new Second City revue “Let them Eat Chaos, “ Edgar Blackmon and Holly Laurent, are in studio to talk about one of the umbrella themes of the new show: oversharing. Have we lost the skill to keep things to ourselves? What do we expect from the people we interact with online? Is social media just another word for narcissism? What DON’T you share on social media? Photo Credit: Secondcity.com
-
The winners and losers of the Internet sales tax
Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed the legislation requiring Internet retailers like Amazon and eBay to pay taxes to states. Governor Pat Quinn has been an outspoken proponent, but the measure faces an uphill battle in the House. Alexander Chernev, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, looks at whether the measure would affect consumer behavior. Jean Kuhn, owner of Rocky Mountain Chocolate in La Grange, tells Niala how the bill would affect her...
-
Eating organic
The ninth annual "Dirty Dozen and Clean 15" list was just released by the Environmental Working Group, detailing which foods have highest frequency and levels of pesticides. The produce industry says it is a lot of malarkey. 'Chicago Tribune' food and consumer issues reporter Monica Eng tells the Afternoon Shift about the controversy. Photo Credit: Getty Images/John Moore
-
The numbers behind CPS closings and other questions for...
For the first hour, Niala talks with Andy Shaw and Alden Lowry from the Better Government Association about a number of topics, including the math behind school closures. WBEZ education reporter Linda Lutton joins the conversation with insight about a recent set of letters CPS sent to parents of closing schools about what it would’ve cost to keep the school open. Photo credit: WBEZ/Linda Lutton
-
Paul Kahan talking with Steve Edwards on Afternoon Shift
In 2012 Paul Kahan was nominated for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef. He didn't win then, but in 2013 he and David Chang tied for the accolade. This conversation was done on just before the award ceremony in 2012 with former Afternoon Shift host, Steve Edwards.
-
Mental Health Awareness and Law Enforcement
This weekend, Chicago Police fatally shot Tywon Jones, a 16-year-old alleged to have shot at pedestrians in Lawndale before firing at officers. Jones’ stepfather has confirmed that Jones was bipolar. The Afternoon Shift talks to Ashley Fontaine from the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Chicago’s Crisis Intervention Team, a program that trains officers about how to recognize mental illness and defuse potentially dangerous situations.
-
Developing the young mind with soft skills
Soft-skills like communication and collaboration begin in early childhood and can play a huge role in an individual's success later in life. Author Stuart Murphy, Allen Rosales, associate director of education and curriculum at the charter school Christopher House, and Jennifer Farrington, the president of the Chicago's Children's Museum, join Niala to discuss soft-skill development in children.
-
Creating your brand in the office
Dave Kaiser, an executive coach and CEO of Dark Matter Consulting, looks at how to plot your next career move and rebrand in the workplace.
-
Rahm reaches rockstar status
On the 2012 economic disclosure statements officeholders are required to file, Mayor Rahm Emanuel lists he was a house guest of the famed record executive and producer David Geffen. He makes the rounds of national Sunday morning talk shows to discuss politics, the president and Congress, and his campaign donors include the likes of Disney CEO Robert Iger. Two years into his first term, Rahm Emanuel seeks and enjoys a higher profile than that of Mayor Richard M. Daley or his predecessors....
-
School of the Art Institute walks "The Walk"
This morning WBEZ's Alison Cuddy and Natalie Moore attended the School of the Art Institute's fashion show dress rehearsal. The official runway show, dubbed "The Walk, and the scholarship benefit dinner happens tonight. Alison and Natalie review the student show, which is celebrating 79 years.
-
Tech industry mobilizes on immigration
Tech giants like Facebook and Google have spent a combined $13.8 million to lobby for the expansion of temporary visas and green cards for high-skills foreign workers. Former Googler Josh Mendelsohn co-founded lobbying outfit Engine Advocacy to give startups a bigger voice in the immigration debate. He tells Niala what he wants to see in new immigration legislation. Photo: Paul Sakuma
-
Celebrating 1871's first birthday with a look at...
Afternoon Shift spends the hour assessing Chicago's tech chops with Chicago Tribune business reporter Wailin Wong and tech community organizer Jimmy Prude. The startup hub 1871, housed in Chicago's Merchandise Mart building, turns one this week. According to a report released earlier today, the organization created 800 jobs. Kevin Willer, who runs the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, the non-profit that operates 1871, reflects on 1871's growth and where it is headed. Photo Credit:Flickr,...
-
Louder Than a Bomb takes poetry to juvenile detention...
Wednesday, Chicago Amplified recorded a Louder Than A Bomb poetry slam at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. The residents gave heartfelt spoken word performances talking about their hopes, dreams, fears, longings and aspirations. On today’s show, host Lamar Jorden and juvenile detention center teacher Lamon Manuel tell Niala about the power of poetry. Photo Credit: Bill Healy
-
What impact would legalizing marijuana have on gangs?
Listener Siva Iyer asked WBEZ’s Curious City about the potential impact that the legalization of marijuana could have on gangs. WBEZ South Side bureau reporter Natalie Moore and Curious City editor Shawn Allee join to discuss. Photo Credit: AP Ed Andrieski
-
King of Spas
WBEZ pop culture blogger Claire Zulkey took a recent trip to King Spa, a megaspa in Niles, which has become the stuff of lore, as more women discover the Korean day spa experience. WBEZ business reporter Susie An also joins the conversation.
-
Contracts 101
From the rooftop at Wrigley to the city’s parking meters, lots of stories lately have hinged on contract law. Today, Niala takes a moment to talk with Chicago attorney Gregory Whitehead about that basics of contract law. Have a question for the experts? Photo Credit: Flickr, Mi55 Anthr0py
-
Is it possible to make new media profitable?
It is hard to believe the Chicago news site Gapers Block has been at it for a decade. Gapers' editor and publisher Andrew Huff and Mark Konkol, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and writer at large for DNA Info, discuss the health and sustainability of local independent journalism.
-
Curious City: Dunning Insane Asylum
In the latest installment of Curious City, editor Shawn Allee joins author and freelance journalist Robert Loerzel. They sought out to answer Michael Dotson's question: What's the history behind Cook County's former Dunning Insane Asylum and the people buried nearby?
