At first glance, the small, brown, formaldehyde-soaked Evarra tlahuacensis doesn’t come off as a terribly striking fish. But the little minnow is actually the only remaining specimen of its kind on Earth – and it's housed at Chicago’s Field Museum.

Hundreds of thousands of Chicago Public Schools students return to the classroom amid massive financial woes for the district: an expired teacher contract and a $480 million budget hole. On Chicago Tonight, we'll hear from students and principals at some schools experiencing the deepest cuts, and from CPS administrators visiting schools on their first day. 

Labor Day has come and gone, but the summer of discontent in Springfield is not going away. Lawmakers have retreated to various warring camps in a battle that has largely pitted Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner against powerful Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ended discriminatory tactics that made it difficult for African-Americans to vote. The new book Jimmie Lee and James tells the story of two of the unsung civil rights heroes who were pivotal in the passage of this landmark legislation. Joining us tonight are the authors of the book, Steve Fiffer and Adar Cohen.

Comic actors George Wendt and Tim Kazurinsky appear together in Bruce Graham's new play Funnyman, opening this week at Northlight Theatre in Skokie. The duo joins Chicago Tonight to talk about the world premiere play, recall their days at Second City, and fact-check a couple of Internet rumors about their long careers.

In this edition of Ask Geoffrey, our local history expert Geoffrey Baer gets schooled at Midway Airport, snags a free pickle at a long-lost Old Town favorite, and soars with 19 terracotta eagles in Lakeview.

State Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago) has some angry words for House Speaker Michael Madigan, in the wake of this week’s failed override of SB 1229, a major union bill that became a flash point in the ongoing political war between Madigan and Gov. Bruce Rauner. Paris Schutz has the story.

On this edition of Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review with Joel Weisman, our panel of guests discuss Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposal for a $500 million property tax hike, the ongoing battle over Dyett High School, and more.

Were you watching this week? Test your knowledge with these eight questions.

It's Labor Day weekend, Chicago. You won't be able to wear white after Monday, so flash your brights at this great lineup of festivals, including Turkish Fest, Jazz Fest and the Chicago Fringe Fest. Oh, and don't miss a Q&A at Music Box Theatre with Queen of Earth director Alex Ross Perry. Take your pick.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is reportedly considering a $500 million property tax hike—one of the largest in the city’s history—to help pay police and fire pensions and construction projects for Chicago Public Schools. The tax increase is expected to be included in the mayor’s 2016 budget. We examine what’s reportedly in Emanuel’s budget and what it means for city residents.

It's been a magical season for the Chicago Cubs: a Sunday night no-hitter added to one of the best records in baseball, and a likely playoff appearance. Joining us to take a closer look at what's been going right on the North Side–and what's ahead–is Chicago Tribune baseball writer Paul Sullivan.

Emily Graslie may just have the coolest job in the world. She's the Chief Curiosity Correspondent for the Field Museum and the driving force behind the popular YouTube channel The Brain Scoop. Graslie joins Chicago Tonight to discuss her work popularizing science.

Chicago businessman Julius Rosenwald was also a courageous philathropist and his work resonates to this day. The new documentary Rosenwald opens this Friday in Chicago and Highland Park. Chicago Tonight discusses the film–and the man at the center of it–with filmmaker Aviva Kempner, and Peter Ascoli, a faculty member of the Spertus Institute who is Julius Rosenwald's grandson.