In the Loop

When the Cubs take on the Cincinnati Reds in their home opener at Wrigley Field Monday night, one person who will be paying extra close attention is Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts. He and his family purchased the Cubs in 2009 and have set out to transform the ragtag team known as the Loveable Losers into a modern-day baseball dynasty. That’s meant bringing new talent to the clubhouse, the back office and the field, and making changes to Wrigley Field. For our latest installment in our series Working Shift, Tom Ricketts joins Tony Sarabia and WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout to talk about his job managing the day-to-day operations for the 144-year-old franchise.

Northwestern senior Carter Sherman was interviewed about her experiences with sex and sexuality for Peggy Orenstein’s new book Girls and Sex, but her story did not make it into the final manuscript. We talk to Sherman what’s wrong (and right) with sex ed and the birds and bees conversation today and how parents could play a larger role in helping girls understand and form opinions about sex. Plus, we take calls from listeners.

Savage, curator of the HUMP! Fest happening at the Music Box Theatre, talks to us about adoption by same-sex couples and 'The Real O’Neals,' a new ABC sitcom loosely based on Savage’s experience growing up and coming out as a teenager in Catholic family in Chicago.

In her new book Girls and Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape, writer and journalist Peggy Orenstein explores the sexual lives of teenage girls and young women. We talk with Orenstein about what she learned while researching and writing the book and what lessons the stories she tells have for girls, boys and their parents.

Law and Order fans know S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Van Buren, the no-nonsense boss who always asks her detectives questions that open up the case. She’s sticking with the Dick Wolf franchise and now stars in Chicago Med. But it’s her struggle with diabetes — and bringing awareness to the disease — that drives her when she’s offscreen. We talk with the actress about her career and what she’s doing to help people manage their diabetes.

The Bad Examples were poised for a major breakout. Ralph Covert had honed his craft as a great power-pop writer in vein of the Beatles and Big Star. The band gained a large following locally and even internationally, playing ever-larger venues. Then Nirvana’s Nevermind took the world by storm, and radio and record companies only wanted that grungy sound. Covert found new life, pioneering a new kind of kids' music with his band Ralph’s World. But he never totally shelved his first band, and now The Bad Examples are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the record that coulda-shoulda-woulda made them superstars.

Mark Bazer has been hosting a late-night talk show with a considerable cult following since 2008. He’s got a desk, a couch, coffee mugs and a mic. He’s talked to authors and actors, comics and CEOs, and brings on musical guests. We talk with Mark about the history of the show, how the TV gig came about, and what he’s had to change to make the project work for TV.

Cook County announced plans this week to rehabilitate the 102-year-old medical center. The Cook County Hospital campus will be redeveloped into a hotel, apartments and retail shops. Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin joins us to talk about what’s in store for what he calls “the beloved but battered” building that was shuttered in 2002.

Dennis Rodkin gives us the history of Hotel Guyon in W. Garfield Park. As the hotel changed owners, lost clients and mirrored the changes of the neighborhood, it's had a dim future.

This week, Ayana Contreras shares music from musicians and singers with siblings who are also in the business.