-
Picasso, Chicago and how a city attracts world class art
What can Chicago do to showcase the work of world-class artists? The Art Institute of Chicago is holding an event tonight to look back at the famed courting of Pablo Picasso. The city ended up commissioning his work and it now stands tall and proud in Chicago's Daley Plaza. What will it take for our art community to continue to attract and showcase the artists of our time? Richard Tomlinson, architect and managing partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architecture, Alison Fisher, the Art...
-
Warm weather causes increased gun violence in Chicago
Last night was the warmest night in Chicago in seven months, so it came as no surprise when the number of shootings sky rocketed. WBEZ's South Side Bureau Reporter Natalie Moore and Northeastern Illinois University professor Lance Williams, coauthors of the book "The Almighty Black P Stone Nation", look in to the causes of the tension that has engulfed Chicago and how to diffuse it. Photo Credit: Nam Y. Huh
-
How does real estate factor in to the American dream?
As the Chicago housing market begins to rise from the ashes of the crash, Mabel Guzman, an agent with @properties and a former president of Chicago Association of Realtors, examines what the American dream looks like in 2013. Photo Credit: Scott Olson
-
The Milk Carton Kids, live on The Afternoon Shift
The Milk Carton Kids (singer songwriters Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan) stop by the Jim and Kay Mabie Performance Studio for a chat and to perform songs from their new album The Ash & Clay. They play to a sold out crowd tonight at Lincoln Hall. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
-
Landmark Preservation of Illinois names 10 most...
The Landmark Preservation of Illinois’ list of endangered buildings came out today. Viva la Feminista’s Veronica Arreola and WBEZ architecture critic Lee Bey look at some landmark architecture that might not last. Photo Credit: Lee Bey
-
Worker safety brought to light after Bangladesh factory...
Viva la Feminista’s Veronica Arreola and WBEZ architecture critic Lee Bey stick around for a look at a Careerbuilder study that finds women still struggle to close the salary gap. They also tackle President Obama’s speech earlier today reiterating his continued commitment to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
-
Privatization and the role of government
Niala spends the first hour with two Chicago bloggers: Viva la Feminista’s Veronica Arreola and WBEZ architecture critic Lee Bey. They look at the privatization of public assets, given changes to Chicago’s agreement with the company that runs parking meters and ongoing talk of selling off Midway Airport. Peter Scozi, executive vice president of Metro Planning Council, gives us some insight. Photo Credit: Flickr, Mason
-
Taken For A Ride: Discovering the secret world of...
Some of America’s best-known companies and largest temp agencies benefit from — and tacitly collaborate with — an underworld of labor brokers, known as raiteros. ProPublica’s Michael Grabell and Marketplace’s Jeff Tyler conducted dozens of interviews, followed the workers from their 4 am pickup location in Chicago’s Little Village, the largest Mexican community in the Midwest, and examined hundreds of documents to expose the practice. They tell Afternoon Shift about their investigation.
-
Looking back at the Unforget-a-bulls
This season marks the 20th anniversary of the 1993 World Champion Chicago Bulls, otherwise known as the “Three-Peat.” WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout and Kent McDill, author of the book 100 Things Bulls Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, share their recollections of the historic season and the turmoil that followed Michael, Scottie and coach Phil Jackson, ultimately leading the biggest breakup in sports (until they made up two years later). Photo Credit: Reed Saxon
-
Harold Washington's lasting legacy
Thirty years ago today, Harold Washington was sworn in as Chicago’s first black mayor. Jacky Grimshaw, vice president of public policy for the non-profit Center for Neighborhood Technology and a top political advisor under Washington, talks about how – and why – Mayor Washington brought the TIF system to Chicago. Photo Credit: James Bourdier
-
Rahm makes changes to Chicago parking deal
Mayor Rahm Emmanuel announced changes to Chicago’s agreement with the private company that runs the city’s parking. The good news: Neighborhood parking is free on Sundays. The catch: the rest of the week metered parking will extend to 10 pm in areas that used to end at 9 pm. WBEZ reporter Al Keefe joins to explain. Photo Credit: Getty Images, Frank Polich
-
Brushing up on the Constitution with Peter Sagal
Peter Sagal, the host of NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, has spent the last year on a motorcycle road trip across the U.S. talking to Americans about the Constitution. His efforts culminated in the documentary series Constitution USA with Peter Sagal, which airs on PBS stations Tuesdays in May. He and constitutional expert Steve Schwinn, a professor at John Marshall Law School, find the funny in the founding document and say how it exists in everyday life. How does the Constitution factor...
-
Girls gone nerd
Chicago’s version of Comic Con, C2E2, is this weekend at the McCormick Center. In anticipation of this nerdly mecca, Niala talks with three of WBEZ's biggest girl nerds. Web producer Tricia Bobeda, blogger Leah Pickett and producer Greta Johnsen talk about the culture, language, and customs of nerds.
-
Inbox zero: One man's quest to get rid of e-clutter
Brian Proffitt is trying something radical: going 30 days with an empty inbox. Proffitt, a tech expert and adjunct professor at Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, is attempting to not just declutter his email account, but clean up his relationship with technology all together. Photo Credit: Paul Sakuma
-
The worst week for air travel since 9/11
Could this week be the worst week for air travel since 9/11? Travel blogger Chris Elliott thinks this could be the worst week for air travel since 9/11. Between the bombings in Boston, the sequester, extreme weather and airlines experiencing computer problems some airports were at a complete standstill. Photo Credit:Getty Images
-
Is there any hope for pension reform in Springfield?
Blogger for Chicago Magazine Carol Felsenthal and WBEZ state house reporter Tony Arnold join Niala to digest the big stories of the day. They’ll take on the latest in Illinois’ pension troubles.
-
The changing landscape of the Illinois Governor's race
Blogger for Chicago Magazine Carol Felsenthal and WBEZ state house reporter Tony Arnold join Niala to digest the big stories of the day. They’ll take on the Shock-ing news that Aaron Shock won’t be running for governor, and look at who's left.\ Photo Credit: Scott Olson
-
Joffrey Ballet takes on Shakespeare in Othello
The Joffrey Ballet’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s Othello opened yesterday. We’ll be joined by Oscar Award-winning composer Elliot Goldenthal, and Scott Speck, Joffrey’s music director & conductor. The two join us to talk about how music and dance fit together, the importance of live music for dance, and about how Goldenthal and the Joffrey collaborated for this production.
-
Is it time to get over the Bulls?
