In the Loop

For the latest installment in our Working Shift series, we talk with a master builder whose creations — including a model of the Hoover Dam and a 60-foot-long model of the Golden Gate bridge — are built entirely from Lego bricks. Adam Reed Tucker is one of just 14 Lego-certified professionals in the world. He tells us about his craft, which is on display at a new exhibition at Chicago’s Museum of Science of Industry called “Brick by Brick.” Find more of Working Shift

In a vast, ever-changing city like Chicago, it’s almost impossible to do and see everything. But don’t worry: If you need some help choosing your next excursion, Molly Page has your back. The Chicago tour guide is out with a new book called 100 Things to Do in Chicago Before You Die that is full of classic Windy City outings as well as plenty of surprises. Morning Shift talked to Page about how she narrowed down her list and takes listeners’ suggestions live on the air.

The legendary artistic director joins us to talk about the new season and tell stories about his 40 years in the Chicago theater scene.

Jim DeRogatis joins us to talk about some of the music that has knocked his socks so far at the festival. 

Depending on who you ask, bringing kids to work can be a welcome morale boost, or a distraction and productivity killer. So, what should an organization’s policy be on employees bringing their kids to work? White Sox designated hitter Adam LaRoche made some big news with his answer to the question. He walked away from a $13 million contract after a team executive asked him to limit the amount of time his son Drake spends in the team’s locker room. WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye Stout gives us some insight into the flap and what it reveals about clubhouse culture. We also hear from Dan Kois, co-host of Slate’s parenting podcast Mom and Dad Are Fighting and Susy Schultz of the Chicago non-profit Public Narrative on how employers and employees deal with the issue of kids at work. We also open the phones to listeners.

The record is classic Ben Harper, drawing on rock, soul, blues, folk and global sounds. Ben Harper joins us for music and conversation.

What life was like back in what is now Illinois tens of millions of years before the first dinosaur?

The Chicago Police Board is expected to reveal the names of the three finalists for Chicago Police Superintendent Thursday. While he says he doesn’t expect to make the shortlist, former Baltimore Police sergeant Michael Wood Jr. is the only candidate who has made his entire application for the job available to the public.

The role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons first came out in 1974. Now, thanks to a popular YouTube web series, the world has even more dungeon masters. Morning Shift looks at the D&D cultural phenomenon and how it’s changed over the last four decades.