Kaufman and Babylon: The Bulls are going in to their playoff game tonight against the Nets fresh off a win, but does anyone care? Do you still have love for the Bulls, and if not, where did it go? Call 312-9239-9239 or tweet us with #AfternoonShift. WBEZ executive producer Justin Kaufman and Vocalo's Brian Babylon discuss. (Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast)
-
What you need to know about the Affordable Care Act
We know healthcare is a huge issue in the US-- how to pay for it, who can’t afford it, who should provide it. President Obama’s Affordable Care Act was a federal attempt to improve the system, but the act itself is massive and has significant implications, both federally and locally. We talk with Donna Thompson, CEO of ACCESS Community Health Network. (Photo: David McNew)
-
Black home ownership and economic dividers
Dorothy Brown, Associate Vice Provost & Professor of Law at Emory University. discusses the economics of home ownership and racial divisions. (Photo: Scott Olson)
-
Side hustles: Are second (or third) jobs becoming the...
The "side hustle" -- that extra gig to help you pay the bills-- is something many of us have. (Photo: Getty Images)
-
The media's Southern strategy
Last week, we all heard about the Boston Marathon bombings. But what about the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, or the story of the ricin-laced letters from Mississippi mailed to politicans? Today, we hear a conversation about how mainstream media outlets cover, or don’t cover, stories about the South.
-
Year 25: Washington Edition
WBEZ’s Lauren Chooljian took her Year25 series to Capitol Hill to see what some members of the Illinois delegation were up to at the landmark age of 25. She stops by Afternoon Shift to share her discoveries... (Photo: Instagram/laurenchooljian)
-
Curious City: Why's that thing called a zamboni, anyway?
As the end of the NHL regular season nears, Curious City producers Logan Jaffe and Anthony Martinez find out what it takes to make it as a professional Zamboni driver.
-
Wage wars: The economics of minimum wage
In a push for higher wages dubbed The Fight for $15, low-wage workers in Chicago are striking today in front of downtown restaurants and retailers, including McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Sears and Victoria’s Secret. Steven Greenhouse, the labor and workplace reporter for The New York Times, explains how a similar effort fared in New York and illuminates the challenge of juggling several part-time jobs to make ends meet. (Photo: Twitter/Marina)
-
Rev. Jim Wallis discusses faith and politics
Author and theologian Jim Wallis discusses the news and the business of being the best known liberal evangelist in a sea of conservative voices. They address the struggle of low wage workers, federal immigration legislation, gun violence and finding common ground in our polarized politics. His latest book is On God’s Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn’t Learned about Serving the Common Good. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
-
Kickstarter campaign to train Englewood teens on coding
Demond Drummer, the technology director of Teamwork Englewood, talks about the group’s new Kickstarter project Englewood Codes, a 10-week summer project in which Englewood teens will learn how to build their own websites from scratch.
-
The Q Brothers give us a taste of "Othello: The Remix"
If William Shakespeare would have taken a little better care of himself, he would have been 449 years old today. To commemorate this special day, each year folks around the world celebrate it as “Talk Like Shakespeare Day.” The “Q Brothers,” JQ, Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle, perform the song “To the Top” from Shakespeare Theatre’s production of 'Othello: The Remix,' a hip-hop tribute to The Bard. Photo Credit: Jeff Barnard
-
Ill. Rep. Ken Dunkin co-sponsors marriage equality bill
Chairman of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and state Rep. Ken Dunkin joins Niala to explain why he became a co-sponsor of legislation to legalize gay marriage statewide.
-
Author Tom Dyja discusses his book The Third Coast
Author and Chicago native Tom Dyja sticks around to discuss his latest book 'The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream.' Photo Credit: Flickr/Pax Puig
-
Chicagoans respond to scathing Times book review
WBEZ digital content editor Tim Akimoff and 'Sun Times' digital editor Marcus Gilmer tackle the now-notorious 'New York Times' book review that managed to seriously tick off Chicagoans and stir up old questions about the city’s reputation and self-mythology. Veteran Chicago newswoman Carol Marin, Chicago-based author and award-winning journalist Alex Kotlowitz and Tom Dyja, author of one the books included in the review, share their thoughts on the controversy. Photo Credit: Flickr/Anotonio...
-
Reddit and the challenges of breaking news
Afternoon Shift spends the hour with two social media gurus Tim Akimoff, WBEZ’s digital content editor, and Marcus Gilmer, digital editor of the Chicago Sun-Times. They kick off with a discussion of social news site Reddit, which issued an apology for spurring “online witch hunts,” referring to its users who mistakenly linked innocent people to the Boston Marathon attacks. How can the news industry responsibly incorporate online communities’ detective work? They also discuss the hacking of...
-
"The Jasons'" secrets of Nightwood
Nightwood's Jason Vincent was named Food & Wine “Best New Chef of 2013.” Vincent’s Nightwood has been an anchor for a growing culinary scene in the Bridgeport/Pilsen corridor. As the accolades continue to pour in from around the world, host Niala Boodhoo asks Vincent and his partner Jason Hammel to share their secret. How do you run a successful restaurant in Chicago? Photo: Courtesy of Nightwood
-
Rahm Emanuel tries to redefine public housing
The Chicago Housing Authority is unveiling “Plan Forward,” the next phase of its Plan for Transformation, the nation’s largest effort to redevelop public housing. WBEZ South Side bureau reporter Natalie Moore talks about Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s role in the controversial initiative.
-
Educating America on your ethnicity
What do you wish Americans knew about your home country? What do they get wrong? Those are questions many immigrants are asking in the wake of the Boston marathon bombings. Pakistan native Imam Malik Mujahid, a host and founder of Radio Islam, and ZJ Tong, president of the Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute, Inc., give their perspective.
-
Flooding still has sections of Chicago and suburbs...
Parts of the city and suburbs are still bailing out from the recent floods that drenched the region. Joe Broda, the Village of Lisle’s mayor whom Niala spoke to last week, gives a progress report. WBEZ Pritzker fellow Lewis Wallace looks into plans to upgrade infrastructure in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood, parts of which were underwater after the heavy rains. PHOTO: M. Spencer Green/AP
-
Ahmed Rehab urges caution when discussing Chechen...
Ahmed Rehab, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Chicago chapter, also joins to talk about perceptions—and misconceptions - of Muslims.
-
Statehouse reporter Tony Arnold discusses the top...
WBEZ statehouse reporter Tony Arnold sticks around to update Niala on the concealed weapons measure backed by gun rights proponents that the state House defeated last night. Springfield faces a court-enforced deadline to pass a new concealed carry law.
-
Lisle hard hit by flood waters
Afternoon Shift gets an update on the region’s most flooded areas. Governor Quinn has declared 38 counties in Illinois disaster areas. The Village of Lisle is among the hard-hit areas. Niala talks to mayor Joseph Broda.
-
In light of Boston suspects, a primer on Chechnya
Boston and parts of the surrounding area remain on lockdown. Two ethnically-Chechen brothers have been identified as suspects. The older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was shot earlier this morning after leading police on a chase that left an MIT security officer dead. Nineteen-year-old Dzhokhar remains at large. Worldview host Jerome McDonnell and Frederick Starr, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and a professor at Johns Hopkins University, join Niala to talk about the turbulent...
-
Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez discusses...
Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez joins the Afternoon Shift to discuss gun laws, the scuttled federal immigration bill and her priorities in office.
-
A Day In The Life discovers Palatine
WBEZ’s Logan Jaffe and Robert Wildeboer recently paid a visit to Northwest suburban Palatine and discover, much to their surprise, a mini-gulf course in the basement of a funeral home and the state’s biggest roller rink. WBEZ blogger Lee Bey also stops by to give a short history lesson of the area.
-
Bulls playoff preview with Cheryl Raye-Stout
The Chicago Bulls wrapped up their regular season Wednesday with a victory over the Washington Wizards. Now, for the first round of the NBA playoffs on Saturday, the Derrick “Rose-less” team takes on the Brooklyn Nets. Niala get a preview from WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout. Photo Credit: Charles Rex Arbogast
-
Author Lee Sandlin on the history of meteorology and...
Lee Sandlin, author of the book Storm Kings: The Untold History of America’s First Tornado Chasers, discusses the early days of meteorology. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
-
How to handle Chicago's extreme weather
Flooding shut down parts of the Kennedy, Edens and Eisenhower expressways this morning, doubling and even tripling commute times for some and opening the roads for many Chicago commuters. For this rainy-day edition of the show, Afternoon Shift asks whether the area is equipped to handle the weather. John Kiefner, a farmer in Will County, says what the rains mean for his 500 acres of corn, soybeans and hay. Doug Farr, president and CEO of Farr Associates Architecture and Urban Design,...
-
Curious City: Is U of C's Stagg Field radioactive?
For Curious City, producers Katie Mingle and Shawn Allee don their lab coats and investigate whether the first sustained nuclear reaction left the University of Chicago’s Stagg Field radioactive. Photo Credit: Flickr Juoy41
-
Immigration attorney Moises Hernandez answers your...
As Sen. Dick Durbin and his colleagues in the Senate put forth their version of comprehensive immigration reform, Afternoon Shift looks at what immigration reform may mean for the day-to-day lives of undocumented people with Immigration attorney Moises Hernandez, a principal at the law firm Moises Hernandez Esq. LLC. Photo Credit: AP Jacquelyn Martin
-
Remembering Margaret Thatcher and how a nation copes...
Hal Weitzman, currently the editor-in-Chief of the University of Chicago Booth School publication Capital Ideas, ruminates on former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thather’s funeral and the recent Venezuelan elections. And, Nina Metz ponders what America's coping mechanism for tragedy is. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
-
Sacred Heart medical center embroiled in kickback scandal
Journalist Hal Weitzman and Chicago Tribune’s Nina Metz join Niala to try and make sense of the day’s sobering news. They follow the latest developments from the investigation into the Boston Marathon attacks and discuss the disturbing reports that ricin was detected in letters sent to President Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker and that a suspicious piece of mail was found in a regional office of Sen. Carl Levin. The trio also weighs in on claims that Chicago’s Sacred Heart has been performing...
-
Significant impact on communities affected by CPS school...
As community members deal with the implications of the closings of 54 Chicago Public Schools, host Niala Boodhoo talks with two reporters from education publication Catalyst, Angela Caputo and Sarah Karp, who took an in-depth look at the neighborhoods these schools are in -- and the very real disparities that exist between impoverished communities with closing schools and more economically stable communities with viable schools. Photo Credit: WBEZ Robin Amer
-
Time Out Chicago's outgoing editor Frank Sennett reveals...
This week marks the last print edition of TimeOut Chicago. The publication, which was bought by its parent company, will remain in digital form. Eighty percent of the magazine’s staff is about to be laid off. Outgoing TimeOut Editor-in-Chief Frank Sennett joins Afternoon Shift for an exclusive interview.
-
Social media's role in breaking news
WBEZ digital content editor Tim Akimoff talks about reaction to the Boston Marathon attacks in the social media-verse.
-
Boston Marathon: What we've learned about America's...
President Barack Obama said earlier today it is still unknown whether the Boston Marathon attacks, which killed three and left at least 176 injured, were the act of a group or an individual or of foreign or domestic origins. Afternoon Shift spends the hour reflecting on how the government, from local law enforcement to the White House, and we, as a society, respond to acts of terrorism and how attitudes have changed since 9/11. University of Chicago professor and terrorism expert Robert Pape...
-
2 explosions shake finish line of Boston Marathon
2 explosions went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. We spoke with Joy Sherrick, who ran in the marathon, about the scene. Photo Credit: Charles Krupa
-
Discovering West Humboldt Park's open-air drug markets
Mick Dumke discusses his recent reporting on the open air drug market on Chicago’s West Side. Community organizer Jimmy Simmons joins in to discuss the effect it's had on the area.
-
30th anniversary of Harold Washington's mayoral win
On the heels 30th anniversary of Harold Washington’s election, Laura Washington, who worked in his administration, reflects on Washington’s tenure. Photo Credit: James Bourdier
-
Wrigley signs $500 million with city to renovate stadium
Two veteran Chicago journalists dissect the news of the day. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Laura Washington and Chicago Reader’s Mick Dumke examine plans to renovate Wrigley Field; City Hall and the Cubs reached an agreement yesterday on the $500 million effort. They also talk about proposed legislation offering property tax break to seniors in Illinois and gun control in Chicago. Photo Credit:Flickr, Aaron Goodyear
-
Tax scams to look for this tax season
Every year the IRS releases it’s list of most common tax scams, referred to as the “Dirty Dozen.” IRS special agent Kerry Hannigan details the most common scams that tax payers should look to avoid. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
-
Learn how to appeal your property taxes with Commisoner...
Tax time also means paying property taxes. Commissioner John Fritchey explains how you can appeal your property taxes, and “Deal Estate” columnist Dennis Rodkin discusses referendums on the table, how to appeal your property taxes, and special terms of property taxes. Photo Credit: Seth Perlman
-
Supreme Court hears case on judge neutrality
Alison Siegler of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinics Federal Criminal Justice Clinic is arguing U.S. v. Anthony Davila in front of the Supreme Court Monday. The case involved a judge breaking from neutrality by pressuring a defendant to plead guilty. Siegler explains why this case is important. Photo Credit: Evan Vucci
-
Indiana proposes bill requiring armed officials in...
Indiana state lawmakers are grappling with a bill on protecting school children and teachers. The proposal would have required someone in each public and charter school in the state to have access to a gun. There have been some changes. Indiana State Rep. Jim Lucas is one of the main advocates for guns in school, and he explains why he supports the bill. Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon opposes the bill and offers her disagreement of the proposal. Photo Credit: Nam Y. Huh
-
Folk singer Billy Bragg talks about Margaret Thatcher,...
British folk punk icon Billy Bragg has been a champion of working people for his entire musical career – now spanning more than three decades – not unlike his hero and influence, Woody Guthrie. Bragg is in the middle of an extensive tour of the U.S. in support of his new album, Tooth & Nail. It’s his first studio release in five years. He joins the Afternoon Shift to play a few songs and talk about his years as an activist and songwriter and his thoughts on deceased British Prime Minister...
-
WBEZ blogger Leah Pickett takes a look at the Chicago...
On the Chicago set of the film Divergent, Governor Pat Quinn said earlier today that tax incentives to bolster movie production in Illinois led to $184 million in spending by production crews last year. WBEZ blogger Leah Pickett stops by to discuss Chicago’s production schedule. Photo Credit:Kevin Buckstiegel
-
Front and Center: Restorative justice programs in high...
For WBEZ’s Front & Center, Katie O’Brien reports on how Fenger High School, which made national headlines in 2009 when a brawl that left one teenager dead erupted blocks away from the school was caught on video, is employing restorative justice practices to prevent violence. Also joining the conversation is law professor and retired Circuit Court Judge of Cook County Sheila M. Murphy. She is an advocate of restorative justice methods of dealing with crime, especially gun violence. Photo...
-
Former AUSA David Hoffman discusses how gun crimes are...
Afternoon Shift continues its weeklong examination of gun laws with a look at prosecuting gun crimes and violence prevention. There is a myriad of gun laws on the books, covering everything from manufacturing, theft, possession, transferring – even the altering – of weapons. How do prosecutors choose what charges to pursue? What's the tactic in prosecuting gun cases? Former assistant US Attorney David Hoffman who prosecuted gun crimes under the US Attorney's Project Safe Neighborhoods...
-
Best Game In Town: Looking ahead to the 2014...
Springfield is coming back in session. Some of the big issues the General Assembly may, or may not, tackle are gay marriage, gun control and gambling. As we look ahead to the coming political season, who are the candidates and races to watch? Two partisan experts, Kitty Kurth of progessive consulting firm Kurth-Lampe and Republican strategist Christine Dudley, give Niala the breakdown, including a who’s who in the upcoming gubernatorial primary. Photo Credit: Getty Images, Frank Polich
-
All female dance collective FlySpace explains the...
Chicago dance companies The Dance COLEctive, Hedwig Dances, Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre and Zephyr Dance, each led by a female artistic director, have formed a new partnership called FlySpace to connect and engage audiences through contemporary dance. Michelle Kranicke of Zephyr and Margi Cole of the Dance COLEctive discuss their collaboration and whether it can serve as a model for the arts.
-
A Day In The Life: Discovering Dolton
Dolton, Illinois, the first suburb south of the city limits, is struggling with high rates of foreclosure and violence. Despite its big-city problems, residents are hopeful – especially after the election of a new mayor – that things can turn around. WBEZ web producer Tricia Bobeda visited Dolton earlier this week. She and Lee Bey join Niala to discuss the village’s politics, history and best baked goods
-
Firearm owner identification cards don't do much to stop...
WBEZ reporter Al Keefe talks about what it takes to obtain—and revoke—Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) cards in Illinois. Photo Credit: AP
-
Chicago Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy discusses...
Afternoon Shift continues its weeklong examination of gun laws with a look at firearms trafficking. Recent studies suggest a third of all guns used in crimes committed in Cook County come from Indiana. For Front & Center, WBEZ’s Michael Puente looks at what is being done on this side of the border to slow the flow of illegal weapons traveling the Gun Skyway. Also, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy answers listener questions about gun trafficking in Chicago. Photo Credit: WBEZ...
-
Bravo's Andy Cohen stops by to talk about the reality of...
Most know Bravo TV host and executive Andy Cohen for his behind-the-scenes work on The Real Housewives franchise and Top Chef and for his role in front of the mic, as the host of Watch What Happens: Live, the network's late-night interactive talk show--but the Midwest native actually got his start in journalism covering everything from entertainment to huge, breaking national news stories. Cohen drops by to talk about his humble past, as well as his celebrity-filled present, with Niala...
-
Curious City: Express way signs and CTA bus shelters
The Curious City core crew, Jennifer Brandel and Logan Jaffe, navigate a series of questions they received about a rather morbid topic posed by several curious citizens: What is the deal with expressway signs counting traffic deaths? Photo Credit: Flickr_Jochemberends
-
Front and Center: Gun violence and its toll on mental...
Afternoon Shift continues its week-long examination of gun laws as part of Front & Center. WBEZ’s Tony Arnold reports on how the debate over guns affects mental health programs. Psychologist Carl Bell, director of the UIC Institute for Juvenile Research, discusses trauma caused by gun violence. Gunshot victim Glen Reedus and his wife Michelle Thomas talk about the ongoing impact of Reedus’ injury, and Melva Pratt, whose 28-year-old son Rashad was shot and killed last August, shares her...
-
Chicago cabbies get real about the job
Later this month, Truman College is hosting a taxi driver recruitment day. Jason Garcia is a licensed truck driver looking to become a cabbie. WBEZ North Side reporter Odette Yousef and retired driver Dmitry Samarov give him some advice. Current drivers also call in to talk about what it takes to get into the cab game. Photo Credit: flickr-noboundaries.org
-
University of Illinois supercomputer Blue Waters is...
Last week Blue Waters, the supercomputer hosted by the University of Illinois, became fully operational. It is the world’s most powerful supercomputer on a university campus and has the capacity to more accurately predict climate change and unlock the mysteries of the cosmos. Thom Dunning, the director of U of I’s National Center for Supercomputing Applications, explains the hype. Photo Credit: Paul Sakuma
-
Front and Center: The economics of guns
The Afternoon Shift continues its weeklong examination of gun laws with a look at the role that gun manufacturers play in shaping policy. WBEZ statehouse reporter Tony Arnold sheds light on the OTHER gun lobby: the manufacturers. Bill Spain, a former reporter for CBS Market Watch, talks about Illinois’ gun economy. Cook County Commissioner Jesus Garcia, a former Illinois state senator, and Todd Vandermyde, the National Rifle Association’s legislative liaison to Springfield, discuss the...
-
Former FCC head Michael Copps discusses the changing...
Michael Copps headed the Federal Communications Commission from 2001 to 2011. During his tenure, he fought against the consolidation of big media companies and was a proponent of local programming and diversity of ownership in media. These issues are front and center in Chicago, as the Chicago Tribune is being sold. Copps examines the future of big media. Photo Credit: WGN-TV
-
Remembering Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's legacy
Labor attorney Tom Geoghegan talks about the lasting impact former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had on the dismantling of unions in the U.K. and U.S. Photo Credit: Carl Court
-
Film critic Roger Ebert laid to rest today
The funeral for legendary Chicago film critic Roger Ebert was held today at Holy Name Cathedral. Ebert is famous, of course, for his many years of movie reviews for the Sun-Times, his TV show “Siskel & Ebert,” and his prolific blogging and Twitter presence. WBEZ’s Alison Cuddy covered the funeral today. She explains the mood of the services. Photo Credit: Charles Rex Arbogast
-
Front and Center: How much do we know about gun laws
To kick off a weeklong series on gun laws, Afternoon Shift spends the hour getting a variety of perspectives on federal, state and local legislation. WBEZ Northwest Indiana reporter Michael Puente looks at Gary’s thwarted efforts to tighten gun laws. Patrick Charles, author of the bookThe Second Amendment: The Intent and Its Interpretation by the States and the Supreme Court,talks about intersections and tensions between federal, state and local gun laws. Bill Konway, a gun enthusiast in...
-
The Goodman Theater's Robert Falls discusses the...
Goodman Theatre’s Artistic Director Robert Falls joins host Niala Boodhoo and WBEZ theater critic Jonathan Abarbanel to talk about the passing of Roger Ebert and his impact on the arts in Chicago, as well as the Goodman’s modern rendition of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. Photo Credit: Richie Diesterheft
-
WBEZ blogger Lee Bey remembers the things about Roger...
WBEZ architecture blogger Lee Bey reflects on Roger Ebert’s inner architecture critic and championing of black filmmakers. Photo Credit: Getty Images
-
Palestinian hip hop group DAM channels their frustration...
The lyrics of Palestinian rappers DAM (Da Arabian MCs) cover a complex array of issues, from poverty and class to occupation and women’s rights. DAM is currently touring the U.S. in support of their second full-length release, Debka on the Moon. Spitting rhymes in Arabic and Hebrew, the three MCs -- Tamer Nafar, Suhell Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri -- are generally considered to be the first-ever Palestinian rap group. Tamer (the older of the two siblings) and Mahmoud drop by Afternoon Shift for a...
-
Chicago remembers the 45th anniversary of the West Side...
Forty-five years ago today, rioting erupted at the intersection of Pulaski Rd. and Madison Ave. on Chicago’s West Side in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Much of the neighborhood went up in flames. Afternoon Shift spends the hour reflecting on the anniversary with WBEZ history blogger John Schmidt and eyewitness Charlie Joe Henderson, a West Side resident and owner of Out of the Past Records. Chicago Public Media facilities director Claude Cunningham joins the...
-
Chicagoans share memories of the great Roger Ebert
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died on Thursday at age 70. Listeners were encouraged to call in and share their own memories of the great Chicagoan as part of our remembrance. Photo Credit: Wiki Commons
-
Chicagoans reflect on the life and legacy of legendary...
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died on Thursday at age 70. Listeners were encouraged to call in and share their own memories of the great Chicagoan as part of our remembrance. Photo Credit: Michel Euler
-
Producer Gordon Quinn reflects on the life of Roger Ebert
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died on Thursday at age 70. As part of our remembrance, host Niala Boodhoo and Milos Stehlik, WBEZ film critic and director of Facets Multimedia, spoke with Kartemquin films founder Gordon Quinn. Quinn was the producer of the documentary “Hoop Dreams,” a film Ebert championed, and is working on a biographical film about the critic. “He put us on the map, he and Gene, with Hoop Dreams,” said Quinn. Photo Credit: Wiki commons
-
Fellow film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum reflects on Roger...
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died on Thursday at age 70. As part of our remembrance, host Niala Boodhoo and Milos Stehlik, WBEZ film critic and director of Facets Multimedia, spoke with Jonathan Rosenbaum, longtime film critic for the Chicago Reader. “The story of the last ten or so years of his life is really a heroic story,” said Rosenbaum. Photo Credit: Wiki Commons
-
Roger Ebert's long-time publicist John Iltis remembers...
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died on Thursday at age 70. As part of our remembrance, host Niala Boodhoo and Milos Stehlik, WBEZ film critic and director of Facets Multimedia, spoke with John Iltis, Ebert’s long-time publicist. “With Roger you never had to overcome, you knew exactly where he stood,” remembered Iltis. Photo Credit: Wiki Commons
-
Film historian David Bordwell remembers Roger Ebert's...
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died on Thursday at age 70. As part of our remembrance of Ebert, host Niala Boodhoo and Milos Stehlik, WBEZ film critic and director of Facets Multimedia, spoke with film theorist and historian David Bordwell. “He had a very wide knowledge of film history, particularly American film history,” recalled Bordwell. Photo credit: Michel Euler
-
Chicago Sun Times arts editor Laura Emerick remembers...
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died on Thursday at age 70. As part of our remembrance, host Niala Boodhoo and Milos Stehlik, WBEZ film critic and director of Facets Multimedia, spoke with Sun-Times arts editor Laura Emerick. Emerick was Ebert's editor at the Sun Times for many years. "He fought for so long and so hard, against such great obstacles," Emerick said.
-
Music critic Jim DeRogatis remembers career of colleague...
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died on Thursday at age 70. As part of our remembrance of Ebert, host Niala Boodhoo and Milos Stehlik, WBEZ film critic and director of Facets Multimedia, spoke with “Sound Opinions” host and fellow Chicago Sun-Times critic Jim DeRogatis. "I'm kind of a mess, Niala. I'm kind of a mess," DeRogatis said, when asked about the news. Photo Credit: Wiki commons
-
Rick Kogan looks back on the life of long-time friend...
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died on Thursday at age 70. As part of our remembrance, host Niala Boodhoo and Milos Stehlik, WBEZ film critic and director of Facets Multimedia, spoke with Chicago Tribune columnist and former Afternoon Shift host Rick Kogan, who was also a longtime friend of Ebert’s. “There was never anybody like Roger. I would argue he was the most influential critic in the history of newspapers,” said Kogan. Photo Credit: Michel Euler
-
Fake Shore Drive's Andrew Barber discusses making it in...
Fake Shore Drive's Andrew Barber discusses making it in Chicago's rap scene by WBEZ's Afternoon Shift
-
Barbara Byrd Bennett responds to claims CPS closures are...
Barbara Byrd Bennett responds to claims CPS closures are "racist" by WBEZ's Afternoon Shift
-
Learning to navigate health care for the elderly
As baby boomers age, an increasing number of families will soon rely on Medicare to care for their aging parents and spouses. Don Taylor, a public policy professor at Duke University, looks at what Medicare actually covers and what health care options exist for retirement-age Americans. Taylor, who studies elderly care, shares his own experience with finding support for his mother-in-law with dementia. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Christopher Furlong
-
Curious City: Legendary Chicago double bills
Curious citizen Patrick Gallagher wondered about the best double bills ever hosted on local concert stages—so the Curious City crew turned to WBEZ’s resident expert, Sound Opinions host and WBEZ blogger Jim DeRogatis. They share their favorites with Afternoon Shift. Photo Credit: WBEZ Archive
-
The Better Governance Association takes your questions
The Better Government Association’s Andy Shaw and Alden Loury return to field listeners’ questions about how local government works—or doesn’t work—for citizens. We asked for listener calls and comments, and boy did we get them. Photo Credit: Jeremy Wilburn-Flickr
-
The pros and cons of preserving a city's historical...
The Wall Street Journal recently declared Mayor Michael Bloomberg New York’s most preservation-minded leader ever. Robert Tierney, whom Bloomberg appointed to chair the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission 10 years ago, has put an emphasis on preserving districts over individual buildings. Tierney joins host Niala Boodhoo to explain his approach, and WBEZ architecture blogger Lee Bey compares New York’s efforts to Chicago’s.
-
Rapper Lupe Fiasco puts voice behind anti-violence group...
The seed for Project Orange Tree was planted at a recent community forum organized by the Lupe Fiasco Foundation, wherein young people spoke with each other about violence in Chicago. The forum spawned an awareness campaign, led by teens. Organizers, like Lindholm Math & Science Academy senior Chelsea James, chose the color orange because just as hunters wear the color to warn other hunters not to shoot, they too want to say, “Don’t Shoot!” Rapper, activist and West Side native Lupe Fiasco...
-
Albany Park facing real estate woes
The Afternoon Shift examines foreclosures, tenant rights and health care issues in Albany Park with the Northwest Side neighborhood’s council president, Diane Limas.
-
What are the real numbers behind demand for Chicago's...
Host Niala Boodhoo sits down with WBEZ education reporter Becky Vevea to discuss why there is no clear measure of demand for Chicago charter schools. Photo Credit: WBEZ Linda Lutton
-
Governor Pat Quinn hopes to tap in to immigration...
Today, host Niala Boodhoo sifts through today's news with help from poet and educator Coya Paz and The Starter League’s Neal Sales-Griffin. They tackle Gov. Quinn’s trade mission to Mexico. Photo Credit: Getty/Frank Polich
-
Senator Mark Kirk reverses stance on same-sex marriage
Today, host Niala Boodhoo sifts through today's news with help from poet and educator Coya Paz and The Starter League’s Neal Sales-Griffin. They tackle Sen. Mark Kirk’s reversed stance on same-sex marriage, with help from WBEZ political reporter Al Keefe. Photo Credit: Bill Healy
-
Resident philosopher Al Gini looks at the need for pride...
Resident WBEZ philosopher Al Gini reflects on the role of pride and hope in our daily lives.
-
WBEZ film critic Milos Stehlik wonders how far studios...
WBEZ film contributor and director of Chicago's Facets Multimedia Milos Stehlik looks at Paramount’s efforts to appease Chinese censors and a new law that gives the Russian government the power to block Internet content that it deems illegal or harmful to children. Also, the most meta of movie-going experiences, Shirin, is now available on pay-per-view. The Iranian film by Abbas Kiarostami is built entirely of shots of the faces of 114 women as they watch a film, which itself, is never...
-
Eric Zorn and David Schaper discuss bands and making it...
The Chicago Tribune’s Eric Zorn and NPR’s David Schaper tag-team the news of the day—from the Louisville leg break many of us wish we could un-see to another possible inch of ground gained on immigration reform.
-
Eric Zorn and David Schaper discuss gruesome injuries...
The Chicago Tribune’s Eric Zorn and NPR’s David Schaper tag-team the news of the day—from the Louisville leg break many of us wish we could un-see to another possible inch of ground gained on immigration reform.
-
Guest host Steve Dahl plays an April Fools prank
It is our first day without Rick, so for some levity, the show passes the mic to veteran radio man Steve Dahl.
-
New! The Best of 'BEZ Talk podcast
Hey Afternoon Shift podcast listeners! We've got big news. We're sending the Afternoon Shift podcast off into the sunset and replacing it with a new and improved version that will bring you the best of all of WBEZ's talk shows in one tasty, weekly morsel. The Best of 'BEZ Talk podcast will be hosted by producer/director Jason Marck, and will feature all the best conversations and interviews from our live talk programming. Check out the podcast every Wednesday, and subscribe below. Thanks!...
-
Grammys creators enforce new, strict dress code
It’s been nine years since Nipple Gate, Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” at Super Bowl XXXVIII. Now, all these years later, pop stars set to appear on camera have been advised to cover up. Deadline intercepted a memo from CBS asking, for example, that "buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered."
-
Curious City answers listeners' Chicago history questions
With so many curious questions coming in, the Curious City gang decided they'd try a rapid-fire round with WBEZ history blogger John Schmidt and cartographer--and uber-Curious-City-commenter (he's commented on 72 questions)--Dennis McClendon.
-
Curious Suburbs discovers Berwyn
WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell and Tricia Bobeda share their exploration of Berwyn, where creative energies are flowing through everything from the arts to laundromats to health clinics
-
Review Panel Pt. 2-Chief Keef and the Congress...
WBEZ's Jim DeRogatis joins the panel to dish out the latest in the Congress Theater saga, and the real fun begins when we bring up Chicago rapper Chief Keef and discuss Keef's place in the local and national hip-hop scene
-
The Best Game In Town pt.2-Roger Simon
Politico's chief political columnist--and longtime friend of Rick Kogan--Roger Simon joins the conversation from the belly of the Beltway.
-
Review panelists Eric Zorn and Neil Steinberg talk local...
Sun Times columnist Neil Steinberg and Tribune columnist Eric Zorn join Rick for our review panel to look at the week behind us.
-
Scott Helman talks about his new book The Real Romney
As Willard “Mitt” Romney prepares for the speech of his life tonight at the Republican National Convention, we talk with one of the authors of the bio “The Real Romney”, Boston Globe reporter Scott Helman.
-
Long Hot Summer The tension between hip hop and violence
Rhymefest joins host Steve Edwards, music writer Jessica Hopper, Pastor Phil Jackson and emcee TehRay Phenom Hale for an hour-long discussion about the relationship between hip hop and violence. Afternoon Shift also hears from up-and-coming emcee, Chance the Rapper.
-
Comedy podcast 'WTF' is therapy for Marc Maron (and his...
Maron was in Chicago for a set of shows at Mayne Stage this weekend, and he joins Afternoon Shift Friday to discuss his career, his comedy podcast, and how he found success he's had over the years.
-
Newt Minow the father of the televised debate
New host Rick Kogan speaks to the “father of televised debates”, the man who famously called television “a vast wasteland," former FCC Chair Newton Minow.
-
Long Hot Summer: Chicago's gun economy
Over the past twenty years, it’s become increasingly clear that mass shootings, no matter how tragic, don’t lead to reforms of gun laws, says one expert.
-
Don Evans, the man behind the Chicago Literary Hall of...
A daily conversation about news, culture and ideas hosted by Rick Kogan
-
Chicago Public Schools closings
A daily conversation about news, culture and ideas hosted by Rick Kogan
-
Our review panel talks food forests and facebook
A daily conversation about news, culture and ideas hosted by Rick Kogan
-
Curious City: medley of questions and answers
The Curious City kids are back for a fall medley of sorts...INCLUDING why ketchup is considered a taboo topping on Chicago hot dogs.
-
Comedian Richard Lewis plays Zanies this week
Legendary stand-up comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm stand out, Richard Lewis, stops by The Afternoon Shift before kicking off a two-night run at Zanies.
-
Today's review panel: Lisa Donovan and Monica Eng
Lisa Donovan of the Chicago Sun-Times and Monica Eng of the Chicago Tribune help Rick tackle the day's news in the 3 @ 3.
-
Tyler Perry symposium promotes talk of media and race
On Wednesday, Northwestern University will host “Madea’s Big Scholarly Roundtable: Perspectives on the Media of Tyler Perry” about the filmmaker’s work. The symposium includes a panel discussion as well as film screenings with moderated conversations. All events take place at NU’s Block Cinema.
-
Easy writer
Rick Kogan talks about the struggles of being a writer and reads an excerpt from Michael Connelly's new book "The Black Box."
-
Michael Connelly's new book "The Black Box"
Twenty years ago, readers met LAPD detective Harry Bosch. For two decades writer Michael Connelly has delighted mystery readers with grim tales from the city of angels. Connelly is in town promoting the latest book in the Bosch series, "The Black Box."
-
'Studs Place' hopes to draw younger crowd to work of...
In the early 1950s, broadcaster and oral historian Studs Terkel starred in Studs’ Place, one of the first television shows produced in Chicago.
-
Scott Simon gets deep into his Chicago history with Rick...
Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon shares memories of growing up in Chicago with Rick Kogan.
-
Newt Minow the father of the televised debate
New host Rick Kogan speaks to the “father of televised debates”, the man who famously called television “a vast wasteland," former FCC Chair Newton Minow.
-
Scott Helman talks about his new book The Real Romney
As Willard “Mitt” Romney prepares for the speech of his life tonight at the Republican National Convention, we talk with one of the authors of the bio “The Real Romney”, Boston Globe reporter Scott Helman.
-
Cubs owner/chairman Tom Ricketts
Steve Edwards talks at length with Cubs owner and chairman Tom Ricketts.
-
Comedy podcast 'WTF' is therapy for Marc Maron (and his...
It was just a few years ago that veteran comedian and onetime Air Americahost Marc Maron was struggling for an audience.
-
Long Hot Summer: Chicago's gun economy
Over the past twenty years, its become increasingly clear that mass shootings, no matter how tragic, dont lead to reforms of gun laws, says one expert.
-
Long Hot Summer: The tension between hip hop and violence
Rhymefest joins host Steve Edwards, music writer Jessica Hopper, Pastor Phil Jackson and emcee Teh’Ray "Phenom" Hale for an hour-long discussion about the relationship between hip hop and violence.
-
Saturday Night Live's Jay Pharoah brings his big bag of...
Comedian and impressionist Jay Pharoah has spent the past two seasons as a cast member on NBC’sSaturday Night Live. Among Pharoah’s more than 100 impressions, he is perhaps best known for dead-on impressions of Denzel Washington, Jay-Z, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and President
Recommended Shows
PROGRAM INFORMATION
- Chicago, IL
- Arts & Culture, Current Affairs, Public Radio
- Chicago Public Radio
- English
-
Visit the station website
Update show info
